What A Day

New U.S. cases of COVID are down slightly from the peak brought on by the Omicron variant. Average daily cases are closer to 700,000 than 800,000, which is where they were earlier in the month, and hospitalizations are at a record high but have started to level off. We look at the numbers and discuss new data on the efficacy of booster vaccine doses.

The Sarah Palin v. The New York Times libel case goes to trial today. Palin filed the suit after the New York Times suggested that an ad placed by Palin's PAC was linked to the shooting of former Arizona Representative Gabby Giffords in 2011. We review the case and its potential to change how we think about First Amendment protections for journalists.

And in headlines: A fire in the Palo Colorado Canyon area forced hundreds of people to flee their homes along the California coast, a Saudi-led airstrike killed at least 87 people in a Yemen prison, and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern canceled her own wedding because of COVID.

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A number of inquiries into former President Trump’s interference in the 2020 election are advancing. Yesterday, the House committee investigating last year’s insurrection asked Ivanka Trump to testify. Meanwhile, a Georgia District Attorney asked a judge to convene a special grand jury in a separate, ongoing criminal investigation into the former president. 

Famed fashion journalist and editor André Leon Talley passed away this week at age 73. He was American Vogue’s first Black male creative director and editor-at-large. We look into Talley’s life and legacy, as well as how he paved the way for Black and brown folks in the industry today. 

And in headlines: Democratic lawmakers asked Biden to change his counterterrorism strategy on drone strikes, the Supreme Court rejected another attempt to overturn Texas’ six-week abortion ban, and the CIA said that a foreign country is most likely NOT responsible for cases of Havana Syndrome.

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

Today is the first anniversary of President Biden taking office. Yesterday, he held his first formal news conference in months to discuss his administration’s accomplishments and progress over the past year. We share our biggest takeaways from the speech that covered COVID to Congress to Afghanistan, and more. 

Verizon and AT&T agreed to turn on nationwide 5G service yesterday, except near airports and runways due to ongoing safety concerns from the Federal Aviation Administration. Despite this decision, some flights were canceled yesterday. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants CWA, joins us to discuss workers’ safety concerns.

And in headlines: the Supreme Court denied Trump’s request to block the release of White House records pertaining to the January 6th insurrection, two abortion-rights advocacy groups threatened to pull support from Senator Kyrsten Sinema for standing in the way of voting rights legislation, and the University of Michigan reached a $490 million settlement with over 1,000 survivors of sexual abuse by one of its former sports doctors.

Show Notes:

WIRED: “Why Airlines Are Fighting the 5G Rollout” – https://bit.ly/3fHVTG1

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

Tensions between the U.S. and Russia are rising after last week’s summit in Geneva ended with no resolution between the two countries over Ukraine. We hear an excerpt of Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s exclusive interview with Pod Save The World just hours before he went overseas yesterday to meet with Ukraine’s president and Russia’s foreign minister.

Tomorrow, jury selection is expected to start in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd's civil rights: Tou Thao, J. Keung, and Thomas Lane. All three were on the scene when their fellow officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, and failed to stop him from kneeling on Floyd's neck. 

And in headlines: Rudy Giuliani was subpoenaed by the House panel investigating the January 6th insurrection, Tonga gave its first status update after a volcano eruption and tsunami devastated its islands, and a federal judge approved a plan that would resolve Puerto Rico’s bankruptcy and restructure its $33 billion debt.

Show Notes:

Hear Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s exclusive interview with Pod Save The World – https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/

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

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In addition to fighting racial inequality, working to pass major civil rights laws, and more, Martin Luther King Jr. was also well known for critiquing capitalism and how it disenfranchises the working class. Andrew Douglas and Jared Loggins, authors of the book, “Prophet of Discontent: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Critique of Racial Capitalism,” join us to dive deeper into the economic legacy of King’s words and ideas.

And in headlines: The gunman who took four hostages at a Texas synagogue on Saturday died after a 10-hour standoff with authorities, 200,000 people on the East Coast were left without power after a massive winter storm, and Greece will fine citizens aged 60 and over for being unvaccinated.

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

The Supreme Court yesterday blocked the Biden administration’s attempt to enforce a vaccine or testing mandate for private employers. Meanwhile, Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin said that they, again, will not support changing the filibuster rules to pass new voting rights measures. 

More than 8,000 grocery store workers in Colorado have begun a strike against their employer, the Kroger-owned chain King Soopers. Kim Cordova, head of the workers’ union that represents them, joins us to discuss their demands.

And in headlines: The FBI arrested the leader and founder of the far-right Oath Keepers militia for his involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection, teachers in France protested the country’s school COVID policies, and Prince Andrew was forced to give up all of his military and royal titles.

Show Notes:

We'll be back with a new WAD on Tuesday, January 18th after MLK Day.

The Economic Roundtable: “Hungry At The Table: White Paper On Grocery Workers At The Kroger Company” – https://bit.ly/3I3a84p

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

Hollywood is going through some massive changes. The Golden Globes, usually the start of awards show season, was a non-event when it took place earlier this week because of problems that face the organization that puts it on, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Plus, theatres continue to struggle to lure back moviegoers except with big tentpole films. The Hollywood Reporter’s Senior Film Editor Rebecca Keegan joins us to discuss what’s going wrong and what the future of the film industry looks like.

And in headlines: The White House promised 10 million free COVID tests to schools nationwide every month, more than 8,000 grocery store workers at Colorado King Soopers grocery stores went on strike, and inflation climbed to the highest it’s been in 40 years.

Show Notes:

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

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

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to Atlanta, Georgia yesterday to make a stand for voting rights. Absent from the audience to Biden’s speech were several Georgia voting rights groups that refused to attend. Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown joins us to discuss why activists like her sat this one out and what they’re concerned about ahead of this year’s midterm elections.

And in headlines: Russia will begin withdrawing its troops from Kazakhstan this week, Chicago students and teachers are back in school after a long standoff between the city and the Chicago Teachers Union, and writer Maya Angelou is set to become the first Black woman to be depicted on the U.S. quarter.

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

Former Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud investors, last week. U.S. prosecutors declared the high-profile verdict a win, despite her not being found guilty on a number of other charges. New York Times reporter Erin Griffith joins us to discuss what’s next in the sentencing, and the case’s implications for Silicon Valley.

And in headlines: Several universities were sued for allegedly violating antitrust laws in order to limit student financial aid, Myanmar’s ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to four more years in prison, and a man received the first-ever transplant of a genetically modified pig heart.

Show Notes:

New York Times: “How to help survivors of the deadly Bronx apartment fire” – https://nyti.ms/3JV1uqu

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

President Biden announced last month that his administration purchased 500 million at-home Covid-19 tests that Americans will be able to order for free. That pledge came while the country was dealing with Omicron, which has only continued to fuel an explosive growth in cases. We answer some of the questions of when and where those tests will become available.

The U.S. meets with Russia today in Geneva, with other NATO allies set to join throughout the week. It’s a high-stakes conversation, with the Associated Press stating that these talks could “shape the future of not only the [US-Russia] relationship but the relationship between the U.S. and its NATO allies.” 

And in headlines: A deadly fire in the Bronx killed at least 19 people, the three white men who killed Ahmaud Arbery were all sentenced to life in prison, and Amy Schneider became the first woman on Jeopardy! to win more than a million dollars in a regular season.

Show Notes:

Wall Street Journal: “How Reliable Are Covid-19 Rapid Tests for Detecting Omicron?” – https://on.wsj.com/31FvEwC

Associated Press: “​​Kazakhstan adds uncertainty to talks with Russia on Ukraine” – https://bit.ly/3HOMqsF

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