The Long View Of The Midterms
Next year's midterm elections will dictate the future of voter rights, reproductive rights, climate change, pandemic recovery, and more. They may seem far off, but we can start getting ready for 2022 now. We spoke with Crooked's political director Shaniqua McClendon about the "No Off Years" campaign, which aims to support local organizers on the ground, register more people, and fight misinform...
20m Aug 09, 2021
20m
Biden Goes Electric
President Biden announced his goal to make new vehicles greener in his administration’s first major use of federal regulatory power to cut carbon emissions. Still, some climate advocacy groups say that Biden's executive order doesn’t go far enough compared to the plans of other countries to achieve zero emissions.  New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo has been given until Friday the 13th to submit ...
17m Aug 06, 2021
17m
WHO's Calling The Shots
The World Health Organization called for a moratorium on booster shots until the end of September, right as a number of countries have started or are planning to start booster campaigns amid concerns about the Delta variant of coronavirus. COVAX, the program supported by WHO to distribute donated vaccines to nations in need, is struggling to deliver on its promise. Mexico has filed a lawsuit ag...
19m Aug 05, 2021
19m
Life Cuomos At You Fast
A five month investigation into the conduct of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo found evidence of sexual harassment towards 11 current and former employees, and a sexist and hostile workplace. Nancy Pelosi, President Biden, and many more Democrats have called for Cuomo to resign, but so far he has refused. A National Labor Relations Board officer found that Amazon broke federal labor laws, in par...
20m Aug 04, 2021
20m
An Impending Eviction Crisis
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said that students must be in classrooms this year and that schools should require everyone to mask up, but local districts will ultimately decide on their policies themselves. Some workplaces are moving forward with vaccine and mask mandates, but predominantly among their white-collar employees. The House failed to pass an extension of the federal eviction...
19m Aug 03, 2021
19m
Keeping The DREAM Alive
New GDP numbers released by the Commerce Department show that the size of the economy has risen above pre-pandemic levels, but an increased spread of coronavirus could slow that growth. Relatedly, the federal government announced several plans and ideas to address the vaccination slowdown, including cash incentives and reimbursement for federal employees who get the shot. Congressional Democrat...
19m Jul 30, 2021
19m
On The Ground At Tokyo 2020
This year's Olympics is like no other, taking place in the midst of a pandemic, and in a city under a state of emergency in response to rising COVID-19 cases. We talked to The Washington Post's Ava Wallace about what it's like to report on the games this year, but also, the overall experience for her, for athletes, and for Tokyo residents at-large. Democratic donor Ed Buck was convicted in fede...
18m Jul 29, 2021
18m
Recollections Of An Insurrection
The CDC said yesterday that fully vaccinated people should wear masks in indoor public settings in counties where the transmission rate is "substantial" or "high," after new evidence showed that a vaccinated person could transmit the Delta variant of COVID to others. President Biden may also begin requiring federal employees and contractors to be vaccinated or face regular testing. Four U.S. Ca...
20m Jul 28, 2021
20m
50 First Mandates
Federal public health officials are considering updating mask mandates even for vaccinated Americans as we reach another critical point in the pandemic.  But some localities are going above and beyond that with vaccine mandates. New York City, for example, will require all city employees to be vaccinated, and California announced a vaccine requirement for all state employees and health care wor...
16m Jul 27, 2021
16m
Ask Delta Questions, Get Delta Answers with Dr. Joshua Sharfstein
The U.S. is at another pivotal point in the pandemic, with loosening restrictions and the rapidly spreading Delta variant leading to a concerning rise in cases, and less than half of the population fully vaccinated. We talked to Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Johns Hopkins University’s Vice Dean for Public Health Practice and Community Engagement, about the current state of the pandemic in the country....
18m Jul 23, 2021
18m
The Labor Movement Goes PRO
Hundreds of Uber and Lyft drivers went on strike yesterday across nearly a dozen cities in the U.S. to call for the passage of the PRO Act, which would allow employees to unionize and gain greater wage transparency and better benefits. In other labor news, workers at the Frito-Lay plant in Kansas have entered their third week in a strike against poor working conditions. The #FreeBritney Movemen...
18m Jul 22, 2021
18m
Burn After Heating
Wildfires in the western US and parts of Canada, driven by extreme drought conditions and heat waves, are casting hazy skies across the country. We talked to Brian Kahn, the managing editor of Earther and a lecturer at the Columbia Climate School about how climate change is altering our lives. Some counties nationwide are recommending that even vaccinated individuals keep their masks on when in...
17m Jul 21, 2021
17m
How It's Joe-ing Six Months In
Today marks six months since President Biden entered the White House. We talked with Crooked Media’s editor-in-chief and the host of "Rubicon," Brian Beutler, about Biden’s progress on the $600 billion infrastructure bill, the $3.5 trillion Democrat-led budget bill, the COVID response, voting rights, climate change, and more. And in headlines: the first sentencing for a Capitol rioter, Canada o...
19m Jul 20, 2021
19m
Return Of The Mask
Los Angeles County reimposed mask mandates this weekend for everyone indoors in a public space because the Delta variant is causing cases and hospitalization rates to climb. Last week, the seven-day average of cases in the U.S. went up by almost 70 percent in a single week. The Biden administration kicked off a public war against social media companies last week regarding their inaction on the ...
15m Jul 19, 2021
15m
Educators On Critical Race Theory
At its heart, critical race theory is the idea of explaining how systemic racism has persisted in our country’s policies and laws throughout its history. But CRT has become a passion project for conservatives across the nation, who have used the term vigorously to rile up their base, and moved to ban it from being discussed in public classrooms, state agencies, and more. We spoke with two educa...
23m Jul 16, 2021
23m
Back To School with Ed Sec Miguel Cardona
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is traveling across the country this week to discuss how schools and community colleges can help students after they lost out on so much due to the pandemic, and to outline applications for the $122 billion in education funding from the American Rescue Plan. We asked Dr. Cardona about that trip, as well as local PPE enforcement, student loans, classroom c...
19m Jul 15, 2021
19m
The Strike At Warrior Met Coal
Miners at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, Alabama, have been striking for nearly four months in protest of drastic cutbacks to wages and benefits. It’s one of the largest work-stoppages in the state’s recent history. We hear from Haeden Wright, a United Mine Workers supporter and a miner’s wife, and Kim Kelly, a labor reporter for The Nation magazine, about the current status of the strike and t...
19m Jul 14, 2021
19m
Walkout, Texas Ranger
President Biden’s previous plan to combat crime by tightening the reins on gun sales and empowering the DOJ to target firearm traffickers has got a major update. He suggested states use $350 billion from the COVID relief plan to hire more police officers and strengthen crime prevention programs. Democratic state representatives from Texas went to Washington D.C. to break quorum and apply more f...
15m Jul 13, 2021
15m
Biden Vs. Big Business
President Biden signed an executive order last week aimed at boosting competition between businesses and discouraging monopolies. The order includes 72 initiatives, which will encourage the FTC to reinstate net neutrality rules, require airlines to disclose hidden fees, allow cheaper medications to be imported from Canada, and more. The CDC issued guidelines for school districts to reopen this ...
17m Jul 12, 2021
17m
Amount Past Purdue
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma reached a deal where 15 states agreed to drop their opposition to the company's bankruptcy plan in exchange for concessions from the Sackler family. The move has paved the way for the company to settle with plaintiffs, who blame Purdue for its role in the country’s opioid crisis, for roughly $4.5 billion. The world’s known COVID deaths just passed 4 million by one ...
14m Jul 09, 2021
14m
The Texas Bad Law Massacre
Haiti’s President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home by a team of mercenaries amid claims by opposition groups that he tried to illegally extend his presidential term by one year. Interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph is calling for an international investigation, and Biden promised assistance to fight for a safe and secure Haiti in a time of growing gun violence. Texas State Republicans...
16m Jul 08, 2021
16m
Vaccine Hesitation, Under God with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed
Reflecting upon President Biden’s missed July 4th vaccination goals, we talked to epidemiologist and former Detroit health commissioner Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about the spread of the Delta variant and Republican vaccination hesitancy. We also discussed concerns of a potential resurgence of COVID-19 when a partially-vaccinated America returns to indoor, crowded spaces this fall and winter. And in he...
22m Jul 07, 2021
22m
Voting Rights And SCOTUS Wrongs
The Supreme Court affirmed two provisions of an Arizona law that restricted voting rights, yesterday. One would void ballots from citizens who voted in the wrong precinct, and the other would restrict voters from having their ballots delivered to a polling station by a third party. The justices also overturned a California law requiring charities to disclose the identities of their major donors...
16m Jul 02, 2021
16m
Cosby For Concern
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court set Bill Cosby free on a technicality after he served part of his sentence for three counts of sexual assault. Back in 2005, when he was a local DA and before he was Trump’s defense lawyer, attorney Bruce Castor promised Cosby that nothing he said in a deposition for a civil case would be used against him in a criminal proceeding, and honoring that promise meant Cos...
18m Jul 01, 2021
18m
Heatwave Back At It
Intense heat waves in the Pacific Northwest are causing heavy power demands and rolling blackouts. Unprecedented rainfall in the Midwest has caused flooding, which politicians have blamed on a lack of spending on proper infrastructure. Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a bill to establish a House committee that will investigate the January 6 Capitol riot. The committee will have 13 members, but i...
