Politics with Amy Walter

Guess what? We are officially phasing out The Takeaway's Politics with Amy Walter. 

We are still making our weekly politics show, but it will officially be housed on The Takeaway Podcast feed starting this week. 

So, what should you do?

Subscribe to The Takeaway's podcasts and news feeds using iTunes or your favorite podcast client so you'll always have the latest episode. Listen to podcasts on your computer or transfer the files to your mp3.file player to take them with you anywhere.

Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @thetakeaway.

The Takeaway airs on WNYC AM 820 at 9am weekdays, on WNYC 93.9FM at 3pm weekdays, and on over 300 stations nationally. More information may be found at www.thetakeaway.org.

The Inscrutable Senator Kyrsten Sinema

During Sinema's brief time in office, she has gained a reputation for being particularly inscrutable. She is known for rarely holding town halls with constituents or taking questions from the press. Last week, five members of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council publicly stepped down, calling her “one of the principal obstacles to progress.” The Takeaway talks to one of those members, Sylvia González Andersh, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, to get some more insight on Kyrsten Sinema.

Delays in Reconciliation Deal Hamper Biden's Trip to Europe

President Biden is traveling through Europe this weekend, for a trip that includes meeting with world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Rome and the UN’s climate summit, COP26. Anthony Adragna, Congressional reporter for POLITICO and author of the Congress Minutes, POLITICO’s guide to what’s happening on Capitol Hill, joined The Takeaway to discuss.

The State of Black Women's Representation in American Politics

In 2021, there are a record number of  Black women serving in state legislatures. More Black women than ever before contested for and won Congressional seats in 2020.  But after the Governor of California appointed a man to fill the former Senate seat of Vice President Kamala Harris, there is now not a single Black woman in the U.S. Senate. For more on all this, The Takeaway spoke to Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a visiting practitioner at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University and co-founder of Higher Heights,  a group focused on Black women’s political power as voters and representatives.

The Implications of Private Military Training Complexes in North Carolina

After the riots at the Capitol on January 6th, we learned that a number of the insurrectionists had received training at private, tactical training sites. Laura Flanders, host of The Laura Flanders Show, spoke to residents and council members in North Carolina who have seen these military complexes set up shop in their communities. Our host speaks with Laura and Christina Davis McCoy, secretary of the Hoke County NAACP about the rise in private military training sites, the greater implications, and what residents can do to keep them out of their backyards.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

State Politics Heating Up Across Country

Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report, and Zach Montellaro, state politics reporter at POLITICO take a look at state politics and gubernatorial races around the country where candidates are debating issues around education, police reform, and abortion rights.

New Analyses Show Potential Undercount of Black Population During 2020 Census

The findings have brought up concerns that some jurisdictions and civil rights leaders have had about lower-than-expected totals in the 2020 Census. “This might be our greatest undercount since 1960, or 1950,” said Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and president and chief executive of the National Urban League, which sued the bureau last year to stop the count from ending early. Morial joined us to discuss the undercount and the far-reaching implications it could have. 

The Experience of Resettling as an Afghan Refugee

Fifty-five thousand. That’s how many Afghans have relocated to the U.S. since mid-August.According to the Department of Homeland Security, about 40 percent are eligible for special immigrant visas because of the work they did aiding U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. But for other Afghan evacuees, it’s unclear what their legal status will be. Many entered the country not as traditional refugees, but instead under a temporary legal process known as parole. That means many of these refugees currently don’t have a direct pathway to permanent residency. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke with Naheed Samadi-Bahram, Women for Afghan Women's U.S. Country Director.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

Debt Ceiling Deal Extended but For How Long?

Join us for this week's political round up with Michael Steele, former Lt. Gov. of Maryland and previous chair of the RNC and Christina Greer, Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, co-host of podcast FAQ NYC, and author of the book “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration and the Pursuit of the American Dream." Michael and Christina share their thoughts about the debt ceiling extension and reproductive rights as well as the state of voting rights and the Democrat and Republican strategies ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Why New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas is Fighting for Immigration Reform

New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas traveled to D.C. this week and was arrested while participating in that peaceful protest. She joined The Takeaway today to talk about why she's fighting for immigration reform.

Jason Rezaian Discuss his new podcast 544 Days

Jason Rezaian joins us to discuss his new Spotify Original Podcast 544 Days which chronicles his time in an Iranian prison and what it took to get him out.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Biden Outlines Agenda To Boost the Middle Class

President Joe Biden delivered a speech geared toward a tax plan for the middle class. California had its recall election in which Governor Gavin Newsom beat out Republican frontrunner and recall candidate Larry Elder. The Takeaway hosts a politics roundtable with Dave Weigel, a national reporter covering politics for the Washington Post. Brendan Buck is a Republican strategist at Seven Letter and a former aide to Republican speakers of the House John Boehner and Paul Ryan. and Maya King, a politics reporter at Politico. 

Political Power Struggle Continues in Haiti 

Haiti is still struggling to recover a month after a major earthquake and storm hit the country and killed more than 2,000 people, with hundreds still missing. Meanwhile, Haiti is also dealing with a profound political crisis after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July. This week, that political struggle came to a new head when a prosecutor accused the current leader of the country, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, of being involved with the killing. The Takeaway was joined by Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean Correspondent for the Miami Herald to discuss the ongoing power struggle. 

Why Larry Elder's Run Has People Talking About Black Republicans

Leah Wright Rigueur, author of The Loneliness of the Black Republican; Joe Watkins host of “State of Independence” and former aide to President George H.W. Bush; and Ron Christie, former special assistant to President George W. Bush, join us to discuss what Elder’s campaign means for Black Republicanism in the U.S., and the long and complicated history between Black Americans and the Republican party.

For transcripts, see full segment pages.

Millions of Americans Lost Unemployment Insurance This Week

This past Monday — Labor Day — 7.5 million workers lost their COVID-era expanded unemployment benefits, even as the pandemic continues on.  President Joe Biden decided not to extend the benefits before they were set to expire. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke to Heather Long, economics correspondent for the Washington Post, and Annelies Goger, Fellow at the Brookings Institution. 

How Islamophobia Has Impacted Sikh Communities

Although there's no correct target for the hate and violence that occurred, misdirected Islamophobic violence against Sikh Americans has continued for two decades. The Takeaway spoke with activist and author Valarie Kaur about what the post 9/11 era has meant for Sikh Americans and her new documentary Divided We Fall: Americans In The Aftermath.

California Voters Will Decide Whether Gov. Gavin Newsom Stays or Goes

On Tuesday, California voters will decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will stay in office or be removed in a Republican-driven recall election. There are 46 candidates that are running to replace the Governor; however, recent polling shows support for the governor to stay in office. The Takeaway spoke with Libby Denkmann, senior politics reporter at KPCC in Southern California about how the recall election works and what the latest polling says.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

Texas Abortion Providers Grapple with New Reality Under Restrictive Law

On Wednesday, one of the most restrictive ever abortion rights laws in the U.S. went into effect in the Lone Star state. Called SB8, it bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people even know they’re pregnant. While it doesn't’ reverse Roe v Wade, it does circumvent it. 

The Legal Questions Surrounding Texas's Restrictive Abortion Law 

At midnight on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States effectively overturned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4, page-and-a-half, unsigned, decision delivered without the court receiving briefings or hearing arguments. 

Before Roe v Wade there was the Jane Collective

We take a look at how activists worked to provide abortions prior to Roe v. Wade with a look at the Jane Collective, a group that operated out of Chicago and performed thousands of abortions between 1969 and 1973. Melissa speaks with her mother about her work in Washington between 1969-1971 and Laura Kaplan, author of a book about the collective, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service.

A New Jersey Bill Could Expand Reproductive Healthcare

Continuing the discussion of abortion access, The Takeaway looks at New Jersey’s Reproductive Freedom Act that would expand reproductive health and abortion access in the state. In October of 2020, a coalition of organizations called Thrive New Jersey worked with state legislators to introduce the bill. It has been stalled in the legislature for almost a year now, but after Texas’ restrictive abortion law went into effect this week, there has been a new push for New Jersey’s Legislature to take action.

For segment, see individual segment pages.  

The Supreme Court Reinstated Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' Policy 

This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration must reinstate the Trump-era immigration policy known as 'Remain in Mexico,' which forces many asylum seekers to live in Mexico while they wait for the date of their asylum hearings.Many migrants seeking asylum have had to endure unsafe and inhumane conditions in Mexico during that interim period.

How the Biden Administration is Responding to Deadly Terrorist Attacks in Kabul

On Thursday, two terrorist attacks by the Kabul airport killed dozens of Afghans and at least thirteen U.S. service members. U.S. officials say that an Afghanistan based affiliate of ISIS was behind the attack. With less than a week until the August 31 deadline that the U.S. says all U.S. military members will be withdrawn from Afghanistan, these deadly attacks and the potential of more in the coming days greatly complicate the situation for the Biden administration.

A Win for Felony Offender Enfranchisement in North Carolina

A North Carolina judicial panel declared that roughly 56,000 formerly incarcerated individuals “can register to vote and cast ballots.” This specifically applies to individuals who are felons, served their time and are out on parole. It would also include people “convicted of a federal felony” but have probation as their punishment. State lawmakers who are defendants in the case promise to file an appeal.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

A Look at What Happened to Capitol Hill Bomb Threat Suspect 

On Thursday, 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of Grover, North Carolina surrendered to Capitol Police after an hours-long standoff at the Library of Congress. Earlier in the day, Roseberry posted a video to social media claiming he had explosives. In a press conference following his surrender, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, indicated Roseberry had suffered personal losses in his family. 

Should Politician's Apologize?

On Monday President Joe Biden said, “I am President of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me,” when discussing Afghanistan. He also noted he was “saddened by the facts” of the current crisis but did not apologize for any failure on the part of the US. Our round table discussion will address past instances when presidents publicly apologized or noted lessons learned, when they didn’t, and how that ultimately affects how they’re seen by voters. 

From Baking to Painting Murals: Protesting Can Take Many Forms

Following the murder of George Floyd, millions of people across the globe took to the streets to protest police brutality and systemic racism. But people also protested in more unique ways like baking. 

Does Bipartisanship Still Work?

A conversation on the history of bipartisan legislation, changes in ideology, and whether true bipartisanship is actually dead.

Fights Over Voting Rights and Mask Mandates Heat Up in Texas

This week, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed arrest warrants for 52 Democrats who have refused to return to the state Capitol during the two special sessions called this summer.

What the July Jobs Report Tells Us About Economic Recovery

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its July jobs report, which showed a .5 percent drop in the unemployment rate to 5.4 percent.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.