Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar easily won her primary race on Tuesday in a rematch against an opponent she beat by just a few thousand votes two years ago. While she and other members of The Squad easily held onto their seats in Congress, two of their fellow progressives were ousted amid record spending by pro-Israel groups: Reps —Jamaal Bowman of New York and Cori Bush of Missouri. The American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, spent $23 million on the two races alone, helping make them the most expensive House primaries in history. Sophie Hurwitz, reporter at Mother Jones, explains why AIPAC targeted some Squad members, not others.

And in headlines: New federal data showed inflation dropped below 3 percent for the first time since March 2021, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in response to an outbreak of mpox in 13 African countries, and archival data from NASA’s Insight Lander shows evidence of water on Mars.

Show Notes:

• Check out reporting Sophie's reporting – https://www.motherjones.com/author/sophie-hurwitz/
• 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

Across the West Coast, cities and counties are still figuring out their approach to homelessness roughly a month after the Supreme Court gave them the OK to ban people from camping and sleeping on the street. In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would go so far as to withhold state funds from local governments that don't comply with his order to clear homeless encampments. It's a mandate that's divided local leaders on how to manage one of the most complex issues facing the state. Sydney Johnson, a reporter covering homelessness for San Francisco NPR station KQED, talks about how the Supreme Court's ruling is playing out in California.

And in headlines: Voters in Arizona and Missouri will get a chance to enshrine abortion rights in their state constitutions this November, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz forcefully pushed back against Republican attacks on his military career during his first solo campaign event in Los Angeles, and the Democratic National Committee says it will stream next week's convention on social media.

Show Notes:

• Check out Sydney Johnson's reporting – https://www.kqed.org/author/sjohnson
• 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

On Monday, The FBI confirmed it's investigating claims that Iran hacked the Trump campaign. The agency did not publicly release additional information. However, according to The Washington Post, the agency has been investigating suspected Iranian phishing attempts that targeted both U.S. presidential campaigns since June. Sam Sabin, cybersecurity reporter at Axios, explains the growing risks of foreign interference in the upcoming election.

And in headlines: The U.S. defense secretary ordered more military vessels to deploy to the Middle East amid fears that Iran will soon launch a retaliatory attack on Israel, Ukraine's top military commander said his forces had taken control of more than 1,000 square kilometers of Russian territory, and MTV moved the annual VMAs back a day to avoid a conflict with ABC's September presidential debate.

Show Notes:

• 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

Vice President Kamala Harris is well on her way to shoring up the kind of historic support from Black voters that was starting to slip away from President Biden before he dropped out of the presidential race. In addition to recent polls that show Harris faring significantly better with Black voters than Trump, there’s also been considerable energy among groups of Black organizers who have set up Zoom calls to fundraise for the Vice President’s campaign. But amidst that enthusiasm, voter suppression remains a major concern heading into November. Cliff Albright, co-founder of the Black Voters Matter Fund, discusses how his organization is working to educate voters in states with a history of suppressing the Black vote.

And in headlines: President Biden gave his first sit-down interview since leaving the presidential race, Israel carried out a deadly air strike in Gaza City, and the 2024 Paris Olympics came to a close.

Show Notes:

• Learn more about Black Voters Matter Fund –https://blackvotersmatterfund.org
• 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

In front of a crowd of thousands at a rally in Philadelphia this week, Vice President Kamala Harris made her first appearance with her newly-minted running mate: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Aside from popularizing the withering “weird” insult against Republicans, the two-term Midwest governor has a reputation that straddles the moderate/progressive divide within the Democratic Party. During his decade-plus representing a swing district in the House, Walz earned a reputation as a pragmatist who regularly reached across the aisle to pass legislation through Congress. But as governor, he signed a slate of major progressive bills into law, like protecting access to abortion and gender-affirming care, expanding gun control, and guaranteeing paid family leave. To get a better sense of Walz and what we he brings to the ticket, Max and Josie examine Walz’s rise from high school social studies teacher to vice presidential hopeful. They’ll dig deep into four major policies that have helped shape his career as a lawmaker: healthcare, free school lunches, reproductive rights and IVF, and the war in Gaza.

