In The Thick

With the Oscars claiming inclusion this year, we wondered: are people of color being represented in the entertainment industry? Julio talks with comedian Elsa Waithe and Felix Sanchez, co-founder of The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. We also find out, "Where's Maria?" and catch you up on Sam Nunberg, and the latest on DACA and immigration. For information regarding your data privacy, v...

Maria and Julio speak with Mexican-American playwright Nancy Garcia Loza to discuss whitewashing in the theater community. They also talk about her new play "Jets, Sharks, and Beckys," which was inspired by In The Thick! But first, a quick news update on Puerto Rico, Roberta Jacobson, Libby Schaaf, and Jared Kushner. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast....

It's our 100th episode (thank you!) and Maria is reporting around the country for the next few weeks so we ask, "Where is Maria?" before we finally discuss topics you have told us to do for a while now: gerrymandering and other forms of limiting the power to vote. Julio talks with David Daley , senior fellow for FairVote and the author of "Ratfucked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to Steal...

Last week, League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) President Roger C. Rocha Jr. refused to step down after a letter he sent to President Trump went viral. Then, CEO Brent Wilkes unexpectedly resigned. Julio calls him to find out why. Maria and Julio also discuss the NRA, and the latest about the Hurricane Maria death count in Puerto Rico. For information regarding your data privacy, visit...

This week, we take a look at two stories that were overlooked. What is going on with the Russia investigation? Then, should White House Chief of Staff John Kelly resign? Maria and Julio are joined by Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior reporter at The Root, and Indira Lakshmanan, the Newmark Foundation Chair for Journalism Ethics at Poynter Institute and a columnist for The Boston Globe. For informatio...

Wednesday's shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, shook the core of many, including all of us here at In The Thick. In this latest ITT FYI, host Julio Ricardo Varela tries to make sense out of America's latest mass shooting with Terrell Jermaine Starr, a reporter for The Root and an In The Thick All-Star. In addition, an update on the DACA debate, while we wonder w...

Could media across the political spectrum be doing a better job of reporting on politics, immigration and the President? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with MRC Latino's Ken Oliver-Mendez and nationally syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette to discuss the complexities of being a POC journalist under the Trump administration.  For information regarding your data pri...

After a brief government shutdown in the early hours Friday morning, President Trump signed a bipartisan budget bill passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives. The one thing not included in the bill was DACA, which Congress now has until March 5th to legalize. Maria catches up with Julio, who spent the week reporting on the ground in Washington D.C.. We hear from dreamers and advo...

After what a federal judge called an "unnecessarily cruel" detainment, immigration activist Ravi Ragbir is scheduled for deportation this Saturday, February 10th. This is following the recent detention and deportation of several other nationally prominent immigration activists. Are they being targeted by ICE? Maria and Julio speak with Ravi and Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the NYCLU. For...

President Trump gave his first State of the Union speech Tuesday night, and between bringing up MS-13 and statements like "Americans are dreamers too," immigration was a major underlying theme. Join Maria and Julio as they share their thoughts. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Want to support our indep...

In February, schools will participate in the national Black Lives Matter week of action. Teachers will discuss racial issues, and schools around the country will fly Black Lives Matter flags. So, how is race discussed in America's education system, and what does it mean for students of color? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk with Tracey Wilson, creator of the course “U.S. History...

The Trump team unveiled new immigration framework with a path to citizenship for DACA in exchange for $25 billion for the border wall and sweeping changes to the legal immigration system. We spoke with Buzzfeed's White House correspondent Tarini Parti to get the latest.  For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information...

On Monday, the Senate Democrats agreed to a short-term spending bill ending the three-day government shutdown and stalling a DACA resolution. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela check in with Suzanne Gamboa, senior writer with NBC News, to discuss the latest. Also, this past weekend marked the first anniversary of the Women's March. We spoke with Jamilah King, race and justice reporter a...

The future of DACA is one of this week's top political stories, and we check in with Cristina Jiménez, executive director of United We Dream, to discuss the latest from Capitol Hill. Then, Maria and Julio speak with attorney Jameel Jaffer of the Knight First Amendment Institute about why his group is suing President Trump for blocking critics on Twitter. For information regarding your data privacy...

After President Trump referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and countries in Africa as “shithole countries,” we ask: Could this have legal implications for the president? Maria and Julio have a quick convo about it. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for...

On Monday, The Trump administration announced the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador. 200,000 Salvadorans who have been living and working here legally for decades will now have to leave. What does the administration have to gain by doing this now? Plus a discussion on Michael Wolff's book, "Fire and Fury," and a check-in on Oprah 2020. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo V...

Our first show of 2018 asks: With everything that’s been going on in our government, do we still feel hopeful? Can change really happen, and if so, how? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk with Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University, about power and whether in the end, Americans feel powerless under the current administration. But before Eric joins the show, Maria and Julio reflect...

In The Thick is taking a moment to wish you all a Happy New Year. We will be back with a new episode next week, but in the meantime, here's an encore presentation of one of our most popular shows of 2017. Allegations of sexual harassment rocked public media newsrooms in December, with WNYC hosts John Hockenberry, Leonard Lopate, and Jonathan Schwartz all accused of inappropriate conduct. But the d...

Last Friday, President Trump said, "To any member of MS-13 listening, I have a message for you. We will find you, we will arrest you, we will jail you, we will throw you the hell out of the country." With MS-13 back in the news, we wanted to share a rebroadcast of an episode we did earlier this year. Why is Trump drawing attention to MS-13 now? And what is it really like on the inside? Hosts Maria...

After a Senate race in Alabama that was divided sharply on the lines of race, we discuss the issue of whiteness. Will the United States really become a majority POC country by 2055, or will more Latinos begin to see themselves as white? Maria Hinojosa discusses this question with Richard Alba, professor of sociology at the City University of New York, Cristina Mora, professor of sociology at the U...

Allegations of sexual harassment have rocked public media newsrooms this week, with WNYC hosts John Hockenberry, Leonard Lopate, and Jonathan Schwartz all accused of inappropriate conduct. But the difficulty of being a woman (and specifically a woman of color) goes way deeper than just dealing with sexual harassment. It's an entire culture. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a conv...

When do liberal values cross over into racism? After the New York Times published a piece that some say humanizes a white nationalist, host Julio Ricardo Varela leads a conversation about these questions with Jamilah King, race and justice reporter at Mother Jones, and Terrell Starr, senior reporter at The Root. Plus a conversation about Lena Dunham and "hipster racism." For information regarding...

With all the reports of sexual harassment and sexual assault, why are we hearing from so few women of color in mainstream conversations? And why is it that when they do speak up, they are either ignored or attacked?   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk about this and more with Jamilah Lemieux, Vice President of News and Men's Programming for iOne Digital and Christina Greer, associ...

It's easier than we think for a black candidate to win Republican votes. According to Theodore Johnson, a fellow at New America, Republican voters can be a huge base for POC candidates—all it takes is a little change in strategy.   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk with Theodore Johnson about this and more. Plus a check-in with Tarini Parti of Buzzfeed News about recent developmen...

A wave of POC candidates are swept into office in the 2017 election. One year after President Trump's victory, we ask, will this new wave last? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela chat about this and more with In The Thick all-star Wajahat Ali. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Want to support...