What A Day

As Israel continues its air and ground offensive into Gaza, its military says it has freed an IDF soldier who was captured by Hamas on October 7th. Meanwhile, Hamas released a video of three other Israeli hostages – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it “cruel psychological propaganda,” and rejected calls for a ceasefire. A trial to determine whether Donald Trump can appear on the 2024 presi...

Gaza’s Health Ministry says that over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas. Israel has since announced it has entered the “next stage” of its operations into Gaza, after sending in more ground troops to the enclave over the weekend. Meanwhile, calls for an immediate ceasefire have grown, with protesters taking to the streets in cities around t...

A manhunt is underway in Maine for the gunman behind two shootings in Maine. Eighteen people were killed and thirteen others were injured Wednesday evening, in what has become the deadliest mass killing in the U.S. this year.  As the likelihood of an escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas looms, activists in the U.S. are revving up their demands for an immediate ceasefire. Eva Borgwardt wi...

Rep. Mike Johnson of Louisiana is the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, ending a 22-days of GOP in-fighting since Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s ouster. While he managed to earn the support of both “moderate” and far-right Republicans, Johnson has a history of voting against abortion access and LGBTQ rights. The war between Israel and Hamas rages on, and people living on both sides of the Israel...

The whirlwind saga to choose the next House speaker continues. After three rounds of secret votes late Tuesday night, House Republicans nominated Rep. Mike Johnson as their latest contender. The move came after Rep. Tom Emmer dropped out of the race just hours after he was selected as the GOP’s speaker designee. One of the two Israeli hostages recently released by Hamas told reporters she “went th...

Two more hostages held captive by Hamas were released on Monday, though Israel says more than 200 others are still being held by the militant group. Meanwhile, officials in Gaza say Israeli airstrikes have now killed over 5,000 people in the territory.  Clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border are also stoking fears that the war could spill over. George Bisharat, a Middle East policy expert and pro...

Over the weekend, the first trucks containing much-needed humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza; hours later, Hamas, through the Qatari government, released two American hostages who were captured while visiting Israel. Meanwhile, fighting has intensified between Israeli troops and Hezbollah at the Lebanese border, fueling fears that the conflict may spread. There are now nine Republicans running to...

Republicans have failed, again, to select a new House speaker. Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio – the far-right Republican who’s already lost two full floor votes – said he will continue his bid for the role, despite failing to convince the holdouts from his own party.  About 20 trucks carrying vital humanitarian aid for Gaza are waiting on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing, though i...

President Joe Biden touched down in Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for a nation in mourning – but also warned against the human cost of being swept up by wartime rage. He also confirmed that Israel agreed to allow the beginning of humanitarian aid into Gaza from Egypt. Representative Jim Jordan once again lost his bid to become the next House speaker, with more of his Republican colleagu...

As President Biden prepared to visit Israel, a hospital in Gaza City was hit by a devastating blast Tuesday, killing at least 500 people. Hamas blamed it on an Israeli airstrike, though Israel denied any involvement. Hours later, the White House confirmed that a planned summit in Jordan with Arab leaders was called off. Crooked’s Tommy Vietor joins us to explain how these new developments will com...

President Biden will travel to Israel tomorrow. The high-stakes visit is meant to be a show of solidarity with Israel – while also sending a message to other countries in the region to keep the conflict with Hamas from escalating. The announcement also comes amid a continued push to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza. The federal government has reached a deal with the ACLU over the Trump administrat...

As Israel continues to gear up for its anticipated ground invasion of Gaza, diplomats with the United States, Egypt, and other countries are scrambling to avert a larger humanitarian crisis. Israel has given repeated orders for Gazans to evacuate south ahead of that, but basic services in that region are already incredibly strained due to years of an international blockade. And in headlines: Ohio...

Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel on Thursday to show support for the country, following Hamas’ attack over the weekend. He also called on Israel to exercise restraint as it continues its airstrikes on Gaza. Meanwhile, the United States and Qatar have agreed to stop Iran, which has helped Hamas in the past, from accessing $6 billion in recently unfrozen aid.  And as the war continues...

As Israel sends thousands of troops to the border with Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to form an emergency war cabinet with members of the country’s political opposition. It comes as Israel continues to pound the Palestinian territory with airstrikes, intensifying fears that the assault will create a humanitarian crisis.  Meanwhile, Israel is on edge over the fate of ov...

The devastation from the war between Israel and Hamas continues to unfold. As of Tuesday, nearly 2,000 people combined have been killed in Israel and Gaza, with many more injured. President Biden confirmed that at least 14 Americans are among the dead, and U.S. citizens are among the hostages held by Hamas. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Israel today in a show of solida...

At least 1,500 people have been killed in the days since Hamas, the Palestinian armed group that controls Gaza, launched a surprise attack against Israel. Israel has since declared war, and vowed to launch a "total" siege on Gaza. Meanwhile, the U.S. and other global powers are working to stop it from becoming a conflict with multiple fronts. Parts of West Maui reopened to tourists this weekend fo...

*** What A Day will be back with a new episode Tuesday, October 10th*** It's the start of a new Supreme Court term... and the start of Strict Scrutiny's fifth season!  While the cases ahead may seem technical and boring, they’re actually quite significant. Hosts Melissa, Kate, and Leah preview the first oral arguments the Court will hear in October Term 2023.  Listen to Strict Scrutiny every Monda...

Federal judges chose a new congressional map for Alabama on Thursday, after a major, two year legal fight. The final, court-approved map gives Black Alabamians more political power, and could also give Democrats an edge in 2024. Talks between SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP resume today, after negotiations to end the Hollywood actor’s strike restarted earlier this week. It’s not clear if they’re close to a de...

Republicans remain divided over who should lead their delicate House majority after Kevin McCarthy was ousted as speaker. A vote for his replacement is set for next week – and so far, at least three Republicans have signaled that they want the job. Banned Books Week, an annual event to draw attention to the harms of censorship, has taken on new significance this year. Legislation in some GOP-led s...

In an unprecedented move led by far-right Republicans, Kevin McCarthy was voted out of his job as Speaker of the House. He later said he would not seek the position again, leaving the House GOP fractured and scrambling to find a new leader for their slim majority.  The Supreme Court heard arguments in a major case against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The fate of the agency, which was...

A testy and defiant Donald Trump showed up to court yesterday in Manhattan, for the first day of his civil fraud trial. The former president called the suit, brought by New York attorney general Letitia James, a “witch hunt,” though it could cost him control of his sprawling real estate empire. Laphonza Butler will be the new junior U.S. Senator from California, after she was appointed by Governor...

Just hours before the Saturday night deadline, a bill to fund the government through mid-November passed both chambers of Congress and was signed by President Biden. The bill – which ensures the federal government can keep paying its workers for about 45 more days –  included funds for natural disaster relief, but notably did not include any added funding for Ukraine. Senator Dianne Feinstein, the...

Republicans held their first hearing Thursday in their impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The six-hour hearing before the House Oversight Committee tried to make the case that the president benefitted from his son's business dealings – even though the Republicans' own witnesses said they didn't have any evidence to prove it. Meanwhile, the U.S. government notified federal workers that a...

The second 2024 GOP presidential debate took place yesterday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The pool of candidates was smaller compared to the last round, but it wasn’t any less chaotic. Erin Ryan, host of Crooked Media’s “Hysteria” podcast, and Brian Beutler, founder of the Off Message newsletter, join us to break it all down. And in headlines: the American...

Capitalism is having a moment in our current political discourse. And believe it or not, we haven't always been so quick to openly bash – or defend – it. Noel King, co-host of Vox Media's Today, Explained podcast, and her team have been exploring the forces behind American capitalism in a four-part series called Blame Capitalism . She joins us to unpack how differently both sides of the political...