Podcasts about encampment

“The Jewish voice must be heard, not because it's more right or less right, but it's there. The suffering is there, the grief is there, and human grief is human grief.” As Jews around the world mark Tisha B'Av, we're joined by Columbia University professor and award-winning poet Owen Lewis, whose new collection, “A Prayer of Six Wings,” offers a powerful reflection on grief in the aftermath of October 7th. In this conversation, Lewis explores the healing power of poetry in the face of trauma, what it means to be a Jewish professor in today's campus climate, and how poetry can foster empathy, encourage dialogue, and resist the pull of division. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.   Listen – AJC Podcasts: The Forgotten Exodus: Untold stories of Jews who left or were driven from Arab nations and Iran People of the Pod:  Latest Episodes:  An Orange Tie and A Grieving Crowd: Comedian Yohay Sponder on Jewish Resilience From Broadway to Jewish Advocacy: Jonah Platt on Identity, Antisemitism, and Israel Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War: The Dinah Project's Quest to Hold Hamas Accountable Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Transcript of the Interview:   Owen Lewis:   Overheard in a New York Restaurant.   I can't talk about Israel tonight.    I know.    I can't not talk about Israel tonight.    I know.    Can we talk about . . .   Here? Sure. Let's try to talk about here.   Manya Brachear Pashman:   On Saturday night, Jews around the world will commemorate Tisha B'av. Known as the saddest day on the Jewish calendar, the culmination of a three week period of mourning to commemorate several tragedies throughout early Jewish history.  As a list of tragedies throughout modern Jewish history has continued to grow, many people spend this day fasting, listening to the book of Lamentations in synagogue, or visiting the graves of loved ones. Some might spend the day reading poetry.  Owen Lewis is a Professor of Psychiatry in the Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University. But he's also the award-winning author of four poetry collections which have won accolades, including the EE Cummings Prize and the Rumi Prize for Poetry.  His most recent collection, A Prayer of Six Wings documents in verse his grief since the October 7 terror attacks. Owen is with us now to talk about the role of poetry in times of violence and war, what it's been like to be a Jewish professor on the Columbia campus, and a Jewish father with children and grandchildren in Israel. And also, how to keep writing amid a climate of rising antisemitism. Owen, welcome to People of the Pod. Owen Lewis:   Thank you so much, Manya. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So you opened with that short poem titled overheard in a New York restaurant. I asked you to read that because I wanted to ask whether it reflected how you felt about poetry after October 7.  Did you find yourself in a place where you couldn't write about Israel, but yet you couldn't not write about Israel? Owen Lewis:   Among the many difficult things of that First Year, not only the war, not only the flagrant attacks on the posters of the hostages one block from where I live, 79th and Broadway, every day, taken down every day, put back up again, defaced. It was as if the war were being fought right here on 79th and Broadway.  Another aspect that made this all so painful was watching the artistic and literary world turn against Israel. This past spring, 2000 writers and artists signed a petition, it was published, there was an oped about it in The Times, boycotting Israeli cultural institutions.  And I thought: artists don't have a right to shut their ears. We all need to listen to each other's grief, and if we poets and artists can't listen to one another, what do we expect of statesmen? Statesmen, yeah, they can create a ceasefire. That's not the same as creating peace. And peace can only come when we really listen to each other. To feel ostracized by the poetry community and the intellectual community was very painful. Fortunately, last summer, as well as this past summer, I was a fellow at the Yetzirah conference. Yetzirah is an organization of Jewish American poets, although we're starting to branch out. And this kind of in-gathering of like-minded people gave me so much strength.  So this dilemma, I can't talk about it, because we just can't take the trauma. We can't take hearing one more thing about it, but not talk about it…it's a compulsion to talk about it, and that's a way to process trauma. And that was the same with this poetry, this particular book.  I feel in many ways, it just kind of blew through me, and it was at the same time it blew through me, created this container in which I could express myself, and it actually held me together for that year. I mean, still, in many ways, the writing does that, but not as immediately and acutely as I felt that year.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   This book has been praised as not being for the ideological but for the intellectually and emotionally engaged. So it's not it's not something that ideologically minded readers will necessarily be able to connect to, or is it actually quite the opposite?  Owen Lewis:  Well, it's very much written from the gut, from the experience, from in a sense, being on the ground, both in Israel and here in New York and on campus, and trying to keep a presence in the world of poetry and writers. So what comes from emotion should speak to emotion. There are a few wisps of political statements, but it's not essentially a politically motivated piece of writing.  I feel that I have no problem keeping my sympathies with Israel and with Jews. I can still be critical of aspects of the government, and my sympathies can also be with the thousands of Palestinians, killed, hurt, displaced. I don't see a contradiction. I don't have to take sides.  But the first poem is called My Partisan Grief, and it begins on October 7. I was originally going to call the bookMy Partisan Grief, because I felt that American, Jewish, and Israeli grief was being silenced, was being marginalized. And I wanted to say, this is our grief. Listen to it. You must listen to this. It doesn't privilege this grief over another grief. Grief is grief. But I wanted ultimately to move past that title into something broader, more encompassing, more humanitarian. Manya Brachear Pashman:  And did that decision come as the death toll in Gaza rose and this war kept going and going and the hostages remained in captivity, did that kind of sway your thinking in terms of how to approach the book and frame it?  Owen Lewis:  Yes, but even more than those kind of headlines, which can be impersonal, the poetry of some remarkable Palestinian poets move me into a broader look. Abu Toha was first one who comes to mind Fady Joudah, who's also a physician, by the way. I mean his poetry, I mean many others, but it's gorgeous, moving poetry.  Some of it is a diatribe, and you know, some of it is ideological, and people can do that with poetry, but when poetry really drills down into human experience, that's what I find so compelling and moving. And that's what I think can move the peace process. I know it sounds quite idealistic, but I really think poetry has a role in the peace process here. Manya Brachear Pashman:  I want to I want to unpack that a little bit later. But first, I want to go back to the protests that were roiling Columbia's campus over the past year and a half, two years. What was it like to be, one, writing this book, but also, teaching on campus as a Jewish professor?  Owen Lewis:  Most of my teaching takes place up at the Medical Center at 168th Street. And there I have to say, I didn't feel battered in any way by what was happening. I had a very shocking experience. I had a meeting that I needed to attend on, or that had been scheduled, I hadn't been quite paying attention. I mean, I knew about the encampments, but I hadn't seen them, and I come face to face with a blocked campus. I couldn't get on the campus. And what I'm staring at are signs to the effect, send the Jews back to Poland. I'm thinking, Where am I? What is this? I mean, protest, sure. I mean we expect undergraduates, we expect humans, to protest when things really aren't fair. But what did this have to do…why invoke the Holocaust and re-invoke it, as if to imply the Jews should be punished? All Jews.  And what it fails to account for are the diversity of Jewish opinion. And you know, for some Jews, it's a black or white matter, but for most thinking Jews that I know, we all struggle very much with a loyalty to Israel, to the Jewish people, to the homeland and larger humanitarian values. So that was quite a shock. And I wrote a piece called “The Scars of Encampment,” in which I say, I can't unsee that. " And I go to campus, and, okay, it's a little bit more security to get onto campus. It's a beautiful campus. It's like an oasis there, but at the same time, I'm seeing what was as if it still is. And in a way, that's the nature of trauma that things from the past just roil and are present with almost as much emotion as when first encountered. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So did you need to tune out those voices, or did that fuel your work? Owen Lewis:  No, that fueled my work. I mean, if anything, it made me feel much more, a sense of mission with this book. And a commitment, despite criticism that I may receive, and no position I take is that outlandish, except to sympathize with the murdered on October 7th, to sympathize with their families, to resonate with what it must be like to have family members as hostages in brutal, brutal conditions. Not knowing whether they're dead or alive. So I really felt that the Jewish voice must be heard, not because it's more right or less right, but it's there. The suffering is there, the grief is there, and human grief is human grief. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Owen, if you wouldn't mind reading another poem from the collection. Of course, many of us remember the news out of Israel on Thanksgiving Day 2023, right after October 7th. And this poem is titled, “Waiting for the Next Release, Reported by the New York Times, November 23 2023”. Owen Lewis:  Waiting For the Next Release, Reported N.Y. Times, Nov. 23, 2023    Maybe tomorrow, if distrust  doesn't flare like a missile,  some families will be reunited.    How awful this lottery of choice; Solomon would not deliberate. Poster faces always before my eyes,   Among them, Emma & Yuli Cunio.  Twins age 3, Raz Katz-Asher, age 4, Ariel Bibas, another four year old.    What do their four year old minds make  of captivity? What will they say? What would my Noa say?    What will the other Noas say?  Remembering Noa Argamani, age 26,  thrown across the motorcycle    to laughter and Hamas joy.   I have almost forgotten this American day,  Thanks- giving,   With its cornucopian harvests,  I am thinking of the cornucopian  jails of human bounty.    (What matter now who is to blame?) Manya Brachear Pashman:  Really beautiful, and it really captures all of our emotions that day. You have children and grandchildren in Israel, as I mentioned and as you mentioned in that poem, your granddaughter, Noa. So your grief and your fear, it's not only a collective grief and fear that we all share, but also very personal, which you weave throughout the collection.  In another poem, “In a Van to JFK”, you talk about just wanting to spend one more hour with your family before they fly off to Israel. And it's very moving.  But in addition to many of the poems, like the one you just read, they are based on and somewhat named for newspaper headlines, you said that kind of establishes a timeline. But are there other reasons why you transformed those headlines into verse? Owen Lewis:  Yes, William Carlos Williams in his poem Asphodel, says, and I'm going to paraphrase it badly. You won't get news from poems yet, men die every day for wanting what is found there. And I think it's a very interesting juxtaposition of journalism and poetry. And I mean, I'm not writing news, I'm writing where my reflections, where my heart, goes in response to the news, and trying to bring another element to the news that, you know, we were confronted.  I mean, in any time of high stress, you swear off – I'm not watching any more TV. I'm not even gonna look at the newspaper. And then, of course, you do. I can't talk about Israel today. I can't not talk about it. I can't read the paper. I can't not read the paper. It's kind of that back and forth. But what is driving that? And so I'm trying to get at that next dimension of what's resonating behind each one of these headlines, or resonating for me. I mean, I'm not claiming this is an interpretation of news. It's my reaction, but people do react, and there's that other dimension to headlines. Manya Brachear Pashman:  That seems like it might be therapeutic, no? Owen Lewis:  Oh, totally, totally. You know, I'm very fortunate that having started a career in medicine, in psychiatry, and particularly in child and adolescent psychiatry. I always had one foot in the door academically. I spent, you know, my life as, I still teach, but I'm very fortunate to have, maybe 10+ years ago, been introduced to a basically a woman who created the field of Narrative Medicine, Rita Sharon. And now at Columbia in the medical school, we have a free-standing Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics, of which she's chairman.  So I've had the fortune of bringing psychiatry and medicine and writing together in a very integrated way. And yes, writing is therapeutic, especially, I could say in medicine, which has given itself over to electronic medical record keeping, but our whole society is moving towards the electronic. And what happens when you sit and write, and what happens when you then sit and read, you reflect. Your mind engages in a different way that is a bit slower than the fast pace of electronic communications and instant communications and instant thinking. And now with AI, instant analysis of any situation you want to feed data from.  So that's sorely lacking in the human experience. And the act of writing, the act of reading has huge therapeutic values, huge salutary benefits for humans in general, but particularly in times of stress. In a lot of work on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, finding an outlet, an artistic outlet, it doesn't have to be writing, but that's often a way of transcending the trauma.  And medicine is filled with trauma. People trying to come to terms with acute illnesses, chronic illnesses. Doctors and caregivers trying to come to terms with what they can and can't do. And you know, we're coming up against limitations. But how do you make peace with those limitations? And it's not that it's a magical panacea, but it's a process of engagement, not only with the subject, but with yourself in relation to the subject. Manya Brachear Pashman:  I mean, I imagine dialogue is really the healthiest way of conversation and speaking through and interacting with a topic. And so I would imagine poetry, or, as you said, any art form, responding to news reports, it makes that a two way conversation when you're able to process and it's not just the headlines shouting at you, you're actually interacting and processing it by writing and reaction, or painting and reaction, whatever you choose to do. Owen Lewis:  Exactly. Manya Brachear Pashman:  You have said that poetry can serve a purpose during times of war. Is this one of the purposes to to be therapeutic or are you talking more in terms of what statesmen could learn from it?  Owen Lewis:  Well, yes, of course, what statesmen could learn from it, but it's human nature to want to take sides. I mean, that's kind of just what we do. But I think we can always do better than that. So I'm really talking about the people. I mean, there are also many Jews who are so angry at Israel that they can't listen to the story of Jewish grief. They should be reading mine and others poetries from this era. I wish the Palestinian poets were. I wish the Palestinian people. I mean, of course, in their current situation, they don't have time when you're starving, when you're looking for your next glass of fresh water. You don't have time for anything beyond survival.  