GOP Senators Ruin Their Summer Vacay for Trump Spending Bill

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell struck back on Sunday night after the Department of Justice opened a criminal investigation into his handling of renovations to the Fed’s DC headquarters. Whether or not he lied to Congress about them, this is all happening as the Supreme Court is set to debate another one of Trump’s efforts to take control of the Fed – by getting rid of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. So to talk more about Jerome Powell, the Supreme Court, and Donald Trump’s various attempts to prosecute people he does not like, we spoke with Leah Litman. She’s cohost of Crooked Media’s legal podcast, Strict Scrutiny.And in headlines, Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly sues the Department of Defense over Pete Hegseth’s attempts to punish him for criticizing the Trump administration, The New York Times reports the E.P.A. plans to stop monitoring the health benefits of limiting pollution, and a new Gallup poll shows young people are abandoning both the Democratic and Republican parties in droves.Show Notes:Check out Strict Scrutiny – crooked.com/podcast-series/strict-scrutiny/Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

13 Jan 27min

The United States Coast Guard seized another oil tanker, the Olina, on Friday. It is the fifth Venezuela-linked tanker seized by US forces under President Trump, and the third since the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Earlier last week, the US seized a vessel near Iceland following a slow chase across the Atlantic Ocean. That ship, the Bella 1, was renamed the Marinera and started flying the Russian flag after US forces first tried to board it back in December. So, what’s going on with all of these sneaky name changes? To find out, we spoke to Shelby Holliday. She’s a senior video producer and journalist for The Wall Street Journal, where she focuses on geopolitics.And in headlines, protests across the U.S. continue following the death of Renee Good at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Russia’s war in Ukraine rages on, and Trump weighs his options in Iran as state violence against protestors ramps up.Show Notes:Check out Shelby's story – https://tinyurl.com/mv2tz794Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

12 Jan 21min

On Thursday, protestors continued to gather in Minnesota’s largest city to stand up to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an officer fatally shot a woman on Wednesday. The victim’s name was Renee Good. She was a US citizen, a parent, and a recent transplant to Minnesota. She is being remembered as a deeply loving person – her mother telling The Minnesota Star Tribune she was “one of the kindest people I’ve ever known.” But none of that has mattered to the White House, which has been slandering her memory. To talk more about Minneapolis and the Administration’s disregard for Americans and American life, we spoke to Alex Wagner. She’s the host of Crooked Media’s podcast, Runaway Country.And in headlines, House lawmakers pass a bill to extend the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies that expired at the end of the year, New York City takes baby-steps toward universal child care, and President Trump reportedly wants to bribe every citizen of Greenland with greenbacks.Show Notes:Check out Runaway Country – https://tinyurl.com/47zmbdppCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

9 Jan 25min

There are 435 members of the House of Representatives — and after the resignation of Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene and the passing of California Representative Doug LaMalfa, the GOP’s majority is down to 218. It’s thin, even without discussing the number of Republicans that are going to leave office to retire, run for other positions, or just get away because being in Congress sucks right now. At the same time, Congress is struggling to get much done — whether it’s about healthcare, the President’s war powers, or more routine topics like permitting reforms. So what does all of this mean for Congress in 2026? To find out, we spoke to Burgess Everett. He’s the Congressional bureau chief at Semafor.And in headlines, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shoots a Minneapolis driver in broad daylight, the Pentagon confirms it’s reviewing the “effectiveness” of women in ground combat roles, and the Trump administration moves forward with its plan for Venezuelan oil.Show Notes:Check out Burgess's work – semafor.com/author/burgess-everettCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

8 Jan 25min

It’s been a strange 12 months for Trump. He won the 2024 election on a wave of economic discontent, and responded by blowing up a wing of the White House, decimating foreign aid, and attempting to deport undocumented immigrants and political dissidents alike, before deciding that what his second term really needed was military adventurism in South America. But since last summer, his poll numbers have declined and Democrats have been notching electoral victories in states like Florida, New York, Georgia and Arizona. Some Republicans in Congress are hitting the exits. And others are starting to talk about life after Trump. But is his power and influence really declining? To find out, we spoke to Jamelle Bouie. He’s a New York Times opinion columnist who writes about politics and American history.And in headlines, the Trump administration plans to freeze $10 billion in child care and social services funding fo five blue states, the President sets his sights on Greenland, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem tells Venezuelans in the US “Everything’s fixed! You can go home now!” It… isn’t.Show Notes:Check out Jamelle's work – nytimes.com/column/jamelle-bouieCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Jan 23min

Five years ago today, supporters of President Trump, emboldened by his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, stormed the Capitol. Now, with Trump back in the Oval Office, it feels like the January 6th insurrectionists got everything they could have wanted – but did they? On his first day back in office, Trump pardoned more than 1,500 of the rioters. But dozens of those pardoned went on to commit more crimes – and others are furious that they haven’t received restitution for so-called “malicious prosecution.” Many of the groups that helped foment what happened five years ago have never regained the strength they had back then. And in his second term, Trump has disappointed many of the people who backed his insurrection – including some of those willing to go to prison for him. To talk more about January 6th and where the far-right is now, we spoke to Will Sommer, a senior reporter for the Bulwark who focuses on the far right and conservative media.And in headlines, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth escalates his beef with Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz drops his re-election bid after weeks of mounting scrutiny over his handling of the state’s welfare fraud scandal, and the CDC announces an alarming overhaul to its childhood vaccine schedule.Show Notes:Check out Will's work – substack.com/@willsommerCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 Jan 23min

Late Friday evening, President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. After his capture, Maduro was taken by warship to the United States and then flown to New York, where he will face federal drug trafficking and weapons charges. There are a ton of questions around how this operation happened and what, if any, legal authority the United States had to capture Maduro in the first place. But most importantly: what happens to Venezuela now? To talk more about Venezuela, the prosecution of Maduro, and what the hell is going to happen now, we spoke to Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, former National Security Council Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere under the Biden administration. And in headlines, most Republicans are defending Trump's decision to topple Maduro, Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to criticize the president on her way out of Congress, and world leaders are meeting in Paris to discuss the Russia-Ukraine peace process. Show Notes:Call Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

5 Jan 24min

On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I substance to a Schedule III substance. Trump's order continues an effort begun by former President Joe Biden to change how the federal government views marijuana. Previously, under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, marijuana had the same classification as LSD and peyote – drugs that the federal government argues have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. And because of its classification, scientists who wanted to investigate medical uses for marijuana had to jump through significant hoops – and couldn’t get federal research dollars. Once marijuana is reclassified, that will change. However, if you’re a recreational marijuana user, Trump did not, in fact, just legalize weed. So to learn more about what the executive order means, we spoke with Jeremy Berke, editor-in-chief of Cultivated Media, an outlet covering the business, policy, and culture of cannabis.And in headlines, the Labor Department releases inflation numbers likely skewed by the government shutdown, the deadline to release the Epstein files is here, and House Speaker Mike Johnson sends representatives home for the holidays, failing to address the upcoming expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies. Show Notes: Check out Cultivated Media – www.cultivated.newsCall Congress – 202-224-3121Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcastFollow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

19 Dec 202522min