Podcasts about Gothamist

With less than a week before primary day, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Elizabeth Kim discusses the latest news from the mayoral campaign trail, including Comptroller Brad Lander's arrest by ICE, Assemblymember Mamdani's decision to hire additional security and what early voters are saying at their poll sites.

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, offers analysis of the housing plans the mayoral candidates discussed in last week's Spectrum News NY1 debate.

Elizabeth Kim, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC and Gothamist senior political correspondent, offer analysis of the mayoral primary debate, which was co-moderated by Brian Lehrer.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about what lawmakers are up to as the end of the legislative session in Albany approaches, including the "Medical Aid in Dying" bill which passed the Assembly and is up for a vote in the State Senate today, plus other news from Albany.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, including what she's expecting ahead of the first mayoral debate, the Working Families Party ranking Zohran Mamdani as top pick for mayor, and the battle for Asian voters. 

Parent Coalition for Student Privacy, Parent, advocate letter opposing weakening of Chancellor's regulation A-820 https://studentprivacymatters.org/parent-leaders-elected-officials-advocates-members-of-chancellors-data-privacy-working-group-urge-chancellor-ramos-to-postpone-vote-on-student-privacy-regulation-and-allow-parents-the-rig/WJFF Radio, New York's Native American Mascot Ban Under Federal Probe, As Activists and Academics Highlight Harm https://wjffradio.org/new-yorks-native-american-mascot-ban-under-federal-probe-as-activists-and-academics-highlight-harmAP, NY school refuses to give up Native American mascot — and gets Trump's support https://www.syracuse.com/state/2025/04/ny-school-refuses-to-give-up-native-american-mascot-and-gets-trumps-support.htmlNYSED, Background and Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Part 123 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education Relating to Prohibiting the Use of Indigenous Names, Mascots, and Logos by Public Schools https://www.nysed.gov/sites/default/files/programs/indigenous-education/indigenous-mascot-regulation-background-and-faq.pdfClass Size Matters June 7 Parent Action Conference https://classsizematters.org/sign-up-for-our-annual-parent-action-confrence-does-posted-class-size-plan-for-next-year-and-more/Chalkbeat, Lawyers for Bronx high school student detained by ICE file petition for immediate release https://www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025/05/30/lawyers-petition-to-release-bronx-high-school-student-detained-by-ice/Gothamist, 4-year-old migrant girl, other kids go to court in NYC with no lawyer: 'The cruelty is apparent' https://gothamist.com/news/4-year-old-migrant-girl-other-kids-go-to-court-in-nyc-with-no-lawyer-the-cruelty-is-apparentThe 74, Trump's Deportation Database Puts Students at Risk https://www.the74million.org/article/trumps-deportation-database-puts-students-at-risk/

Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is my god-given right as an American. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/deniersplaybook) TELL GOV. HOCHUL TO FIGHT FOR CONGESTION PRICING (if you live in New York state): +1 (518) 474-8390 or https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form SAMPLE SCRIPT: I'm a New York state resident and I am reaching out to urge Gov. Hochul to continue supporting New York City's Congestion Pricing plan and fight against the federal government's insane attempts to shut it down. This policy has already decreased traffic congestion, reduced travel times for people of all income brackets traveling into the city, increased business-friendly foot traffic in the city, and raised much needed revenues to improve our public transportation system. We cannot allow the federal government to bully our state into reversing a popular and effective policy, and I ask that you continue doing everything in your power to make sure the policy remains in effect. Thank you. SOCIALS & MORE (https://linktr.ee/deniersplaybook)WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US? Please contact climatetownsponsorships@gmail.comDISCLAIMER: Some media clips have been edited for length and clarity. CREDITS Created by: Rollie Williams, Nicole Conlan & Ben BoultHosts: Rollie Williams & Nicole ConlanExecutive Producer: Ben Boult Editors: Laura Conte & Ben BoultProducers: Daniella PhilipsonFact Checking: Carly RizzutoMusic: Tony Domenick Art: Jordan Doll Special Thanks: The Civil Liberties Defense Center, Charles Komanoff, Jon Orcutt & Matt NelsenSOURCESAP Archives. (2017, May 28). Cuomo: Penn Station 'Summer of Hell' Coming. YouTube.Badstuber, N. (2018, March 2). London congestion charge: what worked, what didn't, what next. The Conversation. Balanced Transportation Analyzer. (n.d.). The Nurture Nature Foundation.Bauman, A. (2024, June 25). Does congestion pricing work in London? It depends on who you talk to. CBS News.Bloomberg Television. (2024, June 5). New York Governor's Kathy Hochul Halts Congestion Pricing in NYC [Short]. YouTube.Bonanos, C. (2025, April 15). How Well Is Congestion Pricing Doing? Very. Curbed. Bridges and Tunnels tolls by vehicle. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Capital Plan 2025-2029: The Future Rides with Us. (2025). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Carrns, A. (2023, September 22). The Rising Costs of Owning a Car. The New York Times. CBS6 Albany. (2025, February 19). Gov. Hochul on Protecting Congestion Pricing | Full Presser. YouTube.CBS News. (2024, November 14). New York City to start congestion pricing in January at $9, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces. YouTube.CBS News. (2025, February 20). Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says FAA cuts won't affect flight safety. YouTube.Central London Congestion Charging: Impacts monitoring fourth annual report. (2006, June). Transport of London.Chen, S., & Hu, W. (2025, February 24). Congestion Pricing Reduced Traffic. Now It's Hitting Revenue Goals.. The New York Times.Chi'en, A., & Flanagan, J. (2025, April 21). Feds issue new deadline for New York to shut down congestion pricing gantries. Fox 5 New York.Colon, D. (2025, February 5). The Explainer: What To Know About The MTA's New Congestion Pricing-Backed Debt. Streetsblog NYC.Colon, D. (2025, February 27). Memo to the President: Manhattan Economy Improving, Thanks to Congestion Pricing. Streetsblog NYC.Congestion Pricing: CSS Analysis. (n.d.). Community Service Society.Congestion Relief Zone toll rate calculator. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Duffy, S. P. (2025, February 19). DOT letter to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul. Department of Transportation.Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Gov. Kathy Hochul responds to Trump administration pulling NYC congestion pricing approval. YouTube.Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Trump administration terminates New York City's congestion pricing approval. YouTube.First congestion fines to go out. (2003, February 18). BBC News.Fitzsimmons, E., & McGeehan, P. (2017, May 23). Cuomo Steps Into Transit Fray With Ideas for After ‘Summer of Hell'. The New York Times.Fix NYC Advisory Panel. (2018, January). Fix NYC Advisory Panel Report.Fox News. (2025, February 20). NY gov melts down after Trump ends congestion pricing. YouTube.Goldbaum, C., & Fitzsimmons, E. (2020, January 23). Andy Byford Resigns as New York City's Subway Chief. The New York Times.Governor Kathy Hochul. (2023, December 5). Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Congestion Pricing Rally. YouTube.Grabar, H. (2025, February 20). Revenge of the Bridge-and-Tunnel President. Slate.Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2024, November 14). What to Know About Congestion Pricing. The New York Times.Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2025, January 5). New York City Welcomes Congestion Pricing With Fanfare and Complaints. The New York Times.Hu, W., Ley, A., Castle, S., & Anderson, C. (2023, December 2). Congestion Pricing's Impact on New York? These 3 Cities Offer a Glimpse. The New York Times.Irish Republican Army: Timeline. (2019, May 15). HISTORY, A&E Television Networks.Katersky, A., & Charalambous, P. (2025, April 24). DOJ accidentally files document outlining flaws with Trump administration's plan to kill NYC congestion pricing. ABC News.Khalifeh, R., & Nessen S. (2025, April 21). Feds threaten NYC highway money if MTA doesn't shut down congestion pricing. Gothamist.Komanoff, C. (2017, December 14). London Traffic Would Be At Least 20 Percent Slower Without Congestion Pricing.Komanoff, C. (2024, June 11). Hochul Murder Mystery. The Washington Spectator.Komanoff, C. (2025, February 19). Defending Congestion Pricing. The Washington Spectator.Lanza, A. J. (2014, February 6). Lanza Announce Relief for Staten Island Toll Payers. The New York State Senate.Lew, I., Chatterjee, D., & Torres, E. (2022, March 14). What Does Congestion Pricing Mean for Outer-Borough New Yorkers in Poverty?. Community Service Society.Ley, A. (2024, August 8). 7 Years After ‘Summer of Hell,' the Subway Is Approaching Another Crisis. The New York Times.Ley, A., Chen, S., Hu, W., & Oreskes, B. (2025, February 19). Trump Administration Moves to End New York's Congestion Pricing Tolls. The New York Times.Manville, M. (2019). Longer View: The Fairness of Congestion Pricing. Transfers Magazine.Meyer, D. (2025, March 3). Four Reminders of Andrew Cuomo's Disastrous Record on City Transportation. Streetsblog NYC.Metropolitan Transportation Authority et al v. Duffy et al. (2025, February 19).Miner, P., Smith, B. M., Jani, A., McNeill, G., & Gathorne-Hardy, A. (2024.). Car harm: A global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment. Journal of Transport Geography, 115, 103817.Moye, B. (2023, August 30). Annual New Car Ownership Costs Boil Over $12K.MTA Annual Disclosure Statement Update (2021 ADS First Quarterly Update). (2021, August 3). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.MTA Releases Revenue From Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Showing Program in Line With Projections. (2025, February 24). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elizabeth Kim, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, and Brigid Bergin, senior political correspondent for WNYC and Gothamist, talk about the latest news from the campaign trail, including Adrienne Adams' criticism of Cuomo on COVID, Eric Adams' statements related to ICE's arrest of a student, and more.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, as well as the questions listeners would like Brian to ask at the upcoming mayoral primary debate.

New York State's Adult Survivors Act brought a flood of lawsuits against the city by women who say they were abused at Rosie's (the women's jail) on Rikers Island. Jessy Edwards, writer and editor for Hell Gate, and Christopher Werth, senior editor at WNYC and Gothamist focusing on investigations, talk about their reporting on serial sexual abuse at the jail, which was recognized as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, talk about the latest news from the campaign trail, including former Gov. Cuomo's campaign finance troubles, the candidates on antisemitism and more.

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, talks about a deal that will allow the MTA to install speed cameras on bridges and tunnels in the city, plus more on how the new budget might affect Gov. Hochul's reelection campaign next year.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about the latest news from the campaign trail, including the match-up of former Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Adams, what voters were saying about the mayoral race at AOC's recent town hall and more news.

With nicer weather continuing to develop, and the school year approaching its end, many people will be looking for day trips getaways in our area. WNYC and Gothamist transportation reporter Stephen Nessen shares his tips for public transit options to help you plan your trip, and listeners call in to share their favorite day trips.

Rent-stabilized tenants may see increases of up to 7.75% on two-year leases, after the Rent Guidelines Board held a preliminary vote on rent increases. David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on what comes next for landlords and tenants with rent-stabilized apartments. 

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Ramsey Khalifeh, Gothamist and WNYC transportation reporter, share their reporting on how each candidate is approaching a big issue on voters' minds: public safety, crime and homelessness in the subway system.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced a tentative budget agreement almost one month late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on where the big policy issues landed, including on a cell phone ban in schools, masks and discovery laws—plus the financial details of the deal.

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, talks about how both state assembly member Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander are vying to be the top progressive candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary, and more news from City Hall and the campaign trail.

April 21, 2025 - We get an update on the Trump administration's decision to take control of the long-stalled overhaul of Penn Station, Our guest, Stephen Nessen, a transportation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, explains what had been happening under the Metropolitan Transit Authority and identifies some of the big questions moving forward.

Ralph talks about his new book, “Civic Self Respect” which reminds us that our civic lives have different primary roles—not only voter, but also worker, taxpayer, consumer, sometimes soldier and sometimes parent—and how each one offers special opportunities for people to organize to make change. Plus, we welcome back former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, John Koskinen, who tells us exactly how the Trump/Musk cabal is both gutting and weaponizing the IRS.John Koskinen served as the IRS Commissioner from 2013 to 2017.This is not a how-to book. It starts at a much more elementary level and therefore should interest a much greater number of people. Because, as I say, if you can expand your civic dimension as a part of your daily role without disrupting the rhythms of your daily life (in fact, actually making them more gratifying and more interesting, less boring), you're on your way.Ralph Nader author of Civic Self-RespectThe people who really fight for justice in this country have to fight for recognition, they have to fight for media, they have to fight an onslaught. And the people who lie and cheat and say the most terrible things and do the most terrible things are really the best-known people in the country. I mean, if you say who are the best-known people in Congress? They're the blowhards, the cruel and vicious people who've said things that are illegal, outrageous against innocent groups here and abroad.Ralph NaderI used to say to the Congress (trying to get appropriations) that the IRS is the only agency where if you give it money, it gives you more money back. Because the more you can actually audit people who aren't paying the proper amount or aren't filing at all, the better off you are. So no one has ever disagreed with that.John KoskinenGoing back a thousand years, tax collectors have never been particularly popular. And so when you talk about the IRS, people say, "Oh, the poor old IRS." In some ways, they don't understand just the points you're making about the impact on them, on the country, of an ineffective IRS going forward. And that's why my thought is this move toward using the IRS to attack people ought to be a way for everyone to say, "You know, I may not love paying taxes, but I certainly don't want the government and the president or the treasury secretary or somebody else ordering an audit of my taxes just because they don't like my political position or what I'm teaching in my course.”John KoskinenRalph Nader's new book Civic Self-respect is available now from Seven Stories Press.News 4/16/251. On Thursday April 17th, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland departed for El Salvador in an effort to personally track down Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was arrested and deported to CECOT, the notorious Salvadoran prison camp, WUSA9 reports. Garcia was legally protected against deportation by a 2019 court order and a Trump administration official admitted in court that he “should never have been on that plane.” Last week, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered that he be returned to the U.S. Van Hollen is quoted saying “You go out, you get disappeared, they say they did it in error, but they're not helping bring you back…it's a very short road to tyranny.” Gracia has not been heard from since he was deported, raising concerns about his health and wellbeing. This comes after ICE Director Todd Lyons said he wanted to see a deportation process “like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” per the Guardian. This episode is among the most chilling in American history and we are less than four months into a four-year term.2. Another gut-wrenching immigration story concerns Palestinian Columbia University student, Mohsen Mahdawi who was tricked, trapped, and abducted by ICE. The Intercept reports “Even before his friend and fellow Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by immigration authorities, Mahdawi asked university administrators to help him find a safe place to live so he would not be taken by ICE agents…The school did nothing.” Then, “After ICE abducted Khalil last month, Mahdawi sheltered in place for more than three weeks for fear of being picked up himself.” So, the immigration authorities apparently devised a scheme. “Instead of taking him off the street…immigration authorities scheduled the citizenship test at the Colchester USCIS office and took Mahdawi into custody when he arrived.” This action is clearly intended not only to capture Mahdawi but to frighten immigrants and discourage them from seeking citizenship through the legal immigration channels for fear of being deported. Not only that, Mahdawi will be sent back to Palestine, which continues to be the target of relentless Israeli bombing. Mahdawi is quoted saying, “It's kind of a death sentence…my people are being killed unjustly in an indiscriminate way.”3. In more international news, CNN reports China has “halted” its deliveries of Boeing planes. According to President Trump, will “‘not take possession' of fully committed to aircraft.” According to CNN, Boeing is particularly vulnerable in a trade war scenario because “Boeing builds all of its planes at US factories before sending nearly two-thirds of its commercial planes to customers outside the United States.” Boeing anticipated China purchasing 8,830 new planes over the next 20 years. The aircraft manufacturer's stock value fell in the wake of this announcement and is unlikely to fully recover unless some accommodation is reached with China.4. On the other side of the trade war, the Trump administration is preparing to roll out steep sectoral tariffs in addition to the country-specific tariffs already announced, per the Washington Post's Jeff Stein. Stein reports these will target imports of various "critical" products, including autos, steel and aluminum, copper, lumber and semiconductors. Yet, likely no sectoral tariff will bite American consumers more than the proposed tariff on pharmaceutical drugs. On April 8th, POLITICO reported that Trump told the RNC he is planning to impose “major” tariffs on pharmaceuticals. FIERCE, a healthcare news service, reports these could be as high as 25%. Coalition for a Prosperous America, an advocacy group opposed to free trade with China, reports that “Over 90% of all Generic Drugs [are] Dependent on Imports.”5. Turning to domestic matters, the Federal Trade Commission is proceeding with their anti-trust case against Facebook. According to the FTC, “The…Commission has sued Facebook, alleging that the company is illegally maintaining its personal social networking monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.” Further, “The complaint alleges that Facebook has engaged in a systematic strategy—including its 2012 acquisition of…Instagram, its 2014 acquisition…WhatsApp, and the imposition of anticompetitive conditions on software developers—to eliminate threats to its monopoly.” According to Ars Technica, “Daniel Matheson, the FTC's lead litigator, [started the trial with a bang] flagg[ing] a "smoking gun"—a 2012 email where Mark Zuckerberg suggested that Facebook could buy Instagram to ‘neutralize a potential competitor.'” It is hard to see how the company could argue this was not anticompetitive corporate misbehavior.6. A dubious tech industry scheme is also underway at the highest levels of the federal government. WIRED reports that the Social Security Administration is shifting their communications exclusively to Elon Musk's X app, formerly known as Twitter. Wired quotes SSA regional commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis, who said in a meeting with managers earlier this week, “We are no longer planning to issue press releases or…dear colleague letters to inform the media and public about programmatic and service changes…Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public … this will become our communication mechanism.” WIRED further reports that, “The regional [SSA] office workforce will soon be cut by roughly 87 percent,” going from an estimated 547 employees to 70. Musk has called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” per the AP.7. Over at the National Labor Relations Board, a whistleblower claims Elon Musk and his cronies at DOGE may have extracted data including “sensitive information on unions, ongoing legal cases and corporate secrets,” per NPR. If that wasn't shady enough, “members of the DOGE team asked that their activities not be logged on the system and then appeared to try to cover their tracks…turning off monitoring tools and manually deleting records of their access.” This whistleblower took his concerns to Congress and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel – whistleblower activities that are protected by law – but faced retaliation in the form of someone, “'physically taping a threatening note' to his door that included sensitive personal information and overhead photos of him walking his dog that appeared to be taken with a drone,” clear attempts to intimidate and silence this employee. The Trump administrations have been rife with leaks at every level and instead of responding by addressing the issues raised, the administration has launched a permanent inquisition to plug the leaks by any means.8. In better news, the Independent reports that DOGE itself is finally being subjected to an audit. The audit is being undertaken by the Government Accountability Office at the urging of Congressional leaders after “'alarming' media reports of DOGE infiltrating federal systems,” according to a congressional aide. One DOGE worker has reportedly been identified by as “a 19-year-old high school graduate who was booted from an internship after leaking company information to a rival firm,” raising ever-deeper concerns about the purpose of the “fishing expeditions” DOGE is undergoing at every level of the federal government.9. Another uplifting story comes to us from New York City. In the latest round of public matching fund awards, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate surging from obscurity into second place in the polls – was granted nearly $4 million in public matching funds, “the largest single payment to any candidate in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary race to date,” according to Gothamist. Meanwhile, former Governor Andrew Cuomo was awarded exactly $0. As Jeff Coltin of POLITICO New York explains, “Cuomo's campaign [was] scrambling to get the necessary info from donors to get matched…sending…dire warning to [his] entire email list, rather than…targeted outreach to donors.” If he had collected the necessary information, Cuomo would have been awarded $2.5 million in matching funds, Coltin reports. Cuomo still leads in the polls; as it becomes increasingly clear that Zohran is the only viable alternative, there will be increased pressure on other candidates to throw their support behind him.10. Finally, let's take a peek into the political climate's effect on Hollywood. New York Magazine, in an extensive profile of Warner Brothers-Discovery mogul David Zaslav, includes a piece about Zaslav seeking to ingratiate himself with Trump. According to this report, “a company representative recently reached out to the Trump0 orbit seeking advice about how the company might advantageously interact with the Whitte House.” Their answer: “look at the example of…Jeff Bezos paying Melania Trump $40 million to participate in a documentary about herself. Don Jr. might like a hunting and fishing show on the Discovery Channel, they were told.” Just like the Ivy League universities and the big law firms, if given an inch Trump will take a mile and use it for nothing short of extortion. Hollywood would be wise to steer clear. But wisdom has never been their strength.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The New York State budget is now almost three weeks late. Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on the disagreements that are holding it up, including changes to the state's criminal discovery laws.

The NYPD's Counterterrorism Division is investing in new technology to combat what it said is a growing threat to New Yorkers: drones that could be used for “nefarious” purposes, documents reviewed by Gothamist show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Cuomo's campaign has hit some road bumps this week, but recent polls still have the former governor in strong first place. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, and Brigid Bergin, WNYC's senior political correspondent, explain why Cuomo's campaign didn't receive any matching funds from the New York City Campaign Finance Board this week, who gave him a big check instead, and more of the latest news from the mayoral race.

Last year I came across an article in the Gothamist titled, A Taiwanese food crawl in the East Village with NYC writer Cathy Erway. I have of course heard of Cathy Erway and her cookbook and thought to myself, Why haven't I had her on Talking Taiwan as a guest yet? For those of you who aren't familiar with Cathy's work, she is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and author based in New York City. Her cookbooks include The Food of Taiwan: Recipes From the Beautiful Island and Win Son Presents: A Taiwanese American Cookbook.   Her cookbook, The Food of Taiwan which was published in 2015 is the first cookbook from a major U.S. publisher to explore the food culture of Taiwan from home-style dishes to authentic street food. We talked about how publishers rejected the cookbook at first and how it eventually got published.   She also has a Facebook page called The Food of Taiwan, and if you're a Taiwanese food lover, I highly recommend liking and following it. On the page, Cathy shares news about Taiwanese food like where to get the best Taiwanese food in and out of Taiwan, and new Taiwanese restaurant openings.   Cathy Erway's journalism has appeared in The New York Times, Food & Wine, Eater, Grub Street, T: The New York Times Style Magazine and more. She is a columnist at TASTE, and received the James Beard Award for Home Cooking journalism in 2019. In 2021, she received the IACP Culinary Award for her column.    This episode is part of the trailblazing Taiwanese women's series sponsored by NATWA the North America Taiwanese Women's Association, which was founded in 1988. To learn more about NATWA visit their website, www.natwa.com.     Here's a little preview of what we talked about in this podcast episode: How Cathy started off writing a blog called Not Eating Out in New York, which led to her first book, The Art of Eating In Cathy's cookbook The Food of Taiwan The article in the Gothamist about Taiwanese restaurants in the East Village Cathy's Facebook page The Food of Taiwan How Cathy has had a Google alert set on the term Taiwanese food for 20 years How things have changed in the 10 years since The Food of Taiwan was published How the owners of Taiwanese restaurants in New York City (Win Son, 886, and Ho Foods) are all friends How Yun Hai Taiwanese Pantry has contributed to the interest in Taiwanese cuisine How Cathy learned to cook and her parents' cooking styles How Cathy's family is foodies Cathy's connection to Taiwan What went into creating The Food of Taiwan How the photography of The Food of Taiwan was an important part of the cookbook How The Food of Taiwan got rejected by several publishers How The Food of Taiwan is a snapshot of all the foods in Taiwan including home-style foods and street food, up to 2015, the year it was published How The Food of Taiwan includes foods that are unique to Taiwan How the recipes in The Food of Taiwan suggests substitutions for certain ingredients that might be hard to find How Cathy met Josh Ku and Trigg Brown of Win Son How Cathy collaborated with Josh Ku and Trigg Brown of Win Son on Win Son Presents a Taiwanese American Cookbook How hard it was to convince the editor to publish The Food of Taiwan Other Taiwanese cookbooks that have been written by  Clarissa Wei, Frankie Gaw, Tiffy Chen, and George Lee How Cathy is working on an article about the frozen dumpling business for Taste Topics that Cathy writes about like how tamari is a different product in Japan vs. the U.S. Té Company tea house in the West Village, Yumpling restaurant in Long Island City, Ho Food restaurant in the East Village Cathy's favorite Taiwanese dish is sān bēi jī (three cup chicken) How Taiwanese breakfast foods are now available at Win Son Bakery and Ho Foods   Related Links:    

Plus - Locked out of New York City, Airbnb is now the single largest spender in local elections. The following comes from Gothamist and David Brand Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, reports on the latest news from the mayoral campaign trail, including whether a coveted endorsement from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could boost one of the progressive candidates enough to beat Andrew Cuomo in the primary election, and more.

According to a recent lawsuit, a Policy change allows New York City to fund pilot programs with little oversight. The following comes from Gothamist and Ben Feuerherd Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Experts anticipate deep cuts to federal food assistance programs by the Republican-led Congress in this year's budget negotiations set to take place in September. Karen Yi, WNYC and Gothamist reporter covering homelessness and poverty, explains how potential cuts will affect 1.8 million New Yorkers, including more than half a million children, who are reliant on SNAP.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including his sharp criticisms of his primary opponent Andrew Cuomo — plus she offers analysis of the political ramifications of big news that the corruption charges against the mayor have been dropped. 

Before Elon Musk become a political lightning rod in the Trump White House, he was a political lightning rod in New York State politics — thanks to the state's massive investment in Musk's companies, particularly in the Buffalo area.Now, years later, Tesla has fallen short of its promise to hire 3,200 workers and provide high-paying jobs to many of them. New York State is looking at options, and, as journalist Jimmy Vielkind reports, Governor Hochul's administration is considering reducing the jobs requirement, while extending the deal with Tesla.Our guests discuss it:Jimmy Vielkind, reporter for Gothamist and WNYCAssemblyman Patrick Burke, New York State District 142Brian Schneck, vice chair of the United Auto Workers New York State Community Action Program (CAP)Keith Goldstein, Tesla owner

Everyone in NYC is supposed to be composting already, but starting Tuesday, the city will start issuing fines to property owners for violations. Liam Quigley, parks and sanitation reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, shares how compliance is going so far (spoiler alert: not well!) and explains how to compost according to the city's rules.

