Politics with Amy Walter

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.

A Look at Covid-19 Vaccine Incentives: Will They Work? There's a long history of using incentives to promote public health.   Some Republican-led States Plan to End Enhanced Unemployment Benefits Early A look at the growing number of red states opting out of the pandemic era unemployment program.     New Deal-Inspired Program Would Pay Writers to Document the Pandemic Earlier this month, Congressman Ted Lieu of California introduced a bill that would create a 21st Century Federal Writers’ Project. Who is Rep. Elise Stefanik? Stefanik was elected in 2014 as a young moderate Republican, but in recent years she’s embraced President Trump.

Democratic Bill Seeks to Combat Voting Restriction Legislation. But Will Congress Pass It? We speak with Senator Jeff Merkley about the For The People Act. New Data Indicates Homelessness Declined in Washington, D.C., But Long-term Issues Persist According to recent data, Washington, D.C.'s unhoused population fell by around 20 percent last year. But there were also increases in individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.  What's the Future of the GOP Under the Biden Administration? Months into a new presidency, there’s still a rift within the Republican Party over former President Donald Trump’s false claims about election fraud. 

President Joe Biden's First 100 Days President Biden has used his first hundred days in office to drive the largest expansion of government seen in decades. Newsom Opponents Have Gathered Enough Signatures to Trigger a Recall—Now What? California is facing its first gubernatorial recall in nearly two decades. Should We Be Optimistic About the U.S. Economy? The unemployment rate is steadily dropping, and stocks have been on the rise, as the country has ramped up its aggressive vaccination campaign. Why Viewers Love Political TV Dramas No matter how much high-stakes tension there is going on in the actual Washington, D.C., there’s something endlessly entertaining about the best political television shows. 

Following Derek Chauvin's Conviction, Renewed Calls for Police Reform in Congress While many breathed a sigh of relief following the verdict, the days since have been a reminder of just how rampant police violence is in the country.  How Advocates Are Pushing President Biden to Confront Environmental Racism Although he’s already taking more steps than his predecessor, some advocates are pushing President Biden to go much further to address environmental racism. Statehood for Washington, DC to Advance to the Senate The nationwide reckoning over systemic racism and a groundswell of support for voting rights has elevated the fight for statehood. 

Biden Administration Announces New Sanctions Against Russia The actions against Russia represent one of the first major tests for the new administration on the international level.  Biden Administration Emphasizes Commitment to Israel at a Chaotic Moment in Israeli Politics A visit to Israel from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is once again fighting for his political future.  What Withdrawing from Afghanistan Means for Veterans and Active Troops This week, President Biden announced that U.S. troops would withdraw from Afghanistan by September 2021.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Aging Infrastructure, Vaccine Appointments, And More Governor Murphy joins the Takeaway for a conversation about the state’s pandemic response, school reopenings, and election reform in the state. Divisions Emerge Over Biden's Proposal to Raise the Corporate Tax Rate One of the biggest debates emerging around President Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal is how to pay for it. Kentucky Passes Law to Expand Voting Access This Wednesday, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear signed into law a bipartisan bill to expand voting access in the state.  Biden Announces Executive Actions to Address Gun Policy The new actions attempt to address recent violent mass shootings in the U.S. A Procedural Ruling Allows Senate Democrats to Pass Some Bills with Simple Majority This week, the Senate parliamentarian determined that Democrats could pass additional legislation through the budget reconciliation process. 

Georgia's Newest Voting Law Aims to Reduce Access to the Polls Lawmakers in Georgia are part of a national trend in which legislators across the country have introduced more than 250 bills that aim to restrict voting.   In Texas, Lawmakers Advance Legislation for New Restrictions on Voting SB7 would do everything from limit early voting hours to prohibit drive-thru voting in the state.

A Look Back at Colorado's History of Mass Shootings This week, a gunman in Boulder, Colorado killed ten people while they were shopping in a local grocery store. Vice President Harris to Lead the White House Response at the Southern Border This week, President Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the United States’ response to the growing number of migrants arriving at the southern border. Biden Proposes Gun Reform in Light of Atlanta, Boulder Shootings In the wake of the recent mass shootings, President Joe Biden has proposed a ban on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and an expansion of background checks for gun sales. 

A Message from The Takeaway.

From Statehood to Self-Determination: The Political Future of Puerto Rico This month, two different bills aiming to redefine Puerto Rico's relationship to the mainland U.S. have been introduced in Congress.  What You Need to Know About Foreign Interference in the 2020 Election A recently declassified national intelligence report outlines efforts authorized by foreign leaders to influence public opinion about the 2020 presidential race.