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TRANSCRIPT

Jane Coaston: It’s Thursday, January 15th, I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show that wants to know what Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin thinks regime change in Iran would be exactly. 

[clip of unknown person] But you just said you are for a regime change here. 

[clip of senator Markwayne Mullin] No, I said I’m for the strikes. I didn’t say– 

[clip of unknown person] Well you said before that you’re for taking out the regime? 

[clip of senator Markwayne Mullin] Absolutely, because they’re the ones murdering their own people that’s that’s different than than regime change the regime change is up to the Iranian people. 

Jane Coaston: Hint, if members of the Iranian regime die in, say, airstrikes, then the regime has, in fact, changed. [music break] On today’s show, 1%? How about 2%? No, we’re not talking about President Donald Trump’s brain function. We’re talking about his milk policy. And the Foreign Minister of Greenland meets with Vice President J.D. Vance to discuss a U.S. acquisition. We can confirm that Greenland’s Foreign Minister’s year is off to a rough start. But let’s start with Minnesota. The great city of Minneapolis is under siege by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and we have the videos to prove it. If you’ve been online for the last few days, you’ve seen ICE officers body slamming Target employees who turn out to be US citizens. You may have also seen ICE Officers using banned chokeholds or threatening drivers in their cars. In one video, an agent appears to tell a Minneapolis man, quote, “go home to your children,” adding, “you did not learn from what just happened?” A clear reference to the shooting death of Renee Good, the 37-year-old mother killed by an ICE officer last week. And there’s many more eyewitness videos where those come from. On Tuesday, a woman in Minneapolis was allegedly on her way to a doctor’s appointment when she was violently removed from her car by ICE agents, who smashed her passenger window and cut her seatbelt. I want to warn you, this footage is disturbing. This video was taken by freelance journalist Amanda Moore. 

[clip of unknown disabled woman] [?] been beat up by police before, I’m disabled, I’m trying to go to the doctor up there, that’s why I didn’t move! 

Jane Coaston: Perhaps videos like this are why the popularity of ICE has dropped like a rock over the last year, from plus 16 in January 2025 to minus 14 now, according to polling by YouGov. In August, Pew found that ICE is now the second least popular federal agency behind the IRS, which honestly seems kind of mean to the IRS. In a new CNN poll released Wednesday, showed that more than half of Americans think ICE is making cities less safe, in comparison to 31% who think the agency is making them safer. A lot of Americans think what ICE is doing is bad and they do not like it. But what can state and local authorities do about it? To find out, we spoke to Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Earlier this week, he filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security to stop the outsized immigration enforcement in his state. Attorney General Ellison, welcome to What a Day. 

Keith Ellison: Great to be with you. 

Jane Coaston: On Monday, you announced a lawsuit from the state of Minnesota, as well as St. Paul and Minneapolis, to stop Operation Metro Surge, which has brought thousands of federal immigration agents into the state since December. Your argument is that this surge is unconstitutional. Can you explain that? 

Keith Ellison: Well, I mean, there’s a few grounds for the lawsuit. One of them is that, look, we’re an equally sovereign entity as a state of the United States of America. And for the federal government to surge in this way with this aggressive attitude is interfering with our ability to operate our state as a sovereign state. Things like downward pressure on school attendance, downward pressure on our economy. Upward pressure on costs and expenses, millions of dollars being spent on overtime for policing, and then you know just intrusion on a mass scale of the civil rights of our citizens. So that’s one basis. Another basis is the something called the Administrative Procedures Act, which is a piece of legislation which says when a government agency like the Department of Homeland Security engages a policy, that policy cannot be arbitrary and capricious. Now, we say it’s arbitrary and capricious because there’s a lot of states that have far more immigrants than Minnesota does as a percentage of our population, but they’re not there. They’re here. And the president has said that he’s mad at us because we haven’t voted for him and that he argues that he should have won the state of Minnesota, but somehow it was deprived of him of those victories. So he’s angry with us about that. And so those are the basis of our lawsuit. 

Jane Coaston: Going back to that lawsuit, you asked for a temporary restraining order to stop or limit Operation Metro Surge immediately. 

Keith Ellison: Right. 

Jane Coaston: On Wednesday, a federal judge declined to make a decision on that request right away, instead giving the government until next Monday to respond. What was your reaction? 

Keith Ellison: Well, I was disappointed, but I would say that the judge is a wonderful reputation, very smart, very capable, and I think she’s very thoughtful. And I think, you know, look, if the federal government has a has a legitimate case to be made, why they’re sending literally thousands of ICE agents into Minnesota who are doing everything from killing people to raiding high schools to depressing our economy and all the things that are in our lawsuit. Well, they better come to this judge with a legitimate explanation. She’s going to give them a chance to explain themselves. And there’s an open question as to whether they’ll be able to, I can’t think of any legitimate reason they might give. But I think the judge is just giving them an opportunity. Uh. So that when she does rule, no one will be able to accuse her of being, of not listening to both sides fairly and carefully. 

Jane Coaston: Operation Metro Surge has already led to the death of 37-year-old Renee Good, who was shot by an ICE agent last week. The next day, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced that the investigation would be led only by the FBI and Minnesota would, quote, “no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence, or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation.” What can the state do to investigate without federal resources? 

Keith Ellison: Well, we’re actually doing a number of things. I’m working with our local county attorney and the State Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is receiving information and cataloging that information. We’re making it so that it’s accessible when and if we can make a charging decision. I know a lot of your listeners are like, well, how could you ever consider not taking action? Because as a prosecutor, you’re supposed to gather the information then make a charging decision. We’re doing the best we can given the obstruction of the federal government. By the way, there’s even been more developments in that score. Six prosecutors just quit because when it was announced that the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division was not going to do a death investigation, a use of force death investigation, people quit. There’s got to be a thorough, independent investigation of the death of Renee Good. And that’s just the fact. If the feds won’t do it, the state must. And I just wanna let people know that we’re gonna do everything we can do. And we know it might not be easy, but again, I’m not making a conclusion as to what the evidence is gonna reveal. I will say, however, we’re going to make sure that the memory of Renee Good is lifted up and that we are not gonna simply throw up our hands because the federal government is trying to throw up barriers. 

Jane Coaston: There have been reports from the federal government that the ICE agent who killed Renee Good suffered internal bleeding. Of course, the Trump administration has defended his actions by saying she hit him with her car, but you and I have both seen the same videos. 

Keith Ellison: Right. 

Jane Coaston: The videos don’t show that. Have you heard anything about his alleged injuries after the incident? 

Keith Ellison: Well, let me put it like this. If they’re making all these claims that he was received these injuries, then they should publish all of his medical records to show that. They should open up the file. We should have a joint investigation. What the federal government has done is said that the state cannot have access to the investigative file, that their DOJ is not going to do any sort of a use of force death investigation. Then they’ve released selected cherry picked video that does not stand for the proposition that they claim it does. And now they’re making claims about injuries when the video looks like he was walking around pretty well to most people I’ve talked to who viewed it. And yes, I viewed it, but I’m not gonna characterize it, but others have characterized it that way. So my thought is if he’s suffered all these injuries, sure, I mean, release it, show it, open up the file, be transparent. So far it looks a little bit to me like um they’re trying to cover up, you know, what happened to Renee Good. And because if they weren’t, I would expect them to do a joint investigation with the state, make sure that everybody’s on the up and up, share information, operate in a transparent way. So far, we haven’t seen that. 

Jane Coaston: All of this comes after weeks of attacks from Trump on Minnesota. 

Keith Ellison: Right. 

Jane Coaston: Specifically its Somali population, but also pretty much the entire state. 

Keith Ellison: True. 

Jane Coaston: It’s allegedly around the fraud scandal involving the state’s social services program, though now it just has become, as you point out, about the fact that Minnesota did not vote for Trump. It seems like the president has made this idea of corruption in Minnesota and just like the state of Minnesota, his new battle cry. What’s your take on being the target of the president of the United States? Because you have some experience with this, especially after 2020. 

Keith Ellison: Well, we have had a few challenges. I mean, George Floyd was was murdered here. I prosecuted the people who killed him. And then my dear beloved friend, Melissa Hortman, was shot down and killed by assassin. This last summer, we had two precious, beautiful children who were at prayer at their Catholic school, shot down, and killed. And now we’re dealing with Trump’s escalation and of course, Renee Good. Well, let me tell you, we just have to carry on. I mean, I happen to be a Muslim person, but my mother, who was a devoted Catholic, rosary-carrying type person, used to always say, do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And she would say that to me, meaning that, look, bad things are gonna happen. Don’t allow them to overwhelm you. Do right no matter what, and overcome that bad with good, so what I’m doing is getting up every morning, early, working hard all day, fighting for justice all day. We know we’re being persecuted, but we’re being persecuted for the sake of righteousness, right? We’re being prosecuted because we’re a state that has rejected Trump and his racism and hatred three times in a row. Also, he’s upset with us because we do have universal school meals. We do have paid family leave. We are working on making sure everybody can get the health care that they need. We are fighting for rural healthcare. We’re standing up for consumers. We’re suing people who steal wages from workers. We are a multicultural state, proud of it. We’re a pro-union state, proud of that. And so I think all these things together stand in stark opposition to every single thing Trump stands for, which is why he’s persecuting us. 

Jane Coaston: Attorney General Keith Ellison, thank you so much for joining me. 

Keith Ellison: Always a pleasure and give me a call. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. We’ll get to more of the news in a moment, but if you like the show, make sure to subscribe, leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts, watch us on YouTube, and share with your friends. More to come after some ads. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] You see that beautiful milk? That’s what we’re here for. We’re going to be discussing milk and whole milk and how good it is. 

Jane Coaston: In between mulling over whether to bomb Iran or annex Greenland Wednesday, Trump took a beat to acknowledge whole milk and how good it is. Whole milk is making its way back into school cafeterias after President Trump signed a bill reversing Obama era limits on higher fat milk options. I’ll let Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. explain. 

[clip of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.] Today, President Trump signs a whole milk for healthy kids act of 2025, a long overdue correction– [clip of audio fades out] 

Jane Coaston: Never mind. It’s too painful. I’ll explain. The new law lets schools serve whole and 2% milk again, ending a decade-long rule that limited kids to skim or low-fat options. Supporters say whole milk tastes better, gets kids to actually drink it, and may even be linked to lower obesity rates. Critics point out it rolls back parts of former First Lady Michelle Obama’s school nutrition overhaul, which aimed to cut calories and saturated fat. The change affects meals for about 30 million students and could show up in cafeterias as soon as this fall. Trump even took a moment to pretend as if he has ever interacted with groceries of any kind ever. 

[clip of President Donald Trump] I open a refrigerator and I see milk with rice and milk with water and milk with everything. 

Jane Coaston: Milk with water? 

[clip of Lars Løkke Rasmussen] We came here following a number of, how should I put it, remarkable public comments on Greenland and Arctic security. 

Jane Coaston: That’s one extremely polite way to put it. Denmark’s foreign minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, met with vice president J.D. Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio for highly anticipated talks at the White House on Wednesday, the conversation about President Trump’s relentless and very weird desire to acquire Greenland for what he calls national security purposes. Trump, who did not attend the meeting, said on Truth Social ahead of the talks that NATO should be helping the U.S. take over the island. Why NATO would do that is beyond me. The outcome? Well, here’s Rasmussen talking to reporters after the meeting. 

[clip of Lars Løkke Rasmussen] Ideas that would not respect territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable. And we therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree. 

Jane Coaston: But Rasmussen said they would create a working group to figure out a way forward. And as everyone knows, a working group is the best way to slow walk a no. The U.S. said Wednesday that the Israel-Gaza ceasefire is entering a critical next phase. Phase two consists of three objectives. Three objectives that sound simple, but are actually riddled with question marks. The most immediate and difficult objective is disarming Hamas. Questions about Hamas’ willingness to disarm have grown after the group reasserted control in parts of Gaza following the ceasefire’s first phase. The second objective is rebuilding Gaza. The United Nations has estimated the price tag at more than $50 billion and says the work could take years. The final objective is installing a committee of Palestinian experts who would assume day-to-day governance over Gaza, things like providing basic services to over two million people there. The names of said experts and which governments would approve them remains unclear. Hamas said Sunday it would step aside once a new Palestinian leadership body is in place, but offered no timeline. The U.S. also says Hamas must immediately return the remains of the final Israeli hostage under the deal, warning of serious consequences if it does not. As global temperatures keep climbing, the US is choosing to disengage. Last week, the Trump administration said it would withdraw from the UN’s main climate agreement and cut support for the intergovernmental panel on climate change, removing the country from key international climate efforts. It’s part of a broader approach that’s turned Trump’s environmental protection agency into something of an oxymoron, an agency increasingly focused on rolling back the environmental conversation at home while the US retreats from climate leadership abroad. What a Day’s Matt Berg spoke with Gina McCarthy, former EPA administrator under President Obama, about what climate cooperation looks like when the U.S. pulls back. 

[clip of Gina McCarthy] Because this president dismantled all of our relationships with the UN and all of these really important efforts. It doesn’t mean that the United States isn’t going to keep being at the table as much as possible and thankfully the people I’m reaching out to are not starting off by saying what an ass you are. Instead, they’re saying, you know, how do we work together here? 

Jane Coaston: Things are, undoubtedly, bleak right now. New data shows the last three years were the hottest on record. Global temperatures are hovering dangerously close to, and in some analyzes exceeding, the 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold. Scientists warn this could trigger even more extreme heat, floods, fires, and storms. Yes, it’s grim. Which is why Matt asked McCarthy how she stays optimistic despite it all.

[clip of Gina McCarthy] Well, I drink a lot, Matt. No, no, I’m just kidding. Um. I actually don’t do that. 

Jane Coaston: That’s good, Gina. She continued. 

[clip of Gina McCarthy] Optimism is what makes people move. Negativity does not. And I am never going to give up on the climate fight and positioning it as a way to protect our people and our environment. 

Jane Coaston: And that’s the news. [music break]

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Jane Coaston: That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, think about new research that indicates dogs learn new words by eavesdropping on their people, and tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how scientists showed that dogs could learn the names of new toys by listening to their owner talk about that toy with another person, even if they couldn’t see the toy, like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and this all goes to show one thing, dogs are geniuses, except when they’re complete idiots. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Fohr and Chris Allport. Our producer is Caitlin Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Ethan Oberman, Greg Walters, and Matt Berg. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break]

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