Maria and Julio are joined by Josiah Neville Bates , staff writer at TIME, and Gisela Pérez de Acha , an investigative reporter with UC Berkeley who focuses on extremism, to unpack the epidemic of gun violence in the United States. They talk about what a meaningful response might look like, the nuances of gun control legislation in Black and brown communities, and the intersection of policing and gun violence. Plus, we hear from Meg Juarez, whose father Luis Juarez was killed in the El Paso mass...
Jun 14, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King , deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, talk about the first public hearing on the January 6 attempted coup at the U.S. Capitol. They also get into the Congressional hearing in response to gun violence and the mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde last month. And, they discuss the media coverage of a migrant caravan traveling to the U.S. through Mexico, and the upcoming 10 year anniversary of the DACA program. ITT Staff Picks: In this piece for The Boston...
Jun 10, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special collaboration with Latino USA, Maria and Julio are joined by Camilo Montoya-Galvez , immigration reporter at CBS News. They dive deep into immigration policy in the United States and where the Biden administration stands on fulfilling campaign promises on immigration reform. They talk about the continuation of Trump-era policies like Title 42 and Remain in Mexico, and the detention and treatment of migrants and refugees seeking asylum. Finally, they get into what Democrats need t...
Jun 07, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio talk about the law enforcement’s mishandling of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. They get into the efforts to advance gun laws in this country. And, they talk about how the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general covered up reports of abuse by DHS agents under the Trump administration. ITT Staff Picks: For the Texas Tribune , reporter Karen Brooks Harper dives deep into a Texas mental health program — which had not yet been extended to Uvalde — b...
Jun 03, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Reema Amin , reporter for Chalkbeat New York, and Antonia Hylton , correspondent for NBC News and co-host of the Southlake podcast, for a conversation about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted students. They also get into the conservative-led movement to ban books and bar classroom discussions around what they perceive as critical race theory. ITT Staff Picks: “The decline in mental health among teenagers was intensified by the Covid pandemic but predated it, spa...
May 31, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio process the tragic mass shooting that occurred in Uvalde, Texas on Tuesday, when an 18-year-old man opened fire at an elementary school, killing two teachers and 19 children. They get into the systemic issues of gun control, border policing, and how this intersects with immigration. ITT Staff Picks: “There are parents today scrolling through photographs of their children, realizing that there will be no more photographs of them to take. We cannot continue to live like this, but I...
May 26, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Danielle Moodie and Wajahat Ali , co-hosts of the Democracy-ish podcast. They talk about the latest in immigration news, including the continued enforcement of Title 42. They also unpack the mainstream media’s coverage of the white supremacist attack in Buffalo, and the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh by Israeli forces. And, they reflect on the latest attacks on abortion rights in the lead up to the midterms. This episode was mixed by Kieran Gannon. ITT Staff...
May 24, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio react to the deadly white supremacist attack at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. They talk about the rise in mass shootings rooted in racist and anti-Black ideologies, and the culpability of right-wing media and politicians. They also discuss the primary elections held this week across the country. ITT Staff Picks: In this piece for The Grio, David A. Love analyzes the ways that journalists and all-white newsrooms have failed in their coverage of the Buffalo shooting by refusi...
May 20, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio is joined by Jason Wu , public defender at the Legal Aid Society's Harlem Community Law Office, and Tiffany Diane Tso , freelance writer, editor, and co-founder of the Asian American Feminist Collective. They reflect on the rise in hate crimes targeting different Asian American communities, and how to build community safety beyond policing. They also get into the opportunity for multiracial solidarity in light of the increasing white supremacist violence in this country. ITT Staff Picks: “...
May 17, 2022•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this rebroadcast episode from 2020, Maria and Julio are joined by Dr. Michele Goodwin , law professor at the University of California, Irvine, host of Ms. Magazine’s On The Issues podcast and author of the book, Policing the Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood , and Mary Ziegler , law professor at Florida State University, historian and author of the book, Abortion and the Law in America: Roe v. Wade to the Present . They talk about the future of Roe v. Wade and unpack...
May 13, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this special collaboration with Latino USA, Maria and Julio are joined by Maria Teresa Kumar , founding president and CEO of Voto Latino, and Jaime Longoria, manager of research and training for the Disinfo Defense League at Media Democracy Fund for a conversation about misinformation and disinformation in the Latino community. They get into who is behind these disinformation campaigns, their impact on communities, and the organizing that is being done to counter these issues. ITT Staff Picks...
May 10, 2022•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio share their responses to the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade case. They talk about the vulnerable communities who will be impacted if abortion bans go into place across the country. They also get into how Republican candidates for Congress, like J.D. Vance, are vying for Trump’s endorsement to push ahead in their primaries. ITT Staff Picks: In this personal essay for Prism, Tina Vasquez writes about her experience and struggles with getting...
May 06, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Tanya Ballard Brown , executive editor at Government Executive, and Vann Newkirk II , senior editor at The Atlantic and host of the podcast Floodlines. They reflect on 30 years since the police officers who brutally beat Rodney King were acquitted and the uprisings in Los Angeles that followed. They also get into the Biden administration’s potential plans for student loan forgiveness, and the latest on voting rights in the lead-up to the midterms. This episode was m...
May 03, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King , deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, talk about Elon Musk’s deal to buy Twitter. They also get into the Supreme Court’s decision to continue excluding Puerto Rico from federal benefits, and the future of the Trump-era Remain in Mexico policy. And, they discuss new revelations on Republican politicians’ involvement in the January 6 insurrection. ITT Staff Picks: “Now one of the world’s biggest bullies will soon control one of the world’s biggest and mo...
Apr 29, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Jullian Harris-Calvin , director of the Greater Justice New York program at the Vera Institute of Justice, and David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez , artist and a former juvenile lifer. They discuss systemic issues within the criminal legal system, the case of Melissa Lucio, and the humanitarian crisis at New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex. ITT Staff Picks: “The idea that my decision to take another person’s life was not based on complete and accurate information in ...
Apr 26, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and guest co-host Jamilah King , deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, discuss a federal judge’s decision to strike down the federal mask mandate on airplanes and public transportation. They also get into the pushback from some Democrats against the repeal of Title 42, and talk about the case of Melissa Lucio, the first Latina woman to be put on death row in Texas. ITT Staff Picks: Aaron Blake breaks down the decision by Trump-nominated judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle against the CDC’s ...
Apr 22, 2022•21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Terrell Jermaine Starr , senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and host of the Black Diplomats podcast, are joined by Renée Graham , associate editor and columnist for The Boston Globe, and Shefali Luthra , health reporter for The 19th. They talk about the latest on the war in Ukraine, and attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinians in occupied East Jerusalem. They also discuss the rise of restrictive anti-abortion and anti-trans legislation across the country. ITT Staff Pi...
Apr 19, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King , deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, discuss the Brooklyn subway shooting and the calls for more policing in response. They also get into the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s purchase of a six million dollar mansion in California. And, they unpack the latest on COVID-19. ITT Staff Picks: Nick Pinto writes about the failure of aggressive policing to prevent potential tragedies like the Brooklyn subway shooting in this piece for The Interc...
Apr 15, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Ai-jen Poo , co-founder and executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Pablo Alvarado , co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, to discuss labor organizing for workers. They get into the pandemic’s impact on informal economies, on-the-ground movements to protect low-wage workers, and what meaningful labor reforms would look like. ITT Staff Picks: Due to the caregiving crisis, Juanita Sharpe writes about having to ...
Apr 12, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio talk about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. They also get into the Oklahoma state legislature’s anti-abortion bill, and the dangerous repercussions of media language and framing around immigration. ITT Staff Picks: For The New York Times , reporter Linda Qiu spoke with Black women of the Harvard Black Law Students Association about what Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the Supreme Court means to them. Oklahoma’s abortion ...