Ralph welcomes journalist Chris Hedges to talk about his new book "A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine." Then, Ralph speaks to David Swanson of World BEYOND War about what his organization is doing to resist this country's casual acceptance of being constantly at war. Finally, Ralph checks in with our resident constitutional scholar Bruce Fein.Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, who spent nearly two decades as a foreign correspondent in Central America, the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans. He is the host of The Chris Hedges Report, and he is a prolific author— his latest book is A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine.We not only blocked the effort by most countries on the globe to halt the genocide or at least censure Israel to the genocide, but of course have continued to sendbillions of dollars in weapons and to shut down critics within the United States… And that sends a very, very ominous message to the global south, especiallyas the climate breaks down, that these are the kind of draconian murderous measuresthat we will employ.Chris HedgesIt's a very, very ominous chapter in the history of historic Palestine. In some ways, far worse even than the 1948 Nakba (or “Catastrophe”) that saw massacres carried out against Palestinians in their villages and 750,000 Palestinians displaced. What we're watching now is probably the worst catastrophe to ever beset the Palestinian people.Chris HedgesIt's a bit like attacking somebody for writing about Auschwitz and not giving the SS guards enough play to voice their side. We're writing about a genocide and, frankly, there isn't a lot of nuance. There's a lot of context (which is in the book). But I expect either to be blanked out or attacked because lifting up the voices of Palestinians is something at this point within American society that is considered by the dominant media platforms and those within positions of power to be unacceptable.Chris HedgesIt eventually comes down to us, the American people. And it's not just the Middle East. It's a sprawling empire with hundreds of military bases, sapping the energy of our public budgets and of our ability to relate in an empathetic and humanitarian way to the rest of the world.Ralph NaderDavid Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, radio host and Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator for RootsAction. His books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War.The biggest scandal of the past two days in the United States is not government officials secretly discussing plans for mass killing, for war making, but how they did it on a group chat. You can imagine if they were talking about blowing up buildings in the United States, at least the victims would get a little mention in there.David SwansonThe Democrats are the least popular they've been. They're way less popular than the Republicans because some of the Republicans' supporters actually support the horrendous behavior they're engaged in. Whereas Democrats want somebody to try anything, anything at all, and you're not getting it.David SwansonYou know how many cases across the world across the decades in every hospital and health center there are of PTSD or any sort of injury from war deprivation? Not a one. Not a single one, ever. People survive just fine. And people do their damnedest to stay out of it, even in the most warmongering nations in the world. People try their very hardest to stay out of war personally, because it does great damage.David SwansonBruce Fein is a Constitutional scholar and an expert on international law. Mr. Fein was Associate Deputy Attorney General under Ronald Reagan and he is the author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle for Our Constitution and Democracy, and American Empire: Before the Fall.If there were really an attorney general who was independent, they would advise the President, “You can't make these threats. They are the equivalent of extortion.”Bruce FeinVigorous Public Interest Law DayApril 1, 2025 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm at Harvard Law School the Harvard Plaintiffs' Law Association is hosting Vigorous Public Interest Law Day with opening remarks by Ralph Nader. The program will feature highly relevant presentations and group discussions with some of the nation's most courageous public interest lawyers including Sam Levine, Bruce Fein, Robert Weissman, Joan Claybrook, and Pete Davis, to name a few. More information here.News 3/26/251. Starting off this week with some good news, Families for Safe Streets reports the Viriginia Assembly has passed HB2096, also known as the Stop Super Speeders bill. If enacted, this bill would allow would judges to “require drivers convicted of extreme speeding offenses to install Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) technology in their vehicles, automatically limiting their speed to the posted limit.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA, established by Ralph Nader, speeding was responsible for 12,151 deaths in 2022 and is a contributing factor in the skyrocketing number of pedestrians killed by automobiles which hit a 40-year high in 2023, per NPR.2. In more troubling auto safety news AP reports NHTSA has ordered a new recall on nearly all Cybertrucks. This recall centers on an exterior panel that can “detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, [and] increasing the risk of a crash.” This panel, called a “cant rail assembly,” is attached with a glue that is vulnerable to “environmental embrittlement,” per NHTSA. This is the eighth recall of the vehicles since they hit the road just one year ago.3. At the same time, the Democratic-controlled Delaware state legislature has passed a bill to “award…Musk $56 billion, shield corporate executives from liability, and strip away voting power from shareholders,” reports the Lever. According to this report, written before the law passed, the bill would “set an extremely high bar for plaintiffs to obtain internal company documents, records, and communications — the core pieces of evidence needed to build a lawsuit against a company.” On the other hand, “Corporate executives and investors with a controlling stake in a firm would no longer be required to hold full shareholder votes on various transactions in which management has a direct conflict of interest.” As this piece notes, this bill was backed by a pressure campaign led by Musk and his lawyers that began with a Delaware Chancery Court ruling that jeopardized his $56 billion compensation package. In retaliation, Musk threatened to lead a mass exodus of corporations from the state. Instead of calling his bluff, the state legislature folded, likely beginning a race to the bottom among other corporate-friendly states that will strip anyone but the largest shareholders of any remaining influence on corporate decision making.4. Speaking of folding under pressure, Reuters reports Columbia University will “acquiesce” to the outrageous and unprecedented demands of the Trump administration. These include a new mask ban on campus, and placing the school's Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies department – along with the Center for Palestine Studies –under academic receivership for at least five years. By caving to these demands, the University hopes the administration will unfreeze $400 million in NIH grants they threatened to withhold. Reuters quotes historian of education, Professor Jonathan Zimmerman, who decried this as “The government…using the money as a cudgel to micromanage a university,” and Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors, who called the administration's demands “arguably the greatest incursion into academic freedom, freedom of speech and institutional autonomy that we've seen since the McCarthy era.”5. The authoritarianism creeping through higher education doesn't end there. Following the chilling disappearing of Mahmoud Khalil, the Trump administration has begun deploying the same tactic against more students for increasingly minor supposed offenses. First there was Georgetown post-doc student Badar Khan Suri, originally from India, who “had been living in Virginia for nearly three years when the police knocked on his door on the evening of 17 March and arrested him,” per the BBC. His crime? Being married to the daughter of a former advisor to Ismail Haniyeh, who in 2010 left the Gaza government and “started the House of Wisdom…to encourage peace and conflict resolution in Gaza.” A court has blocked Suri's deportation. Then there is Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student at Tufts who was on her way home from an Iftar dinner when she was surrounded and physically restrained by plainclothes agents on the street, CNN reports. Video of this incident has been shared widely. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supposedly “determined” that Ozturk's alleged activities would have “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences and would compromise a compelling U.S. foreign policy interest.” These activities? Co-writing a March 2024 op-ed in the school paper which stated “Credible accusations against Israel include accounts of deliberate starvation and indiscriminate slaughter of Palestinian civilians and plausible genocide.” The U.S. has long decried regimes that use secret police to suppress dissident speech. Now it seems it has become one.6. Yet the Trump administration is not only using deportations as a blunt object to punish pro-Palestine speech, it is also using it to go after labor rights activists. Seattle public radio station KUOW reports “Farmworker activist and union leader Alfredo Juarez Zeferino, known…as ‘Lelo,' was taken into custody by [ICE].” A farmworker and fellow activist Rosalinda Guillén is quoted saying “[Lelo] doesn't have a criminal record…they stopped him because of his leadership, because of his activism.” She added “I think that this is a political attack.” Simultaneously, the Washington Post reports “John Clark, a Trump-appointed Labor Department official, directed the agency's Bureau of International Labor Affairs…to end all of its grants.” These cuts are “expected to end 69 programs that have allocated more than $500 million to combat child labor, forced labor and human trafficking, and to enforce labor standards in more than 40 countries.”7. All of these moves by the Trump administration are despicable and largely unprecedented, but even they are not as brazen as the assault on the twin pillars of the American social welfare system: Social Security and Medicare. Social Security is bearing the brunt of the attacks at the moment. First, AP reported that Elon Musk's DOGE planned to cut up to 50% of the Social Security Administration staff. Then, the Washington Post reported that the administration planned to force millions of seniors to submit claims in person rather than via phone. Now the administration is announcing that they are shifting Social Security payments from paper checks to prepaid debit cards, per Axios. Nearly half a million seniors still receive their payments via physical checks. These massive disruptions in Social Security have roiled seniors across the nation, many of whom are Republican Trump supporters, and they are voicing their frustration to their Republican elected officials – who in turn are chafing at being cut out of the loop by Musk. NBC reports Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance subcommittee on Social Security, said “he had not been told ahead of time about DOGE's moves at the agency.” Senators Steve Daines and Bill Cassidy have echoed this sentiment. And, while Social Security takes center stage, Medicare is next in line. Drop Site is out with a new report on how Trump's nominee to oversee the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services – Dr. Oz – could shift millions of seniors from traditional Medicare to the insurer-controlled Medicare Advantage system. Medicare and Social Security have long been seen as the “third rail” of American politics, meaning politicians who try to tamper with those programs meet their political demise. This is the toughest test yet of whether that remains true.8. The impact of Oscar winning documentary No Other Land continues to reverberate, a testament to the power of its message. In Miami Beach, Mayor Steven Meiner issued a draft resolution calling for the city to terminate its lease agreement with O Cinema, located at Old City Hall, simply for screening the film. Deadline reports however that he was forced to back down. And just this week, co-director of the film Hamdan Ballal was reportedly “lynched” by Israeli settlers in his West Bank village, according to co-director Yuval Abraham, an anti-occupation Jewish Israeli journalist. The Guardian reports “the settlers beat him in front of his home and filmed the assault…he was held at an army base, blindfolded, for 24 hours and forced to sleep under a freezing air conditioner.” Another co-director, Basel Adra of Masafer Yatta, told the AP “We came back from the Oscars and every day since there is an attack on us…This might be their revenge on us for making the movie. It feels like a punishment.” Stunningly, it took days for the Academy of Motion Pictures to issue a statement decrying the violence and even then, the statement was remarkably tepid with no mention of Palestine at all, only condemning “harming or suppressing artists for their work or their viewpoints.”9. In some more positive news, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate for Mayor of New York City – has maxed out donations, per Gothamist. Mamdani says he has raised “more than $8 million with projected matching funds from about 18,000 donors citywide and has done so at a faster rate than any campaign in city history.” Having hit the public financing cap this early, Mamdani promised to not spend any more of the campaign raising money and instead plans to “build the single largest volunteer operation we've ever seen in the New York City's mayor's race.” Witnessing a politician asking supporters not to send more money is a truly one-of-a-kind moment. Recent polling shows Mamdani in second place, well behind disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo and well ahead of his other rivals, including incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, per CBS. However, Mamdani remains unknown to large numbers of New Yorkers, meaning his ceiling could be much higher. Plenty of time remains before the June mayoral election.10. Finally, in an extremely bizarre story, Columbia Professor Anthony Zenkus reports “Robert Ehrlich, millionaire founder of snack food giant Pirate's Booty…tried to take over the sleepy Long Island town of Sea Cliff.” Zenkus relays that Ehrlich waged a “last minute write-in campaign for mayor in which he only received 62 votes - then declared himself mayor anyway.” Though Ehrlich only received 5% of the vote, he “stormed the village hall with an entourage, declaring himself the duly-elected mayor, screaming that he was there to dissolve the entire town government and that he alone had the power to form a new government.” Ehrlich claimed the election was “rigged” and thus invalid, citing as evidence “One of my supporters voted three times. Another one voted four times…” which constitutes a confession to election fraud. Zenkus ends this story by noting that Ehrlich was “escorted out by police.” It's hard to make heads or tails of this story, but if nothing else it indicates that these petty robber barons are simply out of control – believing they can stage their own mini coup d'etats. And after all, why shouldn't they think so, when one of their ilk occupies perhaps the most powerful office in the history of the world. Bad omens all around.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

