Category: 3-DailySometimeCommentary

President Donald Trump is expected to wrap up the first major international trip of his second term today when he returns from the Middle East. His four-day trip to the Gulf was less about good, old-fashioned diplomacy, and more about doing deals. Lots of them: a $600 billion investment agreement with Saudi Arabia, the details of which remain extremely vague; a nearly $150 billion defense deal with the Kingdom; a major artificial intelligence deal with the United Arab Emirates. And of course, there’s that gifted plane from the Qatari Royal Family. Mohammed Sergie, Gulf editor for Semafor, talks about what Trump accomplished on his trip. Plus, author Casey Johnston joins us to talk about her new book, 'A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting.'

And in headlines: The Supreme Court appeared torn over the enforcement of Trump’s order to end birthright citizenship, Russian President Vladimir Putin was a no-show at planned peace talks with Ukraine in Turkey, and Walmart executives said the company will have to raise prices because of Trump’s tariffs.

Show Notes:

• Read Mohammed's reporting: https://www.semafor.com/author/mohammed-sergie
• Read Casey's newsletter: https://www.shesabeast.co/
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• 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 visit crooked.com/whataday

Aging equipment and chronically understaffed air traffic control have made flying in and out of Newark’s Liberty International Airport a delay-snarled mess. And the problems there aren’t entirely unique. Will Congress and the Trump administration be the ones to fix it? 

Guest: Will Guisbond, staff reporter covering air traffic control for The Air Current

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Podcast production by Evan Campbell and Patrick Fort.

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The Supreme Court hears arguments today in three cases challenging President Donald Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship. Lower courts have blocked the president's order, which he signed on his first day back in office. However, the primary debate in court today will center on something else: the legality of nationwide injunctions, or when a lower-court judge single-handedly puts a government policy on pause nationwide. These rulings have been instrumental in blocking some of the president's most egregious policies. Washington State Democratic Attorney General Nick Brown, leading one of the cases in today's hearing, talks about what's at stake.

And in headlines: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told lawmakers, 'I don't think people should be taking advice, medical advice from me;' the CDC reported drug overdose deaths dropped significantly last year; and Omaha, Neb., elected its first Black mayor.

Show Notes:

• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• 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 visit crooked.com/whataday

Between the crypto ventures, real estate deals, and a gift-wrapped tricked-out 747, it feels like Donald Trump is more open-for-business than ever this term. And since no one seems able or willing to stop him, why wouldn’t he be?

Guest: Andrea Bernstein, investigative journalist and host of Trump Inc and author of “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, The Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power.”

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Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

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Is the U.S. economy … good? Bad? Somewhere in the middle? If it feels like you're desperately shaking a Magic 8 Ball for economic tea leaves, and even it's telling you, 'Ask again later.' Well, it might be on to something. While we're all hearing anecdotes about empty cargo ships from China and fewer people eating at McDonald's, the hard data that would point to a possible recession hasn't shown up yet. Case in point: Tuesday's better-than-expected Consumer Price Index numbers, showed inflation cooled slightly last month despite uncertainty around President Donald Trump's tariffs. Ben Casselman, chief economics correspondent for The New York Times, explains why the vibes don't match the data.

And in headlines: President Trump eliminated sanctions on Syria, Cassie Ventura began testifying in music mogul Sean 'Diddy' Combs' federal sex-trafficking and racketeering trial, and the Trump Administration ended federal temporary protected status for Afghans in the U.S.

Show Notes:

• Check out Ben's work – www.nytimes.com/by/ben-casselman
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• 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 visit crooked.com/whataday

Ahead of his first trip to the region, Donald Trump’s policies toward the Middle East have been full of surprises. He wants sanctions on Syria lifted; he revealed the U.S. has been negotiating directly with Hamas; and he’s considering a new nuclear deal with Iran—and without consulting with Israel. 

Guest: Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent for the Economist.

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Podcast production by Ethan Oberman, Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, Isabel Angell, and Rob Gunther.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices