The Takeaway

Another school shooting, this time at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, has left ten people dead and around ten others injured. The shooter, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, was taken into police custody. The incident is raising questions over what to do about children's safety in schools and the ensuing debate is continuing to divide the country over gun control issues. The Takeaway looks at a couple of radical proposals to shake up the current impasse on gun reform. Plus, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro easily won re-election against an ongoing backdrop of corruption, economic collapse, and government crackdowns; and the educational toy market worth $4 billion per year is doling out promises they may not be able to live up to.

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

In a roundtable discussion with local California politicians and law enforcement officials opposed to the state's sanctuary city policies, President Trump referred to some immigrants as "animals." It was not immediately clear who the president was characterizing with these remarks. After the incident, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders clarified that the president had been, all along, referring only to the criminal gang MS-13. The Takeaway looks at these remarks in the broader context of dehumanizing language being used by politicians to marginalized communities. Plus, we look at allegations that now-defunct political research firm Cambridge Analytica tried to suppress the African-American vote; the financial barriers to running for public office; the upcoming royal wedding which will welcome the first acknowledged mixed-race royal into the family; the latest movies to catch (or skip) at the box office this weekend; and a new T.V. show on Starz that features unflinching portrayals of Latinx culture and queer intimacy.

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

Studies show that where one falls on the wealth ladder is directly correlated with health outcomes. And though the U.S. is the wealthiest country in the world, where that wealth falls is getting increasingly uneven. The consequences of this uneven distribution are changing how people go about their lives, and even the status of their health. The Takeaway examines these consequences that poverty and financial stress can imprint on a young person's psyche. Plus, we review the case of Junot Díaz, whose culpability for a string of sexual transgressions is being litigated by the public; and a review of congressional testimony that sought to better understand how Cambridge Analytica, the now-defunct political consultancy firm, operated.

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

Within the Department of Education, there exists a dedicated team whose job is to investigate abuse by institutions of higher education. Their focus is on for-profit schools such as DeVry and Corinthian Colleges. The team is tasked with determining whether for-profit institutions misled students about job prospects or tricked them into predatory loans. The Takeaway discusses a new report from The New York Times that alleges Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is effectively dismantling the investigative team tasked with monitoring abuses by for-profit colleges. Plus, we look at a study from the National Center for Education Statistics finding that 94% of teachers in high-poverty school districts pay for classroom supplies out of pocket; a death-sentence case in Sudan that is prompting international uproar; and a new documentary exploring the black, L.G.B.T.Q. disco club that served members of Los Angeles's marginalized communities for decades.

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

On Monday, the Supreme Court paved the way for states to begin legalizing sports betting. In a landmark decision, the court struck down a federal law passed by Congress in 1992 known as the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The act had previously banned sports gambling in almost all states across the country. The court’s decision was the result of a case brought by the state of New Jersey, but it has implications nationwide. The Takeaway looks at the future of sports betting in the wake of this decision. Plus, we examine the racial wealth disparity and legacy of wealth inequality that continue to dog attempts at remediation today; and we review the case of Johnny Lee Gates, an intellectually disabled black man convicted by an all-white jury 41 years ago based on flimsy evidence.

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

Millions of college students are heading to the stage this month to collect their diploma, or to move from community college to a full time university. But for many, that transition comes with a significant financial burden. The Takeaway examines the impact debt and other financial obligations have on a person's ability to accumulate wealth. Plus, we cover the unfolding protests in Gaza as the U.S. inaugurates its embassy in Jerusalem; and the parliamentary elections in Iraq that may catapult to victory a cleric who twice led uprisings against U.S. forces in the country.

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

This week, the public witnessed yet another incident of a white person calling the police on a person of color when no crime had been committed. A white Yale student called 911 on a fellow student, who was taking a nap in the campus lounge. It’s just the latest in a string of similar incidents where the police have been called for discriminatory reasons, or for no reason at all. The Takeaway looks into who is calling the police on people of color and why they're doing so. Plus, we examine the conflicting impulses that drive what it means to be both Native and American; and we review the films you should catch (or skip) at the box office this weekend.

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

A survey of Americans' religious beliefs revealed that white Christians are for the first time no longer a majority, and the number of people who don't affiliate with religion is on the rise. Experiences of a changing religious identity are often anecdotal, i.e., 'I was raised Catholic, but have since converted to Judaism.' But the truth is, there's data behind those stories. And that data represents a complex transformation in America's religious identity. The Takeaway looks at the changing character of America's religious identity. Plus, we examine a recent call among prominent French politicians to amend a portion of the Quran; and the shady business dealings that earned Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen a reported $4 million dollars in consultancy fees, once even for services never actually rendered.

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

President Trump’s pick to serve as the director of the Central Intelligence Agency Gina Haspel faces a challenging confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee today. Haspel has worked at the C.I.A. for 33 years, almost all of those years entirely undercover. Opponents of Haspel’s nomination are concerned about her role in the C.I.A.’s use of controversial interrogation techniques of terrorism suspects that are widely considered to be torture. The Takeaway profiles Haspel alongside her Senate confirmation hearing. Plus, we do a deep dive into the nature of wealth in order to understand what it means to be 'elite' in America; and we examine the implications of withdrawing from the Iran deal.

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

On Saturday night, actor and musician Donald Glover, working under his musician's alter ego Childish Gambino, released a music video for his song, "This Is America." The video quickly became a viral sensation on social media, and as of Tuesday morning the video had garnered 30 million views on YouTube. "This is America" presents itself as a jarring tableau of the American experience, specifically the black American experience. Abrupt, dissonant scenes transition freely from one to the next. Gambino guides us through them fluidly, wearing facial expressions that appear to caricature his performance. The Takeaway interviews one of the creators of Gambino's viral sensation. Plus, we consider the overlooked faces of the working class; the resignation of New York's A.G. Eric Schneiderman amid a sexual abuse scandal; and the series of federal judgeships that President Trump is making haste to fill.

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