What A Day

Capitol Hill was surprisingly busy this week. Republicans and Democrats yelled at one another , Republicans yelled at other Republicans , and amazingly, some actual business got done – sort of. But it looks like it wasn’t enough to avoid a partial government shutdown. For more on a wild week in Congress, we spoke with Burgess Everett. He’s the Congressional bureau chief for Semafor. And in headlines, President Donald Trump is losing to former President Joe Biden in the polls , a federal judge blocks the Pentagon from punishing Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly, and after a long two months, the immigration crackdown in Minnesota is finally ending . Show Notes: Check out Burgess's work – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The Department of Justice fumbled yet another attempt to prosecute President Donald Trump’s enemies on Tuesday night. This time, it failed to get an indictment of the six Democrats who posted a video in November reminding U.S. troops they have an obligation to refuse illegal orders — no matter who they come from. Colorado Democratic Representative Jason Crow is one of those six lawmakers. We spoke about the investigation, Pam Bondi’s Congressional testimony, and how to protect U.S. troops from being targeted by the government they serve. And in headlines, the House votes to rescind the tariffs Trump placed on Canada last year under the authority of a “ national emergency ,” revised government data shows President Trump’s first year in office wasn’t actually good for the job market, and Trump has a “very good meeting” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu… even though it sounds like not much happened. Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Over the past year, the Trump administration has been eliminating policies aimed at slowing down climate change – and now, it may go even further. This week, the Environmental Protection Agency plans to repeal the “endangerment finding” that has been the scientific basis of rules limiting greenhouse gas emissions since 2009. To talk more about this endangerment finding and where the fight against climate change goes from here, we spoke to Leah Stokes. She’s an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara where she works on climate and clean energy policy and co-host of the climate podcast, A Matter of Degrees. And in headlines, Department of Homeland Security officials testify before Congress , Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick admits to lunching with his kids on Epstein Island, and the Trump administration takes down a rainbow flag at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City. Show Notes: Check out Leah's podcast – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Getting justice for Epstein survivors seems impossible in the United States. But in the United Kingdom, the Epstein files could bring down the British government . Prime Minister Keir Starmer is facing calls to resign after admitting he knew the UK's former Ambassador to the United States, Peter Mandelson, had ties to Epstein when he appointed him in 2024. To unpack how the United Kingdom is reckoning with Epstein, we spoke to Coco Khan, co-host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save the UK . And in headlines, Vice President JD Vance becomes the first sitting US Vice President – or President – to visit Armenia, immigration officials are set to testify before the House Committee on Homeland Security, and a new report from CBS News finds that less than 14 percent of people arrested by ICE in the first year of Trump’s second term had violent criminal records. Show Notes: Check out Pod Save the UK – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Sunday was the Super Bowl, which means betting. A lot of betting . And even if you're not a gambler– and even if you don't particularly care about sports, you've probably noticed that in the last few years, sports betting has gone from obscure to nearly omnipresent. But that's not necessarily for the better. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center survey , "43% of U.S. adults say the fact that sports betting is now legal in much of the country is a bad thing for society." So, we spoke with Hannah Vanbiber , a senior editor at The Athletic, to talk about sports betting ahead of Sunday's big game. And in headlines, survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein release a Public Service Announcement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Democrats are ready to shut down the government partially, and the Japanese prime minister's governing party secures a supermajority in parliamentary elections. Show Notes: Check out Hannah's reporting – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

We're just one week into February, and a lot has happened already — from the fallout over the Department of Justice's Epstein file dump, to President Trump's claims the U.S. should "nationalize" elections , to the decision to pull 700 federal immigration agents out of Minnesota on Wednesday. It's been a lot to follow — so we spoke to Tim Miller. He's writer-at-large at The Bulwark and host of The Bulwark Podcast . And in headlines, lawmakers are nowhere near an agreement to fund the Department of Homeland Security , the U.S. and Iran are set to hold nuclear talks in Oman, and the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots face off in Super Bowl LX. Show Notes: Check out The Bulwark Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

The economy is in pretty much the same weird place it’s been for the past few months. Hiring is down , the cost of living is up , and no one really knows what's coming next. That uncertainty is partially thanks to AI, which is supposed to change work as we know it . It’s making everyone – from stock traders to white-collar workers – very, very nervous. On this episode, we talk to Stacey Vanek Smith. She’s a reporter for Bloomberg Businessweek and co-host of the Bloomberg podcast, Everybody's Business. And in headlines, the Supreme Court signs off on California’s new congressional map, President Trump’s attempted assassin is sentenced to life in prison, and a group of Minnesota teachers and school districts sue to stop immigration enforcement activity on or near public schools. Show Notes: Check out Everybody's Business Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

