WCBS 880 In Depth

America has a ton of clothing waste. It’s part of the reason many eco-conscious shoppers prefer thrifting. There’s one problem: even when thrifting, many still buy a ton of clothes and toss barely used garments. Social media is fueling this via massive thrift hauls, a.k.a showing off your shopping sprees. Thrifting and environmental experts help us to explore whether or not shopping secondhand has lost its environmental focus. We’re also looking at how are low-income communities — who’ve historically relied on thrifting for its affordable prices — are affected. 

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

In New York City, Black women are nine times more likely than their white counterparts to die during childbirth. This is why maternal health advocates are pushing the city to connect Black mothers-to-be with Black midwives and doulas for better pregnancy outcomes. In this episode, we hear from birth-givers, advocates, and lawmakers about how to give Black New Yorkers better birthing experiences.

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood

New York will no longer prosecute or arrest children under age 12 in 2023 for pretty much all crimes except homicide. Advocates are hopeful this will interrupt the school to prison pipeline — especially for Black and Latinx kids. On the In Depth podcast, we hear how trauma-informed practices could provide better outcomes for at-risk kids.

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

In 2021, more than a third of high schoolers reported experiencing poor mental health during the covid-19 pandemic, according to the CDC.

• Forty-four percent of high schoolers persistently felt sad or hopeless.

• One in five teens considered suicide during the pandemic.

Experts are saying there is a shortage on mental health resources that kids need, including guidance counselors.

On this episode of In Depth, we speak to recent graduates of New York's Staten Island Technical High School about the mental health challenges they faced during the pandemic. We also speak with Psychologist Dr. Allison Holman, a specialist in collective trauma, and Dawn Yuster, the director of the School Justice Project.

Hosted by Jill Webb

Produced by Femi Redwood, Anddy Egan-Thorpe, and Dempsey Pillot.

New York City has a trash problem. But a lot of that garbage on the sidewalk is food waste. Experts say a lot of it is good to eat. Zero waste advocates are trying to lessen New York City’s waste footprint. Anna Sacks, known online as "Trash Walker" on social media, is showing her fellow residents exactly what’s being tossed everyday. Think Zero’s Ushma Pandya shares tips on how New Yorkers can decrease the city’s food waste footprint – especially during the holiday season when waste increases.

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood

There’s a lack of women in top leadership positions at many universities across the country.

A study by the Women’s Power Gap found that only 22 percent of what’s considered R1 universities currently have a woman serving as president. American Association of University Women CEO Gloria Blackwell discusses some of the study’s highlights. New York University Professor Teboho Moja breaks down why this is a systemic issue. CUNY Graduate Center’s President Dr. Robin Garrell explains what’s different at a university with a history of women in its presidency.

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

The Bronx is home to 1.4 million people – a population bigger than most American cities – but only houses two full-time bookstores. This makes it a book desert. But Bronxites are working to close the literacy gap in their borough. 

Saraciea Fennell, a book publicist raised in the Bronx, noticed authors rarely ever came to the Bronx for literacy events. She tells In Depth how she changed that by starting The Bronx is Reading Festival. Bronx native Gregory Hernandez shares his findings from his film “1.5 Million.” The documentary explores what led to the borough’s low literacy levels and how community members are working to boost literacy. Professor Susan Neuman, an early literacy expert at New York University, shares how better funding could bolster literacy rates.

Host/Producer: Jill Webb

Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe

Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot

Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), a decades-old law designed to give indigenous people adoption priority to indigenous children, is being challenged at the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in Haaland vs. Brackeen say this system is racist due to non-Native families being at the bottom of the list. On this week’s In Depth, we’re asking: What does this mean for Indigenous communities in New York and across the nation?

We hear from Hilary Tompkins, a member of the Navajo Nation who was adopted by a white family before ICWA was enacted. We’re also joined by Joe Heath, general counsel for the Onondaga Nation, who explains the injustices leading up to ICWA and how challenging the act could affect tribal sovereignty. Frank Edwards, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, shares research on how ICWA has impacted the child welfare state over the last few decades.

Listen as we explore the history of hunger and poverty in America and the steps being taken to end it once and for all.

THE LEGACY OF 9/11 IS STILL TAKING ITS TOXIC TOLL ON THE FDNY WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ILLNESSES AND DEATHS.  

WE LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES IN THIS EDITION OF THE 880 IN-DEPTH PODCAST.