Wael Dahdouh’s family was killed in Gaza. He kept reporting.

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

The situation in Niger continues to simmer after its coup in July, but Niger's fate is not only up to its new military leaders. Regional bloc ECOWAS held a summit in Ghana on Thursday and Friday to discuss next steps. Now, a majority of its member states are ready to take up arms, but ECOWAS is still pushing for a peaceful return to civilian rule. So, with potential peace or full blown war hanging in the balance, what’s next for Niger?  In this episode:  Adolphus Mawolo (@adolphmawolo), Al Jazeera producer  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li with Sonia Bhagat and our host 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 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

21 Aug 202319min

The Women’s World Cup final is this Sunday with England and Spain facing off for the trophy. The month-long competition has seen the end of several storied careers, but it’s also introduced the world to emerging stars that could inspire a new generation of fans. With the growth of viewership and enthusiasm, the women’s game has reached another turning point. How will the end of WWC 2023 shape the future of women’s football?  In this episode:  Faye Carruthers (@FayeCarruthers), host of women’s football podcasts for The Guardian and talkSPORT Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin, David Enders and our host Kevin Hirten, in for 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 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

18 Aug 202319min

They’re the deadliest wildfires the United States has seen in over a century. Cutting through the Hawaiian island of Maui, the fires started on August 8 and have killed over 100 people. But with some 1,000 people still missing, the death toll is expected to rise. Among the destroyed areas is Lahaina, a historic city that served as the Kingdom of Hawaii’s capital in the 1800s. Wildfire experts and ecologists say factors related to climate change – high winds and drought – and other man-made changes to Hawaii’s landscape caused the fires. Such conditions could lead to similar disasters – so how will Hawaii protect its heritage for the future?  In this episode:  Kaniela Ing (@KanielaIng), National Director of Green New Deal Network and Co-Founder of Our Hawaii  Episode credits: This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra, Chloe K. Li and our host Malika Bilal. Khaled Soltan 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

17 Aug 202320min

A grand jury in the US state of Georgia has indicted former President Donald Trump and 18 others for trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 41 counts range from election fraud to racketeering, a charge usually reserved for organized crime. So, what's behind this latest indictment, and what does it mean for Trump? In this episode:  John Hendren (@johnhendren), Al Jazeera correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Amy Walters, with Fahrinisa Campana and our host Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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

16 Aug 202316min

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been arrested for a second time, on a second charge, and is barred from running in the next elections. Khan has blamed a US-led conspiracy for his fall from power, and a new report of a leaked diplomatic cable from the US news outlet The Intercept suggests the US State Department did encourage Pakistani officials to move on from Khan. This political drama adds to Pakistan’s troubles as it faces growing economic and security challenges under an interim government and a meddling military establishment.  In this episode:  Abid Hussain (@AbidHussayn), Al Jazeera digital correspondent in Pakistan Murtaza Hussain (@MazMHussain), national security reporter for The Intercept Episode credits: This episode was produced by Miranda Lin and our host Kevin Hirten, in for 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

15 Aug 202318min