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? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.

  1. A Quack In Trump’s Presidency

    14 HR AGO

    A Quack In Trump’s Presidency

    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.

    23 min
  2. Did The J6ers Win?

    1 DAY AGO

    Did The J6ers Win?

    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.

    23 min
  3. Trump Extracts Oil -- And The Venezuelan President

    2 DAYS AGO

    Trump Extracts Oil -- And The Venezuelan President

    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 – 202-224-3121 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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    24 min
  4. Donald Trump’s Pot Shot

    19/12/2025

    Donald Trump’s Pot Shot

    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.

    22 min
  5. Why Is Trump So Obsessed With Rep. Ilhan Omar

    18/12/2025

    Why Is Trump So Obsessed With Rep. Ilhan Omar

    President Trump has made multiple xenophobic comments about Somali immigrants over the past few weeks, following the findings of an investigation into social services fraud in Minnesota. Many of those arrested were of Somali origin or background — but since the President just pardoned a CEO convicted for fraud, it’s hard to believe he’s really concerned about the, you know, fraud. His remarks really indicate he’s much more interested in being racist – especially towards Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who has come up repeatedly in the President’s rants. We spoke to Representative Omar about the President’s attacks against her and the Somali American community, her work in Congress, and whether healthcare really can be saved before the new year. And in headlines, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr fails at basic communication during a Senate oversight meeting, the Senate passes a ginormous $901 billion defense bill, and one of the two right-wing podcasters running the FBI is leaving the job in January. 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.

    20 min

Shows with Subscription Benefits

Ad-free episodes + exclusive bonus pods

US$9.99/mo or US$96.00/yr after trial

Hosts & Guests

About

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? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.

More From Crooked Media

You Might Also Like