Atlanta

On Saturday night, actor and musician Donald Glover, working under his musician’s alter ego Childish Gambino, released a music video for his song, “This Is America.” The video quickly became a viral sensation on social media, and as of Tuesday morning the video had garnered 30 million views on YouTube. “This is America” presents itself as a jarring tableau of the American experience, specifically the black American experience. Abrupt, dissonant scenes transition freely from one to the next. Gambino guides us through them fluidly, wearing facial expressions that appear to caricature his performance. The Takeaway interviews one of the creators of Gambino’s viral sensation. Plus, we consider the overlooked faces of the working class; the resignation of New York’s A.G. Eric Schneiderman amid a sexual abuse scandal; and the series of federal judgeships that President Trump is making haste to fill.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

The National Rifle Association’s annual conference beings today in Dallas. Around 80,000 people are expected to attend and the event is slated to feature high-profile speakers such as Texas Senator Ted Cruz, social media personalities ‘Diamond and Silk,’ Vice President Mike Pence, and President Donald Trump. The renown of their speakership illustrates the massive influence the N.R.A. enjoys in politics, which in turn comes partly from organization’s longstanding success in fundraising. The Takeaway examines the N.R.A.’s outsize role in American political fundraising. Plus, we look at the fallout from a school bus drivers’ “sickout” in Atlanta; the launch of NASA’s first-ever probe exploring the Martian interior; former Boston Celtics player-coach Bill Russell making history 50 years ago this week; a brewing diplomatic controversy between England and Ethiopia over stolen artifacts; and a preview of this week’s must-see (and must-avoid) films.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

March 29, 2018: It’s been rumored for weeks in political circles, and on Wednesday evening President Trump made it official: Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is out and will be replaced in the coming weeks by the president’s physician, Navy Admiral Ronny Jackson. Shulkin was an Obama-era holdover, who quickly became the target of accusations of spending abuses, mismanagement, and suffered a staff rebellion within the agency. The Takeaway looks at this latest cabinet-level departure. Plus, we examine the ransomware attack holding Atlanta’s digital systems hostage; the Wisconsin special elections that Governor Walker had been trying to delay; the tiny provision in the federal spending bill that President Trump signed last week which could have an outsize impact on minor league baseball players; and the way scientific research has been designed to emphasize male bodies.