What A Day

Latest Episodes:

The Human Cost Of Military Pollution In Hawai'i with Kai Kahele Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

Tens of thousands of military families in O’ahu have been living without clean water for weeks after their water well was contaminated with petroleum. Many people got severely ill and some were even hospitalized for skin rashes, chemical burns, and vomiting. Hawai’i Congressman Kai Kahele joins us to discuss the gravity of the situation and how we got here.

And in headlines: the Senate voted to raise the debt ceiling, six women sued Tesla for sexual harassment in the workplace, and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was ordered to forfeit the earnings from his book.

Show Notes:

PBS: “Navy’s water contamination flub in Hawaii follows 8 years of warning signs” – https://to.pbs.org/3EYiXLU

Hawai’i Sierra Club’s Red Hill Quick Resources and Actions – https://sierraclubhawaii.org/redhill

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

A Settlement For Victims Of Larry Nassar Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

We’ve reached another grim benchmark since the pandemic began almost two years ago. According to the New York Times database, the U.S. has reached 50 million known cases of COVID-19. The country is also on the cusp of passing or has already passed 800,000 deaths, with the last 100,000 happening at a relatively quick pace.

USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee agreed to a $380 million settlement for the victims of Larry Nassar, the former doctor of the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. The settlement marks the end of a five-year legal fight, and is one of the largest settlements on record for survivors of sexual assault.

And in headlines: the death toll continues to climb in Kentucky after tornadoes devastated the state this past weekend, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is now expected to plead guilty on federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd, and eight pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong were sentenced to prison yesterday.

Show Notes:

NY Times: “As U.S. Nears 800,000 Virus Deaths, 1 of Every 100 Older Americans Has Perished” – https://nyti.ms/3dQOymN

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Venti Vidi Vici Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

At least 100 people have died after tornadoes ripped through at least six states on Friday night. Search and rescue efforts continued throughout the weekend in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee.

On Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that health providers could sue to block a law like Texas’s abortion ban, which allows private citizens to file a lawsuit against anyone who assists those seeking an abortion. But the options on who they can sue are extremely limited.

A group of baristas voted to unionize at a Buffalo-area Starbucks, making it the first company-owned store in the nation to do so. Starbucks employee and union organizer Casey Moore tells us what’s next as workers begin to negotiate a contract.

And in headlines: British scientists released the first real-world study of how Covid vaccines hold up against omicron, beloved Mexican singer Vicente Fernandez passed away, and a New Zealand man was accused of running a vaccination scheme after receiving 10 Covid shots in a single day.

Show Notes:

Huffington Post: “Starbucks Workers Just Unionized. Now The Real Fight Begins” – https://bit.ly/3GxXMQY

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Last Call For Congress Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

Today is the last day that Congress is scheduled to be in session for 2021. Just yesterday, the Senate voted and paved the way for Democrats to raise the debt limit so the country doesn’t default on its loans. Crooked Media’s Editor in Chief Brian Beutler joins us to catch us up on what our lawmakers have been up to all year.

And in headlines: workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo, New York, have successfully voted to unionize, farmers in India ended their year-long protest, and the FDA approved Pfizer-BioNTech's booster shot for 16- and 17-year-olds.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

A New Surge In Labor Organizing with Marty Walsh Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

Today, votes will be counted in the effort to unionize three Starbucks stores in Buffalo, New York, with the result expected this afternoon. If that vote is successful, they would be the first unionized Starbucks in the country. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins us again to discuss labor movements like this one and what’s driving them.

And in headlines: Pfizer said its vaccine booster shot can protect against the Omicron variant, Germany swore in Olaf Scholz as its new chancellor, and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin apologized for going clubbing after being exposed to coronavirus.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Gerrymandering Went Down In Georgia with Bee Nguyen Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

Redistricting efforts are underway across the country, but it's become a contentious process. The Department of Justice, for example, filed a lawsuit against the newly drawn maps in Texas on Monday, arguing that the maps discriminate against voters of color.

Today, we zero in on what redistricting efforts look like in Georgia, a battleground state that Republicans want to control . Democratic state lawmaker Bee Nguyen joins us to talk about the future of voting in the state of Georgia, along with her campaign for Georgia’s Secretary of State.

Show Notes:

Watch Crooked Media's "What A Year" – https://bit.ly/31saLoL

FiveThirtyEight: "What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State" – https://53eig.ht/3pwx0Sq

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Lock Me Out Of The Ballgame Dec 07, 2021

Show notes

The US Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit against Texas over the state's recently updated redistricting maps. The DOJ claims that Texas's maps are unconstitutional and a violation of the Voting Rights Act because they unfairly dilute minority voting power.

MLB locked out all of its players last week after a five-year collective bargaining agreement between owners and players expired. It marks the first work stoppage for the league in almost three decades. Lindsey Adler, who covers the Yankees for The Athletic, joins us to discuss the issues at play.

And in headlines: the U.S. will stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio announced a Covid vaccine mandate for all private-sector employers, and California Congressman Devin Nunes will resign later this month.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It Goes Omicron And On Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Omicron cases were found in at least 17 U.S. states and they aren’t all due to travel to southern Africa. Public health officials and experts say that the variant was possibly circulating in the U.S. prior to its initial discovery across the globe, but it’s too early to tell if it causes more severe disease.

Descendants of Black revolutionary leader Marcus Garvey have requested that President Joe Biden grant a posthumous pardon to Garvey. As president, Biden has the power to grant clemency but has not exercised it at all during his term.

And in headlines: prosecutors charged the parents of Ethan Crumbley with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border grew, and the U.S. Navy shut down a drinking water well in Honolulu that was contaminated with petroleum and that made residents sick.

Show Notes:

NY Times: “Before Even Receiving a Name, Omicron Could Have Spread in New York and the Country” – https://nyti.ms/3DqUxsI

Justice in America: “What Happened to Clemency?” – https://bit.ly/3rEnYVR

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

"Remain In Mexico" Returns Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

More cases of the omicron variant have been identified in the U.S., and the Biden administration announced a new plan to make at-home rapid tests covered by private health insurance, launch family vaccination clinics, extend the federal mask mandate on public transportation, and more.

Mexico agreed to allow the U.S. to restart the controversial “Remain in Mexico” asylum policy that was put into place by President Trump. The policy requires asylum seekers at the Southern border to stay in Mexico as they wait for immigration hearings.

And in headlines: MLB owners and players failed to reach a deal on a new work agreement, former Ohio Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Meade was charged with murder for the shooting of Casey Goodson Jr., and Congress approved a short-term spending bill to fund the government until mid-February.

Show Notes:

New York Times: “Why Didn’t the U.S. Detect Omicron Cases Sooner?” – https://nyti.ms/3Igjjj6

Washington Post: “Biden pledges to fight new variant ‘with science and speed,' as omicron cases multiply and winter outlook worsens” – https://wapo.st/3rLKXib

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Supply Chain Reaction with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

The Supreme Court heard a case yesterday that could ultimately reverse the constitutional right to an abortion. And it looks like the justices were leaning towards upholding a Mississippi law that bars abortion after 15 weeks.

The first confirmed case of the omicron variant has been identified in the U.S. President Biden urged people to not panic and encouraged more vaccinations and boosters. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joins us to discuss how the variant could impact the supply chain and what the administration is doing to loosen bottlenecks.

And in headlines: a 15-year-old boy was charged with murder and terrorism in Tuesday's school shooting in Michigan, Stacey Abrams announced that she will run for Georgia governor in 2022, and El Salvador will pay damages to a woman who died in prison while serving time for an abortion conviction.

For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

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