Talking to 100 Rapists

Coming up on today’s show:

• Senator Marco Rubio has threatened to vote “no” on the GOP tax bill unless the child tax credit is expanded, a change he introduced to the Senate version of the bill alongside Senator Mike Lee of Utah. Will this be the sticking point in the final vote on the bill? For answers, The Takeaway turns to Chye-Ching Huang,deputy director of Federal Tax Policy at the non partisan Center on Budget and Policies Priority.

• President Bill Clinton had a mandate to offer healthcare to every American. Then he angered Republicans, supporters turned their backs, and he learned that history wasn’t on his side. Christopher Johnson, a reporter with WNYC’s health desk, brings us this story as part of our series, “Your Healthcare: What Happened?“

• Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez sought asylum in the U.S. in 2008 after receiving death threats in Mexico. But he is now on the verge of being deported. Kathy Kiely, press freedom fellow at the National Press Club Journalism Institute, and a professor at the University of New Hampshire, discusses Gutierrez’s case, why it’s received national attention, and what’s at stake. 

• The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team has been looking into the city’s contentious relationship with race and power. The team has investigated the lack of diversity in the city’s  Seaport district, accessibility issues for blacks at elite Boston area hospitals and colleges, and racism in sports.  Today, they explore Boston’s power brokers and how blacks are continually shut out of the city’s political and economic hierarchy. Akilah Johnson, a reporter with The Boston Globe, explains. 

• It’s been five years since a gang rape in New Delhi caught the attention of the world. India has struggled with sexual violence for years, but the stigma around it remains strong. Doctoral candidate Madhumita Pandey spoke to 100 convicted rapists in Indian prisons and her experience surprised her. She joins us to explain what motivated her to pursue this work.

• Every Friday, Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office. This week, Rafer weighs in on the most hotly anticipated movie of the holiday season, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Plus, Rafer gives his take on “Call Me By Your Name,” a queer romance starring Armie Hammer that’s expected to be a major Oscar contender.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.