If that passes the president's case would then go to the Senate for a trial ahead of that Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has sent a letter to colleagues asking for 4 witnesses for that trial they include acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney former national security adviser John Bolton and 2 senior White House aides N.P.R.'s Mara Liasson says the Senate majority leader has not weighed in we don't know yet how Mitch McConnell will respond to this letter but we do know that it seemed as though President Trump had been accepting the will of Senate Republicans that there be no witnesses Mitch McConnell had once said the calling witnesses would be quote mutually assured destruction Meanwhile the House has released a $658.00 page report it lays out the charges in the impeachment inquiry of the president and explains the evidence Democratic investigators found Boeing is considering scaling back production of its troubled 737 Max airplanes it may temporarily shut down an assembly plant outside of Seattle N.P.R.'s David Schaper reports that Boeing's board of directors is meeting in Chicago today to consider slowing or halting production which could affect thousands of workers aviation regulators ordered all Boeing 737 Max Jets pulled from service back in March after the 2nd of 2 Macs crashes that killed 346 people and in a meeting last week the head of the f.a.a. Told Boeing c.e.o. That the plane will likely remain grounded well into next year pushing back against what the f.a.a. Says is Boeing's on realistic timeline for returning the plane to service Boeing already cut back production from a rate of $52.00 to $42.00 a month back in April cutting production further or halting it temporarily could result of thousands of Boeing employees being furloughed or laid off and it could force job cuts of Boeing suppliers to David Schaper n.p.r. News Chicago the u.s. Envoy on North Korea Stephen began is appealing. To that country to resume day nuclearization talks N.P.R.'s Anthony Kuhn reports from Seoul that North Korea has set a deadline by the end of this year for the u.s. To make concessions begin dismissed Pyongyang's deadline but added that the North need not resort to hostilities in any event he said that the u.s. Has put forward plenty of constructive ideas on how to move forward with talks let me speak directly to our counterparts in North Korea. It is time for us to do our jobs let's get this done we are here and you know how to reach us North Korea says it conducted another test on Saturday at one of its satellite launch sites which it said would strengthen the country's nuclear deterrent Anthony Kuhn n.p.r. News Seoul You're listening to n.p.r. . F.b.i. Agents in Houston are questioning a person in connection with a mercury spill on Sunday dozens of people had to be decontaminated after Houston Fire officials found traces of the toxic material in 3 places the f.b.i. Says it's not naming the person at this time because they haven't been charged more than 2000 government business and u.n. Leaders are attending the 1st ever global refugee forum Lisa reports from Geneva the 3 day event seeks greater international support for people forcibly displaced a record 70800000 people are forcibly displaced by war conflict and persecution more than 25000000 are refugees un refugee spokesman says the forum seeks to change the world piecemeal approach and how it deals with this placement and refugee issues it is changing policies towards the few G.'s. Hosting missions like pledging. For resettlement the forum aims to generate long term commitments from governments. In the private sector for refugees at a time when more and more nations are closing their doors to asylum seekers for n.p.r. News I'm Lisa shine in Geneva people in New Zealand observe one minute of silence today marking the moment one week ago when a volcano exploded on one of its small islands at least 16 people have now died because of the eruption several others are critically injured 2 people remain missing and are believed deceased on n.p.r. News in Washington support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include the n.p.r. Shop where visitors can browse Public Radio nerd and n.p.r. Gear at npr dot org and the Arcus Foundation dedicated to the idea that people can live in harmony with one another and the natural world. That by popular demand weekday local public affairs will be returning to 9 am starting December 1st tune into your favorite local talk shows right after the California report and stay tuned for morning music programming at 10 am every weekday morning National Native news can now be heard weekdays at 1 pm to find out more check out our program scheduled to take a z. Y. X. Stop. And thank you for listening. President. The executive. Down on incidents of anti-Semitism on college campuses according to the most recent data. But others fear it's an attack on free speech concerns over the placement of anti-Semitism. Which includes protections for National. Not religion president the executive. The White House party. And the reverend. Both of whom have made inflammatory comments about Jewish people and Muslims in the past just days before the president used some common anti-Semitic stereotypes when he spoke to the Israeli American Council. After the Unite the right. Nationalist chanting Jews will. Now whether the president's executive order will actually protect Jewish is creating deep divides within the Jewish community. And that's where. Start today on the take away. For more I'm joined now by your Rosenberg senior writer at tablet magazine and Kenneth Stern director at the Bard Center for the Study of Hate and the author of the forthcoming book The conflict over the conflict the Israeli Palestine campus debate Welcome to you both thank you for having us. Kenneth let's start with you you actually wrote the definition of anti-Semitism that the White House is using in the executive order explain to us how you wrote it why you voted the way you did I was the lead drafter there were others that had hands in it but basically what happened was when the peace process collapsed and there were attacks that were escalating against Jews and Europe there was an organization tasked with monitoring it and it had a failed to report that it had another report that basically was trying to come up with this some sort of standard because it needed to know what to include not to exclude from different countries seek monitoring some of his and over time then there was the problem that it said anti-Semitism was a group of stereotypes about Jews and it did that in a way that created that this conundrum if somebody was attacked on the streets of a European city is a stand in for an Israeli was that to be counted as an act of anti-Semitism and they said only if those those stereotypes applied to Israel then replied back which made no sense because somebody was attacked simply because of who they are that should be an act of 97 so colleagues and I work with this monitoring group precisely because there was an attack on a Jewish school in Montreal and as retaliation for Israeli killing of a Hamas leader and we wanted to give some ideas of what the static electors should use Shouldn't is there were other applications too but that was the primary one but then what happened was in 2010 when it became clear that the Department of Education was allowing in my view favorably Jews to be protected under Title 6 and I brought a case against school district in Binghamton were Jews were kicked was a kick a Jew day there were groups on the far right that had this great idea that let's take this definition and marry it with a new title 6 purposes and they started trying to camp please. Campus speech and that's what President Trump really getting the power to do this week so I want to bring up that you mentioned title 6 Kenneth yeah year I want to talk a little bit about what that means because religious affiliation is not protected under Title 6 this executive order would make Jews a protected class and one of the sticking points for some American Jews is that this would imply that Judaism is a nationality Yeah your is that a correct interpretation of the order so far I'm glad you asked that so it's a there are 2 versions of this executive order there's the sort of version that existed on Twitter before the text came out and then the version that actually exists in the text and the version on Twitter that was based on I think some mistaken reporting initially thought that this executive order was going to redefine Jewish identity Judaism as a nationality not some Jews do see themselves as a nation but others do not and this is a contentious internal issue that isn't really for governments to decide but what the actual executive order does is actually just a pry bar a president and actually before that Bush era president title 6 which as you mentioned doesn't actually say we protect people who are discriminated based on religion which seems like a big omission and so what previous administrations have done is said actually we are going to protect people who experience religious discrimination whether they're Jewish Muslim Sikh others in the way we're going to do this is we're going to Grandfather them into the other things the act already protects and say well yes the act doesn't cover people being discriminated based on their religion but people attack Jews on the basis of what they perceive to be their nationality or perceived to be their race even though those Jews don't I define themselves as an s. Nobody or race so you're what I want to make that point very clear because this seems to only protect specifically protect Jewish communities but not members of other faiths and religions is that right. Well the policy is already this is already the case for all this is the real amusing thing about this executive order this is already the case week the Obama administration under Tom Perez who is now the head of the d.n.c. But then was the acting at the assistant attorney general for civil rights he created this policy that says all these religious groups are covered under Title sex because people construe them as nationalities and races and will protect them as such even if they don't see themselves that way and that way the government can protect them and not some signed an executive order saying the same thing which already was the policy but not including Muslim Americans for example well because well this was to him was an executive order on anti-Semitism being signed on Hanukkah so he probably assumes that that's why he's only talking about this thing but obviously yes I think we would doubt that he would then be in a race a doctrine on Muslims but it should be clear that it is currently the policy in the law to protect Muslims and Sikhs and others in the same way the question is why did John decide to say something that was already the policy and try to trot it out as I think you were just to this company made anti-Semitic comments and self Trump has been accused of tolerating anti-Semitism so in order to shield himself he created this executive order where he reiterates something that's already policy to hold himself off as a champion on it as elitism when in fact this is something that's all already been on the books Kenneth what is the controversy specifically among the Jewish American community about this act is it the initial interpretation of. Personal identity tied to nationalism or is it something else for me the. Real problem in corporate ing of a definition you don't need it as I said I took the title 6 case for Jews and won it without it and it's really about speech about Israel Jared Cushnie up in the New York Times was was spot on it wants to define anti Zionism is anti semitism anti scientism some conflicts pressed as at the summit isn't sure but to give a blanket statement like that on a college campus. We're supposed to be considering ideas really undermines the whole purpose of the campus and we've seen applications of this definition in other places that ought to scare anybody is concerned about free speech and academic freedom it was applied in the u.k. And Israel apartheid week as much as I disagree with the idea behind it was not allowed book as part of government policy because it couldn't be squared with the interpretation of this definition so as much as you know I agree with your about the politics of this I think there's something that really precedes it which is groups on the Jewish right who do not like and I understand it the you know some vilification of Israel. That could be in line with some of the things we were doing for data collectors denying Israel's right to exist or holding all Jews responsible those those are expressions that they're trying to get at. With this definition the parallel is this you don't need under Title 6 a definition of racism to decide to go after you know a racist hostile environment discriminatory but what if you somebody decided they wanted to do that then you have the question Ok is opposition to affirmative action type of expression that would be relevant to considering racism would desiring to have Confederate statues remain on your campus would invite in Charles Murray be an example you could have lists of things that are speech and that would be problematic and be very clear in that context using this definition in this way on on campus related things to Israel is the same problem and it's going to harm not only pro palestinian speech it's going to harm Jewish students going to get a reputation as trying to shut down speech they don't like it's going to give a disincentive to faculty who want to teach on these issues knowing that these groups out there that are going to be hurt. Attentional lawsuits and the thing that scares me the most is that you have administrators now who know the metric is I want to protect us from getting sued I'm going to have to at least peek out and condemn this type of political speech that ought to be able to be on campus without governments Yeah your want to get your thoughts on that because to that point Palestinian activists in particular are concerned that the e.o. Might make it more difficult for them to protest against Israel on college campuses there's the boycott divest and sanctions movement focused on American investment in Israel that is also saying that you know this could essentially that that movement is really just fueling anti Israeli sentiment and that will it be used as a cover to attack people for their Jewish identity where do you see the line between free speech here and protections on college campuses specifically. But I want to say something for Ken's definition because kinds definitions of a good one the ira definitions are a good definition meant by such as and it tries to look at the beginning distinguish between what is anti Israel in what is anti-Semitic and as a result it has very careful and had language and says you know this may be considered anti-Semitic which is saying the person applying the definition was careful judgment can determine in context if this particular expression is anti-Semitic and this gets to I think what a lot of Jews are very worried about with this executive order is that we have 0 trust in the trumping ministration to apply this fairly whether it comes to Austan activism when it comes to Jews because President Trump has repeatedly said things that aren't i Semitic and tolerated anti-Semitism in his circles so it's seems like if you're going to have this very sensitive definition that you're going to apply in sensitive areas you want sensitive people applying it and there seems to be very little evidence of that and that's why you're seeing I think a lot of concern about executive order even as it's taking a good definition and it's also reiterating previous policy it's about the people applying it and also this is. I think is an important point to emphasize because regardless of whether this definition was there or this executive order these are the people in power and they were going to do this they had this executive order and this has been a concern. But the executive order was there and if they were to take it away it would still be a concern because it's about the people. Yeah your Rosenberg is a senior writer at tablet magazine and Kenneth Starr is the director of the Bard Center for the Study of Hate thanks to you both for joining me. Thank you for having us. To categorising food helps you make better choices with the goal of losing weight and keeping it off for good. And. A woman calls the police and assault. She's looking for help. Searching for Justice next reveal. Monday afternoon at 3 here. This is the take away. Now to a story in Nigeria that strong global condemnation rights groups press advocates and a number of u.s. Senators. A u.s. Based Nigerian journalist and activist has been behind bars since early August. At the sound of security forces rearresting day in Nigeria on December 6th one day after he was released on bail why day runs the news website Sahara Reporters and is a fierce critic of current Nigerian president Mohammed to earlier this year soiree unsuccessfully ran against Bill Heidi for president for many in Nigeria sure why days arrest signals a worrying indication of what press freedom might look like under President Bill Heidi's administration Well joining me now to talk about this is Rudolph a host of The Dr damages show and a former colleague of Rudolph Welcome to the takeaway thank you so much so tell us about political activity before he was arrested. He was active in politics he was one of those tough for democracy that we have no for years he's been involved in politics in Niger as an activist he reports us in 2006 and. He run media outlets out from New York here where he tried to hold government officials accountable last year he decided to dispense in politics so he went home and run for president was in February and after the election he decided that he wanted to continue to be. So he has a demonstration that he called Revolution now and that demonstration was why he. Was arrested as you mentioned he was also a journalist he is also a journalist Yes What has his journalism look like here in the United States you said he was working here out of New York what does that look like in comparison to his activism sorry reporters is one of the lead in outlets tries I'll cross Africa to hold politicians accountable stories about corruption in Nigeria people not doing what it's supposed to do I was with for many days I knew how people were treated when you are presented as a reporter for Sahara put us anywhere they didn't like him to begin with he was able to investigate and publish stories that led to the trial and wrist and then the challenge of some governors so he has always been a valid God in trying to hold government officials accountable but every time he saw that even the people that he is supposed what they were doing it out they were pardoned or they ended up going to court 100 trial