The Take

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Middle East this week for the fifth time since October 7. There were hopes he could seal a truce for Gaza. But by the end of his trip, Israel had stepped up attacks on Palestinians in southern Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed no end to the war without ‘victory.’ So what progress has the US made?

In this episode: 

• Ali Harb (@Harbpeace), Al Jazeera Senior Producer
• Kimberly Halkett (@KimberlyHalkett), Al Jazeera White House Correspondent 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Miranda Lin with our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Sonia Bhagat fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Former cricket star turned prime minister, Imran Khan, is one of Pakistan’s most popular politicians. But he’s in jail, and was just handed three more jail sentences days before a general election. He’s barred from the ballot, though his party is still running and has called his trials a sham. So what’s on the line in Pakistan’s election this week?

In this episode: 

• Benazir Shah (@Benazir_Shah), Geo Television Journalist
• Osama Bin Javaid (@osamabinjavaid), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and David Enders with our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin and Sonia Bhagat fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

February 6, 2024 marks one year since a pair of devastating earthquakes killed more than 50,000 people in Turkey and Syria. For survivors, the recovery has been slow and painful with many question marks still left about what their future holds.

Here at The Take, we’ve been following the lives of people affected by the Turkey-Syria earthquakes over the past year. We created an online interactive experience where you can hear the voices of survivors and see what they’ve gone through. Check it out at aljazeera.com/earthquakes

In this episode: 

• Resul Serdar (@ResulSerdarAtas), Al Jazeera Senior International Correspondent 
• Sami Zeidan (@SamiZeidan), Al Jazeera Presenter and Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders and Miranda Lin with our host, Malika Bilal. Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

“Chaos.” “Confusion.” Ever since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, doctors, activists and abortion-seekers have had to navigate a new reality for reproductive care. It’s made finding care in states like Texas, with a near-total ban on abortions, especially challenging. As the US prepares for an election, the Biden campaign has vowed to restore abortion rights. Can it?

In this episode: 

• Dr. Jessica Rubino, Family Medicine Physician Specializing in Abortion Care
• Holly Bowles, Director, Sexual Assault Victim Advocacy at SAFE Alliance (@SAFEatx)
• Cathy Torres (@_cathythebaddie), Organizing Manager at Frontera Fund (@fronterafundgrv)
• Amanda Becker (@AmandaBecker), 19th News Washington Correspondent 

Episode credits:

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

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

As Israel’s war on Gaza continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Israel targeted all areas of Gaza, as some people refused further evacuation orders. Palestinians are hoping a ceasefire could be reached soon. And Gaza's educational infrastructure is being decimated as schools become graveyards. It is day 121 of the war.

In this episode:

• Mohamed Shahin, Al Jazeera Correspondent 
• Abubaker Abed, Freelance Journalist 
• Hani Mahmoud, Al Jazeera Correspondent 
• Hind Khoudary (@Hind_Gaza), Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Charles Stratford (@stratfordch), Al Jazeera Correspondent 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders, in for Malika Bilal.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story that’s in the news again. 

This originally aired on May 24, 2019. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. 

It seemed like a recipe for conflict: Take the Iran nuclear deal, add a dash of John Bolton and some US warships, and top it off with a mysterious sabotage of oil tankers near one of the most sensitive stretches of water in the world. We take you there to examine just how close the US and Iran have come to the edge of war.

In this episode: 

• Zein Basravi (@virtualzein) Al Jazeera Correspondent
• Kimberley Halkett (@KimberleyHalkett) Al Jazeera White House Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Amy Walters. The original production team was Alexandra Locke, Morgan Waters, Priyanka Tilve, Dina Kesbeh, Ney Alvarez, Amy Walters, Natalia, Aldana, Graelyn Grashear, Seth Samuel was the sound designer. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s millennial president, governs with an "iron fist." Under his leadership, 74,000 people have been imprisoned since 2022 as part of a massive crackdown on crime. Rights groups say he’s suspended civil liberties in the process. But polls show voters approve, putting Bukele on track for a landslide reelection victory. So, at what cost?

In this episode: 

• Manuel Rapalo (@Manuel_Rapalo), Al Jazeera Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Sarí el-Khalili with our host, Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan and Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Are “stand your ground” laws helping people get away with murder? Thirty-eight US states have laws allowing people the right to use deadly force if they claim to be in fear of their lives. Critics call them "shoot first" laws. Al Jazeera’s documentary program Fault Lines joins us to explore two homicide cases and two families’ fights for answers.

In this episode: 

• Amina Waheed, Producer, Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines (@AJFaultLines) 

Watch the Fault Lines documentary License to Kill: How ‘stand your ground’ lets shooters go free here.

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Zaina Badr, Khaled Soltan, 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 and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

After more than 100 days of war, Palestinians in Gaza are exhausted. But hopes for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas rest on talks mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar. From leaked audio with criticism of the negotiations to public statements of progress, the likelihood of a deal and relief for Gaza’s residents remains uncertain.

In this episode: 

• Hoda Abdel-Hamid (@HodaAH), Al Jazeera Senior Correspondent
• Maram Humaid (@MaramGaza), Al Jazeera Journalist

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili with Khaled Soltan, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, and our host Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li and Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Planning a flight? Boeing’s 737 Max-9 is back in rotation, weeks after the US company came under fire for a near-catastrophic incident aboard one of its planes. Alaska Airlines 1282 was forced to make an emergency landing when part of its wall blew off mid-flight. It’s not the first time a 737 Max has had problems. So what’s being done?

In this episode: 

• Alex Macheras (@AlexInAir), Aviation Analyst, Host, On-Air with Dan and Alex

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Fahrinisa Campana with our host Malika Bilal. Chloe K. Li fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

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

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube