In The Thick

Given the recent mass shootings in Atlanta, Colorado and throughout the nation, Maria and Julio unpack the layers of gun violence in this country, from the impact it has on communities of color to its roots causes, including toxic masculinity and white supremacy. They speak with Manisha Sinha, author, historian and the James L. and Shirley A. Draper Chair in American History at the University of C...

Maria and Julio talk about the latest incident of gun violence after a mass shooting in Boulder, Colorado left 10 people dead. They also unpack the latest in immigration news, including President Biden's first ever news conference of his presidency. Finally, they look at the fight for voting rights in Georgia after Republicans pushed through a voter suppression bill this week. ITT Staff Picks: - M...

In light of the targeted violence against the Asian community last week in Georgia, Maria and Julio unpack the root causes that led to this tragedy, including a history of racism toward AAPI communities and racialized misogyny against Asian women. They speak with Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, and Kristine Villaneuva, a journalist and...

Maria and Julio discuss the aftermath of the tragic violence in Georgia this week which left 8 people dead, the majority of whom were Asian women. They get into the need for mainstream media and authorities to call this casualty what it is: a hate crime. They also unpack the latest on immigration, including the dehumanizing language used by the Biden administration and mainstream media when referr...

Maria and Julio get into the science of the coronavirus pandemic with infectious disease epidemiologists Dr. Syra Madad, senior director of NYC Health & Hospitals’ Special Pathogens Program, and Jessica Malaty Rivera, science communication lead for The COVID Tracking Project. They talk about what we have learned about COVID-19 a year into the pandemic, inequities in vaccine distribution, and w...

Maria and Julio discuss President Biden’s first address to the nation, including his promise that every adult American will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine come May 1. They also unpack the latest on immigration and the need for media coverage to include the historical context of U.S. foreign policy that destabilized regions, like Central America, and forced people to flee from their homes. Fi...

As the one-year mark of quarantine approaches, Maria and Julio hold space for grief and reflection. They talk with Alua Arthur, a death doula and founder of Going With Grace, and Sarah Chavez, a death positive activist and executive director of The Order of the Good Death. They process a year of continuous loss, and they hear about Dr. Magdala Chery's experiences as a Black physician and daughter...

Maria and Julio get into the latest with the coronavirus pandemic, including states like Texas and Mississippi that are lifting their mask mandates and moving to reopen. They also dive into the Senate hearing on the Capitol attack, and reflect on how mainstream media has been covering the insurrectionists. And, they end with an update on the bid for statehood for Puerto Rico. As we reach one year...

Maria and Julio welcome two new ITT guests: Josie Duffy Rice, president of The Appeal and host of the podcast "Justice in America," and Michael Harriot, a senior writer at The Root. They talk about the latest in criminal justice, including the federal and state cases for the murder of George Floyd. They also get into the Congressional investigation of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol and h...

Maria and Julio unpack the tough week of news from the United States surpassing a half million COVID-19 deaths to the Biden administrations' bombing of Syria. They also talk about the continued detention of migrant children, and Maria and Julio call for a radical reimagining of immigration. Finally they recap this past week's confirmation hearings for the Biden administration. ITT Staff Picks: - "...

Maria and Julio welcome Alana Casanova-Burgess, reporter and producer for WNYC's "On The Media", and Cristina del Mar Quiles, reporter for the Center for Investigative Journalism (Centro de Periodismo Investigativo) to talk about Puerto Rico and "La Brega," a new seven-part bilingual podcast series co-produced by WNYC Studios and Futuro Studios. They discuss Puerto Rico's status including the issu...

In this week's Sound Off, Maria and Julio unpack the latest in Texas as the state and its vulnerable communities have been devastated by a winter storm and freezing temperatures. They also talk about the official announcement of Biden's immigration bill that would grant an 8-year pathway to citizenship for 11 million immigrants, and they get into the already forgotten impeachment trial and acquitt...

Maria and Julio are joined by Charles Blow, columnist for The New York Times and author of the new book, "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto." They talk about Black political power and Charles' call for a reversal of the Great Migration to create Black regionalism in the South. They also discuss how white supremacy plagues the entire country, not just the South, and how to confront this a...

Maria is back to join Julio in her first ITT Sound Off in 2021! They break down the latest with the Senate impeachment trial for former president Donald Trump and process just how horrifying the attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6th was. Maria and Julio also discuss the devastating reaches of white supremacy in the country from the Biden administration's deportation of Haitian immigrants to the recent...

Maria and Julio reconnect with David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, an artist and former juvenile lifer, who they talked to during a 2018 ITT Live show in Chicago. Maria reflects on meeting Suave over 20 years ago, and how their journalist-source relationship has evolved since. And, Suave talks about his journey from incarceration to redemption in Pennsylvania, the state that was known as the epicenter fo...

To end the week, Julio is joined by guest co-host Jamilah King, reporter and host of the Mother Jones podcast. They talk about President Biden's latest executive orders on immigration and the confirmation of Alejandro Mayorkas as the Secretary of Homeland Security. They also get into what's happening in Congress, including the House vote to strip Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of committee...

ITT has a sneak peek for our listeners of a new podcast that Futuro Studios is producing with PRX: Suave. This podcast follows the story of David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, who was sentenced to life in prison without parole as a teenager. This podcast is close to ITT co-host Maria Hinojosa's heart. She met Suave 27 years ago and has been following his journey of incarceration and redemption ever since...

Maria and Julio break down the week's news with two ITT All-Stars. They are joined by Wajahat Ali, contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, and Jenni Monet, founder of the newsletter Indigenously. They talk about how white supremacy shows up among members of Congress, Biden's initial actions on climate policy and Indigenous affairs, and how the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastat...

In this week's Sound Off, Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, reporter and host of the Mother Jones podcast, talk about the latest in impeachment news following the Capitol Hill attack. They also dig into the complications of vaccine rollout, and hear from Silky Shah, executive director of Detention Watch Network, about the Biden administration's immigration policy.  ITT Staff Picks: - "They are...

Maria and Julio are joined by Akela Lacy, who is a politics reporter at The Intercept and returning ITT guest Mike German, who is a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program and author of the book, "Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy." They talk about how white supremacy manifests in this country's law enforcement and governme...

Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, reporter and host of the Mother Jones podcast, break down President Joe Biden's first days. They cover some of the highlights from Inauguration Day, and unpack the slew of executive orders he introduced. ITT Staff Picks: - "This new American government is the exact same as the old American government except for three new senators and a commander-in-chief who s...

We're taking a little break from the news to share something that our colleagues at Futuro Studios and WBUR have been working hard on. Listen to the first episode of "Anything For Selena," where host Maria Garcia takes us on an intimate journey to understand the cultural significance of Mexican American pop singer Selena Quintanilla's legacy. In episode one, Maria Garcia talks about growing up alo...

Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, reporter and host of the Mother Jones podcast, talk about the continued threats of white supremacist violence leading up to next week's inauguration and the escalating COVID-19 crisis. They also hear from New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez about Trump's second impeachment and the urgent need for COVID-19 relief — especially for communities of color. ITT Staff Pic...

Maria and Julio are back to process last week's events, including the white supremacist violence at the U.S. Capitol. They are joined by ITT All-Star and contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, Wajahat Ali, and national politics reporter for The Boston Globe, Jazmine Ulloa, who was reporting from the Capitol building at the time of the attack. They also hear from Azadeh Shahshahani who...

We are back with the first Sound Off of 2021! Julio is joined by guest co-host Jamilah King, reporter at Mother Jones and host of The Mother Jones Podcast. They process this week's events, including the mob attack by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol and the Georgia runoff elections.  ITT Staff Picks:  - In his latest for The Atlantic, ITT All-Star Adam Serwer writes, "But in fact, multiracial...