Podcast appearances and mentions of jessica contrera

Today, the story of a teenager who was sexually abused by a police officer, and her journey to find justice.Read more:Americans have been forced to reckon with sexual misconduct committed by teachers, clergy, coaches and others with access to and authority over children. But there is little awareness of child sex crimes perpetrated by members of another profession that many children are taught to revere and obey: law enforcement.A Washington Post investigation has found that over the past two decades, hundreds of police officers have preyed on children, while agencies across the country have failed to take steps to prevent these crimes.Today, reporter Jessica Contrera shares the story of Nicole, a teenager who was abused by a New Orleans police officer, and her fight for justice. You can learn more about how this series was reported, our methodology and our project team here.Today's show was produced by Ariel Plotnick. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Monica Campbell. Thank you to Lynda Robinson, Jenn Abelson, John D. Harden, Courtney Kan, Rennie Svirnoskiy, David Fallis, Anu Narayanswamy, Hayden Godfrey, Riley Ceder, Nate Jones, Razzan Nakhlawi and Alice Crites.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

A New Orleans police officer sexually abused a teenage girl he met on the job. He is one of hundreds of officers arrested for child sexual abuse over the past two decades. Washington Post reporter Jessica Contrera talks about investigating allegations against law enforcement. The SAT exam is now an hour shorter and completely digital. NBC News has more. The Wall Street Journal remembers Shigeichi Negishi, the inventor of the karaoke machine, who’s died at 100. Today’s episode was guest-hosted by Yasmeen Khan.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit davidlat.substack.comLast month, in honor of LGBTQ Pride Month, I interviewed Alejandra Caraballo, a leading advocate for transgender rights. After that episode, I heard from listeners who asked me to interview someone on the other side. As a passionate advocate of free speech and viewpoint diversity, I agreed that it would be appropriate to do so.My latest podcast guest is Kristen Waggoner, chief executive officer and general counsel of Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), which describes itself as “one of the leading Christian law firms committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.” ADF's opposition to same-sex marriage, transgender rights, and abortion rights has made it a reviled organization on the legal left.Although Kristen isn't popular among progressives, there's no disputing that she is an influential and newsworthy attorney. For better or worse, ADF has won 15 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court, and three of them were argued personally by Waggoner—including 303 Creative v. Elenis, one of the biggest cases of the just-completed Term. Writing for the six conservatives, Justice Gorsuch held that the First Amendment protects Kristen's client, website designer Lorie Smith, from being required under Colorado's public-accommodations law to make websites for same-sex weddings, which she opposes on religious grounds.In our interview, I posed tough but respectful questions to Kristen about the mission and legal work of ADF, including its designation as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center; her recent win in 303 Creative, including an allegation that ADF fabricated one piece of evidence (the “Stewart and Mike” controversy); the next major goal of the conservative legal movement, in the wake of wins like 303 Creative and Dobbs; and her views on “legislating morality” or enshrining Christian views into law (where her comments might surprise you). Despite our many differences—e.g., she opposes same-sex marriage, and I'm in one—I enjoyed and learned a great deal from our conversation, and I'm grateful for her time, insight, and willingness to engage.Show Notes:* Kristen Waggoner bio, Alliance Defending Freedom* Inside the Christian legal powerhouse that keeps winning at the Supreme Court, by Jessica Contrera for the Washington Post* Meet the Lawyer Who'll Argue at Supreme Court for Christian Baker's Right to Free Speech, by Ken McIntyre for the Daily Signal* The Supreme Court Doesn't Care That the Gay Wedding Website Case Is Based on Fiction, by Melissa Gira Grant for the New RepublicPrefer reading to listening? For paid subscribers, a transcript of the entire episode appears below.Sponsored by:NexFirm helps Biglaw attorneys become founding partners. To learn more about how NexFirm can help you launch your firm, call 212-292-1000 or email careerdevelopment@nexfirm.com.

Educators are experimenting with new new ways of grading that don't rely on the traditional A-F grading system which many say is inequitable. These experiments often focus on the work students do, allowing for them to redo tests and papers, and letting students own their learning by giving themselves deadlines.  Valerie Strauss, education reporter at The Washington Post, joins Oscar Ramirez for the hunt for a fairer grading system.   Next, is a story of a man named Vaughn Smith. Vaughn cleans carpets for a living and is also a hyperpolyglot, someone who can speak 11 languages or more. However, Vaughn is special, and by his count he can speak around 37 languages. It turns out, that Vaughn's brain looks different and functions differently than a monolingual person's. Jessica Contrera, reporter at The Washington Post, joins Oscar Ramirez for more about Vaughn, what drove him to learn so much, and how his brain really works.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the war in Ukraine rages on, we saw another high-profile U.S. visitor go to the country to show support.  First Lady Jill Biden met with her counterpart Olena Zelenska, Ukraine's first lady.  The met at a school and showed support for mothers across the war-torn country.  Ginger Gibson, deputy Washington digital editor at NBC News, joins us for this and a look at the fallout since the leak of the draft opinion of the Supreme Court.  Justice Clarence Thomas has said the court can't be bullied and that young people now show no respect for the law.   Next, we'll tell you about a man named Vaughn Smith who cleans carpets for a living. Vaughn is also a hyperpolyglot. A hyperpolyglot is someone who can speak 11 languages or more, but Vaughn is special, by his count her can speak closer to 37 languages. To see what makes his brain tick, he decided to undergo an MRI at MIT and found that his brain does not function like that of a monolingual person. Jessica Contrera, reporter at The Washington Post, joins for more about Vaughn and what drove him to learn so much, a deep need for understanding others.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on “Post Reports,” we meet a carpet cleaner who speaks two dozen languages — and we have an update on what's happened to him since this story was first published in print.Read more:In a city where diplomats and embassies abound, where interpreters can command six-figure salaries at the State Department or the International Monetary Fund, where language proficiency is résumé rocket fuel, Vaughn Smith was a savant with a secret.He speaks 24 languages well enough to carry on lengthy conversations — and has basic understanding of more than a dozen others — and yet he works as a carpet cleaner. Today on Post Reports, enterprise reporter Jessica Contrera and audio producer Bishop Sand bring us the remarkable story of a hyperpolyglot with a special brain and a history that has kept him a secret for so long. We also have an update about how his life has started to change since Jessica's story was first published.Plus, one more thing: Thanks to your support, we won the 2022 People's Voice Webby for business podcasts! The winning episode is “A tax haven in America's heartland.”

After Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted earlier this month, another self-defense case in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is drawing renewed attention from advocates. Kami Chavis, director of the criminal justice program at Wake Forest Law, and Jessica Contrera, reporter for The Washington Post, talk about the case of Chrystul Kizer, who faces homicide charges for killing her adult sex abuser when she was 17 years old, how Kizer's case compares to Rittenhouse's, and why some claims of self-defense work better than others in court and in the media.

The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse shines a light on how 'self defense' defenses work in cases like his, compared to the case of Chrystul Kizer, who faces homicide charges for killing her adult sex abuser when she was 17 years old. On Today's Show: Kami Chavis, director of the criminal justice program at Wake Forest Law, and Jessica Contrera, reporter for The Washington Post, talk about why some claims of self-defense work better than others in court and in the media.

For years, allegations that R. Kelly was abusing young women and girls swirled. This week, the singer was found guilty of sex trafficking in federal court. But not all child sex-trafficking victims get justice — instead, many of them are arrested.Read more:Jessica Contrera has done a lot of reporting on child sex trafficking in the United States. When she saw the R. Kelly verdict this week, the cases of hundreds of other sex-trafficked children came to mind. “People were finally praising and recognizing these Black girls who came forward again and again and went through the grueling process of what it takes to testify in a case like this, and thanking them for coming forward and for their bravery,” Contrera says. “But it's important to remember the context that Black girls who are sex-trafficking victims are also the most likely to be treated as criminals for being sold for sex.”Every year, Contrera says, dozens of teenagers are locked up despite being victims of a crime. In Las Vegas, Contrera went on a ride-along with a vice unit as it arrested child sex-trafficking victims, and she reports on what it was like for these youths to be sent to detention centers rather than given help.

In 2013, 15-year-old Alexis Martin was charged with murder. But Alexis was also a victim herself. How would the criminal justice system handle it? A special thank you to Jessica Contrera, from the Washington Post for talking to us about this case. Read her article about Alexis here: washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/interactive/2021/child-sex-trafficking-alexis-martin-ohio/. Read about Chrystul Kizer (also mentioned in this episode) - https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/local/child-sex-trafficking-murder/. Sponsors in this episode: Canva Pro - Right now, you can get a FREE 45-day extended trial when you go to Canva.me/court. LifeLock - Join today by going to LifeLock.com/COURT to save up to 25% off your first year. Jordan Harbinger Show - Search for The Jordan Harbinger Show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Apartments.com - Millions of renters rely on Apartments.com every month to search the most comprehensive inventory of rentals available. This episode was researched and written by Gabrielle Russon. Please consider supporting Court Junkie with as little as $3 a month via Patreon.com/CourtJunkie to receive ad-free episodes. Help support Court Junkie with $6 a month and get access to bonus monthly episodes. Follow me on Twitter @CourtJunkiePod or Instagram at CourtJunkie.

Advice for managing your money, from personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary. What happens when people are too scared to seek medical care, from Frances Stead Sellers and Jessica Contrera. And what we wear when we’re stuck at home, and what it says about us, from fashion critic Robin Givhan. Read more:Your money and the pandemic: We answer your most pressing personal finance questions on the economic fallout of covid-19.Patients with heart attacks, strokes and even appendicitis vanish from hospitals.Patients in pain, dentists in distress: In a pandemic, the problem with teeth.Our clothes tell our story. What happens when the narrative is just pajamas and sweats?Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

Michael Scherer describes how candidates have rewritten their campaigns during the pandemic. Jessica Contrera asks how we weigh risk against necessity, longing and fear. And Emily Heil on the anxiety-filled hellscape that is the grocery store. Read more:Political candidates – and not just the presidential ones – are reinventing how they campaign in the age of the pandemic.As the country moves to reopen, Americans weigh risk against necessity, longing and fear. Grocery shopping used to be a mundane errand. Now, we’re all feeling the stress.Vote for Post Reports in the Webby Awards. Subscribe to The Washington Post: https://postreports.com/offer

Shane Harris talks about the lingering threat of Russian election interference and how the administration is responding. Abha Bhattarai on a new gimmick from retailers. And Gillian Brockell and Jessica Contrera on the CIA’s rebellious neighbors.Read more: President Trump chooses a new acting director of national intelligence, following revelations that Russia wants President Trump reelected.Boozy shopping is a thing now. Find out why stores like Whole Foods and Nordstrom are hooked.In 1933, two rebellious women bought a home in Virginia’s woods. Then the CIA moved in.Subscribe to The Washington Post: postreports.com/offer

Trump's defense finishes opening arguments in the impeachment trial, and guest host Jessica Contrera talks to legal reporter Ann Marimow to answer a question from a Post Reports listener: Who is paying for Trump's lawyers?

On Post Reports, guest host Jessica Contrera talks to political reporter Aaron Blake about Trump's defense team, and the question hanging over the impeachment trial.

Jessica Contrera unpacks a legal case challenging how courts understand sexual violence. And Moriah Balingit describes the plight of educators using the impeachment trial to teach history in real time.

We've been following the story that has divided a Maryland suburb. A dog park, with barking dogs, nearly ripped the elite neighborhood of Chevy Chase Village apart. After a 5-2 town council decision to remove a dog park from the Village we talked to Jessica Contrera of the Washington Post who broke the story and covered every development.

Jessica Contrera covers a wide range of topics as a narrative reporter for the Washington Post and in this week's podcast she chats with Don about her happiest (and saddest) stories, taking care of her mental health while covering traumatic events, and the positive influence a good editor has on a young reporter. Jessica has been featured several times in the Sunday Long Read newsletter and the stories of hers that we've highlighted include a deep dive about sexting teenagers, a piece about the ongoing recovery of mass shooting victims, and a delightful tale about one particularly controversial dog park.

This year, 10-year-old Kamiya Johnson will be home for the holidays. Post reporter Jessica Contrera says that Kamiya’s family was able to leave a D.C. shelter and find housing. Also, the history of gingerbread from Mary Beth Albright.

Washington Post journalist Jessica Contrera joins the podcast to discuss her investigative report into hundreds of untested and newly tested rape kits in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Contrera uncovers the emotional and legal confusion surrounding the data as officials grapple with when and how to contact survivors of sexual violence. 

To cap off the social media triology, Montana and Mike speak with the Washington Post's Jessica Contrera about the evolution of youth culture's influence on social media. Twitter: Jessica Contrera, reporter for the Washington Post https://twitter.com/mjcontrera Screen Age Article: 13, right now - http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2016/05/25/13-right-now-this-is-what-its-like-to-grow-up-in-the-age-of-likes-lols-and-longing/?utm_term=.eac87fa0f4d2 Part 2 of the series: Who are these kids? http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/style/2016/05/25/inside-the-race-to-decipher-todays-teens-who-will-transform-society-as-we-know-it/?utm_term=.c175b03608d1

Where did this tradition come from? What does it mean to “pardon" a turkey? We’ve got you covered in this special holiday episode with Post reporter Jessica Contrera who attend the annual tradition at the White House.

9 AM - 1 - Jack talks about the new book "The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds" by Michael Lewis. 2 - Washington Post's Jessica Contrera talks about her piece: "Their Tube - When every moment of childhood can be recorded and shared, what happens to childhood?". 3 - The News with Marshall Phillips. 4 - ; Final Thoughts.

This week, we look at “13, Right Now,” written by Jessica Contrera for The Washington Post in May 2016. “13, Right Now” explores how teenagers use social media and the mobile web, focusing one 13-year-old girl who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. It's part of a series of stories in the Post — “The Screen Age” — which focuses on kids today who “have never known a world without smartphones and social media… what it means to grow up in an era where learning, flirting and hanging out all happens on screens.” Jessica Contrera is a staff writer at the Washington Post.   Another must-read by Jessica Contrera: And everyone saw it More stories from the “Screen Age” series in the Washington Post: Who are these kids? The disconnected

Happy 2016 Prosers! We've been rocking for almost a year now! Check out the very first Behind the Prose with essayist Tavonne Carson. I'm kicking off 2016 with two great episodes. Today's show features reporter Jessica Contrera who works at The Washington Post. She talks reporting and writing in this episode recorded live with students at Penn State Berks.  In two weeks, you'll get an interview with Kim Brooks, Life Editor at Salon. Jessica discusses her new  job and how she crafted an award-winning story about a hometown Waffle House.  (You can also read the transcript.) If you're in the New York City area on Friday, make sure you go to Susan Shapiro's SECRETS OF PUBLISHING PANEL. You know Sue. If you don't, you should. Meet her and other great writers and editors on Friday,  January 15, 7-8:30 p.m. at The Strand Bookstore (12th and Broadway). The event features author Judy Batalion and her debut memoir White Walls: A Memoir about Motherhood, Daughterhood, and the Mess In Between. Admission is either a copy of White Walls or a $15 gift card to The Strand.