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Al Jazeera

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 13, 2021. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.
 
Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison was once a front-page headline in the “war on terror”. Today, public knowledge of the torture that made it infamous is starting to fade – but 17 years later, one US lawsuit for its victims is still going on. It centres on private contractors: companies that became an integral part of the US military efforts post-9/11 attacks, which changed the way war is fought – and accountability is sought.
 
In this episode:
 
 • Rafael Shimunov (
@rafaelshimunov • ), human rights activist
 • Katherine Gallagher (
@katherga1) • , senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights
 • Majid, Abu Ghraib plaintiffs’ legal team member in Iraq
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was updated by Haleema Shah. The original production team was Alexandra Locke with Negin Owliaei, Priyanka Tilve, Dina Kesbeh, Amy Walters, Ney Alvarez, Ruby Zaman, and Malika Bilal. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Another Take: The Course of the Forever Wars - Amnesia

Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer has spent years using humor to face pain, break silence, and speak for a people under fire. In a moment of deep loss, he turns to the stage again. What can comedy still cut through?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Mo Amer (
@realmoamer • ), comedian, actor and writer
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Sonia Bhagat, Marcos Bartolomé and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Amy Walters, Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang.
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Why Mo Amer jokes to survive

New York’s new Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani won amid Islamophobic attacks, and is set to become the city's first Muslim mayor. He pledged to serve all communities, and to challenge US President Trump's policies. His win is being compared to that of London’s Muslim Mayor Sadiq Khan, a counterweight to then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Are city mayors the new resistance to right-wing governments?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Moustafa Bayoumi (
@BayoumiMoustafa • ), author and columnist for 
The Guardian 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero and Tracie Hunte, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Amy Walters, Farhan Rafif, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and guest host, Manny Rapalo. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Is Zohran Mamdani ready to stand up to Donald Trump?

Trump’s tariffs are headed to the US Supreme Court as Washington and New Delhi pursue a trade deal. On the ground in India, export hubs are seeing cancelled orders, layoffs, and falling pay rates. As uncertainty deepens, what does this mean for factory workers?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Jayati Ghosh (
@Jayati1609 • ), Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker, Melanie Marich, Diana Ferrero, and Sarí el-Khalili, with Amy Walters, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Joe Plourde mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

The hidden cost of Trump’s tariffs

Rio de Janeiro’s deadliest police raid in years left bodies in the streets and a city reeling. Officials called it a success, while residents called it a massacre. What really happened in the favela, who was targeted, and does this mark a turning point for state violence in Brazil?
 
In this episode: 
 
 • Cecília Olliveira 
(@Cecillia) • , Investigative journalist
 • Matheus de Moura
 (@mathdemoura) • , Investigative journalist
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Marcos Bartolomé, Sarí el-Khalili and Diana Ferrero, with Amy Walters, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker and guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz and Kylene Kiang. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What was behind Brazil’s deadliest police raid?

From embracing Zionism as a Holocaust survivor to becoming a vocal critic of Israeli policies, renowned author and doctor Gabor Maté reflects on the evolution in his thinking, on trauma as a driving force behind Zionism and Israel, and on how collective Jewish trauma has been exploited by Israel to justify its war in Gaza.
 
This is a story from the archives. This originally aired on January 17, 2025. None of the dates, titles or other references from that time have been changed.
 
In this episode:
 
 • Gabor Maté (
@DrGaborMate • ), Physician and Author
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Tamara Khandaker and Sonia Bhagat, with Noor Wazwaz, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Hagir Saleh, Melanie Marich, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. 
 
The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid, and Fatima Shafiq. Our host is Malika Bilal. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Breaking Zionism’s trauma loop with Dr. Gabor Mate

This week: 23 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 224 Palestinians in Gaza. Unexploded ordinance in Gaza is also claiming lives. Lebanon's President instructed its army to respond to Israeli attacks. Israel has killed more than 68,858 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023.
 
In this episode:
 
 • Hind Khoudary, (
@Hind_Gaza • ) Al Jazeera Correspondent
 • Kimberly Halkett, (
@KimberlyHalkett • ) Al Jazeera White House Correspondent
 • Ibrahim al-Khalili, (
@_ibrahimalkhalili • ) Al Jazeera Correspondent
 • Zeina Khodr, (
@ZeinakhodrAljaz • ) Al Jazeera Correspondent
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced and mixed by David Enders. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner and Munera AlDosari is our engagement producer. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Brief: Unexploded bombs in Gaza, Lebanese army told to confront Israel

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on October 21, 2022. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.
 
With Vladimir Putin’s warning that Russia will use “all available means” at his disposal to defend his country, there has been increased chatter about the Russian president using nuclear weapons. But just how likely is that, and what does it mean to start a nuclear war in 2022?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Alex Gatopoulos (
@alexgatopoulos • ), Al Jazeera Defense Editor
 • Gerhard Mangott (
@gerhard_mangott • ), Professor of International Relations, University of Innsbruck
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was updated by Sarí el-Khalili. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Chloe K. Li, Ruby Zaman, Negin Owliaei, Amy Walters, Alexandra Locke, Ruby Zaman, and our guest host, Halla Mohieddeen. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Another Take: Will Vladimir Putin go nuclear?

The war in Sudan took an alarming turn when the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces seized the city of el-Fasher in Darfur this week. Mass killings and torture followed. It’s an emergency many experts have been warning about. Will the international community step in and stop the violence?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Dallia Abdelmoniem (
@dalliasd • ), Sudanese political analyst and commentator
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, and Tracie Hunte with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, and Malika Bilal. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What does the fall of el-Fasher mean for Sudan?

It’s being called “the storm of the century". Hurricane Melissa has torn through the Caribbean, ranking among the most powerful Atlantic storms on record. The Category 5 storm hit Jamaica especially hard. How will the island recover?
 
In this episode:
 
 • Robian Williams (
@robian_williams • ), Reporter, Nationwide News Network
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Melanie Marich, with Marcos Bartolomé, Amy Walters, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Noor Wazwaz. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Rick Rush mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What will be the impact of Hurricane Melissa on Jamaica?

Jared Kushner, billionaire real estate scion, is shaping Gaza’s future. Why is the US President’s son-in-law at the heart of the Gaza ceasefire deal – and the future of the Middle East?
 
In this episode: 
 
 • Ali Harb (
@harbpeace • ), Journalist, Al Jazeera
 
Episode credits:
 
This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sonia Bhagat and Melanie Marich, with Noor Wazwaz, Amy Walters, Tamara Khandaker, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq and our guest host, Natasha Del Toro. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. 
 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. 
 
Connect with us:
 
@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What Jared Kushner’s Middle East diplomacy means for Gaza

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