Our host and our staff have remained dedicated to one thing: bringing you, the listeners, a quality news and information show.  Unfortunately, in February, The Takeaway staff found out that WNYC executives planned to cancel the show. The last day of the show was June 2nd, 2023. No official press release or external communications from NYPR mentions the end of the show, so in this episode, we address it head on with our former executive producer and current Executive Editor for GBH News, Lee Hill. Then, to celebrate the end of the show, we heard from the incredible people who have been making the show, both past and present. We want to say to all of you, thank you for being apart of the conversation and our community. The work of public radio is daunting, challenging, and often unrewarded. So, that's why we want you to remember this podcast as our final farewell.     

Rounding out our Producer Appreciation Weeks, intern David Escobar and host Melissa Harris-Perry look back at some of the stories he’s produced for The Takeaway:    Does The Indian Child Welfare Act Hang in Peril?/ An Enduring American Pastime: The State Fair    Working Out the Four-Day Work Week    Healing Trauma Through Nature in Wildcat    How A Doll Became a Queer Icon in M3GAN "David Escobar is a senior at Fordham University, double majoring in Journalism and Digital Technology & Emerging Media. His first memories of public radio started back in his hometown of San Francisco, where he remembers constantly listening to his local NPR-affiliate KQED in the car with his family. David began at WFUV in 2022, anchoring the midday newscasts at the station. Now David hosts the “Fordham Conversations'' public affairs program, where he taps into the Fordham University community to discuss and uncover issues that impact our world. His passion lies in political and cultural issues around the country, especially in New York City. David also regularly hosts WFUV’s “What’s What,” the station’s daily news podcast."

David Gebel spent many years working as a singer and actor, and in between shows would work as a temp at various corporate jobs. Little did he know that all those acquired office skills would help him end up at WNYC, initially supporting Radiolab, and then expanding his work to also include supporting The Takeaway and the podcast More Perfect. David focuses on the paperwork, the scheduling and the business support tasks, so that everyone else can focus on making great audio, but David was also incremental in shaping our "Aging While Queer" special series project and a number of other listener-involved segments. We are sending him lots of love and appreciation for all the incredible work he's done on The Takeaway.  

"Atlanta influences everything."  As part of our Producer Appreciation Weeks, Host Melissa Harris-Perry talks with the professionals behind the scenes who bring you the stories you love.  Digital producer Zachary Bynum is a resident of Atlanta who's worked remotely with The Takeaway for the last 2 years. He produces, edits, and publishes all of our social media content, webpages, and podcasts. Photos from Teen Vogue Summit 2022 at Goya Studios in West Hollywood, L.A. California. (Nov. 12 2022) (Zachary Bynum/ AP/Invision)     Zachary has also produced some enterprising coverage on the show, so today we are revisiting some of his favorite segments he produced.              Cop City Takeaway Report: A Teen Vogue State of the (Youth)ion Dragphobia is on The Rise Exploring Consumer Protection: The Kroger-Albertsons Merger Black.Queer.Rising.: Moore Kismet (they/them) & George M. Johson (they/them)   Zachary is a journalist, producer, and digital storyteller. Before coming to The Takeaway, he earned a M.A. in Political Communications from American University in D.C. where he received a Van Swearengin Scholarship, awarded to students who show potential in the field of journalism and communications. Also, did you know our host, Melissa Harris-Perry, was one of Zachary's political science professors at Wake Forest University? Zachary received his B.A. in Politics and International Affairs from there in 2019.  (Courtesy of Zachary Bynum's Facebook Page) Before graduating from American University in 2021, he was a paid media intern for Truxton Creative, a progressive digital advertising firm, where he worked on the Biden/Harris African American Paid Media operation during the 2020 election.    You can follow Zachary on Instagram and Twitter: @__zaby (2 underscores) You can pitch him here: [email protected]  Subscribe: Linktree: zabywrites       

As part of our goodbye to The Takeaway, Melissa Harris-Perry sits down with the beautiful folks behind the scenes who make the show happen every day! Today, we're highlighting the work of producer,  Monica Morales-Garcia, by listening back to a few of her favorite segments: "Black Maternal Health Week Comes to an End" "Hospice Care Is Plagued by Exploitation" "Brittney Johnson is Spellbinding" "Keyla Monterroso Mejia is Taking the Lead" "Now, Who Speaks [non-English]?"  Monica joined The Takeaway in 2022, after a year-long audio fellowship at the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, the longest running national Latino news and cultural public radio program. Where she produced long-form narrative stories like, "Chisme: An Ancestral Language,"  and "The Little Black Dress: A Hidden History." As an independent journalist and producer Monica has worked on, 30 Años: An Oral History of Latino USA, and has produced and fact-checked at Our Body Politic, the public radio show created and hosted Farai Chideya.    

As part of our farewell to The Takeaway, host Melissa Harris-Perry sits down with the people behind the scenes who make The Takeaway happen. Today, we're taking a look at some of the work done by Cat Sposato while here on the show. Some of her favorite segments include: Unpacking the Parkland Shooter Verdict A Conversation with MacArthur Fellow Kiese Laymon Hurricanes, Puerto Rico and Bad Bunny's "El Apagón" The Polarizing Popularity of Pickleball Cat joined The Takeaway team in September 2022, while in the final semester of her Master's program at New York University's Journalism Institute. Previously, she's worked at NPR Music and their Alt.Latino podcast, and covered entertainment for NPR's Weekend All Things Considered. Her work has been featured in V Magazine and VMAN. In her spare time, she runs a Substack newsletter called Pop-Closure, where she rants and raves about all of the moments across our culture that she cannot get over.  Originally from Passaic, New Jersey, Cat is passionate about telling the stories of communities like hers.  You can find more of her work on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter at @CatVeryPopular and at catmariesposato.com

We continue our Producer Appreciation Weeks with Host Melissa Harris-Perry, who peels back the curtain and speaks with the talented folks that make The Takeaway every day. Today we're highlighting some of Morgan Givens' favorite segments produced during his time with The Takeaway: What Makes a Black Man Electric Literature Editor-in-Chief Denne Michele Norris Makes History and Makes Space Award Winning Poet Danez Smith Rises to the Top Why Titus Kaphar Won't "Shut Up and Paint" Level Up: Accessibility in Gaming Morgan joined The Takeaway team in late 2022, and initially made his way into radio in a roundabout way. He spent years as a police officer in Washington, D.C., where he helped rewrite the training curriculum for the D.C. Police Academy before leaving the department for the non-profit sector, where he did work to eliminate sexual violence in the nation's prisons. Eventually, he interned with WAMU and NPRs 1A before becoming a producer for the program.  Morgan is a graduate of the Transom Storytelling Workshop, Neon Hum and Sony's Editor Bootcamp, and is an AIR New Voices Scholar and Mentor. He’s been named one of Variety’s Storytellers to Watch, has been featured in The Washington Post, NPR, Buzzfeed, NPRs Invisibilia, Crooked Media’s Work Appropriate and is frequently called upon to host The Moth storytelling events and perform for The Moth Mainstage in venues around the country. A frequent audio conference panelist, he's also spoken at the AFI Documentary Film Festival about the art of creating great audio. Morgan is also the creator of the award winning and critically acclaimed hopepunk fiction podcast Flyest Fables. Currently repped by CAA, he's hard at work on his debut memoir. Find him occasionally on Twitter at @Optimus_Mo and at MorganGivens.com

As part of our farewell to The Takeaway, Melissa Harris-Perry sits down with the folks behind the scenes who make the show happen every day. Today, we're highlighting the work of Mary Steffenhagen — an award-winning investigative journalist and producer who joined The Takeaway just over a year ago — by listening back to a few of her favorite segments: • "When Women’s Survival is Criminalized" and "Corrections in Ink" • "A Culture of Abuse and Cover-Ups in the Southern Baptist Convention" • "How Trains Left Indelible Tracks on American Culture" • "Music In Their Own Words: Sylvan Esso" • "The Realities of Race in Assisted Reproduction" • "Human Composting is Legal in New York—Now What?" Mary Steffenhagen's original reporting on labor organizing, social activism, and the political movement behind homeschooling has earned awards from the Sidney Hillman Foundation (Hillman Award), the Newswomen's Club of New York (Front Page Award) and multiple national student journalism associations. She has reported for outlets including Teen Vogue, City Limits and Chalkbeat. She was also a Fulbright scholar in the 2022 Berlin Capital Program and previously interned at Salon and Coda Media, where she helped produce a weekly news podcast. She earned a masters' in investigative and audio journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY in 2021.  Find her on Twitter @marynotmerry__ and at www.marysteffenhagen.com

We continue our Producer Appreciation Weeks with Host Melissa Harris-Perry, who peels back the curtain and speaks with the talented folks that make The Takeaway every day. Producer Ryan Wilde got his first taste of radio in an unlikely place: 104.5 Ice Radio in Antarctica.  After beginning his public radio career as an intern, and then producer for The Brian Lehrer Show, he also had a stop in Illinois to produce The 21st, a daily, statewide show produced by Illinois Public Media. After returning to New York City, he joined The Takeaway team in 2022. Ryan revisits some of his favorite segments, and shares highlights from two series he's spearheaded, from his past year producing for The Takeaway: "Downballot" Series "23 Mayors in 2023" Series Mason, Tennessee is Fighting for its Future A Fight For Survival: The "Salmon People" of the Columbia River Ryans Only at the Ryan Meetup (and Definitely No Bryans)   Find Ryan on Twitter at @RyanAndrewWilde

As part of our Producer Appreciation Weeks, Host Melissa Harris-Perry talks with the professionals behind the scenes who bring you the stories you value and the shows you love.  Producer Katerina Barton revisits some of her favorite segments that she's produced throughout the past two years on The Takeaway: Gordon Plaza Residents Fight for Relocation from Toxic Land What is Driving the Truck Driver Shortage? What Does Queer Mean? Holiday Movie Prescriptions The Savannah Bananas Play Ball   Katerina joined The Takeaway as an intern in 2020 and came back as a temp producer in 2021, before she became an associate producer in 2022. She has produced nearly 300 segments for The Takeaway. Prior to joining the Takeaway, Katerina earned a duel master's degree at New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism in Global & Joint Program Studies: Journalism & European/Mediterranean Studies Institute, worked as a reporter at a weekly paper in central Texas, and spent a year teaching English on a small island in Indonesia as part of a Fulbright English Teaching Fellowship. Find her on Twitter @KaterinaBarton.  

Over the years, The Takeaway has seen a long list of rotating staff made up of outspoken journalists and producers. That list does not include Vince Fairchild who is a 'Takeaway veteran' in every sense of the word. Vince has worked as a broadcast engineer on the show since its first year on air in 2008 and now serves as our Senior Broadcast Engineer.  "He fact checks like no other. He sound designs with mastery. And he’s so good that when our Director Jay Cowit is out, Vince slides right into the director’s chair with aplomb." For those who know Vince, they know he is regarded as a quiet yet formidable leader. What that means is when he chooses to speak, Team Takeaway always listens. Melissa chatted with Senior Broadcast Engineer Vince Fairchild about The Takeaway as our final show approaches June 2nd.  Vince, we're sending you all the love and appreciation for what you've done.     

As the Takeaway comes to an end, we get one last set of movie prescriptions from Kristen Meinzer, a culture critic and host of the podcast "By The Book" and Rafer Guzman, a film critic for Newsday, and they bring us movie prescriptions about embracing change and fresh starts. Together Kristen and Rafer are the co-hosts of the podcast, Movie Therapy. KRISTEN’S PICKS: Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar, 2021 When middle aged best friends Barb and Star lose their jobs, they decide that a restorative vacation in Vista Del Mar is just what they need to help them ease into the next chapter. But things don't go quite as planned - with mysterious men, villains, and more throwing monkey wrenches into their getaway. Fortunately their friendship, optimism, and sense of humor keeps them strong and ready for anything that's thrown their way. The movie stars Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo.  The lesson: Things in life don't always go as planned. Sometimes we lose a job, and then things get worse from there. But leaning on our friends, and laughing at the absurdity of life can make it all more manageable.  Sister Act, 1992 Whoopie Goldberg stars as a nightclub singer who's forced to go into witness protection in a convent after witnessing a mob hit. While there, she struggles with the regimented life of the nuns. But thanks to her outstanding musical talents and charisma, she's able to turn the convent choir into a soulful chorus complete with a Motown repertoire. The lesson: Sometimes we're thrown into situations that feel wildly out of our purview. But that doesn't mean we can't handle them. In fact, those situations combined with our unique skills mean that we might excel in new ways.  Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, 2010 This documentary follows one year in the life of Joan Rivers. It was filmed when Rivers was 75, and coming out of what she considered a down year...after 40+ years of ups and downs as an actor, writer, and comedian. Along the way, she reveals some of her darker moments, biggest struggles, and incredible work ethic...along with lots of her biting wit.  The lesson: Even a legend like Joan Rivers has had lots of down years...times that could have broken her...but she chose to keep working, evolving, and trying new things. I'll also add that this film has a special place in my heart because when she was on her press tour for it, Rafer and I got to interview her...and she ended up being our first celebrity interview for the Movie Date podcast. RAFER’S PICKS: Harold and Maude, 1971 This is kind of the original cult movie, from 1971 -- before Rocky Horror, before Pink Flamingos, there was Harold and Maude. It’s the story of Harold, played by Bud Cort, and he’s a very rich, very mobrid young man who spends most of his time staging fake suicides to upset his mother. He hangs himself, cuts his throat, immolates himself and so on. For fun he attends random funerals, and that’s where he meets an 80-year-old woman named Maude, played by the great Ruth Gordon. And Maude is a rebel, even kind of an outlaw -- she's kind of a hippie, she poses nude for artists and for some reason she love to steal cars. She just loves to live. And these two start a friendship and despite their vast age difference, they fall in love. There was a time when you could see this movie at an art-house theater just about once a week, and I pretty much did, but I think it got oversaturated and it’s really fallen off the radar these days. But I think it’s worth revisiting. I like this movie because it seems morbid and perverse, and the humor is very dark. But as it goes on, it gets more and more tender and sincere, and these two characters start to feel very real. And in the end, Maude changes Harold, she gives him a new way of looking at life, she gives him a new spirit and she gives him a new way of expressing himself. She teaches him to play the banjo (and like Steve Martin always said, it’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you play a banjo.) And the final scene in the movie, which involves that banjo, it's a really hopeful, happy scene that tell us Harold is about to embark on a whole new life.   Castaway, 2000 Probably most adult humans have seen Castaway but just to refresh you: Tom Hanks plays a guy named Chuck Noland. Happy, likeable guy, works for Fed Ex, he has a girlfriend, played by Helen Hunt, they’re both deeply in love. He’s really got it all. And then he’s in a plane crash. He wakes up on a tiny island, somewhere in Pacific Ocean, surrounded by junk and debris from the plane, completely alone. And he’s stuck there for FOUR YEARS. And of course, the most famous thing about this film is probably Wilson, a soccer ball that becomes Chuck’s best friend as Chuck starts to go a little crazy. The scenes that always get me are in the second half of the film. Spoiler alert, Chuck gets rescued. And now he’s facing a world that moved on without him. His girlfriend is married! She thought he was dead, so she he had to move on. (What a scene that is -- I can’t believe Hunt didn’t get an Oscar nomination for that.) Anyway, in these scenes, Chuck actually starts to miss his life on the island. He misses sleeping on the hard ground, he misses the act of trying to spear a fish for food. And that really struck me as true. The thing about people is, they can adapt to anything. And once they do, they love it. But then things change and you have to adapt again. So I guess the lesson of this film is that no matter where you are, you aren’t at the end, you’re always in the middle. You’re always between the past and the future. But if you want to keep living, you’ve got to get to that next future. Inside Out, 2015 I loved this movie so much back in 2015 that I just fell all over myself praising it. I’m pretty sure it was number one on my top ten that year. It’s the story of two emotions, one named Joy, with the voice of Amy Poehler, and one named Sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith. And this is your classic Pixar buddy comedy, with two opposing personalities, and it all takes place in these imaginary realms of your brain and your personality, like the Train of Thought and Friendship Island and Dream Productions, which is basically a movie studio in the mind. And it does a great job of bringing abstract concepts to life in these really, clever funny ways. But the reason I picked this movie is because Joy and Sadness live in the brain of a pre-teen girl named Riley. Her family has just moved from Minnesota to San Francisco when her father gets a new job. It’s a huge change, Riley doesn’t want to leave her old life, and she’s afraid of what her new life might be. So what we’re seeing as Joy and Sadness go on their adventure, is what’s happening in the mind of Riley as she grapples with change. And I really like how this movie shows that Sadness is important -- you have to feel it, you have to express it, and you can’t just bury it or shut it off, if you’re going to move forward on to the next thing.

