In The Thick

In this special collaborative episode with Thinking Cap, the podcast from the Center for American Progress, we ask progressives, "What have you done for us lately?" Should progressives be doing more to reach out and specifically appeal to communities of color? Plus, a conversation on the recent shooting in Texas and the connection between domestic assault and toxic masculinity.   In The Thick host...

Paul Manafort indicted, Rick Gates indicted, and George Papadopoulos pleads guilty to lying to the FBI. What does this mean for the Trump administration? And what comes next?   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on this and more with Cristian Farias, Legal Journalist for New York Magazine, and Ruben Navarrette, nationally syndicated columnist. For information regarding...

In this special live show recorded at New York University, Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on DACA, the DREAM Act, and the future for undocumented immigrants with Cristina Jiménez, Executive Director of United We Dream (who was recently named a MacArthur Genius), and Sandra Lilley, Managing Editor of NBC Latino. Plus, we hear from Viviana Gonzalez, a student at NYU...

It’s been four weeks since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, and the island is still in crisis. 82% of the island is still without power and 35% is still without clean water. Host Julio Ricardo Varela checks in with two reporters who recently returned from Puerto Rico, Frances Robles of the New York Times and Andrés Caballero of Latino USA. They talk about their experiences on the isla...

Across the U.S., cities and states are starting to call the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. Los Angeles just officially changed the name, following in the footsteps of Minneapolis, Seattle, Alaska, and Oregon. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a conversation about the importance of this change with Mitch O’Farrell, council member of LA’s 13...

In The Thick brings you a special bonus episode from our sister podcast, Latino USA, checking in on Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. In The Thick co-host Julio Ricardo Varela has been intensely reporting on the hurricane, so he sat down with co-host Maria Hinojosa to dispel some myths about what's happening on the island today.   We hear from the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Roselló, about...

With all the news of the past week, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the hack of Equifax released sensitive data of almost 150 million people. And in today’s social media-obsessed world, it’s easy to forget that information can be found, passed around, and used against you. Host Julio Ricardo Varela leads a discussion about the dangers of being POC online with Baratunde Thurston, comedian and w...

The worst hurricane in almost a century leaves Puerto Rico devastated. A series of earthquakes hits Mexico City. A new travel ban, and an NFL protest. Plus, an in depth discussion on the future of Latino activism with Janet Murguia, President of UnidosUS, and Marisa Franco Director of Mijente and the Not1More Deportation Campaign. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privac...

It's not just Charlottesville. Public acts of anti-Semitism are on the rise across the country, and they're directly linked to the rise in white nationalism. In order to understand the threat posed by white nationalism, we need to examine its anti-Semitic roots.   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with Eric Ward, Executive Director of the Western State Center, and Rab...

Joy Reid, the host of AM Joy on MSNBC, has been called biased or even activist, but in the age of Trump, what do terms like that really mean? And do journalists of color have unique responsibilities to stand up right now?   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with Joy Reid. Plus, a conversation about what's been missing in the coverage of Hurricane Irma. For information...

On Tuesday morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. No new DACA applications will be accepted, current DACA holders have one month to renew (under certain circumstances), and over the next 6 months, DACA will start to be phased out. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela bring on comedian and actress Cristela Alonzo to proces...

Last week, the Arizona GOP used a picture of Margaret Cho and the cast from her 90’s TV show “All-American Girl” on its website, with the caption, “Asian Americans.” Let’s just say Cho wasn’t exactly happy about it, saying of the GOP, “They deserve a dodgeball to the face.” On this special end-of-summer episode of In The Thick, Cho joins Maria and Julio to talk about the current political climate,...

After Charlottesville, many have said something along the lines of, "This is un-American," or "This isn't what this country is all about." But White Supremacy isn't just a fringe movement. It's a founding principle of the U.S. Host Julio Ricardo Varela leads a discussion with Jamilah King, race and justice reporter at Mother Jones, and Chenjerai Kumanyika, professor at the Rutgers department of jo...

After this weekend's violence at a white nationalist protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, In The Thick takes a look back at an episode we originally published in December, 2016. In this episode, hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk with Mike German, a former FBI agent who infiltrated the white supremacist movement. German talks about his experiences undercover, and how the media is...

MS-13, the Los Angeles-founded international gang, is all over the news. But why is President Trump drawing attention to MS-13 now? And what is it really like on the inside? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with former MS-13 member and current director of Homies Unidos Denver, Gerardo Lopez. Plus, a check-in with columnist Ruben Navarrette on the RAISE Act and affirm...

  In this chaotic political moment, where does hope fit in? Should we be optimistic about our country’s possibilities for improvement? And does how you view the country depend on whether you're POC? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on this and more with journalist Jamil Smith, and Matthew Dowd, Chief Political Analyst for ABC News. For information regarding your data...

Under the Trump presidency, the Democrats have found themselves in a moment of truth. Will they embrace the populist wing led by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren? Or will they finally begin to represent their true, core base—communities of color? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on this and more with journalist Jane Coaston, and Vanessa Williams, staff writer for...

Almost 100 people have died in near-daily protests against the Venezuelan government over the last few months. Still, in the U.S. we're only hearing a trickle of news, and when we do, the narratives are often overly simplistic.   Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion about this complicated, long simmering conflict with Mariana Atencio, national correspondent for NBC News,...

With his first major appearance alongside the most powerful world leaders at the G-20, how did President Trump do? How do other countries see the U.S. now that Trump is the president? And does "America First," really just mean "whiteness first?" Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on this and more with Terrell Starr, senior reporter at Foxtrot Alpha, and Tarini Parti, C...

How did immigration become about national security when the facts don’t back up this connection? And how do you respond to these accusations when the conversation isn’t about what’s true? When it’s about something deeper? In this live recording of In The Thick at the Aspen Ideas Festival, hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a conversation with Wajahat Ali, writer, video essayist, an...

Based on President Trump’s rhetoric with the wall and the Muslim ban, you would think that terrorism is a huge safety issue for the U.S. But how much of a danger does it really pose? Americans are much more scared of terrorism than they should be, and 24 hour cable news is a major reason why. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion about this and more with Carlos Maza, vide...

After the Virginia shooting, the media was quick to humanize the shooter, who was a white, male, Bernie supporter. Obviously, this isn’t how it always goes down. So, when is violence just about the action, and when is it about the identity of the perpetrator? And how much should identity and politics matter when it comes to violence? Host Julio Ricardo Varela leads a discussion on this and more wi...

Puerto Rico voted overwhelmingly for Statehood on Sunday, but with only 23% turnout. Many Puerto Ricans boycotted the vote because they continue to be overlooked by the U.S. government. So, what’s the best way forward? Working within the system? Or breaking it? Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with Sandra Lilley, Managing Editor of NBC Latino, and Frances Robles, rep...

Former FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee Thursday morning, and we couldn't wait until our normal Tuesday drop date. For this In The Thick FYI, Maria and Julio called up Tarini Parti, Capitol Hill reporter for Buzzfeed News to get an update on the unfolding situation in DC. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy   See acast.com...

The decision to pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement has major implications for the entire world, but President Trump’s choice reflects a deeper, largely unseen problem -- how environmental issues disproportionately affect communities of color in the U.S. Hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion on this and more with Terrell Starr, senior reporter at Foxtrot Alpha and Tar...