would go on for years without any conviction so he decided you know what I'm going to go and be part of the political system I would try to run for office and that was what he did this you know is that why he was working here out of the United States as a journalist and not in Nigeria Well if you can't do the kind of tin he was doing here in Nigeria when the dreaded media is not free there we shut you down eventually he moved some of the operations to Nigeria and they froze the accounts of sorrow put us in Nigeria and several times they call him and try to intimidate to report us off sorry but the so he says it's not possible to do the kind of work that he was doing here in Nigeria so why has been arrested twice once in August and again we said he was rearrested Why was he arrested in August initially because he came home to lead that demonstration where he wanted to lead people know all of the issues that are of concern to Nigerian people and the government didn't want their protests to happen so there. Stayed him and kept him for almost $130.00 something days they went to the 1st call to the court said he should be freed they refused to free him they went to another courts and called gave a condition for him to be freed and he fulfilled the conditions they refused to free him they thought Iris they thought one day arrested him now they've not chide him friend your friends he's still in detention and they should have charged him in court in $24.00 or 48 hours but they've not done that are you in touch with him is it possible to be in touch with him right now no I'm not in touch with him as I spoke to the broader I speak to people who runs our reporters is he's not allowed to talk to anybody right now what is the situation as we know it his case is not going to be taken up in court again until February if you fight or deal with do that what they are trying to do they said last week that the case has now been taken over by the attorney general of Nigeria and we know that in an interview he granted to the b.b.c. In London that Tony General said essentially that he's guilty so we are now hoping that he's going to give me a fair trial but they are what we know now is a desk shopping for a new George that will give them the kind of ruling that they were looking for that didn't get from the 2 different judges we've seen some senators here in the United States Cory Booker among them talk about this case what has the reaction been from the United States is it does it matter or is this just for show where the government said in Nigeria just said they don't care what they're saying in America and Britain are either opinion they don't care is going to bow to pressure from America I think the issue is that because of the situation here where you have the president you know fights in impeachment in Britain you have them talking about Bret's and they are really busy that the top people in governments in this country's are not putting pressure on the nature it in fact some of the statements the use the Nigerian government use is similar to what's the Trump uses here are you really just a fake net fake news of course. Of course there's the fake news and they said that you are your enemy of the states you are enemy of the people essentially if you don't see the media. That you should be p.r. For the government if you don't follow that line you are considered an enemy of the state and they will charge you for treason whatever they like just write to me post on Facebook is that enough for you to be arrested in Niger what awaits shortage now I mean what is it that how does Nigeria tend to treat its jailed journalists there's so many on journalists who are detained in Nigeria because they're not fair most are not from here people don't know they are risk to reporters they intimidate them who are doing their job there was one instance where a reporter who was assigned covering the vice president was bitten by d.s.s. The people protecting the vice president so this is very common in Nigeria but this this sure is case is making it clear now the world is beginning to see what is happening beneath the country does he have representation as a lawyer he has a lie. But he's not it's not easy for the last to actually meet with him I was just talking to the broader D.S.'s who decide when do we allow the lawyer to come and see if they will let him see his doctor you know nothing is very terrible what's going on the case as we mentioned has gotten international attention Rudolph quo is the host of The Dr damages show and a former colleague of a more yeah they were tough Thanks for being with us thank you so much. Support for the takeaway comes from. Whether it's keeping thousands of people on the same page or managing projects from start to finish at last and works to unleash the potential of all types of collaboration software at last c.n.n. Dot com. Support for Casey Wian exodus from our contributors in the Mendocino college Federation of Teachers Union of full time faculty providing a voice for teachers on the students they serve who share Public Radio's commitment to educational programming and know the power of learning to transform lives for their information on Facebook at m c f t Mendocino support also comes from the community foundation of Mendocino County created by locals to advance the well being of our communities and encourage local giving in a thriving Mendocino County celebrating 25 years the foundation has awarded over $18000000.00 in grants and scholarships across Mendocino County for the information a community founded. Nobody got paid the only day we did it. Then we British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday celebrating his conservative party's landslide victory in the u.k. General election the Tories received about 44 percent of the popular vote their biggest win since Margaret Thatcher was in office in 1907 and the commanding victory means that there will likely be movement on an issue that has divided the country for the past 3 years this election. Is now the irrefutable irresistible. Decision. Of the British people and here in the United States some pundits are wondering whether Johnson's victory is a sign of things to come in our own 2020 presidential election Joining us now is Yasmeen Sirhan a London based staff writer for The Atlantic Yasmeen thanks for being with us and helping us to understand what's happening always great to be here ten's in a Thanks for having me so yes I mean the Conservative Party won by a landslide was this a victory for Johnson or a referendum on his opponent Corbin's Labor Party you know I think they're totally intertwined I mean you can't deny that this was a massive massive coup for Johnson and the conservatives the biggest majority as you say that they've had in quite some time and a really crushing defeat for labor I think this is the worst performance they've had since the 1930 s. But what it means is that all but certain bags that will be happening at the end of January you mention the b word and I'm going to have to ask you about that because Boris Johnson at the top we heard him say that in his opinion at least the election means Bracks it is quote irrefutable irresistible and an arguable for the British people is that right I mean I think we all knew going in that brags it was going to be de issue obviously there were other things that voters wanted to talk about the n.h.s. Crime climate change all sorts of issues but drugs it really was at the end of the day the issue that Boris Johnson was hammering home those 3 words get frags done and ultimately I think what was proven with Labor's performance was that the you know they tried to really tender to both of their voters the people who voted leave particularly in the north in the Midlands and the people who voted to remain in Unfortunately their position of holding a referendum securing their own Braggs a deal and giving people a choice just didn't seem to resonate with voters but as I think you alluded to in your 1st question there was also the issue of Jeremy Corbyn and his leadership and I think that's something that Labor members are going to have to think about the going to have. Period of reflection as Corbin announced I'm after the results and he has he has confirmed that he will not be standing as the Labor leader in the next election when that happens so the fight for the soul of the Labor Party the battle for the future as already begun so I think what we'll be seeing in the New Year is people emerging to take his place there is what the voters have I guess said if you will with this vote for Bracks that but yes I mean you and I have talked about this brags that issue so many times I guess I have to ask the question when is this supposed to happen. That's a great question the bad news tends or make perhaps good news is that I think we're going to be talking about it for quite some time because although Borsa said we're going to get drugs done and well it may well be true that parliament will finally vote to leave the e.u. To approve his brags that deal by the end of January Bragg's it as a project will really only have just begun because even if the Braggs the deal does pass at the end of January what begins is this effectively deciding what for in speech or is future relationship with Europe and its trade deals with the rest of the world and so you know we're not going to stop talking about drugs any time soon even when Britain does a fact of lead to you Yasmeen Sirhan is a London based staff writer for The Atlantic Yasmeen thanks as always thank you Tess you know. The takeaway is supported by noon yellow green and red approach to categorizing food helps you make better mill choices with the goal of losing weight and keeping it off for good learn more at noon and 00000 am dot com. Let's be honest there's a lot of heavy news out there these days and something I like to do to get away from current events is look for a good laugh but here's the problem the conversations happening about comedy today aren't always so funny. Creeping. Out there that really bothers. Every. Problem one is going to. Feel like we can barely go a week without hearing comedians mostly male complain about political correctness and how there are just too many lines you can't cross and all the lines are clearly changing at the moment not everyone is feeling limited by these new rules there's people are going to more traditional channels and people who are taking over all spaces are people who are just making videos in their moms with their moms wigs and then all of a sudden they're like the most famous person on the planet as the barriers to entry to comedy shift some women of color are finding their voices heard in ways that seemed impossible 5 or 10 years ago. We're going to explore this complicated moment in comedy in our new series laughing in color will speak to some of the women of color stand ups and sketch performers who have shaped the world of comedy and we'll hear from younger comics about how the landscape is changing for them and one question at the center of it all who's moment in comedy today it's anybody's game. To people Tiffany it really belongs to people like. I love them. I still think it's a white man and anybody can step up and say I'd like the mike now please and have an audience. Just some of the voices we'll be hearing from and we want your take also give us a call at 877. My take but before we get into the modern era in comedy we have to go back all the way back to the 1950 s. The comedy world in that time period was very different than it does now but it was also kind of the beginning framework for how we think about comedy now which is stand up and sketch that is Cohen the author of We killed the rise of women and American comedy and the arts and entertainment editor at The Wall Street Journal yell says that a whole range of factors made it difficult for women to break out in the comedy world of the fifty's and sixty's it was the nightclub bookers it was the audiences it was you know ideas about what women could and couldn't talk about what they should and shouldn't talk about the idea of what it is to be a sunny woman all of those things I think created just all sorts of barriers and of course there was one harmful line of thinking that still exists to this day there was the idea that women weren't funny in the middle of the 20th century a small handful of female comedians did start to find success but nearly all of those women were white one of the few exceptions on mainstream comedy stages was the black comedian moms maybe listen to her riff on marriage on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1969 and I'm a man and I don't own me. All of the no. Older than working days. Even as more opportunities opened up for women in comedy in the following decades the racial demographics pretty much stayed the same I think specially in the early and mid ninety's there was still sort of that ethos of there can only be one and that's not in McDonald She's the culture critic for e.s.p.n. As the undefeated Sariah says that when she was growing up the most popular woman of color in comedy by a long shot was will be Goldberg like my my friends were like oh my God I've been turning up and there will be Goldberg just had. Sort of like fabulously weird quality about her well being just really welcoming at the same time in the eighty's and ninety's women like Marsha Warfield Wanda Sykes and Margaret Cho were also getting their big breaks and by the way will be talking to Barbara show tomorrow but throughout all of these successful comics careers even they've had to toe certain lines that white comics rarely needed to consider when it comes to. Women of Color black women in particular it's a power dynamic going to tailor myself to room or am I expect them to come to me all this week we'll be hearing from different generations of women of color comedians about how they've navigated that power dynamic when dealing with comedies gatekeepers we're calling it laughing in color and we begin with 2 comics who appeared in the biggest sketch comedy shows of the ninety's Saturday Night Live and In Living Color That's up next on the takeaway. Planetary radio is Public Radio's only weekly series about space exploration. And I hope you'll join us. For life in the universe and fly through the rings of Saturn talk with the men and women scientists dreamers who are guiding us to a future beyond Earth and don't forget to enter our weekly space trivia contest that's planetary radio planetary radio. If you take away I'm Tenzin of a guy and we're continuing our look now at the women of color who shape today's comedy landscape and we're going to start by talking about one of the most dominant institutions in comedy to this day. That the show is often the referred to as a voice by the for women of color it's been a particularly on welcoming environment you sort of realize that you as a black woman are like the scarce entity there's all of this additional pressure on your shoulders that isn't necessarily applied to your cast mates even if someone as beloved and popular as Maya Rudolph has talked about you know feeling like an outsider when her colleagues would would make fun of her hair you know and the fact that it took longer to like straighten and basically get her camera ready than it did for her counterparts that's culture critic Sariah not Ian McDonald again and while s n l frequently failed to resonate with her when she was growing up there was another sketch show that did connect. Created by Keenan Ivory Wayans The Sketch Show ran on Fox from 1990 to 1994 and it launched the careers of big name stars including Jamie Foxx Jim Carrey Jennifer Lopez and Rosie Perez It was also where comedian to key a crystal key Ma got her big break one character to keep it created was a young girl named Chrissy who created an alternate reality she called black world and. A young mother to come. Up in a theater not made by you to play them because I am anything you please and when you go to school I mean it is not. Not going up and no my feet I'm not because I'm brand new I'm happy she's out people and at the time a character like Christiane in living color was not a character you'd necessarily expect to see on a show like Saturday Night Live but by the early ninety's s n l did add Ellen Cleghorne to its cast and she became the 1st black woman to stay at us now as a full time cast member for multiple seasons. That Are All Right there you know you'd think with all the crap on t.v. Me that they really. Wanted. To I spoke with Ellen and to key it to find out what it was like for them to headline 2 of the most popular sketch comedy shows of the ninety's and tequila start out by telling me how she carved out a space for herself on In Living Color on the show certainly at 1st I wasn't given lead roles I was given girl number 3 woman number 4 and I was able to take that and create what ever I wanted which was more fun than being given a lead of a character that was already created by somebody else and then often more often than not Tina would come over and say Who is that lady Ok yeah I want to see her again in this sketch of that sketch so that was the best compliment that I could get on the show let's talk about one of your characters Chrissy was one of the girls that you played on In Living Color Yes. I'm doing a dam has she got on the show and the feds made because she. Saw it 1st audition and a very. Bad And when that was the bad Dean dabblers bad of them and they even color that Saturday night is because Air had a lot more black people on it what are Chrissy mean to you to. Chrissy is me at 5 or 6 she's a lot of little girls that I know I created Chrissy when I realized that my niece Robin. Had the same revelations at 5 or 6 that I did that the world wasn't quiet about her and that that feeling being on the precipice of acknowledging racism and and how you fit into all a racist world when you were a child and how you translate that as bason a thing to me so Chrissy allows me to say what I think about the world in innocence Ellen you got your break on Saturday Night Live another show that's been around for a little over 40 years now and it's been a predominantly white show throughout its history what was the audition process like for you in terms of really breaking into s n l Ok so here's the deal on the week before I auditioned for s n l I was auditioning for in living color candy here and I was in the room with Jamie Foxx in Marlon Wayans I think was addition in that season so I didn't get I got on the plane back and I'm devastated that I didn't get in living color I laid on my sofa and I was talking to the Lord I lived on the 1st floor so I couldn't even jump out the window. When you could. But so what it would have the same statement exactly and nobody understand I don't think you understand the devastation unless you have been through it and so I went ahead and pick up the phone my agent was calling me Ok this what you going to do you want to go to Saturday Night Live you got to do your character is the blood. And then I went ahead and you know didn't win in an audition it was a different audition then in living color because you actually worked with others in the. In color and then that's a no you did your thing by yourself on the stage and so did 2 characters the rate of the page character and clean sheet and then they called me back most like what the 1st and showed up to work who's there Michael Jordan can you imagine and then I think on the same day they Jesse Jackson was on the show I was like where that hell am I What is this this sorcery this witchcraft but it was wonderful it's magical Now you go on you're now part of us and now you're part of this magical moment were you allowed to be the characters that you wanted to be where you were you free to sort of get out there and really feel like you were on equal footing with other members of the cast Yup sink or swim but a swim and I got. Right a lot and I got to be Natalie Cole they were very shocked but they were like Ok if you you know if you if you suck you going out you're out the door but you know I just had a lot of sketches that I wrote on and it was it was interesting but I didn't know the total history of it like that there had never been a black woman cast member like they have been women on the show like for a season or for a couple episodes but as a cast member and as a writer no no I didn't know that it was on charter territory we have to take a quick break but we'll be back in a moment with comedians Ellen Cleghorne and to Kiya Crystal come on. Want to make a meaningful impact in your community become an iris certified tax preparer volunteer with us this season and make a powerful impact in the lives of individuals and families in your community help them get back the money they deserve a tax time there's no accounting or previous tax training necessary to learn more and sign up visit United Way Wine Country dot org or call the Volunteer Network at 707-462-1959. Light therapy is sometimes used to treat conditions like depression now a doctor in Arizona is exposing patients with migraines to greenlight every day. Transformation could his experiment help relieve other chronic ailments just scratching the surface and the really significant. Conditions on the next Morning Edition from n.p.r. News coming up in about 10 minutes at 7 o'clock right here on. Back with you now for our laughing in color series on the takeaway I'm Tenzin Vega and I've been speaking with comedians Ellen Cleghorne of Saturday Night Live and to Kia Crystal Kimani of In Living Color Ellen was the 1st black woman to stay honest analysis full time cast member for multiple seasons and in 2015 as part of the show's 40th anniversary special Ellen addressed the show's continued lack of representation in a bit with Jerry Seinfeld I want to know why aren't there more black women oh you mean you know I'm sorry no. No in general. In the dentist the other day now it is only like one of 2 black one I was like oh well you know. Maybe really cool or like there were more like you know black women just like popping up out of the drawers in this crowd so it would I was in for having black women everywhere. Great cool. So how many black women were on the side fellas. That's there now has had a dearth of black women on the show I mean I remember you know just back in 2013 there was this whole brouhaha because rightfully so because you know ultimately there was no one to play Michelle Obama where do you think I mean what's the legacy here with that as the now has had with black women performers. Let me say this so in 2007 I went back to school and got my master's degree at n.y.u. And then in 2015 I got my Ph d. In comedy from the performance studies department at n.y.u. So what I do is I look at humor in the charcoal functions and you know the way we use comedy and black women and black women in comedy just people and black people in general doing comedy and does my focus but what. You're asking me is and it really kind of pains me a little bit because we always want to point a finger at somebody so that we could blame them for whatever whatever. In Living Color I was on the show I did 2 episodes before I auditioned to be a cast for that and it was a wonderful experience work with all these black we. Our problem we are we always have to say that we are complicit in our own subjugation. We want to point to these white people who have a show and say you're my problem or I want to be where you are well you're not going to subvert that that's not never going to happen let's look at what's for real for real though there's never been a black woman in the White House when they say Ok in the White House Ok and in government we've had upsurge of women this year we had so many women you know but those were white women who still are sorely under represented in the Senate in the House of Representatives when you want to point the finger at s n l is that the real problem that I should be concerning myself with I don't think so I agree with that as as an outsider never grew up watching Saturday Night Live saw myself as a child on Saturday Night Live I wrote imaginary letters to Lorne Michaels where I said you know let me be the 1st child a 2nd night but I never will you know and when this brouhaha happened I thought this is this is their art you can't you know it's I think it's wrong to infuse yourself in someone else's art it's kind of ridiculous to me it's as ridiculous as if someone had gone to Keenan and and said I'm going to demand some more white people on In Living Color perhaps more Asian people on In Living Color it's. If you could but but did this is my art I'm not looking at Saturday Night Live for the black woman I'm not I watched it when Morris was the only person of color on the show and you know missed me in the way that I missed me from everything but didn't ever think that that I was entitled to be on that show even though I wanted to be I never felt like I was entitle And I think it's you know pretty egregious for us to you know protest someone's art because it doesn't include us make your own art if you're missing yourself from the cultural landscape them present your own art as a part of it when both of you look at the comedy world today. Who's moment is it right now I think it it's who whoever takes the mike I really do I think it's always been that and I think that we tend to wait for our turn we tend to see what's out there and say oh that's like me maybe I have a chance but I think I reject that notion as I've been performing him since I was you know 3 in my grandparents' living room so I've never waited for someone to give me permission to take stage I think that we're we're living in a very isolated segregated society where there's and movements of continued segregation and movements of inclusion even if it's just to say we are the we we we want to be politically correct and say we want diversity and inclusion but during this chaos anyone can it's like the California election where swatch and I get in it it's anybody's game anybody can step up and say I'd like the mike now please and have an audience Ellen who's moment is it in comedy right now can make it a 2 parter absolutely Ok part one this is Eddie Murphy's moment right now and you don't come back on the other side in the 2nd part of my thing there is this these black girls who are doing this stand up comedy on the Internet and on h.b.o. . They are wonderful because they say everything I say is valid every feeling that I have is valid and we're going to talk about every single moment of my life in the same way that white folks think everything they do is spectacular this needs to be written about I'm like really you had a pizza Ok let's write a movie about it so I just think that they're validating themselves and. And this new media moment where all these girls on the Internet they are so funny. And. You know black girl show comedy show is really really good and the queen's I love them and you say you didn't wait for permission but I always need permission so they give me permission to say oh what you do is amazing just quoted want to do that so I just think it's wonderful that. Magic kids joined it those were comedians Ellen Cleghorne and to keep Crystal commom. Tomorrow on the show I'll be talking with standup comedian Margaret Cho about her career and what it was like being one of the American women in comedy during the late eighty's and early ninety's there were many women in comedy who I looked up to me actually a lot but there were no Asian American women and very few women of color so it was a really isolating experience but at the same time it was a good test in kind of seeing how brave I could be and to really explore nobody told me I couldn't do it exactly it was just that I never saw examples of people like me doing it Be sure to tune in for that conversation tomorrow and as we continue our series throughout the week here in calls from our listeners moment do you think it is in comedy today my name is Christian and I'm calling from Philadelphia. Comedian. Right now. Steve you've experienced sort of what a jumping off point for the community careers I'm gonna keep. My. Kind of came to prominence in a couple comedy. I really. Really only everything he does keep calling us to weigh in our number is 8778 my take and all of these segments are going to be on a special podcast from us by the end of the week and that's going to be in the takeaway pod cast speed or at the Take way dot org And to find the interviews individually you can find them at the takeaway. Comedy. This is the takeaway and we'll see you tomorrow. Good Monday morning. 81. Support for gay. Clinics you need medical. Care Clinics. 79125. Clinics. Morning looks like we have temperatures 40 out currently on the coast as well as in. Patchy fog. Of that. Day. Other break down about 30 minutes after the hour and in the next hours all the latest on the impeachment hearings as well as we are expecting ones day starting at 6 am. So please stay tuned with us now. Live from. Morning how much difference. The president called for a change to the way China does business. The president. I did on whether impeachment is right. Also why is college in Roman dropping and could ingredient in psychedelic mushrooms help smokers quit It's Monday December 16th 75 years ago today in 1904 Germans in Europe attacked the u.s. Army which suffered devastating losses in the snow but won the battle of the ball. The news is next. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Corba Coleman the House will vote Wednesday on whether to impeach President Trump if lawmakers do the case moves to the Senate for a trial Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer has sent a letter to all fellow senators asking to call for witnesses to any potential trial he is seeking Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney former national security advisor John Bolton and 2 senior White House Schumer told N.P.R.'s Morning Edition the witnesses could testify about the president's dealings with Ukraine so a Republican colleagues Leader McConnell and the president have 2 choices do they want to get all the evidence out or do they want to hide the evidence resist letting the facts come out and basically engage in a culture of separately the House has released a huge document laying out the impeachment charges and explaining the evidence the Democratic investigators found top House Republicans say the report is paltry and has grave consequences for future presidents in India there are more protests today over a new citizenship law a grant citizenship to certain non Muslim migrants who are in the country illegally N.P.R.'s Lauren Frayer reports from Mumbai more than $100.00 protesters were injured when police stormed a college campus in New Delhi firing tear gas and beating students with but tons videos posted to social media show injured students fleeing into a library in a restaurant a bus was set on fire on a street outside prime minister to rent. Modi accused his political rivals of arson and said those behind the violence can quote be identified by their clothes a possible reference to Muslim dress because many of the protestors are Muslim critics of the citizenship Amendment Act passed last week say it unfairly excludes Muslims and violates the secularism in trying to India's constitution Daryn Freier n.p.r. News Mumbai the home our channel was sharply criticized over the weekend after pulling ads for the wedding website Zula the ads showed a wedding of 2 women N.P.R.'s Linda Holmes says the controversial decision has already been reversed the conservative group 1000000 Moms demanded the Hallmark Channel.