If you are a fan of In The Thick, you know that our co-host Julio Ricardo Varela is a big Boston sports fan (even known as "The Bronx Judas"). For this special bonus drop on our feed, Julio and his family are featured in a new 10-part podcast series called The Man in the Arena from Religion of Sports and ESPN that looks at two decades of Tom Brady through the eyes of the fans and the haters, those in the arena and those outside. In 2001, Tom Brady became the Patriots’ savior when he helped the f...
Dec 05, 2021•29 min
Julio and guest co-host Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and host of the Black Diplomats Podcast, discuss the Michigan high school shooting, Chris Cuomo’s suspension from CNN, and Representative Lauren Boebert’s racist comments against Representative Ilhan Omar. And, they dive into the Supreme Court case about a Mississippi abortion law. ITT Staff Picks: - This piece for The City breaks down an investigation into Andrew Cuomo’s inner circle, including his brother Chr...
Dec 03, 2021•21 min
Maria and Julio are joined by ITT All-Stars Wajahat Ali, columnist for The Daily Beast, and Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor for Buzzfeed News. They dive into the latest on the COVID-19 crisis, including the new omicron variant, and what’s needed to fight global vaccine inequality. They also unpack the trial and conviction of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers, and the state of U.S. democracy as we approach the 2022 midterm elections. ITT Staff Picks: - Early findings of the new coronavirus variant, ...
Dec 01, 2021•33 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Al Letson, host of Reveal and the new podcast series, “Mississippi Goddamn: The Ballad of Billey Joe.” Billey Joe Johnson Jr. was a Black high school football star who was found dead in Lucedale, Mississippi in 2008 after being pulled over by a white cop. They get into his story, the problematic history of investigations when it comes to suspicious deaths of Black people in Mississippi, and journalists’ responsibility when covering these tragic stories. ITT Staff Pi...
Nov 26, 2021•31 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Rowaida Abdelaziz, national reporter for the HuffPost covering immigration and Islamophobia, and Ali Latifi, Kabul correspondent for Al Jazeera English, to talk about the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. They discuss the growing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the impact on Afghan women and the latest with refugee resettlement. ITT Staff Picks: - Tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who were relocated to U.S. military bases are living in limbo ...
Nov 24, 2021•43 min
Maria and Julio react to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, and talk about how white supremacy played out in his trial, the trial against Ahmaud Arbery’s killers, and the case against the organizers of the “Unite the Right'' rally. They also give an update on the Build Back Better bill and Maria’s latest reporting in Latin America. And, they talk about the House vote to censure Rep. Paul Gosar for his violent social media post attacking Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. ITT Staff Picks: - The ongoing Un...
Nov 19, 2021•21 min
Julio is joined by Elie Mystal, justice correspondent at The Nation, and Michael Harriot, senior writer at The Root, to talk about white supremacy and anti-Black racism in the criminal justice system. They get into the murder trials of Kyle Rittenhouse and the killers of Ahmaud Arbery. They also discuss the latest with the January 6th investigation, and the ramifications of rising inflation for communities of color. ITT Staff Picks: - “Kyle Rittenhouse is white, so Kyle Rittenhouse is a hero,” w...
Nov 17, 2021•40 min
In this crossover episode, ITT airs the second episode of Nuestro, a new podcast from Chuck Rocha, Democratic strategist and former Bernie Sanders campaign adviser. Nuestro gives space to Latino artists, advocates, politicians and journalists, to get deep into the moments that have defined and shaped their lives. In this episode, Chuck talks to Jonathan Jayes-Green, vice president of programs at the Marguerite Casey Foundation and co-founder of the UndocuBlack Network. They talk about DACA, anti...
Nov 12, 2021•38 min
Julio and guest co-host Jenni Monet, independent investigative journalist and founder of the newsletter Indigenously, are joined by S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder of URL Media and CEO and publisher of Epicenter-NYC, and Justin Worland, senior correspondent for Time Magazine covering climate change and policy. They reflect on the 2021 election results and unpack the latest with infrastructure spending and Biden’s Build Back Better plan. They also talk about the COP26 climate summit, and the latest o...
Nov 09, 2021•36 min
We’re proud to present Re-Imagination Nation, a new series that is part of the We Imagine… Us project by Futuro Unidad Hinojosa, the newest editorial division from Maria Hinojosa and Futuro Media. Re-Imagination Nation features interviews with thought leaders, artists and activists who are members of SCoRE (Solidarity Council on Racial Equity). In this episode, author Heather McGhee talks with Maria Hinojosa about her cross-country journey challenging the idea that progress for some must come at...
Nov 05, 2021•19 min
Julio and guest co-host Imara Jones, founder and CEO of TransLash Media, are joined by Akela Lacy, politics reporter at The Intercept, and Renée Graham, associate editor and columnist for The Boston Globe’s Op-Ed section. They talk about the World Series games in Atlanta, and the racism behind the Tomahawk Chop. They also get into the latest with the investigation into January 6, and they hear from Antonia Hylton, a correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, on Republican strategies behind school boa...
Nov 03, 2021•37 min
Maria and Julio talk about what’s happening with President Biden’s spending bill and the issues within the Democratic Party. They also discuss the upcoming trial of Kyle Rittenhouse and the ongoing investigation into the January 6 Capitol insurrection. ITT Staff Picks: - As negotiations on Biden’s Build Back Better plan continue, reporters Amanda Becker and Candice Norwood write about how the fate of paid leave is still unclear, for The 19th News. - “Rittenhouse is the very definition of an “out...
Oct 29, 2021•20 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Luis Feliz Leon, writer and educator with Labor Notes, and Lauren Kaori Gurley, labor reporter for Vice Magazine’s Motherboard to talk about the labor strikes happening across the country, from farm equipment workers to undocumented immigrant workers. They also talk about how the pandemic has fueled the calls for better working conditions. Staff Picks: - Luis Feliz Leon writes about a 64-year-old taxi driver who is fighting for debt relief for her medallion debt, fo...
Oct 27, 2021•38 min
Maria and Julio get into the Senate confirmation hearing for Chris Magnus, President Biden’s pick to lead Customs and Border Protection. They also debrief the latest developments from the House committee investigating the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And, they talk about a Senate committee investigation in Brazil to hold President Jair Bolsonaro accountable for the failures in his response to the coronavirus pandemic. Staff Picks - President Biden’s pick for Customs and Border P...
Oct 22, 2021•20 min
Maria and Julio are joined by ITT All-Star Imara Jones, creator and producer at TransLash Media, and Kate Sosin, LGBTQ+ reporter at The 19th News, for a conversation about the latest headlines. They talk about former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s death, the Biden administration's actions around immigration, and the recent anti-trans bill out of Texas. And, they discuss the latest controversy at Netflix regarding comic Dave Chappelle’s special, “The Closer.” ITT Staff Picks: - There is a...
Oct 19, 2021•33 min
Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at Buzzfeed News, give an immigration update, including Maria Hinojosa’s reporting in Mississippi for Latino USA which followed up on the massive ICE workplace raid in 2019. They also talk about NFL coach Jon Gruden’s resignation in light of emails revealing misogynistic, racist and homophobic comments. And, they debrief the controversy around Dave Chappelle’s recent comedy special on Netflix. ITT Staff Picks: - Be sure to listen to ...
Oct 15, 2021•20 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, historian and author of the new book “Not A ‘Nation of Immigrants’: Settler Colonialism, White Supremacy, and a History of Erasure and Exclusion.” They dive into a conversation about U.S. imperialism and colonialism, immigration and dismantling the myth around Christopher Columbus. This episode was mixed by Rosana Cabán. ITT Staff Picks: - Teen Vogue published an excerpt from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s “Not A ‘Nation of Immigrants,’” on how Italian...
Oct 12, 2021•33 min
Maria and Julio give a brief update on the latest in Congress. Then they get into the outage across Facebook’s platforms this week and the congressional testimony from whistleblower, Frances Haugen. They also talk about the scandals emerging around Ozy Media, and the Pandora Papers leak. ITT Staff Picks: - Billy Perrigo reports for Time Magazine about Facebook’s decision to shut down its civic-integrity team, and the reckoning that followed. - Read more from Lauren Williams, CEO of Capital B, ab...
Oct 08, 2021•22 min
For this special 500th episode of In The Thick, Maria and Julio reflect on this milestone of centering POC voices. Then, Julio and guest co-host Wajahat Ali are joined by ITT All-Stars Terrell Jermaine Starr, foreign affairs reporter and host of the Black Diplomats podcast, and Jenni Monet, independent investigative journalist and founder of the weekly newsletter Indigenously. They get into what it means to seek out and create spaces for journalists of color, the latest developments in Congress,...
Oct 05, 2021•46 min
Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at Buzzfeed News, talk about the latest in Congress, including Thursday’s vote to temporarily stop a government shutdown, and the infrastructure and budget reconciliation bills. They hear from Representative Jamaal Bowman, of New York’s 16th Congressional District, about the frustrating delay in passing immigration reform. And, they discuss the impact of vaccine mandates on the NBA. ITT Staff Picks: - Stephen Crockett Jr. writes abou...
