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What A Day

What A Day

What A Day 1600 Episodes Aug 21, 2026

What A Day is a daily news podcast hosted by Jane Coaston that delivers in-depth reporting and analysis on the most important stories of the day in just 20 minutes. The show aims to provide substantive coverage without hype or fake outrage, covering both major news and overlooked topics. New episodes are released every weekday morning at 5:00 a.m. EST.

Episodes

How Trump Increasing The National Debt Impacts You
How Trump Increasing The National Debt Impacts You Aug 21, 2026 1367 The United States national debt reached a record-breaking $40 trillion dollars this week. If you spread out that debt to every resident of the U.S., we would each owe more than $115,000 dollars. So how did we get here? To find out more about what our big bad debt means for you, we spoke with Scott Lincicome. He’s the vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute.And in headlines, Trum
The Age Of Self-Optimization
The Age Of Self-Optimization Aug 20, 2026 1403 Americans spend nearly $30 billion a year on plastic surgery procedures, including fillers and Botox. And there's probably no better example than the White House, where the "Mar-A-Lago face" – a very specific, very smooth, very… augmented appearance – runs rampant. But maybe that's starting to change. Faced with actors, actresses, influencers, and AI, some people are starting to forgo their pursu
The Reality Of Being Trapped On The USS Lincoln
The Reality Of Being Trapped On The USS Lincoln Aug 19, 2026 1291 You may have heard about the conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln — the carrier where sailors have been facing food shortages and broken toilets. They’ve gone without a traditional port call for eight and a half months, and counting. But they’re not the only vessel facing long deployments and concerning conditions. In May, the USS Gerald Ford finally returned to port in the U.S. after 11 mon
Is Democratic Socialism Taking Over The Party?
Is Democratic Socialism Taking Over The Party? Aug 18, 2026 1297 You’ve probably heard a lot about the Democratic Socialists of America this year. Political figures who are either members of the organization or associated with its beliefs are running in primaries across the country, sometimes even winning against their more moderate opponents. But what does D.S.A. want? Does the organization want to elect more left-leaning Democrats – or replace them? Is this
Reining In The Congressional Culture of Harassment
Reining In The Congressional Culture of Harassment Aug 18, 2026 1111 The fact that the US Congress is absolutely rotten with creeps is one of the worst-kept secrets in Washington. From former Representatives like California Democrat Eric Swalwell and Texas Republican Tony Gonzales, to sitting lawmakers like North Carolina Republican Representative Chuck Edwards – it turns out sexual misconduct is bipartisan, and so is the pushback. A bipartisan effort fronted by F
Politics In The Paint
Politics In The Paint Aug 14, 2026 1374 The Women’s National Basketball Association has been making the headlines lately. In fact, according to a Media Matters report, since the end of June, Fox News has devoted at least 206 segments to the WNBA. But why are the likes of Sean Hannity and Bret Baier suddenly paying such close attention to women’s basketball? To get to the bottom of how the most LGBTQ-friendly sports league became a favo
MAGA Media’s Trump Slump
MAGA Media’s Trump Slump Aug 13, 2026 1353 Donald Trump’s poll numbers are trash — and numbers for right-wing influencers on YouTube, Twitter and elsewhere are going down the tubes, too. As the New York Times reported at the end of last month, some of the biggest names in right-wing media are experiencing massive declines in clicks and views to their content. David Pakman is the host of the David Pakman Show on YouTube – and he’s been thi
Is Wisconsin A Warning for Democratic Socialists?
Is Wisconsin A Warning for Democratic Socialists? Aug 12, 2026 1248 On Tuesday, Democratic Socialist Francesca Hong narrowly lost to Milwaukee’s county executive, David Crowley, in the Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. Now, the somewhat unknown is facing Republican Representative Tom Tiffany in November — but Crowley he may not have an easy time winning over the Democrats who voted for Hong. For more on what Democrats can learn from the race, we spoke with Holly O
What The Special Elections In The South Mean For The Midterms
What The Special Elections In The South Mean For The Midterms Aug 11, 2026 1481 It’s voting day in states across the country – including in two Southern states that have already voted once this year. In South Carolina, Republicans will select their new Senate nominee after Lindsey Graham’s sudden death. And in Alabama, voters in several congressional districts are heading back to the polls after the Supreme Court told the state to use a map from 2023… despite that map being
Netanyahu Bucks Trump's Board Of Peace
Netanyahu Bucks Trump's Board Of Peace Aug 10, 2026 1410 Last month, Trump bragged that the Board of Peace had accomplished a monumental breakthrough: an agreement for the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza. However, this “agreement” didn’t really stand much of a chance because Hamas and the Israeli government were stuck in a classic standoff. And on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned down the deal. So not only are we nowhere near a pea
The Hidden Cameras You Can't Avoid
The Hidden Cameras You Can't Avoid Aug 7, 2026 1107 Automated License Plate Readers have been sweeping the country, with cameras popping up outside of stores and alongside roads in communities big and small. The largest manufacturer of those cameras is Flock, with around 100,000 readers in use across the country. According to Flock, the cameras are a boon to law enforcement. But as they become more prevalent, people are protesting their use – even
Tucker Carlson's Vision For America
Tucker Carlson's Vision For America Aug 6, 2026 1233 In a livestream Wednesday night, Tucker Carlson laid out some ideas for what he thinks would make Americans’ lives better – a vision, you could call it. And while he didn’t say that he’s going to run for President in 2028, a lot of people think he should – including some of Trump’s most prominent former allies. So we asked The Bulwark’s Will Sommer: What’s really behind Tucker Carlson’s long rant

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