Politics with Amy Walter

Guess what? We are officially phasing out The Takeaway's Politics with Amy Walter.  We are still making our weekly politics show, but it will officially be housed on The Takeaway Podcast feed starting this week.  So, what should you do? Subscribe to The Takeaway's podcasts and news feeds using iTunes or your favorite podcast client so you'll always have the latest episode. Listen to podcasts on your computer or transfer the files to your mp3.file player to take them with you anywhere. Be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @thetakeaway. The Takeaway airs on WNYC AM 820 at 9am weekdays, on WNYC 93.9FM at 3pm weekdays, and on over 300 stations nationally. More information may be found at www.thetakeaway.org.

The Inscrutable Senator Kyrsten Sinema During Sinema's brief time in office, she has gained a reputation for being particularly inscrutable. She is known for rarely holding town halls with constituents or taking questions from the press. Last week, five members of Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s Veterans Advisory Council publicly stepped down, calling her “one of the principal obstacles to progress.” The Takeaway talks to one of those members, Sylvia González Andersh, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, to get some more insight on Kyrsten Sinema. Delays in Reconciliation Deal Hamper Biden's Trip to Europe President Biden is traveling through Europe this weekend, for a trip that includes meeting with world leaders at the Group of 20 summit in Rome and the UN’s climate summit, COP26. Anthony Adragna, Congressional reporter for POLITICO and author of the Congress Minutes, POLITICO’s guide to what’s happening on Capitol Hill, joined The Takeaway to discuss. The State of Black Women's Representation in American Politics In 2021, there are a record number of  Black women serving in state legislatures. More Black women than ever before contested for and won Congressional seats in 2020.  But after the Governor of California appointed a man to fill the former Senate seat of Vice President Kamala Harris, there is now not a single Black woman in the U.S. Senate. For more on all this, The Takeaway spoke to Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a visiting practitioner at the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University and co-founder of Higher Heights,  a group focused on Black women’s political power as voters and representatives. The Implications of Private Military Training Complexes in North Carolina After the riots at the Capitol on January 6th, we learned that a number of the insurrectionists had received training at private, tactical training sites. Laura Flanders, host of The Laura Flanders Show, spoke to residents and council members in North Carolina who have seen these military complexes set up shop in their communities. Our host speaks with Laura and Christina Davis McCoy, secretary of the Hoke County NAACP about the rise in private military training sites, the greater implications, and what residents can do to keep them out of their backyards. For transcripts, see individual segment pages.   

State Politics Heating Up Across Country Jessica Taylor, the Senate and Governors Editor for The Cook Political Report, and Zach Montellaro, state politics reporter at POLITICO take a look at state politics and gubernatorial races around the country where candidates are debating issues around education, police reform, and abortion rights. New Analyses Show Potential Undercount of Black Population During 2020 Census The findings have brought up concerns that some jurisdictions and civil rights leaders have had about lower-than-expected totals in the 2020 Census. “This might be our greatest undercount since 1960, or 1950,” said Marc Morial, former mayor of New Orleans and president and chief executive of the National Urban League, which sued the bureau last year to stop the count from ending early. Morial joined us to discuss the undercount and the far-reaching implications it could have.  The Experience of Resettling as an Afghan Refugee Fifty-five thousand. That’s how many Afghans have relocated to the U.S. since mid-August.According to the Department of Homeland Security, about 40 percent are eligible for special immigrant visas because of the work they did aiding U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. But for other Afghan evacuees, it’s unclear what their legal status will be. Many entered the country not as traditional refugees, but instead under a temporary legal process known as parole. That means many of these refugees currently don’t have a direct pathway to permanent residency. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke with Naheed Samadi-Bahram, Women for Afghan Women's U.S. Country Director. For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

Debt Ceiling Deal Extended but For How Long? Join us for this week's political round up with Michael Steele, former Lt. Gov. of Maryland and previous chair of the RNC and Christina Greer, Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University, co-host of podcast FAQ NYC, and author of the book “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration and the Pursuit of the American Dream." Michael and Christina share their thoughts about the debt ceiling extension and reproductive rights as well as the state of voting rights and the Democrat and Republican strategies ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. Why New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas is Fighting for Immigration Reform New York State Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas traveled to D.C. this week and was arrested while participating in that peaceful protest. She joined The Takeaway today to talk about why she's fighting for immigration reform. Jason Rezaian Discuss his new podcast 544 Days Jason Rezaian joins us to discuss his new Spotify Original Podcast 544 Days which chronicles his time in an Iranian prison and what it took to get him out. For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Biden Outlines Agenda To Boost the Middle Class President Joe Biden delivered a speech geared toward a tax plan for the middle class. California had its recall election in which Governor Gavin Newsom beat out Republican frontrunner and recall candidate Larry Elder. The Takeaway hosts a politics roundtable with Dave Weigel, a national reporter covering politics for the Washington Post. Brendan Buck is a Republican strategist at Seven Letter and a former aide to Republican speakers of the House John Boehner and Paul Ryan. and Maya King, a politics reporter at Politico.  Political Power Struggle Continues in Haiti  Haiti is still struggling to recover a month after a major earthquake and storm hit the country and killed more than 2,000 people, with hundreds still missing. Meanwhile, Haiti is also dealing with a profound political crisis after the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July. This week, that political struggle came to a new head when a prosecutor accused the current leader of the country, Prime Minister Ariel Henry, of being involved with the killing. The Takeaway was joined by Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean Correspondent for the Miami Herald to discuss the ongoing power struggle.  Why Larry Elder's Run Has People Talking About Black Republicans Leah Wright Rigueur, author of The Loneliness of the Black Republican; Joe Watkins host of “State of Independence” and former aide to President George H.W. Bush; and Ron Christie, former special assistant to President George W. Bush, join us to discuss what Elder’s campaign means for Black Republicanism in the U.S., and the long and complicated history between Black Americans and the Republican party. For transcripts, see full segment pages.

Millions of Americans Lost Unemployment Insurance This Week This past Monday — Labor Day — 7.5 million workers lost their COVID-era expanded unemployment benefits, even as the pandemic continues on.  President Joe Biden decided not to extend the benefits before they were set to expire. For more on this, The Takeaway spoke to Heather Long, economics correspondent for the Washington Post, and Annelies Goger, Fellow at the Brookings Institution.  How Islamophobia Has Impacted Sikh Communities Although there's no correct target for the hate and violence that occurred, misdirected Islamophobic violence against Sikh Americans has continued for two decades. The Takeaway spoke with activist and author Valarie Kaur about what the post 9/11 era has meant for Sikh Americans and her new documentary Divided We Fall: Americans In The Aftermath. California Voters Will Decide Whether Gov. Gavin Newsom Stays or Goes On Tuesday, California voters will decide whether Gov. Gavin Newsom will stay in office or be removed in a Republican-driven recall election. There are 46 candidates that are running to replace the Governor; however, recent polling shows support for the governor to stay in office. The Takeaway spoke with Libby Denkmann, senior politics reporter at KPCC in Southern California about how the recall election works and what the latest polling says. For transcripts, see individual segment pages. 

Texas Abortion Providers Grapple with New Reality Under Restrictive Law On Wednesday, one of the most restrictive ever abortion rights laws in the U.S. went into effect in the Lone Star state. Called SB8, it bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people even know they’re pregnant. While it doesn't’ reverse Roe v Wade, it does circumvent it.  The Legal Questions Surrounding Texas's Restrictive Abortion Law  At midnight on Wednesday, the Supreme Court of the United States effectively overturned Roe v. Wade in a 5-4, page-and-a-half, unsigned, decision delivered without the court receiving briefings or hearing arguments.  Before Roe v Wade there was the Jane Collective We take a look at how activists worked to provide abortions prior to Roe v. Wade with a look at the Jane Collective, a group that operated out of Chicago and performed thousands of abortions between 1969 and 1973. Melissa speaks with her mother about her work in Washington between 1969-1971 and Laura Kaplan, author of a book about the collective, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service. A New Jersey Bill Could Expand Reproductive Healthcare Continuing the discussion of abortion access, The Takeaway looks at New Jersey’s Reproductive Freedom Act that would expand reproductive health and abortion access in the state. In October of 2020, a coalition of organizations called Thrive New Jersey worked with state legislators to introduce the bill. It has been stalled in the legislature for almost a year now, but after Texas’ restrictive abortion law went into effect this week, there has been a new push for New Jersey’s Legislature to take action. For segment, see individual segment pages.    

The Supreme Court Reinstated Trump's 'Remain in Mexico' Policy  This week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Biden administration must reinstate the Trump-era immigration policy known as 'Remain in Mexico,' which forces many asylum seekers to live in Mexico while they wait for the date of their asylum hearings.Many migrants seeking asylum have had to endure unsafe and inhumane conditions in Mexico during that interim period. How the Biden Administration is Responding to Deadly Terrorist Attacks in Kabul On Thursday, two terrorist attacks by the Kabul airport killed dozens of Afghans and at least thirteen U.S. service members. U.S. officials say that an Afghanistan based affiliate of ISIS was behind the attack. With less than a week until the August 31 deadline that the U.S. says all U.S. military members will be withdrawn from Afghanistan, these deadly attacks and the potential of more in the coming days greatly complicate the situation for the Biden administration. A Win for Felony Offender Enfranchisement in North Carolina A North Carolina judicial panel declared that roughly 56,000 formerly incarcerated individuals “can register to vote and cast ballots.” This specifically applies to individuals who are felons, served their time and are out on parole. It would also include people “convicted of a federal felony” but have probation as their punishment. State lawmakers who are defendants in the case promise to file an appeal. For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

A Look at What Happened to Capitol Hill Bomb Threat Suspect  On Thursday, 49-year-old Floyd Ray Roseberry of Grover, North Carolina surrendered to Capitol Police after an hours-long standoff at the Library of Congress. Earlier in the day, Roseberry posted a video to social media claiming he had explosives. In a press conference following his surrender, U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger, indicated Roseberry had suffered personal losses in his family.  Should Politician's Apologize? On Monday President Joe Biden said, “I am President of the United States of America, and the buck stops with me,” when discussing Afghanistan. He also noted he was “saddened by the facts” of the current crisis but did not apologize for any failure on the part of the US. Our round table discussion will address past instances when presidents publicly apologized or noted lessons learned, when they didn’t, and how that ultimately affects how they’re seen by voters.  From Baking to Painting Murals: Protesting Can Take Many Forms Following the murder of George Floyd, millions of people across the globe took to the streets to protest police brutality and systemic racism. But people also protested in more unique ways like baking.     

Does Bipartisanship Still Work? A conversation on the history of bipartisan legislation, changes in ideology, and whether true bipartisanship is actually dead. Fights Over Voting Rights and Mask Mandates Heat Up in Texas This week, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan signed arrest warrants for 52 Democrats who have refused to return to the state Capitol during the two special sessions called this summer. What the July Jobs Report Tells Us About Economic Recovery Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its July jobs report, which showed a .5 percent drop in the unemployment rate to 5.4 percent. For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

What the Cuomo Sexual Harassment Report Means for Democrats Nationwide This week, the New York attorney general released a report detailing allegations that Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women and created a culture of “fear and retaliation.”  Politics, Power, and Abuse In 2019, Professor Vanessa Tyson publicly accused Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax of sexual assault. The Ohio Special Election and the Future of the Democratic Party On Tuesday, Shontel Brown, the chairwoman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, won the special election primary in Ohio’s 11th Congressional District. For transcripts, see individual segment pages.

Pandemic-Era Expanded Government Benefits Drive U.S. Poverty Rate Down Roughly 20 million people in the U.S. are expected to be brought out of poverty this year, according to a recent Urban Institute research report. Advocates Win Unemployment Case in Arkansas as Republicans Try to Strip Benefits Many Republican-led states have halted the extra $300 per month unemployment insurance payments, but lawsuits around the country might change that. House of Representatives Holds First Hearing on Insurrection Attack On Tuesday, the House of Representatives held its first hearing on the January 6th insurrection. Should We Kill or Reform the Filibuster? This week, the Senate voted to move forward with a bipartisan infrastructure deal. However, it faced the threat of a filibuster just a week ago.

Democratic Strategy Ahead of 2022 Midterm Elections Six months into Biden’s presidency, The Takeaway looks at the administration's strategy ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Conservatives Are Changing Their Tune on Vaccines A significant number of high-profile members of conservative media are now urging their audiences to get vaccinated. What the U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan Will Mean for Veterans Many veterans of the war in Afghanistan will face physical, emotional, and financial battles for decades.

Rep. James Clyburn on Voting Rights, the Filibuster and More Top Democratic lawmakers, including House Majority Whip James Clyburn, are urging their colleagues in the Senate to reform the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation. Inflation Is On the Rise in the U.S. As cities and states across the country reopen, inflation is on the rise. The Future of the Child Tax Credit On Thursday, families across the United States began receiving a monthly child tax credit payment. Confirmation Hearing for Sheriff Ed Gonzalez Shows Signs of Biden's ICE Strategy On Thursday, a confirmation hearing was held for Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, President Biden’s nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

President Biden Looks to Address Crime On Wednesday, President Biden laid out his plans for addressing the nationwide rise in violent crime and homicides. Amid Decline in Vaccination Rates, Biden Visits North Carolina Plus, how community organizers are leading the charge with culturally relevant outreach.    Who Will Be New York City's Next Mayor? While the general election is still months away, the winner of the Democratic primary is expected to come out on top in November.   Guest hosted by Melissa Harris-Perry.

This week, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law officially establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth marks the day that enslaved people in Texas found out they were free, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. For some people, including guest host Melissa Harris-Perry, Juneteenth is a celebration of Black culture and freedom. With that in mind, The Takeaway revisits a conversation from earlier this month about Black Music Month, with Nabil Ayers, writer and general manager of the record label 4AD, and Mark Anthony Neal, James B. Duke Distinguished professor of African and African American Studies at Duke University and host of the podcast, Left of Black. Black Music Month is an annual celebration every June of the Black musicians, producers, songwriters and more. Started more than 40 years ago, the observance celebrates the history and scope of Black artistry spanning musical genres from classical and folk to hip hop and rock. Then, The Takeaway turns to KalaLea, host of Blindspot: Tulsa Burning and audio journalist for NPR’s Latino USA, Slate Studios, NPR’s Interfaith Voices, and The New Yorker podcasts. Blindspot: Tulsa Burning highlights the events leading up to the Tulsa Race Massacre.  Finally, to close out the show, The Takeaway speaks to women lawmakers, including Rep. Alma Adams, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, and Rep. Lauren Underwood, about their dads for a very special Father's Day segment. (Rep. Lauren Underwood with her father)  

Guest host: Melissa Harris-Perry.

This week marked the start of June, which is the last month of the Supreme Court’s current term. That means we’ll be seeing a number of important rulings in the coming days and weeks on everything from voting restrictions to LGBTQ+ rights to the Affordable Care Act.  In total, SCOTUS has at least 20 cases left to decide before the end of the term. Already this week, there have been decisions in a handful of cases. In a unanimous ruling on Tuesday, for example, SCOTUS affirmed the authority of tribal police and government in United States v. Cooley.  So what other cases should we be watching — and what’s really at stake? The Takeaway spoke about all that and more with Kate Shaw, professor at Cardozo School of Law and co-host of the Supreme Court podcast, Strict Scrutiny. Plus, Robert Barnes, Supreme Court correspondent at The Washington Post, describes the calls for Justice Stephen Breyer to retire ahead of the 2022 midterms while Democrats still control Congress.

Breaking Down President Biden's $6 Trillion 2022 Budget The president's budget attempts to incorporate plans on infrastructure, housing, and healthcare, and is likely to receive conservative backlash for raising the federal deficit. Biden's Child Care Tax Credit: What It Does and Who It Leaves Out The American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden signed into law in March sought to remedy the lack of a strong child care infrastructure by expanding the child tax credit. The Tulsa Race Massacre, 100 Years Later On May 31, 1921, a violent white mob killed hundreds of residents in the thriving Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

President Biden Signs COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act Into Law The legislation aims to address the uptick in hate crimes targeting the Asian Americans and Pacific Islander population during the pandemic.    House Votes to Establish Bipartisan Commission Looking Into Capitol Attack The idea to form a commission—in the style of the one that investigated the 9/11 attacks—has been fraught since day one.  New York Attorney General Announces Criminal Investigation Into the Trump Organization The criminal probe means the AG’s office will work alongside the Manhattan District Attorney to investigate possible fraud in the Trump Organization's business dealings.