The Takeaway

Can the U.S Legal System Deliver Justice?

Two recent cases bring that question into the forefront. Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt spared the life of Julius Jones by commuting his death sentence four hours before his execution. Jones will spend the rest of his life in jail despite his claims of innocence and ineffective counsel. Kyle Rittenhouse who killed two people and maimed another was found not guilty on all charges because he claimed self defense. Paul Butler, the Albert Brick Professor in Law at Georgetown University Law Center joins us to discuss the two cases, and the true meaning of justice under our current legal system. 

The U.S. Has a Nursing Crisis

The pandemic has placed intense stress on nurses nationwide, leading many to consider leaving the profession altogether. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke with Jean Ross, president of National Nurses United, the largest organization of registered nurses in the United States, and Leo-Felix Jurado, professor and chairperson at the William Paterson University Department of Nursing. 

Netflix Adapts Popular Anime Show "Cowboy Bebop" to Live Action 

Part science fiction, part Neo-noir, with a splash of slapstick comedy, the anime series "Cowboy Bebop" follows a ragtag group of bounty hunters, called cowboys, as they track down fugitives across space in a dystopian future. Adapting animated stories like “Cowboy Bebop” into live action is no easy feat. Anime especially, since it has a pretty unique visual and storytelling style that doesn’t necessarily translate well to live actors. That’s according to Shirley Li, staff writer covering culture for The Atlantic. The Takeaway recently spoke with her and Jeff Yang, cultural critic and co-author of the forthcoming book Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now, about the new live action “Cowboy Bebop” series. 

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

The Latest from the January 6 Commission

We speak with legal affairs reporter Kyle Cheney about subpoenas, executive privilege, and the latest developments from the investigation of the January 6 insurrection.

In Special Session, Florida Legislature Passes COVID-19 Vaccine Bills

This isn’t the first time Governor DeSantis has targeted COVID-related mandates. Since the start of the pandemic, he’s aggressively fought public health measures, even suing the Biden administration over its vaccine requirement for federal contractors. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke to Lawrence Mower, reporter for the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald. 

Financial Assistance Fund For Undocumented Workers Set To Run Out Of Money

In New York, nearly 350 thousand people have filed claims for the fund. But over two-thirds of it has already been issued to over 130 thousand people. That means that thousands of people who applied likely won’t see any of the benefits. Advocates are calling for the funds to be renewed, but some have been met with opposition from lawmakers at the state level, leaving it unclear whether undocumented workers get another chance for pandemic relief. Here to discuss the Excluded Workers Fund and what's to come of it were Bianca Guerrero, the Campaign Coordinator of the Fund Excluded Workers’ Coalition and Amy Torres, Executive Director at the New Jersey Alliance For Immigrant Justice. 

Why Transgender Day of Remembrance is Especially Significant This Year

Saturday, November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual vigil which honors the memory of those murdered in acts of anti-transgender violence. Orion Rummler, is a Reporter on the breaking news team at The 19th, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on gender, politics and policy. He joined us to talk about the significance of Transgender Day of Remembrance and recent legislation that impacts trans people.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

In this week's Deep Dive with Dorian Warren, Melissa and Dorian take an in-depth look at water insecurity, access and cleanliness. They start off with Sera Young, associate professor anthropology and global health at northwestern University.

Then Josina Morita, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in Cook County about how the infrastructure bill will aid in improving water systems. 

Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation and Bidtah Becker, Associate attorney with the Navajo tribal utility authority join for a discussion of water issues in Indian Country, with a specific focus on Navajo Nation.

Reverend Roslyn Bouier, executive director of the Brightmoor Connection Client Choice Food Pantry explains how water shut offs affect the citizens of Brightmoor in Detroit, Michigan. 

And finally Tom Mueller, research assistant professor of geography and environmental sustainability at the University of Oklahoma will discuss how water insecurity and plumbing poverty affects rural area. 

