The Takeaway

Librarians across the country are using TikTok to advertise their services, connect with communities and put their libraries on the national map... And they're pretty funny! We talk with three librarians about their strategies, goals, and experiences as library workers during a time of rising right-wing attacks on books and library funding.

We speak with Rhea Gardner and Mychal Threets, both supervising librarians at Solano County Library in California — and they run the library's TikTok! Visit them on TikTok here.

We're also joined by Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association, a chapter of the American Library Association. 

On Monday, at Rutgers University in New Jersey, thousands of professors, part-time lecturers, and graduate and undergraduate students marched together holding signs that read, “We R on strike for a better Rutgers.” We spoke to Dr. Donna Murch, Associate Professor of History at Rutgers and the New Brunswick Chapter President of Rutgers AAUP, one of the unions on strike.

In the midst of this standoff, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, took on a foundational role in preventing University President, Jonathan Holloway, from using an injunction on Faculty and staff. Governor Murphy instructed Holloway to hold off on issuing the injunction, and even spent two hours at the bargaining table himself. 

In the wake of Monday’s mass shooting in Louisville, Kentucky, we discussed whether there is any value to “thoughts and prayers” in moments of public violence and loss.  

Dean Yolanda Pierce is currently dean of the School of Divinity at Howard University and will soon become dean of the School of Divinity at Vanderbilt University this fall.

Dean Pierce joined The Takeaway to offer reflections on the contributions and challenges of public faith discourse in a secular democracy. 

Many of the Founding Fathers who signed the Constitution had a deep familiarity with Native nations, some having negotiated treaties or engaged in diplomatic relations with them.

We spoke to Robert J Miller, Professor of Law at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU, who enlightened us about the Native origins of the US Constitution

Takeaway producer Ryan Andrew Wilde recently came across a flier that said "Is your name Ryan? Wanna meet other Ryans? Join the Ryan Meetup!" At the bottom of the flier, it laid out some strict rules: "First name must be Ryan" and "No Bryans Allowed."

A few weeks later, intrigued but unsure of what to expect, Ryan headed to Ryan Maguire's, a lower Manhattan bar and restaurant, with a microphone and some questions. 

Ryan Andrew Wilde, associate producer for The Takeaway, shares the story. We hear all about some of the Ryans he encountered, the history of the name "Ryan," and what's behind the Ryan/Bryan rivalry.

After the U-S Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade last summer, Republican led states across the nation began enacting bans that curtailed reproductive rights and the right to an abortion. The state of Idaho has some of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation. Abortion is entirely banned in the state with exceptions for rape, incest, or if the life of the pregnant person is in danger.

Last week, the state moved further to the right with its anti-abortion laws after Republican Governor Brad Little signed into law a bill restricting assisted interstate travel for minors seeking an abortion outside of Idaho. It is the first state to enact such a law.

We speak with Sarah McCammon, national correspondent at NPR, about mifepristone, potential challenges with the new law in Idaho, and what it means for our evolving political landscape on abortion. 

Today, officials in Nashville are scheduled to vote to reinstate former Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones.  State Rep. Jones and State Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis were expelled by Republican lawmakers last week after leading a push for gun reform in protest on the House floor last Thursday. Memphis city council could reappoint Pearson during their meeting on Wednesday of this week. 

Even if both are reappointed by their respective city councils, the appointments are not permanent. Each would have to seek re-election to their respective seats in a special election that has not yet been scheduled. 

How did we get here? We’re joined by Blaise Gainey, political reporter with WPLN in Nashville with the latest.   

Original Air Date: April 4, 2023

It’s pretty hard to forget Tariq the “Corn Kid” from the popular digital series, “Recess Therapy,” an interview style show where the kids hold the spotlight, and talk about everything from their favorite foods, to the candid ways that they experience and understand the world around them, and even share wholesome advice for strangers.

We talk with the person that holds the microphone and conducts those interviews: creator, comedian, and host of Recess Therapy, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, about the rise of “Corn Kid,” what he has learned from interviewing kids, and what kids can teach us adults. And we hear from some Takeaway Caller Kids offering advice to grown ups. 

Original Air Date: December 12, 2022

Last summer, we were living in a hot-pink world thanks in part to the Barbie-inspired trend, dubbed “Barbiecore.” 

Hollywood celebrities, influencers, and artists put their own spin on the hot-pink fashion trend, and the #barbiecore hashtag on TikTok garnered over 272.8 million views. The Barbie-pink revolution took over as photos and trailers of the highly discussed "Barbie" movie starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling surfaced. And today, you can find a number of social media users uploading a recently added Barbie filter on their photos. The film opens in theatres this summer July 21, 2023.

This seemed like a much needed hot-pink revolution in our midst, so The Takeaway spoke with Professor Reggie Blaszczyk, author of The Color Revolution. Turns out the 2023 Color of the Year is Viva magenta! Every year, PANTONE releases colors that are a cultural statement about the year to come and our aspirations. PANTONE says, "Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative." Since viva magenta is a color of the future, welcome to the #MAGENTAVERSE.

Professor Reggie Blaszczyk joins to discuss the newest color of the year and her book, The Color Revolution, a revolution not just about color, but commerce and consumption in America as well.

Earlier this year, the World Health Organization toed a fine line between acknowledging the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t over, while laying the groundwork to begin transitioning out of a global emergency. However, President Biden and his administration aren’t waiting to follow the World Health Organization's lead.

The administration plans to “terminate” the coronavirus national and public health emergencies on May 11 of this year. And perhaps sooner, now that a Republican led bill to end the emergency is headed towards his desk. The president continues to indicate he has no intention of vetoing the bill. The CDC reports a weekly COVID cases average just shy of 140,000 people, with nearly 2,000 dying from the illness weekly. And 11% of those who contract the illness find themselves also managing the fallout of Long Covid.

We speak with the Director of Epidemiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Chief of Research and Development for the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Saint Louis, Zayid Al-Aly.