The Takeout

This week, Rep. Pramila Jayapal joins Major to discuss the latest developments in congressional negotiations of both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a "soft infrastructure" bill that would increase social safety nets for Americans. Jayapal maintains that child care, Medicare expansion, prescription drug price limits, climate change, immigration, and affordable housing will remain in the slimmed-down social spending bill being negotiated between the White House and congressional Democrats. But she concedes some programs may have to be altered. This conversation was recorded on October 12th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association, a labor union of more than 3 million, joins Major for a chat about schools, vaccines and critical race theory. Pringle says she’s concerned about attrition in the teaching ranks. "I'm worried about educators leaving the profession, and that's very real, and it's happening.” Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us at the solar-powered Atlas Brew Works for an electric conversation with the Secretary of the Department of Energy Jennifer Granholm. On the menu this week: the fate of the president's infrastructure proposal, climate change, electric vehicles, nuclear energy and whether congress can keep the government open and avoid default. Come for the knowledge, stay for Major stuffing his face with a slice from Andy's Pizza. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Biden’s chief medical advisor and infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci joins Major for an in-depth conversation on COVID vaccine boosters, the virus’s origin and the ethics of rationing treatments for coronavirus patients. Is the Delta variant waning or are we in for a dark winter? Fauci also explains the differences between working with President Biden and his predecessor. You’ve got COVID questions? We’ve got COVID answers. Join us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Documentarian Ken Burns is Major's guest this week to discuss his new film, "Muhammad Ali," a 4-part series premiering on PBS this Sunday. The documentary chronicles Ali's life from birth to death and his impact on the sports world, politics and civil rights. "It's about politics, it's about war, it's about sex, it's about faith, it's about religion, it's about Islam, it's about all these things and all these things that we're dealing with today,” Burns said. Join us for an illuminating conversation with one legend about another. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Retired Army General David Petraeus, who served as commander of US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan and CIA director, reflects on America’s longest war and the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. What went right in Afghanistan? What went wrong? And could the chaotic and deadly US exit have been avoided. Join us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Major talks with CBS News senior national & environmental correspondent Ben Tracy and CBS News meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli to discuss the effects of climate change on our planet and way of life. Tracy and Berardelli talk about the rapid change in atmospheric conditions over the last hundred years, and potential solutions to help slow Earth's rate of warming. For context, this episode was recorded on August 25th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker joins Major to discuss her latest documentary, "Bring Your Own Brigade." The film captures the horror and heroism of the deadliest week of wildfires in California history and explores the causes of what she calls a "global fire crisis". Walker also talks about why the latest California fires have been so hard to put out. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Washington Post investigative reporter Craig Whitlock joins Major to discuss the situation in Afghanistan and Whitlock's reporting on the Afghanistan Papers, a collection of more than 2,000 pages of documents and interviews with U.S. officials on the truth behind the U.S. presence in the country. The main takeaway from the Afghanistan Papers, Whitlock said, was that government officials from the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations publicly said that U.S. military forces "were making progress, that victory was around the corner,” in the fight against the Taliban, but that those same officials, “were very pessimistic about where things were going”. Whitlock added that the U.S. position now is to seek permission from the Taliban for Americans and other Afghans to safely leave the country they now control. He said the risks of hostage taking or the shoot-down of a departing American-led evacuation flight are real. This episode was recorded on August 19th, 2021. To learn more about listener

This week, Major is joined by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Murthy said “it’s just a matter of time,” before COVID-19 booster shots are required, that full FDA approval of the vaccines is coming “very soon” and that the U.S. is not testing enough for the virus to fully understand how the Delta variant is spreading in communities. Plus, Murthy talks about the rampant spread of COVID disinformation and how kids can safely return to in-person learning this fall. This episode was recorded on August 11th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Major sat down with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam (D) to discuss his ongoing response to the Delta variant, the sexual harassment allegations against Andrew Cuomo, and the heated Critical Race Theory debate in Northern Virginia. Northam said that a vaccine mandate for state workers will be instituted, and that he is continuing to look into whether Virginia needs further incentivization for COVID vaccines. He added that "what's happening in New York is very, very unfortunate" but hesitated on calling for Cuomo's resignation saying that New York voters should decide the governor's fate. Northam also downplayed the Critical Race Theory debate in Virginia, saying that the debate is a "tactic to scare people" heading into a gubernatorial election in November. This episode was recorded on August 4th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Got questions about COVID? Dr. Leana Wen has answers. Former Baltimore health commissioner, emergency physician and author of the new book "Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health" Dr. Leana Wen joins Major for sandwiches at Village Square Cafe in Baltimore, Maryland. This week, the CDC re-imposed mask recommendations for areas of the country with elevated transmission rates and President Biden announced new guidelines for federal workers. Wen credits the Biden administration for the initial vaccine rollout but says the CDC has done a poor job communicating with the public this summer. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are back! For the first time in more than a year, The Takeout returns to a restaurant. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan joins Major for lunch at Galway Bay pub in Annapolis, Maryland. Governor Hogan explains why Maryland's vaccination rate is outpacing most states, whether he foresees a need to re-institute a masking mandate and whether his political future includes a run for US Senate or the White House. Plus, Hogan weighs in on critical race theory, infrastructure and the future of the Republican Party with or without Donald Trump. Join us! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CBS News Senior Foreign Correspondent Charlie D'Agata has been to Afghanistan dozens of times since the US went to war there after the September 11th attacks in 2001. This week, fresh off his latest trip to Kabul, D'Agata joins Major to discuss the US military drawdown and whether Afghan forces can hold off increasingly emboldened Taliban fighters. Also, what lies ahead for Afghan translators and interpreters who worked alongside US forces during the 20-year war? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CBS News travel editor Peter Greenberg joins Major this week to discuss the state of the travel industry as the world emerges from covid restrictions. Pent up demand, Greenberg said, has bred astronomical airfares and rental car rates in certain areas, but that hasn't dissuaded travelers from hitting the road. Ready to book your next flight? Greenberg has tips for beating computer algorithms and getting the best price. Join us. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week for a July 4th-inspired episode, Major is joined by the President and CEO of the National Constitution Center Jeffrey Rosen. Rosen talks about his work at the Constitution Center, and how America's founding document has been interpreted over time. Rosen also talks about the political polarization within the United States and the Capitol insurrection on January 6th. This episode was recorded on June 30th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Major is joined by investigative reporter Michael Isikoff to discuss the murder of Saudi Arabian dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi that is featured in the latest season of Isikoff's Yahoo! News podcast, "Conspiracyland". Isikoff talks about the goal of "Conspiracyland" and breaks down the key timeline events in Khashoggi's death. Plus, a conversation on how then-President Trump and President Biden have reacted to the murder and Mohammed bin Salman's potential involvement in it. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author and Activist Dr. Ibram X. Kendi joins Major to discuss the history of Juneteenth, his book How to be an Antiracist, and the political outrage directed at Critical Race Theory. Dr. Kendi also talks about the death of George Floyd and the disproportionate affect of COVID-19 on Black Americans. This episode was recorded on June 14th, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Bill Bratton joins Major to discuss meaningful and effective police reform and his new memoir, The Profession, which focuses on his experiences with race and policing in America. Bratton, who led the New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles police departments, dives into policies that he launched that were effective, and those that caused more harm than he had envisioned. Plus, Bratton talks about his relationship with Rudy Giuliani and how "America's Mayor" went from national personality to conspiracy theory propagator. This episode was recorded on June 1st, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Major is joined by CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger to discuss her new podcast, "CBS Eye on Money" which is set to launch next week. Jill also explains what "meme stocks" are, what the future of cryptocurrency looks like as more and more currencies are launched and endorsed by celebrities, and the state of the U.S. housing market. This episode was recorded on June 2nd, 2021. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices