Global consulting firm McKinsey works all over the world, but in South Africa, it faces criminal charges for corruption. The case centers on its role in the country’s biggest post-apartheid scandal, known as state capture. The firm has also consulted on everything from looking at privatizing the UK National Health Service to researching Saudi Arabian dissidents. So what exactly does McKinsey do, and why?

In this episode: 
Walt Bogdanich, investigative reporter at the New York Times and co-author of ‘When McKinsey Comes to Town’

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Ruby Zaman fact-checked this episode.

Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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

Global consulting firm McKinsey works all over the world, but in South Africa, it faces criminal charges for corruption. The case centers on its role in the country’s biggest post-apartheid scandal, known as state capture. The firm has also consulted on everything from looking at privatizing the UK National Health Service to researching Saudi Arabian dissidents. So what exactly does McKinsey do, and why?
In this episode: 
<ul>
<li>Walt Bogdanich, investigative reporter at the New York Times and co-author of ‘When McKinsey Comes to Town’</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei with our host, Halla Mohieddeen. Ruby Zaman fact-checked this episode.
Our production team includes Chloe K. Li, Miranda Lin, Ashish Malhotra, Negin Owliaei, and Amy Walters. 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Aya Elmileik 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 <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>

Making sense of the world, one story at a time. Host Malika Bilal and journalists from Al Jazeera's international bureaus and beyond share their take on the most important stories every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Making sense of the world, one story at a time. Host Malika Bilal and journalists from Al Jazeera's international bureaus and beyond share their take on the most important stories every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The Take

The Take - Disco

What happens when governments turn to McKinsey?

In Iraq, some scars of the US-led invasion remain hidden, even as the 20th anniversary is marked this week. The US military for years disposed of waste in burn pits: wide swathes of land, constantly smoking. Some were the size of a football field. In them were plastics, electronics, and military and medical waste. The environmental impacts of the invasion – including those burn pits – continue to plague Iraqis to this day. After years of lobbying, the US government approved legislation to address the health impacts on US soldiers, but there has been no discussion of compensation for the Iraqi civilians.

In this episode: 
Kali Rubaii (@KaliRubaii), assistant professor of anthropology at Purdue University

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and Amy Walters with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Adam Abou-Gad and Munera Al Dosari 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

In Iraq, some scars of the US-led invasion remain hidden, even as the 20th anniversary is marked this week. The US military for years disposed of waste in burn pits: wide swathes of land, constantly smoking. Some were the size of a football field. In them were plastics, electronics, and military and medical waste. The environmental impacts of the invasion – including those burn pits – continue to plague Iraqis to this day. After years of lobbying, the US government approved legislation to address the health impacts on US soldiers, but there has been no discussion of compensation for the Iraqi civilians.
In this episode: 
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Kali Rubaii (<a href="https://twitter.com/KaliRubaii">@KaliRubaii</a>), assistant professor of anthropology at Purdue University</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Negin Owliaei and Amy Walters with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Adam Abou-Gad and Munera Al Dosari 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 <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>

What does the US owe Iraq for the war’s toxic burn pits?

It was the deadliest attack on a house of worship in Canada's history. Six people lost their lives when a gunman opened fire on a mosque in Quebec City in 2017. And the hate incidents haven't stopped in the years since. Some of them have been deadly. And it's led to questions about how Canada treats its Muslim population. In January of 2023, the country announced its first special representative on Islamophobia. So what’s behind the need for the position in the first place? 

In this episode:
Jillian Kestler-D’Amours (@jkdamours), Al Jazeera online editor
Jasmin Zine (@JasminZine), professor in sociology, religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Negin Owliaei and Ashish Malhotra, and our host, Malika Bilal. The original production team included Negin Owliaei, Tom Fenton, Ruby Zaman, Amy Walters, Alexandra Locke, Priyanka Tilve, Ney Alvarez, Stacey Samuel, and Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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

It was the deadliest attack on a house of worship in Canada's history. Six people lost their lives when a gunman opened fire on a mosque in Quebec City in 2017. And the hate incidents haven't stopped in the years since. Some of them have been deadly. And it's led to questions about how Canada treats its Muslim population. In January of 2023, the country announced its first special representative on Islamophobia. So what’s behind the need for the position in the first place? 
In this episode:
<ul>
<li>Jillian Kestler-D’Amours (<a href="https://twitter.com/jkdamours">@jkdamours</a>), Al Jazeera online editor</li>
<li>Jasmin Zine (<a href="https://twitter.com/JasminZine">@JasminZine</a>), professor in sociology, religion and culture at Wilfrid Laurier University</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was updated by Negin Owliaei and Ashish Malhotra, and our host, Malika Bilal. The original production team included Negin Owliaei, Tom Fenton, Ruby Zaman, Amy Walters, Alexandra Locke, Priyanka Tilve, Ney Alvarez, Stacey Samuel, and Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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 <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>

Revisiting Canada’s homegrown Islamophobia

The UK government is clamping down on asylum seekers, potentially illegally. Nearly 46,000 refugees and migrants arrived in the United Kingdom last year on small boats across the English Channel, a major increase from the year before. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says stopping the boats is a priority for the British people. But both the United Nations and the European Union have called the plan illegal for the way it would treat people fleeing war and persecution. Even Sunak’s Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has acknowledged the plan may not be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. So why is the government pushing it forward?

In this episode: 
Charlie Angela (@CharlieAJ), Al Jazeera correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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

The UK government is clamping down on asylum seekers, potentially illegally. Nearly 46,000 refugees and migrants arrived in the United Kingdom last year on small boats across the English Channel, a major increase from the year before. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says stopping the boats is a priority for the British people. But both the United Nations and the European Union have called the plan illegal for the way it would treat people fleeing war and persecution. Even Sunak’s Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has acknowledged the plan may not be compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. So why is the government pushing it forward?
In this episode: 
<ul>
<li>Charlie Angela (<a href="https://twitter.com/charlieaj?lang=en">@CharlieAJ</a>), Al Jazeera correspondent</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra with Chloe K. Li and our host, Malika Bilal. Miranda Lin fact-checked this episode.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. 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 <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>

What happens when governments turn to McKinsey?

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