Native American Unity, Non-Voter Views, Power, Politics and Fiction

Coming up on today’s show:

• As inauguration day approaches, The Takeaway is examining the health of American institutions that are designed to protect our values and rights. Today, we turn our attention to Environmental Protection Agency. William Reilly, former EPA administrator under President George H.W. Bush, explores the future of climate policy under a Trump Administration. 

• At the start of his European trip this week, President Obama expressed confidence that President-elect Donald Trump would continue our commitment to the NATO alliance. Are allies reassured, or are they readjusting under this new world order? Kurt Volker, former U.S. permanent representative to NATO, weighs in. 

• On Wednesday, Houthi rebels in Yemen said they were ready to join a national unity government, confirming a plan set by Secretary of State John Kerry for a ceasefire to begin on Thursday. What will the future of the conflict be under a new administration, and what are the chances that peace will hold? Iona Craig, a reporter who recently wrote on Yemen for the New Statesman, answers. 

• It’s been more than a week since the U.S. presidential election, which largely determined not by those who voted, but by those who didn’t. We talk to Tre Narcisse, who did not vote in the election and did not care who won, about his decision to sit out the election. 

• The fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline has united representatives from more than 200 Native American groups across the United States. What does this new found unity mean for under a new administration? Jace Weaver, director of the Institute of Native American Studies, explains. 

• Kaitlyn Greenidge, the author of “We Love You, Charlie Freeman,” and Bill Cheng, the author of “Southern Cross the Dog,” discuss the challenges and sensitivities novelists face when it comes to writing about cultural experiences that are not their own.