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The FDA put out analyses yesterday showing that Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine is highly effective, setting the stage for its approval as early as this weekend.The CDC put out new guidelines for safely reopening schools earlier this month, and it comes as the Biden administration has said they are working to get a majority of K-8 schools open in their first 100 days. We spoke to Washington Post education reporter Moriah Balingit about the new guidelines, the COVID risk in schools, and what it all means for teachers and parents.And in headlines: Ghana became the first country to get free COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX, an update on Tiger Woods condition following his car crash, and California beats a legal challenge to its net neutrality law.Show Links:Read more from Moriah Balingit in the Washington Post:https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/moriah-balingit/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Former Capitol security officials appeared before the Senate yesterday, citing communications failures for their inadequate response to the January 6th attack on the Capitol. The Senate also confirmed two more members of Biden’s cabinet: Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN ambassador and Tom Vilsack as agriculture secretary. Facebook has now un-banned news on its platform in Australia, after blocking it there in protest of a proposed law that would have required Facebook to pay the outlets that give the platform its content. Now, Australia has backed off, and will only require Facebook to negotiate with media partners. And in headlines: the police officers who killed Daniel Prude will not face criminal charges, the Biden administration opened its first facility to house migrant children in Texas, and McDonald’s releases its new crispy chicken sandwich.Subscribe to What A Day on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Supreme Court threw out the final Trump lawsuit challenging the results of the 2020 election, and also paved the way for Trump’s taxes to be disclosed to a New York Grand Jury.The US is behind other countries in our ability to sequence and track COVID variants, but the White House announced they would devote $200 million to expanding those efforts and there’s even more in the upcoming economic relief package. In the UK, prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping to slowly ease out of lockdown, with a plan to reopen schools on in two weeks.And in headlines: officers in Colorado didn’t have a legal basis for frisking and restraining Elijah McClain, Virginia will become the first Southern state to end the death penalty, and a new podcast from Obama and Springsteen.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The US is approaching 500,000 deaths from Covid-19. But there is good news, too: New studies suggest that the vaccines might prevent transmission, and Biden’s goal of administering 100 million COVID vaccine shots in 100 days seems very much within reach. The extreme weather in Texas is improving, with power back on. Now, the focus is shifting to ensuring people have food and safe water. Some Texans have also discovered that the state’s unregulated, market-driven energy system has led to them being stuck with soaring electricity bills following last weeks energy scarcity. We explain.And in headlines: organizers in Myanmar call for a general strike to protest military takeover, Merrick Garland’s confirmation hearing, and the family of Malcom X brings forward new evidence in government assassination plot.Show Links:"Texas Blackouts Point to Coast-to-Coast Crises Waiting to Happen"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/20/climate/united-states-infrastructure-storms.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=HomepageFollow Crooked Media on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crookedmedia/Follow What A Day on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whataday/For a transcript of this episode, please visit www.crooked/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Black Americans still frequently have to break barriers to become elected, appointed, or hired to do a thing. We spoke to people who have become the 'firsts’ to hold their position this past year, how they feel about it being celebrated, and the pressures that come with their new roles.Congress held its first hearing on last month’s GameStop insanity, with CEOs of trading platforms and hedge funds testifying, along with one of r/WallStreetBet’s most notable figures. Congressional Dems also put out a new immigration relief bill which includes an eight-year pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.And in headlines: Planned Parenthood sues to block anti-abortion law in South Carolina, Walmart announces raises for nearly half a million workers, and the Perseverance rover lands on Mars.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Over two million Texans are still without power, and there’s a new storm on the way that’s expected to prolong the icy conditions. Oregon, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia are among the other states dealing with fallout from the extreme weather.New York’s AG Letitia James sued Amazon this week, alleging that some of its warehouses failed to keep workers safe during the pandemic. We also spoke to an Amazon employee that works in the company's Bessemer, Alabama fulfillment center about the unionization effort there, and what the company is doing to suppress it.And in headlines: Facebook blocks all news in Australia, LA’s board of education defunds school police, and millions of counterfeit N95 masks have been seized in the past few weeks.Show Links:"How you can help Texas winter storm victims"https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/us/texas-winter-storm-how-to-help-iyw-trnd/index.html"How to help and get help in Texas as the winter storm causes power outages"https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/16/texas-power-outage-help-warming-shelter/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden was in Wisconsin yesterday on his first official trip since taking office making the pitch for his $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill. The House is preparing to vote on the bill by the end of next week, and after that, it heads to the Senate, where we could see a fight over whether to include the $15 minimum wage increase.Extreme winter weather has debilitated Texas’s weather grid, creating a dangerous situation that left over 3 million people without power last night and has led to multiple deaths. We explain what's behind the weather and the electricity issues.And in headlines: the NAACP files a lawsuit against Trump and Giuliani for their connection to the Capitol Hill riot, George Conway says the Lincoln Project should be investigated, and Oprah will interview Harry and Meghan.Show Links:Pod Save Americaapple.co/podsaveamerica  https://spoti.fi/podsaveamerica  For a transcript of this episode, please visit: crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Donald Trump’s second annual impeachment trial is over, after a vote of 57 to 43 led to his acquittal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced yesterday that an independent commission will be established to investigate the insurrection.Yesterday, the WHO granted emergency use authorization for the AstraZeneca vaccine, which will kick off a UN-backed program to get vaccines to developing countries. In the US, average new daily coronavirus infections fell under 100,000 for the first time since November.And in headlines: freezing temperatures lead to power outages for millions, activists undergo hunger strike in Chicago, and blowback after New York’s Health Department undercounts COVID deaths in nursing homes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden announced yesterday that the US will have enough doses to vaccinate all Americans by the end of July. We talk to Dr. Anthony Fauci about the vaccines on the way, what they’ll mean as we start to face new variants, and mask guidance in the meantime.And in headlines: House managers wrapped up their final arguments in Trump’s second impeachment trial, queer and trans Americans will be protected under the Fair Housing Act, and Jeep pulls Bruce Springsteen’s ad after reports of his November DUI.Show Links:Youtube.com/crookedmediaInstagram.com/whatadayFor a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House Impeachment managers began to make their case against Trump yesterday, showing graphic and never-before-seen video footage that illustrated the scale and severity of the attack on the Capitol. We talk about our key takeaways from the day.The CDC updated its information on masks, saying that double masking can greatly reduce Covid transmission. Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced its plan to organize new mass vaccination sites that are meant to serve communities of color.And in headlines: the White House imposes sanctions on the military regime in Myanmar, Britney Spears’s conservatorship case will return to courts, and the NBA finalizes its position on singing the national anthem.Show Links:"Improve How Your Mask Protects You"https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/effective-masks.htmlFor a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The second impeachment trial began yesterday, with Senators voting 56 to 44 to uphold the trial as constitutional and move forward. House managers presented video of the siege on the Capitol paired with Trump’s inflammatory speech to rally-goers beforehand, while Trump’s lawyers tried and failed to frame Trump’s impeachment after leaving office as a “slippery slope.”A team from the World Health Organization has been in China investigating the origins of the coronavirus and they released preliminary findings yesterday. One prominent conspiracy theory they ruled out was the idea that the virus emanated from a Chinese lab, and they also said the virus had been circulating in Wuhan before its discovery at a seafood market.And in headlines: hate crimes committed against Asian-Americans in the US is skyrocketing, the CEO of Riot Games faces a lawsuit for gender discrimination and misconduct, and the world’s first 3D printed T-bone steak.Show Links:"WATCH: Rep. Raskin presents graphic video timeline of Jan. 6 attack on U.S. Capitol"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otfPps9s8HMFor a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s Senate impeachment trial begins today. Trump’s team continues to argue that the trial itself is unconstitutional… that’s what they’ll be debating with House managers today.Many of the country’s largest retail and grocery chains have suspended “hero pay” to essential workers, despite having a profitable 2020. Now cities and counties are trying to increase wages with local ordinances, but the businesses are fighting back.And in headlines: rescuers in India are working to find people after a Himalayan glacier disaster, inmates in a St. Louis prison call for better protections against COVID, and Facebook to remove vaccine misinfo.Show Links:"Local COVID-19 hazard pay mandates are doing what Congress and most corporations aren’t for essential workers"https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2021/01/27/local-covid-19-hazard-pay-mandates-are-doing-what-congress-and-most-corporations-arent-for-essential-workers/amp/For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Coronavirus cases in the US are in decline from last month, and the daily speed of vaccinations has picked up. But concerns over variants continue. A new study supports the idea that the new, more contagious strain first discovered in the UK could become the dominant strain the US by March.Democrats are working to include expanded child tax credits in the Covid relief bill. The inclusion of a minimum wage hike to $15 an hour is in question, with Biden saying he’s not sure the rules of the Senate will allow it.And in headlines: Haiti faces a constitutional crisis surrounding its president’s term, SCOTUS rules that California can resume indoor church service, and Amazon uses AI to monitor its delivery drivers.For a transcript of this episode, please visit crooked.com/whataday.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The House voted to strip Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of her committee assignments for spreading conspiracy theories and endorsing violence against Democrats on social media. President Biden announced that the United States will end its support of Saudi Arabia’s military campaign in Yemen. A war that has helped create what the UN calls the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. We spoke to California Representative Ro Khanna about the decision, what led to it, and what it means for progressives and activists who want their voices heard on issues of US foreign policy.And in headlines: McKinsey to pay states nearly $600 million for its role in the opioid crisis, another voting tech company sues conspiracy-mongering Trump allies, and Trump won’t testify in his Senate impeachment trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon faces its first unionization vote in the country in seven years next week in Bessemer, Alabama, and if the workers decide to unionize, it could spark waves of action across the country.We interviewed Christian Smalls, a former Amazon employee, who led a walkout last March at a warehouse in Staten Island and was subsequently fired. He told us about his experience, his thoughts on the union push in Alabama, and what's next for essential workers.And in headlines: Andrew Cuomo signs a bill to repeal the “walking while trans” ban in New York, Canada designates the Proud Boys as a terrorist organization, and country music’s Morgan Wallen gets dropped after using the n-word.Show Links:"Amazon to face first U.S. unionization vote in seven years next month"https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/15/amazon-union-alabama-vote/The Congress Of Essential Workershttps://tcoew.org/Follow Christian Smalls on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Shut_downAmazon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Trump’s second impeachment trial starts next week in the Senate, and yesterday we got a preview of the arguments both sides will be making. We go through the details of legal filings from the House Managers, and the response from Trump's team.Democrats in the Senate voted yesterday to get the budget reconciliation process started, which they could use to pass coronavirus relief. Meanwhile, Biden signed three executive orders focused on immigration, including one to reunite families that were separated by Trump's immigration policies.And in headlines: Russia’s COVID vaccine is highly safe and effective, Wikipedia rolls out new code of conduct, and Jeff Bezos steps down as Amazon’s CEO. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The daily pace of vaccinations is picking up, with some states working faster than others. We talk about states that have given the most shots per capita, and what’s led them to succeed relative to the country at-large.Following the 2020 election, Republicans at the state level are doing all they can to pass laws to suppress the vote, particularly vote-by-mail. It’s also a redistricting year. We explain.And in headlines: police in Rochester pepper sprayed a Black 9-year-old girl while she was handcuffed, Facebook and Apple feud over data privacy, and Robinhood got 2.4 billion in funding yesterday.Show Links:Subscribe to Hysteria! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hysteria/id1399025196"After Record Turnout, Republicans Are Trying to Make It Harder to Vote"https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/30/us/republicans-voting-georgia-arizona.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A group of Republican Senators are sending Biden a counter-proposal on Covid relief. They want to slash the bill by over a trillion dollars, and limit the size and scope of stimulus checks. They’re framing it as a bipartisan solution, but Democrats are reportedly planning to move forward with their own plan using budget reconciliation.The average number of new cases in the US has dropped off significantly since peaking three weeks ago, but January was still an awful month in the pandemic, and the presence of new variants has the potential to disrupt progress. Johnson & Johnson released data for their one-shot vaccine candidate last Friday. We explain what to make of it.And in headlines: several members of Myanmar’s ruling party were detained in a possible military coup, Hong Kong residents can now apply to become permanent British citizens, and Trump hires two new attorneys for his Senate impeachment trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The COVID strain first discovered in South Africa was found in the United States for the first time in the state of South Carolina. This strain is more contagious, and there’s some concern that it might be slightly more vaccine resistant than the strains we’ve been dealing with thus far.Robinhood and similar trading platforms restricted purchases of Gamestop stock and other companies targeted by Redditors yesterday, and the values of those stocks dropped off dramatically. We talk through the steps that brought us to this point, how lawmakers are reacting, and what's next.And in headlines: nationwide protests in Poland as the government enacts a near-total abortion ban, Austin votes to use police money to fund supportive housing, and GM will stop making gas and diesel powered cars by 2035.Show Links:"Robinhood’s Customers Are Hedge Funds Like Citadel, Its Users Are the Product"https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjpnz5/robinhoods-customers-are-hedge-funds-like-citadel-its-users-are-the-product Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At the Biden team's first public health briefing, officials noted that the number of COVID cases and hospitalizations in the US is on a downward trend, and they also emphasized the importance of genomic sequencing for detecting coronavirus variants.Over 10 million people are still out of work due to the pandemic, and recent data suggest that the economy isn't getting any better. We spoke to people who have lost their jobs about what they are going through right now, months and months into the crisis.And in headlines: a Seattle Seahawks player arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence, Biden signs executive orders directed at climate change, and another banner day for stonks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices