What A Day

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Were There Any Winners In The Government Shutdown? Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

The longest government shutdown in American history ended last week, thanks to 8 Senate Democrats giving up the fight to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies. The infighting between Democrats hasn't stopped since. But what if Democrats' caving was actually a good thing? Tim Miller of the Bulwark joins the show to discuss how the Democrats may be in a prime strategic position as Republicans deal with scandals, skyrocketing costs of living and healthcare, and several MAGA faithful turning on Trump.

And in headlines: President Trump sends federal agents to Charlotte, North Carolina, as part of his ongoing immigration crackdown, Marjorie Taylor Greene continues feuding with Trump, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announces a new gas deal with Greece.

Show Notes:

Check out The Bulwark – www.thebulwark.com/
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

Make America What Again? Policy Priorities For A Progressive Future Nov 15, 2025

Show notes

Good policy is good politics, or so the saying goes.

So, uh, how do we agree on what that is? Jane Coaston talks with three of the left’s most prominent policy thinkers: Democratic strategist Waleed Shahid, Neera Tanden of the Center for American Progress, and writer Matthew Yglesias of Slow Boring.

Scam Calls Are Getting Worse: Here's Why Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

This week, a court filing showed that the Trump Administration has declared the current funding structure for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to be illegal. The agency was created in the wake of the global financial crisis to protect consumers and collect consumer complaints. Project 2025 architect Russell Vought is currently acting director of the CFPB. He has said repeatedly that he wants to see the CFPB close its doors, and back in February, he ordered employees of the agency to stop working. To talk more about the Trump Administration taking yet another axe to the CFPB and what happens next, we spoke to David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect.

And in headlines, the Justice Department sues to block new Congressional district boundaries approved by California voters, the State Department makes it harder for people with conditions including cancer and diabetes to obtain visas, and Kristi Noem gives out $10,000 bonus checks to some TSA agents who worked through the shutdown.

Show Notes:

Check out The American Prospect – https://prospect.org/
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

The Government Reopens — To More Epstein Chaos Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

The House returned on Wednesday and ended the longest shutdown in government history. House Republicans were joined by six democrats to fund the government through January 30th. Two Republicans voted against the bill. The final vote was 222-209. Earlier in the day, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three emails from and to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that appear to indicate that President Donald Trump knew more about Epstein's activities than he had previously suggested. So for more on Epstein, Trump, and what Congress might do next, we spoke to Hailey Fuchs, a congressional reporter for Politico.

And in headlines, Planned Parenthood struggles to keep clinics open after absorbing the cost of Medicaid patients who were cut off by the Trump administration's funding ban, the Make America Healthy Again movement summit takes place in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Mint ceases the production of pennies after more than 200 years.

Show Notes:

Check out Hayley's reporting – www.politico.com/staff/hailey-fuchs
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

Misread the Moment: Rep. McBride On Senate Democrats Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

The government shutdown is inching closer to an end as members of the House of Representatives return to Washington today. They are expected to vote on a bill to end the shutdown this week, after eight Senate Democrats voted with Republicans to advance a budget package on Monday night. The package includes funding for the government until January and would also reinstate federal employees who were laid off during the shutdown. But, and there’s a big but, the budget package does not include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies that make health insurance more affordable for millions of people. To discuss the potential end to the shutdown further, with no answers on healthcare, we spoke with Delaware Democratic Congresswoman Sarah McBride on Tuesday afternoon.

And in headlines, CNN reports the United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean, a judge ruled West Virginia National Guard troops can stay in DC, and President Donald Trump is pushing a 50-year-mortgage plan for prospective homebuyers.

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

Sen. Sanders Slams The Surrender Dems Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Monday night, the Senate passed legislation to reopen the government, sending it to the House. The eight Senate Democrats who reached a deal with Republicans over the weekend defended their compromise ahead of the vote Monday. But many Democrats publicly criticized them for caving to the GOP without guaranteeing an extension to Affordable Care Act subsidies. Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has been one of the toughest critics of the Democrats who caved. We spoke with the senator ahead of Monday night’s vote about the shutdown, healthcare, and why he thinks the fight is nowhere near over.

And in headlines, the Supreme Court rejects a long-shot ask to consider overturning its landmark 2015 decision that legalized same-sex marriage, President Donald Trump hands out early Thanksgiving pardons to a whole flock of 2020 election conspirators, and the shutdown continues to impact flights across the country.

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

Inside the Deal to End the Shutdown Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

On Sunday evening, senators from both parties reached a deal that could bring an end to the government shutdown, which has lasted well over a month. The deal would include a new stopgap measure that would fund the government through January, plus three different spending measures. Democrats are also negotiating the rehiring of the more than 4,000 federal employees who were laid off during the shutdown. But Democrats aren’t getting the primary thing they’ve wanted. For weeks, Democrats insisted that Republicans extend the Affordable Care Act’s insurance subsidies. As of now, Republicans have only agreed to hold a vote on the issue next month, but have not guaranteed any support. For more on how the deal came together, we spoke with Stephen Neukam, a Congressional reporter for Axios.

And in headlines, the fight to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program continues, the Treasury Secretary struggles to explain President Donald Trump’s promise that profits from tariffs will be paid out to the public, and two top executives at the BBC resigned following criticism over how the broadcaster edited a speech given by President Trump.

Show Notes:

Check out Stephen's reporting – axios.com/authors/sneukam

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

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

If Not A Recession, Why Does It Feel Like One? Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

After Tuesday’s election results, everyone seems to have gotten the message that affordability is king. Democrats, Republicans, and even President Donald Trump have been talking about the costs of various things, like healthcare, groceries, and Thanksgiving dinner ever since. But for a lot of Americans, making ends meet has been hard for a while. To talk more about the disconnect between what the Trump administration is saying about the economy and how Americans are feeling, we spoke with Stacy Vanek Smith. She’s a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co-host of the Bloomberg podcast, Everybody’s Business.

And in headlines, the Federal Aviation Administration cancels flights across the U.S. reportedly to ease the strain on air traffic controllers during the longest ever government shutdown, California Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi announces her retirement after nearly 40 years in Congress, and the jury in the case of the man who slung twelve inches of vigilante justice at a federal officer has reached its verdict.

Show Notes:

Check out Stacey's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/y2zannt6
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

Is Trump About To Lose His Trade War? Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

It was a big day for President Donald Trump as the Supreme Court heard arguments on his power to impose tariffs unilaterally. And the justices seemed… skeptical. Even Trump-friendly Justice Neil Gorsuch questioned Trump Administration lawyers on their claim that tariffs are foreign policy, so the President can do what he wants. Oregon is one of the states suing the Trump administration over tariffs. To find out more about what they argued at SCOTUS and what might happen if the justices give Trump a very rare loss, we talked to Dan Rayfield, the Attorney General of Oregon.

And in headlines, the government shutdown is officially the longest in American history, California Republicans sue the state over Prop 50 just hours after it passes, and Israel and Hamas continue the grim exchange of remains under last month’s U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

Show Notes:

Check out AG Rayfield's work – https://tinyurl.com/2ds3y767
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

Dems Win Big: A Midterm Preview? Nov 05, 2025

Show notes

Tuesday was Election Day and Democrats won big! Voters in New York City elected Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani as their next mayor. In Georgia, Democrats won their first statewide elections in 20 years, flipping two seats on the board that controls electricity costs in the state – a direct response to rising power prices. And in New Jersey, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won a tough race to keep the state's governor's mansion blue. While in Virginia, former Democratic House Representative Abigail Spanberger won the governor's race, flipping the state's governor's seat back to the Democrats. For more on the Democrats' big night, we spoke with Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau.

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

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