The Takeaway

August 25, 2017: Some communities are trying to secede from their school districts — critics say parents and municipalities are exploiting legal loopholes to do this, and it's creating a new form of racial and class segregation. The Takeaway explores the school secession movement, plus a look at how Exxon worked to mislead the public on climate change; racial tension in the sports world; a blow to voter ID laws; and Confederate statues in Washington, D.C.

August 24, 2017: An analysis of the president's many falsities, why stun guns aren't so safe, and how America distorts history, in public spaces and in the classroom. Plus, a look at the struggles of military spouses, and America's role in the Yemeni civil war.

August 23, 2017: This year, the Republican National Committee has raised $62 million, while the Democratic National Committee has only taken in $32.7 million. What’s working so well for the GOP? The Takeaway explores that question today, plus a look at President Trump's rally in Phoenix, why the Secret Service is running out of money, an analysis of Boko Haram's brutal military tactics, democracy on the African continent, and 40 years of the Voyager probes. 

August 22, 2017: The war in Afghanistan is the longest military conflict the U.S. has ever been involved in, and President Trump is planning to dig in deeper. Today, a look at the commander-in-chief's strategy in the Middle East. Plus, a death row inmate's last-ditch effort to stop his execution; what Paul Ryan's recent town hall tells us about Congress; the disaster on the U.S.S. John S. McCain; a program to help disconnected youth; and a conversation with comedian Patricia Williams. 

August 21, 2017: The Great American Eclipse finally arrived today, marching along a path of totality stretching from Oregon to South Carolina. What was it like? We check in with some folks on the scene. Plus, a look at what stands to change — or doesn't — after Steve Bannon's ouster; remembering two comedic icons, Dick Gregory and Jerry Lewis; Texas has a new abortion law, and also faces the prospect of redrawing congressional district maps; a nonprofit's mission to engage unemployed youths with little education; and a new documentary explores how tribal courts are creating alternative systems of justice.

August 18, 2017: After the violence last weekend during a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, it's clear that issues of race and identity stand at the nexus of America's political divide. Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief for USA Today, and New York Daily News columnist Shaun King discuss how news over the past week has shaped national discourse. Plus, updates on the terrorist attacks in Spain; a call for white athletes to join black athletes in denouncing racism; movie reviews; a look at Myanmar's persecuted Rohingya; and eclipses, through history. 

August 17, 2016: Antifa, short for “anti-fascist,” is a loosely-organized, wide amalgamation of leftist activists whose expressed purpose is to stand up against white supremacy and Nazism. Peter Beinart, a contributing editor for The Atlantic, provides a short history of the movement, and what role it may have had in Charlottesville. Plus, a look at President Trump's now-defunct business council; violence in Indonesia; tragedy in Sierra Leone; a new Department of Labor lawsuit; and a conversation with Britt Daniel, the frontman for the indie rock band Spoon. 

August 16, 2017: On Tuesday, President Donald Trump walked back his comments condemning the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend, saying that counter-protesters demonstrating against neo-Nazis and white supremacists were also to blame. His comments stunned and angered many Democrats and Republicans, but will his statements drive any members of the GOP to act? And what do his supporters think? The Takeaway explores those questions, plus a look at a DOJ request for computer data on protesters; the future of NAFTA; and a World War II veteran's plea to America. 

August 15, 2017: What drives people to join white supremacist groups? Timothy Zaal, a former skinhead and current speaker at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, weighs in. Plus, a look at Vice President Pence's South American trip; political trouble for Benjamin Netanyahu, and musicians Taj Mahal and Keb' Mo' sing the blues. 

August 14, 2017: This weekend, a white supremacist rally in Virginia turned violent. Are we adequately discussing this type of hate in America, and how should we, as a nation, respond?