“Alligator Alcatraz” and the “Speedway Slammer” are two of the Trump Administration’s newest ICE detention facilities. The buzzy titles may suggest similarity, but the sites are very different. Soon after the Department of Homeland Security announced the new facility in the Midwest, NBC Chicago Investigative Reporter Bennett Haeberle started digging into what the federal government has planned for the Indiana prison. Bennett joined The Takeaway with Alex to also explain what Indiana leaders say about the plan, how The Indianapolis Motor Speedway feels about the name, and how often the people whom ICE is detaining and deporting actually have criminal convictions.

Texas Democratic lawmakers have left their state, saying Donald Trump and fellow Republicans are unfairly redistricting and gerrymandering Texas. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has welcomed over 30 Democrats with open arms, supporting their cause as he seeks a third term in office — with one eye possibly on a presidential run in 2028. NBC Chicago Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern has covered all kinds of stories in her career, but hasn’t seen anything quite like this. In this conversation of The Takeaway with Alex, she explains why redistricting matters, what gerrymandering is, how Illinois could respond and why the effects of this story go far beyond Illinois and Texas.

Will Chicago be a haven against climate change? Do climate safe zones really exist? Extreme storms, higher prices and uninsurable property make Chicago more attractive, but climate change can still make midwest storms, flooding and heat worse. NBC Climate Reporter Chase Cain joins The Takeaway with Alex to share how the Midwest must adapt, how just talking about climate change can actually make a difference, and how artificial intelligence has positives and negatives for the future of our planet.