The Takeaway

Last week, a new dramedy called “Reservation Dogs” premiered on FX via Hulu. Set on Indian Territory in northeastern Oklahoma, the show is part of a renaissance among Indigenous creatives in Hollywood. It’s co-created by filmmakers Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi and had an entirely Indigenous writers room and directing team. Shea Vassar, film and television critic and citizen of the Cherokee Nation, joined The Takeaway to discuss the new show and why it feels so refreshing for Indigenous audiences. WATCH OFFICIAL TRAILER HERE 

The Land Back movement to return ancestral lands back to Indigenous tribes has gained momentum lately.  However, the efforts of tribal native reclamation are not new.  For decades, Indigenous peoples and allies have been working to restore land to Indigenous tribes through the courts, through protest, and through policy. Some tribes, such as the Kaw Nation in 2002, have even purchased parts of their ancestral lands back.   First, we hear from Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of NDN Collective and a citizen of the Oglala Lakota Nation, about the origins of the Land Back movement and what it means to different Indigenous communities. Then, We speak with James Pepper Henry, Kaw Nation vice chairman and executive director of the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who was instrumental in the Kaw Nation purchasing 160 acres of their ancestral homeland in Kansas back in 2002.

The 2022 Supreme Court ruling on Oklahoma vs. Castro-Huerta granted the state of Oklahoma the power to prosecute non-Indians who commit felony crimes against tribal citizens on reservation land. It comes just two years after a landmark decision in McGirt vs. Oklahoma, which resulted in 40% of eastern Oklahoma being affirmed as reservation land, thereby expanding tribal jurisdiction over criminal cases there. Tribes and tribal law experts see the Castro-Huerta ruling as an alarming turn in the Court’s treatment of Indian law and tribal affairs. We speak with Allison Herrera, reporter on Indigenous Affairs at KOSU in Oklahoma and correspondent for Newsy, and Dr. Matthew Fletcher, Harry Burns Hutchins Collegiate Professor of Law at University of Michigan Law and a tribal judge.

Biden is urging Governors to follow his lead on a state level, and called on the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to “review expeditiously” marijuana’s classification under the federal Controlled Substance Act.  The Takeaway was joined by Maritza Perez, the Director of the Office of Federal Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance to discuss Biden's pardon.  

We're 30 days away from the final day to cast a vote in the 2022 midterm elections, and just about one hundred days ago, the Supreme Court' overturned Roe v. Wade, leaving access to abortion up to state lawmakers. The issue of abortion is of increasing importance to voters – and they are taking this fight to the ballot box: A survey by Pew Research in August found that 56-percent of voters said that abortion “will be very important in their midterm vote,” up from 43-percent in March. In August, Kansas was the first state to vote on abortion rights since the June 24th ruling came down. Now, voters in five states: Vermont, California, Michigan, Kentucky and Montana, will be voting on abortion directly through ballot measures. In other states, including North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Michigan, competitive races for state legislatures, state supreme court justices, and governor’s seat, could tip the balance between abortion protections or restrictions. For more on abortion issues on the ballot, we spoke with Alexis McGill-Johnson, president and CEO of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. And Laphonza Butler, is the President of Emily's List, which works to elect pro-choice Democratic women to office. 

Nikki Giovanni, world renowned poet and beloved educator speaks with The Takeaway about her new book, "A Library" and its importance at this time when books are being banned across the country. She also shares stories about her love of writing, teaching, Beyoncé and what it’s like to retire after 35 years at Virginia Tech University.

For many, Dolly Parton’s legacy is linked to catchy country tunes and cowboy boots; but for those who have turned to her in times of pain, Parton’s music holds a much deeper meaning. Lynn Melnick is the author of the book, “I've Had To Think Up a Way to Survive: On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton.”  The Takeaway spoke with Melnick about her memoir, and how her story of trauma and perseverance is intertwined with Dolly Parton's lyrics and legacy. 

Two women have served as governor of Oregon: Democrat Barbara Roberts, who served from 1991 to 1995 and current Democratic Governor Kate Brown, who has held the office since 2015. Today, women hold the majority of statewide elective executive offices in Oregon. In a little more than a month, voters will determine the next governor of Oregon; Democrat Kate Brown is term-limited. Oregon voters made history in 2016, when they elected Brown, who's openly bisexual, making her the first openly LGBT person elected governor in any state. Now, Oregon is the site of another historic gubernatorial contest. Three women are vying for the state’s top office: Tina Kotek (D), Christine Drazan (R), and Betsy Johnson (I). All 3 women served in the Oregon state legislature. Democrat Tina Kotek, the first openly Lesbian woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House, served from 2013 to 2022. Republican Christine Drazan served as the Minority Leader of the Oregon House from 2019 to 2021. In that role, she was in direct conflict with then-Speaker Kotek. Betsy Johnson is a former member of both the Oregon House (2001-2005) and Senate (2005-2021). During the entirety of her tenure, she ran and served as a Democrat, but she is now running in the gubernatorial election as an Independent. Notably, Johnson’s successful petition drive to qualify for the ballot was bolstered by cash from Nike founder Phil Knight and several timber and construction companies and groups. The race has attracted over $30 million in campaign contributions, with national party groups backing Kotek and Drazan. Already, the three candidates have differed sharply on their stances on issues like guns, law enforcement, housing, and education. The urban-rural divide in American politics is a factor shaping each candidates stance. And in a year where abortion is on the ballot, the issue remains a point of contention in the race where Republican Christine Drazan maintains a "pro-life" stance as abortion access becomes "increasingly important" for Oregonians. We sat down with Alison Gash, an associate professor of Political Science at the University of Oregon and Hillary Borrud, State Government and Politics Reporter for The Oregonian, for more on this unique 3-way, SHElection!    

Cheating in sports and games is nothing new.  From Lance Armstrong, to the Russian Olympic delegation’s doping scandals, from the steroid era in Baseball, to Tom Brady and “Deflategate,” cheaters come with the territory of competition.  But recently a number of cheating controversies have rocked more obscure sports: fishing, chess, and poker. And the scandals have captivated online audiences. David Mack, senior reporter for Buzzfeed News, has called cheating the "hottest trend in 2022."  He joins us to break down these controversies, and offers analysis of they have captured the attention of Americans.

Hurricane Ian is just one of seven hurricanes hitting U.S. shorelines to reach category 4 or higher ratings since 2017. The storm, following the patterns of its predecessors, rapidly intensified right before touching ground. Scientists are now speaking out about the relationship between the intensity of these storms and the effects of climate change. Kasha Patel, climate change writer and deputy weather editor at The Washington Post, joined The Takeaway to help us better understand the relationship between hurricane intensity and climate change.

One short-listed film from this year's March on Washington Film Festival is the student-made documentary: “BlackatSMU.” Highlighting tweets shared in 2020 under the viral hashtag #BlackAtSMU, the documentary tackles Black student’s experience with persistent racism on Southern Methodist University’s predominately white campus. Co-directors Aysia Lane and Crislyn Fayson, as well as producer Jillian Taylor, joined us to discuss their creative process for the film and hopes of the future.

Last Wednesday, Hurricane Ian slammed into southwest Florida and made landfall near Fort Myers as a category 4 storm, causing severe storm surge and flooding. Ian is tied for the fifth-strongest hurricane by wind speed in U.S. history. Its strength puts it alongside other recent hurricanes in the Gulf Coast like Ida and Laura. Early projections of Ian’s destruction estimate that the storm has created tens of billions of dollars in damage across Florida. Although several communities were hit by the hurricane, Fort Myers and Sanibel Island in Lee County were among the hardest hit. And at a press conference on Tuesday, the Lee County Sheriff confirmed 55 deaths in the county, which is more than half of the total deaths in the state. Nearly 180,000 customers are still without power. And school is still closed in the county for the rest of the week. Now that storm waters have receded, these communities are looking ahead at recovery.  As we’ve learned in the past, not all communities are equally equipped to deal with the devastation after a hurricane. In a November 2020 report, FEMA’s own advisors admitted that the agency wasn’t  meeting requirements to provide aid without discriminating based on race and other factors. One of President Biden’s first goals was to change that. Early in office, he signed an executive order that mandated federal agencies to create racial equity – both in new and existing policies. But in the community of Dunbar, a historically Black neighborhood in Fort Myers, about a quarter of its residents live below the federal poverty line, and many are concerned they won’t get the recovery assistance they need. In nearby Harlem Heights, a predominantly Latino and Black neighborhood, more than a third of residents live below the federal poverty line. For more, we spoke with Florida State Representative of District 70, Michele Rayner-Goolsby.  

Angelica Ross is an actress, singer, and Trans activist.  The former Pose star who played the beloved character Candy Ferocity, is now making her Broadway debut as Roxie Hart in the musical "Chicago."  She is making history as the first openly Trans lead in a major Broadway musical. We speak with Angelica Ross, about her trailblazing journey to Broadway.

U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Bogota Monday. On the agenda were policies key to the future of U.S.-Colombian relations. Colombia’s first leftist president supports ending forced eradication of coca plants and backs legislation which could lead to decriminalizing cocaine. He re-established diplomatic relations with Venezuela and re-opened the  border, and questioned the value of Latin American intervention in Russia’s war on Ukraine. For more on all this, we speak with Camila Hernandez, Associate Director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council.

President Biden announced his student loan forgiveness plan at the end of August.  But in a reversal last week, the Biden Administration announced that it is scaling back its debt forgiveness plan, reducing relief for hundreds of thousands of Americans. All this comes amidst legal challenges targeting the program. Last week, six Republican-led states filed lawsuit together requesting an immediate restraining order of the program. Arizona has filed a similar lawsuit separately. We speak with Cory Turner, education correspondent for NPR, about why the Biden Administration has scaled back the program, and whether the student loan forgiveness program will stand up to the legal challenges it now faces.