2024 in Review: Russia’s war on Ukraine enters uncharted territory

Protesters around the Pacific have been out in force against the release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. On August 24, Japan began the disposal of water used for cooling in the years since the meltdown of three power plant reactors. It has been 12 years since an earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami that killed thousands and set off the meltdown. Now, critics say this latest plan is making it even harder to heal old wounds. So how will this wastewater release impact the people who rely on the Pacific? In this episode:  Hanako Montgomery (@HanakoMontgome1), freelance reporter Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sonia Bhagat with Chloe K. Li and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

29 Aug 202320min

On March 4th, Donald Trump will be heading to Washington, DC, and soon he and his supporters will also be returning to a court in Georgia. Heather Shaner has represented more than 30 Trump supporters charged with crimes related to the storming of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. She tells The Take a bit about her clients, their motivations, and what she expects to see in the coming trials of the former president of the United States. In this episode:  Heather Shaner, Court Appointed Defense Attorney, Washington DC Federal District Court Episode credits: This episode was produced by David Enders, Ashish Malhotra and our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Tim St Clair mixed this episode. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

28 Aug 202319min

It’s a story that brings together two powerful families in the Middle East. Musa al-Sadr, a revered figure in Lebanon’s Shia community, met with then-Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi on August 31, 1978. He was never seen again. His mysterious disappearance has sparked decades of theories and accusations. In the hopes of finally forcing an answer, Lebanon has held Gaddafi’s youngest son, Hannibal, in prison since 2015 – though he’s never been tried. He’s now gone on a hunger strike, but Sadr’s family and devoted followers say there should be no concessions until they find out what happened to the ‘vanished Imam’. In this episode:  Ali Hashem (@alihashem_tv), Al Jazeera correspondent  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan, David Enders and our host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. This episode was mixed by Tim St. Clair. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

25 Aug 202318min

As Yevgeny Prigozhin captures global headlines, tensions are already high at Poland’s border with Belarus, which marks the edge of the European Union. On the other side, Belarus has been furthering its alliance with Russia as the invasion in Ukraine continues. Now, fighters from the Wagner mercenary group have camped out in Belarus, leaving those in border villages in uncertainty and fear. In Poland, border guards and soldiers are growing in number, and the Polish government has cracked down on people who they say are illegally crossing the border. So, how has all the tension been affecting the locals?  In this episode:  Dawid Krawczyk (@DJKrawczyk), producer for Al Jazeera  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and Chloe K. Li, with our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Tim St. Clair mixed this episode. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

24 Aug 202321min

It’s known as one of the largest sexual abuse scandals in US history. Over 82,000 men came forward, all claiming to have faced abuse during their time in The Boy Scouts of America. In April, the Boy Scouts of America exited bankruptcy, meaning it is meant to begin distributing compensation to abuse survivors. Al Jazeera investigated one of the worst cases of abuses, in the state of Arkansas, with a charismatic scout master who eventually went to prison for life. In this episode:  Josh Rushing (@joshrushing), Senior Correspondent, Fault Lines Watch the Fault Lines documentary Scout Master: One of the largest sex abuse scandals in US history here. Episode credits: This episode was produced by Khaled Soltan and our host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

23 Aug 202319min

Ecuador’s elections were like nothing in its history. The assassination of a presidential hopeful left many asking if the increasing gang violence had passed the point of devolving into a narco-state. But every Ecuadorian is required to vote by law, and the result was a run-off that will be decided in October. Can Ecuador recover from this recent plague of violence by electing a new president, or is it too late? In this episode:  Lucia Newman (@lucianewman), Latin America editor, Al Jazeera Episode credits: This episode was produced by Amy Walters and our host Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin and Zaina Badr fact-checked this episode. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera AlDosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

22 Aug 202322min