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 m...
President Donald Trump said on the campaign trail that he wants to end the Department of Education and return teaching “to the states.” And now that he’s in office, he’s making good on that promise. The administration recently sent billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency bros to Education Department headquarters to cut contracts, staff and grants. Trump has also said he hopes his pick to head the department, Linda McMahon, ultimately puts herself out of a job. Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Teachers Federation, talks about what destroying the Department of Education could mean for kids.And in headlines: DOGE eyes the Internal Revenue Service as its next target, Mexico’s President says she could sue Google for using ‘Gulf of America’ on its maps, and European leaders meet to discuss their options around the war in Ukraine.Show Notes:Learn more about American Federation of Teachers – www.aft.orgSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat 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
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23:33
Trump’s Dept. of Just Us
The Justice Department is in turmoil after more than half a dozen federal prosecutors resigned rather than sign their names to a motion to dismiss corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. It's the latest indication that the Trump administration plans to use the DOJ, now led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, as an extension of the president's political agenda above all else. Ken White, a former federal prosecutor and current criminal defense attorney who writes the 'Popehat' newsletter, talks about what the crisis at the DOJ means for the agency charged with enforcing federal laws.And in headlines: The U.S. seems ready to sideline Zelensky and Europe in favor of starting peace talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, thousands of federal workers at the CDC and NIH lose their jobs, and phase two of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is in doubt.Show Notes:Check out Ken's newsletter – https://www.popehat.com/Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat 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
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24:59
Dem Attorneys General Take On Trump
Democratic state attorneys general have been a major thorn in President Donald Trump's side since he returned to the White House last month. They've successfully gotten federal courts to block some of the president's most questionably constitutional actions, from trying to end birthright citizenship and freezing trillions in federal grant money to letting Elon Musk run roughshod over government agencies. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin stops by the 'What A Day' studio to talk about how Democratic AGs are working together to push back on the Trump administration's agenda.And in headlines: A vaccine skeptic is now running the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump's pick to run the Department of Education talked about her plans to dismantle the Department of Education during her first Senate confirmation hearing, and there's new hope the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will continue to hold.Show Notes:Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat 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
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25:47
Inflation Is Up Again. What Does That Mean For Your Wallet?
Inflation rose more than expected in January according to federal data released Wednesday, as the cost of things like groceries, housing and energy ticked up. While we’re still only a few weeks into Donald Trump’s second term, he did campaign on lowering prices for consumers on ‘Day 1,’ a promise he and his team have been backing away from since his election victory. The new inflation data raises big questions about the state of the economy and the potential effects of Trump’s policy plans to cut taxes, impose tariffs and slash the federal workforce. Victoria Guida, economics correspondent for Politico, helps us make sense of what’s actually going on with the economy right now and what it all means for Trump. Later in the show, Crooked Media’s climate correspondent Anya Zoledziowski talks about what’s happening at the Environmental Protection Agency.And in headlines: Tulsi Gabbard is confirmed by the Senate and sworn in as the new director of national intelligence, Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed ways to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over the phone (not on the call: Ukraine), and Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green presided over the first meeting of the House DOGE Subcommittee.Show Notes:Check out Victoria's work – politico.com/staff/victoria-guidaSubscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat 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
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25:41
How VP Vance Uses Catholicism To Justify Mass Deportations
More than two dozen Christian and Jewish organizations sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its decision to let immigration agents make arrests at places of worship. Also Tuesday, Pope Francis issued a stinging rebuke of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plan in a letter to U.S. Catholic Bishops. And he had some seemingly pointed words for Vice President J.D. Vance, who in recent weeks has used his Catholic faith to justify the White House’s immigration crackdown. Terence Sweeney, an assistant teaching professor at Villanova University, breaks down the holes in the Trump administration’s interpretation of Christianity and Catholicism. Later in the show, Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics and trade policy at the Cato Institute, explains why Trump’s threats to a trade loophole could blow up your online shopping habits.And in headlines: Trump and Elon Musk defended the Department of Government Efficiency’s draconian cost-cutting actions during a joint press conference, DOGE said it cut $900 million in Department of Education contracts, and a federal judge blocked the administration’s order to cut billions in funding for medical research.Show Notes:Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/reliefWhat 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
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.
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