Where It All Starts

Today marks 130 years since the United States illegally overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy. Healani Sonoda-Pale, an O’ahu-based community organizer and member of the Ka Lāhui Hawai’i political action committee, tells us what this day means to Native Hawaiians and the movement to restore Hawai’i’s sovereignty. And in headlines: a Russian missile strike killed at least 40 civilians at an apartment comp...

Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate how classified documents turned up at President Biden's home, and at an unsecured private office he used after his time as vice president. Dan Pfeiffer, co-host of Crooked's Pod Save America, joins us to unpack what we know so far, and how the discovery compares to Donald Trump's case. And in headlines: an L.A.-based bank...

Thousands of flights across the U.S. were canceled or delayed early Wednesday morning after a Federal Aviation Administration computer outage. Officials are calling it the largest national grounding of flights since 9/11, though there’s no evidence to suggest that it was the result of a cyberattack. New York Republican leaders publicly called for Representative George Santos to resign from Congres...

Another intense winter storm slammed into California Tuesday, bringing heavy rain, wind, and intense wind to the Golden State. It's the latest in a series of atmospheric rivers that have led to the deaths of at least 17 people since late last month, and put millions of Californians under flood warnings. California Rep. Katie Porter announced she's running for Senator Dianne Feinstein's seat – even...

The first federal death penalty trial under the Biden administration began in New York on Monday against Sayfullo Saipov. Saipov faces murder and terrorism charges for allegedly using a rented truck to kill eight people on a bike path in 2017.The Golden Globes makes its return to TV tonight after a year off the air. The organization behind the annual awards ceremony faced sharp criticism in 2021,...

After four days and 15 rounds of voting, Rep. Kevin McCarthy was finally elected Speaker of the House early Saturday. But in order to get enough votes, he had to cut some deals with the most conservative and hardline members of the GOP.Backers of Brazil's far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the country's congressional building, the presidential residence, and its Supreme Court on Sun...

Once again, Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to secure the votes he needed in the eleventh round of voting for Speaker of the House – even after offering new concessions to the far-right Republicans who continue to oppose him. President Biden announced a major change to border policy, aimed at discouraging migrants from entering the U.S. from Mexico. It expands on a pandemic-era program used by the Trum...

The House of Representatives adjourned for a second day without electing a new speaker, after Rep. Kevin McCarthy failed to convince 20 of his Republican colleagues to support his bid. He lost another three rounds of voting Wednesday, leaving no indication when the stalemate will end. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency amid a potentially catastrophic storm that’s bearin...

Republicans made history on Tuesday by failing to select a new House Speaker on the first vote for the first time in 100 years. Rep. Kevin McCarthy couldn’t get enough support from his own party in three rounds of voting, as his colleagues clashed over who should get the speaker’s gavel. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after he collapsed on the field during his team...

For our first episode of 2023, we talk about the big stories our hosts are watching this year. Stories include: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the effort to reform America’s childcare system, the release of some potentially game-changing films, and the ongoing battle over President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. Show Notes: What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Crook...

As the year comes to a close, we look back at the stories we thought were most memorable in 2022. We talk about the rising momentum of the labor movement, the politicization of drag, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the historic gains Democrats made in the midterm elections. Show Notes: WAD will be on a two-week break for the winter holidays. We’ll have a new episode on Tuesday, January 3rd! Wh...

Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan agreement on a spending bill to keep the government funded — but it’s bringing out the claws among Republicans. Rep. Kevin McCarthy went after Sen. Mitch McConnell for supporting the spending package, in what may be a move to muster support for his bid to become House Speaker. The Federal Reserve hiked its target interest rate by half a percentage point on Wednesd...

Federal authorities officially charged FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried with multiple counts of criminal fraud and other financial crimes. It follows the stunning collapse of what was once the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange – while $8 billion in customer funds remain unaccounted for. Twitter abruptly dissolved its Trust and Safety Council, the volunteer advisory group formed in 2016 to addre...

The sports world continues to mourn American soccer journalist Grant Wahl, whose body was returned to the U.S. after he died while covering the World Cup in Qatar. Although whatever caused his sudden death remains a mystery, his family hopes that a pending autopsy will give them answers. Over half a million people have signed a petition calling for New York Governor Kathy Hochul to grant clemency...

Congress has until Friday to reach an agreement on a spending package that will fund the government through the next fiscal year, but lawmakers are clashing over what to prioritize. Republicans want to invest heavily in military spending, but Democrats want to put more money toward the social safety net. Karen Bass was officially sworn in as the mayor of Los Angeles yesterday, making her the first...

WNBA star Brittney Griner is finally free from Russian imprisonment, 294 days after she was first arrested. U.S. officials negotiated her release, which involved a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. And in headlines: the House passed a landmark bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, tens of thousands of academic workers in the University of California system...

The Washington Post reported that a team hired by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers found at least two documents marked “classified” inside a storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s the first indication that more potentially sensitive material was, or could still be, at one of Trump’s properties. China is reportedly easing some of its strict “zero COVID” policies, following mass prote...

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is heading back to D.C. for a full 6-year term, after defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Tuesday’s special runoff election. Warnock’s victory now gives Democrats an outright majority in the Senate with 51 seats, and brings a whirlwind midterm cycle to a close. And in headlines: the suspect in the Club Q mass shooting was charged with over 300 counts,...

Today is election day in Georgia’s Senate runoff. Voters are headed to the polls to decide between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, in a race that could give Democrats an outright majority in the Senate. This Wednesday marks one year since the state of Hawai’i ordered the U.S. Navy to defuel its Red Hill fuel facility, after thousands of gallons of je...

The rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee voted to reshuffle the presidential primary schedule, making South Carolina the first state to hold a primary in the 2024 elections. The new order will change which voters have an outsized voice in selecting the Democratic nominee for president, and the issues that candidates will center in their campaigns. The Supreme Court is set to hear a...

In this special bonus episode of What a Day, we look back on the life and legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and the first woman to seek a major party nomination for president. She would have turned 98 earlier this week. Host Juanita Tolliver sat down with Representatives Barbara Lee and Ayanna Pressley, and biographer Dr. Anastasia Curwood for a candid conversa...

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is headed to the Supreme Court. While the plan is blocked for now, the justices will hear arguments in February to decide whether the administration has the authority to cancel federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Crooked’s new workplace advice podcast “Work Appropriate” covers everything from how to deal with pushy bosses, to the...

House Democrats voted unanimously Wednesday to make New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries their new leader – making him the first Black person to lead a party in Congress. Meanwhile, the House passed legislation that would force rail companies and labor unions to accept a tentative deal to avert a nationwide rail strike — and while progressives pushed for a separate bill to guarantee paid sick leav...

New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a directive to city agencies on Tuesday to begin involuntarily hospitalizing unhoused people who are, presumably, suffering from mental illness – a move sharply criticized by mental health experts and homeless advocates. Today would have been Shirley Chisholm’s 98th birthday. She was the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to seek a major...

Protesters in China continue to voice their discontent over the country's strict "zero Covid" policies. And while authorities have eased restrictions in some cities in an effort to quell public anger, Beijing isn't backing down from the overall strategy. It's been three weeks since Election Day, but in one Arizona county and two in Pennsylvania, the GOP remains in a state of denial about the resul...