Apr 08, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio reflect on the last two years of the coronavirus pandemic with guests Umair Irfan , staff writer at Vox covering Covid-19 and climate change, and Kiera Butler , senior editor and public health reporter at Mother Jones. They discuss government response to the health crisis, the disproportionate impact on Black and brown communities and what we can expect next. ITT Staff Picks: For Vox , Umair Irfan dives into what is needed at a scientific research and policy level in order to spo...
Apr 05, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio discuss the news of the Biden administration finally putting an end to Title 42, a Trump-era public health order. They also unpack the media’s coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the latest on the January 6 attempted coup. ITT Staff Picks: In this piece for Al Jazeera, Jihan Abdalla reports on how immigrant rights groups are reacting to the Biden administration’s indications that it will revoke Title 42 in the coming months. “National security coverage largely relies on...
Apr 01, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by Aisha Mills , political strategist and former host of “Amplified with Aisha” on the Black News Channel, and Dr. Jason Johnson , professor at the School of Global Journalism & Communication at Morgan State University and political contributor at MSNBC. They react to the 94th annual Academy Awards, including the controversy over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock. They also discuss the latest on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the state of independent journalism ...
Mar 29, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio discuss the uncovered text messages between Mark Meadows and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ wife Ginni Thomas, revealing new efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. They also get into the latest news out of the war in Ukraine, and President Biden’s meeting abroad with world leaders. And, they unpack Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearings. ITT Staff Picks: MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan makes the case for the impeachment of Supreme Cou...
Mar 25, 2022•22 min•Transcript available on Metacast In The Thick presents an episode from our sister podcast, Latino USA. In this episode, Maria talks with Latino and Latina film critics Clayton Davis , Cristina Escobar , and Jack Rico about Latinos in film this past year. Ahead of Hollywood’s biggest night, they discuss the honors (and snubs) for Latino-led films this awards season. They also talk about the importance of diversity in criticism, and push the conversation past the topic of “representation” to envision a more inclusive future for L...
Mar 22, 2022•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and Maria discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s address to Congress, and the recent granting of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Afghan refugees. They also dive into the lack of accountability in the police shootings of Adam Toledo and Anthony Alvarez. And, they unpack the latest government spending bill, which cut funding for COVID-19 relief and prevention. ITT Staff Picks: Months after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration extended eligibility for t...
Mar 18, 2022•20 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Jenni Monet , independent investigative journalist and founder of the newsletter Indigenously , are joined by Karen Attiah , columnist for The Washington Post, and Sabrina Rodríguez , national political correspondent for Politico. They unpack the latest coverage on the war in Ukraine, its ramifications for U.S. immigration and refugee policy, and the Biden administration’s enforcement of Title 42. We also hear from Hansi Lo Wang , NPR national correspondent, on a report e...
Mar 15, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio talk about Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine, including increasing sanctions from Western governments and private companies. They also get into the latest in the January 6th investigation, and the arrest of Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio. And, they end by talking about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida. ITT Staff Picks: “It’s really exhausting being a queer person in Florida trying to fight against everything going on. I should be focused on my schoolwork, not the GOP tr...
Mar 11, 2022•19 min•Transcript available on Metacast Maria and Julio are joined by ITT All-Star Terrell Jermaine Starr , senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and host of the Black Diplomats podcast, to discuss his reporting on the ground in Ukraine and the impact of Western sanctions on Russia. They also unpack political responses to the invasion. And we hear from Asami Terajima , political reporter for the Kyiv Independent. ITT Staff Picks: “Ukraine’s crisis has made clear who creates the Western news landscape, and perhaps more important, who t...
Mar 09, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Julio and guest co-host Jamilah King , deputy inequality editor at BuzzFeed News, discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and critique Western media coverage of the war. And, they talk about the ongoing January 6th trials. We also hear from Analilia Mejia , co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, on policing and President Biden’s State of the Union address. ITT Staff Picks: Western media has shown a double standard in its coverage of the ongoing war in Ukraine, writes Ishmael...
Mar 04, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
