What A Day

President Donald Trump was dealt his first major legal blow since returning to the White House when a federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked his executive order to end birthright citizenship for the future children of some immigrants. U.S. District Judge John Coughenour, a Reagan appointee, called the order "blatantly unconstitutional." In all of the nonsense this week, one executive order that's received less attention is the administration's move to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Keegan Hamilton, senior editor for legal affairs and criminal justice at the Los Angeles Times, explains the real-world implications of Trump's cartel order. And in headlines: Trump signed an executive order to declassify documents related to the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., John F Kennedy, and Robert F Kennedy; the Department of Justice put a hold on all new civil rights cases until further notice, and the Senate advanced Pete Hegseth's nomination to be the next defense secretary despite allegations of sexual misconduct and alcohol abuse. Show Notes: www.latimes.com/people/keegan-hamiltonvotesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

It’s been a couple of days since President Donald Trump granted clemency to all of his nearly 1,600 supporters who faced charges for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Most of them received full, complete and unconditional pardons for their actions that day. The 14 people who didn’t get pardons were all members of far-right extremist groups, and instead had their sentences commuted. Tess Owen, a freelance reporter covering extremism and politics, explains what Trump’s clemency actions mean for right-wing extremist groups and the threat of political violence in America. Later in the show, David Hogg, who’s running for vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, talks about how Democrats can better speak to the needs of young voters. And in headlines: House Speaker Mike Johnson unveiled plans to create a new House committee to counter the ‘false narratives’ around Jan. 6th, the State Department suspended the U.S. refugee admissions program, and the Trump administration barred federal health agencies from using external communications through the end of the month. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/mrtcnnkbvotesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

In one of his first acts back in the White House, President Donald Trump signed a bunch of executive orders Monday to severely restrict immigration in the United States. He signed an executive order to end birthright citizenship, a move that's already prompted multiple lawsuits. He also declared a national emergency at the southern border, shut down a Biden-era mobile app to streamline the asylum process for migrants, brought back his 'Remain in Mexico' policy, and paused refugee resettlement, among other terrible things. Emily Green, a freelance reporter covering Latin America based in Mexico, explains the real-world effects of Trump's immigration orders. And in headlines: Trump granted clemency to all of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik got her chance to flood Senators with vague platitudes during her confirmation hearing, and the Trump administration wastes no time firing people. Show Notes: https://www.emilytgreen.com/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Donald Trump is President of the United States. Again. His inaugural address Tuesday wasn’t quite as dark as the ‘American carnage’ speech he gave eight years ago. This time around, Trump promised the beginning of a “golden age of America” before reading off a laundry list of policies he plans to pursue during his presidency that will, almost certainly, not usher in a golden age. Standing behind Trump were some of the richest men in the world: Tech CEOs Sundar Pichai of Google, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, and X’s Elon Musk. Longtime D.C. reporter and friend of the pod Todd Zwillich helps us break down Trump’s inauguration speech. Later in the show, Eugene Daniels, White House correspondent for Politico, walks us through the many executive orders Trump signed Tuesday. And in headlines: Joe Biden spent his final hours as president issuing a bunch of preemptive pardons for members of his family and Trump’s political enemies, Vivek Ramaswamy may leave DOGE, and China said it’s open to selling TikTok. Show Notes: politico.com/staff/eugene-danielsvotesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Today is Inauguration Day in DC. As of around noon ET, we will officially be living under a Donald Trump administration. Again. The president-elect's inaugural committee has raised a record $170 million for the ceremony and accompanying festivities — a huge jump from the then-record $107 million raised for Trump’s first inauguration. We talk to reporter Ilya Marritz, former co-host of the WNYC podcast ‘Trump Inc.,’ to explore the parallels between today’s inauguration and 2017. And in headlines: TikTok restored service to its more than 170 million users in the U.S, a temporary ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas went into effect, and the federal government is rushing to develop a bird flu vaccine. Show Notes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-harvard-plan-pt-1-a-president-on-trial/id1767012898?i=1000679405864https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/trumpinccrooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Joe Biden’s presidency officially ends at noon on Monday, when Donald Trump is sworn in... again. And along with the end of Biden’s presidency comes reflection on his legacy as leader of the free world. Biden made his case for the history books during a farewell address Wednesday night from the Oval Office. But despite some notable wins, Biden also tallied some painful failures – on inflation, the war in Gaza, and maybe chief of all, his decision to run again in 2024. Alexis Coe, presidential historian and bestselling author, weighs in on Biden’s legacy. Later in the show, a Pasadena resident reflects on evacuating from the LA fires. And in headlines: Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency told senators during his confirmation hearing that he believes in climate change, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis chose state Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, and TikTok users brace for the app to potentially shut down this weekend. Show Notes: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/biden-legacy-trump-election-win-1235154852/crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Negotiators announced Wednesday that Israel and Hamas had reached a temporary ceasefire deal to pause the 15-month war in Gaza and return some Israeli hostages. President Biden celebrated the news of the deal in comments at the White House, though it still has to be ratified by Israel’s government. The ceasefire is set to go into effect Sunday, but it doesn’t guarantee a permanent end to the war. Ultimately, it will be up to the incoming Trump administration to make sure both parties uphold their end of the agreement. Crooked’s Tommy Vietor, co-host of ‘Pod Save the World,’ explains what happens now. And in headlines: Confirmation hearings continued for President-elect Donald Trump’s clown car of a cabinet, South Korean officials apprehended and detained the country’s impeached president, and the Supreme Court signaled it might be OK with a Texas law requiring age verification to view online porn. Show Notes: crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-the-world/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to run the Pentagon, faced tough questions — at least from Senate Democrats — during his confirmation hearing Tuesday. The veteran and former Fox News host is facing allegations of excessive drinking, sexual misconduct, and financial mismanagement. But none of that seems to be disqualifying for Republicans, because Hegseth appears headed toward confirmation. Veteran and Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth joins us to share her thoughts on Tuesday’s hearing. Later in the show, Atlantic staff writer Rogé Karma breaks down the intra-MAGA war over H-1B visas. And in headlines: Congress passes legislation banning trans athletes from female school sports teams, the Justice Department released part one of former Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigations into Trump, and TikTok users are migrating to the Chinese social media app RedNote. Show Notes: theatlantic.com/author/roge-karma/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Around a dozen of President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet picks are headed to Capitol Hill this week to appear for their Senate confirmation hearings. The big one to watch today is the hearing for Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, military veteran and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who’s facing allegations of excessive drinking, financial mismanagement, and sexual assault. Hegseth’s confirmation hearings could be a litmus test for some of Trump’s other problematic picks. Burgess Everett, Congressional bureau chief for Semafor, talks about what we can expect from the coming confirmation hearings. And in headlines: House Speaker Mike Johnson said federal aid for wildfire recovery in Southern California could be tied to a debt limit increase, the Supreme Court ruled the city of Honolulu can move forward with a major lawsuit to hold oil companies accountable for climate change, and President Joe Biden said negotiators are “on the brink” of a ceasefire agreement to end the war between Israel and Hamas. Show Notes: semafor.com/author/burgess-everettvotesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

