What A Day

Senate Democrats were ready to shut down the government Friday night in order to get much-needed reforms to ICE and Border Patrol — but they didn’t need to. On Thursday, they made a deal with Republicans and the White House to fund most of the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year. The Department of Homeland Security, however, will only be funded for two weeks while Senators negotiate some guardrails for ICE. So what happens now? To find out, we spoke with Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine on Thursday just before Senate Democrats announced their deal.
And in headlines, President Trump hopes for Iranian regime change, the Justice Department files federal charges against the man accused of attacking Minnesota Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, and activists ask Americans to skip school, work, and shopping Friday to protest ongoing ICE operations.
Show Notes:
 

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

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

Minneapolis is still under ICE’s thumb — and contrary to the Trump Administration and some media reports, ICE has not “de-escalated” in the Twin Cities. Multiple media outlets have reported no real change in Department of Homeland Security activity — but the communities in Minneapolis are still standing up to the Trump Administration, using every peaceful tool at their disposal to do so. For more, we spoke to Alex Wagner, host of Crooked’s Runaway Country podcast, who is reporting from Minneapolis.
And in headlines, Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the FBI raids a Georgia election office infamous to conspiracy theorists for its role in “rigging” the 2020 election, and Democrats are apparently ready to pass every bill in the massive funding package before the Senate — except for the DHS portion.
Show Notes:

Check out Runaway Country – https://tinyurl.com/ykf6fs5c

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

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

U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio is expected to publicly testify Wednesday about what exactly the U.S. has planned for Venezuela. But the next potential target of the Trump administration’s imperialist adventuring might be even closer to home. Ending Cuba’s communist regime — which has controlled the island since 1959 — is the dream of thousands of Cuban-Americans. And now, thanks in part to Rubio, it’s a serious goal of the White House. So, to talk more about South Florida’s influence on American politics at home and abroad, we spoke with Patricia Mazzei. She is the Miami bureau chief for The New York Times.
 
And in headlines, U.S. population growth slowed significantly between the summers of 2024 and 2025, Democratic efforts to redistrict in Virginia are stunted by a state court, and TikTok agrees to settle a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before trial.
 
Show Notes:
 

Check out Patricia's piece – https://tinyurl.com/2cxz46rb

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

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

There’s a massive funding package making its way through Congress this week. It includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol, and must pass by Friday for the government to remain fully open. But that’s looking less and less likely. After the killing of Alex Pretti, Senate Democrats and their allies are saying that they are willing to risk a government shutdown to get policy changes. To talk more about Homeland Security, a potential shutdown, and what Democrats in Congress can do to stop ICE, we spoke with Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin. Later in the show, we talk to Monica Byron, president of Education Minnesota, about how educators are dealing with the surge in ICE activity.
 
And in headlines, U.S. warships arrived in the Middle East on Monday and Iran is warning of all-out war, Israel recovers the remains of the last hostage in Gaza, and Goodwill stores are breaking revenue records.
 
Show Notes:
 

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

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

On Saturday, Alex Pretti – a 37-year-old registered nurse at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Minneapolis – was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents. It’s the third shooting in three weeks by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. And as violence from federal law enforcement becomes increasingly more common, it begs the question – who is joining these agencies? A few months ago, freelance journalist Laura Jedeed applied for a job with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And she got a final offer, despite not doing the required paperwork and undergoing what she put as “minimal” vetting. We spoke to Laura before the shooting of Pretti about her background, the ICE recruitment process, and what questions she still has.
And in headlines, a partial government shutdown looms as Senate Democrats vow to oppose a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, Trump threatens a new tariff on Canada if the country makes a free trade deal with China, and California steps up after President Trump pulls the U.S. out of the World Health Organization.
 
Show Notes:
 

Check out Laura's Substack – www.firewalledmedia.com/

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

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