What A Day Podcast

What A Day

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.
Can Jared Kushner Negotiate Peace And Still Make Money?
Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff were supposed to fly to Islamabad, Pakistan, this week to negotiate an end to the Iran war. Yet once again, the Trump administration couldn't follow through on its promises. But let's back up. Why is Ivanka Trump's husband involved in these talks in the first place? To find out, we spoke with Judd Legum. He's the author of Popular Information, an independent newsletter dedicated to accountability journalism. And in headlines, the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump is charged, Republicans continue to push for Trump’s $400 million ballroom, and King Charles flies to D.C. for a tea and beehive tour.
Apr 28
25 min
From Inside The Ballroom
On Saturday evening, there was a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Dinner in Washington, D.C. President Trump and members of his cabinet were rushed out of the room, and Trump later gave a surprisingly calm press conference. Authorities have a suspect in custody. Normally, security is extremely tight wherever the President goes, but several journalists reported that security at the event felt surprisingly lax. As politicians took to the Sunday shows to call for unity, internet gumshoes are speculating as to whether the shooting was staged. MSNOW Senior Washington Correspondent and former President of the White House Correspondents Association, Eugene Daniels, helps us make sense of it all. And in headlines, Trump backs out of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, Republicans use the Correspondents' Dinner shooting to call for an end to the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, and the Department of Justice drops its investigation of former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powe
Apr 27
23 min
Should Dems Welcome The MAGA Defectors?
Earlier this week, What A Day talked about Tucker Carlson's "apology" for supporting President Donald Trump. Carlson's unexpected confession stemmed from a conversation on his podcast, The Tucker Carlson Show. But it sounds like the reason Carlson is disappointed in Trump is simply that Trump didn't do what he wanted. And there's a lot of Trump "regret" right now – from Alex Jones to former Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. But which part of Trump do they regret? And what if what they really want is Trump – but worse? To dive deeper into this topic, we spoke with Tim Miller. He's a writer-at-large for The Bulwark and host of The Bulwark Podcast. He recently wrote that Democrats should open the tent to people who once supported Trump, but regret it now. And in headlines, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin gets really loud on Fox News, Navy Secretary John Phelan is out, and the Iran war is somehow raising the prices of condoms.
Apr 24
22 min
Kash Grabs Trump’s Defamation Playbook
FBI director Kash Patel has sued The Atlantic for $250 million. It comes after the magazine published an article alleging that Patel is frequently drunk on the job and that his security team has had difficulty waking him on multiple occasions. Still, The Atlantic isn’t backing down, writing in a statement, “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.” But we've seen this move before, and it appears Kash is simply taking a page out of President Donald Trump’s book. Trump himself has sued the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times for stories and polls he didn’t like. To talk more about the litigious Trump administration, we spoke with Oliver Darcy. He’s the founder of Status, a nightly newsletter focused on the media. And in headlines, Dr. Mehmet Oz says Trump’s testosterone is top tier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recites Iran war talking points, and Republicans are losing
Apr 23
22 min
Donald Trump Boosts Renewable Energy (By Accident)
Happy Earth Day! While we celebrate efforts to save the earth, the Trump administration appears to be doing everything in its power to destroy it. At the same time, the Iran war has driven gas prices through the roof, making sustainable energy sources more appealing than ever. Dharna Noor, climate reporter for The Guardian, joins the show to discuss how President Donald Trump’s war of choice could push the US back toward renewables. And in headlines, Tucker Carlson apologizes for his role in bringing Trump to power, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth fights for…bodily autonomy, and Trump’s choice to run the Federal Reserve has his confirmation hearing before the Senate Banking Committee.
Apr 22
21 min
Is Trump… Okay?
The media and Democrats have been sounding the alarm on Trump's mental health for a decade. But now, even some of his biggest supporters are wondering: is Trump… okay? Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin agrees that Trump's recent behavior is alarming, which is why he's introduced a bill that could start the process of removing Trump from office involuntarily using the 25th Amendment. We discussed the amendment and why the Representative believes it's worth pursuing now. And in headlines, our fearless leader sows more seeds of confusion regarding the Iran War, Virginians head to the polls to weigh in on state redistricting, and Trump is set to attend the White House Correspondents' dinner — for the first time.
Apr 21
24 min
Trump vs Reddit: Free Speech In The Balance
President Donald Trump and Co. have historically claimed to be all about free speech. But maybe Trump only cares about free speech when he likes what's being said. Earlier this month, The Intercept reported that the Department of Justice is taking Reddit to court to force the massive social media platform to unmask one of its users. Why? Because Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been desperately trying to identify the user who said stuff ICE doesn't like.To learn more about what's going on with Reddit and the Justice Department, we spoke with Ryan Devereaux. He's an investigative journalist for the Intercept. And in headlines, FBI Director Kash Patel says he's going to sue The Atlantic for a 'defamatory article', companies that paid Trump's emergency tariffs can start claiming refunds, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright brings more bad news about gas prices.
Apr 20
19 min
How Trump Bullied Israel Into A Ceasefire
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to a 10-day ceasefire. The ceasefire could pause weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran. The agreement followed the first direct talks between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. Of course, there’s still a lot we don't know about the ceasefire or how it will affect America’s war with Iran. So to talk about what all this means, we spoke with Tommy Vietor, co-host of Crooked Media’s Pod Save The World. And in headlines: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is going after your Lululemon yoga pants, Secretary of War/little boy Pete Hegseth is getting real creative when reciting his prayers, and the grudge of the century is not letting up! Trump is still beefing with the Pope.
Apr 17
23 min
The Race To 2028 Has Begun
Presidential hopefuls have already started jockeying for position in the 2028 race — look at the number of Democrats who published memoirs over the last year. But a lot can happen in two years. And across the aisle on the Republican side, there's a big orange obstacle: Donald Trump, the unpopular president who somehow still has a stranglehold on GOP primary voters. To talk more about the race for the White House, we spoke with MS NOW's Chris Hayes. He's the host of "All In with Chris Hayes" and the podcast "Why Is This Happening? The Chris Hayes Podcast." And in headlines, the Trump administration wishes the Pope would keep his mouth shut when it comes to issues of humanity, Grok almost faces consequences for its sexual AI images, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune wants to put the Department of Homeland Security legislation on a diet!
Apr 16
26 min
#MeToo Hits Congress, Again
Two members of Congress stepped down over allegations of sexual misconduct from former staffers on Tuesday —Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales and California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. (Swalwell is also accused of sexual assault, and other women have come forward. He has denied the allegations.) Over and over, we see powerful people in politics — typically men — use their power to take advantage of others in dangerous and abusive ways. So, why does this keep happening? And what about Congress might be making it more difficult for survivors to come forward? To find out, we spoke to Moira Donegan. She’s a columnist covering gender and politics at The Guardian. And in headlines, a new report says the global economic outlook is not looking great, American conservatives take a blow on the international stage, and President Trump responds to a Federal Emergency Management Agency official who claims that he teleported to a Waffle House.
Apr 15
25 min
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