After months of delays, New York State Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan finally sentenced president-elect Donald Trump in his criminal hush money case Friday. Merchan ruled Trump’s conviction must be upheld, but he did not order the president-elect to serve any jail time. In D.C., the U.S. Supreme Court seemed inclined to side with the federal government over a law to ban TikTok or force its sale, something Trump once supported but now opposes. Jay Willis, editor-in-chief of the legal website Balls and Strikes, breaks down the latest legal goings on. And in headlines: California lawmakers sought to ease fears that Trump could block federal aid to help the state recover from the deadly L.A. fires, Special Counsel Jack Smith resigned from his post, and Vice President-elect JD Vance says he’s pro-pardon for some Jan. 6 rioters. Show Notes: https://ballsandstrikes.org/votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Palisades and Eaton fires that began Tuesday in and around Los Angeles have become some of the most destructive — and likely most expensive — wildfires in American history. City and county officials say more than 9,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed so far. And as the fires have spread, so too has a ton of disinformation online, some of it been fanned by President-elect Donald Trump. Scott Waldman, a White House reporter focused on climate change at Politico’s E&E News, helps us debunk some of Trump’s wild claims. Later in the show, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs talks about the case to block her re-election to the state’s highest court. And in headlines: Elon Musk suggests cutting $2 trillion from the federal budget might not be possible, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Trump’s last-ditch request to halt his criminal sentencing Friday, and a new report says that the death toll in Gaza has been gravely underreported. Show Notes: https://x.com/scottpwaldman?lang=envotesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Los Angeles area is battling massive fires. At least five people have died, and more than 2,000 structures have either been damaged or destroyed so far. Tens of thousands of people remain under evacuation orders, including parts of the region that aren’t usually at immediate risk for fire damage. Lenya Quinn-Davidson, director of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources’s Fire Network, breaks down how the fires were able to spread so fast. Later in the show, Bob Corn-Revere, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, talks about the group’s defense of Iowa pollster Ann Selzer in a suit brought by President-elect Donald Trump. And in headlines: World leaders pushed back against Trump’s threats to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal, the Justice Department asked a federal appeals court for permission to release part of the special counsel’s report on Jan. 6, and Las Vegas police said the man who blew up a Tesla Cybertruck on New Years Day used AI to plan his attack. Show Notes: votesaveamerica.com/reliefhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Tuesday that the company plans to end its fact-checking program as part of a broader overhaul of how it moderates content on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. In a video, Zuckerberg said the move was an effort to prioritize "free expression" and called the 2024 election a "cultural tipping point." It was a notable policy shift ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in a little more than week. Jason Koebler, co-founder of the tech website 404 Media, breaks down why the tech elites are sucking up to Trump. And in headlines: U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon temporarily blocked the Justice Department from releasing Special Counsel Jack Smith's report on his investigations into Trump, Trump doesn't rule out using military force to acquire Greenland and the Panama Canal, and the conservative North Carolina Supreme Court blocked certifying the election results of one of its Democratic colleagues. Show Notes: https://www.404media.co/https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Congress certified President-elect Donald Trump’s victory Monday, exactly four years after he denied President Joe Biden the same courtesy by inciting a violent mob of insurrectionists to march to the Capitol. At 78 years old, Trump will be the oldest president ever sworn into office, edging out Biden by just a few months. And at 82, Biden will walk away as the oldest sitting president ever. In fact, nearly a quarter of Congress is 70 or older. Ken Klippenstein, an independent journalist covering national security, explains the problems an aging Congress poses. And in headlines: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced he’ll step down after nearly a decade in the role, a New York judge denied Trump’s request to postpone sentencing in his hush money case, and the former chairman of the Proud Boys asked Trump for a presidential pardon. Show Notes: https://www.kenklippenstein.com/https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Congress is set to certify President-elect Donald Trump's victory today, on the four-year anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Since then, almost 1,500 people have been charged with crimes for their actions that day, and more than 500 people have served — or are still serving — time in prison. Not Trump, though. He's managed to avoid any real consequences for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Hanna Rosin, co-host of The Atlantic's narrative podcast 'We Live Here Now,' joins us to reflect on the Jan. 6 anniversary and what Trump's reelection means for the rioters. Later in the show, a former D.C. metropolitan police officer who was at the Capitol during the insurrection talks about what he saw that day. And in headlines: The FBI shared more details about the man they say planned the New Orleans terrorist attack, A New York judge upheld Trump's felony conviction and set a sentencing date in his hush money case, and funeral services began for former President Jimmy Carter. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/msvj67bxhttps://tinyurl.com/mvvha6hphttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Something mysterious has been going down in New Jersey this week…but it’s NOT drones. It’s that thousands of people are looking at airplanes in the night sky and thinking they see UFOs. What causes mass delusions like this wave of now mostly debunked drone sightings? In this concluding episode of How We Got Here, Max and Erin share four stories of famous mass hysterias and talk to William Bernstein, an author who writes about the science of mass delusions and why they happen.

