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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.

Climate Change is Here. How Should Cities Adapt? Some experts say this could be the beginning of a string of catastrophic natural disasters caused by climate change, and the time has come for local leaders to take action and adapt. Surfside Collapse Highlights Florida's Unstable Insurance Market The Surfside collapse is creating new unrest to Florida’s insurance market which was already facing extreme pressure due to climate change. What Can We Do to Fight Climate Change? The climate crisis sometimes seems so insurmountable that it leaves many with a feeling of “what can I do?”

Amid State of Emergency in Tokyo, Majority of Japanese Voters Want to Postpone the Olympics There are more than two dozen COVID-19 infections among people involved with the Olympics, and an estimated 62 percent of the Japanese voters oppose the games. The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Disrupting Global Supply Chains As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens around the world, it's wreaking havoc on the global supply chain. Black Girl Magic at the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee Zaila Avant-garde made news as the historic winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Takeaway talks with another speller who competed alongside Zaila.

Biden Administration Transfers Its First Detainee from Guantánamo Bay On Monday, the Biden administration announced that it had repatriated Abdul Latif Nasser out of the Guantánamo Bay prison complex.   What the Bucks Being in the NBA Finals Means for the City of Milwaukee The Bucks' NBA Finals have put Milwaukee in the spotlight.  What is Disability Pride Month? New York City became the first jurisdiction to officially observe Disability Pride Month in July 2015.

Is Big Tech in Big Trouble? There are six bills currently in Congress aiming to limit the power of big tech companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Questions Continue Two Weeks After Assassination of Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse Following the assassination, there are still many questions about what happened, who was involved, and who will take power in Haiti.  Lizz Winstead on 'The Daily Show' Reunion It’s no joke, it’s really been 25 years since the start of "The Daily Show." On Monday evening the OG’s are reuniting in a reunion special at 9pm on Comedy Central. Audio Simulation of the Late Anthony Bourdain's Voice Raises Questions About AI Ethics   As the technology becomes more convincing, what are the potential risks of exploring AI audio without establishing widespread norms and conventions?

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.

93,000 Drug Overdose Deaths Highlight Another Toll of the Pandemic On Wednesday, the CDC released data showing that more than 93,000 people in the U.S. died from drug overdoses in 2020. Tigray Rebels Gain Ground in Ethiopian Conflict Earlier this week, rebel forces claimed that they captured Alamata, the major town in the southern part of Tigray. Delta Variant Causes Jump in U.S. COVID-19 Cases As the Delta variant spreads across the U.S., more than half of U.S. states are seeing spikes in COVID-19 cases. The Fashion Industry Reckons with Systemic Racism A new guard is shaking up the status quo, demanding greater inclusion and representation on runways, in editorials, and behind the scenes.

Texas House Democrats Flee the State Plus, under pressure from activists and civil rights leaders, President Joe Biden has called for a new coalition to defend voting rights. Pollution from the Cane Sugar Harvest in Florida is Making Residents Sick Residents in western Palm Beach Country are challenging sugar companies with a lawsuit in federal court claiming that pollution from cane burning is damaging their health. Why Shohei Ohtani Matters for the Future of Major League Baseball This season, Shohei Ohtani has shown how exciting it is to watch a player excel on the mound and at the plate.

Is Democracy Dying? A report put out this year by the non-profit Freedom House says that 2020 was the 15th consecutive year in which global freedoms declined, as authoritarian leaders gained more power. A Record Number of Rural Hospitals Closed During the Pandemic Since 2010, 138 hospitals in rural communities have closed, and the COVID-19 pandemic pushed them to the brink with a record 19 closing last year alone. New Era of Space Tourism Takes Flight On Sunday, Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson became the first billionaire to launch himself into space on a rocket he helped fund. How Much Should We Be Policing Language? Brandeis University's newly-released “Oppressive Language List” aims to address language that can be seen as violent in nature.

Haiti Struggles in the Aftermath of President Jovenel Moïse's Assassination Following the assassination, Haiti’s police force has killed four people it suspects in the president’s killing. Do Olympic Rules on Marijuana Need to Change? Last week, 21-year-old Sha'Carri Richardson's Olympic dreams ended abruptly after she tested positive for marijuana.  

U.S.D.A. Plans to Pay Debt Relief for Minority Farmers After Months of Delay The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning to start paying off loans for Black farmers and other farmers of color.  Congresswoman Alma Adams on the Latest Delays in Debt Relief to Black Farmers Last month, a federal judge placed a temporary restraining order on a program to help Black farmers and other farmers of color.  People Are Flocking to Backyard Chickens During the Pandemic A silver lining for many over the last year has been time spent gardening.  "High on the Hog" Celebrates Black Food Culture  The new Netflix series “High on the Hog” traces the history and significance of African American foodways.  

