The Takeaway

For a new piece in The Atlantic, that was also the center of the latest episode of the podcast The Experiment, reporter Jessica Bruder takes a look at how abortion activists nationwide are preparing for a world in which Roe v. Wade is overturned.

The work being done by this underground network includes online forums to raise awareness about pharmaceutically induced abortions. Bruder also draws parallels between the work done by activists in the pre-Roe era to provide safe abortions to people in need. The Takeaway speaks with her about what this work means as the country awaits a Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

On Tuesday, President Biden exercised his presidential clemency powers for the first time in his presidency, issuing 3 pardons and 75 commutations, all of whom were convicted of drug offenses or other non-violent crimes. Still, there are 18,000 petitions for clemency still pending.

We speak with Austin Sarat, professor of jurisprudence and political science at Amherst College, to explore the history of how presidents have used clemency powers in the past, why the process serves so few, and if President Biden might meet his campaign promise of criminal justice reform by using the powers of clemency going forward.

On April 6, Data Science Day, Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, delivered a keynote address about the importance of data collection and measurement in addressing equity of government policies and programs. Dr. Nelson joins us to discuss her role on the Equitable Data Working Group and how data can protect civil rights and civil liberties.

April is National Poetry Month and The Takeaway is talking with  young poets across the country. Elizabeth Shvarts is  Urban Word’s 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate Northeast Regional Finalist. She joined the program to talk about her work and shared one of her poems.  

Melissa Lucio has been on death row for 14 years for the death of her two year old daughter. She was due to be executed on Wednesday, April 27th.  After appeals from advocates, Texas lawmakers, and even five of the jurors on her original trial, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay on her execution on Monday, April 25th. 

We speak with Jolie McCullough, reporter for The Texas Tribune covering criminal justice and policy about Lucio’s case and what the court’s decisions means looking ahead.  Then, we look at the politics of motherhood and what constitutes a “good” and “bad” mother with Jane Aiken, Dean and Professor of Law at Wake Forest University and author of the article “Motherhood as Misogyny.”

According to Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, author of Periods Gone Public: Taking a Stand for Menstrual Equity, taxing menstrual products is discriminatory and unconstitutional. The good news is that the movement to get rid of what has been called the “tampon tax” has been successful in some states. There are still states, however, that continue to tax half of its population. Jennifer Weiss-Wolf joins us to discuss period equity and the injustice of the tampon tax.

Alongside the delicious food, the new cookbook “Gullah Geechee Home Cooking,” tells the story of the Gullah Geechee through the history of Edisto Island and author of the book, Emily Meggett's family. The recipes that she shares have been passed down through generations.

The cookbook will be available on April 26, and in it you’ll find fresh seafood recipes that are an homage to the Sea Islands on the Atlantic Coast – recipes like deviled crab and Miss Emily’s famous Stuffed Fish with Parsley Rice and Roe. There are recipes that might remind you of other Southern cooking you may have tried, like red rice, corn fritters, and okra gumbo. And there are plenty of pie recipes and one for a glorious Pineapple upside-down cake.

We speak with the author new cookbook “Gullah Geechee Home Cooking,” Emily Meggett, also known as “the matriarch of Edisto Island.” And co-author of the cookbook Kayla Stewart, who is also a food and travel reporter.

Last week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will end Disney World’s special tax status starting in June 2023. The move was a direct response to Disney’s belated opposition to the recently passed Florida law restricting the ability of teachers to discuss sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Disney has been criticized by many on the right and the left over its handling of what opponents have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill.”

We speak with Carlos Ball, law professor at Rutgers University, and Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, about how what’s happening with Disney connects to other recent examples of corporations weighing in on LGBTQ issues.

Two weeks ago, heavy, sustained rains in the area around the port city of Durban, in the KwaZulu-Nata province of South Africa, triggered major flooding and mudslides.  More than 400 are confirmed dead, dozens are still missing, and over 40,000 people displaced. Amongst those most affected are vulnerable communities, some of whom were already displaced by the government during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. President Cyril Ramphosa said after the tragedy that “these floods are a tragic reminder of the increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change.”

The Takeaway talked with John Eligon Johannesburg bureau chief at The New York Times.

On this Earth Day we want to celebrate by hearing from the next generation. April is National Poetry Month and as you may have heard, The Takeaway is talking with young poets across the country. Jessica Kim is Urban Word’s 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate West Regional Finalist. She joined the program to talk about her work and shared one of her poems. We’ll also hear from students at Wake Forest University about what Earth Day means to them.