The Takeaway

Thousands of New York Times contributors signed an open letter this February that raised concerns about alleged imbalance and bias in the paper’s coverage of trans people and issues. This month, the co-authors released another letter — this time addressed directly to Times’ publisher A.G. Sulzberger. Contributors continue to criticize both the Times’ coverage of trans people and issues, which they say is biased and harmful, as well as the Times’ response to the letter. Staffers who signed the letter in support have reported being disciplined, and anti-trans activists and lawmakers have continued to cite Times coverage in their justifications for bans on gender-affirming care. We speak again with Harron Walker, freelance journalist and letter co-author, about the state of the Times. Listen to our previous conversation with Walker about the letter here.

In recent months, franchisees of companies from the Hilton Inn to Subway have been pushing back against their corporate franchisors, claiming they are being squeezed out of profits. And a new study from the Government Accountability office found that franchisees tend to lack basic control over the operational side of their local storefronts, which can make turning a profit difficult. Yet despite these problems, many franchisees forgo reporting the deceptive and unfair practices of their franchisors.  We speak to Lydia DePillis, an economics reporter at the New York Times, to discuss the relationship between franchisees and their franchisors and the ongoing hurdles for regulatory franchise legislation. We also speak to Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Professor of history and African American studies at Georgetown University and author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, about how the struggle for civil rights and the growth of the fast-food industry in America have shaped one another. 

Democratic Senator from California Diane Feinstein has spent more than three decades in the U-S senate. Her tenure has won her praise from allied politicians like former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The lawmakers have defended Senator Feinstein as questions arise surrounding her ability to serve. Despite the backing of some defenders, Senator Feinstein is facing calls to step down from within her own party. Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and California Representative Ro Khanna have openly called for Feinstein’s resignation. Senator Feinstein made efforts to slow the calls for her resignation by asking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for a temporary replacement in her role on the Senate Judiciary Committee. But the brouhaha over Senate Feinstein brings more to mind than the current gerontocracy. It calls into question power in the Senate: who has it, how it operates, and how much of a senator’s work output is dependent on the staffers surrounding them.  We speak with Jerry Goldfeder, professor of Election Law and Director of the Voting Rights and Democracy Project at Fordham Law School, for more.

An autopsy conducted by an independent examiner in March found Tortuguita's hands were in a raised position. A second autopsy report -conducted by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner-found no gun residue on Queer, Indigenous-Venezuelan activist Manuel Teran AKA Tortuguita's hands but only upon visual inspection. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation ran a gun residue kit, confirming gun residue was found on Tortuguita's body. The report noted that "it is possible for victims of gunshot wounds, both self-inflicted and non-self-inflicted, to have GSR present on their hands.” Some experts believe this means Tortuguita fired on officers first, and an absence of solid evidence has created speculation about what exactly sparked the gunfire exchange. The officers involved were not wearing body cameras, and questions about the nature of the officers' actions and the activist's death linger. Initial reports claimed Manuel Teran had been killed by 14 gunshot wounds after firing on an officer. An official autopsy from the DeKalb Medical Examiner's office shows Tortuguita's body suffered at least 57 gunshot wounds. The medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. We speak with Matt Scott, a member of the Atlanta Community Press Collective, which is a nonprofit media collective that’s been doing research on the development of cop city and providing community-embedded reporting. Matt joins us for an update on the situation in Atlanta after attending the City Council Subcommittee on the project and some bond hearings for some of those charged with ‘domestic terrorism.' You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Editor's Note: This story was updated at 6:18 PM ET. You can listen to our other segments on cop city below: Cop City ; Cop City: Forest Defender Killed; Cop City: Welcome to RIOTSVILLE, USA; Cop City: Week of Action For transcripts, click the links above and visit our homepage.

Our nation constantly struggles to understand the lives and lived experiences of enslaved Black Americans. Discussing the lives of enslaved Black people can be complicated. That complexity can push us towards easy understandings and answers of who they were while inadvertently seeking rebellion in their every word and deed. This search for near constant rebellion through a 21st century lens flattens their lives and experiences. In Reading Pleasures: Everyday Black Living in Early America, Professor Bynum pushes us towards a deeper understanding of the everyday lives of Black Americans like: the poet Phyllis Wheatley, ministers John Marrant and James Albert Ukawsaw Gronniosaw and pamphleteer David Walker who urged enslaved Black Americans to break free of slavery. She pulls us into their internal worlds, and demands we recognize the pleasures they enjoyed as they lived, in spite of their societal station.

When the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000, Allison Hemming was one of the many laid-off employees. At the time, she planned a get together and networking event with fellow-laid off employees to swap career advice, commiserate, and meet with recruiters, and this meetings turned into what she dubbed “pink slip parties.” Now, as more than 100,000 employees in the tech and media industries have faced layoffs over the past year, we talk to Allison Hemming, CEO of The Hired Guns, a tech-recruiting firm, about pink slip parties, advice for people facing layoffs, and how companies and CEOs can make these difficult moments better for their employees.

On Friday, the Supreme Court issued a stay on a lower court ruling. The stay ensures, that for now, the abortion pill, mifepristone, will remain widely available. Mifepristone was first approved as safe and effective for ending pregnancies more than 20 years ago. But earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a federal judge in Texas appointed by former President Donald Trump, suspended the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone.  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit challenged part of Kacsmaryk’s ruling – leaving mifepristone legal, but making it harder to access. Friday’s decision by the Supreme Court halted those 5th Circuit Court restrictions and reestablished the status quo. But the decision is temporary.  This is the first time the Supreme Court has taken action on abortion since overturning Roe v. Wade last year. But, because this was an emergency decision and not a full case, the Court did not provide reasoning, noting only that Justices Thomas and Alito dissented. For more on this, we spoke with Leah Litman, Professor of Law at University of Michigan Law School and co-host of the Crooked Media podcast Strict Scrutiny.

Noted Businesswoman and marketing maven, Bozoma Saint John, joins us to talk about her new book “The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss and Survival,” which chronicles the difficult moments she’s survived and her choice to live life urgently.

 The Takeaway is celebrating a very intersectional Earth Day Weekend with some of our favorite segments on environmental justice: How Indigenous Water Protectors Paved Way for Future Activism The Work of Black Girl Environmentalist What Queer Ecology Can Teach Us About Environmentalism The Intersection of Climate Justice and Racial Justice Young Voices Speak Out About Earth Day For full transcripts, see our website.

Original Air Date: April 19, 2023 It’s an act that’s familiar to countless older siblings around the nation: pick up your younger siblings from afterschool, the bus stop, maybe even another friend’s house and then walk them home. It’s an act that took a decidedly dangerous and near deadly turn for the 16 year-old “gentle soul”, clarinet player and member of his high school marching band – Ralph Yarl. Hundreds marched and called for justice after Ralph Yarl was shot twice – once in the head – by a white homeowner last Thursday. Ralph’s supposed wrongdoing? Accidentally ringing the wrong doorbell while trying to pick up his younger brothers and bring them home. Ralph Yarl has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. The white man who shot him, will now face two felonies: assault in the first degree and armed criminal action. Young Black boys – children – are often viewed as far older and threatening than reality would suggest. This can have far reaching consequences on their lives, and their mental health. 

Original Air Date: April 20, 2023 As weekend one of Coachella wrapped up last week and we head into weekend two of the three-day music festival, we check in with Pitchfork staff writer Allison Hussey about the highs, lows, and the lesser-known artists of Coachella.  You can catch her Coachella coverage at pitchfork.com. 

Larissa Fasthorse is one of the first Indigenous women to have her play produced on Broadway. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY is one of six plays coming out written by Larissa Fasthorse in 2023. THE THANKSGIVING PLAY centers indigenous issues through the lens of a small community’s attempt at staging a “socially-conscious thanksgiving play.” Fasthorse joins The Takeaway to talk about THE THANKSGIVING PLAY, the pressures of being one of the first Indigenous women to have a play produced on Broadway and what it’s like to center Indigenous issues in an industry that often ignores Indigenous artistry. 

The stoner classics Scary Movie and Friday envisioned a future where “puff, puff, pass” is the norm. And the majority of states across the nation have acquiesced. Recent years have seen a spate of laws in state legislatures that make weed legal for medical and recreational purposes. Federally, the issue of marijuana legalization appears to have stalled, but recent bills introduced in congress point towards a future of possible bipartisan support for the drug’s legalization. Senior editor of Marijuana Moment, Kyle Jaeger, joins us as we talk about the current state of weed legislation in the U-S, and what, if anything, President Biden can do to reschedule and decriminalize the drug.

Little Richard was a larger-than-life entertainer and personality which is captured by the new documentary, “Little Richard: I Am Everything.” We speak with the film’s director, Lisa Cortes.

As part of our "23 Mayors in 2023" series, we head to Boston, Massachusetts. At the age of 36, Michelle Wu was elected as the first woman and the first person of color to become mayor of Boston 2021. Boston is the 23rd largest city in America, with a population of almost 700,000. A diverse, and very young city, Boston has the highest percentage of 20-34 year olds of the top 25 largest cities in America. But challenges with racial inequality in Boston persist. We speak with Mayor Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, about her journey into politics, how her identity has been an advantage (and disadvantage at times) in her job, and overcoming some of the challenges facing Boston.