Putin

After almost a decade in prison, Yevgeny Prigozhin was released into a new world. Gorbachev gave his last speech as leader of the Soviet Union; the Communist Party was outlawed. Soon, gangs were violently extorting new business owners and the murder rate doubled. But Prigozhin was comfortable with chaos. He started a hot dog stand and climbed his way up into the highest echelons of power… then decided to diversify.

In this episode, we look at a Russian businessman who takes on a new game, war in the shadows, and how we prepare for what we can’t see.

GUESTS: Anastasia Gorshkova, Russian Journalist; Sean McFate, Georgetown, Author, Former Mercenary

ADDITIONAL READING:

Putin’s Kleptocracy, Karen Dawisha.

The Future is History, Masha Gessen.

The New Rules of War, Sean McFate.

Where Do U.S.-Russia Relations Stand Following Pompeo’s Meeting with Putin?

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to Russia on Tuesday to meet with Vladimir Putin. The leaders discussed several issues on which the two countries remain sharply opposed.

“Freedom Never Smelled So Good”:  How an American Woman is Helping Honduran Women Achieve Justice

Gracie Murphree has been running a refugee center in Honduras for women and children escaping violence.

LGBTQ Representation is Becoming More Prominent in Children’s Entertainment

A recent episode of Arthur, where Arthur’s teacher gets married to his partner Patrick, is emblematic of the rise of LGBTQ representation in children’s entertainment.

Other segments:

Attack at a Church in Burkina Faso is the Latest in a Surge of Terrorism in the Country 

This past Sunday, a terrorist attack at a Catholic church left six dead. This is just the latest in a surge of attacks over the last few years.

WhatsApp Hack Exposes Vulnerabilities of Encrypted Messaging Apps

The hack affected 1.5 billion WhatsApp users.

New Reports Underscore FBI’s Concern About Trump’s Links to Russia

The President was also reportedly highly secretive about his meetings with Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

Does Rep. Steve King’s Racism and Xenophobia Have a Place in the Republican Party?

Last week, Representative Steve King of Iowa, who has a long history of xenophobia and racism, gave an interview questioning why the term “white nationalist” became offensive.

Cybersecurity Threatened by Extended Government Shutdown 

Nearly half of the employees at the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security have been furloughed. 

Incarcerated Parents: Why Many Nonviolent Offenders Lose Their Parental Rights

Many parents in prison are completely stripped of their parental rights, even if they are incarcerated for non-violent, low-level crimes. 

Is President Trump Taking Liberties with the Laws Governing Shutdowns?

According to the federal statute in question, during a shutdown government offices should only address “emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property.”

Guests:

Nicholas Fandos

Christopher Mathias

Michael Daniel

Lori Lynn Adams

Eli Hager

Timothy Westmoreland

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook,Instagramor on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

We discuss the ongoing tensions between police and residents in Chicago that have lead to clashes in the streets, and have turned violent at times; five years after Black Lives Matter coalesced into a national movement for social and racial justice, a co-founder reflects on the group’s progress and impact; we take a look at the message of Obama’s speech and the ways in which he looks through Mandela’s lens to discuss how we can achieve a more inclusive democracy; then a look more specifically at Mandela’s legacy in South Africa and around the world; and Chef Edward Lee discuses the multilayered melting pot of American cuisine.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

A look at President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin meeting and press conference in Helsinki today; a break down of the new Pew numbers on income inequality for Asian Americans in the U.S.; the latest on a 15-hour siege that left two students dead and 10 injured at the National Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) in the capital of Managua; and what is American food? And how does it shape us? All this week we will be exploring those questions. Today, we take a look at America’s changing relationship with food through the rise and evolution of the Food Network.

You can connect with The Takeaway on Twitter, Facebook, or on our show page at TheTakeaway.org.

Coming up on today’s show:

President Trump’s executive order banning Syrian refugees and immigrants from seven predominantly Muslim nations sparked confusion and outrage this weekend, as travelers were left stranded at airports, protesters took to the streets and a federal judge ruling prompted the White House to roll back part of the order. Attorney and former immigration judge Eliza Klein examines the order and where it stands now.

In a restructuring of the National Security Council, Director of National Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will face diminished roles while Trump’s Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon will join the national security group. Matthew Waxman, co-chair of the Cybersecurity Center at the Columbia Data Science Institute explains what this means for security.

In the wake of Trump’s refugee ban, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau welcomed refugees into his country “regardless of faith.” 
As Trump continues to pursue warming relations with Putin, NATO warns that elevating the Russian president to global superpower status could have negative consequences for the organization. Former deputy commander of NATO Sir Richard Shirreff explains.

Timothy Tyson chronicles the life and death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy from Chicago, whose murder launched the civil rights movement. The new book, “The Blood of Emmett Till,” comes out tomorrow.

Emotional events are opportunities for people in power with an agenda, and Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, now a US citizen and New School professor who teaches propaganda, says the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks was such a time. She talks here about what Americans need to know about propaganda, at home as well as abroad, and about her own experience, growing up in the Soviet Union.