What A Day

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Over 100 Palestinians Killed While Collecting Aid Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

More than 100 Palestinians were killed and hundreds more injured Thursday near Gaza City as people gathered around trucks to receive much needed food and aid. Hamas said in a statement that the Gaza Health Ministry had presented “undeniable” evidence of the Israeli Defense Force directly firing at civilians. Israel, for their part, denied that soldiers shot into the large crowd.

Alabama’s legislature voted to protect in vitro fertilization, or IVF, following the ruling by the state’s Supreme Court earlier this month that categorized frozen embryos as “children” and said that anyone who destroys them can be held liable for “wrongful death.” The bills aimed to protect IVF providers from lawsuits and criminal prosecution in hopes that they would resume offering treatments in the state again.

And in headlines: the government shutdown will be delayed for another week, Texas battles the largest wildfire in its history, and Wendy’s sets the record straight on “surge pricing.”

Show Notes:

VSA’s F*ck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/fuckbans/
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

Mitch McConnell Is Stepping Down Feb 29, 2024

Show notes

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday that he plans to step down as the Republican Senate leader in November. He has been the longest-serving Senate leader in American history, and is responsible for extensive damage to American politics and life. Congressional reporter Todd Zwillich explains why McConnell is leaving and why now.

Both President Biden and former President Trump head to the southern border Wednesday as they jockey on the issue of immigration. Uriel García, immigration reporter for the Texas Tribune, talks about the humanitarian cost of the U.S. government trying to secure the border, and how Texas residents and migrants feel about the plans proposed by the two leading presidential candidates.

And in headlines: the Supreme Court will weigh in on the question of presidential immunity for Trump, Senate Republicans blocked a bill that would've established federal protectors for IVF, and France will likely add the right to abortion to its constitution.

Show Notes:

Todd Zwillich on Twitter – https://twitter.com/toddzwillich
Texas Tribune – https://www.texastribune.org/
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

Another Shutdown Looms Thanks To Far-Right Conservatives Feb 28, 2024

Show notes

Yet another government shutdown looms and lawmakers have until Friday night to avert it. Here's what's holding them up this time: House Republicans have refused to support a spending deal that doesn't cover some of their extremist priorities, like the reversal of a federal rule that broadens access to abortion medication. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he's committed to avoiding a shutdown, but we're definitely not out of the woods yet.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday will hear arguments about a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, which enable rapid firing when added to semi-automatic weapons. The bump stock owner who brought the case argues that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives doesn't have the authority to outlaw bump stocks, and that bump stocks shouldn't be classified as "machine guns."

And in headlines: Hamas and Israel are far less optimistic than Joe Biden about the near-term possibility of a ceasefire, Starbucks agreed to start bargaining talks with the Starbucks Workers Union, and Macy's is closing 150 stores.

Show Notes:

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

Could Facebook Abandon Florida and Texas? Feb 27, 2024

Show notes

The Supreme Court on Monday heard oral arguments on a case that could upend the online world. At issue are laws championed and passed by Republicans in Florida and Texas which would prevent social media companies from banning users based on their viewpoints. Jason Koebler, co-founder of the tech publication 404 Media, believes that tech companies would leave both states if the Supreme Court allowed these laws to stand.

Michigan holds its primary elections on Tuesday. From the war in Gaza to the candidates’ ages, voters in Detroit told us what issues are the most important to them as they head to the polls.

And in headlines: President Biden says he expects a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas as early as next week, the FTC sues to block a massive grocery store merger, and Trump could get hit with another gag order.

Show Notes:

404 Media – https://www.404media.co/
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

Why Michigan’s Muslim and Arab Voters Are Uncommitted to Biden Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Former President Donald Trump cleaned up in the South Carolina Republican primary last Saturday, winning 60 percent of the votes to Nikki Haley’s 40 percent, in spite of the fact that the battle played out in Haley’s home state. For her part, Haley says she’s still not dropping out.

The race now heads to Michigan which holds its Presidential primary on Tuesday. The results could demonstrate how much support President Biden maintains among a key demographic in the state: Muslim and Arab American voters. Many of these voters pledge to vote “uncommitted” as part of the Listen to Michigan campaign, a statewide effort aimed at pressuring the president to take action to prevent the death of thousands more people in Palestine.

And in headlines: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 31,000 of his country's soldiers have died since the start of Russia's invasion, the former head of the NRA was found liable in a massive corruption lawsuit, and what happened at the Screen Actors Guild and Independent Spirit Awards.

Show Notes:

Listen To Michigan campaign – https://www.listentomichigan.com/
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

How We Got Here: How Christian Nationalists Took Over the GOP Feb 24, 2024

Show notes

Republicans are coming after IVF? And no-fault divorce? This week, a Supreme Court ruling in Alabama and a new report from POLITICO unmasked an ascendant ideology taking over the Republican Party: Christian nationalism. Why does this ideology have Republicans waging war on public schools, failing marriages, and fertility clinics? And how did this movement go from the far fringes of the religious right to the center of the GOP? This week on How We Got Here, Offline’s Max Fisher and Hysteria’s Erin Ryan break down Christian nationalism's origin as a reaction to school desegregation, how the ideology is spreading via “trad wife” TikTok trends, and why Donald Trump is embracing the ideology as part of his 2024 presidential campaign.

Russia Withholds Alexei Navalny's Body From His Family Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

The mother of deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny said that authorities are “blackmailing” her over his remains to get her to agree to a secret funeral. Sanctions on more than 500 targets in Russia are expected from the U.S. State and Treasury Departments Friday for the Russian government’s suspected role in Navalny’s death.

Saturday marks two years since Russia invaded Ukraine. The U.N. says that nearly 6.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country and become refugees in that time. We heard from one of those refugees about that transition and her life in Poland, which war has turned into her family’s new home.

And in headlines: a Texas judge rules that one student’s locs are not protected by the CROWN Act, two more clinics stop IVF services in Alabama, and the MyPillow Guy is out $5 million for his devotion to Stopping The Steal.

Show Notes:

CARE – https://www.care.org/
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

Fertility Treatments Threatened In Post-Roe Alabama Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

The University of Alabama health system became the first organization in the state to pause IVF treatments following the Alabama Supreme Court ruling that said frozen embryos can legally be considered “children.” Meanwhile, the future of IVF in the ten other states remains unclear as well because, like Alabama, they say life begins at fertilization. To learn more about how this fits into the larger fight for reproductive rights, we spoke with Dana Sussman, deputy executive director of Pregnancy Justice.

Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old nonbinary student in Oklahoma, died earlier this month one day after a fight in a school bathroom. The circumstances of Benedict’s tragic death are still coming into focus. But one thing’s for sure: the efforts of anti-LGBTQ lawmakers in Oklahoma, as well as influential right-wing social media accounts like Libs of TikTok, have helped create an extremely hostile environment for trans youth and LGBTQ people in the state.

And in headlines: the White House wiped out another $1.2 billion in student debt, the latest on the sputtering Republican-led Biden impeachment inquiry, and the Boeing executive in charge of 737 Max’s is out.

Show Notes:

Pregnancy Justice – https://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/
The Independent: “Oklahoma banned trans students from bathrooms. Now a bullied student is dead after a fight” – http://tinyurl.com/2ck7rqso
Anti-Violence Project’s Hotline for LGBTQ+ Survivors of Violence – Call/Text 212.714.1141
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network – https://www.glsen.org/
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

How The Ed Department Fumbled The FAFSA Revamp Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and stood alone on the 15-member U.N. Security Council in its vote. To understand the veto and the current state of hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas, we spoke with The Intercept’s Prem Thakker.

A newly-overhauled website for FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is not working as intended and it’s creating chaos for students applying for college. Left in the dark about the size of their aid packages, some students don’t know which schools they can afford. We discuss what the Department of Education says they’re doing about it.

And in headlines: two men were charged in last week's shooting at a Kansas City Super Bowl victory parade, librarians could be under attack in West Virginia, and Bridgit Mendler rides the Disney-Channel-star-to-CEO pipeline.

Show Notes:

The Intercept’s Prem Thakker – https://theintercept.com/staff/premthakker/
Politico: “College admissions face new turmoil after Biden’s Education Department fumble” – http://tinyurl.com/2ywazazn
Chalkbeat: “Partial FAFSA fix lets students from immigrant families apply for financial aid” – http://tinyurl.com/29bydcr7
CNBC: “Disney star turned space CEO: Bridgit Mendler launches satellite data startup backed by major VCs” – http://tinyurl.com/2cazb6cb
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

Mapping Out A New Wisconsin And Beyond Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

Wisconsin’s Democratic Governor Tony Evers signed new legislative maps into law on Monday, and broke a Republican gerrymander that has shaped the state’s politics for years. That means Democrats are pretty much set to gain seats in the state Assembly and state Senate this November. John Bisognano, president of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, explains what Wisconsin’s win means for the state and the nation.

Alexei Navalny, the head of Russia’s political opposition, died last Friday while serving over 30 years in an Arctic Penal Colony. That means that with less than a month before the country’s next presidential election, the party opposing Vladimir Putin’s regime has lost its most visible leader. It’s not clear how Navalny died, but his widow Yulia accused Putin himself of killing her husband.

And in headlines: Donald Trump is selling $400 sneakers while facing a $450 million fine in his New York fraud trial, the U.N’s highest court started hearing arguments on the legality of Israel’s 57-year occupation of Palestinian territories, and the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are “children.”

Show Notes:

National Democratic Redistricting Committee: “2023-2024 Priority States” – https://democraticredistricting.com/priority-states/
PIX11: “NYPD Dance Team performs” – https://pix11.com/news/morning/nypd-dance-team-performs-on-pix11/
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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