MetroFocus: The Podcast

Brooklyn Neighborhood Policing Itself "Brownsville In Violence Out"

In Brownsville, community members are coming together to try out a new approach to public safety. Brownsville In Violence Out (BIVO) is an anti-gun violence initiative in which Brownsville residents respond to low level street crimes themselves, rather than having the NYPD make arrests. The idea is to try to reduce the number of people entangled in the criminal justice system by substituting traditional policing with programs that allow credible community members the opportunity to intervene in neighborhood disturbances and connect people with social service resources, if needed. Dushoun Almond, aka Bigga, an anti-violence advocate and a leader of BIVO, joins MetroFocus to discuss the initiative.

Fashion Mogul Kathy Ireland Teams Up With Foreseeable Future Foundation To Advocate For Blind & Visually Impaired Community

Kathy Ireland is considered one of America’s most successful self-made women, a super model turned super mogul. She has a new title now too: ambassador for the visually impaired and blind community. In New York alone, there are hundreds of thousands of people with blindness or low vision. While progress is being made to improve the well-being of the community, many obstacles remain. To help, Ireland has partnered with the Foreseeable Future Foundation, a leading national nonprofit that has aided thousands through awareness events and funding athletic endeavors. The organization was started by founder and CEO Griffin Pinkow, whose perseverance through the struggle of slowly losing his sight is inspiring many. Tonight, we’re joined by both Kathy Ireland and Griffin Pinkow to discuss their work together.

2023 Election Results Analysis

The results are in! Journalist and host of the “Max Politics” podcast, Ben Max, joins MetroFocus to breakdown the results of the 2023 Election.

Preserving "The Boss": How The Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center For American Music Came To Be

If you know anything about music icon Bruce Springsteen you know that he’s a Jersey guy, the Jersey Shore to be precise. So, it might not be a surprise to learn that the Bruce Springsteen Archives found a home there at Monmouth University, but you might be surprised at the extent of the archives, how some of Bruce’s biggest fans helped start the collection, and why the project expanded to now constitute the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music. In October, Monmouth University announced plans for a new 30,000-square-foot building to house the archives. A campaign to raise $45 million to get started on construction is underway, and the project is expected to be completed by 2026. Tonight, we revisit our interview with Grammy Award-winning music historian Bob Santelli, the executive director of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, who joined us to discuss the creation of the collection and what they have to offer.

New York Voters Speak Out On Issues That Matter To Them Most

More than 8 New York state voters say the recent influx of migrants to New York is a “serious problem” for the state, according to a new Siena poll released Oct. 24. And 58% agree with Mayor Adams’ statement made last month that the migrant issue could “destroy New York City.” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg tells MetroFocus “seldom do we see issues where we have 4 out of 5 Democrats, Republicans, Independents, upstaters, downstaters, all saying ‘this is a serious problem.” Tonight Greenberg unpacks the numbers and how they may shift the political landscape. He also breaks down what New Yorkers are thinking about crime, President Biden and Gov. Kathy Hochul, and increasing aid to Israel and Ukraine.

MTA Looks Beyond Policing As Fare Evasion Crisis Approaches $1 Billion In Losses

New York is facing a fare and toll evasion crisis with revenue losses nearly topping $700 million in 2022. That’s according to a new blue-ribbon panel appointed to study the evasion threat, which found the problem has spiked sharply since the pandemic, threatening the financial stability of the transit system and tearing at the social fabric of New York. The 16-member group also came up with recommendations to address evasion without aggressive policing, which critics say unfairly targets the city’s most vulnerable. Joining us tonight to discuss their work and possible solutions to the crisis are the co-chairs of the Panel on MTA Fare and Toll Evasion: Rose Pierre-Louis, who also serves as executive director of the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, and Roger Maldanado, an attorney and former president of the New York City Bar Association.

Religion vs. Tradition

We take you to United Palace in Washington Heights, where patrons preach with an open heart; bridging the divide between religion and tradition with frank, honest, and raw conversations.

City of Gods

Queens is known as the birthplace of religious freedom in America. Do you know why? The answer may surprise you. Find out why and which neighborhood in the borough is the most diverse in the nation.

Losing Their Religion

Is it possible for today’s young people to put down their phones, disconnect, and be fulfilled? We go in search of spirituality in a digital age.

"Sacred: A Global Documentary"

Join us on a global journey that explores spirituality, examining faith and the human experience.

Exploring Hate: Colleges Struggle With Their Response To The Israeli-Hamas War

In just the latest incident of antisemitism on a college campus, a 21-year-old Cornell student was arrested this week for allegedly threatening to kill Jewish classmates. Governor Kathy Hochul has directed State Police to increase security at colleges and universities across New York, but many Jewish students still feel their schools are not doing enough to protect them. Since the Israel-Hamas war began there have been many reports on college campuses here in New York, and across the country, of violent threats, intimidation tactics, public doxing, and even assaults. Student supporters of both Israel and Palestine have expressed fear for their safety in recent weeks. Melissa Korn, reporter for The Wall Street Journal, joins us with the latest on the story.

HBO's "The Stroll" Looks Back At The Legacy of Transgender Sex Workers in NYC

For decades it was known simply as “The Stroll,” a stretch of West 14th Street in Manhattan's Meatpacking District where transgender sex workers set up shop. For the trans women and nonbinary New Yorkers who worked there though, this was about more than business. It was a community of people with few other places to turn for support. In the face of violence and harassment, both from potential customers and the police, they banded together and helped pave the way for today’s new era of visibility. HBO’s “The Stroll” is now telling their story and joining us tonight to discuss the film are directors Kristen Lovell, who once worked The Stroll herself, and Zackary Drucker.

NYPD's New Head of Intelligence and Counterterrorism

Over the summer, NYPD Police Commissioner Edward Caban appointed Rebecca Weiner as the agency’s Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism – the largest counterterrorism and intelligence gathering operation in American policing. Weiner joined the NYPD in 2006, and has a long track record of investigating right-wing extremism, the Islamic State terrorist group Al Qaeda and other forms of terrorism, including cyberterrorism. Tonight, Deputy Commissioner Weiner joins MetroFocus to discuss how terrorist and violent threats have evolved since 9/11, the consent decree governing the NYPD’s surveillance of political and religious groups, and her own grandfather’s personal history of fleeing the Holocaust and working to develop the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project.

"My Partner, My Enemy: An Unflinching View of Domestic Violence and New Ways To Protect Victims"

John Michael Leventhal, a retired New York State Supreme Court judge and the author of My Partner, My Enemy: An Unflinching View of Domestic Violence and New Ways to Protect Victims draws on his years as the "Judge of Abuse," when he presided over the first domestic violence court. He talks about a history of male privilege, power control, and when physical coercive overtones become criminal. Leventhal expands on why there was a need for a felony Domestic Violence Court, and he makes suggestions on how to improve the laws to better protect victims of domestic violence.

"Monstrous: The Lore, Gore, and Science Behind Your Favorite Monsters"

It's Halloween. Tonight ghoulish vampires, werewolves and zombies abound as we look at “the lore, gore, and science behind your favorite monsters.”

The End of AirBNB in NYC?

Since its inception, Airbnb has become an increasingly popular option for tourists visiting New York City. In 2022, short-term rental listings across the city, like Airbnb and VRBO, generated $85 million in revenue. While visitors have enjoyed the lower prices and larger spaces that short-term rentals can offer, some residents have blamed these spaces for issues like noise, cleanliness, and even skyrocketing rents. In response, the city recently passed a new law that severely limits the number of short-term rentals by requiring rental hosts to register with the city and restricting the number of guests that can stay in these units. Will the new restrictions help reverse rising rental prices? And do they constitute a “De facto ban on business,” as Airbnb claims? Joining us to discuss the issue are: Amanda Hoover, general assignment staff writer for Wired; and Margenett Moore-Roberts, a homeowner in Brooklyn who previously rented on Airbnb.

Chasing The Dream - "From Madison Avenue To Rikers Island: The Making of a Social Entrepeneur"

Far too often, former criminal offenders wind up back behind bars after their release, in part because they are not given the proper training or resources to turn their lives around. Mark Goldsmith has been working to change that with his organization, Getting Out Staying Out, a nonprofit that helps young people incarcerated on Rikers Island re-enter society, and stay out of trouble, by providing them with education and employment opportunities, skills training, and emotional wellbeing resources. Mark has not always been focused on this mission, though. He spent most of his career as a successful executive in the cosmetics industry before pivoting to a career in service. He wrote about this transition in his book, “From Madison Avenue to Rikers Island: The Making of a Social Entrepreneur,” to encourage others who have spent their careers working in commercial industries that it is never too late to take up a life of service.

Tonight, we revisit our Exploring Hate initiative conversation looking at the surge in anti-Jewish hate and why antisemitism is shifting from fringe to mainstream. Join us for this eye opening discussion are contributing writer at The Atlantic, Yair Rosenberg; author and historian professor Pamela Nadell; and Senior Fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, Eric Ward.

Joan Lunden & Sheryl Crow Share Their Personal Journeys Of Surviving Breast Cancer

Joan Lunden and Sheryl Crow share their personal stories of struggle, survival, and triumph, on their mission to educate everyone on breast cancer and teach us the keys to saving lives.

Dangerous Shortage of Cancer Drugs

National shortages of vital chemotherapy medications are forcing physicians to develop workarounds and the Biden administration to mount an all-out government response. The shortage of chemo drugs such as cisplatin and carboplatin are leaving hospitals and doctors with difficult decisions about how to treat their patients – including delaying treatment and even rationing doses in some cases. Tonight, we talk to Dr. Amanda Nickles Fader, oncologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital and president-elect of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO), about the crisis and its impact on patients and doctors, as well as what is being done at a federal level to increase supply.

How should we understand the increasing demonization and criminalization of homelessness across America? Is shelter alone enough for meeting the call of this moment, or merely an essential starting place? What can leaders in this field teach us about invoking empathy and critical analysis in responding to this complex set of issues? And finally, how can unbiased journalism punch through the myths about the causes and consequences of unaffordable housing? Tonight, we wrap out our two-night conversation with some of the leading voices who participated in The WNET Group’s virtual town hall series, Close to Home: Donald H, Whitehead, Jr., Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless; Kelly Hall-Tompkins, classical violinist and founder/director of “Music Kitchen-Food for the Soul”, which has brought more than 100 chamber music performances to homeless shelters in New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, and other cities; and Jaisal Noor, a Baltimore-based journalist covering housing, criminal justice, and public education.