As the year comes to a close, we look back at the stories we thought were most memorable in 2022. We talk about the rising momentum of the labor movement, the politicization of drag, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the historic gains Democrats made in the midterm elections. Show Notes: WAD will be on a two-week break for the winter holidays. We’ll have a new episode on Tuesday, January 3rd! What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Vote Save America – https://www.votesaveamerica.com Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in ..read more

Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan agreement on a spending bill to keep the government funded — but it’s bringing out the claws among Republicans. Rep. Kevin McCarthy went after Sen. Mitch McConnell for supporting the spending package, in what may be a move to muster support for his bid to become House Speaker. The Federal Reserve hiked its target interest rate by half a percentage point on Wednesday. This is the seventh time the central bank has raised rates this year, and warned that more increases could come in the new year. And in headlines: survivors of the Club Q shooting testified before ..read more

Federal authorities officially charged FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried with multiple counts of criminal fraud and other financial crimes. It follows the stunning collapse of what was once the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange – while $8 billion in customer funds remain unaccounted for. Twitter abruptly dissolved its Trust and Safety Council, the volunteer advisory group formed in 2016 to address online safety, harassment, and other issues on the platform. And since Elon Musk’s takeover in October, rates of hate speech on Twitter have skyrocketed. And in headlines: today marks 10 years sinc ..read more

WNBA star Brittney Griner is finally free from Russian imprisonment, 294 days after she was first arrested. U.S. officials negotiated her release, which involved a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. And in headlines: the House passed a landmark bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriages, tens of thousands of academic workers in the University of California system continued their strike, and the FTC sued to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision Blizzard. Show Notes: What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast Crooked Coffee is official ..read more

The Washington Post reported that a team hired by former President Donald Trump’s lawyers found at least two documents marked “classified” inside a storage unit in West Palm Beach, Florida. It’s the first indication that more potentially sensitive material was, or could still be, at one of Trump’s properties. China is reportedly easing some of its strict “zero COVID” policies, following mass protests over the government’s response to the pandemic. But there are questions about how the rollback will be implemented, as China faces an increasing number of new infections.  And in headlines: P ..read more

Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock is heading back to D.C. for a full 6-year term, after defeating Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Tuesday’s special runoff election. Warnock’s victory now gives Democrats an outright majority in the Senate with 51 seats, and brings a whirlwind midterm cycle to a close. And in headlines: the suspect in the Club Q mass shooting was charged with over 300 counts, a Manhattan jury convicted the Trump Organization of tax fraud, and Indonesia’s parliament passed a controversial new criminal code. Show Notes: What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whata ..read more

Today is election day in Georgia’s Senate runoff. Voters are headed to the polls to decide between Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker, in a race that could give Democrats an outright majority in the Senate. This Wednesday marks one year since the state of Hawai’i ordered the U.S. Navy to defuel its Red Hill fuel facility, after thousands of gallons of jet fuel contaminated the local water supply. Keoni DeFranco, an O’ahu-based community organizer, joins us to discuss the ongoing fight to shut down the facility for good. And in headlines: the Supreme ..read more

The rule-making arm of the Democratic National Committee voted to reshuffle the presidential primary schedule, making South Carolina the first state to hold a primary in the 2024 elections. The new order will change which voters have an outsized voice in selecting the Democratic nominee for president, and the issues that candidates will center in their campaigns. The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments in Moore v. Harper on Wednesday, a high-stakes case that could endanger free and fair elections. The justices will decide if state legislatures have the power to regulate federal elections. A ..read more

In this special bonus episode of What a Day, we look back on the life and legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress, and the first woman to seek a major party nomination for president. She would have turned 98 earlier this week. Host Juanita Tolliver sat down with Representatives Barbara Lee and Ayanna Pressley, and biographer Dr. Anastasia Curwood for a candid conversation about Chisholm's trailblazing legacy. Show Notes: Shirley Chisholm | Anastasia C. Curwood - UNC Press – https://uncpress.org/book/9781469671178/shirley-chisholm/ Every Last Vote | Vote Save Amer ..read more

President Biden’s student loan forgiveness program is headed to the Supreme Court. While the plan is blocked for now, the justices will hear arguments in February to decide whether the administration has the authority to cancel federal student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Crooked’s new workplace advice podcast “Work Appropriate” covers everything from how to deal with pushy bosses, to the systemic issues that plague many industries. Host Anne Helen Peterson tells us how a period of burn-out made her think differently about the world of work. And in headlines: survivors of the Uvalde sc ..read more