What A Day

Latest Episodes:

100 Days Of Biden Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

President Biden gave his first address to Congress last night, themed largely around moving America out of the most difficult stage of the pandemic and approaching a new normal. Part of that has to do with The American Families Plan, a $1.8 trillion program that would pay for two free years of community college, universal pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds, and more. We go over the main takeaways.

Biden timed his speech to come right as he approaches his 100th day in office on Friday, too. To discuss that broader context and what we can learn from Biden's first 100 days, we spoke with Crooked Media's editor-in-chief and host of the podcast Rubicon, Brian Beutler.

And in headlines: Mario Gonzalez died after being pinned by police in California, charges for the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery, and the Senate restores Obama-era regulations on methane leaks.

Show Notes:

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

CDC What Happens Next Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

The CDC issued new guidance yesterday that fully vaccinated people don’t need to wear masks outdoors unless they’re gathering in a large crowd, and they can safely enjoy many indoor activities with masks. Of course, the key phrase here is “fully vaccinated." Until you’re pumping COVID antibodies, the CDC continues to recommend masking up in any situation where you’re around other unvaccinated people.

Apple released its latest iOS on Monday, introducing a new tool called App Tracking Transparency that makes apps ask permission before sharing your browsing history with advertisers. This is more than a random act of kindness from Tim Cook, though. We discuss the benefits it might pass on to Apple's ad business.

And in headlines: autopsy results show that Andrew Brown Jr. was shot in the back of the head by police in North Carolina, Epicurious won't tell you how to cook meat, and a Russian guy is the reluctant star of a Chinese reality show singing contest.

Show Notes:

CDC: "Choosing Safer Activities" – https://bit.ly/3gEJ01k

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

Make It Make Census Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

The results of the 2020 Census were released yesterday, and they showed that over the past decade, the U.S. population grew by the slowest pace since the 1930s. The results will change how the 435 seats in Congress are allocated, with a handful of states set to gain or lose a seat. We discuss.

The Supreme Court will be taking up a case that deals with the rights that people have to carry guns outside their homes for self-defense. They'll also take on a case affecting free speech that began when a teen wrote "F School" in a Snapchat message.

And in headlines: the DOJ will investigate the Louisville police department, the Biden administration will give AstraZeneca shots to other countries, and California Governor Gavin Newsom to face a recall election.

Show Notes:

The Brennan Center: "The Redistricting Landscape, 2021–22" – https://bit.ly/3aHoqcP

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards! – https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

J&J It Again, Sam Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

The CDC and the FDA have lifted their recommended pause on the Johnson and Johnson COVID vaccine, and added a warning label about the very, very rare reported cases of blood clots. But overall vaccination rates in the US are slowing down, indicating that while supply is increasing, demand is decreasing.

President Biden lifted the partial ban against the export of the supplies necessary to make vaccines in India, as well as rapid tests, ventilators, and more. The state of the virus there is dire: on Saturday, India reported almost 350,000 new cases, which is a tragic world record.

Plus, we talk through the Oscars. And in headlines: Biden formally recognizes the Armenian Genocide, Disneyland to re-open on Friday, and Elon Musk will host SNL.

Show Notes –

NYT: "Millions Are Skipping Their Second Doses of Covid Vaccines" – https://nyti.ms/3gR8uJ5

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards!

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

Emission Critical Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

President Biden and 40 heads of state met for the first day of a virtual climate summit, yesterday, and he pledged to cut America’s greenhouse gases in half from where they were in 2005 by 2030. Biden also announced a plan for the US to double the amount of money it gives to other countries to help them lower their own emissions.

COVID cases are still surging worldwide, with a record 5.24 million new cases recorded just last week. The State Department issued 116 "Do No Travel" advisories to discourage Americans from traveling to most of the world.

And in headlines: the House approves a bill that would make DC a state, the Supreme Court rules to restore life without parole for juvenile offenders, and Meghan McCain's cyberpunk hairstyles are on purpose.

Show Notes –

NPR: "How The U.S. Could Halve Climate Emissions By 2030" – https://n.pr/32DzkvA

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards!

