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Transgender Rights, China Worries, Understanding the Cosmos


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>On Wednesday, the Trump Administration announced that it in plans to overturn an Obama-era protection that allows transgender students to use the bathroom of their choosing in schools. Here to discuss the policy shift is <a href="https://twitter.com/drjilliantweiss">Jillian T. Weiss</a>, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund, and <a href="http://donnamilo.com/index.html">Donna Milo</a>, a Republican business owner and transgender woman.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Protest camps around the Dakota Access Pipeline are expected to be shut down by the Army Corps of Engineers today. For a look at where the movement goes next and for an analysis of other grassroots protests, The Takeaway turns to <a href="https://twitter.com/jaycaspiankang">Jay Caspian Kang</a>, a correspondent for Vice News Tonight, and writer-at-large for the New York Times Magazine.</li>
</ul><ul><li>A new study that collected data from people in 47 states over the course of 17 years reveals that teens are less likely to attempt suicide in places where gay and lesbian couples have the right to marry one another. <a href="http://scholar.harvard.edu/juliagoldberg/home" target="_blank">Julia Raifman</a>, postdoctoral fellow in the <a href="https://www.jhsph.edu/" target="_blank">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> in the Department of Epidemiology and co-author of the study, explains.</li>
</ul><ul><li>If President Trump does end up pursuing a very aggressive trade policy with China, and the Chinese government retaliates and targets Chinese students, many U.S. colleges could potentially <a href="http://blogs.wgbh.org/on-campus/2017/2/21/could-trumps-rhetoric-cost-colleges-billions-lost-tuition-revenue/" target="_blank">lose</a> billions of dollars in tuition revenue, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/KirkCarapezza?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Kirk Carapezza</a>, managing editor of our partner WGBH’s <a href="http://blogs.wgbh.org/on-campus/" target="_blank">higher education</a> desk.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Scientists have announced two major discoveries this week that have the potential to drastically alter some of their previous held understandings of the cosmos. <a href="https://twitter.com/jasonskendall">Jason Kendall</a>, adjunct professor of astronomy at William Paterson University, joins The Takeaway to explain the significance of these developments. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Joe Feingold, a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor, donated his violin to Brianna, a 13-year-old schoolgirl from the Bronx. Their story is told in the Oscar-nominated documentary, "Joe's Violin." Today, the Takeaway hears from Graham Parker and <a href="https://twitter.com/kcorncoop">Kahane Cooperman</a>, directors of the film. </li>
</ul>

The Takeaway

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Deadly Xenophobia, An NBA Revolt Against Trump, Life After Prison


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>After the most contentious election for Democratic National Committee chair in decades, members narrowly picked former Labor Secretary and establishment favorite Tom Perez. Perez, who is the first Latino to lead the Democratic Party, joined the race in December to oppose Representative Keith Ellison, a member of the Bernie wing of the party. Takeaway Washington Correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich">Todd Zwillich</a> has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li>There's been much scrutiny over the ideology of Steve Bannon, the former head of Breitbart News who's now President Trump's chief strategist. But Bannon is not the only figure in Trump's White House who represents a new breed of conservative thought. Michael Anton, a former George W. Bush–era speechwriter and private-equity executive, is now playing a handful of different roles in the Trump Administration. <a href="https://twitter.com/tina_nguyen">Tina Nguyen</a>, staff reporter for Vanity Fair, explains what you need to know.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Last week an evening at the Austin Bar &amp; Grill in Olathe, Kansas quickly turned to tragedy when a gunman entered the establishment and reportedly yelled “get out of my country” before he shot two immigrants from India. Tapash Chakraborty, an Indian-American resident of Kansas for over 20 years, and his daughter, Jinia Chakraborty, a second generation Indian-American, discuss this shooting's impact on the local community and what it means to be an immigrant in America today.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/EdgeofSports">Dave Zirin</a>, sports editor for The Nation magazine and host of "The Edge of Sports" podcast, explains why many NBA players and teams are revolting against President Donald Trump, and how the league’s commissioner is handling the players’ right to speak out.</li>
</ul><ul><li>The 89th Academy Awards took place on Sunday night. Though the awards ceremony was celebrated for being the most diverse in decades, controversy and chaos broke out when the wrong film was announced in the "Best Picture" category. <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for The Takeaway and Newsday, has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li>American author <a href="https://twitter.com/JodiPicoult">Jodi Picoult</a> joins The Takeaway to read an <a href="http://time.com/4544356/jodi-picoult-confronts-racism/">essay</a> that confronts her own understanding of race and racism as a privileged white woman in America. The complicated emotions and feelings of trying to write about race played an important role in her latest novel, "Small Great Things."</li>
</ul><ul><li>The Obama Administration issued more commutations than any other U.S. president on record. In a new series, "<a href="http://www.wnyc.org/series/commuted-life-after-prison">Commuted: Life After Prison</a>," The Takeaway follows an inmate, Aaron Glasscock, and his family as he is released after 18 years in prison and begins the transition into society. Today we hear from Aaron's mother, Agnes Deep.</li>
</ul>

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The White House Power Struggle, Festival Previews, The Drama of History


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>On Thursday, the Trump Administration dropped the largest non-nuclear bomb in the American arsenal on an Islamic State cave complex in Afghanistan. The unprecedented move came on the heels of an airstrike in Syria, which killed 18 coalition allies. <a href="https://twitter.com/paulmcleary">Paul McLeary</a>, Foreign Policy's senior reporter covering the U.S. Defense Department and national security issues, has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li>There appears to be a power struggle within the Trump Administration. Takeaway Washington Correspondent <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich">Todd Zwillich</a> explores the expanding role of Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, and how his influence is shaping the president's relationship with Stephen Bannon.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Beginning next week, Arkansas plans to execute seven inmates on death row over the course of 11 days before the state's lethal injection drugs expire. Critics are calling the process cruel and unusual punishment, and are fighting to stay the executions. <a href="https://twitter.com/ultracasual">Tom Meagher</a>, deputy managing editor at The Marshall Project and the website The Next to Die, which tracks scheduled executions across the country, explains what you need to know. </li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway, reviews this week’s big new movie releases, including the action sequel "The Fate of the Furious," the science-fiction comedy "Colossal," and the British drama "Their Finest."</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/woolyknickers">Melissa Locker</a>, culture reporter for TIME, The Guardian, and The Takeaway, gives a festival season preview right before she heads out to Coachella. Headliners at this year's festival includes Radiohead, Lady Gaga, and Kendrick Lamar.</li>
</ul><ul><li>At the end of March, reports began surfacing from human rights workers and a Russian opposition newspaper that hundreds of gay men were being arrested, beaten, and disappeared by authorities in Chechnya. The nation's leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, has refused to comment on the allegations, despite a multitude of reports. <a href="https://twitter.com/TanyaLokshina">Tanya Lokshina</a>, director of the Russia program for Human Rights Watch, has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li>"Oslo," a new play by <a href="https://twitter.com/stagewriter">J.T. Rogers</a>, opened this week on Broadway. It tells the behind-the-scenes story of the back channel negotiations that led to the Oslo Accords. The Takeaway hears from Rogers, and <a href="https://twitter.com/bartlett_sher">Bartlett Sher</a>, director of the play, and <a href="https://twitter.com/mona_juul">Mona Juul</a>, Norwegian Ambassador to the U.K.</li>
</ul>

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Marching for Science, Terror and Politics in Paris, Mozart in Cuba


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/iraflatow">Ira Flatow</a>, host of PRI's Science Friday, is in Washington D.C. for the March for Science, a protest demonstration scheduled to take place this Saturday in support of evidence-based research and decision making in government. Flatow joins The Takeaway to talk discuss the expectations and criticisms of the march, and the issues the science community wants to draw attention to. </li>
</ul><ul><li>When it comes to fighting climate change, some Republicans are siding with environmentalists. The Green Tea Party is fighting for a more environmentally friendly GOP. <a href="https://twitter.com/Crimsontider">Debbie Dooley</a>, president of Conservatives for Energy Freedom-Green Tea Coalition, weighs in. </li>
</ul><ul><li>On Thursday night in Paris, a gunman killed a police officer and seriously wounded two others in what French President Francois Hollande has called a terrorist attack. The first round of French presidential elections will take place on Sunday. <a href="https://twitter.com/jameskmcauley">James McAuley</a>, Paris correspondent for The Washington Post, explains how this incident could shape the nation's voting process. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Late Thursday night, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against a stay of execution for Arkansas death row inmate Ledell Lee, who was put to death by The Natural State shortly before midnight. This is the state's first execution since 2005. Lee, 51, was sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of his neighbor, Debra Reese. <a href="http://arkansaspublicmedia.org/people/sarah-whites-koditschek-0">Sarah Whites-Koditschek</a>, a reporter for Arkansas Public Media, has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/woolyknickers">Melissa Locker</a>, culture reporter for TIME, The Guardian, and The Takeaway, discusses the long-running series "Doctor Who." She explains why it's not too late to start watching the program, and some of the basics you need to know about the new season.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway, reviews the new films hitting the box office this weekend, including the action-comedy "Free Fire," the historical dramas "The Promise" and "The Lost City of Z," and the DisneyNature documentary "Born in China."</li>
</ul><ul><li>Artist and pianist <a href="https://twitter.com/sdinnerstein">Simone Dinnerstein</a> has been working with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra to perform two Mozart concertos. They are releasing an album today called "Mozart in Cuba." The Takeaway hears from Dinnerstein before youth orchestra travels to the United States in June.</li>
</ul>

