Author: LaMonica McIver, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Favreau

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What A Day - Asking A Question Got US Senator Padilla Handcuffed

Congress is reeling after Democratic US Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed and handcuffed – all for the crime of trying to ask Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem a question. There are lots of moving parts to this story, so to help us understand what happened to the California Senator, we spoke with his counterpart, US Democratic Senator Adam Schiff of California.

And in headlines: the US Supreme Court drops some fresh new opinions, the House votes to claw back funds for Daniel Tiger, and President Trump thwarts environmentalism in the Golden State.

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Pod Save America - Trump Agents Handcuff U.S. Senator

Federal agents tackle and handcuff Senator Alex Padilla after he shouts a question at Kristi Noem at a public press conference. Trump continues to politicize the military, attacking his political enemies in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg and preparing for his North Korea-style birthday party. New polling shows that Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is wildly unpopular—and increasingly vulnerable to Democratic attacks. Favreau and Nicolle Wallace, host of MSNBC's Deadline: White House and the new podcast series The Best People, discuss the latest from occupied LA, check in on the short-lived Trump-Elon feud, and try not to panic over RFK Jr.'s recent firings at the CDC. Then Lovett sits down with Zohran Mamdani to discuss his surging campaign for mayor of New York City.

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.

 

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What A Day - Decoding Recent Supreme Court Gun Rulings

The Supreme Court has been busy releasing opinions. Last week, it ruled against a ten billion dollar lawsuit from Mexico against American gun manufacturers. The Mexican government had alleged that US gun companies were fueling cartel violence south of the border. But in a unanimous opinion, liberal Justice Elena Kagan wrote that the lawsuit didn’t reach the burden required by a 2005 law. The court declined to take up two other gun cases: one challenging Maryland’s ban on semi-automatic weapons and the other challenging Rhode Island’s ban on high-capacity magazines. To talk more about the Supreme Court’s decisions (and lack of decisions) and what this means for gun policy, we spoke to Stephen Gutowski. He runs The Reload, a news outlet dedicated to firearms and the gun debate.

And in headlines: The US and China (kinda) reach a trade agreement, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard warns of a nuclear holocaust, and the White House Rose Garden gets a makeover.

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What A Day - Why Climate Change Is Driving An Insurance Meltdown

You know how people are always saying, "What happens in California often doesn't stay here"? They're so right! Case in point: home insurance. When natural disasters happen, home insurance is how folks are able to rebuild. But when natural disasters happen over and over again, like the wildfires in California, home insurance companies become overwhelmed. And it's not just a California issue. In Iowa and Oklahoma, residents are currently recovering from tornadoes. In North Carolina, families are still reeling from Hurricane Helene. And natural disasters across the country are likely to get more common—and more powerful—because of climate change. So, we spoke to Crooked Climate Correspondent Anya Zoledziowski about how climate change is going to make your home insurance more expensive.

And in headlines: California Democrat Rep. Pete Aguilar goes toe to toe with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over federal forces in LA; President Trump threatens potential protesters of his upcoming military parade; Republican Sen. John Thune is feeling good about a certain big, beautiful bill; and Greta Thunberg is among activists deported by Israel after attempting to bring aid to Gaza.

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What A Day - The Court’s Willful Ignorance And Our Racial Caste System

The Trump Administration has decided that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are themselves a form of discrimination. And last week, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that members of majority groups can also experience discrimination. But what if the entire frame of "discrimination" is the wrong one? Brando Simeo Starkey, author of "Their Accomplices Wore Robes: How the Supreme Court Chained Black America to the Bottom of a Racial Caste System" joins us to discuss how the Supreme Court has worked to ensure that Black Americans stay at the bottom of the racial hierarchy.

And in headlines: California Governor Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, hundreds of NIH scientists issued a public letter condemning Trump's attacks on the agency, and Russia launched nearly 500 drones across Ukraine.

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Pod Save America - Greetings from Occupied LA!

Trump stokes chaos and incites violence in Los Angeles, deploying the Marines and the National Guard, against the request of the governor and mayor, to quell protests opposing ICE deportation raids in downtown LA and nearby Paramount. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man wrongly deported to an El Salvadoran megaprison, returns to the United States to face charges his lawyers claim are made up. And Elon and Trump attempt to mend their relationship, but we're not really buying it. Jon, Lovett, and Tommy talk about Lovett's experience at the protests, how ICE raids escalated over the weekend, and new drama brewing at Ken Martin's DNC. Then, Tommy asks Governor Gavin Newsom about Trump's threats to arrest him and how he's pushing back against the President's authoritarian playbook.

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Strict Scrutiny - 9-0, but Make It Complicated

Leah, Kate and Melissa unpack this week’s raft of SCOTUS decisions, including cases on “reverse discrimination” and whether Mexico can sue American gun manufacturers, and explain why a unanimous vote is more complicated than it appears. Also covered: Trump’s new travel bans and the Justice Department filing a lawsuit against North Carolina because...a Democrat won the supreme court race. Finally, they discuss Kate’s rockstar testimony in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary and some GOP senators’ fixation on this very podcast. 

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What A Day - LA On The Front Lines Of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown

People protesting against Immigration Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles and President Trump’s crackdown on immigration clashed with the National Guard over the weekend. Ruben Vives, a general assignment reporter with the LA Times, helped us break down what's happening across the city right now.

And in headlines, Republicans are still trying to persuade Americans the Big Beautiful Bill is somehow going to save us money, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador is returned to the US to face charges, and a salmonella outbreak across several states is linked to eggs.

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Pod Save America - Gay for Due Process: Live at WorldPride

Lovett joins forces with The Bulwark's Tim Miller and Sarah Longwell for a big, beautiful, gay-as-hell fundraiser at World Pride to support Andry José Hérnandez Romero and other individuals wrongfully deported to El Salvador without due process. Jon, Tim and Sarah open the floor to two people doing the hard, important work for justice: Andry José Hérnandez Romero's lawyer and President of the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Lindsay Toczylowski, and Congressman Robert Garcia. Lovett takes us to the library for some good old fashioned reads of the Trump administration with help from the audience. Later, they are joined by the incredible Tara Hoot to finally answer the age-old question, who's better at trivia: gay people, or straight people? Join them as they laugh, they listen, and they learn a lot bout lesbians. Like, a lot. And in the end, isn't that what Pride Month is all about? Visit votesaveamerica.com/actionforandry to learn more and support.

 

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.

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What A Day - Trump And Musk’s Messy Break-Up

While President Trump demands his administration investigate the former president's pardons and executive orders, we're left thinking about President Joe Biden again…and where it all went wrong. Alex Thompson, national political correspondent for Axios and co-author of the new book, "Original Sin," joins us to talk about Biden's decline in office and how the people around him covered it up.

And in headlines, President Trump and Elon Musk trade attacks on social media over the Big Beautiful Bill, Trump bans citizens of 12 countries from traveling to the US, and a Massachusetts teen detained by ICE is released on bond.

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