DONALD TRUMP CLAIMS HE WILL BE ARRESTED AND CALLS FOR PROTESTS, NYC PREPARES FOR UNREST

Former President Donald Trump, a candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, could be indicted and arrested in Manhattan as early as this week. Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are preparing for the unprecedented - the criminal indictment of a former president, and the possible unrest that could follow. This all stems from the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s investigation into “hush money” payments Trump allegedly made to adult film star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Over the weekend, Trump predicted on his social media platform Truth Social that he will be arrested on Tuesday, and he called on his supporters to protest and quote “take our nation back!” The former president’s posts were reminiscent of his tweets prior to the January 6th insurrection in 2021, raising fears that the unrest from that day could be repeated, this time in New York City. Joining MetroFocus to discuss the case are attorney and former Trump 2016 campaign adviser, Sam Nunberg; former federal prosecutor for the Southern District for New York and adjunct professor of clinical law at NYU School of Law, Jennifer Rodgers; and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and political analyst, Ellis Henican.

THE CIVIL RIGHTS LEGACY OF PAULI MURRAY

One of the most important figures in the fight for civil rights may be someone that you never heard of. Pauli Murray- a lawyer, activist, and writer was ahead of their time. They refused to give up their seat on a bus 15 years before Rosa Parks famously did. They argued that separate but equal was unconstitutional 10 years before the Supreme Court made that decision. And they were one of the first lawyers to argue that women should be protected equally under the 14th amendment. In addition to their professional work, Pauli Murray was a trailblazer in their personal life, never conforming to traditional gender roles that they did not identify with and paving the way for queer and gender non-conforming activists that came after them. Tonight, award-winning co-directors Betsy West and Julie Cohen join us to discuss their documentary “My Name is Pauli Murray.”

CHASING THE DREAM: DELIVERING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION CHILDREN OF ALL ABILITIES AND IDENTITIES

What can parents with special needs children do to optimize their children's education and quality of life? One answer for New York parents is The IDEAL School of Manhattan, which has been a game changer for many families as New York’s only K-12+ independent inclusion school. The school was founded in 2006 by three mothers with sons with Down syndrome. Their goal: create a diverse and inclusive independent school that affirms and accepts the full identities of all students. The concept of inclusive education is simple but transformative - students with disabilities learn in the same classrooms alongside their typically developing peers. Tonight, a conversation with two of the co-founders of the school, Audra Zuckerman and Michelle Smith, about the challenges and successes of delivering inclusive education in New York City.

IRSHAD MANJI ON GENDER ROLES AND LABELS

Outspoken author, activist, and founder of “The Moral Courage Project” at University of Southern California, offers perspective on labels, gender roles, and our divided nation.

CHASING THE DREAM – “EVERY VOICE” EXPLORES BLACKNESS IN OPERA

WQXR, New York City’s only all classical music station, recently launched a podcast titled, Every Voice with Terrance McKnight. The podcast is a 16-episode series spotlighting marginalized voices, histories and perspectives in the Western classical music traditions. Joining MetroFocus is the host of the series, WQXR’s Terrance McKnight, who discusses the debut season of Every Voice exploring Black representation in opera through interviews with performers and educators, historical documents, and archival performance recordings.

THE MOTH: ONE WOMAN’S JOURNEY FROM DOCTOR TO ACTIVIST

Our CINDY Award-winning report takes you behind the scenes of the storytelling series, “The Moth,” to share the stories of struggle and triumph of women in the world. We hear the emotional and inspiring story of Kusum Thapa, who shares her journey as a doctor who now trains frontline health workers in their response to Gender-based violence in Nepal.

WOMEN IN THE WORLD: UNSUNG HEROES

An aid worker and committed journalist risks her life to help others in Yemen and to tell their story.

CHASING THE DREAM – NEW YORK LAWMAKER PROPOSES LEGISLATION TO BAN “PRISON SLAVE LABOR”

A state assembly member has introduced legislation in Albany to end the practice of forced prison labor, and to require that incarcerated people make at least minimum wage for their work. The bills would abolish slavery without exception in New York’s constitution and extend workers’ protections to incarcerated New Yorkers. New York is among a dwindling number of states with no such protection for inmates. Advocates say it’s a move that is long overdue, and part of a nationwide movement to close the “slavery loophole” in the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery at the federal level with one exception: when used as punishment for a crime. Tonight, we’re joined by New York State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, who sponsored the legislation, as well as prison reform advocates Jesse Koklas and Johnny Perez, a formerly incarcerated New Yorker who shares his experience of being threatened with solitary confinement while working for pennies an hour sewing underwear, pillowcases, and sheets.

A LESSON IN LEADERSHIP

In her book “Leadership In Turbulent Times,” famed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin explores our history to make sense of today’s national narrative by focusing on four Presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

ELDERLY WOMAN’S MURDER REIGNITES FEARS ABOUT GROWING OLD IN NYC

The brutal killing of a New York City grandmother in her Upper West Side apartment is reinforcing fears among some older New Yorkers that they’re not safe in the city. It's also empowering others to spread the potentially life-saving lessons of martial arts to seniors. Maria Hernandez was discovered bound and strangled in January and two men have been charged with her murder. The case underscores the rise in violence targeting older New Yorkers with The New York Times reporting that violent crimes against people 65 and older rose about 10 percent last year. It’s part of the overall major crime surge prompting some New Yorkers to literally take matters into their own hands, including Doris Ling-Cohan, a retired New York Supreme Court judge who learned martial arts to help her and others stay safe. She joins us tonight along with Maria Cramer, the Times police bureau chief whose reporting helped draw attention to these issues, and Jack Kupferman, the president of Gray Panthers NYC, which works to combat ageism.

Originally aired July 16, 2020.

“WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS”

The Radical Monarchs have made waves with their focus on social justice and on challenging the status quo. The organization is the subject of a POV documentary, “We Are The Radical Monarchs”, which follows the founders and the growth of the organization’s very first troop, as they navigate complicated issues of identity, race, and allyship as young girls. Tonight, co-founders, Marilyn Hollinquest and Anayvette Martinez, Anayvette’s daughter Lupita, who was the inspiration for the creation of the Radical Monarchs, and Linda Goldstein Knowlton, the director and producer of the documentary take us inside the radical movement of radical strength.

CHASING THE DREAM: THE FIGHT FOR REPARATIONS FOR BLACK NEW YORKERS

The country’s racial awakening following the murder of George Floyd and subsequent Black Lives Matter movement has spurred several state and local governments to begin to study, and even enact, ways to financially compensate Black Americans for the historic injustice of slavery. New York is now the latest state looking to join the conversation on reparations. Mayor Eric Adams has signaled his support for the idea and Albany is considering a new bill to create a commission to study, and ultimately make recommendations, on statewide reparations. Tonight, we are joined by New York State Senator Jabari Brisport, the sponsor of the bill to create a commission to study reparations here in New York State.

“REPRESENT: THE WOMAN’S GUIDE TO RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND CHANGING THE WORLD”

Actor and comedian, June Diane Raphael joins MetroFocus to discuss her step-by-step guide inspiring women to “represent” and run for office.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY: CHASING THE DREAM - “WHY SHOULD GUYS HAVE ALL THE FUN?”

In the upcoming book “Why Should Guys Have All the Fun?: An Asian American Story of Love, Marriage, Motherhood, and Running a Billion Dollar Empire,” celebrated attorney, philanthropist, and author Loida Lewis shares her journey from her early days in the Philippines to her high-powered career as a New York lawyer. She also details shepherding a billion dollar, multinational corporation to record earnings after her husband, famed businessman Reginald Lewis, passed away. Loida Lewis joins MetroFocus on International Women’s Day to discuss her new book as part of our Chasing the Dream initiative.

“KENNEDY’S AVENGER: ASSASSINATION, CONSPIRACY, AND THE FORGOTTEN TRIAL OF JACK RUBY”

At a time when conspiracies are more prevalent than ever, ABC News Chief Legal Analyst Dan Abrams takes us back to examine one of the nation’s biggest and most known conspiracy theories in his the book, “Kennedy’s Avenger: Assassination, Conspiracy, and the Forgotten Trial of Jack Ruby.” Despite having more eyewitnesses than any other crime in history – to this day – few would remember the bizarre trial that followed three months later in Dallas, Texas. How exactly does one defend a man who was seen pulling the trigger in front of millions? And, more importantly, how did Jack Ruby, who fired point-blank into Oswald live on television, die an innocent man? Dan Abrams joins MetroFocus to discuss the incredible story.

ESSENTIAL LESSONS FROM NEW YORK’S PAST FOR SHAPING THE POST-PANDEMIC FUTURE

After the pandemic and amid the current surge in crime, New York City is without a doubt going through a serious transition. But it’s obviously not the first time the city has experienced such a major transformation, so what lessons can we learn from the various evolutions New York has gone through, particularly since the massive fiscal crisis hit just over 40 years ago? That near financial catastrophe and the city’s evolutions since are the focus of award-winning author Thomas Dyja’s most recent book, “New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess, and Transformation.” He joins MetroFocus to discuss what the past can teach us as the city begins its next evolution.