Some music from this episode by:

I Think Like Midnight (http://www.ithinklikemidnight.com/) & The Sometime Boys (https://www.thesometimeboys.com/)

In this week's Deep Dive with Dorian Warren, Melissa and Dorian take an in-depth look at water insecurity, access and cleanliness. They start off with Sera Young, associate professor anthropology and global health at northwestern University.

Then Josina Morita, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District in Cook County about how the infrastructure bill will aid in improving water systems. 

Jonathan Nez, president of the Navajo Nation and Bidtah Becker, Associate attorney with the Navajo tribal utility authority join for a discussion of water issues in Indian Country, with a specific focus on Navajo Nation.

Reverend Roslyn Bouier, executive director of the Brightmoor Connection Client Choice Food Pantry explains how water shut offs affect the citizens of Brightmoor in Detroit, Michigan. 

And finally Tom Mueller, research assistant professor of geography and environmental sustainability at the University of Oklahoma will discuss how water insecurity and plumbing poverty affects rural area. 

Some music from this episode by:

I Think Like Midnight (http://www.ithinklikemidnight.com/) & The Sometime Boys (https://www.thesometimeboys.com/)

A Look at the Rittenhouse Jury

We speak with Paul Butler, Albert Brick Professor in Law at Georgetown University Law Center and legal analyst on MSNBC, about the jury selection process and the importance of racial equality within juries.

What's at Stake as Julius Jones's Execution Day Nears

We speak with Oklahoma-based attorney Kelli Masters, who was part of Jones’s legal delegation during his September commutation hearing. Masters was initially skeptical about Jones’s innocence, but after reviewing the evidence, was convinced that Jones was wrongfully convicted.

Left to Die in Texas Jail Custody

The Texas Observer, a non-profit investigative newsroom, reviewed more than 400 Texas Ranger investigations of jail deaths over the past decade. In their investigation, the Texas Observer found that of the ​​more than 1,100 people who have died in jail custody in Texas since 2010, the majority were pre-trial detainees, people like Sandra Bland, who were never convicted of their alleged crime. We spoke with Mike Barajas, a staff writer for the Texas Observer. He is one of the writers of the special report, "Locked Up and Left to Die" for the Texas Observer.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Do Climate Summits Like COP26 Really Matter?

The summit was seen as one of the most important international climate negotiations in recent history. But how effective are these kinds of summits? And do the outcomes even matter? The Takeaway talks about that and more with Dr. Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science at Pennsylvania State University and author of The New Climate War: The Fight to Take Back our Planet. 

Israeli Military Surveillance Program Targets And Monitors Palestinians Using Facial Recognition Technology

An Israeli surveillance program, rolled out over the past two years, uses facial recognition technology to monitor and surveil the Palestinian population. To discuss the surveillance program, implications to Palestinian society and what the future of surveillance technology could look like in other parts of the world, we spoke with The Washington Post's Silicon Valley Correspondent Elizabeth Dwoskin and Yousef Munayyer, nonresident senior fellow at Arab Center in DC.

Aging While Queer: Aging with HIV

In this segment, we talk to Tez Anderson, a long-term survivor of HIV, activist and founder of the first and largest group in the world focused on long-term HIV survivors and older adults aging with HIV, Let's Kick ASS (Aids Survivor Syndrome).

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Pandora Papers Expose Hidden Finances of World's Wealthiest and Most Powerful People

A global investigation of leaked documents called the Pandora Papers, published in October by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), exposed hidden financial secrets of some of the world’s richest and most powerful people.  South Dakota emerged as the top state in the US as a destination for wealthy and powerful people around the world to store millions of dollars in secretive trust funds. We talk to Casey Michel, author of “American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World’s Greatest Money Laundering Scheme in History,” about how South Dakota became an offshore tax haven, what it means, who benefits and who does it harm.

COVID Isn't Just a Crisis. It's an Era.

When the vaccine became available earlier this year, many thought the end was in sight. But COVID-19 has stuck around and is even surging in some parts of the world like Europe. So when will this pandemic end? Will there even be a clear end? The Takeaway talks to Professor Allan Brandt, a historian of science and medicine at Harvard University, about the lessons we might learn from past pandemics. 

Portugal Enters the Endemic Phase of the Pandemic

In Portugal, almost 100 percent of people over the age of 50 are vaccinated. For those between ages 25 and 49, the vaccination rate is 95 percent; it’s 88 percent for those between 12 and 17. So what lessons can other countries learn from Portugal? For that and more, The Takeaway spoke to Eric Sylvers, staff reporter at the Wall Street Journal.

Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez on the Ongoing Fight Against COVID-19

Vaccination rates are high in Indian Country. But tribes like the Navajo Nation have seen recent increases in Covid-19 cases. Tribal leaders are placing some of the blame on neighboring cities and states that have not enacted strict Covid restrictions, and where vaccination rates remain lower. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez joins The Takeaway to discuss how his tribe is tackling these latest challenges.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Thirteen Republicans Voted for the Infrastructure Bill. Now They're Facing Backlash.

After months of back and forth in Congress, the House of Representatives passed the Senate version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act last Friday. The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill now goes to President Biden’s desk, where he’s expected to sign it into law. The passage of the bill was ultimately a bipartisan effort, with 13 Republicans voting “yes” alongside their Democratic counterparts in the House.For those 13 Republicans, the days since the vote haven’t been the easiest. They’re facing backlash from fellow Republicans, including former president Donald Trump who said they should be “ashamed of themselves” for “helping the Democrats.”

Arab Americans Are 'White' On The Census. But Should They Be?

Boston mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi George, like many other Arab Americans, chose to identify publicly as a person of color. But the thing is, Arab Americans are considered “white” on government forms. We spoke with historian and professor of American studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California (USC) Sarah Gualtieri and Maya Berry, the executive director at the Arab American Institute. 

Redistricting and Voting Rights

Redistricting is underway in many states, and as lawmakers draw new political lines for their state and congressional seats, it could leave masses of voters without a voice in their elections. The Takeaway looks at redistricting and voting rights with Ari Berman, senior reporter at Mother Jones covering voting rights. Ari, always great to have you here.

For segment transcripts, see individual segment pages.

In this week's Deep Dive with Dorian Warren, Melissa and Dorian take an in-depth look at sex work and how it's been criminalized in the United States, starting off with journalist and former sex worker Melissa Gira Grant, who discusses the history of criminalizing sex work in the U.S.

Then Cecilia Gentili, principal consultant and founder of Trans Equity Consulting, and LaLa B. Holston-Zannell, trans justice campaign manager in the National Advocacy Department at the ACLU, explain the idea of sex work as work and why some advocates are calling for full decriminalization.

Yasmin Vafa, executive director of Rights 4 Girls, discusses concerns that sex work increases opportunities for sex trafficking, particularly the trafficking of children.  

RJ Thompson, managing director of the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center, helps break down some of the stigma surrounding sex work as well as how and why male sex workers are often left out of conversations around sex work.

And finally Elexus Jionde, author, content creator and founder of Intelexual Media, explores how technology, digital communication and the “realites” of the virtual world will continue to shape the future of sex work.

Some of the music on this podcast was made by Touque (https://davidaaron4.bandcamp.com/album/soho-sessions), Hannis Brown (https://www.hannisbrown.com/), James Perry, and j. cowit (https://jcowit.bandcamp.com/). 

Disproportionate Use-of-Force Against Black Girls 

We talk to Brianna Stuart who suffered at the hands of police officers after she was hit by an elderly driver while riding her bicycle. We then discuss Brianna’s case and use-of-force instances among Black girls with Abbie VanSickle, staff writer at the The Marshall Project.

Court Updates on Racial Justice Cases Across the Country

Oklahoma. Georgia. Wisconsin — these places represent three cases that highlight the American criminal justice and the problem with racial injustice.

Professor Michael Eric Dyson on "Entertaining Race"

Professor Michael Eric Dyson joins The Takeaway to discuss his new book, “Entertaining Race: Performing Blackness in America,” that collects essays from over the course of his career.

For transcripts, see individual segment pages.