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What A Day

If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.

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, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh suggests the central bank may have to raise interest rates, Trump announces a U.S. Space Academy, and Trump plans to send Vice President JD Vance to Ground Zero for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Trump’s Obsession With Trump

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 have resorted to sex work – putting themselves at risk for the same disease they worked so hard to stop. To learn more about their stories, we spoke with Kristen Gelineau, a global investigative reporter for the Associated Press who visited Nepal in the spring.

And in headlines, hundreds of people have been killed in flash floods that swept through the Nepal-China border, President Donald Trump announced Lake Ontario will now be known as Lake America, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt gets ready to leave the White House.
Show Notes:

 • Check out Kristen's work – 
tinyurl.com/ybc78uka • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Some Aid Workers Turn To Sex Work Amid USAID Cuts

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 what the gutting of the agency means for the world, and for America.

And in headlines, Meta agrees to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement, Bill Gates warns about the dangers of artificial intelligence, and U.S. Sen. Darline Grahamwins the Republican nomination to replace her late brother on South Carolina’s general election ballot.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Atul's piece – 
tinyurl.com/3yfz8pjn • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

The Deadly Dismantling Of USAID

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 spoke with Matthew about his experience with CBP and your rights as an American at the airport.

And in headlines, Canada announced retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of American goods, two people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, and a federal judge rejected Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid for prison release.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Matthew's story – 
tinyurl.com/bdz6cj4d • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Why Is CBP Detaining American Citizens?

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 that more Americans are smoking marijuana than ever before, a sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln says his father has been taken into ICE custody, and the Defense Department said U.S. forces have attacked another vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing two people accused of trafficking drugs.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Eugene's podcast – 
tinyurl.com/u6k8bs63 • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Trump's Tariff Tirade Targets Our Friends Up North

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 court slashes a $50 million judgment against Infowars founder Alex Jones to about $6 million.

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 • 

 • For a transcript of this episode
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com • 

 • Follow us on Instagram –
 https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/ •

How Trump Increasing The National Debt Impacts You

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 spoke with Amanda Mull, senior reporter at Bloomberg Businessweek.

And in headlines, the national debt surpasses a record $40 trillion, North Korea launches multiple short-range ballistic missiles, and the U.S. has sent 20 deportees to Liberia as part of a new deal.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Amanda's piece – 
tinyurl.com/33w2rm56 • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

The Age Of Self-Optimization

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 problems. So to talk more about what our men and women in uniform are facing because President Donald Trump started a war of choice, we spoke with Colorado Democratic Representative Jason Crow.

And in headlines, Trump delays 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, the Ebola outbreak in Congo reaches 5,000 cases, and college students at some universities can now pay their tuition using PayPal or Venmo.

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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

The Reality Of Being Trapped On The USS Lincoln

You’ve probably heard a lot about the Democratic Socialists of America this year. Political figures who are either members of the organization or associated with its beliefs are running in primaries across the country, sometimes even winning against their more moderate opponents. But what does D.S.A. want? Does the organization want to elect more left-leaning Democrats – or replace them? Is this a left-wing Tea Party movement? Or something else entirely? To find out, we spoke to Charles Homans. He’s a reporter for The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine who just did a deep dive into D.S.A.

And in headlines, President Trump and his son-in-law disagree over whether the U.S. is negotiating with Iran, Meta is on trial in California for its platforms’ harms to children, and OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Charles' piece – 
tinyurl.com/ha2chs3h • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Is Democratic Socialism Taking Over The Party?

The fact that the US Congress is absolutely rotten with creeps is one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington. From former Representatives like California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, to sitting lawmakers like North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards – it turns out sexual misconduct is bipartisan, and so is the pushback. A bipartisan effort fronted by Florida Republican Kat Cammack and New Mexico Democrat Teresa Leger Fernandez aims to rein in the frathouse behavior of their colleagues. To discuss what’s on the table, we called up Grace Panetta, political reporter with The 19th.

And in headlines, Trump blames vandals for ruining a patch of grass on the National Mall, Attorney General Todd Blanche refused to pledge that he’ll operate independently from the White House, and the Supreme Court rejected another request to throw out a jury’s 2023 finding that Trump sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll and later defamed her.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Grace's work – 
19thnews.org/author/grace-panetta • 

 • 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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Reining In The Congressional Culture of Harassment

On Tuesday, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost to Milwaukee’s county executive, David Crowley, in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. Now, the somewhat unknown is facing Republican Representative Tom Tiffany in November — but Crowley he may not have an easy time winning over the Democrats who voted for Hong. For more on what Democrats can learn from the race, we spoke with Holly Otterbein, senior politics reporter at Axios.

And in headlines, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has convened a special grand jury in Washington, D.C., Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers may soon be outfitted with gloves that can deliver painful electric shocks to individuals, and the Trump administration plans to spend at least $900 million on White House construction.

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
, • please email 
transcripts@crooked.com •

Is Wisconsin A Warning for Democratic Socialists?

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