What A Day

About a month ago, the Antwerp World Diamond Center, which deals with a large percentage of the world’s diamonds, made Donald Trump a very special gift purportedly for America’s 250th birthday. Then, just last week, the Trump Administration coincidentally exempted natural diamonds from its new sweeping global tariffs. Not a great look. It’s no secret that the Trump Administration is steeped in deals aimed at getting the President, his family, and his political organizations paid. As the Wall Street Journal reported, Trump is routinely asking for cash from companies and donors so he can build his ballroom or future design projects. The funnel of money aimed at this White House can be almost overwhelming. So what can we do about it? We spoke to Amanda Carpenter, a writer and editor at Protect Democracy, who has some ideas.
And in headlines, July is on track to become the hottest month on record for the entire United States, about 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory in just 24 hours, and oil companies are profiting from the Iran war and the rising cost of gas.
Show Notes:

Check out Amanda's piece – tinyurl.com/3uk54psp

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy

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 email transcripts@crooked.com

There are just 96 days until the November midterms — and while the battle between Democrats and Republicans is taking up a lot of headlines, many Democrats are also facing serious challenges from within their own party. Take Massachusetts's Eighth District, which includes parts of the city of Boston. Democratic Representative Stephen Lynch has represented the state in Congress since 2001 – and for much of that time, he hasn’t faced any serious primary challenges.But this year, he’s up against Patrick Roath, a 39-year old attorney who thinks that it’s time for a new generation in Congress. Today, we’re speak with both Patrick Roath and Representative Lynch about what they each think Democrats should do if they win back the House, and why they each are the best candidate for Massachusetts voters to send to Washington.
And in headlines, the Iran war heats back up as United States and Iran continue to fire barrages of missiles, Trump’s approval rating among voters has dropped to 32 percent, and President Trump says he may temporarily pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time AG position.
Show Notes:

Check out Rep. Lynch's campaign – www.stephenflynch.com

Check out Patrick Roath's campaign – patrickroath.com

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy

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 email transcripts@crooked.com

We don’t often talk about what the most moral path forward for the Senate, or Congress, or hell, politics in general might be — but it would probably look more like doing something about ensuring everyday Americans can afford groceries and less like going to war with Iran. Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock gives this a lot of thought in his new book, “The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America,” where he lays out some of the biggest problems facing our country. We speak with Senator Warnock about his book and how we might move forward together.
And in headlines, the U.S. and Iran trade strikes after days of calm; the Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady despite persistently high inflation and a spike in energy prices caused by the Iran war; and Dr. Anthony Fauci pleads the fifth to more than 100 questions posed by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee members.
Show Notes:

Check out Sen. Warnock's book – tinyurl.com/583vnpz4

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy

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 email transcripts@crooked.com

Today marked the start of two days of services for the late South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, with President Donald Trump joining foreign leaders at Washington National Cathedral for the funeral. Graham was arguably one of the biggest supporters of the Iran war. But now, he's gone – and the war he helped start is becoming increasingly unpopular. The Economist reported earlier this month that the war in Iran is America's least popular conflict since public poll tracking began. And thanks to a virtual Pentagon blackout on information, there's a lot we don't even know about this war in the first place. So, to talk more about the Iran war, we spoke with Tom Bowman. He's the Pentagon correspondent for NPR.
And in headlines, wildfires across France and Spain have driven roughly 330,000 people from their homes and vacation sites; Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear sent Kentucky Republican Senator McConnell a letter demanding that he prove that he can do his job; and a conservative activist group released audio tapes that appear to show former President Joe Biden sharing classified information with a biographer.
Show Notes:

Check out Tom's work – npr.org/people/5457129/tom-bowman

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy

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 email transcripts@crooked.com

Senate Majority Leader John Thune is trying to get a bunch done ahead of the Senate’s long summer break, from sanctions legislation on Russia to funding the government. But none of that seems to matter to President Trump. He’s focused on the SAVE America Act – a sweeping piece of federal legislation that would dramatically change how Americans vote (and most likely, who gets to vote in the first place). Now, a group of far-right Senators – like Utah Sen. Mike Lee – are demanding Thune cancel vacation and put the SAVE America Act on the floor. So who is in charge in the Senate – John Thune, or Donald Trump? To find out, we spoke to Burgess Everett. He’s the congressional bureau chief at Semafor.
And in headlines, Trump defended his sweeping tariffs during a speech at a General Motors facility in Michigan; a New York Times report revealed that the Trump Administration canceled major grants for clean-energy projects based entirely on politics; and President Trump finally got to perform his stand-up routine at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner.
Show Notes:

Check out Burgess' work – semafor.com/author/burgess-everett

Call Congress – 202-224-3121

Subscribe to the What A Day Newsletter – https://tinyurl.com/y4y2e9jy

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 email transcripts@crooked.com