The Take

Forty-four transgender or gender non-conforming people were fatally shot or killed in the US in 2020. Six of those people were killed in Puerto Rico alone. This January, the island's governor Pedro Pierluisi declared a state of emergency and signed an executive order to address the killings. Today we are talking to activists in Puerto Rico and a journalist who has covered the gruesome crimes.

In this episode:

Pedro Julio Serrano (@PedroJulio), founder of Puerto Rico Para Tod@s; Ivana Fred Millán, activist; David Cordero Mercado (@David_cmercado), investigative journalist

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Between anti-vaxxers, Covid-truthers, and QAnon, conspiracy theorists seem to be having a moment. But having productive conversations about these theories is easier said than done. In this episode, social psychologist Jovan Byford explains why conspiracy theories spread during moments of upheaval, and shares his advice for talking to people who believe in them.

In this episode:

Dr. Jovan Byford, senior lecturer in psychology, Open University

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For people outside the US, QAnon seemed like a uniquely American threat — up until it wasn’t. The digital cult was born on the corners of the internet in 2017, but its adherents have taken offline action in several countries. So how does a baseless conspiracy theory that says Donald Trump is battling a cabal of child-trafficking elites find its way around the world?

In this episode:

Aoife Gallagher (@aoifegall), analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue; Rudy Bouma (@rudybouma), journalist at Nieuwsuur

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Social media was how many of us consumed the 2011 Arab uprisings. Technology was putting power in the hands of the people. To use social media in 2021, especially in the Middle East, is to navigate a maze of internet laws, surveillance, censorship, fake news, and bots. With Facebook now looking for ways to make political content less visible, we’re asking: what changed?

In this episode:

Mohamad Najam (@monajem), executive director of SMEX, a digital rights organization in Beirut, Lebanon; Jillian C. York (@jilliancyork), director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

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An explosive investigation reveals how a criminal gang is colluding with the security forces of Bangladesh and has links to the country’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina. All the Prime Minister’s Men is a gripping, true-crime podcast series about a high-level cover-up happening right now in Bangladesh. We hear Malika Bilal talk to the host of Al Jazeera Investigates, Kevin Hirten, on how the AJ I-unit exposed the corrupt and ongoing relationship between a criminal gang of brothers and the country’s leader.

In this episode:

Kevin Hirten (@kdhirten), host of Al Jazeera Investigates podcast.

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