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Crooked Media

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.

What A Day

Well, the Government has shut down and, as of Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump didn’t sound to worried about it. “A lot of good can come down from shutdowns," he said. "We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn't want, and they'd be Democrat things, but they want open borders. They want men playing in women's sports. They want transgender for everybody.” That statement is a lot of nonsense, as always. But the way Trump views forcing the government to close up shop is telling. Since Trump retook the Oval Office, he has assumed a mantle of overwhelming authority over what TV show hosts are allowed to say and which protesters get to have First Amendment protections, while refusing to take any responsibility for absolutely anything. It feels authoritarian, but it also feels incredibly, unbelievably stupid. So what can people who have studied authoritarianism and know what such movements do to other countries, teach us about what Trump is doing, what Trump wants to do, and how to fight back? To find out, we spoke to Zack Beauchamp. He’s a Senior Correspondent at Vox, where he covers the crisis of global democracy and right-wing populism.

And in headlines, President Trump announces his latest business venture – TrumpRX, FBI Director Kash Patel smuggles guns into New Zealand, and Trump posts an extremely racist deepfake AI video of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Zack's work – 
https://tinyurl.com/3n93m437 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Trump Wants To Wield The Shutdown

Is the government about to shut down? Congressional leaders and the White House appear to be at an impasse, even after President Donald Trump gave in and scheduled a meeting for Monday to try and get a deal done (though that meeting did not go well). The core of the issue is subsidies connected with the Affordable Care Act, financial assistance that is due to expire at the end of the year. Without it, millions of Americans could see their healthcare premiums skyrocket, with costs rising by hundreds of dollars a month. But the GOP hasn’t been very interested in talking about these funds, despite the fact that millions of Republican voters benefit from them. To understand what the healthcare fight is really about and what happens next, we spoke to Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF and host of the healthcare podcast, “What the Health.”

And in headlines, Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer tries to turn down the temperature on rhetoric after a deadly attack at a Latter-Day Saints church, Jared Kushner is a gamer (or at least he’s going to buy a video game company along with Saudi Arabia), and MAGA world reacts to the news that Bad Bunny will play the Super Bowl halftime show.

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dems Throw Down For Health Care

Following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a wave of everyday people have been punished, getting doxxed and even losing their jobs because of statements they made online regarding Kirk and his death. Even the Vice President of the United States, JD Vance, encouraged Americans to call the employers of anyone they feel is “celebrating Charlie’s murder.” Free speech matters now, more than ever. But what can we say without fear of retribution? To find out what the rules around speech in America really are, and why this is no time to self-censor, we spoke to Ari Cohn. He’s lead counsel at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, with a focus on tech policy.

And in the news: Oregon sues the Trump administration to stop the deployment of the state’s National Guard to protect federal buildings, current New York City Mayor Eric Adams pulls out of the upcoming mayoral race, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu changes his story on what happened with those bunker busters in Iran.

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How To Survive Online Speech Wars Without Self-Censorship

We’ve been on quite the journey with our First Amendment-guaranteed right to free speech, haven’t we? This week, we had the reinstatement of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Kimmel was suspended – thanks to the FCC threatening to take action against networks that chose to carry his show. And President Trump is still threatening to sue ABC in response to Kimmel’s return. You know, the President of the United States sure does have a lot of time on his hands to threaten talk-show hosts, get his political opponents indicted by the state, and rant about… escalators, for some reason. Which is odd, given that we’re staring down the barrel of a government shutdown if Congress can’t find a path to get the government funded in the next four days. So to talk more about the shutdown, our crisis of free speech, lawfare, and whether he’s worried he could become Trump’s next target, we spoke to Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin.

And in headlines, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly summons top military officers to Virginia for a surprise meeting next week. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said in front of the United Nations that Palestinians will not leave their homeland, and President Donald Trump reminisces on when he was in …exile?

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dems Are Primed For Shutdown Fight

The machinery of mass deportations has been operating both in plain sight and out of view since President Donald Trump took office back in January. As millions of people are being deported, thousands more are stuck in detention facilities across the country. In fact, the exact number of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention right now is 58,766, according to ICE data. The vast majority have no criminal record, but the Trump administration is denying them bond at an astounding rate, forcing them to stay in dirty and decrepit detention facilities for months on end with no hope of getting their day in court. But aside from that, there’s a lot we don’t know about the immigration system, as it’s operating right now. To discuss immigration policy in more detail, we spoke with Katie Blankenship, an attorney who represents clients navigating the immigration system.

And in headlines, more than 100 countries at the United Nations General Assembly agree to mitigate climate change, sans the United States, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz clarified that Tylenol, is not in fact bad for you, and the federal government is asking scores of employees who lost their jobs (thanks to Elon Musk) to pretty please come back.

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump Takes Down US Immigration System

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the brutal war has cost millions of lives. But President Donald Trump has consistently said that he could easily end the war. We think by that he probably meant charm Russian President Vladimir Putin into making a deal. Weirdly enough, efforts to cozy up to Russia have not actually stopped Putin from doing anything. Not only has Russia continued to bomb Ukraine, but it is now sending drones into Poland. But maybe, just maybe, Vladimir Putin has reached the end of Trump's patience. To find out what the hell is going on, we spoke to Tommy Vietor, co-host of Crooked Media's "Pod Save the World."

