The Takeaway

Growing Protests and Cries of 'Coup' in Venezuela

In Venezuela, protests to unseat President Nicolas Maduro continue to spread after President Trump and Vice President Pence came out against his government. 

Shutdown Forces Some American Health Services to Shutter

The federally-administered Indian Health Service serves 2.2 million American Indians across the country.

"Two Years" Project Documents the Trump Presidency Through Lives of Ordinary Americans

Two years after the inauguration of Donald Trump, KCRW's "Left, Right, and Center" examines how national politics plays out in our daily lives.

Guests: 

Ana Vanessa Herrero

Eric Farnsworth

Mark Trahant

Stacy Bohlen

Aren Sparck

John Fecile

The Shutdown's Effect on the Opioid Epidemic

It's the 33rd day of the partial government shutdown. Across the country, the lack of federal funding has affected government employees, Native communities, Americans relying on food stamps and more. And the next victims of the month-long crisis could be Americans suffering from opioid addiction, as the money that funds treatment programs across the country dries up.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Addresses City's Lead Crisis

Since 2016, the city of Newark has been grappling with a growing crisis around the city’s drinking water and elevated levels of lead. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka discusses how his government is responding, and his pleas to President Trump. 

'Green Book' Nomination Raises Eyebrows

The film "Green Book" scored five Oscar nominations on Tuesday after winning the Producers Guild Award on Friday. But many people feel the film traffics in stereotypes.

Guests:

Tom Synan

Aubrey Whelan

Jeff Bratberg

Ryan Hampton

Ras Baraka

Rafer Guzman

K. Austin Collins

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org. 

Government Shutdown: Where Negotiations Stand on its 32nd Day

Workers will miss a second paycheck if the shutdown continues through the end of the week.

Senator Merkley Asks FBI to Open Probe into DHS Secretary Over Family Separation Statements 

A new document showed that Trump administration officials considered family separation as early as 2017, months before the zero-tolerance policy was announced.

The Dark History Behind the 'Father of Modern Gynecology' 

The father of gynecology made important discoveries for the field. But he made them in part by experimenting on enslaved black women.

Supreme Court Allows Trump's Transgender Military Ban to Go Into Effect

In a 5 to 4 vote, the Supreme Court revived the Trump Administration's policy of barring transgender people from serving in the military.

Elevated Lead Levels in Newark's Water; Mayor Ras Baraka Demands Federal Help

Officials have known about the lead since 2016, but new testing shows the problem is getting worse.

Unpacking the Role of Prescription Drug-Makers in the Opioid Epidemic

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey alleges that Purdue Pharma executives knew that the prescription narcotics they sold were highly addictive.

Guests:

Emily Cochrane

Senator Jeff Merkley

Charly Evon Simpson

Paula Neira

Karen Yi

Millions of Americans voted last Election Day. But millions of others participate in our democracy every day in small ways. While 7 in 10 Americans report feeling generally negative about what is going on in the country today, Americans are also more hopeful about solving problems locally. According to the 2018 Civic Engagement Survey by the Public Religion Research Institute and The Atlantic, a majority of Americans say they are optimistic that people in their communities who hold different political views can come together to solve problems.

We explore that problem solving on this hour all about civic engagement. We begin by explaining exactly what civic engagement is, how it works, and where it happens. Priya Parker is a conflict resolution facilitator, author of "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why it Matters" and Hollie Russon Gilman is a lecturer at Columbia University and co-author of "Civic Power: Rebuilding American Democracy in an Era of Crisis."

The Takeaway is then joined by Mamaroneck High School government teacher Joseph Liberti, who started a new program to get his students civically engaged in their local community. One of his students, 15-year-old sophomore Simon Worth, also speaks about his experience with the hands-on program.

Then we turn and look at the Congressional Management Foundation. For decades, the CMF has researched citizen engagement with Congress. We talk to Bradford Fitch, the President, and CEO of CMF, about the huge increase in communications volume being reported by Congressional offices and in town hall meetings in the year after the election, and whether that enthusiasm and engagement persist today.

Librarians across the country strive to serve the needs of their communities, but from city to city, those needs don’t always look the same.

In Nashville, Tennessee, as the Black Lives Matter movement was growing across the country, librarians noticed a growing demand within their community to have honest conversations around issues of race. Since then, the library has facilitated discussions for a variety of different groups including local law enforcement, college students, and corporations.

Andrea Blackman is the director of the Civil Rights Room at the Nashville Public Library. She joins The Takeaway to explain how her library has started conversations on racial justice within the Nashville community.

Does this moment of vigorous civic engagement extend to giving and philanthropy, too? In 2017, Americans gave more than four hundred billion dollars to charity. But exactly who is giving that money, where they are donating, and why they choose to give -- that’s all been changing, in recent years. Stacy Palmer, the editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, brings us through what we know about American charitable giving today.

In practice, all this civic engagement can become pretty difficult if people can’t find common ground. And who steps in when the government can’t bridge the gap? Sometimes -- it’s religion.

