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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.

The Iran War has a second front in Lebanon, where Israel has been fighting Hezbollah, a militia that launched missiles into northern Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader. Israel believes the group threatens its security and it is striking targets across Lebanon to stop it. Tarek Abou Jaoude, a research fellow specializing in Lebanese politics at Queen’s University Belfast, unpacks the complex situation. 

And in headlines, President Donald Trump subjects toddlers to his boasts about the Iran War during the White House Easter Egg Roll, Trump gives Republicans a headache by endorsing a California gubernatorial candidate, and the Artemis II astronauts boldly travel farther than any humans have traveled before.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Tarek’s writing on Hezbollah and Israel
https://tinyurl.com/57jeb5wd • 

 • 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 visit
 crooked.com/whataday •

Lebanon, The Iran War’s Second Front

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is inserting Christian nationalism into the culture and policy of the armed forces, and that’s drawing concern both inside and outside the military. The Pentagon had spent years making non-Christians feel more welcome, but as Washington Post religion reporter Michelle Boorstein explains, Hegseth has rolled back that work in favor of a particular brand of evangelical Christianity. 

And in headlines, President Donald Trump shares an expletive-laden Easter message for Iran, U.S. Special Operations forces rescue Air Force members who were shot down, and the administration argues that construction of a $400 million ballroom is a matter of national security.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Michelle’s reporting 
https://tinyurl.com/3rr9fwxv • 

 • Sign up for the Empire City Podcast Club at 
crookedideas.org/empirecity • 

 • 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 visit
 crooked.com/whataday •

For Hegseth, It’s One Military Under God

Attorney General Pam Bondi is out of a job. After multiple media reports stating she was headed to the green pastures of… somewhere else, President Trump officially announced her departure Thursday on Truth Social. So why is Bondi getting pushed out of her position? Was it the Epstein files debacle? Or her inability to successfully prosecute Trump’s enemies? To find out, we spoke with Ryan Barber. He’s a reporter covering the Justice Department for The Wall Street Journal.

And in headlines, the world scrambles to figure out how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Trump promises to pay all DHS employees without outlining how, and a poll finds people glued to social media are less likely to think democracy is the best form of government.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Ryan's reporting – 
https://tinyurl.com/zm6evaxb • 

 • 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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

Pam, You're Fired

The Supreme Court tackled a question Wednesday that most Americans probably thought was settled: are the American-born children of immigrants American citizens? The Constitution seems pretty clear -- Section 1 of the 14th Amendment reads in part, “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the state wherein they reside.” But an executive order issued on President Donald Trump’s first day back in the White House argued, “The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States.” That order was quickly met by a number of lawsuits. During oral arguments on Wednesday, most of the Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical that the 14th Amendment means something other than what it says. Melissa Murray, professor at the New York University School of Law and co-host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny, joins the show to break down the birthright citizenship question.

And in headlines, Trump threatens to withdraw the U.S. from NATO even though he'd need Congressional approval to do so, Republicans say they finally have a plan to fund DHS, and statues mocking the president keep popping up across the nation’s capital.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Melissa's book – 
https://tinyurl.com/5ay6txmw • 

 • 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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

SCOTUS Takes On Birthright Citizenship

Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress that the U.S. Postal Service is in danger of running out of money by the end of the year. One big reason for this: there’s just less mail being sent. Between 2008 and 2025, first-class mail volume declined by more than 50 percent. And the Postal Service reported losing roughly $9 billion dollars in each of the past two fiscal years. So what needs to happen to keep the agency running, especially with the midterm elections coming up and the issue of mail-in voting sitting before the Supreme Court? Hansi Lo Wang, an NPR correspondent covering the U.S. Postal Service, joins the show to talk about the state of the Postal Service and what Congress needs to do to save the popular federal institution.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump scrambles for a solution to the war he started in Iran, the Supreme Court strikes down a ban on conversion therapy in Colorado, and a federal judge orders the Trump administration to pause construction of its $400 million White House ballroom.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Hansi's reporting – 
www.npr.org/people/177498291/hansi-lo-wang • 

 • 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/ •

USPS Needs Congress' Stamp Of Approval

Over the past decade or so, the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, has become a massive gathering of right-wing power brokers — but this year, President Trump didn’t go. Neither did Vice President JD Vance nor Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The lackluster convention seemed to mirror a MAGA movement that’s looking increasingly unmoored. Ben Jacobs is a Washington-based political reporter who has been going to CPAC for years. We talked about his trip to the 2026 convention and what made this year so different from the others.

And in headlines, Trump makes yet another threat against Iran, Transportation Security Administration workers start receiving some backpay, and TMZ is giving members of Congress the tabloid treatment.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Ben's reporting – 
slate.com/author/ben-jacobs • 

 • 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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

Conservatism's Biggest Conference Was Missing Its Star

It’s been nearly four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and sent the issue back to the states. Since then, more than a dozen states have essentially banned abortion, while others have severely limited access. Back in February, two Tennessee Republican legislators tried passing a law making it so that women who had abortions could be charged with homicide, which would make them eligible for the death penalty under the state’s criminal law statutes. The bill failed in a House committee – but lawmakers in several other states have tried putting forth similar bills over the last two years. Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, joins the show to talk about the state of abortion in America right now.

And in headlines, Transportation Security Administration agents are finally set to be paid, but federal immigration officers are staying in airports for the time being, the Trump administration is reportedly planning a ground invasion of Iran, and millions turned out over the weekend for the latest No Kings protests.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Shefali's reporting – 
19thnews.org/author/shefali-luthra/ • 

 • 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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

The Next Abortion Battle

Young voters are one of many groups that pushed Trump back into the White House in 2024. Some researchers saw this as a potentially massive realignment with game-changing implications for our politics — but one year into Trump's second term, it doesn't seem like it. Trump is 34 points underwater according to the Cook Political Report's poll aggregator. And those polls were taken before Trump launched a war with Iran, a decision most young people oppose. So what should Democrats do to reach young voters where they're at? To find out, we spoke to Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost. He's the first Gen Z member elected to Congress.

And in headlines, Trump reveals Iran's so-called gift to the U.S, Cuba is struggling amidst the U.S. oil blockade, and you can make your voice heard at a No Kings event this weekend.

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 visit – 
crooked.com/whataday •

Gen Z Is Angsty: Here's Why

On Wednesday, a California jury found Meta and YouTube each liable for harming the well-being of a young user who had sued the two companies. The plaintiff argued that the products had negatively impacted her mental health. This verdict follows a similar decision made by a jury in New Mexico earlier this week. Both decisions are part of a massive shift in how Americans are thinking about social media. New polling from Edison Research at SSRS – a major data and research firm – found that 57% of Americans ages 18 and older would support a social media ban for anyone under 16. But civil liberties groups, like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, are crying foul, arguing that curtailing speech and content on social media is curtailing speech, period. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at New York University’s Stern School of Business and author of "The Anxious Generation," joins the show to discuss what stronger regulations on young people could mean for all social media users.

And in headlines, a Democrat flips the Florida state legislative seat in the district that contains Mar-a-Lago, new polling shows that a majority of Americans think that the U.S. military has gone too far in attacking Iran, and a report says the White House turned down Elon Musk's offer to pay TSA agents.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Jonathan's book – 
www.anxiousgeneration.com/book • 

 • 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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

The Great Social Media Reckoning

Ahead of the midterms, several Democrats are trying to seize on the affordability messaging that has been connecting with voters across the country by talking about lowering taxes. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen have introduced separate measures aimed at easing the tax burden on middle- and lower-income people. And Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders and California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna released a plan to raise taxes on billionaires. But critics are raising concerns about what these proposals would mean for government funding moving forward. Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen joins the show to discuss his plan.

And in headlines, President Donald Trump sends more mixed messages about the war in Iran, new polling shows the president's approval rating is on the decline, and The Wall Street Journal's March Madness bracket tests whether AI is better than humans at predicting the winning teams.

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 visit 
crooked.com/whataday •

Democrats Add Tax Cuts To Affordability Agenda

Arizona’s governor pushed back the start of the school year from early-August to mid-August since his state has the worst Covid-19 numbers in the nation. Teachers unions don’t think that a two-week delay is enough to keep students, staff, and faculty safe. 

The Biden-Sanders joint task force put out policy recommendations last week, and left-leaning members seem happy with the direction things are moving. The next step is getting these recommendations into the official Democratic party platform next month. 

And in headlines: Dov Charney’s Los Angeles Apparel factory sees deadly coronavirus breakout, a new way to calculate dog years, and Tucker Carlson’s racist writer resigns.

May The Task Force Be With You

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