The Takeaway

New Tax Bill Will Make it Illegal for IRS to Offer Free E-Filing Option

The Taxpayer First Act just passed the House this week.

Politics and Voting in the Lone Star State

First, a look at investigations into Texas's effort to remove thousands of voters from the rolls; Then a look at what Texas voters are looking for going into election season 2020.

Wyatt Cenac Shakes Up Late Night with a Deep Dive on Education

This season of comedian Wyatt Cenac’s "Problem Areas" explores education in the United States. Cenac spoke with The Takeaway about his show's unique spot in the late-night landscape.

Guests:

Hannah Levintova

Mark Jones

Wyatt Cenac

Hearing on White Nationalism Gives Platform to Extreme Views

Testimony on containing white nationalism got side-lined by partisan infighting that resulted in little agreement on the notion of extremism. 

Georgia Bill to Regulate Journalism an 'Opportunity' for Dialogue

A bill in Georgia would force reporters to turn over their notes for an ethical review. It's likely not going to pass, but it's a wake-up call for journalists.

New York Islanders' Shannon Hogan on Breaking Gender Barriers in Sports Broadcasting

This season, Shannon Hogan was joined on the MSG Network by an all-women team of analysts, a first for a pro-sports team.

Guests:

Heidi Beirich

Andy Campbell

Stephen Fowler

Shannon Hogan

The U.S. Label Iran's IRGC a Foreign Terrorist Organization

On Monday, the United States government made an unprecedented move against Iran.

The IRS Audits the Working Poor at a Higher Rate than Wealthier People

The audit process itself also has immediate and long-term effects for working class people.

Author Kwame Alexander Wants to Help Young People Imagine a Better World

Kwame Alexander's new book, "The Undefeated," celebrates black Americans throughout history. The Takeaway spoke with Alexander about his unique approach to engaging young readers.

Guests: 

Robin Wright

Farnaz Fassihi

Paul Kiel

Kwame Alexander

Kirstjen Nielsen is Out as Homeland Security Secretary

Nielsen’s time in that role has been rocky.

How Much Do We Actually Know About CBD?

The availability of CBD has skyrocketed in the last year, but how much do we actually know about it, and can CBD really do everything advertises say it can?

Mar-a-Lago Breach Raises Questions of National Security at Trump's Private Club

A woman slipped through security to illegally enter Mar-a-Lago. She was carrying a thumb drive infected with malware.

Guests:

Jonathan Blitzer

Leon Fresco

Laura Sanders

David Fahrenthold

On this week's Politics with Amy Walter: The fight over redistricting and who gets to wield the pen.

“Slay the Dragon,” chronicles the challenges to congressional maps in several states that have been accused of partisan gerrymandering including Michigan and Wisconsin. In Michigan, voters approved a ballot measure in 2018 to take map-drawing power out of the hands of the legislature and put it into the hands of an independent commission. The film also follows the legal team involved in Gill v. Whitford as that case from Wisconsin makes its way to the Supreme Court of the United States. 

Barak Goodman is the co-director of Slay the Dragon. The film will premiere later this month at The Tribeca Film Festival.

Scott Walker was the governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019. During his tenure, Republican lawmakers created new congressional districts which he then signed into law. Walker is now the Finance Chairman of The National Republican Redistricting Trust, but he's also been accused by critics of partisan gerrymandering. Amy Walter speaks to Walker about why he decided to continue to focus on an issue that has embroiled him in so much controversy.

Eric Holder, the Attorney General under President Obama, recently wrote an editorial for The Washington Post in which he announced that he will not be running for president, and instead will focus his energies on the “fight to end gerrymandering.”

We talk to Holder about why he thinks this is a such an important issue for Democrats to combat right now. 

On March 26th, the Supreme Court of the United States heard oral arguments in this term’s gerrymandering case. Amy Howe, the co-founder of SCOTUSblog, brings us up to speed on what happened and what to watch for. 

Baltimore's Mayor Embroiled in Children's Book Scandal

There are questions about Mayor Catherine Pugh's self-published kids book, and whether or not buyers were given access to government influence.

