If you’re looking for hype, fake outrage, and groupthink, kindly keep moving. Our mission at What a Day is simple: to be your guide to what truly matters each morning (and the fun stuff you might have missed) in just 20 minutes. Host Jane Coaston brings you in-depth reporting and substantive analysis on the big stories shaping today and the creeping trends shaping tomorrow—and when she doesn’t know the answers, she asks someone even smarter to fill us all in. Radical, right? New episodes at 5:00 a.m. EST, Monday–Friday in your favorite podcast app and on YouTube. Being informed was never this easy.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Sentenced To Death in the U.S.
Executions are on the rise in the U.S., even as more Americans oppose the death penalty. An October 2025 Gallup poll found that 44% of Americans oppose capital punishment
Oct 19 25 min
Florida Voters Concerned With Pocketbooks, Not Party
#36 trending · News
Nate Silver, statistician and host of Crooked Media's Still Counting, made a bold prediction about the 2026 Senate Midterm races today. Silver argues that Democrats have
Oct 19 28 min
Angie Nixon's Fight To Uplift Everyday People In Florida
This weekend, Senator Bernie Sanders will rally with Florida Democratic State Representative Angie Nixon, who is challenging Republican Senator Ashley Moody for Florida's
Oct 16 21 min
How Dark Money Is Funding The Midterms
The midterms are just around the corner, and that means you’re probably seeing more political ads than ever in your mailbox and on your screens. But who’s funding those a
Oct 15 21 min
The State That Might Re-Ban Abortion
Abortion is back on the ballot in a handful of states – including Missouri, where voters are being asked to repeal the rights they just instated two years ago. Jane sits
Oct 14 23 min
Can We Reform the Court?
The Supreme Court is back in session — and nearly two years into Trump’s presidency, we have more questions than ever about the justices' ethics rules, shadow docket, and
Oct 13 31 min
What’s the Method to the Midterm Madness?
The 2026 midterm elections are anxiety inducing. Will Democrats take back the House? The Senate? Can we believe the polls? 2016 PTSD is getting real, so Jane spoke with P
Oct 12 31 min
Will Voters Flip A Colorado House Seat Back To Blue?
As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Republicans are working to keep voters who showed up for President Donald Trump in 2024 engaged in down-ballot races. One key batt
Oct 9 19 min
Should Anyone Automate Their Life?
New polling out Thursday shows that concerns about artificial intelligence are crossing party lines. According to an AP-NORC survey, 64% of Americans think AI is developi
Oct 8 32 min
Are Republicans Losing Their Grip In North Carolina?
The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with a top Senate Republican, began dialing back its funding for the North Carolina Senate race last week and shifted it e
Oct 7 20 min
When Gender Identity is on The Ballot
This midterm election introduces a surprising ballot measure for Washington State voters to weigh in on -- whether to require girls to undergo genital inspections if they
Oct 6 26 min
Is This Samuel Alito’s Swan Song?
The Supreme Court is back, and once again a lot is on the docket. Like climate change, and what cities and states are allowed to do about it. This major climate case also
Oct 5 19 min
Is Trump Escalating The War In Iran?
The Group of Seven wealthy democracies said Friday that they plan to release 100 million barrels of oil and fuel products in the coming weeks — starting with “substantial
Oct 2 21 min
Are Democrats Saying The Right Things To Win?
The midterms are next month, and President Donald Trump's approval rating on issues like the economy is slipping. But are Democrats capitalizing on it? Is their messaging
Oct 1 27 min
The ICE Surge Isn't Over
The Venezuelan man who was shot in the back by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Austin, Texas, last week has been charged with assaulting an officer. Bur
Sep 30 24 min
Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era with Jacob Weisberg
Let's talk about cowards. The people who surrendered to President Donald J. Trump's Administration – and why. Jane talks to Jacob Weisberg, author of the new book, “Profi
Sep 29 27 min
Trump's Government-Sponsored Ad Campaign
If you watched NFL football on Sunday, you may have seen President Donald Trump's new ad campaign, featuring a 2024 Trump ad. The ad was re-released and shown dozens of t
Sep 28 20 min
Can Trump Purge The Voter Rolls Now?
The Supreme Court issued an emergency ruling today lifting restrictions on a controversial federal voter database. The order grants President Donald Trump a win, for now,
Sep 25 19 min
Should You Trust Midterm Polling?
With the midterms just around the corner, new polls are hitting the headlines every day. But why are there so many polls, and what can they actually tell us? On today's s
Sep 24 27 min
Secretaries of State Prepare For A Midterms Showdown
The Constitution says states, not the federal government, run elections. But the Trump administration is trying to mess with the midterms. Jane talks to Nevada Secretary
Sep 23 21 min
Chart trend
Position in the Daily News chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#15#29JulAugSepOct
#9
all-time peak
5
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where What A Day ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 20, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Been listening since episode 1 with Gideon and Akilah. Loved the headlines, banter, and daily updates in 15 minutes - perfect for the commute. Now it’s just another Pod Save American interview block. Bring back headlines and the occasional deep-dive.
DRenoni · Sep 2026
…alas Jane is not a broadcaster. Awkward tempo, rhythms, and tone-of-voice make the show incredibly difficult to listen to. Again, the content is great but her presentation lacks a level of professionalism and polish, so I only listen to the topics I find most compelling. She needs vocal and performance coaching, so her presentation can match her knowledge and intellect.
Erictheblonde · Aug 2026
The two hosts that kicked off my love of daily WAD, Gideon Resnick (ORIGINAL SINGLE HOST) and Josie Duffy Rice, they allowed me to be able to breathe through the toughest news. The addition of Tre'vell Anderson and Priyanka Aribindi took a minute for me to adapt to, but eventually Priyanka became my favorite voice on the show. The recent change to a single host, the mighty Jane Coasten, also takes a moment to adapt to. But, she commands the news. Her short audio essays are powerful and give me the fight I need to make it through the day as the US drops further into everything I don’t want it to be. Thank you, Crooked, for bringing Jane on. I hope other listeners can have the patience it takes to adapt to change and hear the energy and insightful wit Jane brings to WAD.
realistschuckle · Dec 2024
My favorite way to start the day. It gives me a brief rundown of the news I need with a side of sass — which, let’s be honest, we all need right now.
pharlow7 · Dec 2024
Within the last several weeks/months this podcast has drastically changed. It started when the release time switched from the mornings to evenings. While this was inconvenient and I definitely reached for it less, or found I would listen to yesterday’s episode the next morning, it was still fine. However, recently the format of the show has changed. Headlines are no longer offered, making the entire episode an extended interview. While the interviews are fine, it is no longer the daily news podcast I subscribed for. It feels just like any other Crooked podcast, specifically the interview block, rather than a quick and reliable way to get the most important stories/news of the day. I’m really disappointed in this change and will be looking for a different podcast to listen to for the daily news.
Samantha.Anne94 · Sep 2026
This show used to be my one-stop shop for daily news and with several hosts felt like a fun way to listen to the sure-to-be-grim news of the day. The one-host format lost that fun feel and now not even having headlines, it’s a totally different show that no longer serves what I thought the purpose of it was - a daily news show.
AshJH2 · Sep 2026
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