And in headlines, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer gets testy with Trump after the president cancels a meeting with him in a Truth Social post, former Vice President Kamala Harris makes the rounds to promote her shockingly blunt new book, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says anyone who intentionally stopped the escalator Trump was on at the UN, needs to be "fired and investigated immediately."

Show Notes:

 • Check out Pod Save The World – 
https://tinyurl.com/m2t4crnk • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump Dumps Putin?

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., noted anti-vaxxer and, apparently, part-time detective, announced back in April that he was on the hunt for the real cause of autism. A hunt that would take no prisoners, ask big questions, and find the one true answer to a medical question that's been researched for decades... by September. Well, on Monday, the Trump administration announced that the hunt was over. Sort of. In an upcoming report that already has raised way, way, way more questions than it could possibly answer, the government announced that it was looking to link rising autism rates to the use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, by pregnant women. And blaming autism on Tylenol, with no evidence, is part and parcel of what the "Make America Healthy Again" movement actually looks like. To help us understand all of this, we spoke to Brandy Zadrozny, a journalist covering misinformation and extremism for MSNBC.

And in other news, the Supreme Court signals it will probably, maybe, overturn a nearly century-old law for President Donald Trump, the White House denies claims that Border Czar, Tom Homan, allegedly accepted a $50,000 bribe, and Disney announces "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" will return to late night.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Brandy's story – 
https://tinyurl.com/6b54p9ct • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dr. Trump’s Bad Medicine

On Friday we learned that according to President Donald Trump, when coverage is negative, "It's no longer free speech." And it seems he's not alone. There's a growing sentiment within the Republican Party, which currently controls the White House and both Chambers of Congress, that actually, free speech doesn’t apply if you say mean things about Republicans. This is all in regards to ABC pulling “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from its usual spot in the nightly lineup, after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said that Kimmel should face repercussions for comments regarding the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. On this episode, we discuss why the suspension of a late-night talk show host isn’t just about a late-night talk show host. It’s about speech, and what you can, and apparently can’t, say on television. To talk more about the media machinations that got Jimmy Kimmel pushed off the air, and the chilling effect of the FCC’s implied threats, we spoke to Brian Stelter, media analyst for CNN. 

And in headlines, a federal judge in Florida tosses out Trump’s $15-billion dollar defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, the United Kingdom, Australia, Portugal and Canada formally recognize a Palestinian state, and new H1-B applicants will have to pay an extra $100,000 fee for their visas.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Brian's recent story: 
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/20/media/trump-kimmel-disney-bob-iger-abc-fcc • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Big Business Behind The Kimmel Suspension

Democrats on the Hill are hitting back after ABC suspended "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" indefinitely. They’ve introduced the No Political Enemies (or NOPE) Act, a bill that would protect people targeted for political speech, and called for the resignation of Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr, whose comments targeting Kimmel came just hours before ABC pulled the show. To learn more about what Democrats are doing to protect free speech amid President Trump's crackdown — while working to avoid a potential government shutdown — we spoke to Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin.

And in headlines, the Senate confirms a whopping 48 of Trump's nominees all at once, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s handpicked vaccine advisory council makes a change to the childhood vaccine schedule, and Trump disagrees with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer — while standing next to him.

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trump’s War On Free Speech

The investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk has raised a lot of questions – not just about the alleged shooter, but about the investigation itself. And especially about the person at the head of the bureau tasked with helping to find and capture suspects in acts of violence not just in the Kirk case, but across the country: FBI Director Kash Patel. His performance thus far has been, well, questionable. And he's tussling with Democrats who call him on it. To learn more about the FBI, Kash Patel, and how the Bureau is supposed to work, I spoke to Andrew McCabe, the FBI's former deputy director.

And in headlines, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates amid some less-than-stellar employment and inflation numbers, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention testified to the Senate about her firing by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the U.K. rolls out the red carpet for President Trump.

Show Notes:

 • Call Congress – 
202-224-3121 • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How NOT To Run The FBI

President-elect Donald Trump announced more appointments on Tuesday, giving us a fuller picture of what his incoming administration is going to look like (tl;dr: It's bad). One cabinet spot that’s still open, though: Secretary of Education. Whoever gets the job, they’ll likely be tasked with implementing Trump's campaign promise to close the Department of Education, a long-time GOP goal that dates back to the Reagan Era. Erica Meltzer, national editor at Chalkbeat, explains why keeping that promise will be pretty difficult.

And in headlines: Arizona Democrat Ruben Gallego is headed to the Senate, the New York judge overseeing Trump’s hush money trial delayed a decision on dismissing the president-elect’s conviction, and the chairman and CEO of Exxon Mobil says the incoming Trump administration should avoid drastic changes to American climate policy.

Show Notes:

 • Check out Erica's reporting – www. 
chalkbeat.org/authors/erica-meltzer/ • Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – 
https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8 • 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
 
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech Bros Tasked With Gutting Government

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