Axios Re:Cap

We're back with another episode of our Hard Truths series looking at the criminal justice system in the U.S. Today. Specifically, what happens when people of color make it out of that system and try to rebuild their lives. People of color are disproportionately imprisoned in the U.S. Black people are incarcerated five times more than white people, Hispanics nearly twice as likely as white people to end up behind bars. They also face longer sentences and harsher punishments which can make finding a job and rebuilding a life outside of prison much harder. Guests: New York Secretary of State Rosanna Rosado and Justin Cordova. Credits: "Axios Today" is produced in partnership with Pushkin Industries. This episode was produced by Nuria Marquez Martinez and edited by Alexandra Botti. Jeanne Montalvo is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Axios Executive Editor Sara Kehaulani Goo, Hard Truths Editor Michele Salcedo, and Executive Producer Dan Bobkoff. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The pandemic has been a horror show for movie theaters. Some wondered if their time in the spotlight had passed for good, as new releases arrived via digital streaming services. Today, though, they've got lots of reasons for optimism.Axios Re:Cap talks with Shelli Taylor, CEO of Alamo Drafthouse, about her cinema chain's bankruptcy, her industry's battles with streamers and why she's expecting this summer to be a blockbuster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Biden on Thursday signed a bill aimed at reducing and tracking anti-Asian hate crimes, which have increased significantly in 2021. Axios Re:Cap digs into the legislation and why it matters with Emma Lovewell, a Peloton instructor and Asian-American who lobbied for the bill in Congress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New York Attorney General's office announced late Tuesday night that its investigation into The Trump Organization has expanded from a civil one into a criminal one. Axios Re:Cap goes deeper with David Fahrenthold, a Washington Post reporter whose beat is the Trump family's business interests, to learn how the investigation started, why it's turned criminal and what big questions remain unanswered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Images out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict depict an imbalance in military might — Israel’s Iron Dome defense system neutralizing rockets launched by Hamas, while Israel’s retaliation against Hamas has led to more than 200 Palestinian deaths, including 61 children. World leaders, including President Biden, are calling for a ceasefire. Naomi Shavin is joined by Axios Tel Aviv author Barak Ravid to discuss the context of the current strife, the political motivations of Prime Minister Netanyahu, and whether Israel’s actions this month could have long-term consequences for the political landscape there and in the US. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clinical research treating mental illness with psychedelics has been ongoing for decades, but now there's a group of companies exclusively focused on using LSD and other psychedelics to treat mental health disorders. Dan digs into the argument for legalizing prescription psychedelics, and the treacherous FDA approval path, with MindMed CEO JR Rahn, whose company recently listed on the Nasdaq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most confounding parts of last week's abysmal jobs report was the disconnect between the unemployment and the help wanted signs plastered in the windows of almost every restaurant and retail store. Axios Re:Cap goes deeper with Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grille, which just announced average starting wages of $15, to discuss pay, labor shortages and the CDC's new indoor masking guidance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amazon today announced plans to hire 75,000 more workers, most of whom will sign on after Jeff Bezos officially steps down as the tech giant's CEO. Axios Re:Cap talks with Brad Stone, author of a new book called "Amazon Unbound," about how Amazon may change, what Bezos does next and how he found the woman who voices Alexa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jake Levine, an attorney and former Obama administration staffer, this week was named the first-ever "chief climate officer" at the Development Finance Corp., a U.S. government group that acts a bit like a venture capital firm focused on developing countries. Axios Re:Cap speaks with Levine and Axios climate reporter Andrew Freedman about the significance of this new role, and how Levine will handle billions of dollars in financing to combat global warming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

India is dealing with daily new COVID cases well above 300,000, and a new variant, first detected in India, has been declared a global concern by the World Health Organization. Political blowback and calls for a nationwide lockdown are proliferating, even after President Modi had critical Facebook posts removed.  Dan discusses the difficult and deadly situation in India, the political tensions that seem to just keep escalating, and the role of social media amid the crisis with New York Times reporter Karan Deep Singh, who is based in New Delhi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Colonial Pipeline provides around 45% of the fuel used between Florida and Maine, transporting over 100 million gallons per day. But over the weekend, a ransomware attack caused the entire pipeline to shut down. Dan digs into what we know about this attack, what it tells us about U.S. energy vulnerability, and what it means for transportation in the short term with energy expert Amy Myers Jaffe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Economists had been expecting the economy to add nearly 1 million jobs last month but it only added 266,000. Now, this speed bump in the U.S. economic recovery could change the political debate over whether or not to spend trillions of dollars on infrastructure and social services.  Dan is joined by Axios chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon and Axios political reporter Sarah Mucha to dig into what the jobs report says about our economy and what it means for Biden’s plans. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The idea of banning menthols was first floated in 2017 by then-FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, as nearly half of smokers between 12 and 17 smoke menthols. But around 85% of Black smokers prefer menthols, largely due to racially targeted marketing, and this has led to concerns about how enforcement of a ban could disproportionately impact Black Americans.   Dan digs into the history of this proposed ban, what enforcement could look like, and when it might go into effect with Scott Gottlieb. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This morning, Facebook’s Oversight Board recommended that the social network maintain its suspension of former President Trump’s account, which has been in place since January 6. But it also said that Facebook must rethink the “indefinite” nature of Trump’s ban, throwing the ball back in Facebook’s court. Dan digs into the ban, the decision from the board and what’s ahead for Facebook with New York Times technology correspondent Mike Isaac. Plus, how the decision was received by Trump and his associates with Axios national political correspondent Jonathan Swan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The FDA is expected to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for use in children 12-15 years old next week, a major milestone on the path to getting more Americans vaccinated. Dan digs into how vaccine trials for children are different, what’s ahead this summer and whether young kids may be eligible for vaccinations before next school year with long-time drug discovery researcher and author of the blog In The Pipeline Derek Lowe. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices