Tracking U.S. Involvement in the War in Yemen

Coming up on today’s show:

• For two and a half years the U.S. government has backed Saudi Arabia’s campaign in the civil war in Yemen. As the war in Yemen continues, and Yemeni people face starvation and a cholera epidemic, the American media is failing to report on the U.S. role in the conflict. Iona Craig, an investigative journalist who has covered the conflict in Yemen extensively, outlines U.S. involvement in the conflict. And Adam Johnson, media analyst for Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, presents a closer look at how American media outlets have failed to cover the role of the U.S. in Yemen’s war.

• Next month, the F.C.C. will vote to roll back Obama-era net neutrality regulations. As that vote fast approaches, consumers are beginning to worry about how policy changes might affect Internet use for individuals and small businesses. David Choffnes, assistant professor of computer science at Northeastern University, joins The Takeaway to break down what to expect if the regulations change. 

• New research from The Takeaway and The Harris Poll finds that 47 percent of Americans surveyed plan to avoid discussing politics at all this holiday season. Meanwhile, 38% of Americans say political conversations have gotten more heated during the Trump administration. Today, The Takeaway hears your stories of talking politics around the turkey.

• Small farms can’t compete with large scale industrial farming in America, so what role will organic farms play in the future of food production in this country? The Takeaway speaks with one husband and wife team who own an organic farm in South Dakota about making the switch away from conventionally grown crops.

• Former Bosnian Serb General, Ratko Mladic, was convicted today by a United Nations tribunal of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. Mladic, also known as the Butcher of Bosnia, was a top general in the campaign to ethnically cleanse Muslims, Croats and other non-Serbs during the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Julian Borger, author of “The Butcher’s Trail: How the Search for Balkan War Criminals Became the World’s Most Successful Manhunt,” joins The Takeaway to explain the conviction. 

• The new film “Darkest Hour” examines the early days of Winston Churchill’s time as prime minister, when he weighed several possible responses to Hitler. Today, screenwriter Anthony McCarten joins The Takeaway to discuss why he felt Churchill needed to be revisited in 2017. 

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.