The Battle Over Critical Race Theory Getting critical race theory out of schools has become a conservative rallying cry this year.  Does Critical Race Theory Have a Role in the Military? Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, set off a firestorm last week after he endorsed the use of critical race theory, saying he wants to understand “white rage.” What Our Dependence on Meat Means for Climate Change In April, the recipe site Epicurious announced that they would no longer be publishing new recipes that use beef. It's Time for Summer Reading Around this time every year, there is list after list of the buzziest books hitting shelves in the coming months.

Let's Celebrate Black Joy Finding moments of Black joy has become an outlet from what can feel like a never-ending cycle of news about the pandemic and other injustices.  Calls to Repatriate Art Reignite As Countries Contend With Colonialist Legacies As Europe and the United States grapple with their racist and colonialist pasts, calls to repatriate stolen art have intensified. In 'Luster,' author Raven Leilani Explores What it's Like to Flail The novel Luster follows the story of Edie, a woman in her twenties living in Brooklyn who is flailing in her personal and professional life. Comedian Sam Jay Brings Honest, Intimate Conversations to Late Night "Pause with Sam Jay" is a break from the standard late night format, and focuses more on intimate conversations between Jay and her comedian friends about complicated topics. 

What the Pandemic Meant for the Mental Health of Teenagers Do schools have the resources necessary to address what the last year has meant for the mental health of their students? Naomi Osaka's French Open Exit Spotlights Mental Health Pressures for Black Athletes Naomi Osaka’s decision to exit the French Open is part of a much longer history of Black athletes questioning what they really owe to predominantly white reporters. After Practice of "Race-Norming" is Exposed, Black Former Players Remain Skeptical of NFL Last week, the NFL admitted it had been using a practice known as “race-norming," which made it harder for Black players to qualify for a payout if they have dementia. 

Biden Rolls Out Plans for Closing Racial Wealth Gap, Advocates See More Work to Be Done Despite the White House’s stated commitment to closing the racial wealth gap, some advocates believe that the federal government’s new plans don’t go nearly far enough. The U.S. is Seeing More Cancer Diagnoses in 2021 Due to the pandemic, people were not able to receive preventative care for cancer. Should We Really Expect A "Hot Vax Summer"? The Kinsey Institute recently unveiled the results of a national survey looking at the impact of COVID-19 on people’s relationships and sex lives.

New Supreme Court Decision Diminishes Voting Rights On Thursday, in a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court’s conservative justices ruled to uphold two voting laws in Arizona that critics say target voters of color. What's the Deal with Ranked-Choice Voting? New York City may be the largest jurisdiction to turn to ranked-choice voting, but it’s far from the only one in recent years. Trump Organization Charged with Tax Scheme On Thursday morning, Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg turned himself in to New York prosecutors. What Bill Cosby's Release Means for Survivors While the overturning of Cosby’s conviction is seen as a legal victory by some, it’s seen as an injustice by others.

Heat Wave Underscores Disparities for Vulnerable Communities As global warming becomes more pronounced, communities with fewer resources will bear the brunt of the burden. Bill Cosby's Sexual Assault Conviction Overturned This comes just a month after the comedian was denied parole, due in part for refusing to participate in a program for sexually violent offenders. The Right-to-Repair Movement Gains Momentum In the U.S. In June, Congressman Joseph Morelle of New York filed the Fair Repair Act with Congress. Actor Colman Domingo Tapped into Something Sinister for "Zola" Character actor Colman Domingo stars in "Zola" as an intimidating pimp, a departure from the range of compassionate figures he’s played in recent years.

Why Is Infrastructure So Expensive in the U.S.? Plus, a look at the incalculable toll of highways and other infrastructure projects on Black communities and low-income communities throughout history.  Aligning Our Beauty Routines with Our Values Has our year of collective consciousness has affected how we define, create, and consume personal beauty? 

Ethiopia Declares a Ceasefire in the Tigray Region Ethiopia’s government has declared an immediate ceasefire in the Tigray region, where a conflict has been raging since last November.  Does Critical Race Theory Have a Role in the Military? Gen. Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, set off a firestorm last week after he endorsed the use of critical race theory, saying he wants to understand “white rage.”  Black TikTok Creators Have Had Enough This month, many Black TikTok creators have staged a strike to call attention to the frequent appropriation of Black-created dances by white users on the app. 

U.S. Prepares to Reckon with Past Atrocities Against Indigenous Children Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will be launching an initiative investigating “the loss of human life and the lasting consequences” of former Native American boarding schools. Melissa Harris-Perry on A Mother's Love Guest host Melissa Harris-Perry on Chauvin and a mother's love. In 'Luster,' author Raven Leilani Explores What it's Like to Flail The novel Luster follows the story of Edie, a woman in her twenties living in Brooklyn who is flailing in her personal and professional life.