In The Thick

Maria and Julio discuss Trump’s push for a merit-based immigration plan, after claiming our current legal immigration system is broken. They also talk about Alabama banning abortion outright, following the recent wave of anti-abortion legislation in the country, racial profiling in policing and the dangers of facial recognition technology. We also say, "nos vemos" to our dear senior producer, Juan...

Amidst the Mueller saga, Trump finds himself facing a number of subpoenas from Congress. Meanwhile in foreign policy, tensions with Iran are escalating, and Trump is going all-in on the trade war with China, after raising U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods. This is happening while one million Uighur Muslims are being held in internment camps in Xinjiang. Julio is joined by  Melissa Etehad , foreign aff...

Another week of the Mueller saga ended with Trump yet again refusing to cooperate with Congress’ investigations on the report. Maria and Julio discuss the congressional hearing held on Wednesday, plus Trump’s repeated lies about Puerto Rico and another tragic school shooting in Colorado. ITT Staff Picks: Wait, does Trump think Mueller should testify or not? Read about  his flip-flopping statements...

This week in immigration, Trump announced his plans to appoint Mark Morgan to head ICE, while former White House chief-of-staff John Kelly joined the board of a company that runs detention centers for migrant children. Maria and Julio are joined by  Andrea González-Ramírez , senior news and politics writer with Refinery29, and All-Star  Terrell Jermaine Starr , senior reporter with The Root, to di...

Protests in Venezuela have erupted after opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for the support of armed forces to overthrow Nicolás Maduro on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Attorney General William Barr testified in front of the Senate about his handling of the Mueller report, and the Trump administration’s immigration policies left two more migrant children dead this week. Maria and guest co-host All-Star  I...

Last week, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for whether the Trump administration should add a question about citizenship to the 2020 Census, effectively changing the way people in the United States would be counted. Maria and Julio are joined by  Dorian Warren , president of the Center for Community Change, and  Hansi Lo Wang , NPR national correspondent, to discuss the Supreme Court case an...

Well, he finally did it. Joe Biden announced he was running for president on Thursday, just a day after She the People hosted the first ever policy forum dedicated to women of color in Houston, TX, where many of the 2020 candidates spoke. Maria and Julio discuss the latest with the campaign trail, plus what stories they can't let go of this week. ITT Staff Picks: Is Joe Biden progressive enough fo...

The Mueller report dropped last week and left everyone wondering what's next? Maria and Julio are joined by  Tanya Ballard Brown , 2019 Nieman fellow at Harvard University, and  Adam Serwer , staff writer at The Atlantic, to unpack the reactions to the report. They also delve into the deep roots of white supremacy in the U.S., and the arrest of the leader of an armed right-wing militia group that’...

In this special Mueller report ITT edition, Maria and Julio give their takeaways on the 448-page redacted document by special counsel Robert Mueller on Russian meddling during the 2016 presidential election. They discuss Attorney General William Barr’s defense of Trump, the obstruction of justice during the investigation, and whether Russian interference will influence future elections in the Unit...

This week, Trump said he’s considering sending migrants to sanctuary cities. Maria and Julio are joined by two All-Stars,  Jenni Monet , independent journalist and tribal member of the Pueblo of Laguna, and  Brentin Mock , staff writer for City Lab, to discuss Trump's latest use of immigrants as political pawns. They also talk about the burning of three black churches in Louisiana, the latest atta...

It's been a busy week in immigration news, from Kirstjen Nielsen’s resignation to Trump contradicting his administration's officials when it comes to his zero tolerance policy. Maria and Julio make sense of the latest in border politics. They also discuss how the coverage of Attorney General William Barr's testimony reflects white male privilege in the media, and the complexities of Julian Assange...

Feminists have been organizing against gender violence in Mexico for years. But over the last few weeks, Mexican women have taken to social media to call out abusive men in creative industries, starting a new wave of #MeToo. Maria and Julio are joined by  Peniley Ramírez , investigative reporter with Univision and columnist with El Heraldo de Mexico, and  Emily Corona , freelance journalist and di...

In a historic election on Tuesday, Lori Lightfoot became Chicago’s first black woman and openly gay person elected mayor, but not everyone in the community is celebrating. Julio and guest co-host All-Star  Jamilah King  discuss this, plus the media rhetoric around Puerto Rico and how Nipsey Hussle’s murder marked a tragic moment in hip-hop.   ITT Staff Picks: - This in-depth look  at Lori Lightfoo...

