What A Day

The Supreme Court is back in session — and nearly two years into Trump’s presidency, we have more questions than ever about the justices' ethics rules, shadow docket, and more. Jane sat down with Strict Scrutiny co-host Kate Shaw to hear her four ideas to reform the highest court in the land.

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The 2026 midterm elections are anxiety inducing. Will Democrats take back the House? The Senate? Can we believe the polls? 2016 PTSD is getting real, so Jane spoke with POLITICO's Dasha Burns to break down what's really going on this cycle.

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As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Republicans are working to keep voters who showed up for President Donald Trump in 2024 engaged in down-ballot races. One key battleground is Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, where freshman Republican Rep. Gabe Evans faces Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel. Rutinel joins Jane to discuss his campaign and why he believes voters should send him to Congress.

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New polling out Thursday shows that concerns about artificial intelligence are crossing party lines. According to an AP-NORC survey, 64% of Americans think AI is developing "too fast." But we wanted to hear from someone who sees the opportunities AI presents and how the technology can make our lives better. On today's show, Jane speaks with Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei about his new book, "Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less."

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The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with a top Senate Republican, began dialing back its funding for the North Carolina Senate race last week and shifted it elsewhere. Now a group affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, WinSenate, is doing the same. Jane talks with Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, about what's happening in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Tom Tillis and other races across the state.

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This midterm election introduces a surprising ballot measure for Washington State voters to weigh in on -- whether to require girls to undergo genital inspections if they want to play sports. Jane speaks with Washington State House Speaker Laurie Jenkins about who's behind getting the issue on the ballot and what Washingtonians are saying about it.
Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ For a transcript of this episode, p...

The Supreme Court is back, and once again a lot is on the docket. Like climate change, and what cities and states are allowed to do about it. This major climate case also saw Justice Samuel Alito's recusal — which is uncommon. To discuss what lies ahead for the court and Alito, Jane speaks with Leah Litman, host of Strict Scrutiny.

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The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks — starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel. The announcement comes as Trump’s trade battles and his war in Iran have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods ahead of next month's midterms. To discuss the latest on the war and what's happening in the Middle East, Jane speaks with Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save the World.

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The midterms are next month, and President Donald Trump's approval rating on issues like the economy is slipping. But are Democrats capitalizing on it? Is their messaging keeping pace with the moment? On today's show, Jane sits down with Sarah Longwell to discuss how Democrats can communicate their policy ideas more effectively and connect with voters. Longwell is the author of the new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.

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The Venezuelan man who was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas, last week has been charged with assaulting an officer. Burundi is the latest country to accept U.S. deportees to a country they have no relationship with, and the U.S. Supreme Court says third-country deportations are ok, for now.

A lot is going on in the world of immigration. Jane talks about it all with Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR National Correspondent who covers immigration.

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Let's talk about cowards. The people who surrendered to President Donald J. Trump's Administration – and why. Jane talks to Jacob Weisberg, author of the new book, “Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era, ” about five principal factors playing into the dynamics of “cowardice and capitulation."

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If you watched NFL football on Sunday, you may have seen President Donald Trump's new ad campaign, featuring a 2024 Trump ad. The ad was re-released and shown dozens of times, paid for by the US government. Trump is fixated on making the midterms about him. Jane talks to political commentator and YouTube host Adam Mockler about whether this will help or hurt the GOP candidates.

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The Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling today lifting restrictions on a controversial federal voter database. The order grants President Donald Trump a win, for now, in his aggressive campaign against noncitizen voting. So what does this mean for the midterms? To find out, we spoke with Norm Eisen, co-founder of Democracy Defenders Action.

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With the midterms just around the corner, new polls are hitting the headlines every day. But why are there so many polls, and what can they actually tell us? On today's show, Jane talks with Galen Druke, co-host of Crooked's new podcast, Still Counting, about what he's seeing in the latest polling and what it could mean for November.

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The Constitution says states, not the federal government, run elections. But the Trump administration is trying to mess with the midterms. Jane talks to Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar about what states are doing to protect elections for their constituents.

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President Donald Trump delivered a very Trumpian speech before the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly today. He, of course, touted the United States as being the hottest country and made more threats of "annihilation" toward Iran in the midst of the ongoing war. Trump said that he believes the two nations will make a deal right after the midterm elections.

To talk about pivotal elections in history, Jane speaks with CNN Anchor and Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash about her new book, "The Elections That Changed The World: Fifteen Pivotal Moments That Shaped How...

MSNOW, CNN, and Politico are suing the Trump Administration after it banned their reporters from the White House press pool. President Donald Trump said on Friday, "I don't want them in my office," because of the news organizations' coverage. Erin Ryan talks to Will Sommer, Senior Reporter for The Bulwark and author of the False Flag newsletter, about Trump's latest attacks on the media.

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A federal judge ordered the Kennedy Center to provide notice before making any major physical changes to the building, on Thursday, including demolishing it, as President Donald Trump has threatened. But why is Trump so obsessed with the Kennedy Center? And what will he do if his name doesn’t end up being enshrined on the building? To find out, Jane speaks with Arts & Government reporter at The Washington Post, Jonathan Edwards.

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On today's show, we get into a rebellion at the heart of President Donald Trump's empire, led by some of the least rebellious guys you can think of: the finance geeks at the Federal Reserve.

Greg Walters is joined by labor economist and policy consultant Kathryn Anne Edwards to talk about Trump the Fed, gas prices, and you.

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For a third time, the U.S. House has voted to end the Iran war, approving a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trump's ability to continue military action without congressional approval. And apparently the American people agree. According to new polling shared exclusively with Pod Save the World, 75 percent of independents think Trump is doing a bad job handling the conflict. So what is Trump's favorite television network saying about Iran these days? To find out, Jane speaks with Matt Gertz, Senior Fellow at Media Matters.

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One of the biggest elections everyone is watching this year is the Texas Senate race. But the race that's getting a lot of attention right now for allegations of bigotry is the Railroad Commissioner race. The Republican who wants the job spent his weekend complaining about non-white students at a University of Texas at Austin football game. To learn more, Jane spoke to Robert Downen. He’s a Senior Writer for Texas Monthly based in Austin.

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A string of recent warnings from AI industry insiders, including a former Anthropic employee who puts the odds of human extinction at over 10 percent in the next 10 years.

Politicians on both sides of the aisle are feeling pressure to do something. And tomorrow we're going to see a very rare spectacle: Senator Bernie Sanders, lion of the progressive movement, sharing a stage with Steve Bannon, the MAGA bomb-thrower, at what they're calling a "Pro-Human Assembly." You don't see that kind of bipartisanship very often in DC these days.

But will it be enough? Will the...

Nate Silver, Clare Malone, and Galen Druke discuss the most competitive Senate races heading into the midterms in this excerpt from their new podcast, Still Counting. To hear the rest, head over to Still Counting and subscribe! New episodes drop every Wednesday evening.

You can request a transcript by emailing transcripts@crooked.com. Include the podcast name, episode title, and air date. Please allow 48 hours for delivery. 

In June 2022, a 14-year-old girl named Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her Utah home and held captive for nine months. She endured abuse and torture before police finally rescued her. Now, she's an advocate for other survivors, and she has a new true crime podcast, "The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart," which centers on their stories. Jane talks to her about what she's learned about getting through one of the worst things imaginable.

"The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is available every Monday on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.<...

Friday marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11. And earlier this week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the release of records related to the government’s response in the aftermath of the attacks, as well as the settlement of two lawsuits brought by 9/11 Health Watch.

On today’s show, Jane speaks with Andrew Carboy, an attorney for 9/11 Health Watch, about the survivors of 9/11 and the devastating health problems they have faced over the past two and a half decades.

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College football is back and so is Congress. What does one have to do with the other? More than you think. Jane talks to veteran college sports analyst Paul Finebaum, host of The Paul Finebaum Show, about the Protect College Sports Act and why some members of Congress have taken an interest in sports this session.

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President Donald Trump is going all in on... President Donald Trump. And he's hoping GOP lawmakers will do the same at their midterm convention in Dallas this week. Jane talks to Antonia Hylton, host of the new MSNOW show, "The Assignment," about Trump's strategy for the midterms.

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On today's show, our guest host, Todd Zwillich, talks with Nate Soares, co-author of If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies, and the President of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, about recent AI hacks, the great AI debate, and Vice President JD Vance's comments about the end times on the Bryce Crawford Podcast.

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Here at What A Day, we’re keeping an eye on the midterms — which are likely to hinge on which party can tackle the skyrocketing cost of living. On today’s show, Jane speaks with The Atlantic’s Annie Lowrey about why it's so damn expensive and complicated to be low-income in America.

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On today's show, Jane talks with Maine Democratic Senate candidate Troy Jackson about what he thinks it will take for him to beat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November’s midterms.