Lindsey Boylan has spent her career in urban planning and public service. She is the former Deputy Secretary for Economic Development and Housing for New York and served as Special Advisor to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. She was the first woman to come forward with accusations about Cuomo's abuse of women and his related abuses of power. An unapologetic feminist, her words have appeared in leading publications including Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, and Gothamist. Lindsey joins me in The Back Room to share her personal story and her mission to help victims of sexual harassment. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including various aspects of the mayoral campaign and his recent appointment of Randy Mastro as a deputy mayor.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including on the mayoral campaign and fundraising numbers, subway safety and more.

How 585 Small Businesses in America, 300 in New York Will Have One Leg Up Thanks To COVID Era Tax Credits 3-13-25Article highlighted in the Gothamist on Alex Garrett's One Leg Up Netwokhttps://gothamist.com/news/ny-small-businesses-getting-20-million-in-covid-aid-after-years-in-limbo

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event. Topics include the mayor's response to Columbia-grad pro-Palestine activist Mahmoud Khalil and how it may impact the Democratic primary election in June, developments in Adams' corruption case, plus why the mayor's stopped reading the news. 

David Brand, housing reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, reports on how the prospect of federal cuts to housing programs may affect New York City, plus other related housing news, on rising insurance costs and security deposits. 

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including former Gov. Andrew Cuomo's entrance into the mayoral primary.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event, including the fallout from the DOJ's interference in his corruption case, plans to close the Roosevelt Hotel as a migrant shelter and the latest campaign news. 

On this week's episode, WNYC and Gothamist reporter, Hannah Frishberg, tells us about a night in high school she spent at an abandoned warehouse in Red Hook with friends, booze, foreign exchange students and more!Check out Hannah on Instagram & read her articleHave fun like Hannah?Donate to WNYCThis week's Rachel's Recs: Heartbeat Opera & Hundred Weight Ice and YouTube videoWhat did you think of this week's episode?They Had Fun on Instagram, YouTube, and our website

The DOJ directed federal prosecutors in Manhattan to drop the corruption charges against Mayor Adams. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, reports on how the mayor is reacting, whether it will affect how City Hall cooperates with the Trump administration, and how the news may shake up the mayoral campaign.

Mayor Adams cancelled his weekly press conference with reporters in favor of a trip to Albany to press the legislature for the city's priorities—traditionally known as "tin cup day." WNYC and Gothamist reporters Elizabeth Kim and Jon Campbell recap what he talked about and how legislators in Albany reacted to the mayor.

Stephen Nessen, transportation reporter for the WNYC Newsroom, and Clayton Guse, WNYC/Gothamist editor on the NYC Accountability desk, talk about a new Gothamist series "State of Collapse" and the latest transportation news. 

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event. Topics this week include the City's response to early actions taken by the Trump administration, Adams' attendance at Trump's inauguration, Adam's surprise interview  on Tucker Carlson, and more.  

Jon Campbell, Albany reporter for WNYC and Gothamist, recaps Governor Hochul's "state of the state" address, where she focused on affordability and public safety.

Mayor Adams holds one off-topic press conference per week, where reporters can ask him questions on any subject. Elizabeth Kim, Gothamist and WNYC reporter, recaps what he talked about at this week's event. This week's topics include how he's fighting the perception of crime in subways, whether city workers will receive exemptions from congestion pricing, the possibility of new criminal charges against the mayor, and more. 

First up on today's wide-ranging show, Ralph speaks to political scientist Adolph Reed about how American politics has started taking its cues from professional wrestling and how the left can rebuild itself. Then, we welcome Steve Silberstein from National Popular Vote to update us on their interstate compact's progress. Finally, we're joined by three interns from the American Museum of Tort Law—Dylan Bird, Gabriel Duffany, and Rachel Donovan discuss a rather unique summer assignment.Adolph Reed is Professor Emeritus of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and an organizer with the Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute's Medicare for All-South Carolina initiative, and co-host of Class Matters Podcast. His most recent books are The South: Jim Crow and Its Afterlives and (with Walter Benn Michaels) No Politics but Class Politics.One of the things that struck me, especially, is during the pandemic it was striking to see how much full-blown animus toward government— or toward the idea of public and public goods—that there is out there in society at large. And we know Heritage (and the rest of the reactionary, the Koch brothers) have been fueling that and stoking that kind of resentment for as long as they've been around, frankly, right…But what's different is that since the Clinton years, the Democrats have been just as likely to attack the idea of government or public goods and public services, right? And they're more likely to do it backhandedly…So there hasn't been any space for people to connect even the fact that they like to go to the public library or like to use the public park with this bipartisan, full-bore attack on the idea of government. And that has gone so far and so deeply within society.Adolph ReedSteve Silberstein founded and served as the first president of Innovative Interfaces Inc., a leading supplier of computer software for the automation of college and city libraries. Mr. Silberstein sold his interest in the company in 2001 and now devotes his time to philanthropic and civic matters, one of which is sitting on the Board of Directors of National Popular Vote.Of the states that have passed [the National Popular Vote compact], it's mostly been with Democratic votes. Because for a while there's been a theory that Republicans couldn't win the national popular vote. That's why they opposed it. But now that they have actually won the popular vote this time around, that theory which caused some of them to oppose it has gone by the wayside.Steve SilbersteinThere's no reason for [Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan being “swing states”]. You know, those states didn't even exist when the constitution was established. It's just purely an accident…Those states are not typical of the United States—each state is unique in some way. So, Wisconsin has a big dairy industry. Pennsylvania has coal mining or fracking or something like that. So the candidates just concentrate on those—what are really very obscure issues to most of the people in the country. These states are not typical. They are not representative in any way shape or form of the rest of the country.Steve SilbersteinDylan Bird is a sophomore at St Lawrence University, pursuing a double major in Global Studies and Spanish on a Pre Law Track. Gabriel Duffany is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut, pursuing a double major in Human Rights and Communication also on a Pre Law Track, and he is an intern at the American Museum of Tort Law. Rachel Donovan is the Outreach Coordinator at the American Museum of Tort Law, and she is pursuing studies in education. All three recently worked as summer interns at the American Museum of Tort Law in the VoxBox Civic Engagement Summer Course, and they participated in Ralph Nader's Dictionary Pilot.It's a very daunting task when somebody hands you a full dictionary—over a thousand pages or so—and asks you to read it front-to-back. Once you start to actually sink your teeth into it…I actually found it to be a very positive experience. Rather than simply looking up individual words and ending your journey there, the goal really becomes the exploration of knowledge.Dylan BirdFor me, what really did stand out wasn't the individual words. It was more so the process of defining that I found the most compelling. So it showed up to me in the linguistic sense that these aren't exact definitions here. They're more so measurements, gauges of people's public opinions and definitions that would shift over time. So it was interesting to see how the evolution of words came, how meanings evolved over time with new technologies, new cultural moments. And as a news writer, I found that fascinating—the complexities of a word, the connotations that go with it, they can make or break the framing of any certain topic.Gabriel DuffanyI think that this project could be very important for students of all ages because it's not often that you would use a physical dictionary very much anymore—versus just going online and looking up a word. And now multiple definitions could come up—you may not even find exactly what you're looking for, because words undergo new meanings on a near-daily basis. And I think having the chance to read the original definition may give students new meanings to words that they may have thought they had the knowledge of due to social media.Rachel DonovanNews 12/25/241. On December 19th, the Teamsters announced they would launch “the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history.” This strike covers nearly 10,000 Amazon workers who have joined the Teamsters, with workers taking to the picket line in New York City Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco and Skokie, Illinois. Teamsters President Sean O'Brien is quoted saying “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it…This strike is on them.” Scenes from this strike went viral over the holidays; one video posted by Labor Notes journalist Luis Feliz Leon shows NYPD officers guarding a path for Amazon trucks to depart after clearing away a blockade by striking workers – in case you were wondering whose side the cops are on.2. In more Amazon union news, INDY Week's Lena Geller reports that on December 23rd Amazon workers filed for a union election at the RDU1 warehouse in Garner, North Carolina. These workers are organizing under the auspices of Carolina Amazonians for Solidarity and Empowerment, aka CAUSE, which states that “despite an illegal campaign of intimidation by Amazon, which is desperate to keep unions out to continue paying poverty wages and failing to improve dismal work conditions,” the union believes they have “easily” exceeded the 30% card check threshold to demand an election. If successful, RDU1 would become the first unionized Amazon facility in the South.3. Independent investigative journalists Ken Klippenstein and Dan Boguslaw are out with a report on a potential conflict of interest in the Luigi Mangione prosecution. Apparently, “Magistrate Judge Katharine H. Parker, who is overseeing pre-trial hearings for…Mangione, is married to a former Pfizer executive.” Judge Parker's husband, Bret Parker, had served as Vice President and assistant general counsel at Wyeth, and held the same titles after that company was purchased by Pfizer. According to financial disclosures, Mr. Parker still collects a pension from Pfizer in the form of a “Senior Executive Retirement Plan.” The Parkers also own hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of stock