Maybe it’s destiny that harpist Brandee Younger moves into “The House That Trane Built,” Impulse! Records. In this episode of The Checkout, Younger talks about this welcome news — the honor, excitement, and complications that come with being signed to the legendary label.

Lack of local aid from Washington may prompt similar moves here in New Jersey and across the country. WBGO contributor Bob Hennelly speaks with News Director Doug Doyle about the ongoing economic fallout from the COVID pandemic. DOYLE: Across the country, the COVID19 public health crisis has also sparked a rapid economic downturn which has generated levels of joblessness that rival the Great Depression. Historically, public employees have been insulated somewhat from the business cycles but the

An American Pickle is a Seth Rogen summer comedy, written by ex-SNL writer Simon Rich from his New Yorker story, Sell Out, in 2013. Our film critic, Harlan Jacobson, takes a dive with Rogen into the brine. HJ: It is Schlupsk, Northern Poland, 1919. Look it up--it exists. Herschel Greenbaum is digging a ditch. His life is not so great. When he sees Sarah, a girl who is probably too good for him, he woos her with a smoked fish. A brief role for Succession’ s Sarah Snook, Polish Sarah smiles and

Usually during Harlem Week you can hear the sounds of live music and the smell of sweet barbecue wafting through the streets, but COVID-19 halted this year's celebration — but not completely. Harlem Week IS happening — but instead of the world coming down to the streets of Harlem — organizers are taking the streets to the world — virtually by going online. During a typical summer, it’s sounds like this that you’d hear echoing through the streets of Harlem with hundreds of people dancing shoulder

Community gardens where there used to be vacant lots, legislation that regulates greenhouse gas emissions, and more energy efficient power companies. Three groups of college students have dedicated their summer to bringing these visions to life in Newark. The Montclair State University PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies has just wrapped up their 2020 Green Teams program. Six teams of five students from universities across the tri-state area have been tasked with solving sustainability

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced Wednesday schools that certify they cannot meet health and safety standards by the first day of class, must start the year with all remote learning. The announcement comes a couple of days after the board for the Elizabeth School District in Union County voted to start the school year remotely; counter to Governor Murphy’s insistence that some form of in-person learning take place. The Elizabeth district in North Jersey is the state’s fourth largest with

Jené Elzie is the Chief Growth Officer for Athletes First Partners and has more than two decades of experience as a global sports and entertainment executive. Elzie, a former All-American gymnast at Stanford University, is charged with developing and implementing growth strategies across international and other non-traditional revenue streams for the agency. Prior to A1 Partners, Jené served as Vice President of International Marketing for the NBA, where she oversaw the league's marketing

Greyhound is a WWII tale of American heroics in the North Atlantic , written by and starring Tom Hanks, who’s made a great career out of putting forward humble men who just want to get the job done and go home, in this case set on a naval Destroyer. The mission given to Tom Hanks as US Naval Commander Ernie Krause in Greyhound is to safely escort a 37-ship convoy of troops and supplies across the North Atlantic in early 1942 and navigate for five days, outside of American airpower, around -- or

Legendary New York-based writer Pete Hamill passed away this week at the age of 85. The Brooklyn-born son of Irish immigrants dropped out of high school but went on to a career as one of the most respected newspaper columnists and editors and writers of memoirs and novels. WBGO’s Jon Kalish got to rub elbows a few time over the years with Hamill and produced this appreciation. Click above to hear Jon's feature.

In the final part of WBGO's series with representatives of area colleges and Universities , WBGO News intern Tyra Brooks spoke with Farleigh Dickinson University President Dr. Christopher Capuano. Dr. Capuano talks about how online classes will dominate FDU's approach this coming semester. He became the school's eighth president in 2016. Click above to hear the entire conversation.