Oct 01, 2021•20 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Dr. Rashad Richey, political analyst and host of “Indisputable” on The Young Turks Network and Zerlina Maxwell, host of “Zerlina” on Peacock, for a conversation on the latest news. They discuss the media coverage surrounding Gabby Petito’s death, and disparities when it comes to the same coverage for people of color. They also talk about the Biden administration’s handling of Haitian refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border, and the Republican-led Arizona audit. ITT Staff...
Sep 28, 2021•41 min
In this week’s sound off, Maria and Julio dive deep into the violent border enforcement we witnessed in Del Rio, Texas where thousands of Haitian refugees were being held and turned away. They discuss the horrifying images of Border Patrol agents attacking Haitian immigrants and the media’s responsibility to push back against the Biden administration’s narrative. ITT Staff Picks: - Felipe De La Hoz writes about flaws and gaps in how we talk about asylum seekers: “Many seem to think that the pres...
Sep 24, 2021•22 min
Maria and Julio get into the ongoing climate crisis with Kendra Pierre-Louis, producer and senior climate reporter with the Gimlet-Spotify podcast How to Save a Planet, and Dallas Goldtooth, organizer with the Keep It in the Ground Campaign for the Indigenous Environmental Network. They discuss how communities of color are the most impacted by climate disasters globally, and also how they are at the forefront of pushing for climate justice. ITT Staff Picks: - Zahra Hirji reports on the Biden adm...
Sep 21, 2021•39 min
Maria and Julio talk about the election in California to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. They hear from Jean Guerrero, an opinion columnist for the Los Angeles Times about how this effort was rooted in white supremacy. They also get into the Senate hearing on how FBI agents failed to investigate allegations of sexual abuse against former physician, Larry Nassar. And finally, they debrief the Met Gala. ITT Staff Picks: - Nathalie Baptiste writes about the flaws of California’s recall election proce...
Sep 18, 2021•21 min
Maria and guest co-host Jamilah King, deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, are joined by Lina-Maria Murillo, assistant professor of gender, women’s and sexuality studies, and history, at the University of Iowa, and Veronica Martinez, journalist covering gender and immigration for La Verdad, for a conversation about reproductive justice. They unpack the latest on the Texas abortion ban and Mexico’s Supreme Court ruling that decriminalizes abortion, and also get into how people historically ...
Sep 14, 2021•38 min
Maria and Julio dive deep into the latest news with reproductive rights, including the Texas law that came into effect earlier this month, prohibiting abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy, and a recent decision from Mexico’s Supreme Court to decriminalize abortion. They also reflect on the damage from Hurricane Ida in Louisiana and along the Northeast coast. ITT Staff Picks: - Elie Mystal writes for The Nation about all the things Democrats can do to fight Texas’s abortion ban, and p...
Sep 10, 2021•19 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Rose Arce, journalist and executive producer at Soledad O’Brien Productions, and a former colleague of Maria’s, for an intimate conversation about their on-the-ground reporting on 9/11. They get into what it was like to cover these events and how it has impacted their personal lives and journalistic careers 20 year later. ITT Staff Picks: - In this piece for CNN, Rose Arce writes about how she began teaching her daughter, Luna, about 9/11. - For The New Republic, Jo...
Sep 07, 2021•34 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Mansoor Adayfi, a former Guantánamo detainee and author of the new book “Don't Forget Us Here: Lost and Found at Guantánamo.” They talk about Mansoor’s experience being detained for 14 years, without charge or trial, at the U.S. military prison in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and get an inside look into the place that has tortured detainees and restricted access to the media for nearly two decades. ITT Staff Picks: - As U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, Mansoor Adayfi writes a...
Sep 03, 2021•36 min
Maria and Julio are joined by Jon Hale, professor at the University of Illinois, and author of the new book, “The Choice We Face: How Segregation, Race and Power Have Shaped America’s Most Controversial Education Reform Movement,” and Leigh Patel, professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, and author of the new book, “No Study Without Struggle: Confronting Settler Colonialism in Higher Education.” They get into the history of structural racism in the U.S. public education sys...
Aug 31, 2021•34 min
In this rebroadcast episode from earlier this year, Maria and Julio are joined by Charles Blow, columnist for The New York Times and author of "The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto." They talk about Black political power and Charles' call for a reversal of the Great Migration to create Black regionalism in the South. They also discuss how to confront anti-Black violence in this moment of racial reckoning. ITT Staff Picks: - For The New York Times Opinion, Charles Blow writes about the new...
Aug 27, 2021•41 min