19m Jun 30, 2021
19m
Vaccine Mismatch Made In Heaven
The Delta variant of coronavirus has been detected in 92 countries, leading to lockdowns and the reintroduction of limitations on border crossing. Additionally, researchers in India have identified a variant of the Delta variant they're calling Delta Plus, though it's so far unknown whether it's any more transmissible than the original variant. Mixing and matching the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZ...
15m Jun 29, 2021
15m
A Tragic Building Collapse In Miami
A 12-story residential building collapsed in Miami last week, resulting in the deaths of at least 9 people, with more than 150 people still missing. An engineering report from 2018 found major structural damage to the building, and it was supposed to undergo repairs this year. There’s a climate change connection, too, with some suggesting that rising temperatures and sea levels might have accel...
19m Jun 28, 2021
19m
No Cops At Pride
President Biden announced a new $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that will be primarily funded through heightened IRS efforts to reduce tax evasion by corporations and the wealthy. Human infrastructure spending, which covers things like childcare, education, and clean energy, is missing from the deal and would need to be part of a second bill passed through reconciliation without...
19m Jun 25, 2021
19m
SCOTUS Checks In
The Supreme Court ruled that President Biden had the authority to remove the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who was appointed by the former Trump administration. Other SCOTUS rulings from yesterday protected a high school cheerleader's free speech on Snapchat, barred a union from organizing workers at their worksites, and banned police from entering homes without a warrant to arres...
18m Jun 24, 2021
18m
For The People Inaction
The vote to open a debate about the For The People Act, which would make it easier to vote, strengthen campaign finance rules, and end partisan gerrymandering, was blocked in the Senate yesterday with all 50 Republicans united against it. With moderate Democrats like Manchin and Sinema refusing to budge on the filibuster, the future of voting rights is uncertain. We spoke with Crooked Media's P...
19m Jun 23, 2021
19m
Ranked Choice State Of Mind
New York City holds its mayoral primary, today, one of the highest profile elections since the presidential election and a super visible test of ranked-choice voting. Closing messages in the last days touched on police violence, public safety, economic recovery and more. We spoke with Emma Fitzsimmons, City Hall Bureau Chief for the New York Times, about the four leading candidates, and we inte...
17m Jun 22, 2021
17m
The Legacy of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is coming up this Saturday, and Congress just passed legislation to make it a federal holiday. We talk to UCLA Professor Brenda Stevenson about the historic legacy of June 19th, and why it deserved to become a national holiday now more than ever. Plus, we hear about how some people plan to celebrate this weekend. For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday.
20m Jun 18, 2021
20m
Don't Manchin It
President Biden had his first one-on-one meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin in Geneva, yesterday. The leaders discussed recent cyberattacks and the state of human rights in their respective countries ... and allegedly, things stayed basically cordial. Next week, the Senate has a scheduled vote on voting rights legislation, and a memo put out yesterday by Senator Joe Manchin laid out ...
14m Jun 17, 2021
14m
ERCOT Off Guard In Texas
The main electric grid operator in Texas, ERCOT, is dropping the ball on providing services again, this time during extreme heat. It’s asking residents to conserve electricity until Friday to keep up with demand. Approximately 12 gigawatts of generating capacity was offline on Monday, and the electricity demand by residents came dangerously close to exceeding the grid's capacity. The U.S. death...
16m Jun 16, 2021
16m
Vlad To Meet You, Mr. Biden
President Biden meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow in Geneva for the final stop as part of his overseas trip as President. We spoke with Ben Rhodes, former Deputy National Security Advisor in the Obama administration and a host of "Pod Save the World," to talk about the takeaways from Biden's trip and what to expect for Biden and Putin's meeting. And in headlines: a driver kil...
18m Jun 15, 2021
18m
Like A G7
The G7 summit ended on Sunday, with President Joe Biden and several other world leaders pledging to send one billion COVID vaccines to poorer nations and endorsing the idea of a global minimum tax. Today, Biden is set to meet with NATO leaders before meeting with Vladimir Putin in Geneva on Wednesday.  Yesterday in Israel, the Knesset voted to approve the new coalition government which includes...
15m Jun 14, 2021
15m
Drought Of Control
On Saturday, four Republican-led states will pull out of the federal government’s pandemic-related unemployment benefits program early. Congress hasn't moved on the wage issue at all, either, with Senate GOP members this week blocking the Paycheck Fairness Act. An extreme drought is affecting the West, with the entirety of Oregon, California, Utah, and Nevada under drought conditions, along wit...
17m Jun 11, 2021
17m
The Shots Sent Around The World
President Biden is expected to announce a deal today where the U.S. will buy 500 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech COVID vaccine and send them to 100 countries that are short on shots. This is great, but those doses alone won't help us achieve global vaccine equity. We discuss what else is being done and what more can be done. Biden's attempt to agree on an infrastructure bill with Senate Re...
18m Jun 10, 2021
18m
The Legend Of Delta Variant
A more infectious coronavirus variant called the Delta variant is becoming the dominant strain in the UK, accounting for more than 60 percent of new infections there. We discuss what we know and don't know about the variant, which has yet to take hold in a major way in the U.S. International law enforcement agencies arrested more than 800 people in a sting operation that had criminals sending m...
15m Jun 09, 2021
15m
The End Of COVID Benefits
Several social programs launched during the pandemic are set to expire soon, including an eviction moratorium and enhanced unemployment benefits. Federal student loan payments will be due again starting October 1st, with no movement from the White House yet towards cancellation.  The Supreme Court ruled that immigrants who came to the U.S. for humanitarian reasons can’t apply for a green card i...
15m Jun 08, 2021
15m
The Long Good Bibi
The twelve year tenure of right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may come to an end as early as this week if the broad coalition of officials that are set to replace him can hold together and form a new government. We spoke with Haggai Matar, the executive director of +972 magazine in Israel about the coalition, which includes representatives from eight ideologically distinct part...
16m Jun 07, 2021
16m
Stonk If You Love AMC
President Biden had hoped to have 70 percent of adults in the U.S. vaccinated with at least one shot by Independence Day, and we’re close to hitting that goal. Biden also elaborated on his plan to share 80 million vaccine doses by the end of the month, with the first batch of doses headed for South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa.  This was another banner week in th...
15m Jun 04, 2021
15m
The Crisis In Ethiopia With Nima Elbagir
Yesterday, the U.S., Canada, and a number of European countries called for a ceasefire in Ethiopia, where government forces have targeted an ethnic group called Tigrayans with horrific attacks that have been described with elements of a "genocide." Reports have suggested that millions of people have been displaced with an unknown number killed. We spoke with Nima Elbagir, a senior international...
18m Jun 03, 2021
18m
Variants Are All Greek Letters To Me
As most of the U.S. prepares to reopen by the end of this month, a World Health Organization official warned, “It would be a monumental error for any country to think the danger has passed.” Peru recently reported that COVID deaths in the country are almost triple than what was previously reported. Plus, the WHO moved to rename variants using letters of the Greek alphabet in part to remove the ...
17m Jun 02, 2021
17m
Revisiting Our Favorite Conversations on Coronavirus
The past year and more were filled with extreme ups and extreme downs, and as we reflect on that time, we’re looking back on some conversations that moved us, informed us, and made us smile. Today’s show includes interviews with 6th grade special education teacher Monice Seward, NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Sana Khan, a student of public health at the University of Arizona. For a tran...
17m Jun 01, 2021
17m
Are You Infrastructure Or Out?
Congressional Republicans have countered President Biden’s nearly $2 trillion infrastructure proposal with their own plan and a lower price tag: $928 billion. It came as Biden is expected to unveil a $6 trillion budget on Friday, too. We breakdown what’s in the GOP version of the infrastructure bill, and where this puts negotiations. The filibuster is coming into play as Senate Republicans vow ...
19m May 28, 2021
19m
History's Not Set In Stone Mountain Park
Amazon plans to buy movie studio MGM for $8.45 billion, which would give the tech company a huge library of movies, shows, and franchises including the James Bond series. Some in Congress want to block the sale. The tech company is also the target of a new antitrust suit from the D.C. Attorney General.  The largest Confederate monument in the country is in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and it’s thre...
15m May 27, 2021
15m
Florida's Right To Post Shall Not Be Infringed
Moderna said that its vaccine trial for 12-17 year olds resulted in zero cases of symptomatic COVID. Also, we discuss so-called breakthrough cases, which happen when fully vaccinated people get coronavirus: Don't worry, they're wildly rare and a sign of the effectiveness of vaccines. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a law that would prohibit social media platforms from kicking off political...
18m May 26, 2021
18m
Activism After George Floyd's Murder
Today is the 1-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His friends, family, and the community of Minneapolis will memorialize him with a gathering and a candlelight vigil. Floyd's killing by now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin rallied activists to demand that their local police departments reform, be defunded, or be abolished completely. We discussed these efforts with O...
20m May 25, 2021
20m
The Ceasefire In Israel And Palestine
The state of the pandemic in the US is looking brighter with infection rates dropping to where they were in June of last year, and hospitalization rates declining, too. But vaccination rates vary widely depending on where you look on a map, with New England showing rates above average and the South showing rates below average. The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas reportedly held over the week...
17m May 24, 2021
17m