The debate around the specialized high school admissions test in New York City only reflects a greater issue about inclusion and diversity in schools nationwide. Maria and Julio are joined by Reema Amin , reporter at Chalkbeat NY, and Maria Bautista , campaigns director at the Alliance for Quality Education, to discuss how schools are leaving out POC students and the role access plays in education. ITT Staff Picks: Read Reema Amin’s reporting on the lobbying groups working to keep the SHSAT in N...
May 28, 2019•34 min
Julio is joined by guest co-host Antonia Cereijido of Latino USA to discuss the tragedy and horror of six migrant children who have died in U.S. custody in the last eight months. Meanwhile, most 2020 presidential candidates have no comprehensive immigration reform plan with the exception of Julián Castro. This week, Castro went on Late Night With Seth Meyers to talk about his plan and to call out Democrats' lack of action on this issue. They also discuss the latest collaboration between another ...
May 24, 2019•17 min
We’re talking elections! Whether it’s the 2020 candidates or the series finale of Game of Thrones, white males seem to be at the forefront. Maria and Julio are joined by Astead Herndon , national political reporter with The New York Times, and Brittany Packnett , activist and co-host of Pod Save The People, to discuss how the candidates approach POC voters, the notion of electability, and how similar issues of race, gender, and politics played out in the final season of Game of Thrones. ITT Staf...
May 21, 2019•39 min
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 Pablo Garnham, who is headed to Texas to report on cities across the state for the Texas Tribune. G...
May 17, 2019•31 min
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 affairs reporter for the Los Angeles Times, and All-Star Vann Newkirk , staff writer at The Atlantic, to...
May 14, 2019•33 min
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 , via the New York Times. The House passed a disaster-relief bill for Puerto Rico after Trump oppose...
May 10, 2019•20 min
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 discuss. Plus, they talk Trump’s phone call with Putin, and the latest 2020 update. ITT Staff Picks: Ter...
May 07, 2019•39 min
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 Imara Jones sound off on the latest news of the week. ITT Staff Picks: What is the U.S. role in Venezu...
May 03, 2019•20 min
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 and how this question would impact POC and immigrant communities. ITT Staff Picks: Hansi Lo Wang gives y...
Apr 30, 2019•37 min
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 for today’s Democratic Party? Read this analysis of his candidacy by Mother Jones. Keep tabs on all th...
Apr 26, 2019•23 min
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’s accused of detaining migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. ITT Staff Picks: Here are 14 Mueller report...
Apr 23, 2019•40 min
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 United States. ITT Staff Picks: Read the full redacted report by special counsel Robert Mueller from the...
Apr 19, 2019•20 min
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 attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar, and how the U.S. justice system impacts people of color. ITT Staff Picks: This...
Apr 16, 2019•40 min
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's sudden arrest in London. ITT Staff Picks: Julio Ricardo Varela writes for NBC Think on why Kirstj...
Apr 12, 2019•24 min
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 digital intern at Futuro Media, to discuss how the #MeToo movement in Mexico is growing. ITT Staff Picks...
Apr 09, 2019•38 min
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 Lightfoot’s life and career, from the Chicago Tribune. - Watch our very own Julio Ricardo Varela on Cheddar talki...
Apr 05, 2019•21 min
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 Flores’ account of an inappropriate moment with Joe Biden. ITT Staff Picks: This New York Times op-ed by...
Apr 02, 2019•42 min
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 , founder of VoteRunLead. ITT Staff Picks: At Capitol Hill, the freshman congresswomen are urging young g...
Mar 29, 2019•24 min
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 Beatrix Lestrange , dragtivist and community organizer and Derick Garcia , Local NBC 23 News Lower Valle...
Mar 26, 2019•45 min
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 and the big decision she has to make about running for office. Revisit Ta-Nehisi Coates’ masterful essay “Th...
Mar 22, 2019•22 min
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 about one of the darkest corners of our immigration policy. ITT Staff Picks: Read the full Rewire.News pie...
Mar 19, 2019•42 min
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 higher education. ITT Staff Picks: Watch the full segment of Waleed Aly’s emotional response to the mosqu...
Mar 15, 2019•22 min
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 and fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, to discuss these latest issues, plus their thoughts o...
Mar 12, 2019•36 min
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 celebrity idols. ITT Staff Picks A report this week explains how Border Patrol’s inadequate health care put...
Mar 08, 2019•19 min
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 and economic justice program director with the Texas Civil Rights Project. ITT Staff Picks: As demographi...
Mar 05, 2019•41 min
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 Jermaine Starr's analysis of the exchange between Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Rep. Mark Meadows at the Cohen heari...
Mar 01, 2019•25 min
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 America, about the political tension in Venezuela and what role the U.S. plays in it. ITT Staff Picks: Vox exp...
Feb 26, 2019•36 min
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 journey from prison to Columbia University: Leyla's profie in The Daily News . Hiring ex-offenders can actuall...
Feb 22, 2019•27 min
Discrimination and housing segregation in the United States didn't happened by chance. In this episode, our guests Richard Rothstein , author of the book The Color of Law , and Emmanuel Martinez , data reporter for Reveal, explain how redlining still shapes our cities and affects people of color. ITT Staff Picks: Reveal's award-winning investigative series Kept Out , which Emmanuel co-reported for, explores how housing discrimination still happens through banks and loans. Richard Rothstein and T...
Feb 19, 2019•39 min
While President Trump declares a national emergency, Maria and Julio talk about the truth behind this political move, as well as the situation of the rapper 21 Savage, who was detained by ICE. They also discuss the controversy we've seen around Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. ITT Staff Picks: - Vox explains the winners and the losers of Trump's emergency declaration. - From The Nation: Israeli lobbyist Ady Barkan defends Ilhan Omar's comments. - This opinion piece about being a Black immigrant, from t...
Feb 15, 2019•23 min