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

What's Next For American Policing Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Derek Chauvin has been found guilty, but it's painfully obvious that the issue of police brutality is bigger than the conviction of one officer for murder. For example, today is the funeral for Daunte Wright, the 20-year-old Black man who was killed by police during a traffic stop near Minneapolis. Plus details are still coming out in Columbus, Ohio, about the police killing of 16-year-old Ma'Khia Bryant, who was shot just minutes after the Chauvin verdict was announced.

To discuss the trial in the context of a greater effort to make police accountable, or rethink the role of policy in society altogether, we spoke with the Marshall Project's Jamiles Lartey.

And in headlines: widespread protest in Russia against Putin and for Alexei Navalny, Manhattan’s DA will no longer prosecute prostitution, and a time off for vaccination tax credit.

Show Notes –

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards!

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

Chauvin Guilty On All Charges Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, yesterday, and now faces up to 40 years in prison. The verdict represented a rare moment of accountability in a country where law enforcement officers who kill rarely get convicted. We discuss the verdict, along with reactions from elected officials, activists, and Floyd’s family in Minneapolis.

And in headlines: drug regulators in the EU approve distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine with a warning label, Birmingham, Alabama pardons 15,000 marijuana convictions, and religious leaders in Georgia call for a Home Depot boycott.

Show Notes –

Show some love and vote for us as Best News and Politics podcast in the 25th Annual People’s Voice Awards!

https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2021/podcasts/general-series/news-politics

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

Amazon The Defensive Apr 20, 2021

Show notes

President Biden held bipartisan meetings yesterday to find some middle ground for his massive infrastructure bill. On the left, AOC and Bernie Sanders introduced their own version of the bill with a larger commitment to public housing. But passing any infrastructure bill will likely require budget reconciliation as long as the filibuster remains in place.

The union that sought to represent Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, formally filed objections last Friday to the results of the election there. Workers voted overwhelmingly not to unionize, but the union says that result should be thrown out because Amazon illegally interfered in the process. We discuss their argument.

And in headlines: attorneys deliver closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, India experiences an explosive surge of COVID-19 cases, and President Biden will consider making cigarettes less addictive.

Show Notes –

Read the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union's filing against Amazon for the recent unionization vote – https://bit.ly/3aqyI0J

Follow What A Day on Instagram at instagram.com/whataday

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

Gun Violence Continued Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

It was another tragic weekend in the midst of our national epidemic of gun violence, with mass shootings taking place in Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, and Ohio. That was after the shooting last week at a FedEx warehouse in Indiana, which many have called to investigate as a hate crime against Sikhs. We discuss the shootings, as well as what’s happening in Minnesota in relation to the police killings of Daunte Wright and George Floyd.

The worldwide death toll from COVID reached 3 million over the weekend. In lighter news, half of the U.S. population aged 18 and older has gotten at least one dose of a vaccine. The White House announced a plan to track variants.

And in headlines: Republican lawmakers in Florida aim to make many forms of protest illegal, Biden walks back his decision to cap the number of refugees allowed into the U.S., and NASA will attempt to fly a helicopter on Mars.

Show Notes:

Washington Post Opinion: "Get police out of the business of traffic stops" – https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/16/remove-police-traffic-stops/

WSJ: "J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Pause Driven by Risk of Mistreating Blood Clots" – https://www.wsj.com/articles/j-j-covid-19-vaccine-was-paused-over-blood-clot-treatment-concerns-11618777554

Follow What A Day on Instagram at instagram.com/whataday

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

One Vax Fits Most Apr 16, 2021

Show notes

Only a handful of blood-clotting cases have been reported among recipients of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, but it's predominantly women who have developed these rare symptoms. To answer questions about the “one dose fits all” mode of medical research that can occasionally lead to these kinds of outcomes, we spoke to Rosemary Morgan, a research scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She’s currently studying the gendered effects of COVID-19 on several international communities.

Plus, for headlines, we’re joined by comedian and actress Sasheer Zamata: a class action settlement for Fyre Fest attendees, a Canadian lawmaker accidentally goes nude on Zoom, and scientists grow human embryos in monkeys.

Show Notes:

Chicago Tribune: "In several fateful seconds, video appears to show 13-year-old Adam Toledo toss gun, turn with empty hands before police shooting (warning: graphic content)" – https://bit.ly/3gaYvOh

Follow What A Day on Instagram at instagram.com/whataday

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

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