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The House passed a short-term measure today to fund the federal government into early December, a move designed to avoid a chaotic shutdown as lawmakers campaign for reelection. On today's show, Jane speaks with Slow Boring’s Matt Yglesias about what Democrats need to do – and avoid – to make November really count this year.

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In case you missed it, President Donald Trump announced a deal that would give the United States a stake in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves on Friday. And over the weekend, the United States and Iran exchanged fire for the first time in a month. The Bulwark’s Tim Miller joins What A Day host Jane Coaston to break down Trump’s increasingly imperial adventures! Jane and Tim also take a moment to say goodbye to a right-wing activist who cheered on deportations and then got himself deported.

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In the last year and a half, President Donald Trump has put his name, image, or both, on a whole host of things — federal buildings, passports, the resident National Park pass, the administration’s child savings accounts, the under construction border wall, and of course, the Kennedy Center. But why? Why is Trump so obsessed with seeing his name on pretty much everything that isn’t nailed down (and a lot that is)? To find out, we spoke with Alex Wagner, host of Crooked Media’s Runaway Country.

And in headlines, the Iran war hits the six-month mark, Fe...

Yesterday, we heard from former USAID administrator Dr. Atul Gawande about the lives lost because of the gutting of the United States Agency for International Development. On today's show, we focus on people in Nepal and their experiences before and after the cuts to foreign assistance. In Nepal, USAID helped fund organizations whose efforts centered on fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS. And some of those organizations employed transgender aid workers, who are living in a country where existing outside the gender binary is generally forbidden.

But after the cuts to USAID, many of these trans women...

It’s been more than a year since Elon Musk and the DOGE boys fed the United States Agency for International Development – or USAID, into a QUOTE “woodchipper.” And since then, according to reporting from NPR and other outlets, the dismantling of USAID has resulted in the deaths of more than 700,000 people. That’s because USAID worked globally to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS, end childhood malnutrition, battle infectious diseases and help women have healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. Dr. Atul Gawande was a USAID administrator under the Biden Administration, leading the Bureau of Global Health. Now he’s warning wh...

We’ve all seen how Customs and Border Protection has run roughshod over the civil rights of immigrants both legal and undocumented alike across the country. But if you’re an American citizen, you might not think that these abuses could ever happen to you. In fact, maybe the only time you’ve ever even seen Border Protection agents has been at the airport. And yet, that’s where journalist Matthew Petti got detained for hours by Border agents. Now he’s trying to figure out what happened and how to make sure it doesn’t happen to anyone else. We spo...

President Donald Trump is back at it with his nonsensical trade wars, and this time he’s targeting one of our closest allies: Canada. After trade negotiations crumbled at the eleventh hour, Trump’s 50% tariffs on scores of Canadian imports kicked in over the weekend. Meanwhile, Trump is also threatening to make moves that could lead to the U.S. being involved in a trade war with China. Here to break down what, if any, political strategy is in play for the White House is MS NOW’s Eugene Daniels.

And in headlines, a new poll has found t...

The United States national debt reached a record-breaking $40 trillion dollars this week. If you spread out that debt to every resident of the U.S., we would each owe more than $115,000 dollars. So how did we get here? To find out more about what our big bad debt means for you, we spoke with Scott Lincicome. He’s the vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute.

And in headlines, Trump-fixer-turned-frenemy Michael Cohen hosted the president on his radio show, the USS George Washington aircraft carrier is relieving the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln, and a Texas co...

Americans spend nearly $30 billion a year on plastic surgery procedures, including fillers and Botox. And there's probably no better example than the White House, where the "Mar-A-Lago face" – a very specific, very smooth, very… augmented appearance – runs rampant. But maybe that's starting to change. Faced with actors, actresses, influencers, and AI, some people are starting to forgo their pursuit of aesthetic perfection in favor of something a little more natural. But does that mean more people are going to go without Botox – or will more people want procedures that don't make them look like they had Botox? To find out, we...

You may have heard about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln — the carrier where sailors have been facing food shortages and broken toilets. They’ve gone without a traditional port call for eight and a half months, and counting. But they’re not the only vessel facing long deployments and concerning conditions. In May, the USS Gerald Ford finally returned to port in the U.S. after 11 months at sea – the longest deployment since the end of the Vietnam War. Those months away from home featured a massive fire that raged for hours onboard, and – you guessed it – plumbing pro...