in Pfizer itself, along with other pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare companies. These holdings raise grave questions about the impartiality of this judge.4. In more news from New York, Gothamist reports New York Governor Kathy Hochul has vetoed a bill which would have “reversed New York's longstanding ban on jury service for anyone convicted of felonies at any point in their lives. If enacted, the bill would have allowed people with felony convictions to serve only after completing their sentences, including parole.” This bill passed with the support of the New York Civil Liberties Union and Phil Desgranges, an attorney at The Legal Aid Society, called this bill “common-sense legislation.” State Senator Jabari Brisport wrote “Fun fact about [New York] politics. The Governor has until end of year to sign bills so she usually waits until [the] holiday season and vetoes a bunch right before Christmas, hoping no one notices.” The Gothamist piece notes that Hochul vetoed 132 bills over the weekend.5. Turning to Israel, a remarkable story in unfolding around the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. According to Democracy Now!, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is planning to skip the anniversary “out of fears he might be arrested for committing war crimes in Gaza.” As we have documented on this program, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant in November, and since then various countries have grappled with their obligations under international law to arrest the pair. While certain ICC signatory nations like Germany and France have sought to weasel out of these commitments, according to this report, “Poland's deputy foreign minister recently confirmed Poland would comply with the ICC arrest warrants if Netanyahu visited.”6. On the domestic front, newly elected Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar has sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin demanding that the Biden administration withhold new transfers of offensive weaponry to the Israeli military. In this letter, he and other progressive members of Congress make clear that the administration itself has “correctly identified steps the Israeli government must take in order for continued transfers…to be in accordance with U.S. law,” and that “the Israeli government has failed to take sufficient action or change course.” This letter is signed by 20 members of Congress including Casar himself along with Summer Lee, James McGovern, Mark Pocan, Pramila Jayapal, Sara Jacobs, AOC, Rashida Tlaib, and others.7. In a stunning story picked up by POLITICO, Republican Congresswoman Kay Granger – chair of the critical House Appropriations Committee until last April – has been missing in action for months. Despite continuing to hold her Texas seat, she has not cast a vote at all since July. Calls to her office went unanswered and unreturned. Visits to her office found it vacant. And when investigative reporters sought her out, they wound up finding her in an assisted living facility wracked with dementia. This story is tragic; Granger's son has spoken out since publication, addressing how rapidly his mother's mental decline has progressed. Yet, this is just the most striking example of the gerontocracy that has gripped Capitol Hill. And at least Granger had the sense remaining to recuse herself from votes; rebellious Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky is quoted saying he's “more concerned about the congressmen who have dementia and are still voting.”8. Moving to some good news, the Federal Trade Commission announced last week that they, along with the Attorney General of Illinois, have reached a $25 million settlement with food delivery giant GrubHub, stemming from the firm's engagement in “an array of unlawful practices including deceiving diners about delivery costs and blocking their access to their accounts and funds, deceiving workers about how much money they would make delivering food, and unfairly and deceptively listing restaurants on its platform without their permission.” In addition to the monetary penalty, the company must make significant changes to its operations model, including “telling consumers the full cost of delivery, honestly advertising pay for drivers, and listing restaurants on its platform only with their consent.” This is a victory for consumers, workers, restaurants, but perhaps above all, the rule of law. As FTC Chair Lina Khan puts it “There is no ‘gig platform' exemption to the laws on the books.”9. On December 23rd, President Biden announced that he would commute the death sentences for 37 out of the 40 federal prisoners on death row, in a major victory for ending executions by the state. These sentences have been commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In a statement, Biden wrote “I've dedicated my career to reducing violent crime and ensuring a fair and effective justice system…Make no mistake: I condemn these murderers, grieve for the victims of their despicable acts, and ache for all the families who have suffered unimaginable and irreparable loss. But… I am more convinced than ever that we must stop the use of the death penalty at the federal level.” He ends this statement by alluding to the fact that as president he has imposed a moratorium on federal executions and fears that the incoming Trump administration will resume state-sponsored killings. Per AP, the three inmates whose sentences were not commuted are: Dylann Roof, the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooter, Boston bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Tree of Life Synagogue shooter Robert Bowers.10. Finally, on Christmas Eve, Bernie Sanders issued a statement laying out “How to Make America Healthy Again,” echoing the language used by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Under Bernie's plan, this initiative would include Medicare for All, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, paid family and medical leave, a 32-hour work week, raising the minimum wage, and reforms to the food industry itself, such as banning junk food ads and stronger warning labels on high-sugar products. As with Bernie's qualified embrace of the “Department of Government Efficiency” this should be seen as a savvy move to call the Trump team's bluff. Will they really go after big sugar? Or will they bend the knee to their corporate benefactors yet again?This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. 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In this final episode of the year, we are jingling all the way into the holidays! We kick things off with the first ever prestigious Nunu Nana Awards, celebrating the best (and worst) of 2024 with our NuNu NaNamonees. A man gets stuck in a chimney, people are paying over $250 to see Interstellar in IMAX, plus we are sharing our thoughts on holiday work parties (spoiler: one of the counselors hates them). Grab a cup of cocoa and join us for this festive, hilarious, and slightly chaotic wrap-up to 2024! Thank you for an absolutely amazing year!! We can't wait to see what next years brings our lovely little camp. STRIP MALL TEASE TOUR TICKETS: https://linktr.ee/zzzachariahJonathan on Cameo: Cameo.com/hellomynamesjonWant BONUS CONTENT? Join our PATREON! ➜ This episode is sponsored by Pretty Litter. Go to PrettyLitter.com/camp to save 20% on your FIRST order and get a free cat toy. Terms and conditions apply. See site for details.➜ This episode is also sponsored by Factor. Go to FactorMeals.com/50camp and use code 50camp to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping.➜ This Episode is Sponsored by BetterHelp. Go to BetterHelp.com/camp Check out our website and submit your inquiries for advice, juicy gossip, confessions, and horror stories! Sources:➜ David Sharp. “Ho Ho, Oh No: Man Sought by Police Goes down Chimney and Gets Stuck.” AP News, AP News, 12 Dec. 2024.➜ Ryan Kailath. “‘Interstellar' Tickets Are Selling for $215 in NYC - 10 Years after Its Release.” Gothamist, 27 Nov. 2024. Camp Songs:Spotify PlaylistYouTube PlaylistSammich's Secret Mixtape Social Media:Camp Counselors TikTokCamp Counselors InstagramCamp Counselors FacebookCamp Counselors Twitter

Gothamist's Brittany Kriegstein explains who police just arrested. STAT News's Bob Herman explains the anger resonating against UnitedHealthcare. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Hady Mawajdeh, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Rob Byers, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram. Transcript at vox.com/today-explained-podcast Support Today, Explained by becoming a Vox Member today: http://www.vox.com/members Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, in an Altoona Police Department handout photo. Photo by Altoona Police Department via Getty Images. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices