The Takeaway

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages.

Joe Biden takes the helm as the 46th president of the United States during an unprecedented crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 400,000 Americans, nearly 16 million remain unemployed, and the peaceful transfer of power was disrupted by a violent mob unleashed by the former president. Unity was the centerpiece of President Biden’s inaugural address, but he also acknowledged that unity cannot be achieved without addressing the division and anger that defined the last four years. Nick Fandos, congressional correspondent for The New York Times, Toluse Olorunnipa, national political reporter at The Washington Post, and Clare Malone, a freelance writer, reflect on the last four years and discuss President Biden’s path forward.

The precarious nature of the economy is among the challenges President Biden has inherited. Record unemployment continues as major sectors of the economy remain shut down as a result of the pandemic. Having introduced a $1.9 trillion stimulus package ahead of inauguration, President Biden is hoping to bring Republicans on board to demonstrate his commitment to bipartisanship. But it’s unlikely that Republicans will support his plan as it currently reads even though distributing aid to suffering businesses and families is a time-sensitive matter. Heather Long from The Washington Post and Derek Thompson from The Atlantic describe the economy as it stands today and what approach President Biden should take in implementing another stimulus package.

Plus, Kamala Harris made history this week as she became the first woman and woman of color to be sworn in as vice president. Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List and author of "Run to Win: Lessons in Leadership for Women Changing the World," has spent her professional life working to elect pro-choice Democratic women to public office. She spoke with Amy Walter about how drastically things have changed for women in politics throughout her career and the magnitude of Vice President Harris’ ascent to the White House.     

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages. 

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages. 

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages. 

A special broadcast and online edition of WNYC’s 15th Annual MLK celebration.
Monday, January 18, 3-4 PM ET. Rebroadcast at 8 PM ET.
Presented in collaboration with the March on Washington Film Festival.

This year, WNYC and Apollo Theater are bringing our annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. event to the national radio airwaves on The Takeaway, the national news program from WNYC and PRX, and online as a Facebook live video simulcast.

The special broadcast will be co-hosted by the event’s signature hosts —WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and Senior Editor of WNYC’s Race and Justice Unit Jami Floyd — who will be joined by Tanzina Vega, host of The Takeaway.

(WNYC)

Guests include James E. Clyburn, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and Letitia James, among a distinguished roster of civil rights leaders, elected officials, activists, journalists, and artists to discuss the urgent priorities facing the incoming Biden-Harris administration, health equity for Black Americans, and what comes next in our nation’s ongoing reckoning around systemic racism. 

You’ll have three opportunities to listen Monday, January 18, live on AM 820 at 9am, from 3-4pm on WNYC 93.9 FM, and at 8pm on WNYC 93.9 FM and AM 820.

“MLK and the Fierce Urgency of Now!” will also have a video simulcast on Facebook Live at 3pm ET.

Featured guests include: 

Congressman James E. Clyburn, Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina

Reverend Dr. William Barber, II, President of Repairers of the Breach and Co-Chair of The Poor People’s Campaign

Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr., Civil rights activist and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee

Nikole Hannah-Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and creator of The New York Times’ 1619 Project

Letitia James, Attorney General for the State of New York

Dr. Uché Blackstock, Yahoo! News Medical Contributor and Founder & CEO of Advancing Health Equity

Dr. Jeff Gardere, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine

Queen Afua, Five-time best-selling author and CEO of the Queen Afua Wellness Center

Leslé Honoré, Blaxican artist and activist, who will read from her book of poems Fist & Fire

The video version of the program will include introductions from Goli Sheikholeslami, President and CEO of New York Public Radio; Jonelle Procope, President and CEO of the Apollo Theater; and Isisara Bey, Artistic Director of the March on Washington Film Festival.

President Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives just one week after encouraging his supporters to attack the U.S. Capitol and disrupt Congress as they tallied Joe Biden’s Electoral College win. He is the first president to be impeached twice. Privately, many Republican members said that while they supported impeachment, they were worried about their physical safety and the political fallout from denouncing a president who remains popular among the base. Only ten Republicans joined House Democrats in voting to impeach. 

President Trump’s ban from Twitter means that for the first time in four years, Washington is unaware of how he’s processing the current news cycle and the end of his term. 

With President-elect Joe Biden days away from assuming the presidency, he’s preparing to tackle the dual crises of COVID-19 and an economic downturn. How quickly the Senate moves to take up impeachment will have a direct impact on how efficiently the Biden administration is able to move through their agenda.

Annie Linskey, a national political reporter at The Washington Post, Anita Kumar, White House correspondent for POLITICO, and Sarah Wire, congressional reporter at The Los Angeles Times, share what the mood is like in the West Wing and what happens to President Trump’s grip on the Republican Party after he leaves office.   

Throughout his time in office, Donald Trump's actions have raised many questions about the presidency. Particularly, since he broke with America’s proud tradition of a peaceful transfer of power when his supporters attacked the Capitol. Today, a militarized Washington, D.C. stands prepared to address growing security concerns ahead of Joe Biden’s inauguration. Barbara Perry, director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia Miller Center, puts Donald Trump’s presidency into context and expands on how he changed the presidency, for better or worse. 

Also, the insurrection has highlighted the role social media platforms have in the dissemination of conspiracy theories and lies. Many of those who participated in the violent attack were involved in conversations on Twitter and Facebook that falsely claimed that the election had been stolen from President Trump. While Trump has been banned from several platforms, including Facebook and Twitter, the lies and rhetoric he shared with his followers has not disappeared. Darrell West, senior fellow at the Center for Technology Innovation at The Brookings Institution, and Kevin Roose, technology columnist at The New York Times, describe how individuals become radicalized online and where they go when they’ve been deplatformed.  

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages. 

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages. 

For transcripts, please see individual segment pages.