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s full redacted report is expected to come out mid-April, but what do we make of what we already know? Maria and Julio discuss this and more with  Jonathan Capehart , opinion writer with the Washington Post, and All-Star  Terrell Jermaine Starr , senior reporter with The Root. They also get into Trump’s plans to cut aid to three Central American countries and Lucy Fl...

As the energy around 2020 grows, conversations about women’s political leadership are taking the lead. In The Thick's NY Women's Foundation fellow Nour Saudi reports from a panel organized by the Metro New York chapter of UN Women on what the future of politics looks like for women of color, and where New York City falls short. We also hear from  Democratic Rep. Yvette Clarke  and  Erin Vilardi ,...

Everyone is talking about the border, but no one is really talking about the border: what it is like to live, work and experience the vibrant day-to-day life around it. We don’t hear about the particular culture, uniqueness or challenges of this locale that go beyond the wall and immigration. Join In The Thick for the live show with co-hosts, Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela and guests  Bea...

In this “All 2020 Everything” Sound Off, Julio and guest co-host All-Star,  Terrell Jermaine Starr  talk about the growing speculations of a Joe Biden-Stacey Abrams ticket, and the issue of reparations that almost every Democratic candidate has been addressing. They also share which story they can't shake off this week.   ITT Staff Picks: Don’t miss The Cut’s in-depth  profile of Stacey Abrams  an...

In Taylor, Texas, a Latino USA and Rewire. News investigation into one of most notorious detention centers, the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, revealed a long and extensive pattern of sexual abuse and harassment. Julio and Maria are joined by  Maggie Freleng , producer at Latino USA, and  Tina Vasquez , senior immigration reporter at Rewire. News, to discuss the piece they reported with Maria ab...

A deadly terrorist attack at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday left at least 49 people dead, dozens injured, and the rest of the world shaken. Julio is joined by guest co-host  Antonia Cereijido  of Latino USA, to discuss this tragedy, plus Beto O’Rourke’s announcement of his 2020 candidacy and how the college admissions scandal is just another part of the problem of racism in hig...

A new budget plan was released on Monday that includes a proposal of $8.6 billion for construction of the border wall. Meanwhile, the long-awaited Robert Mueller report could be published any day, and a new House resolution was passed that broadly condemns hate. Maria and Julio are joined by All-Star  Callie Crossley , host of WGBH’s Under the Radar, and  Aisha Moodie Mills , political strategist...

This week, four different congressional hearings on immigration took place at the same time. Maria and Julio discuss one where Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen testified that she was unaware of the long-lasting effects family separation has on migrant children. They also talk about R. Kelly’s interview with Gayle King, and how to grapple with sexual abuse allegations against celebri...

In Texas,  40 percent of the state is Latinx  and by 2022 Latinos are expected  to be the largest demographic group in Texas , surpassing non-Hispanic white people. Maria and Julio discuss the demographic and political changes that Texas is going through. For this live show from the Borderland, they're joined by  Cristina Tzintzún Ramírez , executive director of Jolt, and  Efrén Olivares , racial...

Maria and Julio talk about Michael Cohen’s testimony with the House Oversight Committee, where he called President Trump a con man, a cheat, and a racist. They also discuss the latest report that revealed an increase in complaints of sexual abuse against children in immigration detention centers under the Trump administration's Zero Tolerance policy.   ITT Staff Picks: ITT All-Star Terrell Jermain...

The crisis in Venezuela escalated over the weekend after the government blocked humanitarian aid at the Colombian border, leading to violence and protests. In this episode, Julio and guest host All-Star  Imara Jones  talk with guests  Eli Lopez , senior editor of global opinions at the Washington Post, and  Phil Gunson , senior analyst with the International Crisis Group and writer on Latin Americ...

No matter if she was trying to find a job or get an education,  Leyla Martinez  kept finding the same problem: on the application forms, she would have to declare that she had a past conviction. Maria and Julio talk to Leyla about her experience, how she got to graduate from Columbia and why she founded the  Beyond the Box initiative .   ITT Staff Picks: A South Bronx single mom's improbable journ...