Russia Hearings on Capitol Hill, Flexibility in Higher-Ed, The New U.S.-North Korea Relationship

Coming up on today’s show:

• FBI Director James Comey and NSA Head Michael Rogers are testifying before the House Intelligence Committee today about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Karoun Demirjian, a correspondent for The Washington Post, explains what you need to know. 

• On Friday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson determined that diplomatic negotiation with North Korea would no longer be a viable option for nuclear deterrence. Ambassador Christopher Hill, who led the U.S. delegation to the Six Party Talks on North Korea’s nuclear program while serving as the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2005 to 2009, analyzes the new U.S. approach to North Korea.

• In 1987, the Senate voted against President Ronald Reagan’s nominee for the Supreme Court, Robert Bork. That failure changed the way nominees approach their confirmation hearings. Barbara Dury, a producer with the Retro Report documentary team, explains. 

• Flexibility has been essential for American community colleges. Early morning and late night lectures and online classes have helped empower students. This semester, Miami-Dade College in South Florida launched it’s weekend college program. Rowan Moore Gerety, a reporter with public radio station WLRN, has the details. 

• Are deportations stopping immigrant women who have been  victims of domestic violence from going to the police in times of crisis? Jasmine Garsd, reporter for Across Women’s Lives from Takeaway co-producer PRI, answers. 

• In the latest installment of The Takeaway’s series “Uncomfortable Truths: Exploring Racism in America,” Annie Anderson, the engagement and inclusion manager at Minnesota Public Radio News, talks with Tomme Beevas, a family friend, a Jamaican immigrant, and a restaurant entrepreneur, about how their racial and sexual identities shape their lives.