What A Day
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 We Reform the Court?
The Supreme Court is back in session — and nearly two years into Trump’s presidency, we have more questions than ever about the justices' ethics rules, shadow docket, and more. Jane sat down with Strict Scrutiny co-host Kate Shaw to hear her four ideas to reform the highest court in the land.
Oct 13
31 min
What’s the Method to the Midterm Madness?
The 2026 midterm elections are anxiety inducing. Will Democrats take back the House? The Senate? Can we believe the polls? 2016 PTSD is getting real, so Jane spoke with POLITICO's Dasha Burns to break down what's really going on this cycle. Show Notes: ‘The Conversation with Dasha Burns’ – https://www.politico.com/podcasts/the-conversation Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy 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 email [email protected]
Oct 12
31 min
Will Voters Flip A Colorado House Seat Back To Blue?
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Republicans are working to keep voters who showed up for President Donald Trump in 2024 engaged in down-ballot races. One key battleground is Colorado’s 8th Congressional District, where freshman Republican Rep. Gabe Evans faces Democratic challenger Manny Rutinel. Rutinel joins Jane to discuss his campaign and why he believes voters should send him to Congress.
Oct 9
19 min
Should Anyone Automate Their Life?
New polling out Thursday shows that concerns about artificial intelligence are crossing party lines. According to an AP-NORC survey, 64% of Americans think AI is developing "too fast." But we wanted to hear from someone who sees the opportunities AI presents and how the technology can make our lives better. On today's show, Jane speaks with Axios co-founder and CEO Jim VandeHei about his new book, "Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less."
Oct 8
32 min
Are Republicans Losing Their Grip In North Carolina?
The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with a top Senate Republican, began dialing back its funding for the North Carolina Senate race last week and shifted it elsewhere. Now a group affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, WinSenate, is doing the same. Jane talks with Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, about what's happening in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Tom Tillis and other races across the state.
Oct 7
20 min
When Gender Identity is on The Ballot
This midterm election introduces a surprising ballot measure for Washington State voters to weigh in on -- whether to require girls to undergo genital inspections if they want to play sports. Jane speaks with Washington State House Speaker Laurie Jenkins about who's behind getting the issue on the ballot and what Washingtonians are saying about it.Show Notes: Call Congress – 202-224-3121 Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy 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 email [email protected]
Oct 6
26 min
Is This Samuel Alito’s Swan Song?
The Supreme Court is back, and once again a lot is on the docket. Like climate change, and what cities and states are allowed to do about it. This major climate case also saw Justice Samuel Alito's recusal — which is uncommon. To discuss what lies ahead for the court and Alito, Jane speaks with Leah Litman, host of Strict Scrutiny.Show Notes: Check out Strict Scrutiny – https://www.youtube.com/@strictscrutinypodcast  Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy 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 email [email protected]
Oct 5
19 min
Is Trump Escalating The War In Iran?
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks — starting with “substantial” amounts of diesel. The announcement comes as Trump’s trade battles and his war in Iran have increased U.S. prices for oil and other goods ahead of next month's midterms. To discuss the latest on the war and what's happening in the Middle East, Jane speaks with Tommy Vietor, co-host of Pod Save the World.
Oct 2
21 min
Are Democrats Saying The Right Things To Win?
The midterms are next month, and President Donald Trump's approval rating on issues like the economy is slipping. But are Democrats capitalizing on it? Is their messaging keeping pace with the moment? On today's show, Jane sits down with Sarah Longwell to discuss how Democrats can communicate their policy ideas more effectively and connect with voters. Longwell is the author of the new book, How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.
Oct 1
27 min
The ICE Surge Isn't Over
The Venezuelan man who was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas, last week has been charged with assaulting an officer. Burundi is the latest country to accept U.S. deportees to a country they have no relationship with, and the U.S. Supreme Court says third-country deportations are ok, for now. A lot is going on in the world of immigration. Jane talks about it all with Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR National Correspondent who covers immigration.
Sep 30
24 min
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