The Take

The battle for the 2024 US election is heating up – and the biggest challenger to former president Donald Trump seems to be Ron DeSantis. He’s the current governor of Florida, a key battleground in nationwide elections. Time and time again, he has promised to bring the blueprint of what he’s accomplished in Florida to a national scale. He gained notice when he lifted COVID-19 regulations earlier than most other US states. As governor, he’s also made sweeping changes to education and immigration, as well as feuded with the Disney Corporation. With a formal campaign announcement expected this week, does he have a chance against former President Trump?

In this episode: 

• Michael Kruse (@michaelkruse), senior staff writer at Politico 
• Mansoor Adayfi (@mansooradayfi), author and former Guantanamo prisoner 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li with Amy Walters, and our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Tim St. Clair mixed this episode.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

It’s not just the southern US border that’s changed policy this year – it’s also happening at the border with Canada. For decades, border crossings like Roxham Road near Quebec have allowed migrants to enter Canada from the United States to seek asylum. In March, the two countries extended a deal known as the Safe Third Country Agreement, which allows Canada to send asylum seekers back to the United States. The deal had previously only applied to official border points. So what will a harder border mean for Canada, and for the people trying to get there?

In this episode: 

• Naqib Sarwary (@SarwaryNaqib), Philanthropy Officer, Amnesty International Canada, and Afghan refugee
• Alex Neve (@AlexNeve24), Former secretary-general, Amnesty International Canada

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Sonia Bhagat and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Tim St. Clair mixed this episode.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

It’s the first union of its kind on the continent for African content moderators. Moderation is a crucial but thankless job that requires being exposed to the worst parts of the internet. While AI is rapidly developing, it still relies on an army of humans to fine-tune the technology. But especially at outsourcing centers abroad, workers say their Big Tech employers aren’t doing enough to safeguard and support their mental health. The moderators' union was created after a former Facebook moderator in Kenya, Daniel Motaung, sued the social media giant and its subcontractor, saying his work in their Nairobi office caused him to suffer long-term mental trauma. 

In this episode: 

• Martha Dark (@martha__dark), co-founder and director of Foxglove

• John Kamara (@jjkamara), co-founder of AI Center of Excellence Africa 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Leaders from seven of the world’s industrial powers – the Group of Seven – are meeting in Hiroshima, Japan. It’s a sobering stage – 77 years ago, the United States dropped the first of two atomic bombs in Hiroshima, and today, the threat of nuclear war is at its highest in years. This year’s G7 agenda will be focused on continued financial support for Ukraine and creating a joint message against Russia. But will there be time or money at the summit in Hiroshima to get the world closer to peace? 

In this episode: 

• James Bays (@baysontheroad), Al Jazeera diplomatic editor

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

It’s a new era for US migration. The controversial policy known as Title 42 expired last week after three years. It allowed border authorities to reject people looking to seek asylum in the US on the spot and turn them back, on the grounds that they might be carrying COVID-19. The end of Title 42 has many expecting an increase in migration in the next few months, under the belief that it will now be easier for people to seek asylum in the US. But others believe the policy replacing Title 42 will actually be stricter.  So what does the end of Title 42 actually mean for people trying to get asylum in the United States?

In this episode: 

• John Holman (@johnholman100), Al Jazeera Mexico correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Greece is gearing up for a vote on May 21, but several major scandals could pave the way for other political parties to gain ground from the ruling New Democracy party. From a tragic train collision to a government wiretapping, some argue this may be the most unpredictable election in over a decade. To make things more uncertain, an estimated 440,000 young people are set to vote for the first time. How decisive will their vote be?

In this episode: 

• Moira Lavelle (@Alohamoira), Athens-based journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat with Negin Owliaei and our host Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

The last week has been a whirlwind in Pakistan. On May 9, former Prime Minister Imran Khan – one of the most popular leaders in the nation’s history – was arrested. The video of the arrest went viral, showing military forces barging into a courtroom where Khan was sitting. Khan has now been released on bail, but he has called for his supporters to protest across the country. So what exactly happened last week in Pakistan? And what does Imran Khan’s relationship with the military have to do with it? 

In this episode: 

• Abid Hussain (@abidhussayn), Al Jazeera journalist in Pakistan 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters, with Chloe K. Li and Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 

Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

May 15th is when Palestinians mark ‘the catastrophe’, or their forced expulsion from the land that became the state of Israel. Those living in Gaza say every day is an ongoing catastrophe. About 70% of Gazans are Palestinian refugees. For the last 16 years, Israel and Egypt have imposed a blockade on Gaza. Travel is heavily controlled, jobs are scarce and the threat of escalation of violence is constant. While the older generations still dream of a return to their homeland, the younger generations say their futures have been stolen. 

In this episode: 

• Maram Humaid (@MaramGaza) Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spent nearly two decades at the top of Turkey’s democracy – first as prime minister, now as president. On May 14, Turkey will head to the polls in the first round of the country’s presidential elections, and it’s highly contested after the last few years. As for his main challenger, opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu, he once won an award as Turkey’s “bureaucrat of the year.” Now, he is the face of a broad coalition, representing everyone from right to left – all with the goal of turning the page on Erdogan’s presidency. Will they succeed? 

In this episode: 

• Sandra Gathmann (@sandragathmann) Presenter, Start Here

For more: 

Why the Turkish elections are a big test for Erdoğan – Start Here

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with Sonia Bhagat and our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

It’s been one year since Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by Israeli forces while doing her job. Independent investigations into the killing have found it was Israeli forces who shot her. After Israeli and US investigations found the killing was unintentional, Shireen’s family and colleagues continued to call for an independent investigation. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced an investigation in November, but it’s unclear where the probe stands. So what happened to that investigation, and will there ever be justice for Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing?

In this episode: 

• Ali Harb, (@harbpeace) Al Jazeera English journalist
• Rania Zabaneh (@RZabaneh), Al Jazeera English journalist, Occupied West Bank

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters with Ashish Malhotra and our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook