A Move Back to the End of the Line for Thousands of Asylum Seekers

Coming up on today’s show:

• On Wednesday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that the agency will focus on processing recently filed asylum applications, a “last in, first out” approach, rather than on the order in which they were received, potentially complicating the system for people who have been waiting in line for years. Dara Lind, a senior reporter covering immigration for Vox, weighs in on what the policy change could mean for thousands of immigrants. 

• As the U.S. escalates an anti-immigration agenda, Canada is taking steps to avoid misinformation about the process of seeking asylum within its borders. In 2017, an estimated 15,000 people crossed the border irregularly to claim refugee status in Canada. Vilma Filici, an immigration consultant and lawyer at Filici-Palacio Immigration Services in Toronto, breaks down the Canadian immigration process.   

• Controversy surrounding the special counsel’s Russia investigation continues to spiral, as Robert Mueller’s team zeroes in on the handling of a meeting in Trump Tower by Trump personnel, and the FBI pushes back against the release of the classified GOP memo. Betsy Woodruff, a political reporter for The Daily Beast, brings us the latest in the investigation.

• For the month of February, The Takeaway will be partnering with The Science of Happiness podcast from PRI. Each week, we’ll take a look at how the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley is developing research-based exercises that promote happiness, resilience, kindness, or connection. We’ll invite our listeners to try these practices at home, and then share their experiences as we talk with Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology, and the center’s director.

• What if you don’t care about the Patriots or the Eagles, but you want some football in your weekend anyway? Rafer Guzman, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway,is here with a few of his all-time favorite football movies.

• The latest in The Takeaway’s weekly series of conversations between Jessica Bennett of The New York Times and Koa Beck of Jezebel, on gender issues and the #MeToo movement. This week, with many of the season’s awards behind us, Koa and Jessica look at how sexual harassment has been covered on the red carpet and within the awards show environment. Plus, they explain how theywould cover this moment, if they were dropped on the carpet for the upcoming Academy Awards.

• English soul and R&B singer James Hunter showcases 10 original songs on a new album, out today, entitled, “Whatever it Takes.” The Takeaway sits down with Hunter to speak about the inspiration behind his musical style.

This episode is hosted by Todd Zwillich.