What A Day

Embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he’ll be stepping down after three years in office. This comes after many members of the government have lost confidence in his leadership over several scandals throughout his career.

After 140 days in custody, WNBA star Britney Griner appeared before a Russian judge and pleaded guilty to the criminal charges against her. As charged, she faces up to 10 years in a Russian penal colony.

And in headlines: Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, former Theranos President Sunny Balwani was found guilty of fraud, and President Biden honored 17 Americans with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Show Notes:

• Vote Save America: Fuck Bans Action Plan – https://votesaveamerica.com/roe/

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

During an Independence Day parade this Monday, a 21-year-old man in Highland Park, Illinois shot and killed at least seven people and injured many more. We discuss the latest developments and the stories of the victims, who ranged in age from 8 to 88 years old.

Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Mississippi abortion provider at the center of the case that brought down Roe, officially closed its doors after a judge refused to block the state's trigger law from going into effect. Laurie Bertram Roberts, co-founder and executive director of the Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund, joins us to discuss what comes next.

And in headlines: A Georgia grand jury subpoenaed seven of Donald Trump’s close allies, the Justice Department sued the state of Arizona over its new voting law, and several members of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government resigned.

Show Notes:

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The Supreme Court issued a ruling on Thursday that limits the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to combat climate change. Our friends at Crooked’s Hot Take podcast recorded such a great episode about climate and the courts this week that we decided to share the episode in this feed too. We’ll be back with our regular episodes next week - until then, check out this week’s Hot Take and be sure to look out for new episodes of that show every Friday.

https://crooked.com/podcast-series/hot-take/

The Supreme Court issued more rulings on Wednesday — one of which dramatically increased the power that states have over Native American tribes and tribal lands. We walk through what was decided yesterday and what’s still to come as the court finishes up its term.

In headlines: Ukrainian and Russian officials agreed to the largest prisoner exchange since the war began, R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison, and Britney Griner’s detention in Russia was extended for the fourth time.

And Gideon bids farewell to the WAD Squad for his last episode on the show.

Show Notes:

WAD will be on break for the July 4th holiday. We’ll have a new episode on Wednesday, July 7th

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

The latest House January 6th hearing was perhaps the most explosive to date with testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson, the top aide to former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows. We walk through some of our biggest takeaways from the surprise hearing.

The fight to preserve abortion access continues in several states. Kelley Robinson, the executive director of Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund, joins us to discuss what advocacy organizations like hers are doing on the ground to protect access. And we hear more from you, our listeners, about how you’re feeling right now.

And in headlines: dozens of dead migrants were found dead in an abandoned truck in Texas, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Turkey said it no longer opposes Finland and Sweden joining NATO.

Show Notes:

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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

The Supreme Court issued more rulings on Monday. There have also been several legal challenges to the trigger laws set to go into effect in states like Louisiana and Utah once the court overturned Roe last Friday.

Today is the 53rd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. In honor of the drag queens of color like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera who were central to the fight for LGBTQ equality, we walk through the history of drag and politics.

We talk to actor and activist Terence Smith about his iconic presidential campaign as his drag persona, Joan Jett Blakk. RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Peppermint tells us about how she’s used her platform to advocate for the queer community. And Taylor Alxndr of Southern Fried Queer Pride explains how they use drag as a tool for political organizing in their community.

Show Notes:

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 to overturn Roe v Wade on Friday, and throughout the weekend people took to the streets. We hear from you, our listeners, about how you’re affected by the news. And Leah Litman, co-host of Crooked’s Strict Scrutiny, joins us to answer some of the big legal questions we have about the ruling.

In headlines: Russian forces rampaged across Ukraine, G7 leaders announced a $600 billion global infrastructure program, and the melting-down of a bronze Robert E. Lee statue was halted.

And we hear from some people and organizations fighting for abortion access right now about how they’re staying hopeful.

Show Notes:

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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

The Supreme Court announced more rulings on Thursday — one of which dealt a huge blow to gun control advocates. The court struck down a New York State law that had a strict permitting process for people who wanted to carry concealed guns in public. Leah Litman, co-host of Crooked’s Strict Scrutiny, joins us to discuss what this ruling could mean for the rest of the country.

The January 6th House committee held its final hearing of the month on Thursday. The focus was on how former President Donald Trump tried to weaponize the Justice Department to push the Big Lie. Brian Beutler, Crooked’s editor-in-chief, joins us to unpack what we learned from this last month of hearings.

And in headlines: Ukraine took its first step toward joining the European Union, the Education Department will cancel $6 billion dollars of federal student loan debt, and Netflix laid off 300 employees.

Show Notes:

Donate to Crooked Media’s Pride Fund – https://crooked.com/pride/

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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

The Senate unveiled a highly-anticipated, bipartisan gun control bill on Tuesday. The chamber voted 64-34 in a procedural vote to allow for its quick passage, which some hope will happen as soon as Saturday. Chip Brownlee, a reporter at The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom that focuses on gun violence in America, joins us to discuss key parts of the legislation.

And in headlines: a huge earthquake in Afghanistan left over 1,000 people dead, Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShaun Watson settled with most of his accusers, and the White House plans to reduce the amount of nicotine in cigarettes sold in the U.S.

Show Notes:

Donate to Crooked Media’s Pride Fund – https://crooked.com/pride/

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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

The January 6th House committee held its fourth hearing on Tuesday, and we learned more about the effort to overturn the election by former President Donald Trump himself as well as two Republican congressmen.  Arizona’s House of Representatives Speaker Rusty Bowers testified that the pressure applied by Trump and his team was continuous, and that they weren’t taking no for an answer.

It’s been a month since the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas, but we’re still learning more about how responding officers allowed so much time to pass before entering the classroom and shooting the gunman. Steve McCraw, head of the Texas Department of Public Safety, testified to a state Senate committee that the police response was an “abject failure.”

And in headlines: Colombia elected its first leftist president, healthcare providers began giving the first dose of COVID vaccines to young children, and the Supreme Court ruled that Maine can't exclude religious schools from state funding.

Show Notes:

Donate to Crooked Media’s Pride Fund – https://crooked.com/pride/

Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/whataday/

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