House Republicans on Thursday failed to pass their backup plan to fund the government temporarily. The bill’s demise left lawmakers with few options to avert a looming shutdown Friday, after President-elect Donald Trump and his ‘first buddy’ Elon Musk used their respective social media platforms earlier this week to blow up a bipartisan deal. Politico politics reporter Mia McCarthy, explains the prospects of a government shutdown just a few days before Christmas and the start of Hanukkah. Later in the show, Melissa’ Murray, co-host of Crooked’s ‘Strict Scrutiny,’ recaps an eventful year at the Supreme Court. And in headlines: Secretary of State Antony Blinken expresses optimism about an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Amazon delivery drivers go on strike, and Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual press conference. Show Notes: politico.com/staff/mia-mccarthyhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a case over South Carolina’s effort to defund Planned Parenthood. The state wants to cut off Medicaid funding for all of Planned Parenthood’s healthcare services. That includes things like mammograms, birth control, STD testing — you know, health care. So here we are again, with the very conservative Supreme Court set to hear another case that could affect how and where people get their reproductive care. Mary Ziegler, a professor at U.C. Davis School of Law and an expert on the history and politics of abortion in the U.S., explains where the reproductive rights debate is headed in President-elect Donald Trump’s second term. And in headlines: Trump torpedoed a government funding bill that could set us up for a government shutdown, the House Ethics Committee voted to release its report on former Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced the first severe case of bird flu in the U.S. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

President-elect Donald Trump made good on his promise late Monday to sue The Des Moines Register, the newspaper's former pollster, Ann Selzer, and the paper's parent company, Gannett. His lawyers argue that Selzer's early November poll showing Vice President Kamala Harris beating Trump in Iowa amounted to "election interference." The suit comes on the heels of ABC News' decision to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump. Dylan Byers, media reporter and founding partner of Puck News, explains what it could mean for coverage of Trump's second term. Later in the show, Crooked correspondent and longtime climate reporter Stephanie Ebbs breaks down the Biden Administration's rush to spend funds for clean energy projects tied to the Inflation Reduction Act. And in headlines: Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly beat New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez in the contest to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, the UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect is charged with murder, and Ukraine claimed credit for the killing of a senior Russian general in Moscow. Show Notes: https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. started making the rounds on Capitol Hill Monday to lobby Senators on his nomination to be the next secretary of Health and Human Services. There are plenty of reasons why he could face an uphill battle to confirmation, from his prior support for abortion access and background as an environmental lawyer to his hostility toward industrial agriculture. However, chief among the reasons why Senators may be hesitant to confirm RFK Jr. is that he's been one of the most prominent and pernicious sources of vaccine misinformation in the last decade. Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, health officer for Wayne County, Michigan, and host of the podcast 'America Dissected,' explains the risks RFK Jr. poses to public health. Later in the show, Rachel Donadio, a Paris-based journalist and contributing writer at The Atlantic, explains the chaos engulfing France's government. And in headlines. A New York judge rejected President-elect Donald Trump's bid to get his hush money conviction overturned, a teen killed a teacher and a student in a school shooting in Wisconsin, and Amazon workers threaten to strike right before the holidays. Show Notes: https://www.racheldonadio.com/https://tinyurl.com/m64mnb8uhttps://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/crooked.com/whataday