Daniel Alarcón On Spanish-Language Media

Celebrated podcaster and writer Daniel Alarcón. Alarcón is the Executive Producer and host of NPR's Spanish language podcast Radio Ambulante. His podcast — which he started in 2012 — features a mix of investigative journalism and interviews, and covers a wide range of topics, from the refugee crisis in Venezuela to “killer bees” in Brazil. Alarcón is also a contributing writer at the New Yorker, a novelist, and he teaches at the Columbia Journalism School. His work dives deep into the social and cultural ties that connect Spanish-speaking populations across the United States and Central and South America. The Takeaway speaks to Alarcón about the importance of Spanish-language media and more.

When it Comes to Identity Which Word Wins?

Afro-Latinidad, Latino, Latinx and Hispanic are just a few of the terms used to identify people from a large portion of the world including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. But which one of these is right? Michele Reid-Vazquez, an associate professor in the department of Africana Studies at the University of Pittsburgh, who also serves as the director of the Afro-Latin American and Afro-Latinx Studies Initiative, and Ed Morales a journalist and author of Latinx: The New Force in American Politics and Culture joined to discuss. 

U.S. Officials Announce That 23 Species Should Be Declared Extinct

Last week, U.S. wildlife officials recommended that 22 animals and one plant within the United States and Guam be marked extinct and gone forever. In total, the extinctions include eight freshwater mussels, 11 birds, two fish, a bat, and a plant. Within the next decade, the issue could get worse due to climate change, but especially due to people taking over or changing habitats and diminishing global biodiversity. For more on this extinction and biodiversity crisis, The Takeaway spoke with Catrin Einhorn, who covers wildlife and extinction for The New York Times.

Preview of the Upcoming SCOTUS Term

Ian Millhiser, a senior correspondent at Vox, discusses some of the cases the Supreme Court is hearing this term. Its conservative leaning court will consider the fate of abortion rights, gun control, and the power Congress has over government agencies like the EPA and the Department of Labor.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.