WBFO Brief

WBFO Brief

By WBFO NPRNews
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WBFO Brief episodes

  • WBFO Brief June 10, 2021
    In today’s WBFO Brief, hear our Thursday visit with former American Medical Association, Dr. Nancy Nielsen MD on COVID, and the “delightful” sight of people doing more things together. The quote of the morning however comes from Niagara Falls Ontario Mayor Jim Diodati who says for tourism industries, the closed U.S./Canadian border is “Like cutting off their oxygen, it’s devastating”.Meanwhile, hospitality is not the only job concern- we have reports on job seekers in Niagara County, and efforts to battle poverty with some expanded services in southern Erie County.On the ostensible last day of the legislative session in Albany, reporter Karen DeWitt checks in with what will and won’t be accomplished before they adjourn. And hear from folks gathered not so bright but definitely early to watch the eclipse of the sun from the roof of the Buffalo Museum of Science this morning.
    23 min
  • WBFO Brief June 9, 2021
    Listen to today’s WBFO Brief to hear the chant “Clean Slate can’t wait” as backers of a NYS bill that would erase some criminal records after a prison term celebrate a deal that could lead to its passage. Also, hear Karen DeWitt’s report on an openly gay nominee to the state’s highest court. And a statewide effort to look at Native American burial sites at former Indian boarding schools that were made mandatory in the late 1800s.
    17 min
  • WBFO Brief June 8, 2021
    On Today’s WBFO Brief, 'Trust your gut': Younger women with breast cancer are urged to advocate for themselves. Also in COVID-world--- the back and forth in Albany over whether masks should be worn by students, an anti-mask rally outside the Walden Galleria, and the possibility of almost all restrictions (masks, social distancing, etc.) being removed once NY’s vaccination rate reaches 70 percent. The BTF has endorsed India Walton for Buffalo's Mayor race and there are new ideas about how federal infrastructure funding might send money to remove the Kensington Expressway instead of taking down the Skyway.
    17 min
  • WBFO Brief June 7, 2021
    Today on the WBFO Brief, our American Portrait series features Iraqi musician Hassan Al-Mufti on life in Buffalo, Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt looks at changes to sexual harassment laws being considered in the NYS Legislature, and Jay Moran talks with former TV reporter Rich Newberg about Buffalo’s history - from rust belt to resilience.Also, with Canada and the NHL coming up with an agreement allowing hockey players to go back and forth, split families and Congressman Chris Jacobs are pressing for rules that will allow more travel between the U.S. and Canada. And we’re looking at shoreline issues along Lake Erie.
    17 min
  • WBFO Brief June 4, 2021
    On today’s WBFO Brief- the usual Friday installment of Theater Talk reveals that while it is not the old schedule of a show every Thursday through Sunday, Peter Hall has had to get a wall calendar and start mapping the slow return of some live “in-person” theater, often with advance registration. And from Albany, Karen DeWitt reports on a push to get rid of criminal records after someone has served their time.
    17 min
  • WBFO Brief June 4, 2021

    On today’s WBFO Brief- the usual Friday installment of Theater Talk reveals that while it is not the old schedule of a show every Thursday through Sunday, Peter Hall has had to get a wall calendar and start mapping the slow return of some live “in-person” theater, often with advance registration. And from Albany, Karen DeWitt reports on a push to get rid of criminal records after someone has served their time.

    Also- the new Tappo Pool Club has rescinded its dress code after realizing it was biased against people of color, and statewide efforts to try and stop the huge energy drain that is required to run computers involved in crypto-currency mining are gaining traction.

    17 min
  • WBFO Brief June 3, 2021
    Today on the WBFO Brief, there’s word that Tesla has not met state job creation goals. And Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt looks at the push to remove restrictions that keep police officers from being personally sued in brutality and misconduct cases.Also, the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency is not ready to let plans for a massive cheese plant go, even though developers are apparently moving away from imminent domain and the chosen site. And Chestnut Ridge Park gets some help on projects that Erie County can’t fund.
    13 min
  • WBFO Brief June 2, 2021
    Today’s WBFO Brief features two sports stories - but looks at issues and not just wins and losses. Hear about a push to have hockey travel teams and others who are vaccinated get approval to pass back and forth across the Canadian/US Border. And learn that yes, there is such a thing as the Buffalo Blue Jays — at least on T-shirts spotted around Sahlen’s Field downtown. Also, Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt looks at opposition to some of the bail, parole, and other criminal justice reforms percolating in the NYS Legislature.
    12 min
  • WBFO Brief June 1, 2021

    In today’s WBFO Brief, hear from Buffalo’s only openly gay city councilman on the start of Pride Month, and Albany correspondent Karen DeWitt’s look at what the NYS Legislature still has to tackle in the remaining part of this year’s session. 


    Also this morning, The Toronto Blue Jays play today in front of a crowd of WNY spectators- in the first Major League game with a local audience in over 150 years. And hear about the end of restaurant curfews and UB’s role in working on long-COVID and the symptoms that linger long after infection.

    12 min
  • WBFO Brief May 31, 2021
    On today's Memorial Day edition of the WBFO Brief- hear from a Vietnam veteran whose brother is one of the first buried at WNY's new National Cemetery in Corfu, NY. Also learn about the role of local patients in the testing and distribution of a new injectable HIV therapy, and if it's Monday, we feature an American Portrait moment- today with an Italian-American helping more recent immigrants make Buffalo home.
    12 min

About WBFO Brief

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The WBFO Brief podcast brings you the award-winning reporting from the newsroom of WBFO, Buffalo Toronto Public Media's NPR station, each weekday morning. To get up to the minute news, tune into WBFO…