If you haven't been following conservative media for a long time, you might not know that there have actually been many eras of Tucker Carlson. He launched his career in print journalism before landing under the bright lights of Fox News in 2009. That's where he developed his super power – giving his audience exactly what they want, and feeding some of their worst impulses again and again under the glossy veneer of respectability. New Yorker staff writer Jason Zengerle first met Carlson back in the 1990s and has been following his career ever since. His new book, "Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind," examines Carlson's evolution and the media's. We spoke with Zengerle about Carlson's past and what his shifting priorities reveal about American politics. And in headlines, the House narrowly passes a spending bill to end the partial government shutdown, Renee Good's brothers testify before Congressional Democrats, and a U.S. fighter jet shoots down an Iranian drone . Show Notes: Check out Hated by All the Right People: Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that all federal officers in Minneapolis will now wear body cameras. She also said the program would expand nationwide "as funding is available." The push for body cameras is a key Democratic demand to end the partial government shutdown . It also comes on the heels of major concerns over DHS immigration tactics. In January alone, two U.S. citizens were shot and killed by federal immigration agents in Minnesota. Radley Balko has been covering law enforcement misconduct for decades. We spoke to him about how federal immigration enforcement's actions feel different – and what worries him most. And in headlines, Bill and Hillary Clinton agree to testify before Congress about their ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, RFK Jr. announces an initiative to address homelessness and substance abuse in eight unspecified cities , and the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt reopens – potentially offering hope for thousands of Palestinians. Show Notes: Check out Radley's substack – Check out Radley's piece – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram –

President Trump is still not over the fact that he lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden, which might be why last Wednesday, the FBI executed a search warrant on an election facility in Fulton County, Georgia. Agents seized hundreds of boxes containing ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election . But this raid is just one of many ways the President has challenged the American election system since taking office a year ago. With the midterms just months away, we spoke with Marc Elias, the founder of the voting rights news and election-tracking site Democracy Docket. And in headlines, the government is partially shut down as Congress debates reining in immigration enforcement, the Trump administration does damage control after the latest and largest batch of Epstein files, and the five-year-old boy and father detained by immigration officers in Minnesota have been released . Show Notes: Check out Democracy Docket – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Senate Democrats were ready to shut down the government Friday night in order to get much-needed reforms to ICE and Border Patrol — but they didn’t need to. On Thursday, they made a deal with Republicans and the White House to fund most of the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security, however, will only be funded for two weeks while Senators negotiate some guardrails for ICE. So what happens now? To find out, we spoke with Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine on Thursday just before Senate Democrats announced their deal. And in headlines, President Trump hopes for Iranian regime change , the Justice Department files federal charges against the man accused of attacking Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, and activists ask Americans to skip school, work, and shopping Friday to protest ongoing ICE operations. Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Minneapolis is still under ICE’s thumb — and contrary to the Trump Administration and some media reports, ICE has not “ de-escalated ” in the Twin Cities . Multiple media outlets have reported no real change in Department of Homeland Security activity — but the communities in Minneapolis are still standing up to the Trump Administration, using every peaceful tool at their disposal to do so. For more, we spoke to Alex Wagner, host of Crooked’s Runaway Country podcast, who is reporting from Minneapolis. And in headlines, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the FBI raids a Georgia election office infamous to conspiracy theorists for its role in “rigging” the 2020 election, and Democrats are apparently ready to pass every bill in the massive funding package before the Senate — except for the DHS portion. Show Notes: Check out Runaway Country – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio is expected to publicly testify Wednesday about what exactly the U.S. has planned for Venezuela . But the next potential target of the Trump administration’s imperialist adventuring might be even closer to home. Ending Cuba’s communist regime — which has controlled the island since 1959 — is the dream of thousands of Cuban-Americans. And now, thanks in part to Rubio , it’s a serious goal of the White House. So, to talk more about South Florida’s influence on American politics at home and abroad, we spoke with Patricia Mazzei. She is the Miami bureau chief for The New York Times . And in headlines, U.S. population growth slowed significantly between the summers of 2024 and 2025, Democratic efforts to redistrict in Virginia are stunted by a state court , and TikTok agrees to settle a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before trial. Show Notes: Check out Patricia's piece – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

There’s a massive funding package making its way through Congress this week. It includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, and must pass by Friday for the government to remain fully open. But that’s looking less and less likely. After the killing of Alex Pretti, Senate Democrats and their allies are saying that they are willing to risk a government shutdown to get policy changes. To talk more about Homeland Security, a potential shutdown, and what Democrats in Congress can do to stop ICE, we spoke with Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin. Later in the show, we talk to Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota, about how educators are dealing with the surge in ICE activity. And in headlines, U.S. warships arrived in the Middle East on Monday and Iran is warning of all-out war, Israel recovers the remains of the last hostage in Gaza , and Goodwill stores are breaking revenue records. Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

On Saturday, Alex Pretti – a 37-year-old registered nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis – was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents . It’s the third shooting in three weeks by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. And as violence from federal law enforcement becomes increasingly more common, it begs the question – who is joining these agencies? A few months ago, freelance journalist Laura Jedeed applied for a job with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And she got a final offer, despite not doing the required paperwork and undergoing what she put as “minimal” vetting. We spoke to Laura before the shooting of Pretti about her background, the ICE recruitment process, and what questions she still has. And in headlines, a partial government shutdown looms as Senate Democrats vow to oppose a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, Trump threatens a new tariff on Canada if the country makes a free trade dea l with China, and California steps up after President Trump pulls the U.S. out of the World Health Organization. Show Notes: Check out Laura's Substack – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Former special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday about the steps President Donald Trump and his allies took to overturn the 2020 election and to foment the January 6th insurrection. Smith did this knowing that he is already at the top of Trump’s enemies list — which the President is increasingly using the Department of Justice to prosecute. For more on the Trump administration’s latest investigations, we spoke with Ken White. He’s a former federal prosecutor and criminal defense attorney who hosts the legal podcast, “Serious Trouble.” And in headlines, Vice President JD Vance arrives in Minnesota to “ tone down the temperature a little bit ,” Trump establishes the Gaza ‘Board of Peace ’ as an official international organization , and the White House Twitter account gets caught being dishonest. Show Notes: Check out Serious Trouble – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

After meeting with NATO allies in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to announce “the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region.” He also said he would not be imposing the tariffs he threatened against eight European countries less than a week ago — which is probably good, because Americans did not want him to mess with Greenland . But that’s not the President’s only unpopular stance. We're one year into Trump’s second term in the White House, and his polling numbers are subterranean across the board . To talk more about Trump’s numbers, we spoke to Dan Pfeiffer. He’s the host of Crooked Media’s Pollercoaster podcast and co-host of Pod Save America. And in headlines, the Supreme Court casts doubt on Trump’s efforts to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, the Department of Homeland Security announces a new ICE operation in Maine , and Former Special Counsel Jack Smith is expected to testify in front of the House Judiciary Committee today. Show Notes: Check out Pollercoaster – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump’s obsession with Greenland isn’t new. Back in 2019, he made an offer to buy the island , but was told by Denmark and Greenland that it was not for sale. It still isn’t – as Denmark , France, the United Kingdom , and the good people of Greenland itself keep making incredibly clear . But Trump is not the first U.S. President to express interest in the island. So how did we get here? For more on our long, weird relationship with Greenland, we spoke to Ronald Doel. He’s a professor at Florida State University and co-editor of “Exploring Greenland: Cold War Science and Technology on Ice.” And in headlines, Congress releases the text of a new funding package to keep the government open, President Trump gives a very weird press briefing, and the measles is having a record resurgence in the U.S. Show Notes: Check out Exploring Greenland: Cold War Science and Technology on Ice Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Today marks a year since President Donald Trump took office for a second time, and a lot has happened. Amidst all the threats to take over Greenland, the Liberation Day tariffs, and the crackdown on education, artificial intelligence development has continued to accelerate — and it's only getting faster. Over the last few months, you may have heard about Claude Code – a product of Anthropic – that makes coding incredibly easy. But the thing about Claude Code that's really cool is that it might be learning how to improve itself. So to talk more about Claude Code, what it does, and what it could do in the future, we spoke to Lila Shroff. She's an assistant editor at The Atlantic , with a focus on AI. And in headlines, President Donald Trump exchanges some heated texts with the Prime Minister of Norway, new research finds Americans are footing the bill for Trump's tariffs, and Americans in all 50 states are staging a walkout to protest the Trump administration's "escalating fascist threat." Show Notes: Check out Lila's piece – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Immigration and Customs Enforcement isn't some storied government agency from the 19th century. ICE was invented back in 2003 — but now it has a multi-billion-dollar budget and many officers who are undertrained at best. So, how did we get here? To find out, we spoke to Garrett Graff. He's a historian and journalist who has covered federal law enforcement for 20 years. And in headlines, President Donald Trump threatens fresh tariffs on America's NATO allies over Greenland, the Pentagon ordered 1,500 National Guard troops to prepare for possible deployment to Minnesota, and a seat on Trump's Board of Peace reportedly has a $1 billion price tag. Show Notes: Check out Garrett's work – Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – What A Day – YouTube – Follow us on Instagram – For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday