The Takeaway

Lack of Inclusionary Affordable Housing Leads to Segregation and Financial Disparity 

Connecticut's affordable housing issues have turned parts of the state into some of the most segregated and financially disparate in the country. This is indicative of a national trend. 

The Juggle: Relationships in Your 40s

The Takeaway is tackling life your 40s and what makes this decade so unique. Next up: relationships. 

'Booksmart' Marks a Wave of More Progressive Teen Films

This Friday, Olivia Wilde's directorial debut, "Booksmart," hits theaters. It comes as part of a recent wave of teen movies that take a more modern look at high school relationships.

Other segments: 

President Trump Faces Second Legal Setback in Fight to Block House Subpoenas

A federal judge said on Wednesday that Deutsche Bank and Capital One can comply with subpoenas from House Democrats and turn over financial documents related to President Trump.

Kenya Could be the Next Country to Strike Down a Colonial-Era Law Against Homosexuality 

The law in question is part of the penal code in dozens of former British colonies. 

President Trump Faces First Major Blow in Effort to Stonewall House Democrats' Subpoenas

President Trump is suing to block an accounting firm from handing over his financial records to Congress. But on Monday, a District Court Judge ruled against the president.

McDonald's Workers File More Claims Against Company for Sexual Harassment

This is the third — and largest — round of complaints filed against the fast-food chain.

The Juggle: Health In Your 40s

The Takeaway is tackling life your 40s and what makes this decade so unique. Next up: health.

Other segments: 

States Across the Country Consider Cash Bail Reform 

Roughly 460,000 people are jailed on any given day because they were unable to post cash bail.

Insurance Companies Continue to Deny Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Despite Law Guaranteeing Coverage

When the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was passed in 2008, it supposed to guarantee insurance coverage of mental health and substance abuse disorders, it didn't. 

Backlogs, Quotas and Rushed Cases: The Pressures Immigration Judges Face

Immigration judges throughout the country ultimately decide the fate of migrants.

The Juggle: Working In Your 40s

The Takeaway is tackling life your 40s and what makes this decade so unique. Next up: work.

Other segments: 

One Year After Sexual Assault Accusations Against Steve Wynn, RNC Continues Accepting His Donations

Over a year ago, the #MeToo movement caught up with casino mogul Steve Wynn. Today, the organization that cast him out in response to those allegations is continuing to accept his cash.

The Need for Wealthy Benefactors Creates an Ethical Dilemma for Museums 

The Met announced they'd no longer be accepting money from the Sackler family, but the Sackler's aren't the only donors creating problems in the art world.

5th Death of a Migrant Child Since December Occurs as Border Apprehensions Continue to Rise

Since December, five migrant children have died after being detained by U.S. immigration agencies. 

The Juggle: Money In Your 40s

The Takeaway is tackling life your 40s and what makes this decade so unique. First up: money.

New York City Considers Ban on Fur

Speaker of the NYC Council Corey Johnson is urging his colleagues to support a proposed ban on the sale of fur in New York City, setting off the latest chapter in a long debate.

'Trial by Fire' Examines Whether Texas Executed an Innocent Man

“Trial by Fire,” a new movie starring Laura Dern, tells the true story of a man executed by the state of Texas for a crime that evidence suggests he did not commit.

Other segments: 

Officer-Involved Deaths: How Much Does the Public Actually Learn?

Oscar Grant, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland: new information has come to light in these cases. What have we learned?

It feels like every day someone new announces they are running for President. But Andrew Yang, the founder of the fellowship program for recent college graduates Venture for America, was one of the first to declare. If elected, he says he would implement a universal basic income, meaning that every American citizen over 18 years of age would get $1,000 a month. We speak to him about how that would actually work, and how he would pay for it.

Also, the teachers’ strikes across the country that began in 2018 are a sign that teachers’ unions are stronger than ever. As the 2020 Democratic candidates compete for their support, they are laying out ambitious education proposals. Will this be the election that people vote on education? Or is this still largely viewed as a state issue, not a federal one? 

Guests:

Andrew Yang, Democratic presidential candidate 

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers

Sarah Reckhow, Associate Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University

Jeffrey Henig, Professor of Political Science at Teachers College, Columbia University

Linda Tillman, Ph.D., Professor Emerita at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill

School Segregation is Getting Worse 65 Years After Brown v. Board of Education 

The number of intensely segregated minority schools has tripled since 1988 with New York and California having some of the highest rates of school segregation. 

'The Unsung Heroes:' Military Kids Resilient, but Face Extra Challenges

Common realities of being in a military family, like having a parent deployed or moving around a lot, can be stressors for children. 

Creating an Advice Show By and For People of Color

KQED's podcast "Truth Be Told" is an advice show designed to give people of color a space to talk among themselves that’s not framed through whiteness.

Other segments: 

Disney Is Extending Its Reach to Infinity and Beyond

Disney announced Tuesday that they will be taking Comcast's stake in Hulu, adding another property to what is quickly becoming the most powerful entertainment company in history.

San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition in a Move to Democratize Surveillance Technology

The federal government can still use facial recognition technology in the jurisdiction.

Where Do U.S.-Russia Relations Stand Following Pompeo's Meeting with Putin?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Russia on Tuesday to meet with Vladimir Putin. The leaders discussed several issues on which the two countries remain sharply opposed.

"Freedom Never Smelled So Good":  How an American Woman is Helping Honduran Women Achieve Justice

Gracie Murphree has been running a refugee center in Honduras for women and children escaping violence.

LGBTQ Representation is Becoming More Prominent in Children's Entertainment

A recent episode of Arthur, where Arthur's teacher gets married to his partner Patrick, is emblematic of the rise of LGBTQ representation in children's entertainment.

Other segments:

Attack at a Church in Burkina Faso is the Latest in a Surge of Terrorism in the Country 

This past Sunday, a terrorist attack at a Catholic church left six dead. This is just the latest in a surge of attacks over the last few years.

WhatsApp Hack Exposes Vulnerabilities of Encrypted Messaging Apps

The hack affected 1.5 billion WhatsApp users.

Hospitals in Rural America are Closing, Leading to Devastating Consequences

Patients are having to travel long distances to access the care they need.

China Strikes Back: Trade War Escalation Spooks Global Markets

China announced retaliatory tariffs on Monday, promising to "never surrender" in the trade war with the US.

Pompeo Cancels Trip to Moscow to Meet with E.U. Diplomats About Iran

On Monday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo canceled a planned trip to Moscow and instead met With E.U. diplomats, with hopes of finding common ground over Iran.

Other segments:

A Rhode Island School Districts "Lunch Shaming" Policy Renews Conversation Over School Lunch Debt

Students in Warwick, RI who owed money for past meals were to be served cold sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches until a national backlash caused the district to scrap its plan.

Laws Across the Country Seek to Limit Abortion to 6 Weeks

The Alabama bill aims to criminalize abortion in almost all cases and would charge doctors with up to 99 years in prisons for providing abortions.

How Torture Crushed Civilian Opposition in Syria 

Up to hundreds of thousands of Syrians were imprisoned and tortured — and many were killed — in President Bashar al-Assad's continued campaign to stifle opposition. 

Asylum Seekers May Face More Danger in Mexico as Border Patrol Begins Screenings

The Remain in Mexico policy change is also placing migrants in danger.

Are Video Games Encouraging Kids to Gamble? "Loot Box" Reform Would Curb In-Game Purchases

Republican Senator Josh Hawley plans legislation that would prohibit game makers from selling loot boxes to minors.

Other segments:

Advocates, Lawmakers Push to Stop Violence Against Native Women

Native women face high rates of violence and murder and go missing more often than other groups of women. 

In his 1957 book, Citadel, journalist William White refers to the Senate as “the world’s most exclusive club.” But for many high-profile Democrats, it's a club that seems to have gone out of style. In April, Stacey Abrams, the Democrat who narrowly lost the race for governor of Georgia in 2018, announced that she is not running for Senate. Joaquin Castro in Texas, Ambassador Susan Rice in Maine, Congresswoman Cindy Axne and former Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa have all made the same decision. Then, there's the Democrats who have decided to run for president instead: John Hickenlooper, the former governor of Colorado, and Beto O’Rourke who rose to prominence in 2018 when he challenged Texas Senator Ted Cruz.  What's going on here? 

Jennifer Duffy, a political analyst covering US Senate and Governor's races for the Cook Political Report, explains why for some Democrats the Senate seems to have lost its allure.

Frances Lee, a political science professor at the University of Maryland, tells us how we got a Senate in the first place. 

Osita Nwanevu, a staff writer at the New Yorker covering politics and policy in Washington, D.C., and Logan Dobson, a Republican strategist and the former director of Data and Analytics for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, debate equal state representation in the U.S Senate.

Alan Frumin, the Senate Parliamentarian from 1987 to 1995 and again from 2001 to 2012, answers questions from our listeners about Senate rules and procedures. 

Amy's Final Take:

The debate about how the Senate works - or doesn’t - is part of a bigger debate and a bigger issue that I’ve talked about a lot on this show; the breakdown of trust and faith in institutions. The whole deal in politics is that winners treat the losers fairly because they know that someday they will be on the losing side and want to be treated with respect and fairness. But, that’s not where we are now. Americans are more distrustful of the other party than ever before. But, changing the underlying structures of the system creates all kinds of unintended consequences that may only exacerbate the problems they are trying to fix.  Blowing up or reconstructing institutions like the Senate may solve a short-term problem, but in the long term our bigger problem that needs fixing is to find faith and trust in one another.