Democrats grasp for an identity — and a message.

The Takeaway

Coming up on today’s show:

  • Six months into the Trump Administration, how do Republicans and Trump voters feel about their president? Listeners from around the country weigh in, along with Robert Leonard, news director for the Iowa-based radio stations KNIA and KRLS.
  • Democrats faced a staggering loss in November. How is the party re-branding itself, and is its messaging resonating with Democratic voters? Bryce Covert, a contributing op-ed writer at The New York Times and a contributor to the New Republic and The Nation, and Sean McElwee, a policy analyst at Demos Action, weigh in. 
  • On Wednesday, the Department of Justice announced it was bringing back a controversial policy called civil asset forfeiture. The policy allows authorities to seize property and cash allegedly involved in a crime, even if the owner hasn’t been charged. Nicole M. Austin-Hillery, director and counsel for The Brennan Center’s Washington office, explains.
  • Some 20 million people are at risk of famine in Africa and the Middle East, as conflict and drought collide. And now, the Trump Administration is proposing deep cuts to foreign aid. David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, joins The Takeaway to discuss the magnitude of the issue.
  • Rukmini Callimachi, a correspondent for our partners at The New York Times, is on the ground in Mosul after the Iraqi military declared victory over ISIS. She says much of the city has been destroyed, and more than 1 million people have been displaced from the fighting.
  • This week, Buzzfeed News published a story full of shocking allegations against the R&B star R. Kelly. Parents say the singer has been keeping their daughters in a cult-like conditions against their will. Music journalist Jim DeRogatisthe co-host of WBEZ’s Sound Opinions,has been writing about Kelly for nearly two decades. He says this time, it was difficult to find an outlet that would publish his investigation. 
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