Alan Yarborough, the Communications Coordinator for the Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations, also created a 5-week curriculum on civil discourse for churches to use.

Bill Steverson, is a member of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Signal Mountain, Tennessee near Chattanooga.

Note: This segment originally aired on November 6, 2018.

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Communities Fill the Gaps Created by Shutdown

The Takeaway hears from reporters in Arizona, Texas, and Alaska about the impact of the shutdown on their communities and how local charities and businesses are stepping up to help.

American Troops Killed in ISIS-Claimed Attack Despite Claims that the Militants have been 'Defeated

The attack comes about a month after President Trump first announced that American troops would be pulling out of Syria having "won against ISIS." 

Women's March: Is its Message Still Urgent in 2019?

The Women's March launched a movement. Is it still alive today?

Guests:

Katherine Rose

Brian Kirkpatrick

Casey Kuhn

Ben Hubbard

Koa Beck

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

Calculating the Costs of the Longest Government Shutdown in History

By some estimates, the shutdown will soon cost as much as the President has requested for his wall. 

Having to Pay $12 for a Gallon of Gas Sparks Deadly Protests Across Zimbabwe

The outcry for the price hike comes six months after the after the election of Emmerson Mnangagwa, who promised “radical economic reforms to attract investment” at his inauguration.

How Fuel Theft Led to Mexico's Gas Crisis

Fuel thieves have been tapping into pipelines throughout Mexico. The newly-elected President has a plan to stop them. Will it work?

What the Gillette Ad Says About the Changing Social Landscape 

Gillette said they “expected debate.” And they sure got it.

Guests:

Steve Liesman

Andrew Meldrum

Patrick McDonnell

Josh Weltman

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

What Recourse do Federal Workers have During a Shutdown? Learning from the 1981 Air Traffic Controllers' Strike

The air traffic controllers' union is one of several organizations representing federal workers who have sued the Trump administration over unpaid wages. 

When Newsrooms Aren't Representative of the Country they Report On, What is at Stake?

The Takeaway has a conversation regarding people of color in newsrooms and the stories missed when newsrooms don't reflect the country.

Guests: 

Trish Gilbert

Barbara Peterson

Astead Herndon

Darren Sands

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

New Reports Underscore FBI's Concern About Trump's Links to Russia

The President was also reportedly highly secretive about his meetings with Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Does Rep. Steve King's Racism and Xenophobia Have a Place in the Republican Party?

Last week, Representative Steve King of Iowa, who has a long history of xenophobia and racism, gave an interview questioning why the term "white nationalist" became offensive.

Cybersecurity Threatened by Extended Government Shutdown 

Nearly half of the employees at the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security have been furloughed. 

Incarcerated Parents: Why Many Nonviolent Offenders Lose Their Parental Rights

Many parents in prison are completely stripped of their parental rights, even if they are incarcerated for non-violent, low-level crimes. 

Is President Trump Taking Liberties with the Laws Governing Shutdowns?

According to the federal statute in question, during a shutdown government offices should only address “emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property."

Guests:

Nicholas Fandos

Christopher Mathias

Michael Daniel

Lori Lynn Adams

Eli Hager

Timothy Westmoreland

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

Manafort's Links to Russian Oligarchs Under Renewed Scrutiny Amid Change in Leadership at the Department of Justice

With William P. Barr set to take over the DOJ, a Paul Manafort court filing reveals new details of Robert Mueller's investigation.

As "Hamilton" Arrives in Puerto Rico, Questions Over Access Abound

On Friday, "Hamilton" kicks off a two-week run in Puerto Rico. The production aims to bring tourism and media attention back to the island, but some Puerto Ricans have reservations.

In their own Words: Furloughed Workers on their First Missed Paycheck of the Shutdown

They're worried about paying their mortgages, racking up debt, and the work they left behind.

Do Border Residents Agree with Trump's Insistence on the Wall?

There are doubts that the wall would actually make much of a difference to the already-enforced border.

Guests:

Marcy Wheeler

Sylvia Bofill

Lowell Fiet

Denise Meyers

Heather Ulrich

Patrick, who asked that we not use his last name, is a cyber security contractor with NASA.

Michel Marizco

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

As Shutdown Drags On, Can Americans Afford to Go Without a Paycheck?

There isn't good data on the number of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, but the truth is, many Americans have lived that way at some point in their lives.

Misdemeanors: Why One Lawyer Says They're Making America More Unequal

Charged with a misdemeanor? You could be swept into a massive, unfair system.

"They're Willing to Pay Such a Price": How Women Flee Saudi Arabia

Although the Saudi Crown Prince has been seen as a champion for women's rights, women are fleeing his regime.

Another Death at the Home of Political Donor Ed Buck

Once again, a black man has been found dead inside the home of Democratic activist and donor Ed Buck.

Guest:

Harry Holzer

Alexandra Natapoff

Sarah Aziza

Neal Broverman

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.