Today marks one decade since 18-year-old Michael Brown Jr. was killed in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown's death at the hands of a white law enforcement officer ignited social unrest worldwide and led countless activists to demand an end to police violence.

Former President Donald Trump held his first news conference since Vice President Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. True to Trump fashion, the hour-long conference was jam-packed with intentional mispronunciations of "Kamala," attacks on VP Harris's intelligence, incessant rambling, and lie after lie.

And in headlines: VP Harris addresses the United Auto Workers in Detroit, ABC presidential debate set for September 10, continued fighting in Russia following Ukraine's surprise offensive attack, and Team USA's Noah Lyles wins a bronze despite COVID.

Show Notes:

• 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

Reproductive choice is on the ballot in 2024, and Vice President Kamala Harris is making it a central issue in her presidential campaign. Harris has been on the front lines of this fight, and since the start of 2024, she's been crisscrossing the country on a reproductive freedoms tour, emphasizing personal stories of people impacted by abortion bans. Meanwhile, Republicans have attempted to avoid this issue with equal enthusiasm. To learn more about the role that reproductive choice could play in this election, we spoke with reporter Abigail Tracy.  

And in headlines: Taylor Swift concerts in Austria canceled following terrorist threat, the one-year anniversary of the Maui wildfires disaster, one of Arizona's phony 2020 electors pleads guilty, and American figure skaters finally collect their 2022 gold medals.  

Show Notes:

• Check out Abigail's story and subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/23x2jhv3
• 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

After much deliberation, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate on Tuesday. The two debuted together later that evening at a joint rally in Pennsylvania. Walz, who’s nearing the end of his second term as Minnesota’s governor, describes himself as moderate. But during his time in office, he’s signed some major progressive legislation into law, like protecting access to abortion and gender-affirming care, expanding gun control, and guaranteeing paid family leave. Larry Jacobs, director of the Center for the Study of Politics and Governance at the University of Minnesota, explains what Walz brings to the Democratic ticket.

And in headlines: Hamas named the architect of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel as its new leader, stock markets rebounded after multiple days of losses, and Team USA’s Gabby Thomas took home her first gold medal with a win in the women’s 200-meter race.

Show Notes:

• 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

St. Louis, Missouri, residents will vote on Tuesday in one of the most expensive Democratic primaries of the 2024 election cycle. The Congresswoman who represents the city, Cori Bush, has been a harsh critic of Israel's response to the Hamas attacks on October 7 and the U.S. government's support for Israeli military operations. Her stance has led the pro-Israel group AIPAC to spend millions of dollars to back her opponent. We spoke to Nicholas Wu, who covers Congress for Politico, to learn more.

And in headlines: Justice Neil Gorsuch weighs in on Biden's proposed Supreme Court reforms, Israeli airstrike kills 30 in Gaza shelter, Trump refuses to debate VP Harris unless it's on Fox News, and Team USA wins big over the weekend at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Show Notes:

• Check out Nicholas Wu's story – https://tinyurl.com/47a64a4f
• 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

When then-Sen. Kamala Harris ran for president in the 2020 election, progressive activists quickly labeled her a “cop,” a reference to her time as the district attorney of San Francisco. Activists argued that being a D.A. was an inherently pro-police, pro-prisons job — a charge Harris hasn’t always shied away from in her political career. To get a sense of how Harris’ past has shaped the politician she’s become, Max and Josie examine her time as the San Francisco D.A., and later the attorney general of California. They explore key moments in her career, like when she opted not to seek the death penalty against a man who killed a police officer, to get a sense of her instincts and thinking about criminal justice more broadly. They come out the other side of the conversation with something hard to come by in politics these days: nuance.