Where It All Starts

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022. And despite President Donald Trump's promise to end the conflict on his first day back in office, the two countries are still at war. So far, over 300,000 Russian soldiers have died in the war, compared to roughly 150,000 Ukrainian soldiers. The fighting is brutal, and it seems to keep… going. So how can both sides end this conflict – and what will the U.S. do to help (or hurt) the peace process? To find out, we spoke with Lucian Kim. He's a senior Ukraine analyst for the International Crisis Group. When we spoke, he had just returned from an 11-day trip to Ukraine.And in headlines, Trump holds off on striking Iran, a data analytics firm unveils just how much several Polymarket accounts have made betting almost exclusively on U.S. military operations, and Trump's approval rating continues to dip.Show Notes:

• Check out Lucian's book – https://tinyurl.com/ytkkh6d3
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

It's rather obvious Americans have not exactly been … cheerful for the last few years. And it's showing up in the data – the General Social Survey, the Consumer Sentiment Survey from the University of Michigan, the World Happiness Report, and even the Federal Reserve all report that Americans are less happy than they were a decade ago. Whether that's with their jobs, the economy, the state of the world – no matter the metric, Americans are not having it. To find out why we're feeling down, we spoke with Derek Thompson. He's the co-author of the book "Abundance," and he writes a popular Substack called, well, Derek Thompson.And in headlines, President Donald Trump is once again threatening Iran via Truth Social, House Speaker Mike Johnson talks about the administration's priorities, and Taiwan's president stresses the importance of arms purchases from the United States.Show Notes:

• Check out Derek's piece –https://tinyurl.com/zzsjpf7a
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

Life is pretty expensive right now – and Americans are not happy about it. Trump came into office claiming he would lower prices, QUOTE, “on day 1.” But that didn’t happen – and his own policies are partially to blame. To talk more about the economy, inflation, and what we can do when our lives feel way too expensive, we spoke with Stacey Vanek Smith. She’s a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co-host of the Bloomberg podcast, Everybody’s Business.And in headlines, Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping offered his help in making a deal to end the Iran war, FBI Director Kash Patel allegedly went snorkeling on his “not vacation” in Hawaii, and did the Supreme Court just become a feminist?Show Notes:

• Check out Stacey's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/y2zannt6
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

The Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais last month dismantled a critical portion of the Voting Rights Act. And since then, a slew of states — largely in the South — have moved to redraw voting maps. In doing so, they’re eliminating majority-Black voting districts. There are not many people who have done more to fight for Black voting power and for the rights of Black voters in the South than Stacey Abrams, host of Crooked Media’s Assembly Required. So we talked to her about the racist implications of Louisiana vs. Callais and where we go from here.And in headlines, Senate Republicans once again block legislation that would halt President Donald Trump’s war of choice with Iran, Vice President JD Vance takes more steps in the administration’s anti-fraud initiative, and a Politico analysis finds that the Trump administration has lost in court more than 10,000 times in ICE detention decisions.Show Notes:

• Check out Stacey's podcast –
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

President Donald Trump is arriving in Beijing today on a long-awaited trip – one that got delayed even further by Trump’s war in Iran. It’s Trump’s second trip to China and his first in nearly a decade. It’s also a trip where both sides see big opportunities (mostly to make money). But, the global balance of power has shifted – arguably, in China’s favor. Trump is in the midst of an unpopular war with no clear exit plan and he’s looking to make deals, not problems. Meanwhile, China has become an economic and military powerhouse more than able to stand up to the US and Trump’s trade wars. So to talk more about Trump’s trip to China and what’s at stake, we spoke to Phelim Kine. He is the DC based China correspondent at POLITICO.And in headlines, Secretary of War/little boy Pete Hegseth returns to the Hill, Food and Drug Administration head Marty Makary steps down, and the What A Day newsletter investigates a new video game that parodies Trump’s second term in office.Show Notes:

• Check out Phelim's work – politico.com/staff/phelim-kine
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

The impact of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes has been felt in so many places, from the halls of Congress to the royal families of Britain and Norway. Here in the U.S., it’s taken the work of student journalists to uncover the worrying details about Epstein’s hidden relationship with another important institution: Harvard University. Epstein didn’t go to Harvard (actually, he didn’t graduate from college at all). But back in 2020, Harvard released a report aiming to detail its relationship with Epstein, including the millions of dollars he donated to the university. As journalist Pablo Torre and student journalists at the Harvard Crimson discovered, Harvard was actually keeping a lot of secrets about its relationship with the convicted sex offender. We spoke with Torre about his investigation and what he wants Harvard to do now.And in headlines, President Donald Trump participates in a Maternal Healthcare Event in the Oval Office, the Supreme Court is leaving access to a widely used abortion pill untouched until at least Thursday, and the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner pleads not guilty.Show Notes:

• Check out Pablo's podcast – https://tinyurl.com/yjn2ndp2
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

Over the last year and a half, the Trump Administration has made a big effort to limit which words are used in federal documents. Across government memos and wide-ranging agency material, hundreds of terms and ideas have been explicitly or implicitly forbidden from use. These terms include words like “accessible” or “activism.” Another example? Intersectionality. It’s been nearly 40 years since Kimberlé Crenshaw coined the term “intersectionality.” And in that time, the word has been twisted into something barely recognizable. We spoke with Crenshaw about her work, her new book, and how her past has given her the strength to keep talking back.And in headlines, Iran responds to the latest U.S. ceasefire proposal, Democrats respond to the Virginia Supreme Court ruling on redistricting, and the cruise ship roiled by hantavirus anchors in the Canary Islands.Show Notes:

• Check out Kimberlé's book – https://tinyurl.com/4ndwy3rx
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

There’s a lot going on in this year’s midterm elections. Tennessee Republicans approved a new map on Thursday, splitting the majority-Black voting district that encompasses the city of Memphis – and possibly eliminating the state’s only blue congressional seat. The president also got to flex his muscles this week in Indiana’s Republican primary. Candidates with his support beat at least five Republican incumbents who had voted against his redistricting plans in the state. So what does all of this mean for the midterms? To find out, we talked to Jon Favreau. He’s a co-host of Pod Save America.And in headlines, Russia preps for its annual Victory Day Parade, two reports shed new light on the Iran war, and President Donald Trump tries to square up with a child in the Oval Office.Show Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

President Donald Trump made a lot of promises when he took office for the second time. One of those promises included becoming the most pro-cryptocurrency president ever! (Probably because the Trump family is trying to make as much money as possible from the enterprise.) But the wheels appear to be falling off both Trump’s crypto adventures and the industry itself. Though millions of Americans own crypto, Bitcoin isn’t going to replace the dollar any time soon. To learn more about the crypto industry, who it’s for, and where it’s headed, we spoke with Ben McKenzie. He's an author, actor, and filmmaker who has been covering cryptocurrency for years. His new documentary "Everyone Is Lying To You For Money" centers on unmasking the cryptocurrency industry.And in headlines, the Washington Post found Iran has hit more U.S. military assets than reported, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick testifies before Congress about his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and Stephen Colbert teases a possible 2028 presidential run.Show Notes:

• Check out Everyone Is Lying To You For Money – https://tinyurl.com/4apne3tp
• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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

President Trump was elected, in part, due to his many promises to lower the cost of living. Unsurprisingly, he gave up on that pretty much the second he walked into the Oval Office again. Some Democrats see this as an opportunity not just to beat Trump but to move forward as a party. Last week, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus announced a series of bills they’re calling “The New Affordability Agenda.” But will it appeal to the same voters who thought Trump held the key to a more affordable life in 2024? Texas Democratic Representative Greg Cesar joins the show to make his case for why it does.And in headlines, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth neither confirms nor denies the existence of kamikaze dolphins, The Strait of Hormuz still remains mostly closed, and Republicans try to get YOU to pay for the White House Ballroom.Show Notes:

• Call Congress – 202-224-3121
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy
• 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