Homelessness, Digital Reading, Family Trees

Coming up on today’s show:

• The Islamic State terrorist group continues to move across Africa. What does America’s military footprint look like on the continent? Nick Turse, author of “Tomorrow’s Battlefield: U.S. Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa,” and William Wechsler, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations and combating terrorism, weigh in.

• In New York City and San Francisco, the housing crisis has vastly shaped availability, affordability, and gentrification. Jami Floyd, host of “All Things Considered” on WNYC Radio, and Stephanie Martin-Taylor, a housing reporter for KQED in San Francisco, discuss the housing problems facing both cities. 

• A report from the U.S. Conference of Mayors shows that homelessness is on the rise in America’s biggest cities. Demands for emergency food assistance are going unmet, and housing facilities are turning away the needy due to a lack of resources. We go to cities around the country to hear from the people who are suffering the most.

• The Venezuelan government has tried to squash efforts to stage a recall referendum to oust President Nicolás Maduro, who many blame for the country’s economic, political, and humanitarian crisis. George Ciccariello-Maher, author of “We Created Chavez: A People’s History of the Venezuelan Revolution,” says the notion that Maduro has to go is misguided, and in direct violation of the democratic system that got him elected.

• Beeline Reader is a new app that simplifies reading online, and the tool is generating a lot of buzz in the ADHD and dyslexic communities. Nick Lum, an entrepreneur and founder of Beeline Reader, joins The Takeaway to explain how this new app works, and how it is helping people. 

• PBS’s “Genealogy Roadshow” brings to light an increasingly popular hobby for millions of Americans: Mapping our family trees. With season three of the program debuting Tuesday night, PBS host Mary Tedesco discusses the genealogical secrets that the series uncovers, and weighs in on her own journey.