The Death of the Lyell Glacier

Yosemite National Park's Lyell Glacier is dying. Writer Dan Duane joined Yosemite geologist Greg Stock in a hike up to the glacier, which is now a fraction of its original size.

Making Arab American Theater

Muslim and Arab American theater are having a moment. But the communities at the hearts of these shows fear they will only garner attention if they are about that identity.

Guests:

Alec MacGillis

Liz Bowie

Dan Duane

Greg Stock

Jamil Khoury

Yussef El Guindi

Making Reparations Work in America

2020 candidates are speaking up about reparations. But this debate goes far beyond being a political talking point.

Congressional Failure to Approve Puerto Rico Recovery Aid Reflects Long History of Bipartisan Neglect

Puerto Rico's government recently had to cut food stamp benefits, adding further insecurity to an already vulnerable population.

McConnell Moves To Limit Debates Over Judges To Two Hours

Mitch McConnell’s latest push to fill the courts with young conservative judges involves a rule change that would limit floor debate over nominations to two hours total.

Lori Lightfoot Voted in as Chicago's First African American Woman Mayor

On Tuesday, Chicago became the largest U.S. city to elect an African American woman as mayor. Now, all eyes are on how Lori Lightfoot will address issues from gun violence to policing.

Lesley McSpadden, Michael Brown's Mother, Loses Ferguson City Council Race

The election of Fran Griffin means that the city council now has an even split between black and white representatives for a majority black city that’s rife with racial tension.

Guests:

Maxine Crump

Katherine Franke

Nkechi Taifa

Dánica Coto

Andrea González-Ramírez

Lawrence Hurley

Facebook Promises To Combat Divisiveness and Improve Privacy. Again. 

Mark Zuckerberg called for increased oversight to help reign in harmful content and fake news, as well as improve privacy.

Governor Ralph Northam Returns to the Public Eye Following Scandal

Virginia's Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General all faced scandal, yet all remain in their jobs. What happens from here and how do Virginian's feel about it?

In Hulu's "Shrill," a Fat-Phobic World Is the Punchline 

Shrill, based on the Lindy West memoir of the same name, explores the personal story of a self-described fat woman in pursuit of her own lost power.

Guests:

Issie Lapowsky

Corey D.B. Walker

Samhita Mukhopadhyay

Trump Administration's Immigration Policies May Be To Blame for the Current Border Crisis

Your immigration news roundup: migrant family surge, Central American aid cut, and threats to shut the border.

Why Country Music Classifications Often Fall Along Racial Lines

Last month, Billboard removed the country-trap song, “Old Town Road,” from its country chart. The decision has highlighted how music genres are often classified along racial lines.

After Cyclone Idai, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe Struggle with Scope of Relief Effort

The UN's World Food Programme has equated the challenges to those of the humanitarian crises in Yemen, Syria, and South Sudan.

Guests:

Dara Lind

Lomi Kriel

Kiana Fitzgerald

Dasen Thathiah

In 2016, Donald Trump cracked the so-called blue wall in the industrial Midwest winning Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. This week on Politics with Amy Walter, what will it take for Democrats to win back Wisconsin? Plus a conversation with presidential candidate Julián Castro.

To begin the hour, Craig Gilbert, Washington Bureau Chief at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, explores what tipped the state to President Trump’s favor in 2016 and what it will take for Democrats to win it back in 2020.

Republican Congressman Sean Duffy represents Wisconsin’s 7th district in a rural part of the state. Congressman Duffy talks to Amy Walter about why President Trump performed so well in rural areas in 2016 and weighs in on whether or not Trump’s trade policy and tariffs will hurt him there in 2020. 

Congresswoman Gwen Moore joins Amy Walter to reflect on 2016 and the course correction Democrats have made in the state. And Senator Tammy Baldwin, who won re-election in 2018, has been offering advice to some of the 2020 candidates who have asked her the secret to running as a liberal Democrat in the state. 

To end the hour, we talk to Julian Castro. Castro served as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development during the Obama administration. He was also the mayor of San Antonio. He announced he was running for president on January 12, 2019.