But once we get beyond that, how long are these positions going to be hardened. I mean, I think when the people of all sides of the dilemma really listen to the others, I mean, they're, I mean, if, unless as Hamas has expressed, you know, wants to push Israel into the sea, if Israel is going to coexist with the Palestinian people, whether they're in a nation or not in a nation, each has to listen to the other.  And it's, you know, it's not one side is right, one side is wrong. It's far too complex a history to reduce it to that kind of simplicity. And I think poetry, everyone's poetry, gets at the complexity of experience, which includes wanting to take sides and questioning your wanting to take sides and moving towards something more humanitarian.  Manya Brachear Pashman:  You said earlier, you recommend Abu Toha, Fady Joudah, two Palestinian poets who have written some beautiful verse about– tragically beautiful verse–about what's happening. But there have been some really deep rifts in the literary world over this war. I mean, as you mentioned before, there was a letter written by authors and entertainers who pledged to boycott Israeli cultural institutions. Some authors have refused to sell rights to their books to publishers in Israel. So why not reciprocate? And I know the answer. I think you've already addressed it pretty well. What's wrong with that approach? Owen Lewis:  In any conflict, there are at least three sides to the conflict. I mean, claims to nationhood, claims to who shoved first, who. I mean, you don't entangle things by aggressively reacting. I mean, if we learned anything from Mahatma Gandhi, it's what happens when we don't retaliate, right? And what happens when we go the extra mile to create bridges and connections.  There are a host of people in Israel who continue to help Palestinians get to medical facilities, driving them back and forth, working for peace. I mean, there's a Palestinian on the Supreme Court of Israel, and well, he should be there. You know, that's the part of Israel that I am deeply proud of. So why not retaliate? I think it entrenches positions and never moves anything forward. Manya Brachear Pashman:  So have you gotten any negative feedback from your writing colleagues? Owen Lewis:  Some cold shoulders, yes. I mean not nothing overtly. I haven't been slammed in a review yet. Maybe that's coming. But when I publish pieces, I tend not to look at them. I had an oped in the LA Times. I've had some other pieces, you know, that precipitates blogs, and I started to read them.  And the first blog that came off of the the LA Times oped was, God, is he an opportunist, just taking advantage of having a daughter in Israel? And trying to make a name for himself or something. And I said, You know what, you can't put yourself out and take a position without getting some kind of flack. So occasionally, those things filter back, it's par for the course. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Right, not really worth reading some of those. You included Midrash in this book. You also spelled God in the traditional sense in the poems. Why did you choose to do that? Owen Lewis:  Well, I felt it honors a tradition of Jewish writing. It mean we have yud, hey, vav, hey, you know, which in English comes down as Yahweh, but it's unpronounceable. The name of God is unpronounceable. And, you know, yud, hey, vav, hey is just a representation. It isn't God's name. And there's a tradition that the name of God, when it's written down, can't be destroyed. And it's a way of honoring that tradition. Millennium of Jewish writers, you know, it's similar to say Elokim, instead of Elohim when the text is written. To sort of substitute. We know what we're talking about, but really to honor tradition, to pay respect and sort of to stay in the mind frame that, if there is a God, he, she, they, are unknowable. And somehow it creates, for me, a little bit of that mystery by leaving a letter out. It's like, G, O, D, seems more knowable than G-d. It's leaving that white space right for something bigger, grander, and mysterious, for the presence of that  right in the word itself. Manya Brachear Pashman:  And what about including Midrash? Owen Lewis: That's a very interesting question. You know Midrash for me, when you steep yourself in traditional Midrash, there's stories that exemplify principles and they fill in gaps. I mean, some of the most important. I mean, we have this notion of Abraham breaking the idols of his father before he left. No. That's Midrash, thats not in the Torah. And yet, nine out of ten Jews will say that's in the Torah, right? So, it kind of expands our understanding of the traditional text. But it also very much allows a writer to creatively engage with the text and expand it. It's like a commentary, but it's a commentary in story, and it's a commentary in terms that evoke human responses, not necessarily intellectual responses. So frankly, I think it's every Jews' responsibility to write Midrash. That reinvigorates the stories, the texts, and the meanings, and then we write midrashes upon midrashes. And you know, we get a whole community buzzing about a single story. Manya Brachear Pashman:  Which is very much what you've done with this collection, you know, writing poetry in response to news stories and engaging it in that way. It's very Jewish response, I would argue.  Do you observe Tisha B'av? Owen Lewis:  You know what I do. You're gonna laugh. My grandmother always warned us, don't go in the water on Tisha B'av, the sea will swallow you up. So I'm a big swimmer. I love swimming. I don't swim on Tisha B'av, because I hear my grandmother's voice, I'm going to be swallowed up. Manya Brachear Pashman:  If you could please wrap up this conversation by sharing a poem of your choice from your latest collection. Owen Lewis:  A poem I love to read again starts with a headline.   2000 Pound Bombs Drop, Reported N.Y. Times, Dec,, 22 2023.   In Khan Younis, the call to prayer  is the call of a dazed Palestinian child crying baba, standing at the brim of a cavernous pit of rubble   biting his knuckles–baba, baba . . .  It's so close to the abba of the dazed  Israeli children of Be'eri, Kfar Azza. There is no comfort. From his uncles   he's heard the calls for revenge– for his home and school, for his bed  of nighttime stories, for his nana's  whisper-song of G-d's many names.   His Allah, his neighbor's Adonai,  cry the same tears for death  and shun more blood. No miracle these waters turning red. Who called forth    the fleets of avenging angels? By viral post: Jewish Plagues on Gaza! A firstborn lost,  then a second, a third. What other plagues  pass over? Hail from the tepid sky?   From on high it falls and keeps falling.  Though we've “seen terrible things,” will you tell us, Adonai, Allah, tell us– do You remember the forgotten promise?   From the pile once home of rubble stone, a father's hand reaching out, baba, abba crushed by the load. We know the silence  of the lost child . . . G-d “has injured us   but will bind up our wounds . . .” Mothers  Look for us, called by the name yamma, calling  the name imma. Our father of mercy, not the god of sacrifice. Our many crying heads explode. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Owen Lewis, thank you so much for talking to us about how this book came about and for sharing some of these verses. Owen Lewis:   Thank you so much. Manya Brachear Pashman: If you missed last week's episode, be sure to listen to my conversation with Israeli comedian Yohay Sponder on the sidelines of AJC Global Forum 2025. Hear how his Jewish identity shapes his work, how his comedy has evolved since the Hamas terror attacks, and what he says to those who try to silence him.

The Trump Administration has slashed U-C-L-A's research funding over claims of anti-semitism. Children and families are slipping through the cracks in the fight against homelessness. One of the most notorious encampments is now gone, and LA's mayor is declaring a win. Plus, more.Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comVisit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support the show: https://laist.com

Comprehensive coverage of the day's news with a focus on war and peace; social, environmental and economic justice. funny teacher memes Democrats propose bills to make childcare affordable, in response to GOP funding cuts; Rep Tlaib, coalition call for removal of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as Palestinians killed seeking aid; Senators Sanders, Markey introduce bills to hike pay of teachers and school support staff; SF to pay $3 million, change policies after lawsuit over homeless encampment sweeps; Theologian criticizes right-wing Catholic policy agenda like Project 2025, opposition to gay marriage; July 24 is Earth Overshoot Day, when human consumption exceeds planet's production – a sign that we are pushing well past nature's limits The post Senators Sanders, Markey introduce bills to hike teachers' pay; SF settles lawsuit over homeless encampment sweeps – July 24, 2025 appeared first on KPFA.

A drunk driver who drove on a bike trail before hitting and killing a man in Vista is expected in court today. Mayor Todd Gloria and Caltrans have agreed to let city crews clean up homeless camps on freeways. MTS is expanding its trolley service for Comic-Con.

In Episode 37 we tell about a letter of condemnation sent to Mayor Scott Gillingham, Premier Wab Kinew, all of city council and other public officials by a homeowner in North Point Douglas .He was trying to enjoy his Saturday morning coffee and read a book in his yard in peace. It was "abruptly shattered by agroup of unhoused individuals down on the riverbank - hooting, yelling, hurling expletives and epithets." Before long an ambulance and fire truck arrived- yet again- to the riverbank. Meanwhile the neighborhood homeless encampments were buzzing with illegal activity. “And so begins another typical day in North Point Douglas.”Part 1- To provide context to the letter from Howard Warren, we start with the list he attached of the awful incidents he's encountered in the last few years. The already-struggling neighborhood was failed by government policies and is now overrun with criminals and individuals with profound mental illness. Listen to his experience with robberies, break-ins, assaults, filth, fires, finding a dead body - and worst of all, his dealings with a dysfunctional 911 and police service.13.13 Part 2 - According to Mr. Warren, he previously "reached out in states of deep frustration over what's happening in North Point Douglas" to Mayor Gillingham, "but I did not even receive a basic acknowledgment. That silence is its own message. "Among the points he makes:"Despite years of visible decline, governments of all levels, parties, and ideologies have failed to act in any meaningful way. The very institutions that are supposed to safeguard public welfare and uphold the rule of law have left us feeling trapped and betrayed.""I represent a wide cross-section of Point Douglasresidents, and countless others across Winnipeg, when I say: we are desperate. For the past six years, we have felt abandoned. Unheard. Marginalized. Misunderstood.Demoralized.""We no longer consider inviting people over to sit in our yard. Why would we? There's every chance that the gathering will be disrupted, hijacked, really, by shouting, swearing, fighting, environmental destruction, fires or worse. That medley of chaos too often crashes through what should be moments of joy, peace and calm.""We're the ones who have nothing left to lose but our silence. And so, we fight, speak out, and use whatever means we can to shine a light on what's happening here; the injustice and indignity suffered by both the housed and unhoused. I say this with no exaggeration: we are in a crisis."22.40- "I have several questions for you, Mr. Mayor. Let me start with one I know you've heard before."We read off the questions Howard Warren posedfor Mayor Gillingham. He started with why St. Boniface Street Links was "cut off from municipal funding" in favour of Main Street Project. You'll hear his criticism of MSP's "human rights based" approach to the homeless, "a model which seems to entrench dysfunction, despair and social mayhem."Other Notable Quotes:- “Why are families like ours and our neighbours' expected to endure the daily trauma of watching people destroy themselves in front of our homes, in front of our children, asthe very systems that were meant to protect us slowly collapse around us?” - “The rights of one group should not eclipse the rights of another, especially not when those being drowned out are the very people trying to hold their communities together…we are being dismissed, neglected, and treated as expendable.” - “We need an end to policies that normalize decay, danger, and disorder. And we need city and provincial leadership to stop pretending this is okay. We need all of this now.”******Online today, in print tomorrow in the Winnipeg Sun - Restaurants pushed to the brink by theft, vandalism, City Works and City cops   ⁠https://winnipegsun.com/opinion/gold-winnipeg-restaurants-battered-by-crime-costs-and-silence******* Support the Season Six funding campaign via https://actionline.ca/2024/02/donate-2/

A senior living center in West Seattle continues to play whack-a-mole with a homeless encampment. The Steve Miller Band has canceled all of its upcoming concerts due weather disasters that they blame on climate change. Guest: Washington State Senate Minority Leader John Braun (R-Centralia) cuts through Democrats’ lies about The Big Beautiful Bill. // Big Local: Residents in cities like Kent and Bellevue continue to deal with the hassle that is the garbage workers strike. An absurd article in the Spokesman Review claims that the presence of ICE agents could cause problems for local law enforcement. // Guest: Jake Skorheim and Jason discuss the viral moment of a CEO and his employee getting caught in an affair at a Coldplay concert. 

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Wednesday, July 16, 2025.

City Council again endorsed a site on Miles St for the proposed temporary village. Encampment lead Rilee Willianen will fill us in on the details of this project. Host Stephanie Reid has a rundown of what happened at City Council this week.

This week, a coalition of community groups, housing justice advocates and the City of Atlanta partnered to clear the Old Wheat Street encampment. It’s an initiative that’s been in the works for months. A total of 30 people were placed in temporary stable housing. The move comes months after Cornelius Taylor died in the area, when city workers brought a bulldozer through without checking the tents. Rose talks with Tim Franzen, the program director for American Friends Service Committee’s Atlanta Economic Justice program, an organization part of the coalition, and Mawuli Davis of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law, who is representing Taylor’s family, about the collaboration and what this means for the ongoing push to create real housing solutions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

California is home to the nation’s largest homeless population. Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration has spent more than $20 billion on the issue, recently urged cities and counties to pass laws that effectively ban “dangerous and unhealthy” encampments. While some welcomed the move, others worry about the health impacts of such measures on the state’s homeless population. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Greg Brady spoke to Jon Burnside, Toronto City Councillor for Don Valley East about One person dead after North York encampment fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Brady spoke to Jon Burnside, Toronto City Councillor for Don Valley East about One person dead after North York encampment fire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former Mayor of Toronto John Tory joins Deb Hutton on the Jerry Agar show for Party for Two. One person is dead in an encampment fire in Toronto overnight, Deb takes your calls. The Blacklock's Report with Managing Editor of Blacklocks.ca, Tom Korski. Liam McGuinty, Vice President of Strategy at the Insurance Bureau of Canada weighs in on the complaint that home insurance rates need more transparency from the Ontario financial services regulator.

Today, we hear directly from people caught up in Oakland's sweeps. 

Today - A broken bakery window sparks debate in Bisbee about homelessness, public safety, and community priorities.Support the show: https://www.myheraldreview.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S3.39 - The Chicago Table - An Assault on a Goblin Encampment by Wererat Studios

In this moving conversation with Rabbanit Shani Taragin, we explore the different forms of religious and lay leadership in the parsha that will continue to guide the people as they travel through the wilderness. Our Bamidbar Series is exploring different forms of leadership in the book and in the Jewish world. This week's episode has been sponsored by Chava Mann in honor of her children and their continued success in learning and growing in their Torah lives.

Spring is here and many jurisdictions are having their Sessions, which means electing new Grand Masters who will be traveling around to visit lodges.  In response to a listener's question, we discuss the process and protocols involved in a Grand Master's visit.  Should you feed the Grand Master?  When does he or she get introduced?  Where should they sit?  When do they speak?  Who else gets introduced with the Grand Master?  There are a lot of questions to answer and we do our best to get to all of them.  The Shoutout goes to yet another new Encampment, Razorback No. 100 of Oregon.  That's TEN new Encampments during the five years of this podcast!  In the Odd Podge, Ainslie shares his lodge's new mode of transport, Toby shares receiving is 25-year pin for Sons of Norway (and can't resist an impromptu history lesson about the group), and Mike talks about his most recent experience participating in the Pilgrimage to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington, Virginia.

A grieving family demands action after a matriarch is found dead in a homeless encampment. Mayor Karen Bass could take the stand to defend LA's homelessness spending. The Angelino who is looking to win the National Spelling Bee. Plus more.Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comVisit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency! Support the show: https://laist.com

How three unhoused plaintiffs in Berkeley are using the Americans with Disabilities Act to fight against encampment sweeps. And, authors writing for the younger generation.

As encampment management policies become stricter all over the Bay Area, unhoused people are using the courts to fight back. Here, the story of one man's fight to stay in his RV shines a light on what's at stake for the future of lawsuits like his. Then, we hear from the reporter for a roundup of these lawsuits — and, to talk about why it might get harder for unhoused people to bring cases like these ones, even as local laws continue to change.

The latest North State and California news on our airwaves for Tuesday, May 13, 2025.

To kick off Mother's Day weekend, City Cast Austin's got a great story about a special pair of Concordia University graduates to share on this week's Friday News Roundup. Plus, the ACL Festival lineup is officially here, and host Nikki DaVaughn has some thoughts — as do newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshaw and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec. Love it or hate it, though, you can't deny the festival's enormous impact. Also on the agenda: What the City of Austin removed from an East Side park encampment, which was prioritized to be cleared in preparation for flash flooding season; and our weekend picks.     Learn more about the sponsors of this May 9th episode: Aura Frames - Get $35-off plus free shipping on the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST LBJ Presidential Library Zach Theatre Want some more Austin news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Austin newsletter.  Follow us @citycastaustin You can also text us or leave a voicemail.  Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

The first few months of 1813 saw horrible weather conditions in Ohio as troops and supplies were heading to Fort Meigs. On this episode of The Foot of the Rapids, discover how these weather conditions affected troop movements, supply chains, camp conditions, and physical and mental health at this "most disagreeable encampment." Fun Fact: This episode was researched and written by Fort Meigs' director, Ashley Phlipot for her Masters Degree in History at Bowling Green State University. She also created a learning module to accompany her research. Check it out here: www.fortmeigs.org/learning/disagreeable

A year after student encampments against the war in Gaza, anti-war activists are marching with labor unions and immigrant rights groups in opposition to Trump. Wisconsin's historic beer buildings. Live at Lake Effect.

Members of a Dulzura family are in the hospital after a fire devastated their rural home. Plus, people in Chula Vista are concerned about a vacant lot lined with homeless encampments and littered with trash. And, nearly 100 San Diego area veterans return from an Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. to a huge and welcoming crowd. NBC 7's Marianne Kushi has these stories and more for Monday, April 28, 2025.

Today, the City of Montrose and the United Methodist Church clash over a homeless encampment on church property. Later, the Dolphin House Child Advocacy Center marks 20 years of supporting children and families.Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Starting Monday, New Yorkers receiving cash assistance must once again meet work requirements or risk losing benefits. Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Hakeem Jeffries held an hours-long sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest looming cuts to social services. Plus, NYPD data show thousands of homeless encampment sweeps last year, but only about a hundred people wound up in shelter. WNYC's Karen Yi has more.

This is The Zone of Disruption! This is the I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST! His name is Michael Rapaport aka The Gringo Mandingo aka aka The People's Pickle aka The Jewish Brad Pitt aka Captain Colitis aka The Disruptive Warrior and he is here to discuss: Watching the podcast, grown man podcasting, NBA Playoffs being a different type of basketball, Ant Man sounding nuts, regular season MVP finalists, off the mood stabilizers, Celtic City & relationship with Bill Simmons, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Kneecap at Coachella, Mahmoud Khalil's baby is born, Yale starting an encampment, Kanye sucks cousin loaf & a whole lotta mo'. This episode is not to be missed! CaptainPicks To Win In Sports Betting: https://www.winible.com/checkout/1357777109057032537?store_url=/captainpicks&c=kickoff Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Send questions & concerns to: iamrapaportpodcast@gmail.com Subscribe to Rapaport's Reality Feeds: iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/867-rapaports-reality-with-keb-171162927/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport/id1744160673 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3a9ArixCtWRhfpfo1Tz7MR Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport/PC:1001087456 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a776919e-ad8c-4b4b-90c6-f28e41fe1d40/rapaports-reality-with-kebe-michael-rapaport Stand Up Comedy Tickets on sale at: MichaelRapaportComedy.com If you are interested in NCAA, MLB, NBA, NFL & UFC Picks/Parlays Follow @CaptainPicksWins on Instagram & subscribe to packages at www.CaptainPicks.com www.dbpodcasts.com Produced by DBPodcasts.comFollow @dbpodcasts, @iamrapaport, @michaelrapaport on TikTok, Twitter & InstagramMusic by Jansport J (Follow @JansportJ) www.JansportJMusic.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During one of the darkest chapters of the American Revolutionary War, George Washington’s army settled into winter quarters at Valley Forge. What followed was a six-month ordeal that tested the endurance, resilience, and unity of a nation. On a recent episode of The Spark on WITF, host Asia Tabb welcomed Adam Gresek, Director of Community Engagement at Valley Forge National Historical Park, to take listeners deep into the story of that pivotal winter encampment.Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One year ago, Columbia University became ground zero for the student-led Gaza solidarity encampment movement that spread to campuses across the country and around the world. Now, Columbia has become ground zero for the Trump administration's authoritarian assault on higher education, academic freedom, and the right to free speech and free assembly—all under the McCarthyist guise of rooting out “anti-semitism.” From Trump's threats to cancel $400 million in federal grants and contracts with Columbia to the abduction of international students like Mahmoud Khalil by ICE agents, to the university's firing and expulsion of Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers union president Grant Miner, “a tremendous chilling effect” has gripped Columbia's campus community. In this urgent episode of Working People, we speak with: Caitlin Liss, a PhD candidate in history at Columbia University and a member of Student Workers of Columbia-UAW (SWC); and Allie Wong, a PhD student at the Columbia Journalism School and a SWC member who was arrested and beaten by police during the second raid on the Gaza solidarity protests at Columbia on April 30, 2024.Additional links/info:Student Workers of Columbia-UAW Local 2710 websiteApril 17: Day of Action to Defend Higher Ed websiteMahmoud Khalil statement from ICE detention: “My name is Mahmoud Khalil and I am a political prisoner”Grant Miner, The Nation, “Columbia expelled me for my palestine activism, but I won't be silenced”Jonah E. Bromwich & Hamed Aleaziz, The New York Times, “Columbia student hunted by ICE sues to prevent deportation”AAUP letter to college and university legal offices: “Institutions Should Not Provide Student and Faculty Info To Enable Deportations”Alan Blinder, The New York Times, “Trump Has Targeted These Universities. Why?”Oliver Laughland, The Guardian, “‘Detention Alley': inside the Ice centres in the US south where foreign students and undocumented migrants languish”Alice Speri, The Guardian, “‘A huge cudgel': alarm as Trump's war on universities could target accreditors”Annie Ma, Makiya Seminera, & Christopher L. Keller, Associated Press, “Visa cancellations sow panic for international students, with hundreds fearing deportation”Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “‘People are hiding in their apartments': Inside Trump's assault on universities”Maximillian Alvarez, Working People / The Real News Network, “‘Kill these cuts before they kill us': Federally funded researchers warn DOGE cuts will be fatal”Permanent links below…Leave us a voicemail and we might play it on the show!Labor Radio / Podcast Network website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageIn These Times website, Facebook page, and Twitter pageThe Real News Network website, YouTube channel, podcast feeds, Facebook page, and Twitter pageFeatured Music…Jules Taylor, “Working People” Theme SongStudio Production: Maximillian AlvarezPost-Production: Jules TaylorBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-real-news-podcast--2952221/support.

