Black lung disease, a debilitating and incurable condition that affects coal miners, is now on the rise for younger mine workers in Central Appalachia – which labor advocates say is due to unsafe working conditions that have gone unchecked. Journalist Kim Kelly joins us to discuss her investigative reporting on the issue, and what’s being done to protect miners from the dangers they face on the job.

And in headlines: Israeli lawmakers approved a key piece of legislation to overhaul the country’s judicial system, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed legislation banning all forms of gender-affirming care, and the CDC is expected to release guidelines for a “morning after” pill to prevent certain sexually transmitted infections.

Show Notes:

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

For a transcript of this episode, please visit

 crooked.com/whataday

Israel’s parliament is set to vote today on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to reform the country’s judicial system. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets across Israel to protest the proposal, saying that it threatens the country’s democratic foundation.

Voters in Spain cast their ballots in what was arguably one of the most important elections in that country in years. Though no single party captured an outright majority, the results defied expectations that Spain’s far-right would secure a role in government for the first time in decades.

And in headlines: Russian airstrikes damaged a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, wildfires burning on the Greek island of Rhodes forced tens of thousands of evacuations, and the Barbie movie made box office history on its opening weekend.

Show Notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

A federal grand jury investigating Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results met on Thursday in Washington, D.C. and heard testimony from former Trump aide William Russell. The meeting comes after Trump this week revealed that he received a target letter from Special Counsel Jack Smith, informing him that he is the subject of the federal investigation.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup officially kicked off in Auckland, New Zealand on Thursday. This year’s tournament – the largest in its 32-year history – opened with a one-to-nothing win for New Zealand against Norway.

And in headlines: Ukraine has started firing U.S.-supplied cluster munitions as part of its counteroffensive against Russia, Illinois has become the first state in the nation to eliminate cash bail, and a neighborhood in Florida is dealing with an invasion of lionhead rabbits.

Show Notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on a bill today that would impose a code of ethics on the Supreme Court. While Democrats say the move is necessary in light of recent reports about Justice Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito's relationship with GOP mega donors, the legislation is unlikely to become law due to strong opposition from Republicans.

Private health insurance companies have denied millions of requests for care from Medicaid recipients with little to no oversight, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Its inspector general found high rates of denials for lower-income patients, but many states don't review – or even collect – data on such refusals.

And in headlines: Stanford University’s president will resign following an investigation into his past research, Phoenix, Arizona logged its 20th consecutive day of temperatures over 110 degrees, and the ACLU asked a federal judge to transfer juvenile prisoners out of Louisiana's notorious Angola prison amid brutal summer heat.

Show Notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he received another "target letter" from the Justice Department, this time, saying he could face a federal indictment over his bid to overturn the results of the 2020 election. While the exact charges were not immediately clear, it indicates that Trump could soon face his third criminal indictment this year.

Alabama Republicans on Monday proposed a redrawn Congressional map that ignores a Supreme Court mandate to create a second majority-Black district. Lawmakers have until Friday to adopt a new map that doesn’t dilute the power of Black voters.

And in headlines: Michigan’s attorney general announced charges for 16 alleged “fake electors” for Donald Trump, SAG-AFTRA said internet influencers need to think twice before they hype-up any upcoming movies or shows, and the FDA approved a new antibody to protect newborn babies from RSV.

Show Notes:

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

On Monday, explosives damaged a key bridge connecting the Russian mainland and Crimean Peninsula. Russia blamed Ukrainian forces for the deadly attack on the Kerch Bridge, and Russia soon after said it would halt its participation in the Black Sea grain deal.

Donald Trump’s legal team is heading back to court today for a pre-trial hearing in the former president’s classified documents case. The hearing could shine a light on how Judge Aileen Cannon plans to handle the case, and whether the trial will begin before or after the 2024 election.

And in headlines: an Iowa judge issued a temporary injunction blocking the state’s new six-week abortion ban, House Democrats unveiled a new resolution to censure Republican George Santos, and more employers in the U.S. are ditching marijuana drug tests for new hires.

Show Notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

More than 100 million people across the United States were under excessive heat warnings and advisories over the weekend, and more than 55 million people are expected to experience high temperatures reaching or exceeding 100 degrees this week. And another, separate heat wave is expected to broil southern Europe in the coming days.

On Saturday, the crowd of 2024 presidential candidates were required to file campaign finance reports with federal regulators. Former President Donald Trump, who leads the Republican field in polling, reported $22.5 million in cash on hand at the end of June. His main rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, brought in about $20 million in the second quarter, but has already burned through nearly half of it.

And in headlines: Iowa has become the 15th state to ban most abortions after six-weeks, Texas is being sued over its ban on TikTok, and Elon Musk confirmed that Twitter's ad revenue has dropped by nearly 50%.

Show Notes:

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the first over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States. The landmark move could help make contraception more accessible across the country at a time when access to birth control and abortion is being restricted.

The Federal Trade Commission has opened an investigation into OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. In a 20-page demand letter sent to the company this week, the FTC said it was investigating if OpenAI “engaged in unfair or deceptive practices” that could harm consumers, including reputational harm.

And in headlines: Hollywood actors are officially on strike, Fox News is facing a new defamation lawsuit from a Trump supporter who attended the January 6th riots, and a group of families and doctors are suing Texas over the state’s new law banning gender-affirming care for minors.

Show notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

160,000 Hollywood actors are poised to strike Thursday, joining WGA members on the picket lines in what could be the first double strike in more than 60 years. This all comes as this year’s coveted Emmy nominations were announced Wednesday morning, further cementing 2023 as a fraught year for the entertainment industry that is already without 11,000 of its writers.

A major heat wave has settled in across the South and Southwestern United States, with temperatures in the triple digits from California to Texas to Florida. Climate scientists have said record temperatures and heat waves will keep happening as this planet continues to get warmer.

And in headlines: Reproductive rights groups are suing Iowa after the state passed a six-week abortion ban, the Justice Department said that Trump can be held liable for comments he made about E. Jean Carroll while acting as president, and the United Auto Workers union said its members are prepared to strike if automakers don’t meet their demands for a new labor agreement.

Show notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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

Leaders of the 31 NATO nations gathered in Vilnius, Lithuania on Tuesday for the first day of the annual summit to discuss potentially admitting Ukraine and Sweden into the alliance. NATO leaders said they will invite Ukraine to join their alliance when “conditions are met,” and Turkey cleared the way for Sweden to join NATO.

SAG-AFTRA members could be joining Hollywood writers on the picket lines as soon as Thursday if they fail to reach an agreement with AMPTP by Wednesday at midnight. If a deal is not reached, it would mark the first time both actors and writers are striking in 63 years.

And in headlines: Donald Trump’s lawyers requested an indefinite delay in his classified documents case, workers at Sega’s North American branch voted to unionize, and Britney Spears’ tell-all memoir is coming to a bookstore near you this fall.

Show notes:

• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast

Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee

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

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