You might not know this about our Line Producer Jackie Martin, but she is an Air Force Veteran who served from 2000-2005. On The Takeaway, she has produced segments about “Other Than Honorably” Discharged LGBTQ+ Veterans who were discriminated against and discharged due solely to their sexual orientation, gender identity or HIV status. On top of that, she has coproduced a number of other segments about sports, politics, and culture. "After she left the AirForce she began her career in radio, where she worked for Howard Stern, and the SiriusXM sports channels. Jacklyn joined the Takeaway in January 2020 and has led production on a number of stories. She is the mother of two and enjoys traveling with her family, visiting every Major League Baseball stadium across the U.S. is her goal, and she also enjoys hiking, biking, or any outdoor activity." Jackie is thoughtful and empathetic, and most of all, unparalleled in the speed and quality of her work on the show. That is why we want to thank her for all her work and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.   

We went behind-the-scenes with our control room team: Jay Cowit, Vince Fairchild and Jackie Martin to find out how The Takeaway gets made every day. Then, we got a 1-on-1 conversation between show host Melissa Harris-Perry and Director Jay Cowit who's been working on the Sound design of The Takeaway for nearly 15 years now. "Jay has been with The Takeaway since its on-air inception in 2008, and has been the Show Director, Technical Director, and sound designer since 2009...He is responsible for the show's aural style, including, but not limited to, selecting the music used on the show, mixing interviews, producing the daily podcast version of the show, and creating sonic design used to convey news concepts." For more than a decade, Jay has carried the sonic vision of the show to its highest quality possible and for that, we thank him for all his leadership and work.

On Friday, June 2, we will broadcast our final episode.  As we head into these final days, we are taking the time to pause and show a little gratitude for the extraordinary team of producers who make The Takeaway every day.  Today, we are hailing our Senior Producer: Shanta Covington. Shanta and Takeaway host Melissa Harris-Perry have been working on media projects together for over a decade now. They first met in 2010 prior to Melissa's work as host of MSNBC's MHP Show (2012-2016), for which Shanta was the first hire. Shanta was a segment/guest booking producer for the network with a profound impact. On the MHP show, she helped shape critically momentous coverage of things like the 2012 murder of Trayvon Martin and unrest in Ferguson following the police killing of Michael Brown.  WATCH: A Decade of Racial Violence | Melissa Harris-Perry  "Melissa Harris-Perry talks about the recent arc of racial injustice in America, putting the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in the context of the last decade of “assault on the dignity and bodies of black people that goes unrecognized and unpunished."     On The Takeaway, she co-produced award-winning segments, like our interview with feminist hip hop journalist and filmmaker of "Surviving R. Kelly," dream hampton. "She is a passionate content creator and storyteller with more than 20 years in television/digital/film production as well as photography. She loves great movies, great stories and of course great content. In addition to her work for the Takeaway at WNYC, she owns and operates her own photography and video company." In less than a year of producing radio for the very first time, she went from a temporary producer to the show’s sole senior producer and has led the show's team of associate producers and temporary producers tirelessly. That's why Team Takeaway is sending her all the love and gratitude in this Producer Appreciation segment.   

Original Air Date: August 30, 2022 More than 55,000 people across the U.S. are incarcerated with the sentence of life without the possibility of parole. This population been rising sharply in the past few decades, with an increase of 66% since 2003, according to research by The Sentencing Project. For those who are sentenced to live and die behind prison walls, there is a sense that they have been forgotten. But a new project is documenting some of their stories: The Visiting Room Project features interviews with more than 100 men who are serving with life without parole at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, better known as Angola.   The Takeaway spoke with Project co-creator, Dr. Marcus Kondkar of Loyola University New Orleans, and with Mr. Arthur Carter, who was recently released from Angola after his life without parole sentence was reduced. "I think that once you get a chance to see this is the person that the taxpayers are still holding in prison, I think the question should resonate: why they still are? Why are they still serving life sentences with no possibility of going home?" said Mr. Carter.

The mounting death toll from the opioid crisis in the United States continues to wreak havoc in cities, towns, and rural communities across the nation. Over the past two decades, the number of people dying from opioid overdoses in New York, and across the United States, are rising each year.  But there is something that some public health experts say could help. Narcan, the brand name for the drug naloxone, is an overdose prevention tool that anyone can use. It’s a simple nasal spray, it's legal, it’s pretty quick and easy to learn how to use, and it can reverse the effects of opioid overdose, and potentially save a life. In March, the Food and Drug Administration authorized over the counter sales of Narcan, making a potentially live-saving drug even more widely available. A CDC study from 2020 found that nearly 40 percent of overdose deaths occurred while another person was nearby — which means the more people carrying Narcan, the better chance there is of saving a life. Takeaway producer Katerina Barton reports, and spoke with Joanna Kaufman, a nursing student, full spectrum doula and priestess in training, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, whose brother, Benjamin, died in 2019 from a fatal opioid overdose. Katerina also received a Narcan training from Elena Rotov, an overdose prevention coordinator, Hep C/HIV tester, and Hep C coordinator at the Brooklyn-based harm reduction center After Hours Project. Narcan is currently accessible and mostly distributed outside of the traditional health care system from nonprofits and harm reduction organizations. It is also available in some states at participating pharmacies. Most cities offer free community Narcan trainings, where you will receive a free dose of Narcan, and you can also find trainings at nonprofits and harm reduction organizations near you, and online.New York City Public Overdose Prevention Programs  

Ruth E. Carter made history when she became the first Black costume designer to win an Oscar, and the first Black woman to win two Oscars, both for her work on Marvel’s Black Panther franchise. She’s been the premier designer for movies that portray iconic Black characters and cultures for three decades, having worked with the likes of Spike Lee, Denzel Washington and Ava DuVernay even before her Black Panther triumphs. Carter recounts pivotal moments and reflects on her career in a new book, "The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther," from out May 23rd. Carter sat down with The Takeaway to talk about her visions of Black history and for Afrofutures. Cover of "The Art of Ruth E. Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther." (Chronicle Books)  

A group of dancers working at the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, just won their battle to form the only current union for strippers in the country. Since being locked out on the job in March 2022, the dancers held a strike and picket for eight months before officially voting to unionize with Actors' Equity in November. But club management challenged the vote, prompting the National Labor Relations Board to set a hearing for May 15, 2023. Yet over this past weekend, the owners agreed to come to the table and recognize the union vote — handing the dancers a historic victory. We speak with Reagan, a dancer and union organizer with the Star Garden Topless Dive Bar dancers, about the months leading up to this moment and what's next for the new union. Click here to listen to our previous conversation with Reagan in August 2022.

The Writers Guild of America, which has over 11-thousand members, is entering week its third week of a work stoppage.  This is the first strike in 15 years, and comes at a time when the TV and film industry has seen some major changes in recent years. Amongst their demands, writers are seeking higher wages, better residuals, and assurances on the use of AI. First we hear from Monice Mitchell Simms, TV writer, screenwriter, author, producer and a member of the Writers Guild of America, who has been on the picket lines in Los Angeles. Then we speak with Alex Press, labor reporter and staff writer at Jacobin Magazine

Under the covid era immigration policy, Title 42 had expelled and turned away 2.6 million people at the U.S. Southern border without question. But that has not stopped the tens of thousands of migrants from gathering along the Southern border, hoping to be allowed to remain in the United States while awaiting a court date. While the Biden administration has rejected comparisons to the Trump administration, now as Title 42 measures have been lifted new asylum rules have been put into place. Causing migrant advocate groups to point out that the Biden administration has only “doubled down.” Joining us now is Faisal Al-Juburi, a spokesperson with RAICES a non-profit group defending the rights of immigrants and refugees, and Camilo Montoya-Galvez, immigration reporter at CBS News.

Sunday marked one year since the racist mass shooting in Buffalo. Melissa Harris-Perry sits down with Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to reflect on the tragedy and discuss how the city is coping right now. The tragic shooting is one of several disturbing massacres motivated by hate that have occurred in recent years. But the history of race based violence dates back to the beginning of what is now the United States, and some of the recent racially motivated attacks call to mind some of the racist violence that targeted Black communities in the early 20th century. We also speak with journalist and professor Jelani Cobb about this history.

We discuss what motherhood looks like when mothers and children are separated by borders, and how these families challenge Western stereotypes about what "good" motherhood is. We speak with Gabrielle Oliveira, associate professor at Harvard's Graduate School of Education and the author of "Motherhood Across Borders: Immigrants and their Children in Mexico and in New York City."  

Original Air Date: May 6, 2022 Motherhood and its many meanings and expectations are created and experienced within the particular realities of our society and history. And to better understand some of our shared national history with mothering we sat down with Professor Michele Goodwin of the University of California-Irvine who is author of the book Policing the Womb:  Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood.

Harpist Ashley Jackson seeks to shatter the traditionally narrow definition of "classical music," highlight Black history and pay homage to Black composers. Jackson, an Assistant Professor and the Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Music Department at Hunter College, views the harp as a vehicle for storytelling. In a recent performance at New York City's Lincoln Center called "Take Me To The Water," Jackson explored the role and symbolism of water in Black stories.  Her upcoming album, "Ennanga," explores the intersections between West African folk music, Black American spirituals and contemporary jazz, featuring the works of composers like William Grant Still and Alice Coltrane. It will be released on June 16 by Bright Shiny Things.  

On May 8th, 2023, Community Change Action, a nonprofit organization that aims to “dramatically improve material conditions for people struggling to make ends meet in the United States,” launched its “A Day Without Childcare” action. Thousands of parents, families and childcare providers came together to push for equitable access to childcare. Co-President of Community Change and friend of the show, Dorian Warren, joins The Takeaway to discuss this action.  

Washington state has long led on progressive policies and reform.  In late April, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a package of bills to address gun violence. House Bill 1240 prohibits the manufacture, importation, distribution, and sale of assault-style weapons in Washington. Two additional measures require a 10 day waiting period and a training requirement for all gun purchases were also signed by the Governor.  We speak with Governor Jay Inslee about the legislation, and hear how Washington is leading on other progressive policies as well. 

Nebraska state senator from Omaha, Machaela Cavanaugh, promised to filibuster every bill that comes before the legislature this year — even those she supports. Why? She’s trying to stop a bill intended to outlaw gender-affirming care for people 18 and under. Senator Cavanaugh has been filibustering since February 23 and halfway through the legislative session in March, she’d managed to prevent even a single bill from passing. Her work took on a new urgency this week when Republicans introduced an amendment to the bill framed as a compromise: only gender-affirming surgeries would be banned, but a 12-week abortion ban would also be instated. We spoke with Sen. Cavanaugh prior to this development on Monday about her efforts.

Last week, Jordan Neely, a talented dancer whose impersonations of Michael Jackson made fans of many who watched him perform, was killed by a white former Marine on the New York City subway. Before the marine put Jordan in a chokehold that killed him, he’d been crying out for food. In the depths of despair, he said he wanted to die. But, what he needed was help. Countless others believe Jordan Neely should be alive today. Protests have rocked the city’s subways on behalf of a young man whose mental health deteriorated following the murder of his mother. He’d sought help from the New York City Department of Homeless services, but that help – from the city or his fellow passengers – didn’t arrive in time to save his life. The white man who killed him, has yet to be charged with a crime.  We speak with the President of Color of Change, Rashad Robinson. 

After speaking out on the Montana House floor against a bill that would restrict gender-affirming health care, Rep. Zooey Zephyr was censured by the legislative body.   Zephyr, the state’s first openly transgender representative, will be barred from attending in-person debates and voting on legislation for the rest of the legislative session. That’s because Zephyr’s lawsuit against the Montana House, claiming her censorship violated her First Amendment rights, was denied by a Montana District judge. We speak with Rep. Zephyr about her censure, trans representation in the Montana state house, and anti-LGBTQ legislation currently on the docket.

A new investigation by Insider reveals flaws and failures of Facebook’s "Trusted Partner" program, which it heavily relies on in "Rest of World" regions which account for just 10% of Facebook's revenue. Trusted Partners are local NGOs contracted to provide local expertise and context to inform Facebook’s content moderation policies and practices. But Trusted Partners in Ethiopia told Insider that Facebook routinely ignored their recommendations and allowed hate speech that inflamed real life violence. We speak with Tekendra Parmar, Tech Features Editor at Insider, who led the investigation. Later we hear from Abrham Amare, whose father, Professor Meareg Amare, was murdered after Facebook posts calling for violence against him went viral. Amare and others filed a landmark lawsuit against Facebook last year.

During the past month, the new Republican majority controlling North Carolina’s state Supreme Court issued reversals of previous rulings on voting rights and overturned a trial court decision. These moves will have meaningful effects on the ability to cast a vote in the state and will have critical implications for local, state, and national election outcomes.  We speak with Ari Berman, National Voting Rights Correspondent for Mother Jones. 

