The Take

Polish leaders were not taken seriously about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, though they were concerned long before the first air raid sirens rang out in Kyiv in 2022. Ever since, Poland has played a leadership role, pushing the European Union for more aid to Ukraine and hosting both foreign militaries and millions of refugees as a front-line country. But Poland has its own longstanding conflict with the EU, and it has been pushed to the back burner. How has the war in Ukraine changed Poland, and how has Poland changed the EU?

In this episode: 

• Bartosz Węglarczyk (@bweglarczyk) editor-in-chief, Onet
• Maciej Konieczny (@_mkonieczny), member of Polish Parliament 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with Miranda Lin and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Andy Greiner 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.

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@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

The National Football League is the richest professional sports league in the world, but it has been accused of leaving its Black players behind. For years, the NFL fought claims from its own players that the sport could cause long-term brain damage, including a disease known as CTE. The league has since paid a settlement out to players, but it has also been accused of using race-based tests to deny Black players compensation. As the sport continues to gain larger audiences worldwide through mega-events like the Superbowl, what is the NFL doing to protect and care for its players?

In this episode: 

• Isaac Solotaroff (@Isaac_Solotarof), producer of the Al Jazeera Fault Lines documentary ‘Bloodsport’

Watch the Al Jazeera Fault Lines documentary 'Bloodsport' here.

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and Ney Alvarez with our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Chloe K. Li and Ashish Malhotra fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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

Emergency aid is pouring into southeastern Turkey after Monday’s earthquakes, but why is it so much harder for aid to reach northern Syria? Both sides of the border have been devastated by the disaster, which struck after years of conflict and displacement. With the death toll rising every day, will Syrians get the international spotlight they need?

In this episode: 

• Ammar, NGO worker living in Gaziantep, Turkey
• Emad, NGO worker living in Gaziantep
• Alper Ilki (@AlperIlki), president of the Turkish Earthquake Foundation and professor at Istanbul Technical University
• Dr. Zaher Sahloul (@Sahloul), president and co-founder of MedGlobal

Find ways to donate to the earthquake disaster response here.

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin with Amy Walters and our host, Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Amy Walters and Alexandra Locke fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Andy Greiner 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

There’s been no accountability in the massive explosion at the Port of Beirut for more than two years. But a new hope suddenly emerged late last month for families of the victims, when Judge Tarek Bitar reopened his dormant investigation into the blast, and into the leaders accused of letting it happen. Two days later, Lebanon’s Prosecutor General Ghassan Oweidat – one of those accused – issued his own charges against Bitar. Is this now the nail in the coffin for the blast investigation, or can the victims’ families still get justice?

In this episode: 

• Kareem Chehayeb (@chehayebk), reporter, Associated Press
• Mariana Fodoulian, sister of Beirut port blast victim

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Amy Walters, Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li, Alexandra Locke and Negin Owliaei fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Andy Greiner 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

What does Prevent prevent? The UK government says the programme is key to counterterrorism and protecting vulnerable people. However, human rights organisations and Muslim groups say it is surveillance and counterproductive. The government has not released an independent review of Prevent – but during the review process, it was boycotted by hundreds of organisations. Instead, many participated in a "people’s review" of Prevent. So what does a tale of two reviews tell us about the future of Prevent?

In this episode: 

• Layla Aitlhadj, (@LaylaAtweet), Director of Prevent Watch
• John Holmwood, author, “Countering Extremism in British Schools?: The Truth about the Birmingham Trojan Horse Affair”  

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Negin Owliaei. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Negin Owliaei, Ney Alvarez, Ruby Zaman, Amy Walters, and our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Our production team also includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, and Ashish Malhotra. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou Gad. 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 the deadliest month for Palestinians in years in the Occupied West Bank, just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met the new Israeli Prime Minister. Benjamin Netanyahu is back in power after his far-right government was sworn in the month before, and leaders are seeking a range of new punitive measures for Palestinians following an attack in Jerusalem by a Palestinian gunman. So what might Palestinians expect from the new Israeli government, and from the US government's relationship with it?

In this episode: 

• Diana Buttu (@DianaButtu), human rights lawyer and analyst

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and Miranda Lin with our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin and Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Andy Greiner 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

ChatGPT is taking the world by storm with AI-generated text that rivals actual literature – but there’s a price. For its parent company, OpenAI, to get this quality product, human beings are paid to help teach it to identify the bad stuff: hate speech and violence of all kinds. We hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly of ChatGPT, including from one person who did the job and has real questions about whether it’s worth the price.

Note: This episode contains elements that were generated using ChatGPT.

In this episode: 

• Nanjala Nyabola (@Nanjala1), author of Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics: How the Internet Era Is Transforming Politics in Kenya
• Michael Kearns (@mkearnsupenn), author of "The Ethical Algorithm"
• Mophat Ochieng, former AI content moderator 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Amy Walters with our host, Malika Bilal. Ashish Malhotra, Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin and Alexandra Locke fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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

When Russia invaded Ukraine, it expected a quick victory. But almost a year later, Moscow continues to spend huge sums to send more soldiers and equipment to the front lines. Meanwhile, international sanctions are also targeting its primary source of revenue: oil and gas exports. And yet, even as these costs of war climb and jeopardise Russia’s long-term economic growth, there are few signs Vladimir Putin will back down, no matter the long-term consequences.

In this episode: 

• Sergey Aleksashenko (@Saleksashenko), former deputy minister of finance and first deputy chairman of the central bank of Russia
• Polina Ivanova (@polinaivanovva), Financial Times correspondent covering Russia

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Miranda Lin with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, and Negin Owliaei fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. This episode was mixed by Tim St. Clair. Aya Elmileik 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

More than a million people have protested France’s controversial pension reform plan, which was formally presented on Monday. The majority of people – along with all of France’s biggest unions – oppose the reforms, which would raise the retirement age and the threshold of years worked to get a full pension. President Emmanuel Macron says the reforms are essential to erase deficits in the system by 2030, but even though the increases are slight, many protesters see it as a standoff over the future of work. With more demonstrations planned, is Macron risking civil unrest to get his plan through? 

In this episode: 

• Bernard Smith (@JazeeraBernard), Al Jazeera correspondent

• Axel Persson, General Secretary, CGT Railway Workers Union, Trappes

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Negin Owliaei and our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Chloe K. Li, Alexandra Locke and Ney Alvarez fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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

Global consulting firm McKinsey works all over the world, but in South Africa, it faces criminal charges for corruption. The case centers on its role in the country’s biggest post-apartheid scandal, known as state capture. The firm has also consulted on everything from looking at privatizing the UK National Health Service to researching Saudi Arabian dissidents. So what exactly does McKinsey do, and why?

In this episode: 

• Walt Bogdanich, investigative reporter at the New York Times and co-author of ‘When McKinsey Comes to Town’

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Ruby Zaman fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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