The Start of a GOP Revolt?

Coming up on today’s show:

• On Wednesday, Republican Senator Jeff Flake took to the Senate floor to strongly denounce President Donald Trump and announce that he would not seek re-election. His remarks, along with another bitter row between the president and GOP Senator Bob Corker, represent a huge divide in the Republican Party. Ryan Williams,Republican strategist and former spokesman for Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, and Kim Alfano, also a Republican strategist and CEO of Alfano Communications, discuss what this growing chorus of anti-Trump voices adds up to. 

• In July 2016, a sniper attack left five Dallas police officers dead and nine wounded. Since then, a new class of officers has graduated the police academy, and these young cops are currently training in the field with veteran officers. As part of our series of police officer testimonials, we hear from one recent recruit — Officer Justin Milton — who shares his perspective from behind the blue line.

• Retro Report and Quartz are launching their “What Happens Next” series of mini-documentaries exploring how technology will change lives. The first episode in the series, “The Future of Money,” premieres today. David Birch, a financial consultant and author of the new book “Before Babylon, Beyond Bitcoin,” is featured in the short film, and joins The Takeaway to discuss the future of money.

• People already ignore scientific facts, from vaccines to warnings about climate change. But what would happen in 50 years if we completely turned our backs on science? Paolo Bacigalupi, author of “The Windup Girl” and other novels and short stories, says that in the year 2067, we could be up to our necks in seawater without a word for rising oceans.

• A recent study found that at least 9 million people die from pollution-related disease and toxic exposure each year, and the study’s authors have called that a conservative estimate. The report also estimated that pollution costs the world’s economy $4.6 trillion a year. Nil Basu, the Canada research chair in environmental health sciences at McGill University, and a toxicologist who was a co-author on the study, explains. 

• Renowned French choreographer and dancer Benjamin Millepied has been trying to bring ballet out from behind that red curtain for years. His latest work, called “I Feel The Earth Move,” premieres tonight on the stage at the American Ballet Theatre in New York City. He explains what it means to make dance more diverse in 2017.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.