The Take

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...

Israel’s war on Gaza has turbocharged its already booming military-tech industry, with weapons and surveillance systems tested on Palestinians continuing to be sold around the world. Israel’s role as a global arms innovator has only deepened since October 7, 2023, and some governments and corporations are profiting. In this episode: Antony Loewenstein ( @antloewenstein ), author, The P...

Elon Musk may have resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency, but few believe he’s stepping away from power. In under a year, DOGE brought Silicon Valley-style disruption to Washington, consolidating federal data and dismantling oversight. Now, Musk is expected to channel what he gained into a private AI venture – with public systems still in reach. In this episode: Matt Bi...

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week:  Israel continued to attack Palestinians seeking aid. Hamas responded to a US ceasefire proposal. The Israeli government approved new settlements in the Occupied West Bank. It is day 604 of the war in Gaza, where more than 54,381 Palestinians have been killed. In this episo...

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 25, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. The world's largest diaspora of international adoptees comes from South Korea. Among them are mixed-race children who were forcibly sent for adoption due to the country's racist laws. One Black adoptee's search for a hom...

Will Poland’s next president be a former football hooligan or a Mr Bonjour? With citizens heading to the polls for the second round of voting this weekend, Poland will decide between Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by US President Donald Trump, and Warsaw's mayor, the pro-European Union Rafal Trzaskowski. The divided country on Russia’s border has a major decision ahead In this ep...

In 2017, the US dropped the “mother of all bombs” in a remote village in Afghanistan’s Achin district. Al Jazeera made the journey to see what’s left: homes destroyed, health problems mounting, and no accountability in sight. In this episode: Osama Bin Javaid ( @osamabinjavaid ), Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili,...

Tren de Aragua was a little-known gang in Venezuela – until recently. US President Donald Trump’s focus on the group has thrust it into the spotlight, as hundreds of Venezuelans have been deported from the United States. In this episode: Mike LaSusa ( @mikelasusa ), deputy director of content, InSight Crime Episode credits: This episode was produced by Amy Walters and Ashish Malhotra,...

The United States and Israel are backing a new aid initiative in Gaza that critics say sidelines the United Nations and violates humanitarian principles. With biometrics and military ties, is it really about help or control? In this episode: Ali Harb ( @Harbpeace ), Al Jazeera Senior Producer Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and Chloe K. Li, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer C...

The Trump administration’s crackdowns on pro-Palestinian activism look eerily similar to a conservative proposal to target universities and international students it claims are part of a “terrorist support network”.  Who is behind the plan, and what will its impact be? In this episode: Tariq Kenney-Shawa ( @tksshawa ), AJ+ producer and US policy fellow, Al-Shabaka&...

As Israel’s war on Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria continues, we're coming to you on Sundays with a weekly roundup. This week: Israel killed nine of a Palestinian doctor's 10 children. Israel attacked Palestinian police attempting to secure aid distribution. Israeli soldiers shot at diplomats in the occupied West Bank. It is day 597 of the war in Gaza, where more than 53,901 Palestinians have been...

Protesters across the United States defy curfews and risk arrest to protest against police brutality. The US has seen demonstrations like this before, but this feels different. To understand why, we speak with Hanif Abdurraqib, a cultural critic and editor at GEN magazine. We also speak with Madiha Nawaz, a graduate student and Washington, DC resident who unexpectedly faced the police at her doors...

Josh Paul, the first US official to resign over Israel's war on Gaza, joins The Take to explain why he stepped down, his new efforts lobbying in Washington, and why he believes that US support for Israel’s war fuels conflict abroad and makes Americans less safe at home. In this episode: Josh Paul, Former US State Department official Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhot...

The world was shocked when a gunman shot and killed Mexican influencer Valeria Marquez while she livestreamed herself at a beauty salon. President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government says it will investigate the murder as a possible case of femicide. Will it mark a turning point for a nation that has long struggled with staggering levels of gender-based violence? In this episode: Julia Galiano-Ri...

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing one of the deepest crises in its history. United States President Donald Trump sanctioned lead prosecutor Karim Khan earlier this year, grinding the court’s work to a crawl. Khan is now on leave as he faces a sexual misconduct investigation. How is the court functioning in his absence, and what does it mean for the future of international acco...

The administration of US President Donald Trump has granted refugee status to 49 white Afrikaners, echoing a debunked conspiracy theory about “white genocide” in South Africa. The move comes after Trump cut aid to the nation and threatened to boycott meetings with its government. What’s behind Trump’s fixation on South Africa? In this episode: Joseph Dana ( @ibnEzra ), writ...