Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

Posted on

What A Day - Politics and Musings Live with former Senator Al Franken

A few weeks ago, What A Day took a trip to the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival in Seattle, Washington, for a conversation with former Democratic Minnesota Senator Al Franken.

His path to politics is a fascinating one. He transitioned from being a writer and performer on Saturday Night Live, a role he held from 1975 to 1980 and from 1985 to 1995, to a prominent figure in the political arena.

Franken's journey took a significant turn when he ran for the Senate in 2008 against Republican Norm Coleman. In a nail-biting race, he emerged victorious by a mere 312 votes, marking one of the closest winning margins in Senate history. Coleman's concession didn’t come until June 2009, a testament to the intensity of the race. Franken served in the Senate until 2018.

 

Show Notes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on

Pod Save America - The MAGA Rift Over War in Iran

Trump says he'll deTrump says he'll decide whether to strike Iran sometime in the next two weeks; while some of the biggest names in MAGA, like Tucker Carlson and Ted Cruz try to sway his choice. Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard are reportedly on the outs at the White House, Trump flip-flops on immigration enforcement at farms, federal agents handcuff more Democrats, and the Senate version of the Big, Beautiful Bill is even worse than we expected. Then, Jon and Dan discuss the growing mess at the DNC and what that could mean for next year's midterms. Later, Tommy sits down with Congressman Eric Swalwell to discuss ICE raids, Iran, fears lawmakers have for their safety, and more.

 

For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Posted on

What A Day - How The Supreme Court Just Failed Trans Youth

The Supreme Court is staying busy with decisions. The High Court issued a 6-3 ruling on Wednesday in United States v. Skrmetti, upholding a Tennessee law that banned gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Leah Litman joins us to unpack what affect the court's ruling will have on Tennessee and a slew of other states across the country. Litman is the author of the recent NYT Best Seller "LAWLESS: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, & Bad Vibes" and a host of Crooked Media's "Strict Scrutiny".

And in headlines: Democrats refused to participate in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing that looked into the mental fitness of former President Joe Biden, Medicare and Social Security's trust funds are running out of money, and President Trump is still deciding if the US will insert itself into the Israel-Iran conflict.

Show Notes:

Posted on

Strict Scrutiny - SCOTUS Upholds Tennessee Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

In this emergency episode, Chase Strangio of the ACLU joins the pod to talk about today’s decision in United States v. Skrmetti. Then, Kate, Leah, and Melissa dive deep into the opinion, the various flavors of awful found in the concurrences from the majority, and what this decision might mean more broadly for the future of sex-based discrimination under the Equal Protection Clause.

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 10/4 – Chicago

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Posted on

What A Day - The Israel Iran Conflict Explained

Tensions continue to escalate between Iran and Israel as the two countries swap missile fire. Israel claims to have killed multiple high-level Iranian officials and has asked for US military support. President Donald Trump is making posts online that vaguely gesture he might give it to them while Republicans argue about whether we should get involved. Pod Save the World’s Tommy Vietor joins the show to try and make sense of all the chaos.

And in headlines: A New York City mayoral candidate is arrested while court watching, Department of Homeland Security flip-flops on worksite immigration raids, polls show nobody likes Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, and Kraft-Heinz removes dye from its products.

Show Notes:

Posted on

What A Day - Los Angeles Is Not In Crisis feat. Mayor Karen Bass

A federal appeals court will decide if President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to anti-immigration raid protests will continue. We spoke with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ahead of the appeals court ruling for insight on the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, protests, and what her city can do to reset in this moment.

And in headlines: ICE is reportedly running out of money, the President's family is launching a mobile phone and cellular service, and the US and the UK signed a trade deal.

Show Notes:

Posted on

Pod Save America - Protests Rain on Trump’s Parade

Trump's long-planned birthday parade gets overshadowed by massive "No Kings" protests around the country and the cold-blooded murder of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and her husband. Meanwhile, Israel launches a preemptive war against Iran—a war that Trump hasn't quite ruled out joining. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy discuss the weekend's competing optics, the deeply troubling rise of political violence in America, and the latest offering from the Trump family hucksters: a shiny gold smartphone from the newly founded Trump Mobile. Then, Jon talks with Maryland Governor Wes Moore about his political future, why he vetoed a reparations bill, and the role that governors can play in this dangerous moment.

Posted on

Strict Scrutiny - Can Trump Mobilize the Military Without California’s Consent?

Melissa, Kate, and Leah can smell the fascism in the air as President Trump forces troops on California protesters. They discuss how he is (yet again) pushing the boundaries of authoritarianism, provide an update on the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, and unpack another flurry of Supreme Court Opinions. Then, they talk trans rights with Chase Strangio, deputy director for transgender justice and staff attorney with the ACLU. Finally, a bit of fun with a game about iconic breakups–political and otherwise. This episode was recorded live from Sony Hall in New York City. 

Hosts’ favorite things:
Kate: “How 2000s Culture Messed Us Up”, (The Culture Study Podcast); “Delay, Interfere, Undermine”, T. Christian Miller and Sebastian Rotella (ProPublica); Federalizing the California National Guard, Steve Vladek (One First)

Leah: This Is What Autocracy Looks Like, Michelle Goldberg (NYT); Argent, who dressed the hosts for the show

Melissa: What the Hell Is Posse Comitatus Anyway? Elie Mystal (The Nation); The Better Sister (Prime Video); Sarah Sclarandis’ shoes

Get tickets for STRICT SCRUTINY LIVE – The Bad Decisions Tour 2025! 

  • 10/4 – Chicago

Learn more: http://crooked.com/events

Order your copy of Leah's book, Lawless: How the Supreme Court Runs on Conservative Grievance, Fringe Theories, and Bad Vibes

Follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky

Posted on

What A Day - Sustaining The Movement After No Kings

In towns and cities across the country, from blue cities to red states, from Idaho to Georgia and pretty much everywhere else, folks gathered to show their opposition to the Trump Administration. They were standing up against immigration raids with masked federal agents, to devastating cuts to Medicaid, to the President of the United States, quote-unquote “honoring” the United States Army with a birthday parade. If you marched this weekend with hundreds (or even thousands) of your neighbors, what can you do to keep that energy going? We asked Maurice Mitchell, the national director of the Working Families Party.

And in headlines: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a preemptive strike against Iran, Minnesota lawmakers were shot and killed in a suspected political assassination, and the Trump administration proposes an expansion of the travel ban.

 

Show Notes:


 

Posted on

Pod Save America - The 3.5% Protest Rule That Could Bring Down Trump

How much of America would we need to mobilize to stop Trump's power grab? According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth, it takes 3.5 percent—the threshold after which every protest movement, across the world, has been successful. Against the backdrop of the anti-ICE and No Kings protests, the national guard deployment, and Donald Trump's birthday pageant, Chenoweth joins the show to break down the math of the 3.5 percent rule, explain why nonviolence is the key to meeting it, and to share the lessons the civil rights movement can teach us about staying unified, organized, and disciplined in the fight against authoritarianism.