The new investigative podcast series “Head Down'' explores labor trafficking happening within the U.S. government sponsored H2A visa program. It is sold as a “mutually beneficial” immigration program that allows migrant workers to come to the U.S. as temporary agricultural workers, but a closer look into the program reveals a great disparity between how the program is described and what actually happens.  A recent investigation by Prism, LatinoUSA, and Futuro Investigates found that this program is rife with exploitation and abuse. The two-part podcast follows the journey of Mexican farmworkers who soon after arriving in North Carolina with H-2A visas found themselves in a nightmare they were forced to escape. We speak with one of the podcast cohosts, editor-at-large of Prism, Tina Vasquez. And while we’re on the topic of North Carolina, we also speak with Tina about the state’s recent move to ban abortion after 12 weeks. Listen to "Head Down": Head Down: Part I Head Down: Part II  

Original Air Date: March 3, 2023 As Americans faced soaring food prices, a proposed $24.6 billion dollar megamerger between Kroger and Albertsons was announced on October 14, 2022. These are two of the largest grocery chains in the country, accounting for more than 5,000 locations and employing over 700,000 people across its banner.  The United Food and Commercial Workers and Rocky Mountain Farm Workers Union- two of the nation's largest and oldest unions- are opposed to the merger citing its potentially monopolizing effects on the grocery industry and America's food system.    Back in 2015, Carol McMillian, a King Soopers groceryworker and a member of UFCW 7, remembers when Albertson’s acquisition of Safeway impacted her personally. Today, she joins us along with Dan Waldvogle, Director of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, to talk about why they are a part of a broad coalition to ‘stop the merger.’ They spoke with The Takeaway about how this potential megamerger impacts some of America’s most vulnerable workers and consumers. Editor's Note: We reached out to a Kroger's Spokesperson for comment. If interested, read below. “Our proposed merger with Albertsons is about growing jobs and careers, and we expect the merger to create meaningful and measurable benefits for our associates. We will invest an additional $1 billion to increase wages and expand our industry-leading benefits starting on Day one following close, and we expect to provide new and exciting career growth opportunities for many associates. This commitment builds on our track record of supporting associates, including the incremental $1.9 billion we have invested in wages and comprehensive benefits since 2018. The Kroger Family of Companies is one of America’s largest unionized workforces and this merger also secures the long-term future of union jobs by establishing a more competitive alternative to large, non-union retailers. Kroger is a customer-focused organization, and our ability to deliver value to customers is rooted in providing lower prices and more choices. This is of critical importance to us, and we have a long track-record of investing in prices to lower costs, including investing more than $5 billion in lowering prices since 2003. As we have in past mergers, we will hold ourselves accountable to our customer commitments. This includes investing $500 million to lower prices starting on day one post close. With Albertsons, we will also offer customers a broader selection of fresh products and expand Our Brands portfolio to deliver more value without compromise.” 

Original Air Date: May 02, 2023 On Monday, another multi-billion dollar banking institution collapsed — First Republic Bank. Wealthy investors had been pulling out billions of dollars in deposits over the past few weeks, in a 21st-century digital run on the bank. Federal regulators seized its assets, covered $13 billion in losses, and sold it off to JPMorgan Chase. This is now the second-largest bank failure in American history, and the third significant bank failure of the past two months after Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. We discuss how this happened and what it means for the U.S. economy with Aaron Klein, Miriam K. Carliner Chair and senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution.

Jim Kenney was elected to the Philadelphia City Council in 1992 at just 32 years old.  After decades of service, he was elected mayor in 2016 then reelected in 2020.  As a term limited city leader, Mayor Kenney is in his final months of leading Philadelphia. We hear him reflect on his time as mayor, his efforts to address crime, and hear about some of the reasons why he is a proud Philadelphian.

A new study from the Brookings Institution reveals that Americans in four major cities — Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Seattle — believe that crime is out of control in downtowns. But the data shows that that’s not the whole story. While cities post-pandemic have seen an increase in particularly violent and property crimes, those increases haven’t happened in the downtowns, but in the areas that have been historically disadvantaged and disinvested in. So what accounts for this mismatch between what people are seeing downtown and what’s really happening? We speak with Hanna Love, Senior Research Associate at the Brookings Institution, to find out. Love is co-author of the study, "The geography of crime in four U.S. cities: Perceptions and reality."

In March, the actions of a local church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina received national attention for all the right reasons. The congregation at Trinity Moravian Church partnered with an organization called R-I-P Medical Debt to cancel 3,000 local residents’ medical debt, to the tune of $3.3 million dollars. They bought that debt for just a little over $15,000 dollars.  Rev. John Jackman, the pastor of Trinity Moravian Church held a symbolic “debt burning” ceremony to mark the occasion, with confetti and hymns.  In 2016, John Oliver, a comedian and host of the HBO series Last Week Tonight, purchased $15 million dollars in medical debt from 9,000 people, that he bought for “less than half a cent on a dollar.” And some state officials, like Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, are currently proposing using federal pandemic aid to cancel billions of dollars in medical debt. Yes, these are happy stories of people working together to help their community members, neighbors, and even strangers.  But this is also a crisis. Millions of Americans carry the burden of outstanding medical debt – An investigation in 2022 by Kaiser Health News and the Kaiser Family Foundation, found that 100 million people across the nation have some type of health care debt. Kaiser estimated that in 2019 –  the total medical debt in the country was around $195 BILLION dollars. For more on this we spoke with Emily Stewart, Executive Director at Community Catalyst, a national nonprofit focused on health justice.

Last month violence took over Sudan's capital, Khartoum… it has now spread through the entire country and thousands of civilians have fled from the chaos seeking refuge in Chad, Egypt, and other neighboring countries. Despite a second 72-hour ceasefire, violence has continued. Nations, including the US, have evacuated diplomats and citizens from the country. The violence stems from a long rivalry between two generals. The fighting between the two rivals has resulted in attacks on healthcare facilities and the destruction of the Airport… Civilians trapped in the capital are facing shortages of medicine, fuel, and food and are unable to leave their homes without the threat of being killed.  To get a closer look at what is happening in Sudan, on Tuesday Morning we talked with  Lynsey Chutel, New York Times reporter from the Johannesburg bureau.

As if winning the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee and holding three Guinness World Records weren’t already huge accomplishments, now Zaila Avant-Garde is adding the title of author to her name. She stops by and chats with Melissa about “It’s Not Bragging If It’s True: How to Be Awesome At Life” which is out now, and the upcoming Children’s Book, “Words of Wonder: From Z to A,” which is out June 27th.

The recent death of Carolyn Bryant Donham, the woman whose words prompted the kidnapping, torture and brutal murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in 1955, now means that the last person known to be involved in his kidnapping and murder…will never face accountability. This 1955 file photo shows Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who accused Black teenager Emmett Till of making improper advances before he was lynched. (Gene Herrick, File/AP Photo)   We speak with Timothy B. Tyson, author of The Blood of Emmett Till and senior research scholar at Duke University, and Keith Beauchamp, an award-winning filmmaker behind the documentary “The Untold Story of Emmett Till” and producer of the movie “Till” about what Bryant’s death means in the quest for justice in Emmett Till’s murder.

Millions of American high school students take Advanced Placement Courses and Exams every year. AP Courses are standardized, college-level classes that students can take in high school, ideally exposing them to the depth, breadth and intellectual rigor of content they’d encounter in the university. But the author of a new book argues that these courses and exams are instead shortchanging students out of the liberal arts education that the AP was initially founded to foster. We speak with Annie Abrams, high school English teacher and author of "Shortchanged: How Advanced Placement Cheats Students." In response to a request for comment, The College Board, the nonprofit that runs the Advanced Placement Program, wrote: The great strength of the AP Program is the community of talented, dedicated teachers who care about their students and feel passionate about their subjects. We hear from thousands of those teachers every year, and their insights help make AP more effective and more inspiring for students. Annie Abrams' Shortchanged offers one, limited view, constrained by Abrams’ experience at a unique, highly selective high school. We find her examination of the AP Program not reflective of the experiences of the broader community of AP teachers and the students they serve. If she had consulted with any of the thousands of AP teachers educating across a variety of subjects, she would have found that students from all backgrounds can excel when they have the right preparation, a welcoming invitation, and a genuine sense of belonging.  Teachers choose to take part in AP because they find that it helps students engage deeply in subjects as diverse as English Literature, Physics, Art History, and Computer Science. Educators and college professors work together to guide AP frameworks, create and score AP exams, and make thoughtful revisions to course content as different disciplines evolve. The AP Program facilitates that large-scale collaboration between K12 and higher education, creating a uniquely valuable experience for students.  For schools across the country – urban and rural, large and small, well-resourced and economically struggling — AP provides a broad framework and a wealth of resources so that teachers at all levels can offer a college-level experience. AP frameworks are flexible by design so that teachers use their experience and creativity to expand and enhance the curricula. No two AP classes are alike, because they rely so thoroughly on the talent and commitment of individual teachers.  AP allows hundreds of thousands of students to engage in college-level work, regardless of the schools they attend. It offers an opportunity to earn college credit in high school, helping students and families save money, and graduate on time. We're incredibly proud to support the teachers who make that possible.

Original Air Date: April 25, 2023 Only days after passing a measure that could dismantle Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs at public universities and colleges, the Texas State Senate passed a bill that would ban tenure offers to new professors at public colleges and universities in Texas. The measure has been opposed by professors across the state who say that this is an attack on academic freedom. Senate Bill 18 now moves to the Texas State House. We speak with Dr. Karma R. Chávez, Bobby and Sherri Patton Professor of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies and Department Chair, and Sergio Martinez-Beltran, reporter with The Texas Newsroom. 

Original Air Date: April 26, 2023 The sitcom Abbott Elementary has become a weekly favorite among all ages in the world of streaming and binge-watching TV. The network series created by Quinta Brunson is a comedy at heart set at a predominantly Black elementary school in Philadelphia, but under the brilliant writing and jokes, is a political commentary about the challenges faced by under-funded public schools. In season 2 (spoiler alert!), the series introduces a new nemesis which is a charter school network – Legendary Charter Schools, along with the continuation of the artful slow burn of the “will-they-won’t-they” plot line between two young teachers. We recap the season with Jessica Winter, an editor at The New Yorker and also writes about family and education, and dive into the tension between public schools and charters.   

The Takeaway Book Report Original Air Date: December 16, 2021 The Takeaway community is full of book worms and literary lovers, so we spoke with some incredible authors about their work and some titles to look out for. Feminist AF: A Guide to Crushing Girlhood Co-authored by Brittney Cooper , Chanel Craft Tanner , and  Susana Morris, this book walks us through their tips for surviving girlhood with a feminist flair.  These Precious Days: Essays New York Times bestselling author Ann Patchett reflects on home, family, friendships and writing in this deeply personal collection of essays. Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You! Author, host and executive producer of Netflix's "Bookmark," and 2021 Ambassador for the National Education Association’s Read Across Campaign Marley Dias speaks to kids about her passion for making our world a better place, and how to make their dreams come true! We talked to Marley about #1000BlackGirlBooks, her recent acceptance to Yale University, and how she's using her Netflix platform to expand engagement with books, reading, and ideas. WATCH: Melissa Harris-Perry & Marley Dias at ELLE Magazine   The Takeaway Book Report: 2nd Edition Listen to the full episode here. Original Air Date: December 30, 2021 Our host Melissa Harris-Perry spoke with some amazing guest about the books they've been reading and writing. Guest in this episode include: Constance Grady, senior culture writer at Vox, talked about her picks for 2021. Treva B. Lindsey, author of America, Goddam: Violence, Black Women, and the Struggle for Justice discussed her upcoming book. Deep Dive co-host and co-president of the Center for Community Change Dorian Warren told us his favorite books of the year.  Kaitlyn Greenidge discussed her new work Libertie, a work of historical fiction that is one of the most buzzed about books of the year.  Torrey Peters author of Detransition, Baby discussed her national bestselling novel which tells the story of three people, transgender and cisgender, whose lives intersect thanks to an unexpected pregnancy.   Texas Senate Approves Bill Eliminating Faculty Tenure Photograph of University of Texas.  (UT Texas) Only days after passing a measure that could dismantle Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs at public universities and colleges, the Texas State Senate passed a bill that would ban tenure offers to new professors at public colleges and universities in Texas.   The Tension Between Public and Charter in Abbott Elementary's Second Season Original Air Date: April 26, 2023 The cast of "Abbott Elementary," pose in the press room at the 29th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/AP Photo) We recapped season 2 of Abbott Elementary with Jessica Winter, an editor at The New Yorker and also writes about family and education, and dive into the tension between public schools and charters.     

Thousands of New York Times contributors signed an open letter this February that raised concerns about alleged imbalance and bias in the paper’s coverage of trans people and issues. This month, the co-authors released another letter — this time addressed directly to Times’ publisher A.G. Sulzberger. Contributors continue to criticize both the Times’ coverage of trans people and issues, which they say is biased and harmful, as well as the Times’ response to the letter. Staffers who signed the letter in support have reported being disciplined, and anti-trans activists and lawmakers have continued to cite Times coverage in their justifications for bans on gender-affirming care. We speak again with Harron Walker, freelance journalist and letter co-author, about the state of the Times. Listen to our previous conversation with Walker about the letter here. In response to detailed questions about the allegations in the letters and the Times' response to the contributor letter, the New York Times' director of external communications, Charlie Stadtlander, stated:  "The Times received two letters nearly simultaneously on the morning of Feb. 15. Our numerous public comments on the matter – both on that day and since – address the comments expressed in both letters, which were presented to us in coordination.  As we have stated since February, we reject the claim that our coverage is biased. The role of an independent news organization is to report on issues of public importance and follow the facts where they lead. We’ve reported fully and fairly on transgender issues ranging from challenges and prejudice faced by the community to the fight for expanding rights and freedoms to open debates about care. Our coverage has been rigorously reported and edited, respectful of the people we’re covering and sensitive to the moment. The New York Times published hundreds of articles -- with a word count of over 300,000 -- specifically on discrimination against transgender people and/or anti-transgender legislation in the last two years."

In recent months, franchisees of companies from the Hilton Inn to Subway have been pushing back against their corporate franchisors, claiming they are being squeezed out of profits. And a new study from the Government Accountability office found that franchisees tend to lack basic control over the operational side of their local storefronts, which can make turning a profit difficult. Yet despite these problems, many franchisees forgo reporting the deceptive and unfair practices of their franchisors.  We speak to Lydia DePillis, an economics reporter at the New York Times, to discuss the relationship between franchisees and their franchisors and the ongoing hurdles for regulatory franchise legislation. We also speak to Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, about how the struggle for civil rights and the growth of the fast-food industry in America have shaped one another. 

A second autopsy report found no gun residue on Queer, Indigenous-Venezuelan activist Manuel Teran AKA Tortuguita's hands after an autopsy conducted in March found Tortuguita's hands were in a raised position. With insufficient evidence to conclude exactly what the events that led to Tortuguita's police killing were, the local community searches for answers. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation released a gun residue kit confirming gun residue was found on Tortuguita's body. It noted that "it is possible for victims of gunshot wounds, both self-inflicted and non self-inflicted, to have GSR present on their hands.” Initial reports claimed Manuel Teran had been killed by 14 gunshot wounds after firing on an officer, but an official autopsy from the DeKalb Medical Examiner's office shows Tortuguita's body suffered at least 57 gunshot wounds. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras, and questions about the true nature of the activist's death linger. We speak with Matt Scott, a member of the Atlanta Community Press Collective, which is a nonprofit media collective that’s been doing research on the development of cop city and providing community-embedded reporting. Matt joins us for an update on the situation in Atlanta after attending the City Council Subcommittee on the project and some bond hearings for some of those charged with ‘domestic terrorism.' You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Cop City Cop City: Welcome to RIOTSVILLE, USA Cop City: Forest Defender Killed Cop City: Week of Action Editor's Note: This story was updated at 6:18 PM ET.

Democratic Senator from California Diane Feinstein has spent more than three decades in the U-S senate. Her tenure has won her praise from allied politicians like former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The lawmakers have defended Senator Feinstein as questions arise surrounding her ability to serve. Despite the backing of some defenders, Senator Feinstein is facing calls to step down from within her own party. Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and California Representative Ro Khanna have openly called for Feinstein’s resignation. Senator Feinstein made efforts to slow the calls for her resignation by asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for a temporary replacement in her role on the Senate Judiciary Committee. But the brouhaha over Senate Feinstein brings more to mind than the current gerontocracy. It calls into question power in the Senate: who has it, how it operates, and how much of a senator’s work output is dependent on the staffers surrounding them.  We speak with Jerry Goldfeder, professor of Election Law and Director of the Voting Rights and Democracy Project at Fordham Law School, for more.  

Our nation constantly struggles to understand the lives and lived experiences of enslaved Black Americans. Discussing the lives of enslaved Black people can be complicated. That complexity can push us towards easy understandings and answers of who they were while inadvertently seeking rebellion in their every word and deed. This search for near constant rebellion through a 21st century lens flattens their lives and experiences. In Reading Pleasures: Everyday Black Living in Early America, Professor Bynum pushes us towards a deeper understanding of the everyday lives of Black Americans like: the poet Phyllis Wheatley, ministers John Marrant and James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw and pamphleteer David Walker who urged enslaved Black Americans to break free of slavery. She pulls us into their internal worlds, and demands we recognize the pleasures they enjoyed as they lived, in spite of their societal station.

When the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000, Allison Hemming was one of the many laid-off employees. At the time, she planned a get together and networking event with fellow-laid off employees to swap career advice, commiserate, and meet with recruiters, and this meetings turned into what she dubbed “pink slip parties.” Now, as more than 100,000 employees in the tech and media industries have faced layoffs over the past year, we talk to Allison Hemming, CEO of The Hired Guns, a tech-recruiting firm, about pink slip parties, advice for people facing layoffs, and how companies and CEOs can make these difficult moments better for their employees.We also share that The Takeaway team has also been pink-slipped. The Takeaway will broadcast our last episode on June 2nd. The Backstory on the Pink Slip Parties… - By Allison Hemming, CEO, The Hired Guns When the Dotcom Bubble burst in the Spring of 2000, Allison Hemming had the bright idea to bring newly unemployed digital media and tech workers face to face with recruiters and hiring managers. But not through some stuffy networking event—she threw a series of fun-filled bashes she dubbed Pink Slip Parties.  Bear in mind that the 2000 Dotcom Meltdown happened pre-social media (the only TikTok was the sound of your alarm clock). There was no LinkedIn (founded 2003), Facebook (2004), Twitter (2006) or Instagram (2010). Back then, Pink Slippers were being sent home into isolation with limited ability to network and connect. Some of them hadn’t even had time to grab their Rolodexes.  It helped that Allison was the newly minted founder of The Hired Guns, a digital and tech recruiting firm. And even more than matchmaking employers with jobseekers, she knew how devastating unemployment could be and she wanted people to see they didn’t have to go it alone. So, along with hiring managers, she also invited career coaches and the “left behinds” — former colleagues who hadn’t gotten the ax from the companies that had layoffs and wanted to lend support.  The typical Pink Slip attendees back then were high tech and internet professionals, running the gamut from Engineers and Developers to Product Managers, UXers, Designers, Marketers and Content Strategists and sales.  Instead of being handed a sad “my name is” sticker tag at the door, attendees were given color-coded glow bracelets: job seekers got hot pink, recruiters and hiring managers were given green, and supportive pals wrapped glowing blue bands around their wrists. These parties soon became a light during a dark time and were written about by outlets including New York Magazine, The New York Times and CNN. They even inspired a Pink Slip Party etiquette piece in Computerworld.   Soon, Pink Slip Parties started popping up all around in tech hubs around the the world from Silicon Valley to Tokyo, London and Berlin.  At the time, Hemming said, “The message of solidarity is clear; people want to step out from behind their computers and search for answers together – live and in person.” Today, in the wake of recent Tech layoffs, Hemming still strongly believes that human connection is even more essential than ever – especially when compounded by hybrid work and our gradual recovery from the Pandemic. Millennial and Gen Z tech workers are really feeling the burn since most have only experienced an employee-driven job market where they could pitch and choose their opportunities. So the entire concept of mass layoffs is new to them. HOW TO THROW A PINK SLIP PARTY If you’ve been laid off or “pink slipped” – instead of waiting for someone else to throw a Pink Slip Party – consider throwing your own. Here’s how.  As the Pink Slip Party host, you need to be findable and connected. Rather than noodling over fonts on your resume, update your LinkedIn Profile immediately instead – and be sure to set it to “open to work.” Then, quickly connect with all of your fellow laid off coworkers and also colleagues from past jobs—the ones you liked anyway.   Recruit a few former colleagues to co-host. Going it alone in a job hunt is never fun, and the same is true for throwing a party. ID a few reliable work friends and start delegating.  Set the Date. One of the worst things about being fired is having a big empty calendar in front of you. People want something to look forward to, and your Pink Slip Party will be it. Be bold and pull it together quickly – time is the enemy of good ideas.  Select your Pink Slip Party format. These events can be as simple as monthly get-togethers designed for your immediate team, colleagues across your company, or even potential colleagues across your industry. Do you want a party that’s open to everyone or one that’s focused by discipline or sector? (eg. UX Designers only vs. All Tech companies?   Location, Location, Location.  Vibe is everything. If you want an intimate affair, pick a local watering hole in an accessible neighborhood. Bushwick may be cool, but colleagues from the Bronx or Westchester will probably give it a pass.  Instead, pick a place near a transit hub. The point is to actually have a conversation, so consider volume and timing. Clubs can be great because they usually don’t have a happy hour crowd and are thrilled to book an early event.  Build a killer invite list. The alchemy of a great Pink Slip Party requires that you have a mix of interesting people at the event. Obviously the “Pink Slippers” will be the guests of honor. Along with inviting those who were hit by the most recent layoffs, invite colleagues who might’ve gotten the heave-ho before you. Even former colleagues who still work at your last employer are good to have around for support—and future references. Recruiters and hiring managers with open roles at their companies will be the true VIPs of the event.  Market Your Pink Slip Party. Facebook Groups were made for just this moment. They’re a great place to share job opportunities, and you can build one in minutes and start inviting people right away. You’ll be amazed at how fast your group  will grow.  And don’t forget to figure out your own unique way to ID guests!  Back when Pink Slip Parties launched, there were no nametags allowed. Instead, attendees ID’ed themselves via glowing color-coded glow bracelets. You can swipe that idea or come up with a creative way of your own. But just say no to “my name is” stickers! The most important thing Pink Slip Parties did was help form a community of supportive job seekers and the people who were willing and able to help them. After all, nearly 40% of us will depart from our jobs unwillingly (aka, fall victim to layoffs), and there’s no shame in that game! Instead of throwing yourself a Pity Party, host yourself a Pink Slip Party instead. 

On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a stay on a lower court ruling. The stay ensures that, for now, the abortion pill mifepristone will remain widely available. Mifepristone was first approved as safe and effective for ending pregnancies more than 20 years ago. But earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in Texas appointed by former President Donald Trump, suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit challenged part of Kacsmaryk’s ruling – leaving mifepristone legal, but making it harder to access. Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court halted those 5th Circuit Court restrictions and reestablished the status quo. But the decision is temporary.  This is the first time the Supreme Court has taken action on abortion since overturning Roe v. Wade last year. But, because this was an emergency decision and not a full case, the Court did not provide reasoning, noting only that Justices Thomas and Alito dissented. For more on this, we spoke with Leah Litman, Professor of Law at University of Michigan Law School and co-host of the Crooked Media podcast Strict Scrutiny.

Noted Businesswoman and marketing maven, Bozoma Saint John, joins us to talk about her new book “The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss and Survival,” which chronicles the difficult moments she’s survived and her choice to live life urgently.      

How Indigenous Water Protectors Paved Way for Future Activism March 10, 2017, file photo, America Indians and their supporters protest outside of the White House in Washington, to rally against the construction of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline. (Jose Luis Magana, File/AP Photo) Original Air Date: 4/22/22 Many Indigenous communities live on land that is being directly impacted by climate change. As resistance to fossil fuel production has grown in recent years, Indigenous people have been at the center of the movements to reverse this trend. We spoke with professor and author Nick Estes about how the 2016 Standing Rock protests and water protector movement created a blueprint for ongoing environmental activism. The Work of Black Girl Environmentalist Eight-year-old Sapphire Tate holds a sign before a protest against a proposed backup power plant for a sewage treatment facility in Newark, N.J., on Wednesday, April 20, 2022. ((AP Photo/Wayne Parry)/AP Photo) Original Air Date: 4/22/22 Wawa Gatheru is the 24 year-old founder of Black Girl Environmentalist, a supportive community for Black girls, women, and non-binary environmentalists. We speak with Gatheru about her work with Black Girl Environmentalist and her goal of an anti-racist environmental movement. What Queer Ecology Can Teach Us About Environmentalism Avian ecologist and Georgetown University Ph.D. student releases an American robin after gathering data, Wednesday, April 28, 2021, in Cheverly, Md. (Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo) Original Air Date: 4/22/22 A look at what we can learn from queer studies in the case of environmental studies and the biases and limitations that persist. We spoke with Nicole Seymour, an associate professor of English and Graduate Advisor of Environmental Studies at Cal State Fullerton. She is author of several books including: Strange Natures: Futurity, Empathy, and the Queer Ecological Imagination. The Intersection of Climate Justice and Racial Justice A woman holds up a sign with a message written in Portuguese: "Justice for Climate, Now!" (Eraldo Peres/AP Photo) Original Air Date: 4/22/22 From the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana to the deep freeze in Texas during winter storm Uri, to the urban heat islands in California,  the extreme effects of climate change impacts marginalized communities the most. We spoke with Elizabeth Yeampierre, the executive director of Uprose, about the inequities of climate change and the need for climate justice. Young Voices Speak Out About Earth Day Pictured Is Jessica Kim, Urban Word’s 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate West Regional Finalist (Courtesy of Jessica KIm ) Original Air Date: 4/22/22 April is National Poetry Month, so The Takeaway spoke with young poets across the country. Jessica Kim was Urban Word’s 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate West Regional Finalist. She joined the program to talk about her work and shared one of her poems.       

Original Air Date: April 19, 2023 It’s an act that’s familiar to countless older siblings around the nation: pick up your younger siblings from afterschool, the bus stop, maybe even another friend’s house and then walk them home. It’s an act that took a decidedly dangerous and near deadly turn for the 16-year-old “gentle soul”, clarinet player and member of his high school marching band – Ralph Yarl. Hundreds marched and called for justice after Ralph Yarl was shot twice – once in the head – by a white homeowner last Thursday. Ralph’s supposed wrongdoing? Accidentally ringing the wrong doorbell while trying to pick up his younger brothers and bring them home. Ralph Yarl has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. The white man who shot him, will now face two felonies: assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Young Black boys – children – are often viewed as far older and threatening than reality would suggest. This can have far reaching consequences on their lives, and their mental health. 

"MacArthur Genius Larissa FastHorse’s shocking satire flips the bird on one of America's most prolific myths."  Larissa Fasthorse is one of the first Indigenous women to have her play produced on Broadway. The Thanksgiving Play is one of six plays coming out written by Larissa Fasthorse in 2023. The Thanksgiving Play centers indigenous issues through the lens of a small community’s attempt at staging a “socially-conscious thanksgiving play.” Fasthorse joins The Takeaway to talk about The Thanksgiving Play, the pressures of being one of the first Indigenous women to have a play produced on Broadway and what it’s like to center Indigenous issues in an industry that often ignores Indigenous artistry. We speak with Larissa Fasthorse, playwright of The Thanksgiving Play, now on Broadway (PLAYBILL)      

Original Air Date: April 20, 2023 As weekend one of Coachella wrapped up last week and we head into weekend two of the three-day music festival, we check in with Pitchfork staff writer Allison Hussey about the highs, lows, and the lesser-known artists of Coachella.  You can catch her Coachella coverage at pitchfork.com. 

The stoner classics Scary Movie and Friday envisioned a future where “puff, puff, pass” is the norm. And the majority of states across the nation have acquiesced. Recent years have seen a spate of laws in state legislatures that make weed legal for medical and recreational purposes. Federally, the issue of marijuana legalization appears to have stalled, but recent bills introduced in congress point towards a future of possible bipartisan support for the drug’s legalization. Senior editor of Marijuana Moment, Kyle Jaeger, joins us as we talk about the current state of weed legislation in the U-S, and what, if anything, President Biden can do to reschedule and decriminalize the drug.

Little Richard was a larger-than-life entertainer and personality which is captured by the new documentary, “Little Richard: I Am Everything.”    We speak with the film’s director, Lisa Cortes. (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures)  

As part of our "23 Mayors in 2023" series, we head to Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of 36, Michelle Wu was elected as the first woman and the first person of color to become mayor of Boston 2021. Boston is the 23rd largest city in America, with a population of almost 700,000. A diverse, and very young city, Boston has the highest percentage of 20-34 year olds of the top 25 largest cities in America. But challenges with racial inequality in Boston persist. We speak with Mayor Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, about her journey into politics, how her identity has been an advantage (and disadvantage at times) in her job, and overcoming some of the challenges facing Boston.

Making it to the NFL is the dream of countless young boys and men across the nation. Less than 2-percent of college football players will make it to the NFL. For those who do make it, before they can don the uniform of a professional team and see those dreams realized, they must be selected in the NFL draft. Draft day is like winning the lottery for those selected to play on an NFL team, but the draft isn’t without its critics who find the process dehumanizing. Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and football executive Troy Vincent liken the process to a modern day slave auction. With the NFL draft taking place later this month, we check in with Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation and author of The Kaepernick Effect, about the state of its draft and how it stacks up against other professional sports. 

Hollywood and the writers that make movies and TV shows possible are in the middle of a labor battle, which could bring Hollywood to a halt for the first time in 15 years.  On Monday, members in the Writers Guild of America union cast their last ballots, and the union announced that 97.85 percent of members voted to authorized a strike.  The writers’ union is currently in negotiations with Hollywood studios. The current contract ends on May 1st, which is when the strike would begin if both sides don’t reach an agreement. At the core of this strike is the rise of streaming content and platforms, with writers feeling left behind with shorter seasons, longer production times, and smaller residual checks. For more on this, we spoke with Brent Lang the Executive Editor at Variety.

Today marks the last day of Black Maternal Health Week. A week that sheds light on the rise of maternal mortality in the US. We speak with Loretta Ross an activist, educator, author, and co-founder of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, as well as the co-creator of the theory of reproductive justice. Ross has traveled the world at the invitation of leaders and activists to speak about reproductive justice, and in 2022 she was the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship “Genius Grant.” She is currently an Associate Professor for the Study of Women and Gender at Smith College. She joined us for some takeaways on this final day of Black Maternal Health Week.

In the new book, “Broadway Bodies: A Critical History of Conformity," Ryan Donovan looks at Broadway musicals and casting from 1970 to 2020 and the bodies that Broadway has historically excluded from its stages, based on size, gender, disability, and how that intersects with race and ethnicity, and the shows that are not making an effort to be more inclusive.  Ryan Donovan, an Assistant Professor of Theater Studies at Duke University joins the show to talk about his new book, “Broadway Bodies: A Critical History of Conformity." 

Americans buy more than 800 million books a year. And even though the pandemic era bump in book sales has stabilized, publishing remains a multi-billion dollar industry. There’s a booming genre of online content that is transforming the publishing industry. It’s called “book influencing” where book reviewers online find creative ways across social media platforms to discuss what they are reading. Kelsey Weekman, internet culture reporter for Buzzfeed News, joins us to discuss how these influencers are promoting reading to entire communities online. 

Original Air Date: July 13, 2022 Since 2019, "A Black Lady Sketch Show" has served as a testament to just how wonderfully weird and insightful things get when some of the best Black women comedians gather.  Its success is due in large part to the vision of creator and star Robin Thede. On Tuesday, June 12, it was announced that Thede's timely and iconic sketch comedy show was nominated for a third year in a row. This year the show is nominatd for 5 Emmy nominations including: Outstanding Variety Sketch Series; Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series; Outstanding Editing for a Variety Series; Outstanding Directing for a Variety Series; and Outstanding Production Design .  Back in April, Thede joined The Takeaway to discuss the third season of "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and what it's like blazing trails as a Black woman in comedy.  Tweets by robinthede   

Original Air Date: July 29, 2021 The decision by gymnast Simone Biles to not compete in the Olympic Team Finals or the all-around individual competition in order to prioritize her mental health left many wondering why.  Former Olympian and gold medalist Dominique Dawes joins The Takeaway to give an insider perspective on the pressure young women gymnasts face and why this decision by Biles may be her greatest feat yet.

Original Air Date: January 11, 2022 Actress, author and “gangsta mom of four” Holly Robinson Peete joins us to talk about her advocacy work for kids on the autism spectrum and her decision to go public about her son’s diagnosis.

In the face of so many environmental crises caused by climate change, more and more Americans have been thinking about their carbon footprints. Not only the footprints we make by living — but also the ones we make by dying. An alternative method to burial and cremation has been gaining interest across the country, and it recently became legal in New York: human composting. But legalization is really just the start of the story. Human composting still faces a few major barriers before New Yorkers can actually choose it, and competing interests between businesses in the death industry are complicating matters. The Takeaway producer Mary Steffenhagen reports on what’s next for human composting and what it says about how we commemorate our time on earth. Listen to The Takeaway's previous report on human composting with former producer Meg Dalton here.

Jonathan Majors is one of Hollywood’s swiftest rising stars. And he presented a version of masculinity that pushed back against the heavily policed boundaries set by society and Black men themselves. Majors’ version of masculinity welcomed softness and vulnerability – it also drew the ire of those who found his gender performance emasculating and pointed towards the “feminization” of Black men. Boyce Watkins, PhD / @drboycewatkins1 (Twitter) When he was arrested at the end of March on charges of domestic violence, Majors was arraigned and released, and Majors denies and disputes the charges. Curiously, following his arrest he was defended by many of the same people who decried his turn to a soft version of masculinity. We discuss the boundaries placed on Black men with regards to their masculinity, and why an act of alleged violence can rewrite a man’s place in performing society’s masculine ideals. Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke distinguished professor of African and African American studies at Duke University joined to discuss.  

Librarians across the country are using TikTok to advertise their services, connect with communities and put their libraries on the national map... And they're pretty funny! We talk with three librarians about their strategies, goals, and experiences as library workers during a time of rising right-wing attacks on books and library funding. We speak with Rhea Gardner and Mychal Threets, both supervising librarians at Solano County Library in California — and they run the library's TikTok! Visit them on TikTok here. We're also joined by Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association, a chapter of the American Library Association.   

On Monday, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, thousands of professors, part-time lecturers, and graduate and undergraduate students marched together holding signs that read, “We R on strike for a better Rutgers.” We spoke to Dr. Donna Murch, Associate Professor of History at Rutgers and the New Brunswick Chapter President of Rutgers AAUP, one of the unions on strike. In the midst of this standoff, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, took on a foundational role in preventing University President, Jonathan Holloway, from using an injunction on Faculty and staff. Governor Murphy instructed Holloway to hold off on issuing the injunction, and even spent two hours at the bargaining table himself. 

Takeaway producer Ryan Andrew Wilde recently came across a flier that said "Is your name Ryan? Wanna meet other Ryans? Join the Ryan Meetup!" At the bottom of the flier, it laid out some strict rules: "First name must be Ryan" and "No Bryans Allowed." A few weeks later, intrigued but unsure of what to expect, Ryan headed to Ryan Maguire's, a lower Manhattan bar and restaurant, with a microphone and some questions.  Ryan Andrew Wilde, associate producer for The Takeaway, shares the story. We hear all about some of the Ryans he encountered, the history of the name "Ryan," and what's behind the Ryan/Bryan rivalry.   Takeaway producer Ryan Andrew Wilde interviews Ryan Rose, the founder of the Ryan Meetup. (Courtesy of the Ryan Meetup) Name tags at a Ryan Meetup. (Courtesy of the Ryan Meetup) (Courtesy of the Ryan Meetup) (Courtesy of the Ryan Meetup) (Courtesy of the Ryan Meetup)       

Many of the Founding Fathers who signed the Constitution had a deep familiarity with Native nations, some having negotiated treaties or engaged in diplomatic relations with them. We spoke to Robert J Miller, Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU, who enlightened us about the Native origins of the US Constitution

In the wake of Monday’s mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, we discussed whether there is any value to “thoughts and prayers” in moments of public violence and loss.     Dean Yolanda Pierce is currently dean of the School of Divinity at Howard University and will soon become dean of the School of Divinity at Vanderbilt University this fall. Dean Pierce joined The Takeaway to offer reflections on the contributions and challenges of public faith discourse in a secular democracy. 

After the U-S Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last summer, Republican led states across the nation began enacting bans that curtailed reproductive rights and the right to an abortion. The state of Idaho has some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation. Abortion is entirely banned in the state with exceptions for rape, incest, or if the life of the pregnant person is in danger. Last week, the state moved further to the right with its anti-abortion laws after Republican Governor Brad Little signed into law a bill restricting assisted interstate travel for minors seeking an abortion outside of Idaho. It is the first state to enact such a law. We speak with Sarah McCammon, national correspondent at NPR, about mifepristone, potential challenges with the new law in Idaho, and what it means for our evolving political landscape on abortion. 

Today, officials in Nashville are scheduled to vote to reinstate former Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones.  State Rep. Jones and State Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis were expelled by Republican lawmakers last week after leading a push for gun reform in protest on the House floor last Thursday. Memphis city council could reappoint Pearson during their meeting on Wednesday of this week.  Even if both are reappointed by their respective city councils, the appointments are not permanent. Each would have to seek re-election to their respective seats in a special election that has not yet been scheduled.  How did we get here? We’re joined by Blaise Gainey, political reporter with WPLN in Nashville with the latest.   

Original Air Date: April 4, 2023 It’s pretty hard to forget Tariq the “Corn Kid” from the popular digital series, “Recess Therapy,” an interview style show where the kids hold the spotlight, and talk about everything from their favorite foods, to the candid ways that they experience and understand the world around them, and even share wholesome advice for strangers. We talk with the person that holds the microphone and conducts those interviews: creator, comedian, and host of Recess Therapy, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, about the rise of “Corn Kid,” what he has learned from interviewing kids, and what kids can teach us adults. And we hear from some Takeaway Caller Kids offering advice to grown ups.   

Original Air Date: December 12, 2022 Last summer, we were living in a hot-pink world thanks in part to the Barbie-inspired trend, dubbed “Barbiecore.”  Hollywood celebrities, influencers, and artists all put their own spin on the hot-pink fashion trend, and the #barbiecore hashtag on TikTok has garnered over 272.8 million views. Today, you can find a number of social media users uploading a recently added Barbie filter on their photos.  It's not-so surprising that the Barbie trend is taking over as photos and trailers of the highly discussed "Barbie" movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling have surfaced. With summer only months away, the film opens in theaters on July 21, 2023.   Barbie-pink was the 'IT' color in 2022, so it's understandable why one might think hot-pink is the color of 2023. But, this year's color of the year is actually Viva Magenta! Pantone's 2023 Color of the Year (Pantone.com) Every year, color forecasting company PANTONE releases colors that are a cultural statement about the year to come and our aspirations. PANTONE says, "Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative." Viva magenta is a color of the future, so welcome to the #MAGENTAVERSE. We speak with Professor Reggie Blaszczyk about the newest color of the year and her book, The Color Revolution, a revolution not just about color, but commerce and consumption in America as well. For full transcript, see above.

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization toed a fine line between acknowledging the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, while laying the groundwork to begin transitioning out of a global emergency. However, President Biden and his administration aren’t waiting to follow the World Health Organization's lead. The administration plans to “terminate” the coronavirus national and public health emergencies on May 11 of this year. And perhaps sooner, now that a Republican led bill to end the emergency is headed towards his desk. The president continues to indicate he has no intention of vetoing the bill. The CDC reports a weekly COVID cases average just shy of 140,000 people, with nearly 2,000 dying from the illness weekly. And 11% of those who contract the illness find themselves also managing the fallout of Long Covid. We speak with the Director of Epidemiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Chief of Research and Development for the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Saint Louis, Zayid Al-Aly.

A law moving through the Kansas legislature is set to weaken the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and two cases before the Supreme Court could narrow the ability of disabled people to sue over violations of their rights.  We speak with Rebecca Cokley, Program Officer for U.S. Disability Rights at the Ford Foundation, about what this could mean for the future of disability access.

In 1942, just below the football stadium at the University of Chicago, scientists were racing to figure out the feasibility of a controlled nuclear reaction.  At that moment, it was all about WWII.  In 1958, the US began generating electricity from nuclear power, and today there are nuclear power plants in more than half of American states. The US Department of Energy touts nuclear energy as “cleaner and greener” pointing to its zero emissions and smaller land footprint, but nuclear power generation does produce hazardous waste products, and finding somewhere for it to go is not just a logistical issue, it’s a political one.  Today, the US and Canada remains two of the largest producers and users of nuclear energy, and Canadians are proposing a waste storage solution that is not going over well.   Joseph Gedeon, a reporter at Politico and former producer here on The Takeaway, joined for a chat about the environmental dilemma.

Nine prisoners have been executed in the United States in 2023, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Yet the number of death sentences in the country has steadily decreased in recent decades, from more than 300 annually in the mid-1990s to fewer than 30 in recent years. This is thanks, in part, to the work of a small group of little-known professionals known as mitigation specialists. Their mission? Mercy. Sara Baldwin is a mitigation specialist in Florida. Her job is to dig deep into the lives of people who commit murder, to find out who they were before they committed a terrible crime, and how did they become the kind of person who would? Mitigation specialists do this in order to convince juries, judges and prosecutors to bestow mercy — often in the form of a life sentence instead of a death sentence. Maurice Chammah, staff writer at The Marshall Project, spent three years shadowing Sara Baldwin and her work on a particular case. Both join us for this conversation.  Read Maurice's latest piece about Sara's work for The Marshall Project: "The Mercy Workers."

Evan Gershkovich is a 31-year-old American journalist who works as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in Russia. Last week, he was arrested by Russian officials and accused of espionage, the first time Russia has accused a foreign journalist of spying since the Cold War.  He faces up to 20 years in prison. First, we hear from Pjotr Sauer, a former colleague and friend of Evan Gershovich.  Then, we speak with Dr. Dani Gilbert, Fellow at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding at Dartmouth College, about Russia’s increasingly hostile behavior towards American citizens and journalists, and their willingness to engage in “hostage diplomacy.”

Last month, Uganda’s parliament passed several new laws that criminalize openly identifying as LGBTQ+, adding on to brutal discrimination LGBTQ+ Ugandans have faced for years.     The Takeaway talks with Dr. Frank Mugisha, Director of Sexual Minorities Uganda about the recent laws.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots for the State Supreme Court. With more than 30 million dollars in spending so far, this election will determine the fate of abortion rights and gerrymandered maps in Wisconsin… And could have larger repercussions during the upcoming 2024 presidential election.  To talk to us about Wisconsin’s Supreme Court elections is Maayan Silver, a reporter at W-U-W-M 89.7, Milwaukee’s public radio. 

Pickleball is America’s fastest growing sport. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, pickleball has seen a 156.7% increase in players over the past three years.  Described as a cross between tennis, badminton and ping-pong, pickleball is attracting fans of racquet sports from across the country. And this increase in interest has come with both serious problems and incredible opportunities.   Takeaway producer Cat Sposato takes a quick journey through the world of pickleball at Lifetime fitness club locations across New York state. She finds out the appeal behind the game, learns about its possibilities for professional opportunities, and uncovers the challenges the sport still has to overcome.

Original Air Date: January 18, 2023 A musical adaptation of the 1959 movie, "Some Like It Hot," is now on Broadway. The movie has been acclaimed as one of the best comedy films of all time, but much of that comedy relies on the trope of men using drag as a disguise. It's a trope that Broadway is no stranger to, as evidenced by recent adaptations of "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Tootsie." The "Some Like It Hot" musical attempts to alleviate this tension between historic and often harmful portrayals of drag and the rich reality of drag as art, self-expression, and everything in between. But can a revision of an old story featuring harmful stereotypes ever truly be a vehicle for authentic representation?  We speak with J. Harrison Ghee, star of Some Like It Hot, about the show's new take on his character. We learn about the evolution of drag in theater from Domenick Scudera, professor of theater at Ursinus College. And we talk with Miss Peppermint — drag star, actress and ambassador for Trans Justice at the ACLU — about her experience as a trans woman working on Broadway and in the drag industry during this time of rising hatred against drag performers and gender non-conforming folks.

International Transgender Day of Visibility is a day of celebration, support, and love within the transgender community and among allies, and it is especially important amid the ongoing legislative efforts across the country targeting the lives, the health, and the well being of trans individuals.  According to the Human Rights Campaign, which is tracking anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in statehouses across the country, just in these first few months of 2023, there have been a record number of bills that target transgender people specifically. We speak with Shelby Chestnut, Executive Director of the Transgender Law Center about the history of the day, and finding joy amid the ongoing harassment, discrimination, and political violence that trans people continue to face. 

Houston Independent School District enrolls nearly 200,000 students, and it's the largest school district in Texas, and 8th largest in the U.S. Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency announced the state was taking over the district citing poor performance.  The state is dismissing the superintendent and the elected school board and replacing them with state appointees. Critics say this is another example of predominantly white, Republican lawmakers taking control over a diverse, and largely democratic city's functions. We speak with Josephine Lee, reporter for the Texas Observer, who says that the takeover is a trojan horse for Texas Republicans efforts towards privatizing education, and will only increase inequities.

Millions of people across the world rely on life-saving medications made from blood plasma. And the U.S. is the leading exporter of that plasma. Here in the U.S. donating plasma is a legal and regulated process. It is also a paid exchange. Although you can’t sell a kidney or even your blood, there are parts of you that you can sell to earn money. For example, donating eggs for assisted reproductive technology is legal and paid.  And the United States is one of only a few countries in the world that allows people to sell their blood plasma. And millions do so every year, as we learned from some of our listeners who called in. But the multi-billion dollar for-profit blood plasma industry, also relies on middle- and low-income donors.  We talk with Kathleen McLaughlin, a journalist and author of the new book, “BLOOD MONEY: The Story of Life, Death, and Profit Inside America’s Blood Industry.” In the book, Kathleen explores the U.S. Blood Plasma market in this new book, but she begins her story in China and her own personal connection to the blood plasma industry.

On Monday, a 28-year-old shooter entered the Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, armed with two assault rifles and a handgun. The shooter then killed six people, including three 9-year-olds, and three faculty members. The shooter legally purchased seven weapons from five different gun stores before the shooting at Covenant school.  They were fatally shot by law enforcement who responded to the scene. This comes against a backdrop of Tennessee laws making access to guns far easier.  We spoke with the Frederick B. Rentschler II Professor of Sociology and Psychiatry and the director of the Department of Medicine, Health, and Society at Vanderbilt University, Jonathan Metzl, about the shooting, Tennessee’s gun laws, and if there may be any movement for legislation preventing access to firearms.

Inspired by Tracy McMillan’s Life, UnPrisoned is a half-hour comedy starring Kerry Washington, Marque Richardson, and Faly Rakotohavana. It's about Paige, a therapist and single mom, whose life is turned right-side-up when her dad gets out of prison and moves in with her and her teenage son.   Tracy joined us to talk about her real-life inspiration of a common story that is almost never told.

Original Air Date: March 27, 2023 Right to Return USA just announced its 2023 Fellows. Six artists will receive a $20,000 award to support projects aimed at transforming the criminal legal and immigration systems, as well as combatting mass incarceration. We speak with Right of Return co-founder Jesse Krimes and 2023 Fellow Jaiquan Fayson about the fellowship, the barriers for formerly incarcerated people in society, and art's role in reforming the criminal justice system.

Dementia is a disease that slowly steals away memories while keeping up the pretense that it’s stealing away nothing at all. A patient’s ability to create reality from their fragmented memories can lead to strained relationships with their loved ones and a deep sense of loneliness in their caregivers. Clinical psychologist, and author of Travelers to Unimaginable Lands: Stories of Dementia, the Caregiver and the Human Brain, Dasha Kiper shares how our understanding of consciousness makes it hard for those who love dementia patients to fully accept the diagnoses and the loss, and how a deeper understanding of brain processes can allow caregivers to express self-compassion for themselves and their loved ones. 

Superjam producer Paul Peck is bringing the works of the illustrious American jazz pianist and composer Count Basie to a brand-new generation with his latest project. Late Night Basie is a Count Basie tribute album that’s reimagining many of the late musician’s greatest hits featuring artists like Cimafunk and Terence Blanchard. Paul Peck sits down with The Takeaway to talk about the project and the ways he’s brought this music to a new age.

Last month the President of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, unveiled the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism (CECOT). In a tweet, Bukele announced, “El Salvador has managed to go from being the world’s most dangerous country to the safest country in the Americas. How did we do it? By putting criminals in jail. Is there space? There is now.” We spoke to Jorge Cuéllar Assistant Professor of Latin American, Latino & Caribbean Studies at Dartmouth and Founding Faculty Fellow of the Consortium of Studies in Race, Migration & Sexuality.

Original Air Date: March 23, 2023 We’re devoting today’s episode of The Takeaway to the task of taking First Ladies seriously as we seek to understand the unique ways these women have affected and continue to shape America. In this episode we explore the ways that Betty Ford's honesty and outspokenness changed the way we look at first ladies; we look at the roles of Martha Washington and Dolley Madison in relationship to chattel slavery in the United States; and how Edith Wilson may have been the country's first acting female president. Guests: Lauren Wright, is an associate research scholar and lecturer in Politics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. She is the author of “Star Power: American Democracy in the Age of the Celebrity Candidate” and “On Behalf of the President: Presidential Spouses and White House Communications Strategy Today.” Lisa McCubbin, New York Times best selling author of six books, including “Betty Ford: First Lady, Women’s Advocate, Survivor, Trailblazer.” Marie Jenkins Schwartz, professor emeritus University of Rhode Island, author "Ties that Bound: Founding First Ladies and Slaves." Professor Schwartz insists First Ladies must be part of our investigation into slavery and the American founding. Rebecca Boggs Roberts, educator, author, speaker, and leading historian of American women’s suffrage and civic participation. Her books include "The Suffragist Playbook"; "Suffragists in Washington, D.C."; and "Historic Congressional Cemetery." She is currently deputy director of events at the Library of Congress. For full transcript, see above.

Data from The Prison Policy Initiative shows a recent rise in the number of women and girls in confinement. "Fueled by more than five decades of a misguided and failing “war on drugs”, the US leads the world in the incarceration of women. Today, more than half of American states have legalized or decriminalized marijuana.  Even as it might seem that the war on drugs is drawing to a close, its brutal policies continue to create havoc in the lives of American women," said The Takeaway host Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry, author of Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America, and the Maya Angelou Presidential Chair of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. "The intersection of gender, poverty and incarceration is not race neutral," and women’s pathways to confinement often exist at the intersection of mental illness, trauma, and gender-based violence. Black women make up about 29% of the women who are incarcerated in this country. Hispanic women make up about 14%. American Indian and Alaska Native make about up about 2.5%. These are dramatic overrepresentations of women of color in the criminal legal system in comparison to their make-up of the U.S. population.  80% of women in jail and 58% in prisons are parents.  More than half of the 76,000 locked away from families, children, work and home are awaiting trial, much less a conviction. Harsh sentencing for low level drug offenses and the inability to afford bail are primary causes of women's prolonged incarceration. $10,000 dollars is a typical bail, but the Prison Policy Initiative found that the median annual income for women awaiting trial in jails was about $11,071 dollars.  "The legal system is much more likely to be punitive towards people of color and poor people. I think that that's an important dimension to this as well, and poverty plays a critical role in this," said Mike Wessler, Communications Director for the Prison Policy Initiative.  "Whenever I'm talking about this, I often think about a tweet sent by law enforcement in New York City during the pandemic where they proudly boasted a photo of a bunch of diapers and formula, and they rightfully got pretty significant backlash for that," he told The Takeaway. Law enforcements were pictured with haul of diapers, formula, and other products worth $1800, closing 23 warrants; Parents on social media horrified by kids’ items. February 2022. Tweet was later deleted. (The Independent) For Mike, that defined a common factor of women's incarceration in the U.S.: women are often arrested and put in jail because they're trying to meet the daily needs of themselves and the people that they care for. "Women and girls are much more likely to be incarcerated for drug and property offenses. They're much less likely to be charged with more violent crimes, things like murder and manslaughter and kidnapping and the like. And I think there's a couple of explanations for this. Property and drug crimes are often crimes related to poverty and crimes related to addiction," Wessler told The Takeaway. "Ultimately, the enforcement of drug laws in this country as a criminal offense is a public policy choice. It could very easily be treated as a public health issue. We use things like treatment and counseling to help people who have substance use disorder get the care they need," said Mike Wessler. He added, "We saw poverty numbers drop during the pandemic and this is related to why we saw lower incarceration rates, particularly of women during the pandemic. Women had more resources at their disposal to meet those needs. They [mothers] were receiving assistance from the federal government for their children." Stay-at-home orders and a slowing down of the court system are also said to be factors. But as courts return to pre-pandemic operation, women and girls' incarceration rates have climbed at a pace faster than that of boys and men. Black women and girls are hit disproportionately, making up 29% of U.S. prisons while only making up about 13% of the U.S. population.   The National Black Women’s Justice Institute (NBWJI) researches, elevates, and educates the public on the overcriminalization of Black women and girls, and NBJWI is conducting research on Black women's policing, health, and incarceration. Sydney McKinney, Executive Director of NBWJI, joined the Takeaway to discuss the current data surrounding Black women and girls' incarceration and what healing-centered alternatives can look like.  See above for full transcript.  

Joy Harjo was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1951, and is a member of the Mvsoske Nation. She has authored 10 books of poetry, and served as the United States Poet Laureate from 2019 until 2022.  One of her most well known poems, "Remember" (1983) has been adapted and reanimated into a new children’s book, Remember, with illustrations by artist Michaela Goade. Joy Harjo joins us to discuss Remember, reflect on her time as the U.S. Poet Laureate, and share thoughts on how indigeneity informs the themes of her poetry.

The recent derailment of a train carrying toxic and hazardous chemicals through East Palestine, Ohio, offers a window into the centuries-long history of industrial pollution in the Ohio River Valley region. This area, known for centuries as “coal country,” is transforming into a plastics production hub — with similarly devastating environmental consequences. We're joined by Eve Andrews, an environmental journalist from Pittsburgh. Andrews recently visited the region and spoke with residents about how this past impacts their futures. Read her story for Grist here.

York, Pennsylvania holds a significant place in American history. During the Revolutionary War, it served as the temporary capital for the Continental Congress, and in York, the Articles of Confederation were drafted.  But today the city of 44,000 residents suffers from a high rate of poverty, crime, and gun violence.  Host Melissa Harris-Perry recently spent time in York with Mayor Michael Helfrich and learned about the city’s efforts to interrupt violence through community based initiatives and to build economic strength through local, small business development.  Mayor Helfrich describes York as a city of second chances he shares his vision for how to make those second chances a reality. We also hear from Tiff Lowe, of York's Group Violence Intervention program on community based efforts to stem violence and support victims of violence.

For most of us, chickens are ubiquitous, mainly as sources of food. Yet we rarely know much about chickens beyond that, or even interact with them. Those that do quickly find themselves obsessed with these fowl creatures — like today’s guest, journalist Tove Danovich. Inspired after adopting three chickens for her Portland, Oregon backyard, Danovich set out to report on the wide world of chicken-keeping, a journey that took her hatchery in Iowa, to a chicken show in Ohio, to a rooster rescue in Minnesota. We speak with Danovich about her discoveries and the surprising ways that chickens changed her life, and the lives of millions of Americans. Danovich's new book is "Under the Henfluence: Inside the World of Backyard Chickens and the People who Love Them."

Last year, state lawmakers in Oklahoma passed SB 1369, the Oklahoma Healthcare Transparency Initiative Act. The legislation requires all healthcare providers to enter patient records into an online database. Set to go into effect on July 1st, the measure specifically requires providers to quote “submit health and dental claims data, unique identifiers, and geographic and demographic information for covered individuals to the Oklahoma Healthcare Transparency Initiative”. In advance of implementation, mental health care providers in Oklahoma are raising concerns about patient privacy and confidentiality. We spoke with  Sabrina  DeQuasie, a  therapist in Oklahoma. We reached out to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, Oklahoma’s Medicaid Agency. This is their statement below.    OHCA Invites Continued Feedback Regarding OKSHINE/HIE   Oklahoma City, OK – SB1369, passed in the 2022 legislative session, requires OHCA to set up a separate office, the Office of the State Coordinator for Health Information Exchange, with responsibility to oversee a statewide health information exchange with patient data from all healthcare providers. The proposed rules for the program were first introduced in September and have gone through two rounds of public comments, resulting in more than 300 comments. These comments, along with input from the public and dozens of stakeholder engagement meetings, are guiding and informing the implementation process. OHCA is grateful for the feedback of Oklahoma patients and providers.   The opportunity to utilize the HIE is significant, with potential to reduce adverse drug events, redundant testing, and promote a culture of improved collaboration among different healthcare providers, resulting in a more streamlined, holistic health care approach for Oklahomans. The agency understands the importance of privacy considerations in this effort and is working to ensure best practices and appropriate privacy safeguards, including all legal and licensure requirements under HIPAA and other applicable state and federal laws.   The proposed rules allow temporary exemptions based on size, technological capability or financial hardship. OHCA is actively engaging with providers to discuss exemption criteria for specific provider types regarding transmission of data restrictions, with a particular focus on behavioral health, and are expecting to revise the proposed rules to apply exemptions based on provider type.   After the passage of SB 1369, the rule proposal is the first step in a thorough process to develop regulations that will achieve the desired benefits for Oklahoma’s citizens, serving the needs of providers and patients alike. To ensure your concerns are addressed, OHCA invites you to be a part of the conversation. Please send your feedback through the new comments feature on oklahoma.gov/ohca/okshine. This page will be updated with new information as it becomes available.

With a population of around 220 million, and growing fast, Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa. After decades of colonial and military rule, Nigeria’s democracy is still young and vulnerable. Last month, Nigeria held its Presidential elections and 70-year-old Bola Tinubu, a political veteran, was declared the winner with 37-percent of the vote. However, opposition parties, as well as international election observers, have criticized the election, citing logistical problems, violence, and the slow publishing of results as problematic.  We speak with Ope Adetayo, an independent journalist in Nigeria, and Ambassador Mark Green,  President, Director, and CEO of The Wilson Center, and former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, about Nigeria’s elections, the state of democracy in the country and in Africa, and the global significance of democracy in Nigeria.

Original Air Date: October 13, 2021 Professor Christina Beltrán introduced us to the concept of political cruelty in Cruelty as Citizenship: How Migrant Suffering Sustains White Democracy, which reveals how white supremacy manifest as white democracy—a participatory practice of "racial violence, domination, and exclusion" that lends white citizens the right to both wield and exceed the law. Progressive scholar, organizer, media personality, and co-president of Community Change Dorian Warren joined our host to discuss the ways we understand political cruelty. From Trump rallies to insurrectionist violence to the Haitian migrant situation at the border, our host and our guest make bold connections between power, civic engagement and domination. Jan. 6, 2021, file photo insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/The Takeaway)  

Original Air Date: May 5, 2022 On February 13th, Christina Yuna Lee was stabbed to death in her own apartment in the Chinatown neighborhood of New York City. A college graduate and creative, digital producer Christina was just 35-years-old when a man she did not know followed her to her home, pushed his way into her apartment, and took her life with stunning brutality.  This unthinkable violence against Christina came just weeks after the shocking killing of Michelle Go. Just 40 years old, Michelle was waiting on the platform in the Times Square subway station when a man pushed her in front of an oncoming train.  The deadly crimes against these two Asian-American women occurred in New York, but the reverberations were felt across the nation. After Michelle’s death, Russell Jeung, a co-founder of  STOP AAPI HATE, spoke with FOX 2 in San Francisco and said, "I think in our community a lot of people are one degree of separation from knowing someone who has been attacked or assaulted." From March 2020 to December 2021, the advocacy coalition Stop AAPI Hate received nearly 11,000 reports of hate incidents against Asian American and Pacific Islanders. It’s no wonder that many in Asian-American communities are feeling the grief and fear of living just “one degree of separation” from violence. In her Nation article, "Sex, Death, and Empire: The Roots of Violence Against Asian Women," Panthea Lee, an ethnographer, activist, and writer, interrogates a long history of sexualized and gendered violence against Asian women. She finds the roots of contemporary anti-Asian hate are far deeper than Covid-era rhetoric. And when Panthea found a 38-second video from the summer of 2020 in her own iPhone, she discovered she was less than one degree removed from Christina Yuna Lee, whose startling murder in February rocked New York’s Chinatown. 

It’s been two years since eight people were killed when a man opened fire in three different Atlanta-area massage businesses. Six of the eight victims were Asian women. The discourse surrounding the mass shooting, from government officials to mainstream media outlets, claimed the motive of the shooting was unknown. But many people in the AAPI community scoffed. Pointing out that this hate crime didn’t happen in a vacuum– but within the context of a long and racist history. So, in the last two years, has anything changed? We spoke with Phi Nguyen, Executive Director for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta, and Georgia House State Rep. Dr. Michelle Au, representing the Georgia House 50th district 

Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse last week was the largest American bank failure since 2008, and sparked worldwide fear of broader economic impacts and drew comparisons to the 2008 financial crisis. We talk to Aaron Klein, Senior economic studies fellow at The Brookings Institution, about what caused this mess with SVB, what federal regulators are doing now, and what this means for other banks, and the economy as a whole.

This week marks the 111th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of America. Founded with the goal of building girls’ confidence, The Girl Scouts has introduced millions of girls to new friends and experiences they may not have otherwise had access to. While they might be best known for their cookies, the organization’s true legacy lies with its nearly 2.5 million girl and adult current members worldwide, many of whom are in leadership positions in businesses, politics, and their local communities. We explore the past, present and future of the Girl Scouts with Meridith Maskara, CEO of the Girl Scouts of Greater New York. And we hear from listeners about how the Girl Scouts changed their lives. For full transcript, see above.

Right now HB 359 is making its way through the Montana state  legislature.  The measure would ban drag performances  in schools, libraries, and some businesses. The ban defines drag in terms that are quite broad. It states, in part, that a person is performing drag if their presentation: “...is different than the performer’s gender assigned at birth using clothing, makeup, or other physical markers and sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise performs for entertainment to appeal to a prurient interest.”  As the fate of HB 359 still hangs in the balance, earlier this month, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee recently signed into law a bill banning drag shows when children are around, along with a bill preventing trans kids from accessing medically sanctioned, and often life saving, gender affirming healthcare. We talk about the bills, what they mean for the community, and where advocates fear these bills might lead.

Original Air Date: March 13, 2022 In the early morning of August 10, 1984, Deborah Sykes, a 25-year-old copy editor at a local newspaper in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was sexually assaulted and stabbed to death. Without any evidence, Darryl Hunt, a 19-year-old Black man, was implicated and convicted for Sykes murder. Although DNA evidence was found to exonerate him in 1994, he spent another 10 years in prison. The case is the subject of the 2007 HBO documentary "The Trials of Darryl Hunt."   After Hunt was finally exonerated in 2004, he started a nonprofit called the Darryl Hunt Project for Freedom and Justice which helped provide resources to individuals recently released from prison and advocated for criminal justice reform. On March 13, 2016, Hunt tragically killed himself. To commemorate his death six years ago, we take a long look at the grave injustices in his wrongful conviction with award-winning investigative journalist, narrative writer, and college professor Phoebe Zerwick. She wrote an eight-part series for the Winston-Salem Journal in 2003 that led in part to Hunt’s exoneration, and she is the author of Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt, in which she spent years investigating and covering Hunt’s case.  Cover of "Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt" (Amazon) We also speak with Suzy Salamy, the director of social work at the Innocence Project, about some of the mental health impacts of wrongful conviction and the trauma caused by racial discrimination and biases in the criminal justice system.  

Congress has not passed meaningful immigration reform in more than two decades. So when  President Joe Biden took office in 2021, he promised to craft immigration policies far more humane than those of his predecessor and to “reassert America’s commitment to asylum-seekers and refugees.” But the realities of immigration during the Biden years have been far more mixed. In recent months, the administration put in place more restrictions on who and how people can claim asylum in the U.S. at the U.S./Mexico border. These rules are some of the administration's harshest asylum policies yet.  These tightened restrictions are coming just ahead of the end of the Trump-era border restriction, Title 42. Since 2020, Title 42 has allowed border security to turn away hundreds of thousands of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers attempting to enter the country through the southern border. Title 42 is set to expire when the Biden Administration lifts the COVID-19 national and public health order on May 11. And the White House has voiced concern with a possible “surge” in migration at the border. For more on this, we're joined now by Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. And Isabela Dias a reporter at Mother Jones covering immigration.

The National Brotherhood of Skiers was founded in 1973 with a mission of expanding a love of skiing and other winter sports within the Black community, and supporting talented Black skiers chasing olympic dreams. The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and current NBS president Henri Rivers shares his love of skiing, the current status of the organization, and how to nurture a love of winter sports in children.

Original Air Date: March 8, 2023 The 95th Academy Awards will take place this Sunday. Feeling like you've missed out on all the buzz? Wanting to catch up on your Oscars movie bucket list? Or just interested in hearing some great predictions for the category winners? You're in luck!  Kristen Meinzer, a culture critic and host of the podcast "By The Book," and Rafer Guzman, a film critic for Newsday. Together Kristen and Rafer are the co-hosts of the podcast, Movie Therapy. They sit down with The Takeaway to give us all of their 2023 Oscar Awards predictions and analysis. 

It’s been ten months since the Southern Baptist Convention passed a number of reforms aimed at helping prevent abuse within its churches and caring for survivors of past abuse. But progress on implementing those reforms has been slow, and the Convention has continued to field debates within its churches about who is really accountable. We speak with Liam Adams, religion reporter at The Tenneseean. In June 2022, The Takeaway reported on the third-party investigation of the SBC's top governing body, which found that leaders systematically ignored, belittled and intimidated survivors of sexual abuse for the past two decades while protecting the legal interests of churches accused of harboring abusers. Listen to that piece here.

Original Air Date: June 06, 2022 A third-party investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention’s top governing body found that an influential group of leaders systematically ignored, belittled and intimidated survivors of sexual abuse for the past two decades while protecting the legal interests of churches accused of harboring abusers. Despite recent declines in membership, Southern Baptists are still the largest evangelical group in the United States, with more than 13 million members. How they respond to this moment is deeply consequential for America. We speak with Robert Downen, a reporter at The Houston Chronicle, and Dr. Kristin Kobes Du Mez, professor of history and gender studies at Calvin University and author of "Jesus and John Wayne," about the recent findings and the SBC's response. We also hear from two survivors of abuse in the SBC, Hannah-Kate Williams and Christa Brown, about their long fights for justice and accountability. 

Non-alcoholic liquor and beer sales have exploded in recent years, and bars across the country now have non-alcoholic cocktail options on their menu along with alcoholic drinks. Takeaway producers Katerina Barton and Ryan Wilde talk to a few folks in the industry and and customers at a sober bar in New York City about this growing trend. They look at what makes a sober bar still a bar, and discover the deeper importance of folks being able to share physical space to come together and connect in environments that are alcohol free. Guests: Abby Ehmann, owner of Hekate, a sober bar in the East Village in NYC. Brianda Gonzalez, owner of The New Bar, a non-alcoholic bottle shop in Los Angeles. Chris Marshall, owner of Sans Bar, a space with all the fun and social life of a bar without the alcohol in Austin, Texas. Arielle Ashford, co-founder of Unity Recovery and co-owner of The Volstead, a vegan restaurant and zero-proof bar in Philadelphia. 

This week in Atlanta, supporters of an environmental movement to defend the Atlanta Forest are having a Week of Action against "cop city," following the January police killing of queer, Indigenous-Venezuelan Forest defender Manuel Teran aka Tortuguita. Over this past weekend, a group of protestors engaged in property damage of construction infrastructure around a security outpost adjacent to the RC field where a music festival was being hosted. The festival featured appearances from artists like Zack Fox and Faye Webster. 35 protesters were arrested during the festival and 23 accused of domestic terrorism, including a legal observer from the Southern Poverty Law Center who was representing the National Guild of Lawyers.  Our digital producer Zachary Bynum got the chance to speak with participants who’d been taking part in the week of action.  You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Cop City Cop City: Forest Defender Killed Cop City: Welcome to RIOTSVILLE, USA Editor's Note: We reached out to the Atlanta Police Foundation for comment.  If we hear back from them, we will be sure to post their comments on our website.

Satya Rhodes-Conway is the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, population 270,000. When she was first elected in 2019, Mayor Rhodes-Conway became the first out LGBTQ person to serve as Madison’s mayor. She is also the chair of the Climate Mayors, an appointed position from the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee. Host Melissa Harris-Perry recently visited Madison, Wisconsin, and spoke with Mayor Rhodes-Conway in Madison.  They toured a Madison landmark, and had a conversation about what makes cities great, the specific challenges Madison faces, and more.    

Modern businesses and governments are entrenched in relationships with the consulting industry: a multibillion dollar industry that promises expertise and efficiency to cut through the stagnancy of bureaucracy. But according to our guest, it rarely delivers on those promises. Rosie Collington is a political economist at the University College London’s Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose. She and Mariana Mazzucato are co-authors of "The Big Con: How The Consulting Industry Weakens Our Businesses, Infantilizes Our Governments, and Warps Our Economies."  Collington joined us to discuss the book. She and Mazzucato expose our economies’ reliance on consulting firms and how they have obfuscated corporate and political accountability, heightened the extraction of privatization, and capitalized on crises like climate change — to the world’s detriment. 

Recent reporting by The New York Times investigative reporter Hannah Dreier highlighted the issues with migrant children who are forced to work in the U.S., but this wasn’t the first time someone reported on this problem. We’ll hear from Daffodil Altan, an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker who produced the film Trafficked in America in 2018, and we'll hear from Margaret Wurth, Senior Researcher in the Children’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, about legal farm child labor.   

While certain Asian American conservatives like Nikki Haley and Young Kim have gained prominence in recent years, they didn’t come out of nowhere. Conservative political traditions in Asian American communities have developed organically for decades, reflecting complex relationships between such communities, their heritage countries, and the U.S. itself.  The UCLA’s Amerasia Journal explores these understudied but multifaceted stories in a new special issue titled, “Conservatisms and Fascisms in Asian America.” We speak with the co-editors: Jane Hong, associate professor of history at Occidental College, and Adrian De Leon, assistant professor of American studies and ethnicity at the University of Southern California.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Black people owned more than 16 million acres of farmland across the United States. Now, more than 90% of that land has been lost.    This land loss is, in part, due to the USDA's systemic racial discrimination of Black farmers. While advocates have struggled to preserve the tradition of Black farming across the United States through a concerted movement of both legal and policy measures, Black farmers have not seen real relief. And Black ownership of farmland continues to dwindle.  President of the National Black Farmers Association, Mr. John Boyd Jr., joins us to talk through updates in the fight against the extinction of Black farmers across the country. 

Original Air Date: October 4th 2021 We talked to Professor Anita Hill about her fight for gender justice and her new book, Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence     Book cover for "Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence" by Anita Hill (Courtesy of Penguin Random House /AP Photo)  

Original Air Date: January 31,2022 ABC mockumentary Abbott Elementary takes us to a public school in Philadelphia, where the teachers do their best to educate their students in spite of a lack of resources and funding. Sheryl Lee Ralph plays a no-nonsense, veteran teacher and mentor to second-grade teacher Janine Teagues, played by the show’s creator Quinta Brunson. Ralph has won Emmy for best supporting actress, a SAG award, and a Critics Choice award all for her role in Abbott Elementary.  While the reality of the public school system is no joke, Abbott Elementary allows us to laugh at the absurdity of a dire situation and root for the unsung heroes of the public school system. We speak with Sheryl Lee Ralph about activism, education, and Abbott Elementary.  

Kinetic Light, a disability art collective, performed a duet called Under Momentum at Lincoln Center in February. The performance shows the joys of continuous motion, the allure of speed, and the beautiful futility of resisting gravity and is performed on a series of ramps, and the artists interchange between wheelchair and floor movement. We speak with Alice Sheppard, founder of Kinetic Light, who performed in Under Momentum, about the performance, the joys of moving the body, and access in the arts. In this audio story you'll also hear audio descriptions from Under Momentum that describe the visual experience of the performance for those who are blind or have low vision. These are not just an add-on to the show, but a full and complete way of experiencing the performance. Audimance, Kinetic Light's signature approach to audio description was created by artist/engineer Laurel Lawson.You'll also hear from Miranda Hoffner, the associate director of accessibility at Lincoln Center. Under Momentum is an experience curated by disabled performers for a disabled audience and Kinetic Light worked with Lincoln Center to provide several access points to the performance including deaf and hearing ASL interpreters, captioning for hard of hearing or deaf folks, haptic wires that people could touch to feel vibrations during the performance, and a quiet room for people who might become overstimulated. There was also a “choose what you pay model” for tickets, because cost is also a barrier to accessing art. Image Descriptions:Alice is a multiracial Black woman with short curly hair. Laurel is a white person with cropped teal hair. They both wear shimmery metallic costumes. In the photo Alice Sheppard kneels at the base of the ramp, with her back and wheels facing the camera. She reaches her arms high in a V. Laurel Lawson peers at her from behind the ramp.   

For almost three years the amount of aid provided to low-income families increased. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, additional benefit allotments allowed SNAP households to receive more money in monthly benefits per person. But as of March 1st, those benefits are gone nationwide.  We look back at our conversation with Jamila Michener, associate professor in the department of Government at Cornell University, Co-Director of the Cornell Center for Health Equity, and Author of, Fragmented Democracy: Medicaid, Federalism, and Unequal Politics. 

The Columbia River runs for over 1,200 miles through the Pacific Northwest, from the Canadian Rockies, through Idaho, then Washington, and through Oregon before finally emptying in the Pacific Ocean. For thousands of years, Native Tribes along the Columbia River have depended on the river, and its bountiful stocks of salmon for sustenance, and for their livelihood, and the salmon are engrained in their cultural identity, and their spiritual practices. So much so, that the Columbia River Basin tribes today proudly refer to themselves as "Salmon People." While there were once 10 million salmon that returned to the Columbia River's spawning grounds, extensive damming, overfishing, habitat loss, and now climate change, have decimated salmon populations.  Today, just around 1 million salmon make the return trip up the Columbia and through its tributaries. A new documentary from ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting directed by Katie Campbell titled Salmon People: A Native Fishing Family’s Fight to Preserve a Way of Life, tells the story of Randy Settler and his family, who are from the Yakama Tribe, as they fight to preserve the depleting salmon populations, and preserve their way of life. We speak with Katie Campbell, documentary filmmaker with ProPublica and director of the film Salmon People, A Native Fishing Family's Fight to Preserve a Way of Life, and Randy Settler, Yakama Tribal fisherman, about the fight to protect the salmon of the Columbia River, and the fight to preserve the way of life of the "Salmon People." For more, check out ProPublica and Oregon Public Broadcasting's multi-part reporting series "Broken Promises," and watch the documentary online for free.     

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court heard two arguments over whether President Biden has the authority to forgive millions of dollars in federal student loan debt.  These legal challenges come after Biden announced a plan last year that would forgive up to $20,000 in debt for some borrowers. This could affect an estimated 40 million borrowers across the country, and wipe out more than 400 billion in federal student debt.  The Department of Education has said that 26 million people already applied for the debt relief last year after the plan was announced, but it was put on temporary hold by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in November. These legal challenges are asking whether the Biden Administration has the authority to forgive student loan debt under the 2003 law called the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students, also known as the HEROES Act. Supporters and advocates for student debt cancellation gathered outside of the Supreme Court building ahead of arguments, and one person there was Kat Welbeck, Director of Advocacy & Civil Rights Counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center. She joined to discuss the arguments.

During J. Edgar Hoover’s nearly 50 years as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, he transformed the FBI from a small enterprise mainly investigating interstate crimes to one of the nation’s most formidable intelligence institutions. But during his tenure, Hoover became more than just the agency's leader — he became its spiritual general. "Hoover baptized the FBI in his own image," says Lerone Martin, the Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial professor and director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University.  Martin uncovered thousands of internal FBI documents using the Freedom of Information Act, and these documents paint a picture of Hoover’s FBI as not just a force of the law, but a force of white Christian nationalism.  Martin's new book is "The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism."

Last week, Seattle became the first U.S. city to pass a ordinance banning caste discrimination. The caste system in India is a division and hierarchy of people which is determined by birth and descent, and originated from Brahmanism, a spiritual philosophy which is considered a predecessor of Hinduism.  Although caste discrimination was banned in India in 1948, in many ways the caste system still persists in India.  Here in America, activists say that as South Asians have emigrated to America, caste discrimination persists. Critics of the bill say that it will lead to more anti-Hinduism discrimination, and that it’s a painful reminder of the caste system which some believe to be obsolete in America. The Seattle ordinance gives legal recourse for those who have been discriminated against in the workplace, with housing, or in other circumstances. It passed by a 6-to-1 vote. We speak with Kshama Sawant, member of the Seattle City Council who proposed the ordinance, and Prachi Patankar, a community activist and writer who has been an advocate against caste based discrimination. Here are statements by two Hindu-American organizations critical of the bill, Coalition of Hindus in North America and the Hindu American Foundation.  The Takeaway also received a statement from Sara Nelson, the lone Seattle Councilmember who voted against the ordinance:  I voted against this legislation because it links caste discrimination with Hinduism and people of South Asian descent and we received hundreds of emails from opponents who argued that enshrining caste as a protected class here in Seattle will perpetuate racist and colonialist stereotypes and serve only to generate more anti-Hindu discrimination. This perspective was not represented in any of the materials provided to Councilmembers and I could not support creating a new protected class for a culturally and historically complex concept when the community the legislation is supposed to protect believes it will do more harm than good. 

BLACK.QUEER.RISING. is a special series where The Takeaway looks at Black, LGBTQ+ trailblazers and changemakers. We've gotten the chance to talk to artists like Big Freedia and Moore Kismet about their music, activist like #BlackLivesMatter founder Alicia Garza, and New York Congressman Richie Torres. George M. Johnson was a member of 2022's TIMES 100 Most Influential People list, and they are an author, journalist, and activist. Their New York Times bestselling young adult, nonfiction “memoir-manifesto” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” centers on growing up Black and Queer in America, and it is the second most banned book in the U.S. right now, as book bans are on the rise all over the country. Recently, the book was banned in Escambia County, Florida at a time where the state's governor has taken drastic moves to ban the teaching of Black history; diversity, equity, and inclusion education; and critical race theory. To close out our Black History Month special series, we revisit our conversation with George M. Johnson who joined us back in October 2022 to discuss their banned-book and what Black.Queer.Rising means to them.

Last Monday, parts of Syria and Turkey were once again struck by a fatal earthquake, of a 6.4 magnitude. More than 50,000 people in both Turkey and Syria have been killed by the impact of these now three quakes and their aftershocks.  We'll hear how the new quakes impacted ongoing rescue and recovery efforts; how international aid to Syria continues to face obstacles due to the war; and how Turkey's government is handling transparency and accountability in their responses. We're joined again by Shirin Jaafari, reporter covering the Middle East for The World. Jaafari has been speaking with survivors in Syria in the aftermath.  

Earlier this month, the Mississippi House passed House Bill 1020. The bill would expand the police force as well as create a new court system within the CCID — or Capitol Complex Improvement District — of the capital city of Jackson, where judges and prosecutors would be appointed by state officials, instead of elected, as they are in every other county in Mississippi. 83-percent of residents in Jackson, Mississippi are Black, and those state officials who would be appointing Jackson’s judges and prosecutors are both white.  We speak with Rep. Ed Blackmon, Mississippi state representative representing the 57th District about the bill.

On April 1st, 2021, 1,100 workers from the Warrior Met Coal Mine in Brookwood, Alabama went on strike for better working conditions. The miners represented by the United Mine Workers of America have been on strike for almost 23 months, nearly 700 days, and this is believed to be the longest strike in Alabama history. But UMWA and Warrior Met are still at a standstill on contract negotiations, all while the mines are still operating with replacement workers, and still earning a profit.  Last week, UMWA leadership informed the remaining members on strike that the union would be ​​entering a new phase to win a fair contract, and sent a letter to the CEO of Warrior Met announcing that the striking miners were willing to return to work on March 2. Now, those coal miners who choose to return to work will be working under their old contract, while the UMWA and Warrior Met continue to negotiate. We get updates from Kim Kelly, an independent labor journalist and author of the book, "FIGHT LIKE HELL: The Untold History of American Labor." Kim has been covering the Warrior Met Coal strike since April 2021. Here is our previous coverage of the Warrior Met Strike:Alabama Union Coal Mine Workers Enter Fifth Month of StrikeAlabama Miners Are Still on Strike Nearly Nine Months Later

It has been a year since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the brutal invasion of Ukraine. A country on the border of NATO and the European Union. And while the future of geopolitics is still up in the air, one twelve-year-old girl took it upon herself to tell the stories of children caught in the war. Yeva’s diary began on her 12th birthday– only a handful of days before the invasion that displaced her and her grandmother. She is now 13. We spoke with Yeva Skalietska, author of You Don’t Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine.

Dr. Samuel Ramsey believes entomology is the study of diversity since insects are the most diverse species on the planet. In 2022, he was featured on Hulu's Black History Month special Your Attention Please which shines a light on Black innovators in art, science, culture, and more. And he has used social media to help the world better understand insects and their importance.   Dr. Sammy is also the founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation, which is closely studying communicable diseases in bees and plans to make all of this research openly accessible to the public, an unprecedented move in the scientific community. Through his work in entomology, Dr. Sammy has found some interesting connections between humans and insects, and he joined The Takeaway for the next edition of Black.Queer.Rising. to discuss all of this and more. 

Wilmot Collins was born and raised in civil war-torn Liberia. Being witness to political violence and corruption in his own country, he became fascinated with America’s system of government in college. After losing two brothers in the war, he fled with his fiance, Maddie, to Ghana in 1990, finding work as a teacher. Still struggling, they then decided to go to America. Maddie, pregnant at the time, got a student visa to go to nursing school in Montana. Wilmot would join her, and meet his young daughter, almost two years later in Helena.  Today, Wilmot Collins is the first Black mayor of Helena, Montana's capital city with a population 33,000. Montana state has a less than 1-percent Black population.  We speak to Mayor Collins about his journey to America as a refugee, the hope and worry he sees in America's democracy, and leading a predominantly white city as a Black mayor.

Technology is touted as the future but one thing the industry has not been able to solve is its lack of gender and racial diversity within the field. Black Girls CODE was founded in 2011 to improve the pipeline of Black girls in tech. To change the landscape of what technology looks like and to build a new generation of computer programmers. Today, Black Girls CODE aims to deepen their impact by showing the world that Black girls can code, lead, innovate, and engineer their own futures.  We spoke to Sofia Mohammed, Interim Executive Director of Black Girls CODE

The anti-abortion movement continues to gain momentum, and its strategies against reproductive rights are evolving. We check in on attacks on abortion rights, from federal court in Texas, to Kentucky’s Supreme Court, to state legislatures across the country.   We're joined by Caroline Kitchener, national political reporter covering abortion at the Washington Post.

Conflict, repression, economic circumstances, drought, and famine have driven the migration of nearly 2 million people from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East to Southern Europe in the last decade. Migrants all over the world have died and gone missing at alarming rates. In the past decade, this endless tragedy has plagued the Mediterranean Sea in particular. Since 2014, over 25,000 migrants have gone missing and presumably died while taking the perilous journey asea. Aid groups like who have been giving life-saving assistance to migrants who cross are now being criminalized. Twenty-four aid workers in Greece stand trial for helping migrants who were crossing through the Mediterranean. We speak with New Yorker staff writer Alexis Okeowo who covers conflict, culture, and human rights across Africa, Mexico, and the American South to better understand the scale and impact of this crisis and what can be done to improve migration conditions.

For well over a decade, rural hospitals have been in crisis. Since 2010, 141 hospitals in rural communities have closed. And although they’ve been struggling financially for years, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to the brink with a record 19 closures in 2020 alone.  And while pandemic-era federal aid stopped some of these rapid closures, much of that aid expired at the end of last year. The Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform estimates that more than 600 rural hospitals – or nearly 30% of all rural hospitals in the country – are at risk of closing in the near future. The federal government tried to address this crisis with a plan called the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation, but the plan comes with hard choices for many of these hospitals and would have a huge impact on the rural communities they serve. For more on the crisis at rural hospitals, we spoke with Harold Miller, President and CEO of the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. 

Da’Shaun L. Harrison is an organizer, trans theorist, Editor-at-Large at Scalawag Magazine and winner of the 2022 Lambda Literary Award in transgender nonfiction for their book Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-Fatness as Anti-Blackness. For our series Black.Queer.Rising, they share their understanding of the connection between anti-fatness and anti-Blackness, why and how they’re able to show up as their full unapologetic self, and what they view as the limitations of liberation while existing within an oppressive system.  To read the full transcript, see above.

On February 24th, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an unprovoked, full scale military attack on Ukraine. Russia’s attacks on Ukraine are ongoing, and with the first anniversary of war approaching, we check-in with journalists we’ve spoken to throughout the conflict to reflect on the past year and look at the current state of the war.  We spoke with Christopher Miller, Ukraine correspondent for the Financial Times and author of the forthcoming book about Ukraine, “The War Came To Us,” and Anton Troianovski, the Moscow bureau chief for The New York Times. We also spoke with Ukrainians we’ve talked to throughout the conflict: Last April, we spoke with Olena Shevchenko, Head of Insight Ukraine, an LGBTQ advocacy group based in Ukraine. Olena was in the Kyiv at the start of Russia’s invasion. She stayed for 14 days, partially sheltering in a basement, and then decided to move the Kyiv-based part of her organization to the western city of Lviv. They went back to Kyiv in June, and have hubs all around the country. Throughout the war, the organization continued advocacy work around LGBTQ issues, but they also helped tens of thousands of people who were fleeing the country or who were internally displaced, by offering legal consultations, distributing humanitarian aid, and finding temporary shelter. Last March, we spoke with Mariia Sirychenko, just a couple of weeks after the Russian Invasion. She was in Kyiv when the city was attacked and she left two days later, also to the safety of Lviv. Nearly a year later, she’s back in Kyiv. Mariia is from Mariupol, a city that was under siege for more than 80 days. And it's estimated that thousands of civilians were killed in the attacks, but exact numbers are difficult to verify. The city is currently under Russian control. When we last spoke to Mariia, she hadn’t been able to contact her grandmother in Mariupol for 10 days, but thankfully they found a way to rescue her. We check-in with these voices on the ground in Ukraine about how life has changed for them and how they’re reflecting on this one-year mark of the war.

Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, and U.N. ambassador has officially entered the 2024 presidential race. She is the first major Republican challenge to Former President Donald Trump… only two years after she said she wouldn’t.  Katon Dawson, former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party joins us to find out if Haley's bid is not just for president but for "the soul" of the Republican party. 

The new docuseries "Murder in Big Horn" which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and premiered on Showtime this Month looks into a disturbing trend: “the disappearances and possible murders of a group of Native American women in rural Montana.”   We hear from directors Razelle Benally (Oglala Lakota/Diné) and Matthew Galkin about the epidemic of MMIW or Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women.

Democratic Colorado Representative Leslie Herod joins us for our series Black Queer Rising. Herod has held down the 8 district in Colorado since her victory in the 2016 – and is the first openly queer Black woman in the Colorado House of Representatives elected in the state’s history.  Herod has made a name for herself by tackling and securing sweeping changes with a police reform bill signed into Colorado law in June 2020. Her efforts have de-felonized drug possession and introduced bail reform. As a representative she supported and guided the passage of a voter supported tax to fund mental health and drug rehabilitation centers in the city of Denver. She turns to the city with her eyes on the coveted prize of Mayor. The Mayoral election is set to take place in early April of this year.  Representative Herod joins us to explain the reasoning behind her focus on criminal justice reform, and her plans for the future of Colorado. For full transcript, see above.

Two weeks ago, a train carrying toxic chemicals through a small town in eastern Ohio derailed in a fiery crash and flames and black smoke filled the sky. Federal investigators have said the derailment was caused by a mechanical issue with a rail car axle. But rail companies have used their influence to lobby against federal regulations that could have made an event like this less possible — including mechanical safety upgrades for trains carrying hazardous chemicals and what chemicals are even classified as hazardous. With such trains criss-crossing thousands of miles across the U.S., the event in Ohio is a warning for the country. The Lever, a national reader-supported investigative journalism outlet, recently investigated the rail industry's lobbying against proposed federal regulations. We speak with reporter Matthew Cunningham-Cook.  

Gray Love: Stories About Dating and New Relationships After 60 is an ambitious effort that includes forty-two essays covering a range of topics. From dating while mourning the loss of a partner, to what to write on an online dating profile. Some stories are sad and tragic while others are funny and joyful. We talk to the Co-Editors of the book Nan Bauer-Maglin and Daniel E. Hood.