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Mixed Reviews for Trump, A Shifting War Front, Remembering the L.A. Riots


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>How are Trump supporters assessing the president’s first hundred days in office? Kevin Lonie, a salesman from Manchester, New Hampshire, and Shirl St. Germain, a retiree in Marco Island, Florida, discuss President Trump's progress, and what they'd like to see change. </li>
</ul><ul><li>
<a href="https://twitter.com/kraigrmoss">Kraig Moss</a> packed up and joined the Trump campaign last fall as a supporter and traveling musician. Now Moss, who lost his son three years ago to a heroin overdose, feels disillusioned by the president he helped to elect. He weighs in today on The Takeaway. 
</li>
<li>Yesterday, the Pentagon announced that two American service members were killed in action Wednesday night. The Taliban presence in Afghanistan has also grown significantly in recent months, and is raising questions about the protracted American presence in the country. <a href="https://twitter.com/carlottagall">Carlotta Gall</a>, North Africa correspondent for our partners at The New York Times author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E78ID9G/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp;btkr=1">"The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014</a>," explains.</li>
</ul><ul><li>After losing more than 10 million subscribers in recent years, ESPN laid off around 100 journalists and on-air personalities this week. <a href="https://twitter.com/EdgeofSports">Dave Zirin</a>, sports editor for The Nation magazine and host of "The Edge of Sports" podcast, discusses changing face of ESPN, why they're losing money, and how their cuts reflect the larger state of sports journalism. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway, drops by to review the big new releases hitting the box office. This week, Rafer reviews the new sci-fi thriller "The Circle," which stars Tom Hanks and Emma Watson, and the action-drama "Sleight," starring Jacob Latimore and Dulé Hill.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Saturday is the 25th anniversary of the start of the L.A. Riots, which broke out after the Rodney King verdict and lasted for nearly a week. <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0725983/">John Ridley</a>, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “12 Years a Slave,” showrunner for the ABC drama, “American Crime,” and director of the new film “Let It Fall: Los Angeles 1982-1992,” discusses the L.A. riots and the current state of race-relations in America. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Filmmaker <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2210594/">Sacha Jenkins</a> is releasing “Burn, Motherf*cker Burn,” a documentary that provides a comprehensive look at the 1965 Watts riots, and how the uprising was similar to that of the L.A. riots. He discusses his film, and what needs to happen for the emotions that sparked the riots to change.</li>
</ul>The Takeaway needs your help! Please visit <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3439965/a7dfd273842b" target="_blank" class="external-link">wnyc.podcastingsurvey.com</a> and tell us a little about you and the podcasts you love in a five-minute, anonymous survey. We really appreciate your help — knowing more about you helps us make more of the shows you enjoy. Thank you from all of us at The Takeaway!

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ACA Repeal Marches Forward, The Economics of Faith, Cracking the Fake News Code


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>By a vote of 217 to 213, Republican lawmakers in the House voted on Thursday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act after years of attempts and campaigning to dismantle the healthcare law. <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahkliff">Sarah Kliff</a>, senior policy correspondent for Vox, breaks down what's in the bill, and whether it has a chance to pass in the Senate. <a href="https://twitter.com/walshfreedom">Joe Walsh</a>, a former congressman and a nationally syndicated radio host, says that not all conservatives are celebrating. </li>
</ul><ul><li>French voters will head to the polls on Sunday. Marine Le Pen, the far right leader of the National Front, will square off against centrist and political novice Emmanuel Macron. But many working-class French citizens are frustrated, and are considering staying home this weekend. <a href="https://twitter.com/jameskmcauley">James McAuley</a>, Paris correspondent for The Washington Post, explains.</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/woolyknickers">Melissa Locker</a>, culture reporter for TIME, The Guardian, and The Takeaway, reviews the TV series that returning or premiering in the coming weeks, including "Master of None," "House of Cards," "Twin Peaks," and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt."</li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/raferguzman">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for Newsday and The Takeaway, reviews the new releases hitting the box office this weekend, including "Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2" and "Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer." Rafer also discusses the film teaser for the highly anticipated action movie "The Dark Tower."</li>
</ul><ul><li>On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/05/04/presidential-executive-order-promoting-free-speech-and-religious-liberty">executive order</a>, “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty," which eases IRS restrictions on political activities by religious groups. <a href="https://twitter.com/mjschwartzman">Micah Schwartzman</a>, professor of constitutional and first amendment law at the University of Virginia Law School, and co-editor of the book "<a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-rise-of-corporate-religious-liberty-9780190262532?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">The Rise of Corporate Religious Liberty</a>," has the details. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Fake news sites are often associated with the far right and efforts to get President Trump elected, but recent analysis has found a proliferation of fake news sites originating from sources on the left. <a href="https://twitter.com/jefftgreen">Jeff Green</a>, the CEO of Trade Desk, an internet advertising company that was recently commissioned by CBS to investigate who is reading and sharing fake news online, explains the political trends in the phenomenon.</li>
</ul>This episode is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich">Todd Zwillich</a>.

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Ani DiFranco: "This is not only a time of great peril, but a time of great hope."


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>People with disabilities and disability advocates are weighing in on the new Republican healthcare proposal. If the new bill becomes law, many fear they won't be able to get the coverage they need. <a href="http://profiles.ucsf.edu/steve.kaye">H. Stephen Kaye,</a> a professor at the Institute for Health &amp; Aging and the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco and director and principal investigator of the <a href="http://clpc.ucsf.edu/personnel/h-stephen-kaye">Community Living Policy Center</a>, explains. </li>
</ul><ul><li><a href="https://twitter.com/andraealavant">Andraea LaVant</a> lives with muscular dystrophy, and up until this year, she used a Medicaid waiver to receive healthcare services under the Affordable Care Act. The services allowed her to live independently and work full time. She explains how the GOP proposal may impact her life. </li>
</ul><ul><li>Kansas State <a href="http://www.barbarabollier.org/">Senator Barbara Bollier</a> has been on the front lines of the movement to offer insurance to as many Kansans as possible. As a Republican, these efforts have not always gone appreciated by her party. Senator Bollier joins The Takeaway to offer her experience in fighting for better healthcare from within a government devoted to the politics of austerity.</li>
</ul><ul><li>
Summer is officially underway, and that means three months of heat, swimming pools and beaches, and most importantly, summer music — the perfect distraction from the politics of humid Washington, D.C. <a href="https://twitter.com/woolyknickers?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Melissa Locker</a>, culture reporter for TIME, The Guardian and The Takeaway, gives us her summer soundtrack.
</li>
<li>
Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman" target="_blank" class="external-link">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for <a href="http://www.newsday.com/" target="_blank" class="external-link">Newsday</a> and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office. This week, Rafer tells us about "The Last Knight," the fifth movie in "Transformers" franchise, and Hollywood's expensive struggle with new action movies. He also reviews Sofia Coppola's "The Beguiled," a reboot of the 1971 film.
</li>
</ul><ul><li>
The Washington Redskins scored an administrative touchdown, thanks to a rock band's victory in court. The Supreme Court <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/19/us/politics/supreme-court-trademarks-redskins.html?_r=0" target="_blank">recently ruled</a> that offensive names can be trademarked, citing the First Amendment. <a href="https://twitter.com/EdgeofSports" target="_blank">Dave Zirin</a>, sports editor for The Nation magazine and host of "The Edge of Sports" podcast, explains what this new legal precedent means for professional sports teams.
</li>
<li>Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter <a href="https://twitter.com/anidifranco">Ani DiFranco</a> is out with a new album this month. "Binary," is the 20th studio album for DiFranco. She joins The Takeaway to discuss her new record, and her creative process. </li>
</ul>

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"He's won here in America, he's got the country shook up."


Coming up on today's show:
<ul><li>In another attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare, the Senate unveiled its latest version of the GOP healthcare bill on Thursday. The new legislation is intended to appeal to moderates. <a href="https://twitter.com/SabrinaCorlette">Sabrina Corlette,</a> a research professor at Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms, joins The Takeaway to discuss what’s been added and dropped in the new bill, and what those changes really mean for millions of Americans.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Republicans point to Kentucky as an example of Obamacare's failure. Yet, the numbers show a different story. <a href="http://kypolicy.org/about/">Jason Bailey</a>, executive director for Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, joins The Takeaway to provide clarity about the economics of healthcare in The Bluegrass State.</li>
</ul><ul><li>Russia may be heading for troubled times thanks to Vladimir Putin, according to author, historian and translator <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/author/richardlourie" target="_blank">Richard Lourie</a>. He's the author of the new book, "<a href="https://us.macmillan.com/putinhisdownfallandrussiascomingcrash/richardlourie/9780312538088/" target="_blank">Putin: His Downfall and Russia's Coming Crash</a>." The Russian expert is a former translator to Mikhail Gorbachev for The New York Times.</li>
</ul><ul><li>In June, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked Israel to cut Gaza's electricity supply to put pressure on Hamas. Israel complied, and now electricity is only available to the region's 2 million residents for two to four hours a day. <a href="https://al-shabaka.org/profiles/tareq-baconi/">Tareq Baconi</a>, a fellow for Al-Shabaka, a Palestinian policy network, joins The Takeaway to discuss the electricity crisis in Gaza. </li>
</ul><ul><li>An all-female team of student inventors from Afghanistan will now likely be among those attending an international robotics competition in Washington, D.C. this weekend. The students’ visa applications were initially rejected by the State Department, but after public outcry, President Donald Trump is allowing the team to come and compete at the event. <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyaMahboob?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Roya Mahboob</a>, the co-founder and CEO of the <a href="http://digitalcitizenfund.org/" target="_blank">Digital Citizen Fund</a>, who brought the Afghan students together to work on a ball-sorting robot for the competition, discusses the team's accomplishments on The Takeaway.</li>
</ul><ul><li>
Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman" target="_blank" class="external-link">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for <a href="http://www.newsday.com/" target="_blank" class="external-link">Newsday</a> and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office. This week, Rafer reviews the new action flick "War for the Plane for the Apes," and the horror film "Wish Upon." 
</li>
<li>The seventh season of "Game of Thrones" premieres on Sunday. The Takeaway talks to <a href="http://www.rblocations.com/">Robert "Robbie" Boake</a>, the supervising location manager for the program, about the show's amazing scenery, and how he cultivates its sense of place.</li>
</ul>This episode is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich" target="_blank" class="external-link">Todd Zwillich</a>.

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Connecting Disaster Survivors With Radio Waves


Coming up on today's show:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://twitter.com/DarrenSoto">Darren Soto</a> is a congressman representing Florida’s 9th district, which has the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/09/26/these-are-the-members-of-congress-who-should-be-pushing-hardest-for-aid-to-puerto-rico/?utm_term=.1e6c84ea1811">densest concentration of Puerto Rican residents</a> anywhere in the mainland United States. He’s been outspoken in calling for a faster response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, and he joins The Takeaway today to explain his concerns.
</li>
<li>ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio is sending a group of volunteer ham radio operators to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to connect disaster survivors with family members. Mike Corey, emergency preparedness manager with the ARRL, National Association for Amateur Radio, has the details. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Saturday, funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, otherwise known as CHIP, will expire. The issue was sidelined by Republican efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, and some states could potentially run out of funding by December. <a href="https://twitter.com/jrovner">Julie Rovner</a>, chief Washington correspondent for Kaiser Health News, explains. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Thursday the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in a case that could deal blow to public sector unions. <a href="https://twitter.com/adamliptak">Adam Liptak</a>, Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times, analyzes the case, <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/case-files/cases/janus-v-american-federation-state-county-municipal-employees-council-31/">Janus v. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees</a>.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman" target="_blank">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for <a href="http://www.newsday.com/" target="_blank">Newsday</a> and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office. This week, Rafer reviews the drama "Victoria and Abdul," the action flick "American Made," and the new Netflix original, "Our Souls at Night."
</li>
<li>
Sunday is Free Speech Day in California, to mark the anniversary of the protest that became the genesis of the <a href="http://www.wnyc.org/story/remembering-berkeleys-free-speech-movement/">Free Speech Movement at UC Berkeley in 1964</a>. <a href="http://www.savio.org/">Lynne Hollander Savio</a> was part of the Free Speech Movement when she was a student at Cal. She’s also the widow of Mario Savio, one of the leaders of the movement, and she reflects on the state of free speech on colleges campuses today.
</li>
<li>
All this week, we’ve been examining how different segments of the American population approach patriotism following the NFL protests. One way to get perspective on one’s home country, though, is to leave it. For journalist <a href="http://www.suzyhansen.com/">Suzy Hansen</a>, her wake up call to what American patriotism stood for was when she began to work as a journalist in Turkey.
</li>
</ul>
This episode is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich" target="_blank">Todd Zwillich</a>.

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The Search for U.F.O.s 


Coming up on today's show:
<ul>
<li>After allowing the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to expire in September, Congress pledged that they would fund the program that serves 9 million children before the end of the year. That now appears increasingly unlikely. For details, The Takeaway turns to <a href="https://twitter.com/JeffYoung">Jeffrey Young</a>, senior reporter for Huff Post, and <a href="https://www.coloradokids.org/about/staff/erin-miller/">Erin Miller</a>, vice president of Health Initiatives for the Colorado Children's Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and advocacy organization. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/16/us/politics/pentagon-program-ufo-harry-reid.html">article</a> in The New York Times reveals the Pentagon's mysterious U.F.O. program. <a href="https://drdonlincoln.com/">Don Lincoln</a>, a physics professor at the University of Notre Dame, and author of “Alien Universe: Extraterrestrials in our Minds and in the Cosmos," <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/12/20/opinions/keep-looking-for-unidentified-flying-objects-opinion-don-lincoln/index.html">discusses</a> what the report found, and what we know about the government’s search for U.F.O.s. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>
The International Dark Sky Association has established its first reserve in the United States, and it's in Idaho. <a href="http://www.idahodarksky.org/" target="_blank">The dark sky reserve</a> — just one of 12 in the world— is made up of 1,400 square miles of remote area in central Idaho, and it's so dark that people can see the Milky Way. <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnBarentine">John Barentine</a>, the International Dark Sky Association Program Manager, joins The Takeaway to talk about conserving the night sky and why this particular designation in Idaho is significant.
</li>
<li>
Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman" target="_blank">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for <a href="http://www.newsday.com/" target="_blank">Newsday</a> and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office. Today, a look at the satire "Downsizing," starring Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig, and Jason Sudeikis; the biographical drama "The Post," starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks; and the musical comedy "Pitch Perfect 3," starring Rebel Wilson and Anna Kendrick.
</li>
<li>Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has announced a change in Obama-era guidelines on loan forgiveness for defrauded borrowers. Some say it's far from fair. <a href="https://twitter.com/DaniDougPost">Danielle Douglas-Gabriel</a>, an education reporter for The Washington Post, joins us to explain the change.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Yesterday, we brought you an update on Aaron Glasscock, who we’ve been following as part of our series, "<a href="https://www.wnyc.org/story/commuted-life-after-prison">Commuted: Life After Prison</a>." Aaron’s sentence was commuted by President Obama after 18 years behind bars. Despite having the unfailing support of family and friends, the adjustment has not been seamless. We bring you part II of Aaron's story today. </li>
</ul>
This episode is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich">Todd Zwillich</a>

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Reflecting on a Year of Trump


Coming up on today's show:
<ul>
<li>President Trump says that a government shutdown would hurt the military, accusing Democrats of putting service members and American national security at risk. But are those claims accurate? <a href="https://twitter.com/reporterjoe?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Joe Gould</a>, a reporter for Defense News, looks at the effect of a government shutdown on the military. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>About a year ago, hours after President Trump was sworn into office, The Takeaway traveled to Oklahoma and <a href="https://www.wnyc.org/story/oklahoma-cautious-hope-donald-trumps-america/">sat down</a> with one family of Republicans, The McConnells, who were divided in their support for Donald Trump. A year into the Trump Administration, The Takeaway hears from Wayne McConnell. He says that he and the other McConnells have been pleasantly surprised by the 45th president. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Every Friday, <a href="https://twitter.com/RaferGuzman" target="_blank">Rafer Guzman</a>, film critic for <a href="http://www.newsday.com/" target="_blank">Newsday</a> and The Takeaway, drops by to review the new releases hitting the box office.  Today, a look at two films: "Forever My Girl," starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and "12 Strong," with Chris Hemsworth, Rob Riggle, and Michael Peña.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The BBC spent <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jan/14/the-coronation-queen-shines-in-a-surprisingly-fun-royal-coup">22 years negotiating</a> with Buckingham Palace for an interview with Queen Elizabeth II. And they finally got it. Here to explain why this is such a big deal, <a href="https://twitter.com/kristenmeinzer">Kristen Meinzer</a>, director of nonfiction programming at Panoply and co-host of the podcast “<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/when-meghan-met-harry/id1327426491?mt=2">When Meghan Met Harry: A Royal Weddingcast</a>.”</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>On Thursday, Acting Health and Human Services Director Eric Hargan announced a new office within the administration’s civil rights division. The new Conscience and Religious Freedom division will now tasked with handling complaints from healthcare workers who object to procedures due to religious or moral reasons. The move has advocates worried. <a href="https://twitter.com/HollyLynchez">Holly Fernandez Lynch</a>, an attorney and bioethicist, explains.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>As anti-abortion demonstrators descend on Washington, D.C. for the annual March for Life, The Takeaway looks to Chile, El Salvador, and Oklahoma, to find out what happens when restrictive abortion laws jeopardize women's access to reproductive healthcare. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=1&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=0ahUKEwi6s4u6seLYAhUBulMKHdR5BA0QFggoMAA&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Flaw.scu.edu%2Ffaculty%2Fprofile%2Foberman-michelle%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw2CrbQMno7v1qc2BwBWimy6">Michelle Oberman</a>, a professor of law at Santa Clara University and the author of "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Her-Body-Our-Laws-Abortion/dp/0807045527">Her Body, Our Laws,</a>" weighs in. </li>
</ul>
This episode is hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/toddzwillich">Todd Zwillich</a>

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Merger Mania: Corporate Consolidations Promise Lofty Returns, Can They Deliver?


Here's what you'll find on today's show:
— The number of major wireless carriers in America may soon go from four to three. Over the weekend, T-Mobile C.E.O. John Leger and Sprint C.E.O. Marcelo Claure <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/business/t-mobile-sprint-cellphone-bill.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">announced</a> a nearly $27-billion merger between the third and fourth largest wireless carriers in the United States. The two companies will now have to convince the Trump administration not to block their merger, which it is currently trying to do in another case being argued <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/dojs-antitrust-case-against-at-t-merger-has-been-a-slog-1525003200?&amp;mod=article_inline">in court</a>: AT&amp;T’s $85 billion dollar planned acquisition of Time Warner. That case could have major implications for the T-Mobile Sprint deal.
— The New York Times has obtained a list of nearly fifty questions given to President Donald Trump’s legal team by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. The questions cover topics ranging from the firing of former F.B.I. director James Comey to President Trump's alleged connections to Kremlin-linked individuals.
— Twenty years ago today, Spike Lee released the basketball film "He Got Game." The classic starred now-N.B.A. legend Ray Allen as Jesus Shuttlesworth, the number one high school basketball recruit in the country. It centered on the fraught relationship with his father who recently got out of prison, played by Denzel Washington. "She Got Game," <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2773628-she-got-game-is-the-sequel-that-needs-to-happenso-we-made-it-with-women">a short film commissioned by the Bleacher Report </a>that reimagines Spike Lee's original work, stars Jewell Loyd as Faith Mothershed, the top high school basketball recruit of her time. Faith even attends the same Brooklyn high school that Jesus did 20 years earlier, and the trailer teases her internal conflict as she decides what do with her future. 
— Ten journalists were killed in Afghanistan on Monday in the deadliest day for media professionals in that country since 2002. Two suicide bombings in Kabul killed 36 people; nine journalists died while gathering at the scene of the first blast when the second bomb was activated. On the same day, in Khost province, a BBC reporter was shot dead. According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 34 media workers have been killed by ISIS or the Taliban in the country since 2016.

Here's what you'll find on today's show:
— Within the Department of Education, there exists a dedicated team whose job is to investigate abuse by institutions of higher education. Their focus is on for-profit schools such as DeVry and Corinthian Colleges. The team is tasked with determining whether for-profit institutions misled students about job prospects or tricked them into predatory loans. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is effectively dismantling the investigative team tasked with monitoring these abuses, according to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/13/business/education-department-for-profit-colleges.html">new report by The New York Times</a>.
— According to a new report out this week by the National Center for Education Statistics, 94% of teachers in high-poverty school districts pay for classroom supplies out of pocket. And on average, they spend <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/teachers-shelling-out-nearly-500-a-year-on-school-supplies-report-finds/2018/05/14/af2affae-57b8-11e8-b656-a5f8c2a9295d_story.html?utm_term=.e98228e55c2d">nearly $500</a> a year. About seven percent of teachers spend more than $1000 a year. For teachers in financially deprived areas, the amounts they spend on their students are even higher.
— A death sentence case involving a woman in Sudan has brought international <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2018/5/statement-appeal-for-clemency-for-noura-hussein" target="_blank">condemnation</a> from human rights groups, as well as on social media through the campaign called #JusticeforNoura. 19-year-old Noura Hussein was sentenced to death last week for killing her husband after he allegedly attempted to rape her. Hussein was in a forced marriage, arranged by her father, and she claims she acted in self-defense. It has also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sudan-women-death-penalty/sudanese-teen-bride-who-killed-husband-during-rape-to-be-executed-idUSKBN1IB2K9" target="_blank">been reported</a> that Hussein’s husband had allegedly raped Hussein the previous day as some of his relatives restrained her.
— "<a href="http://www.jewelscatchonedocumentary.com/">Jewel's Catch One</a>," a new documentary from <a href="https://twitter.com/CFitz_">C. Fitz</a>, explores the legacy of America's oldest black-owned disco club, as well as the life of businesswoman and activist Jewel Thais-Williams. For four decades, Jewel provided safe spaces in Los Angeles for the black, L.G.B.T.Q., and AIDS-impacted communities. The club closed in 2015. The film was recently acquired by Ava DuVernay's grassroots distribution company, <a href="http://www.arraynow.com/">ARRAY</a>.

Dep't of Education Stops Investigating For-Profit Colleges


Puerto Rico is facing the biggest local government bankruptcy ever filed in the United States. The territory is currently 72 billion dollars in debt. Public employees are currently owed more than 50 billion dollars in pensions. And it's Puerto Rican residents who are feeling the impacts of the debt crisis. We look at how the government is preparing to restructure its financial obligations. Plus, a conversation with the mayor of Miami about building a resilient city; a look at the newly-created school safety commission that won't discuss the role of guns in school safety; a review of what it means to be a female rocker in a male-dominated field; and a discussion about Mister Rogers' Neighborhood in light of a new documentary about his life.

Puerto Ricans Pay the Price for Debt Crisis


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Smartphone Surveillance in the Digital Age 2019-12-24


<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/smartphone-surveillance-digital-age">Smartphone Surveillance in the Digital Age</a>
Across the globe, dozens of companies can now log the precise locations of millions of consumers through their mobile phones.
<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/joe-bidens-comments-stuttering-takes-national-conversation">Joe Biden's Comments on Stuttering Takes on a National Conversation</a>
In the last Democratic debate, Joe Biden talked about mentoring a boy with a speech impediment much like his own, thrusting stuttering into the current national conversation.
<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/new-film-clemency-looks-death-row-wardens-eyes">New Film, "Clemency," Looks at Death Row From a Warden's Eyes</a>
The death row drama shows how those carrying out state-sanctioned killings are often left traumatized and isolated.
<a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/how-saudi-arabia-shook-blame-jamal-khashoggis-killing-through-trial-shrouded-secrecy">Saudi Arabia Escapes Accountability for Jamal Khashoggi's Murder</a>
The Saudi Arabian criminal court has sentenced five people to death for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, but are they hiding something?

film

‘The Infiltrators’ film aims to open Americans’ eyes to the reality of deportation

Looking Marvel-ous: Designing costumes for 'Black Panther'

Deneuve sends a dated message of empowerment

So, what is the problem with Apu?

American Icons: Anything Goes

A Netflix animal rights movie came at a strange time for South Korea

For some in Hollywood, the ‘remake’ is taking on global proportions

‘Veep’ actor Matt Walsh on spicing up scripts with improv

A world zombified by George A. Romero

The biggest anime film of all time comes to the US

Marjane Satrapi

Denmark's dark past is up for an Oscar

Casting “Moonlight”

How footage of Marilyn Monroe, found in a plastic supermarket bag, was brought to light again

Robert D. Siegel on Writing Biopics

Latest Episode

Tuesday, December 24, 2019