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by What A Day
If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right?
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- Today22 min
Are The Killer Robots Inevitable?
Artificial Intelligence isn't just clogging up your Instagram feed with cartoon cat romance-revenge videos or helping your cousin pass AP European History class. Artificial Intelligence is on the battlefield. The Trump administration has been pushing to supercharge the U.S. military with A.I., and the military is leaning into the powerful new technology, from Venezuela to Iran. But not everyone is so gung-ho about it. So to learn more, we spoke with Mike Horowitz, who worked in the Pentagon on military A.I. systems under President Joe Biden and is a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania.And in headlines, former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has reportedly agreed to plead guilty to one count of retaining classified information, President Donald Trump announces an effort to boost the struggling U.S. coal industry, and an exorcist is removed after linking UFOs to demons.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
- Yesterday22 min
The CBS News Crisis
CBS News, under the leadership of Bari Weiss, continues to devolve into chaos. On Tuesday, CBS News fired longtime "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley. It came a day after Pelley reportedly said Weiss was "murdering the show" and accused its new producer of having "slender qualifications" for the job. Here to talk about it all is Jeremy Barr, media reporter for The Guardian US.And in headlines, the House for the first time Wednesday approves a war powers resolution that would halt the US military action against Iran, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin testifies on Capitol Hill, and just how rich is Elon Musk? Tune in to find out.Show Notes: Check out Jeremy's work – theguardian.com/profile/jeremy-barr 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
- 2 days ago17 min
Trump’s Dangerous New Spy Boss
President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he's appointing the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, as acting Director of National Intelligence. The news comes after Tulsi Gabbard announced she was resigning from the position amid her husband's battle with cancer. So who is Bill Pulte? From what we know, Pulte is another Trump-henchman type whose only qualification for the high-stakes position seems to be the ability to do just about anything Trump wants him to do. And that's raised red flags among many people, including our guest, Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. He serves on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services Committees.And in headlines, Russia launches a massive attack against Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on Capitol Hill, and whac-a-mole? More like whac-a-manhole! Videos of people popping out of New York City sewers are popping up online.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
- 3 days ago21 min
Californians Vote With New Map
California politics is experiencing a rare moment on the national stage as wacky candidates and local scandals have become a microcosm for the country as a whole, as well as a potential preview of what November’s midterms have in store. We talk to KQED’s Marisa Lagos about what the hell is going on with California politics right now.And in headlines, primary season kicks off nationwide, Trump's Iran War negotiations hit another setback, an appeals court rules Trump's ban on transgender troops illegal, the White House temporarily pauses its slush fund for Trump's political allies, and several states extend bar and restaurant hours for the World Cup.Show Notes: Check out Marisa's work – www.kqed.org/author/mlagos 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
- 4 days ago21 min
Is Social Media Hype Even Real?
It’s no secret that what we see on social media is highly choreographed. But a recent article in New York Magazine by Lane Brown confirms it by uncovering the world of artificial hype that drives what we perceive as buzz. The piece dominated the groupchats these last few days, and for good reason: it taps into a general unease about how we’ve ceded our reality to platforms that are manipulated by shadowy ad campaigns. Brown joins the show to lay it all out for us.And in headlines, Trump’s “walk back weekend,” protestors clash with police outside a New Jersey ICE detention center, and voting begins in the the Colombian presidential election.Show Notes: The Feed Is Fake, by Lane Brown – https://www.vulture.com/article/social-media-feeds-chaotic-good-projects-clipping.html 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
- 1 weeks ago21 min
ICE Is Still Detaining People
President Donald Trump's immigration policies haven't been getting much attention lately. But don't be fooled — the immigration detention industrial complex hasn't slowed down. One infamous facility in Florida, known as "Alligator Alcatraz," is reportedly closing. Katie Blankenship is an attorney representing immigrants across the country – including some who have been detained at "Alligator Alcatraz". Jane talked about what she's hearing from her clients and what you need to know about the immigrant experience in America right now.And in headlines, former First Lady Jill Biden admits she thought President Joe Biden was having a stroke during that debate, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent thinks it's totally normal to put Trump's face on a 250-dollar bill, and Kentucky Republican Rep. Thomas Massie and former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene vacation in Costa Rica with their partners.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
- 1 weeks ago20 min
The Challenge To Ending The Iran War
Despite whatever President Donald Trump has said over the last few days, his war in Iran does not look like it's ending soon. But here's the thing: a major factor in what happens with Trump's Iran war isn't Trump – it's Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite a ceasefire, Israel has continued to bomb targets in southern Lebanon – part of the country's war against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed proxy militia that controls a swath of Lebanon. And on Wednesday, Israel told residents of southern Lebanon to leave their homes as the Israeli military moves into new areas of the country. So what do Israel's goals mean for Trump's Iran war – and the future of the Middle East? To find out, we spoke to Nahal Toosi. She's the senior foreign affairs correspondent and columnist at POLITICO.And in headlines: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton dominated Sen. John Cornyn in Tuesday's Senate Republican primary runoff; House Democrats introduce a bill to block construction of Trump's proposed "triumphal arch;” and a Ball State University employee gets paid after she was fired for criticizing Charlie Kirk.Show Notes: Check out Nahal's work – https://tinyurl.com/4nmp552x 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
- 1 weeks ago19 min
The Real J6 Victims Are Standing Up
You know, President Donald Trump's 1.776 billion-dollar MAGA slush fund? The fund is intended for victims of "DOJ weaponization," like the January 6 insurrectionists Trump pardoned. Shockingly, very few people support it. And now former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and a colleague, actual victims of the January 6 insurrection, are suing the Trump administration to put a stop to this fund. Jane speaks with Dunn about the slush fund, his lawsuit, and why it's so important to him to stand up for what actually happened that day.And in headlines: Trump has yet another physical, Republicans' redistricting war takes a hit, and the Trump administration thinks it may be a good idea to have federal employees sign NDAs. Just in case...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
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About What A Day
If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right?
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