Glitter & Doom

There are more people running for Public Advocate than there are women name Lauren on the Bachelor. It’s become the hottest race in New York—despite the fact that most new Yorkers don’t know what the job entails.  So, who are these candidates, what are their platforms, and why should we care? City Limits reporter Jarrett Murphy and co-moderator of the most recent Public Advocate debate, BRIC TV Managing Editor Brian Vines join us in the studio to break down this special election. And then, what happens when you enter foster care as a full-fledged teenager? Hear from Chef Zi, owner of Taco Africana, on navigating the system. 

For the second year in a row, comic book writers, illustrators, and fans will be coming together at BAM to celebrate diversity and inclusion at the Black Comix Expo on Sunday. Among them will be an  Ashley Baccus-Clark, artist and neuroscientist, who joins us to talk about representations of black women in sci-fi. Then, filmmaker Idris Brewster suggests a hack for getting rid of racist monuments without the help of politicians.

How do you get people to pay for journalism? Pop-Up Magazine has one successful, albeit niche, solution. “A Podcast, documentary film, comedy show, play and concert all wrapped into one,” Pop-Up  presents non-fiction stories onstage in front of a live audience. The shows aren’t recorded, making it a truly had-to-be-there experience. To talk about how it all comes together, senior producer Aaron Edwards joins us in the studio. Then, is New York bringing you down? Hear how former Brooklynite Todd Cavallo and his wife made the move to the Hudson Valley to pursue their dream of producing wine.

In 1988, Mark Denny was sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for robbery and rape. But there were problems with the case: no physical evidence connected him to the crime and he had a solid alibi. Denny consistently maintained his innocence—even when it eliminated the possibility of an early release, and three other culprits sent letters to the D.A. Charles Hyne stating that Denny had not been involved in the crime. Years later, the office’s Conviction Review Unit was ordered by D.A. Eric Gonzalez to reexamine the case.  They found that a victim only ID’d him only after questionable police conduct, and after 30 years in jail, Fenny was exonerated and released in December 2017. Hear Denny tell his story and his thoughts on criminal justice reform.

Since Amazon announced its HQ2 plans in LIC, this dystopian future doesn't seem so far-fetched. Just how bad  is the Amazon deal for the average New Yorker? Vox reporter Gaby del Valle weighs in. And as Amazon, Inc. grows spectacularly, the Amazon rainforest shrinks. Activists who agitate against that deforestation, many of them indigenous, take their lives in their hands. According to the non-profit Global Witness, 145 activists have been killed in Brazil since 2015 alone. Suzanne Pelletier, executive director of Rainforest Foundation, is here to talk about the life or death struggle for the Amazon.

New York retail is facing an existential crisis, and New York Times reporter Azi Paybarah breaks it down. Then, the 10 year challenge that you've seen popping up all over social media is a great excuse for your friends to casually show how much more attractive they are than they were a decade ago. Brooklyn, how do you compare to your 10-year-ago self? We've brought on Nick Rizzo, ex-bartender, future locksmith, political animal and general know-it-all, to take a walk down memory lane.

As climate change makes deadly forest fires, devastating droughts, and super storms part of our daily lives, progressive (and progressive-ish) politicians everywhere are reviving Thomas Friedman’s 2007 call for a Green New Deal; but what does it actually mean? Kate Aronoff, environment news reporter for The Intercept, helps us make sense of it all. And then, another kind of solution: 8,900 pounds of sticky rice cake.

Meditation is now a multi-million-dollar industry. Rebranded as mindfulness, it’s spreading across industries and institutions. Corporations have long offered sessions to employees. Museums are getting into the game, and so are police departments. But is this a means to improve quality of life, or to help with the bottom line? Brooklyn journalist Michael Friedrich, talks about his recent Baffler piece on the subject. And then, you are going to die. But you might as well embrace it, and while you’re at it, consider your own obituary, says host of The Adventures of Momento Mori podcast, D.S. Moss.

In 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of “the giant triplets of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism.” 52 years later, every day still feels like Groundhog Day when it comes to injustice. To talk about the progress, or lack thereof, we're joined by NBC news analyst and current Fair and Just fellow at Brooklyn Community Foundation, Heather McGhee. Then, to talk about the case that led to the complicated copyright conundrum that makes it very challenging and expensive to use any of MLK's speeches, we're joined on the phone by author and historian David J. Garrow. 

Political reporter Jarrett Murphy joins us to dissect the topics covered in Governor Cuomo’s State of the State address, from a broken subway system, to plastic bag bans, to education, to marijuana policy, to Presidential aspirations. Then, Democracy—what is it? A documentary recently premiered at IFC aims to answer this question. Learn more about the doc from filmmaker Astra Taylor.