Maria and Julio get into the science of the coronavirus pandemic with infectious disease epidemiologists Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of NYC Health & Hospitals’ Special Pathogens Program, and Jessica Malaty Rivera, science communication lead for The COVID Tracking Project. They talk about what we have learned about COVID-19 a year into the pandemic, inequities in vaccine distribution, and what preparing for future pandemics must look like. ITT Staff Picks: - "Among the restrictions and shut downs and distancing, we’ve had to acknowledge that the other side of staunch individualism is searing solitude. The other side of boundless privatization is a failing state. And the other side of what some called normal was uncontested white supremacy," writes Dr. Rhea Boyd in The Nation. - ProPublica is reporting on and tracking the barriers to accessing a vaccine as more Americans become eligible, and how inequity is built into the vaccination system.  - "For many, the vaccine's arrival was a reminder of how far behind the island remains after years of crisis," reports Syra Ortiz-Blanes for the Miami Herald about the COVID-19 vaccine in Vieques, an island off of Puerto Rico where devastation from Hurricane Maria continues to leave thousands without access to a hospital. Photo credit: AP Photo/John Minchillo, File  

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Maria and Julio discuss President Biden’s first address to the nation, including his promise that every adult American will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine come May 1. They also unpack the latest on immigration and the need for media coverage to include the historical context of U.S. foreign policy that destabilized regions, like Central America, and forced people to flee from their homes. Finally, they get into Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah, and the nuances behind the issues raised around racism, colonialism and the monarchy.   ITT Staff Picks: - Michele L. Norris writes for the Washington Post Opinions about the royal family: “The disparate treatment of someone with Black ancestry, the obsession with skin color, the private consternation over bloodlines and mixed marriage. Let’s not pretend that the United States has rid itself of these particular strains of the virus called racism.” - Deanna Pan of the Boston Globe reports about the vaccine rates among Latinos lagging in Massachusetts: “Critics of the state’s rollout say the racial and ethnic disparities are a reflection of an inherently inequitable vaccination system that privileges the white middle class at the expense of immigrants, people of color, and the poor." - A breakdown of the American Rescue Plan, via Emily Stewart in Vox.  Photo credit: Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions via AP, File  

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As the one-year mark of quarantine approaches, Maria and Julio hold space for grief and reflection. They talk with Alua Arthur, a death doula and founder of Going With Grace, and Sarah Chavez, a death positive activist and executive director of The Order of the Good Death. They process a year of continuous loss, and they hear about Dr. Magdala Chery's experiences as a Black physician and daughter to loved ones lost. Credit to Stephanie Rivers for her rendition of "Amazing Grace" featured in this Virtual Candlelight Vigil hosted by Reimagine.  ITT Staff Picks: - Kylie Rodriguez-Cayro shares advice on grieving in this piece for Huffington Post. - Terese Marie Mailhot writes in Time Magazine about returning to the Native grieving ceremonies — that she once rejected — when she lost two friends during the pandemic. - "It's a fact of American life that the divide between Black and white affects us from the cradle to the grave," writes Kaitlyn Greenidge in this article for The New York Times. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, experiencing anxiety or depression, or looking for someone to talk to, there are resources that can help: - The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You can call at 1-800-273-8255 and they have service in Spanish and tele-interpreters for over 150 languages. - You can text CRISIS to 741741 for free, confidential, crisis counseling. - If you are based outside of the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention lists suicide hotlines by country. Photo credit: AP Photo/Alex Brandon  

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Maria and Julio get into the latest with the coronavirus pandemic, including states like Texas and Mississippi that are lifting their mask mandates and moving to reopen. They also dive into the Senate hearing on the Capitol attack, and reflect on how mainstream media has been covering the insurrectionists. And, they end with an update on the bid for statehood for Puerto Rico. As we reach one year of COVID-19 and quarantine, we want to hear from you. After a year of so much loss, we want to hear how you're grieving, coping and holding space to process. Call us to leave a voicemail on the In The Thick hotline at (505) 226-8973 or send us a voice memo via email to [email protected]. ITT Staff Picks:  - Julio breaks down the reasons why the push for Puerto Rico's statehood keeps stalling in this piece for The Washington Post. - "The reforms being pushed could not have even saved George Floyd’s life. We need much more than this," writes Derecka Purnell in this piece for The Guardian.  - Ja'han Jones reports on a weeklong water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi — a majority-Black city — that has left hundreds of thousands under a boil water advisory via Huffington Post. Photo credit: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File  

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Maria and Julio welcome two new ITT guests: Josie Duffy Rice, president of The Appeal and host of the podcast "Justice in America," and Michael Harriot, a senior writer at The Root. They talk about the latest in criminal justice, including the federal and state cases for the murder of George Floyd. They also get into the Congressional investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and how states are continuing to respond with legislation targeting protestors fighting for racial justice.  As we reach one year of COVID-19 and quarantine, we want to hear from you. After a year of so much loss, we want to hear how you're grieving, coping and holding space to process. Call us to leave a voicemail on the In The Thick hotline at (505) 226-8973 or send us a voice memo via email to [email protected]. ITT Staff Picks:  - "The plot to eradicate the threat of Black power is documented by evidence, testimony and government documents from federal, state and local agencies," Michael Harriot writes about the Federal Bureau of Investigation's assassinations of Black leaders via this piece in The Root. - Check out another recent interview with Josie Duffy Rice on the 5-4 podcast where she talks about a 1987 Supreme Court decision that lets states "off the hook for perpetuating systemic racism in death penalty cases." - Matt Cohen writes for Mother Jones about how Republicans keep pretending Antifa is equivalent to violent white supremacists during the Congressional investigation into the attack on the Capitol on January 6. Credit for above image: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren  

