The Takeaway

For the past few weeks, The Takeaway has been featuring stories of good deeds big and small from our listeners for our series America the Kind. So we’ve gathered them all together — plus some bonus stories you haven’t heard yet — in this special episode dedicated to kindness.

We connect a commuter from California with the thoughtful conductor who brightens her day, and hear from middle schoolers bringing undercover acts of kindness to their classmates. There’s stories of kindness from neighbors old and new, kindness from strangers, and kindness given during hard times — sometimes all three.

Get inspired by the town who made Christmas come almost two months early for a grandmother whose cancer made her worried she couldn’t celebrate her favorite holiday while she still felt strong enough.

We also talk about the science of altruism, with Stanford psychology professor Jamil Zaki, who explains why kindness is literally contagious, and Jay Phelan, a biology professor at UCLA, who gives the evolutionary reason for why humans are nice.

And finally, you’ll learn how to be kind from Heather Havrilesky, the writer behind the advice column Ask Polly and author of “What If This Were Enough?”

Do us a favor and listen — and be kind out there.

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

There are countless political dramas and comedies to choose from, but with Washington D.C. feeling a bit like a reality show is there still room for political fiction or are Americans feeling the fatigue?

This week on Politics with Amy Walter from The Takeaway we talk to showrunners and screenwriters to see why they think there’s still a role for political fiction.

Guests:

Paul Redford is the writer for The West Wing, Designated Survivor, Alpha House, and Madam Secretary.

Barbara Hall is the showrunner for Madam Secretary.

Garry Trudeau is the showrunner for Alpha House.

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

Democrats won with women by 19 points in the 2018 midterm elections. Efforts to recruit new women candidates to the Republican Party have faltered and while a record number of women will be serving in the next Congress come January, most of them are Democrats. There will actually be fewer Republican women on the Hill in 2019 than there were this year. So does the GOP have a gender problem and what might that mean leading up to the 2020 presidential election?

This week on Politics with Amy Walter from The Takeaway, we'll examine the growing divide among Republican leadership and the electorate and we visit Kansas, where a handful of Republican women in the statehouse have defected from the GOP.

Guests:

Kansas State Senator Barbara Bollier and Representative Stephanie Clayton represent suburban districts where a majority of voters went for Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Kim Alfano is a Republican strategist and CEO of Alfano Communications.

Robert P. Jones is the CEO of the public religion research institute and the author the End of White Christian America.

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

A Bipartisan Moment for Criminal Justice Reform

This week we spotted that rarest of beasts in Washington: a bipartisan moment, and just in time for the holidays. The Senate has passed criminal justice reform with the First Step Act.

Minneapolis Hopes to Reduce Racial Inequities Through Residential Rezoning

The rezoning effort is part of Minneapolis's broader 2040 plan.

The Ebola Outbreak in the DRC Intensifies in the Lead-up to General Elections

The DRC's general elections are happening to a backdrop of the Ebola outbreak.

All Aboard: A Conductor's Everyday Kindness Brings Joy to Commuters

For our series "America The Kind," we connected a train conductor in California with one of his commuters.

Guests:

Inimai M. Chettiar

Max Nesterak

Lauren Weber

Christel van der Boom

Lee Guillory

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

Trump Foundation to Shut Down After Agreement 

The Trump Foundation is shutting down after an agreement was reached with New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood as part of an ongoing lawsuit.

Goldman Sachs Faces Criminal Charges for Billion Dollar Fraud

The firm is being accused of conspiracy to launder $2.7 billion from a Malaysian infrastructure fund.

Hollywood's Obsession with Women of Color as "the Help"

Aparicio is not the first woman of color to portray a servant.

Harvard's Endowment Profits from California's Dwindling Water Supply

By buying up land in California's wine country, the Harvard Management Company is looking to make money off of the region's limited water.

Guests:

Laura Nahmias

Renae Merle

Soraya McDonald

Russell Gold 

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

New Senate Reports Detail Extent of Russian Meddling Campaign

The reports show that Russian meddlers took advantage of a deep knowledge of how to wedge American voters further apart.

Budapest Erupts in Protests Over Far-Right Reforms

Thousands of Hungarians have taken to the frigid streets of Budapest over the last five days to protest the government of far-right prime minister, Viktor Orban. 

The Trump Administration Is Looking for a New Secretary of the Interior

There’s another job opening in President Trump’s cabinet following the resignation of Secretary of Ryan Zinke, who's facing multiple ethics probes.

Native Communities Suffered Abuse by Jesuit Priests

"These priests abused in Native villages for years. They retired on Gonzaga’s campus."

'Pure Joy on her Face': A Hallmark Movie Comes to Life for Grandma

Lisa Holden was worried people would think she was crazy for putting up her Christmas decorations right after Halloween. But when people found out why, the whole town joined in. 

Guests:

Craig Timberg

Darren Linvill

Patrick Kingsley

Coral Davenport

Emily Schwing

Lisa Holden

Heather de Palma

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

What Should Lawmakers Do in Response to the Death of the 7-Year-Old Migrant?

We speak with New Mexico Senator Tom Udall regarding the 7-year-old Guatemalan girl who died in CBP custody.

Death of Guatemalan Child Points to Deep Culture of Abuse and Neglect at US Customs and Border Patrol

A May 2018 report from the ACLU shows that, between 2009 - 2014, border patrol was routinely ignoring its own rules regarding treatment of migrant children and adults.

Why Are Yemeni Voices Absent from Debate Over Saudi-Led Conflict?

As Congress debates the US's continued effort in the war, a Michigan State professor collected hundreds of Yemeni testimonials.

How to Be a Good Neighbor: A "Daily Drip" of Kind Deeds 

Barbara McIver and Tony Gilham have been neighbors in Red Bluff, Calif. for 36 years. Barbara says she's spent that whole time playing catch-up to Tony's neighborly acts of kindness. 

New Spider-Man Movie Speaks Directly to Afro-Latino Comics Fans

A new Spider-Man movie premiered this weekend, featuring Miles Morales, the first Afro-Latino Spider-Man. The Takeaway speaks with a reporter who identifies closely with Morales's story.

Guests:

Senator Tom Udall

Claudia Flores

Professor Shireen Al-Adeimi

David Betancourt

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

It's been a rapid fire few days in special counsel Robert Mueller's ongoing investigation into Russian collusion during the run-up to the 2016 presidential, with sentencing memos for Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen last week, followed by Cohen's sentencing this week. Also this week, we learned from federal prosecutors that the National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc. has admitted to paying hush money to silence a woman who alleged an affair with Donald Trump in “concert with” the Trump Campaign, corroborating Cohen's account.

And in a separate investigation, Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiracy, admitting that she tried to influence high profile Republicans and National Rifle Association members on behalf of Russia. All the while, President Donald Trump has doubled down, again referring to the investigation as a "witch hunt."

But how do these latest developments fit into the larger picture of Mueller's investigation, and are we anywhere near the end?

This week on Politics with Amy Walter from The Takeaway, we attempt to break it all down and examine what we know from all different angles, hearing from a reporter, a former FBI agent, a historian, a Democratic Congressman, and a conservative publisher during the course of the hour.

Guests:

Mark Mazzetti is the New York Times' Washington Investigative Correspondent.

Asha Rangappa is a discussing Senior lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a former FBI special agent.

Julian Zelizer is a professor of History and Public Affairs at Princeton University.

Congressman Adam Schiff is on track to become the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Chris Buskirk is the publisher and editor of the conservative publication American Greatness.

Opening music composed by Tina Guo. Check out her music here.

All other music composed by Jay Cowit. 

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

Theresa May Stays, as a Messy Brexit Continues

On Wednesday, British Prime Minister Theresa May survived a no confidence vote called by members of her own Conservative Party, as the messy Brexit story continues to unfold.

Congress Clashes Over the Way Forward on Yemen

Tens of thousands of civilians have died in Yemen’s civil war. The House and the Senate are addressing the U.S. role in the conflict in very different ways.

How Millions of Undocumented Migrant Workers Contribute to the U.S. Economy

What are labor conditions like for the millions of undocumented workers around the U.S.?

In "Roma," Alfonso Cuarón Brings a Distinctly Latin American Story to Netflix

Alfonso Cuarón’s new movie “Roma” chronicles a year in the life a middle-class family in Mexico City in the early 1970s. The film centers on perspectives rarely seen in Hollywood movies.

Guests:

Rosa Prince

Andrew Desiderio

Mark Hugo Lopez

Cathleen Caron

Vanessa Erazo

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

Trump and the NRA Are Likely to Have Violated Campaign Finance Law, New Report Shows

Evidence points to an illegally coordinated effort between the NRA and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election.

What We Know About Maria Butina's Plea Deal

On Monday, it was made public that Maria Butina will plead guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent, for her work infiltrating the National Rifle Association and the GOP.

What a Green New Deal Could Look Like

Plans for a Green New Deal are still in their early stages among Democrats: a plan to drastically overhaul the United States economy and infrastructure in order to combat climate change.

Legal Hemp and No Food Stamp Restrictions: What the New Farm Bill Looks Like

The Senate overwhelmingly voted in favor of the Farm Bill, which is expected to be signed into law by President Trump.

How the Wrongfully Convicted Can Get Their Dues from the IRS

There's tax relief available to wrongfully convicted people who are awarded money through lawsuits or state statutes. But few exonerees actually know about it.

'Blind Loyalty': Former Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen Sentenced to Three Years in Prison

Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former personal attorney, has been sentenced to three years in prison. 

Guests:

Mike Spies

Josh Meyer

Alexander Kaufman

Liz Crampton

Jon Eldan

Andrea Bernstein

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