Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin has been busy since assuming office earlier this year. Zeldin's been pushing President Donald Trump's climate agenda by rolling back Biden-era climate protections, deregulating businesses, and cutting staff at the agency. Former EPA Administrator and White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy joins us to discuss how states and cities are stepping up to protect their communities and the planet.

And in headlines: A reporter claimed that Trump administration officials disclosed war plans in a group chat on the messaging app Signal, the Supreme Court rejects challenge to a landmark freedom of the press case, and President Trump announced Susan Monarez as his nominee to lead the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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In just about two months, President Donald Trump has managed to thoroughly shake U.S. democratic structures to the core. From firing thousands of federal workers and plunging the U.S. into a trade war, to testing the limits of our three supposedly coequal branches of government, it's been a lot to process. And the constant chaos makes it hard to grasp what's actually happening, big picture: Are we watching a wannabe strongman fumble through enacting a policy agenda that will likely prove to be deeply unpopular, or are we actually watching the end of American Democracy as we've known it for roughly the last century. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor at New York University and author of the book 'Strongmen,' explains what history can tell us about our current moment and what we can do about it.

And in headlines: Venezuela said it would start accepting deportation flights from the U.S. again, Palestinian health officials said the death toll in Gaza has topped 50,000, and the White House said Second Lady Usha Vance is heading to Greenland… just for fun… scout's honor.

Show Notes:

• Check out Ruth's book and newsletter – https://ruthbenghiat.com/
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
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• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to officially start shutting down the Department of Education. The thing is... he can't do that, at least not unilaterally. Shutting down the Education Department will require an act of Congress. But the Trump administration has already done a pretty thorough job of gutting the department from the inside, cutting the DOE's staff in half earlier this month. Arne Duncan, who served as education secretary under President Barack Obama, talks about the potential catastrophes on the horizon.

And in headlines: Maryland Congressman Glenn Ivey became the first sitting Democrat to call on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to step down, a federal judge blocked the Department of Government Efficiency from accessing personal information on the Social Security Administration's data systems, and the United Kingdom and Germany issued travel warnings for the U.S.

Show Notes:

• Check out Arne's work with gun violence –chicagocred.org/team/arne-duncan/
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
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• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Are we in a constitutional crisis? That’s the big question on the minds of legal experts across the country right now, as President Donald Trump and his allies ramp up attacks on federal judges who rule against him. The president’s latest beef is with the federal judge who tried to block his administration from deporting more than 250 migrants, mostly from Venezuela. A swath of the American Right, including billionaire Elon Musk, has now decided that if federal judges won’t back Trump at every legal turn, they should be impeached and removed from the bench. Leah Litman, co-host of Crooked’s legal podcast ‘Strict Scrutiny,’ stops by to talk about this moment and its legal significance.

Later in the show, Crooked Climate Correspondent Anya Zoledziowski breaks down the craziness happening at the Environmental Protection Agency.

And in headlines: The Federal Reserve kept interest rates flat and warned Trump’s tariffs have thrown the economy's health into question, Trump said he had a ‘very good telephone call' with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about a ceasefire with Russia, and Attorney General Pam Bondi called a recent string of vandalism attacks on Tesla dealerships ‘nothing short of domestic terrorism.’

Show Notes:

• Listen to the latest episode of Strict Scrutiny - https://crooked.com/podcast-series/strict-scrutiny/
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
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• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

Tuesday was a big day in foreign policy news. Israel launched a barrage of airstrikes on Gaza Monday night, its first attack since a ceasefire with Hamas took hold in January. Officials in Gaza say more than 400 people were killed. And President Donald Trump held a 90-minute phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. Putin ostensibly agreed to a 30-day limited ceasefire on energy and infrastructure targets — far short of the unconditional ceasefire proposal Ukraine and the U.S. negotiated earlier this month. Oh, and Trump threatened ‘dire consequences’ for Iran over attacks from Houthi rebels in Yemen. Crooked’s own Tommy Vietor, co-host of ‘Pod Save the World,’ breaks down all the big international headlines and what they say about Trump’s approach to foreign policy.

And in headlines: Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts rebuked Trump over his calls to impeach federal judges, the Pentagon continued its purge of website pages honoring minority groups, and two stranded U.S. astronauts returned to Earth.

Show Notes:

• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
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• Follow us on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/
• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

In both court and in interviews Monday, the Trump administration doubled down on its decision over the weekend to deport more than 250 migrants, mostly Venezuelans. About half of them were removed under the Alien Enemies Act, a centuries-old war-time law President Donald Trump has invoked to deport suspected members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua with little to no due process. It's just one of a handful of really scary anti-immigration efforts the White House has undertaken recently, including the push to deport Columbia University grad student Mahmoud Kahlil over his involvement in campus protests against the war in Gaza. Nico Perrino, executive vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, talks about how Kahlil's case sits at the intersection of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration and free speech.

And in headlines: Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the agency that runs Voice of America, the White House said it has expelled South Africa's ambassador to the U.S., and Harvard University announced plans to make attending the school more financially realistic for middle- and low-income families.

Correction: During our interview with journalist Josh Barro on Monday's show, we said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is 80 years old. He's 74. We regret the error.

Show Notes:

• Check out FIRE's letter – https://tinyurl.com/4ppmdsdn
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While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer may have kept the U.S. government from shutting down last week, his decision to help Republicans pass a spending plan has kicked off a civil war within the Democratic Party. Many on the left are desperate for a fight with President Donald Trump and seething mad at their own party, which they view as, at best, too complacent in the face of Trump's attacks. And Schumer is now the face of that white-hot rage, with questions swirling about his future as the party’s Senate leader. But Josh Barro, who writes the Substack newsletter ‘Very Serious,’ says Schumer did the right thing.

And in headlines: The White House said it deported hundreds of migrants under the Alien Enemies Act despite a judge’s order, the U.S. launched a wave of airstrikes on Yemen targeting Houthi rebels, and those American astronauts who’ve been stranded up in space for months could return to earth this week.

Show Notes:

• Check out Josh's newsletter 'Very Serious' – https://tinyurl.com/42x363hr
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
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• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday

It’s shutdown day in America, with lawmakers facing a midnight deadline to pass a government funding bill that keeps the proverbial lights on. After days of back and forth, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday he would vote to advance the House Republicans' spending plan to a final floor vote, signaling Democrats may fold on their earlier threats of a funding standoff. But Senate Republicans likely need at least seven more Democrats to help them break a filibuster and avert a shutdown, and it’s not yet clear they have those votes. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York talks about why his caucus remains opposed to the Republican plan, and what’s next if it passes.

And in headlines: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reinstate thousands of fired probationary employees, Russian President Vladimir Putin added more conditions to a U-S backed ceasefire plan with Ukraine, and dozens of people were arrested while protesting the detention of a Columbia University student activist.

Show Notes:

• Share your stories with Leader Jeffries –democraticleader.house.gov/shareyourstory
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It’s a rough time for people who worry about infectious diseases. A new study shows bird flu is more widespread in U.S. cows than previously thought. Around 250 Americans have been infected with measles, including two people who died. And globally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is struggling to contain a Mpox outbreak, Uganda is battling Ebola, Tanzania is fighting Marburg, and Lassa fever is spreading in East Africa. In the face of all that, the Trump administration has gutted funding for programs that help protect Americans from these types of diseases. Anne Rimoin, an epidemiology professor at UCLA and director of the Center for Global and Immigrant Health, talks about what’s worrying her.

And in headlines: Senate Democrats said they’ll vote against a House bill to keep the government open past Friday, new government data showed egg prices hit another record last month, and President Donald Trump hosted the Irish Prime at the White House amid a growing trade war with the European Union.

Show Notes:

• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
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The Department of Education announced Tuesday it would lay off around 1,300 employees, or about half of its workforce. In a statement, Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the job cuts part of the agency's 'final mission,' and a 'significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.' While President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to shutter the Education Department, McMahon said during her confirmation hearings last month that she wouldn't do so without Congress's approval. The layoffs could signify the administration's intent to gut the agency from within. John King, who served as Education Secretary under former President Barack Obama, talks about how the cuts will almost certainly hurt students. 

Later in the show, Brian Sumers, who writes 'The Airline Observer' newsletter on Substack, explains why Southwest Airlines is nixing its popular free bag check policy.

And in headlines: House Republicans and one Democrat passed a spending plan to avert a government shutdown, Trump administration officials said they would immediately lift a pause on military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, and President Trump weighed in on the fate of a Columbia University grad student who's facing deportation for organizing pro-Palestine protests on campus.

Show Notes:

• Check out Brian's Substack – www.theairlineobserver.com/
• Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/3kk4nyz8
• Support victims of the fire – votesaveamerica.com/relief
• What A Day – YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@whatadaypodcast
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• For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday