Radio Chatskill

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem participated in a raid alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents last week, targeting three locations in New York City—two in the Bronx and one in Manhattan.

At the same time, the Trump administration attempted to impose a funding freeze on various federal grants and loans. However, a federal judge intervened, blocking the measure.

Jason Dole spoke with Jasmine Gripper, co-director of the New York Working Families Party, to discuss the implications of Trump’s policies and to reflect on his early days in office.

Students across New York State could soon be required to put their cellphones away during school hours under a new proposal announced by Governor Kathy Hochul. The plan, which is still subject to legislative approval, aims to limit smartphone usage in the classroom, during lunch, and even in school hallways, starting as early as this fall. 

Hochul argues that limiting smartphone access will help students stay focused in class and improve their mental health.

The initiative has already sparked a wave of reactions from educators and school administrators across the state. Patricio Robayo speaks with Liberty Central School District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan to gauge the local response to the plan.

President Donald Trump has signed a slew of executive orders aimed at immigration policy. This week, there were several reports of ice raids and arrests in major cities across the country - including New York City. 

In The Catskills, ICE detained two individuals in a worksite operation in Greene County, New York.

To understand the impact of the executive orders, the legal challenges ahead and the state’s role in protecting immigrants, Shantel Destra, of the New York Public News Network, sat down with Murad Awawdeh, President and CEO of the New York Immigration Coalition.

Amy Barkley is a livestock specialist with the Southwest New York Dairy Livestock and Field Crops program and an expert for the avian influenza outbreak for Cornell. She also has her own poultry farm and said she worries about the recent spread of avian flu.

"Honestly any farm that has poultry, whether you're large scale commercial, small scale commercial like me, or backyard, if you have poultry, you are susceptible, and if those birds have access to the outdoors, they're even more susceptible," she said.

Barkley said this is a high-risk time of year as we head into migration season, so she advises anyone who comes into contact with birds to practice biosecurity.

"What we can control is transmitting the disease from one farm to another, from one homestead to another, and so we can take steps like changing our footwear in between visiting different facilities,” she said. “We can even restrict ourselves from visiting different facilities."

She also recommends keeping birds away from fields where wild geese may migrate and frequent.

For average consumers, Barkley said keep in mind the food supply is safe. And she said beyond that, there’s not much they can do.

"I would just say if you have friends that have chickens, just don't go into the pens with them. Just do your part to help stop tracking things in, and that's really all we can do as general consumers."

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) issued an alert directing New York agencies to continue taking proactive prevention measures. She said avian flu was found in poultry on a farm in Suffolk County and in several wild and domestic birds at a learning center in Putnam County. Avian flu (H5N1) was found in about 50 chickens and ducks on a farm in Ulster County this week. The Ulster County Department of Health confirmed the outbreak, and the Farm owners and a visiting vet are being monitored for symptoms over the next 10 days.

Hochul said the risk to humans remains low. However, she encourages everyone who comes into contact with birds to look at the USDA’s “Defend the Flock” website for more information and advice.

The Trump administration has ramped up arrests of undocumented migrants in major cities around the country, detaining thousands of people including criminals and those without criminal histories alike.

Since the president took office 10 days ago,  there have been raids in cities including Chicago, Denver , Los Angeles and New York. 

Reports of ICE agents in tactical gear making arrests have spread quickly, raising concerns about deportations.

In some communities, the arrests have prompted some migrants to skip work or keep their children home from school.

Rural & Migrant Ministry, an organization advocating for farmworkers and rural workers in New York, has been on the front lines. For over 40 years, RMM has worked with churches, unions, and community groups to fight for fair labor conditions.

Rev. Richard Witt, Executive Director of Rural & Migrant Ministry, shared what he's hearing on the ground and how his organization is responding to these enforcement actions.

The American Lung Association’s annual “State of Tobacco Control” report gives New York a failing grade for funding tobacco prevention programs.  

Year to year New York traditionally receives mixed grades in the report, but for several hasn't been able to rise above Grade F in funding tobacco prevention and "quit smoking" programs.

Michael Seilback serves as Assistant Vice President for nationwide advocacy for the American Lung Association and he says  it’s imperative New York state bolster its Tobacco Control Program.

Joe Johnson is our resident science guy and he brought us some science stories that caught his eye recently, including: why the magnetic North pole is on the move; an update on the parade of planets;  the ‘artificial sun’ that just smashed its own nuclear fusion record; and NASA’s discovery of ancient wave ripples on Mars and what that means for the possibility of of life on the Red Planet.

Does it feel like everyone around you is sick right now?

Right now, the U.S. is grappling with not one, not two, but four major viral surges. 

As of mid-January, healthcare facilities across the country are facing an overwhelming demand for care, as cases of the flu, COVID-19, RSV, and Norovirus continue to rise. 

Dr. Jodi Galaydick, an infectious disease specialist at Garnet Health, is keeping a close watch on the situation. She’s appeared on Radio Chatskill to share insights on the current state of winter illnesses and offer advice on how you can protect yourself.

Garnet Health is a financial supporter of Radio Catskill. 

Justin Kolb⁠ is an accomplished pianist who began playing at the age of four. 

Now 82, Justin continues to practice almost daily and performs intimate house concerts at his home in Delaware County, NY, called "From the Bench," showcasing music "by living American composers as well as music that lives in undeserved obscurity.”

Brett Barry profiles Justin Kolb in the latest episode of Kaastacast: The Catskills Podcast.

Kaatscast is a biweekly series featuring Catskills culture, history, sustainability, local interviews, literature, and the arts. Shows are hosted by Brett Barry and produced by Silver Hollow Audio, in the heart of the Catskills. The podcast has been voted “Best Regional Podcast” the last three years in a row. 

Every year, January 27th marks a solemn day of remembrance for the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust. In 2005, the European Union unanimously designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day to honor the victims of Adolf Hitler’s genocidal campaign against the Jewish people and other minority groups during World War II. 

Dr. Peter Chester, the President of The Board of Directors at Langfield Avenue Synagogue in Monticello, NY,  and the son of Holocaust survivors, holds this day in particularly deep regard. The son of Leo Chester, a survivor who was tattooed with the number “A 133497” at Auschwitz, Dr. Chester is intimately connected to the history of this tragic period. His father, along with his older brother Randolph, endured the infamous “Death March” from Auschwitz to Gross Rosen and Buchenwald in January of 1945. Tragically, 25,000 fellow prisoners did not survive the journey, succumbing to exhaustion or murder at the hands of Nazi soldiers.

Dr. Chester’s father survived to tell his story, and today, his son continues to ensure that such stories are never forgotten. He stresses that the significance of January 27th extends beyond reflection—it is a call to action, particularly for Jews, to reaffirm their commitment to their faith and communities.