The Take

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on July 31, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. As internet connections gradually come back online in Bangladesh after deadly protests sparked a shutdown, we hear what students experienced and why they say the protests are not over. In this episode:  Nazifa Zahnat, st...

Thirty-three years old, socialist, Muslim – and now, the likely Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City. Zohran Mamdani was barely known a few months ago. Today, he may be the most popular political voice of a generation. How did he get here – and could he be here to stay? In this episode: Max Rivlin-Nadler ( @MaxRivlinNadler ), Co-owner and Reporter at Hell Gate NYC Episode cred...

As global attention turned to Israel and Iran, violence against Palestinians continued. In Gaza, people are still being bombed and starved. What does this moment reveal about who gets protected, and who is forgotten? In this episode: Diana Buttu, ( @dianabuttu ), Human rights lawyer and analyst Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, and Chloe K. Li, wi...

After bombing Iran, US President Donald Trump tried to turn down the temperature in the Middle East with a ceasefire declaration on Truth Social. The all-caps announcement fell flat as both continued striking. How long can a truce hold when each side insists the other broke it first? In this episode: Alex Gatopoulos ( @AlexGatopoulos ), Al Jazeera English Defense Editor Episode credits: This episo...

Israel claims Iran is closer than ever to building a nuclear weapon. But as it targets Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says his nation’s attacks will also “liberate” Iranians. In a civilization shaped by millennia of empire and resistance, those words land differently. What does liberation mean to Iranians as the US and Israel call for regime change? In this episode: Hami...

The US has bombed nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz. Meanwhile in Washington, political parties are divided about President Donald Trump’s decision to strike. What could be next in what many fear to be a regional war? In this episode:  Akbar Shahid Ahmed, ( @AkbarSAhmed ), HuffPost Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by A...

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iran continues, we’re coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: US strikes Iran. Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil released. Israel continues to kill Palestinian aid seekers. It is day 625 of the war in Gaza, where at least 55,908 Palestinians have been killed.  In this episode: Tohid Asadi, Al Jazeera Reporter Nour Od...

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 30, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Weeks after Boeing came under fire for a near-catastrophic incident aboard one of its planes, Alaska Airlines 1282 was forced to make an emergency landing when part of its wall blew off mid-flight. It’s not the first...

How did MAGA become Trump’s biggest opponent of a US strike on Iran? The Republican base is split over Trump’s rhetoric about getting involved in another foreign war. Conservative stalwarts like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon are pushing back. Could a US strike on Iran be a blow against Trump at home? In this episode:  Ali Harb ( @HarbPeace) , Al Jazeera journalist Episode credit...

A 15-year-old pulls the trigger on a presidential candidate in Bogota, and Colombia’s ghost of political violence suddenly feels very present. Is the latest episode of political violence a sign that Colombia's peace process has failed, and can it promise fair elections in 2026? In this episode: Juanita Goebertus Estrada ( @JuanitaGoe ), Human Rights Watch Americas division director Episode c...

US President Donald Trump has deployed hundreds of troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids. It’s been widely considered to be an illegal deployment. Meanwhile, hotlines to support service members have been seeing an uptick in complaints and questions. What happens when those in uniform are ordered to confront the very people they swore to protect? In this epis...

After Israel’s strikes on Iranian cities, Iran launches a wave of retaliatory attacks. With mass evacuations under way in Tehran, the government struggles to control the growing panic. What does this mean for Iran’s future, and how is the leadership reshaping the narrative? In this episode: Narges Bajoghli ( nargesbajoghli ), professor of Middle East Studies Episode credits: This episo...

What does it mean to be the “other”? Viet Thanh Nguyen, a South Vietnamese-born American writer links his personal story to US actions abroad and at home, discussing ICE raids, protests, and the war on Gaza, showing how these issues are deeply connected. In this episode: Viet Thanh Nguyen ( @viet.thanh.nguyen.writer) , Author, “To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other”&n...

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Israel attacks Iranian nuclear sites and Tehran. Palestinians continue to be attacked and killed at aid sites across Gaza. Five Western countries announce sanctions on two Israeli ministers. It is day 618 of the war on Gaza where at least 55,362 Palestinians have been kille...

After Israel launched strikes in Tehran and other Iranian cities, Iran responded with its own firepower. What is behind this dramatic escalation, and what will it mean for the region and beyond? In this episode: Dorsa Jabbari ( @DorsaJabbari ), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Amy Walters, and Tamara Khandaker with Catherine Nouhan, Ph...

AI chatbots can reduce anxiety and depression, according to recent research. As chatbot therapy goes mainstream, can it replace a real therapeutic relationship? In this episode: Michael Alcée ( @mike_drop_1 ), Clinical Psychologist and Author Episode credits: This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz and Chloe K Li, with Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mari...

Los Angeles has become a military zone. As citywide protests erupted following ICE raids on local immigrant communities, United States President Donald Trump sent federal forces into the city for the first time in decades. How is this show of force turning immigration raids into a national flashpoint? In this episode: Abraham Marquez, ( @abemarquez3 ) Investigative Journalist, The Southlander Epis...

The seizure of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters has not deterred other aid convoys from heading towards Gaza. Palestinian-American writer Ahmad Ibsais explains how humanitarian aid has become a politically charged weapon of war. In this episode: Ahmad Ibsais, Writer of State of Siege Episode credits: This episode was produced by Amy Walters, Sonia Bhagat, Chloe K Li, Haleema Shah,...

Barcelona’s Sónar Festival, a major music and technology event, is seeing artist withdrawals after revelations about its parent company, Superstruct. The live events giant is backed by the investment firm KKR, linked to Israeli weapons makers and illegal West Bank settlements, prompting a growing boycott. In this episode: Dania Shihab, Artist Episode credits: This episode was produced...

Smog once choked Paris streets. Now, cleaner air, grassroots pressure and a bold city agenda are reshaping how the city breathes and moves. From bottom-up activism to political pushback, Paris’s transformation reveals a success story in the fight to reclaim public space. In this episode: Natacha Butler (@ natachabut ), Al Jazeera Correspondent Daniel Grajales, Member of Paris en Selle Episod...

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Dozens of Palestinians killed across Gaza during the Eid weekend. Israel admits to arming armed gangs in Gaza. Lebanon once again attacked by Israeli forces. It is day 611 of the war in Gaza. At least 54,772 Palestinians have been killed. In this episode: Ibrahim Al-Khalili...

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 14th, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Impeachment proceedings against suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol are in full swing. Authorities have made a second attempt to detain him over his brief martial law declaration, but he remains holed up in hi...

From Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan, US wars left not freedom but ruin. In a recent book, co-authors Noam Chomsky and Nathan Robinson expose how American elites sell violence as virtue, using the myth of democracy to justify endless war. In this episode: Nathan Robinson ( @NathanJRobinson ), Co-Author of The Myth of American Idealism Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolom&e...

The Dominican Republic has deported nearly 150,000 people it claims are of Haitian descent since October 2024. Many of them are unaccompanied minors or people born in the Dominican Republic but stripped of citizenship in 2013. While officials say they are enforcing immigration laws, a recent Al Jazeera documentary points to a deeper history of anti-Blackness and anti-Haitian sentiment on the islan...

The US will begin revoking visas for Chinese students, including those in “critical fields” or with connections to the Chinese Communist Party. The US State Department has said this is to stop the exploitation of US universities and protect national security. Who is losing out in this latest development in US-China tensions? In this episode: Zichen Wang ( @ZichenWanghere ), Research Fe...