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Maria and Julio unpack the tough week of news from the United States surpassing a half million COVID-19 deaths to the Biden administrations' bombing of Syria. They also talk about the continued detention of migrant children, and Maria and Julio call for a radical reimagining of immigration. Finally they recap this past week's confirmation hearings for the Biden administration. ITT Staff Picks: - "While making a broad change such as eliminating privatized immigration detention will take time, Congress can begin by banning immigration detention policies that incarcerate innocent people and switch to community-based alternatives," write Monica Reyes and Katherine Randall in this Latino Rebels OpEd.  - ITT All-Star Jenni Monet writes about the historic confirmation hearing for Interior Secretary nominee Rep. Deb Haaland in her latest for Indigenously. Make sure to subscribe to Jenni's *free* newsletter as this Friday's will include a special update about Rep. Haaland's hearings and what it means for Pueblo women raised under unique, ancestral patriarchy.  - Britni de la Cretaz reports in them about the House passing of the landmark LGBTQ+ civil rights bill, the Equality Act.  Credit: (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)  

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Maria and Julio welcome Alana Casanova-Burgess, reporter and producer for WNYC's "On The Media", and Cristina del Mar Quiles, reporter for the Center for Investigative Journalism (Centro de Periodismo Investigativo) to talk about Puerto Rico and "La Brega," a new seven-part bilingual podcast series co-produced by WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios. They discuss Puerto Rico's status including the issue of statehood, the humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, and the impact of modern day colonialism on the island. You can listen to "La Brega" starting Wednesday, February 24. Subscribe here! - ITT Staff Picks: Cristina del Mar Quiles writes for the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo about a lawsuit from the family of Jaideliz Moreno Ventura. Ventura was 13-years-old when she died from a medical emergency last year in Vieques, which hasn't had a functioning hospital since Hurricane Maria more than three years ago. - Julio Ricardo Varela dives into the latest on Puerto Rico's vote for statehood in last November's plebiscite in this piece for Latino Rebels. - Rosa Cartagena tells the history of the fight for suffrage in Puerto Rico and the sufragistas who shaped it via this piece for Smithsonian Magazine.  Credit info: (AP Photo/Ricardo Arduengo, File)  

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In this week's Sound Off, Maria and Julio unpack the latest in Texas as the state and its vulnerable communities have been devastated by a winter storm and freezing temperatures. They also talk about the official announcement of Biden's immigration bill that would grant an 8-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants, and they get into the already forgotten impeachment trial and acquittal of Donald Trump.  This list from TIME shows how you can help winter storm victims in Texas. ITT Staff Picks: - "Low-income Texans of color bore some of the heaviest weight of the power outages as the inequities drawn into the state’s urban centers were exacerbated in crisis." Former ITT producer Juan Pablo Garnham and Alexa Ura write about the winter storm's impact on POC communities in Texas, via the Texas Tribune. - "The crisis has piled onto an already tense environment inside some Texas jails that had been struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic even before the loss of power and water this week." This piece from the Washington Post looks at the layers of impact on incarcerated individuals.  - This piece looks at the uncertain odds of passing Biden's new immigration bill– even with a Democratic majority, via Politico.  Photo credit: AP Photo/David J. Phillip  

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Maria and Julio are joined by Charles Blow, columnist for The New York Times and author of the new book, "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto." They talk about Black political power and Charles' call for a reversal of the Great Migration to create Black regionalism in the South. They also discuss how white supremacy plagues the entire country, not just the South, and how to confront this anti-Black violence in this moment of racial reckoning during —and beyond— Black History Month. ITT Staff Picks: - "Blow explores how the white backlash towards the Great Migration that never really ended has created a situation where racism in these Northern "destination cities" of the Great Migration makes life untenable for Black Americans," writes Hope Wabuke in her review of Charles Blow's new book in NPR. - In Vann Newkirk II's latest for The Atlantic he writes that American democracy is hanging on by a thread: "Opposition to Black electoral power propels an antidemocratic front that will not likely dissipate with Trump gone. In fact, conservative lawmakers are currently targeting the very changes that helped more citizens vote in 2020." - Adapted from Robin D. G. Kelley's foreword to "Black Marxism: The Making of a Radical Tradition" in Boston Review: "These new abolitionists are not interested in making capitalism fairer, safer, and less racist—they know this is impossible. They want to bring an end to 'racial capitalism.'" Photo credit: Beowulf Sheehan  

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Maria is back to join Julio in her first ITT Sound Off in 2021! They break down the latest with the Senate impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump and process just how horrifying the attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6th was. Maria and Julio also discuss the devastating reaches of white supremacy in the country from the Biden administration's deportation of Haitian immigrants to the recent wave of hate incidents and violence against the Asian-American community. ITT Staff Picks: - One of the breakout stars of the Senate Impeachment trial was Rep. Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands. She opened her presentation by saying: “I’ve learned throughout my life that preparation and truth can carry you far, can allow you to speak truth to power. I’ve learned that as a young Black girl growing up in the projects in Brooklyn, a housing community on St. Croix, sent to the most unlikeliest of settings, and now as an adult woman representing an island territory speaking to the U.S. Senate.” - “Anti-Blackness is baked into the immigration system and ICE has merely operationalized it. In fact, the federal agency has spent Black History Month deporting Black immigrants," writes Tina Vasquez for Prism, "Since Feb. 1, over 500 Haitians have been deported in an effort to deport 1,800 to Haiti by mid-February.” - Michelle Kim writes about the Anti-Asian Hate Crimes in the Medium Awaken Blog: “White supremacy wants us to remember the unhealed wounds we inflicted on each other, historical and ongoing anti-Blackness in the Asian community and anti-Asian incidents perpetrated by Black individuals, but not the stories of solidarity that have existed in equal measure, but are somehow left out of our history books and media coverage.” Photo credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite  

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