Vancouver resident Peter Bracchi calls on city leaders to address what he sees as the mayor's failure to enforce public safety and order near the Share House encampment. In his letter to the editor, Bracchi describes eight years of neglect and permissive policies that have led to unsafe conditions and neighborhood deterioration. Read more at https://www.clarkcountytoday.com/opinion/letter-mayor-blames-others-on-homelessness-problem-in-vancouver-while-she-has-enabled-a-lawless-encampment-zone/ #localnews #ClarkCountyWa #lettertotheeditor #PeterBracchi #homelessness #VancouverWA #ShareHouse #encampments #publicsafety #neighborhoods

The Greenham Common Women's Peace Encampment was an anti-nuke encampment outside of a US military base in England, that women (and loads of lesbians) occupied from 1981 all the way through 2000. Fed up with male-on-male violence, and society's expectations on women, Sue Say joined the protest in its very beginnings as an 18-year-old. There, every day was exciting, for better or for worse. Greenham women were evicted from their camps and terrorized by police every morning, they rebuilt every day, and by the end of the night found new creative ways to peacefully disrupt the military base next to them. Sue talks all about living in an anarchist society, overcoming her fear of arrest, and Greenham's 80/20 breakdown of lesbians to non-lesbians. You'll also get some additional insights from another Greenham woman, Oak Chezar, who lived at Greenham from 1985-1988.  Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast! -Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review! -For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook -Follow Sue on Instagram -Check out Oak's book about her time at Greenham -Learn more about Greenham Common through Greenham Women Everywhere -Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel -Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING -Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you! -Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos. Logo is by Finley Martin. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brothers Aiden Brink and Will Sparks both joined their respective lodges in the past couple of years.  Each have become very active and spurred growth in their areas.  They were both kind enough to join us to discuss their perspective on Odd Fellowship: what we get right, what we get wrong, and what we can do to build a solid future for our Order.  Some of the answers may be surprising, especially to long-time members, but they are incredibly insightful and provide a very appealing pathway to future growth.  Hint: newer members see a lot of value in our history and traditions!  The Shoutout goes to *another* new Encampment, Faro Fraternal #70 in Miami, Florida.  In the Odd Podge, Ainslie reflects on watching a new streaming drama through Odd Fellow eyes, Will cherishes some of his most recent Odd Fellow gifts, Mike announces his newest side project, Odd Fellows Today, Toby recounts the story of meeting listener Michael Crile of Four Creeks Lodge #94 of Visalia, CA during his recent vacation, and Aiden gives thanks to those who listened to him and Ray Jackson of Illinois in particular.

Metro leaders announced the closure of the 40-year-old Old Tent City encampment last week, giving residents 60 days to leave. Host Marie Cecile Anderson sits down with former Metro Homeless Impact Division head Judith Tackett to learn how this closure as well as pending anti-encampment legislation at the state level will affect our unhoused neighbors. Want some more City Cast Nashville news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Nashville newsletter.  Follow us @citycastnashville You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 615-200-6392 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Its Time for the Crime Blotter!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Residents and business owners in the City of Industry are voicing their frustration over a growing homeless encampment that has taken over a lot filled with dozens of RVs on Gale Avenue near Azusa Avenue.Many of the trailers are now damaged or completely destroyed, with trash piling up around them.But homelessness is just one of many issues plaguing the area.Gerardo Torres, who works at a Nissan dealership across the street, said he has witnessed people breaking into the RVs and has even captured videos of several trailers catching fire.“Very dangerous, especially at night,” said Torres. “We work long hours and sometimes we're stuck with our customers until the sun goes down, we walk over to get our cars, and we run into a couple people. Thank God nothing's happened.”

In this episode, we examine the legal standoff between the City of Montrose and the United Methodist Church over a homeless encampment on church property, exploring how both sides frame the issues of safety and religious mission. We then turn to Montrose County’s vaccination challenges—highlighting concerning flu and MMR vaccine rates—and discuss the measures officials are taking to increase community immunization.Support the show: https://www.montrosepress.com/site/forms/subscription_services/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Police are searching for a suspect with a “distinctive walk” in the fatal shooting of Newark Imam Hassan Sharif, who was killed in January before morning prayers. Meanwhile, new data reveals that despite millions spent on clearing homeless encampments in New York City, very few people enter shelters as a result. Plus, Mayor Eric Adams is not ruling out an independent run for re-election, following reports that he may leave the Democratic Party.

00:08 — Luke Savage is a columnist for Jacobin and author of The Dead Center: Reflections on Liberalism and Democracy After the End of History. You can find him on Substack at lukewsavage.com. 00:33 — John Nichols is National Affairs Correspondent for the Nation. 00:45 — Andrea Henson is Co-founder and Director of Operations for the homeless advocacy and legal aid group Where Do We Go. The post Canada's New Prime Minister; Plus, House Budget Vote; And, Lawsuit Poses Obstacle to California Homeless Encampment Sweeps appeared first on KPFA.

In an innovative move to address a persistent homelessness issue, the City of Oakland has partnered with a local business owner to erect a barrier of shipping containers at a property located at 4200 Alameda Ave., right next to the High Street Home Depot. The project aims to resolve a years-long encampment problem that has plagued the area, despite numerous attempts to clear the land.Workers began stacking the containers a few days ago. Jeff Alberto, the owner of Oakland Container Services, explained the plan to fortify the area."We're lining from the start of the freeway all the way down to the end of the street here. [Each shipping container is] 40 feet long, 8 feet wide, and about 6,000 pounds," Alberto said.

A homeless encampment in Oakland appears to have been listed as a business on Google. The encampment, which is located at the corner of East 8th Street and Alameda Avenue, according to Google, is wedged between Interstate 880 and the Home Depot.The listing on Google describes the encampment as a “Storage Facility” with a 4.2-star review — out of a possible 5. The encampment, according to Google is “open 42 hours.” There is also a phone number attached to the business.

More and more tents are popping up along the sides of San Diego freeways, on state property managed by the California Department of Transportation, or Caltrans. City leaders call it a growing problem. Reporter: Katie Anastas, KPBS The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the University of California for possible workplace discrimination. Leaders in Fremont have revised a controversial ban on homeless encampments in the city. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Canadian journalist Nora Loreto reads the latest headlines for Wednesday, March 5, 2025.TRNN has partnered with Loreto to syndicate and share her daily news digest with our audience. Tune in every morning to the TRNN podcast feed to hear the latest important news stories from Canada and worldwide.Find more headlines from Nora at Sandy & Nora Talk Politics podcast feed.Help us continue producing radically independent news and in-depth analysis by following us and becoming a monthly sustainer.Sign up for our newsletterLike us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterDonate to support this podcast

An unhoused Bay Area woman and her advocates are claiming a big win after a judge stopped officials from clearing her elaborate shelter. It's believed to be the first court victory of its kind since the U.S. Supreme Court last year made it harder to stop encampment sweeps. Reporter: Vanessa Rancaño, KQED California is rolling back its more flexible work from home policies that began during the pandemic. Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order requiring state employees to work from the office at least four days a week. Reporter: Megan Myscofski, CapRadio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The City of Berkeley got money from the state to get encampment residents off the street. Today we look at how special funding is changing one city's approach to an encampment closure.Then, a local writer tells a fictionalized version of the troubled history of Kashmir. We meet the author of the new book ‘Call Her Freedom.' How state funding is influencing the closure of one Berkeley encampment Book It: 'Call Her Freedom'

Thousands of UC San Diego workers are set to go on strike for 48 hours today as part of a statewide overlapping picket across all UC campuses. A man is in custody after El Cajon officers found a dead woman inside the trunk of a car following a police chase that ended in a three-vehicle crash on Tuesday. A plan is now moving forward to possible clear out homeless encampments in an effort to prevent brush fires.   What You Need To Know To Start Your Wednesday. 

City crews removed tents at the Gompers Park encampment Wednesday morning in Mayfair. The tent removals came after neighbors and elected officials pushed for the park to be restored, and as advocates worried encampment residents would be forced out amid subzero wind chills.Host - Jon HansenReporter - Moly DeVoreRead More Here Want to donate to our non-profit newsroom? CLICK HEREWho we areBlock Club Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, relevant and nonpartisan coverage of Chicago's diverse neighborhoods. We believe all neighborhoods deserve to be covered in a meaningful way.We amplify positive stories, cover development and local school council meetings and serve as watchdogs in neighborhoods often ostracized by traditional news media.Ground-level coverageOur neighborhood-based reporters don't parachute in once to cover a story. They are in the neighborhoods they cover every day building relationships over time with neighbors. We believe this ground-level approach not only builds community but leads to a more accurate portrayal of a neighborhood.Stories that matter to you — every daySince our launch five years ago, we've published more than 25,000 stories from the neighborhoods, covered hundreds of community meetings and send daily and neighborhood newsletters to more than 130,000 Chicagoans. We've built this loyalty by proving to folks we are not only covering their neighborhoods, we are a part of them. Some of us have internalized the national media's narrative of a broken Chicago. We aim to change that by celebrating our neighborhoods and chronicling the resilience of the people who fight every day to make Chicago a better place for all.

Cities across California are cracking down on homeless encampments following a Supreme Court ruling last year giving local governments the O.K. to do so. Fremont recently took a bigger step than most, by also prohibiting anyone from “aiding and abetting” camping on public property and private land.  This episode was hosted by Ericka Cruz Guevarra and produced by Mel Velasquez, Jessica Kariisa and Alexander Gonzales Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices