The Take

Sports used to be about the game. Now, for millions of fans, it’s about the bet. A 2018 Supreme Court decision turned sports into a multibillion-dollar machine — one that’s fuelling addiction and hitting young men the hardest. How did a quiet policy change unleash an industry preying on America’s loneliest, most financially anxious people? In this episode: roundrobin42 Episode credits: This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Haleema Shah, and Diana Ferrero with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Tamara Khandaker, Tracie Hunte, Noor Wazwaz, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang and 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, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid and Fatima Shafiq. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. 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

This week: 46 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 342 Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinian factions in Gaza said they would reject an international force there. Israel killed at least 14 people in Lebanon. Israel has killed more than 69,733 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023. In this episode: @abuoazzum@ZeinakhodrAljaz@osamabinjavaid 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on September 1, 2024. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. Sheikh Hasina has won a fourth straight term as Bangladesh’s prime minister. The daughter of the country’s founding father earned her own reputation as a pro-democracy leader. But in recent years she has been accused of cracking down on critics, with the opposition boycotting the 2024 elections and calling them a sham. In this episode: @tanvirbengal Episode credits: This episode was updated by Marthe van der Wolf. The original production team was Ashish Malhotra, Miranda Lin, David Enders, Fahrinisa Campana, Amy Walters, and Khaled Soltan, with our host Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Andrew Greiner. Vienna Maglio and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers. 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

More than 150 Palestinians from Gaza landed in Johannesburg on a mysterious charter flight run by a little-known group called Al-Majd Europe. South Africa says it was blindsided, but Israel calls the move “voluntary emigration”. The journey is raising fears that these flights are becoming a new way to push Palestinians off their land. In this episode: @AbeerAyyoub Episode credits: This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Haleemah Shah, Marcos Bartolomé, Tracie Hunte with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferrero, Tamara Khandaker, 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

The battle over the investigation files of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has reached a new turn with the US Congress voting for the Department of Justice to release its information on the case. As the world waits for what the full files may reveal, what do we know about the rich and elite who surrounded Epstein? In this episode: @prem_thakker Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el-Khalili and Melanie Marich, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferrero, Fatima Shafiq, Farhan Rafid, Tamara Khandaker 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

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is operating in an unprecedented way during US President Donald Trump’s second term. The agency has existed for over 20 years, but now operates as a masked force. Imposters posing as agents have committed crimes such as kidnapping and sexual assault. The FBI has urged ICE officers to unmask and identify themselves. How did the agency get here? In this episode: @HannahAllam Episode credits: This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, and Diana Ferrero, with Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and our 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

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal has sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity committed during a violent crackdown in 2024. Amid an unstable political landscape, will Hasina’s sentencing be a step forward for Bangladesh, or will it spark more unrest in the country? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé, Farhan Rafid and Tracie Hunte with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferrero, Fatima Shafiq, Sarí El-Khalili, and our host, Manuel Rápalo. 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

The United States healthcare system is in crisis. With federal funding cuts and costs set to rise if government subsidies are allowed to expire, millions might not be able to afford health insurance next year. How did healthcare get to be so expensive and complicated in the world’s richest country? In this episode: Dylan Scott (@dylanlscott), Senior Correspondent, Vox Episode credits: This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Noor Wazwaz and Tracie Hunte with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferrero, Farhan Rafid and Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and our host, Malika Billal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. 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, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid, and Fatima Shafiq. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement. 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

This week: 39 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 260 Palestinians in Gaza. Palestinians from Gaza were sent to South Africa under unclear circumstances. Exchanges of remains continued between Hamas and Israel. Israel has killed more than 69,192 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023. In this episode: @JazeeraBernard@nour_odeh@Hind_Gaza Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by Marthe van der Wolf. 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on Nov 3, 2023. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed. ‘Wait for the Great Nakba’ – a warning of forced mass displacement that vigilante settlers have been spreading, as Israeli violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank reaches levels not seen in decades. The Take speaks to Palestinian activist Issa Amro, who was kidnapped, tortured, and assaulted by armed settlers and soldiers in the city of Hebron. In this episode: @Issaamronida_journo Episode credits: This episode was updated by Sarí el-Khalili. The original production team was Sarí el-Khalili, Sonia Bhagat, Fahrinisa Campana, Miranda Lin, and our guest host Natasha Del Toro. 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

After years of hype and sky-high bets, artificial intelligence (AI) may be heading for a crash. Jobs, investments, and faith in the technology could all suffer. But could a burst bubble be good for the field’s long-term outlook? We speak to an AI industry insider. In this episode: @ftrain Episode credits: This episode was produced by Sarí el-Khalili and Marcos Bartolomé, with Phillip Lanos, Tamara Khandaker, Diana Ferrero, Farhan Rafid and Fatima Shafiq, and our guest host, Manuel Rapalo. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. 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

After two weeks of being held in a US immigration detention center, British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi is set to be released. In this episode, we hear from his wife, Soumaya Hamdi, about Sami's pro-Palestine advocacy, her family's ordeal and what her husband's arrest says about free speech under Donald Trump. In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Noor Wazwaz and Melanie Marich with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferraro, Farhan Rafid and Fatime Shafiq and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. Special thanks to Abubakr al Shamahi. 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

Days after Shein opened its first location in Paris, France is threatening to ban the Chinese fast-fashion giant. The threat follows months of hand-wringing over Shein’s growing footprint in France, topped off by the discovery of child-like sex dolls and weapons from third-party sellers on its website. on its third-party online marketplace. With growing backlash, will the controversial company survive in Europe’s fashion capital? In this episode: @claire_roussel Episode credits: This episode was produced by Haleema Shah, Noor Wazwaz, Tracie Hunte, and Melanie Marich, with Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Fatima Shafiq, Farhan Rafid, Tamara Khandaker, and guest host, Natasha del Toro. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. 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

A long siege by al-Qaeda-linked fighters has left Bamako low on fuel, food and power. Life has stalled and fear is growing across Mali. The crisis now tests a military government that has promised safety yet cannot break the blockade. What does this mean for Mali and the wider region? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Melanie Marich, with Diana Ferrero, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, Tamara Khandaker, and our 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

A video showing Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner has shaken Israel’s military and judiciary, leading to the arrest of the prosecutor who leaked it. But as the fallout centers on the leak, and not the events in the video, what does it mean for the victim of the so-called Sde Teiman affair? In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el-Khalili and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang 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, 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

This week: 32 days into a ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 240 Palestinians in Gaza. Israel continues strikes on Southern Lebanon. Israel’s former military prosecutor under house arrest. Israel has killed more than 68,875 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7th, 2023. In this episode: Episode credits: This episode was produced and mixed by Marthe van der Wolf. 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 X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

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: @rafaelshimunov@katherga1) 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

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: @realmoamer 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

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: @BayoumiMoustafaThe 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

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: @Jayati1609 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