Podcasts about Northland

Marsden Point operated as New Zealand’s only oil refinery for nearly 60 years. At its peak in the 80s, it employed around 1700 people – when it was closed in 2022, nearly 240 lost their jobs. Run by Channel Infrastructure, the site now operates as NZ’s largest fuels import terminal storing and distributing 40% of the country’s fuel. In recent weeks, a slew of Ministers have visited the site, with NZ First in particular floating the idea of introducing our first Special Economic Zone to help pump investment into the site, and life into the Northland economy. Massey University Professor Emeritus Sustainable Energy and Climate Mitigation, Ralph Sims, joins us to discuss the site’s potential. Later, Channel Infrastructure CEO Rob Buchanan takes us through the future of Marsden Point. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsEditor/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Jane YeeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Far North District is a hot-spot for Kiwis looking to get away over the holidays. However, due to the impacts of cyclones, storms and COVID - the area's businesses are still struggling. Far North District Mayor Moko Tepania told Andrew Dickens that tourism this summer is key to boosting Northland's struggling businesses. 'We need you all to come up here and spend your money because our businesses bloody need it.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Far North District is a hot-spot for Kiwis looking to get away over the holidays. However, due to the impacts of cyclones, storms and COVID - the area's businesses are still struggling. Far North District Mayor Moko Tepania told Andrew Dickens that tourism this summer is key to boosting Northland's struggling businesses. 'We need you all to come up here and spend your money because our businesses bloody need it.' LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Big Idea for this week was: Waiting Well-The Bridge is a weekly gathering of students in the Northland of Kansas City who want to see Kansas City changed by Jesus, one student at a time. For more information visit our website at https://discoverchurchkc.com/thebridge/ or follow us on social media at https://www.instagram.com/bridge_kc/ and https://www.facebook.com/BridgeDCKC

It's time for A-Z of Aotearoa, where we take you through a subject that plays a huge role in New Zealand life. We're working our way down the Alphabet from A for Aviation to Z. This week we officially cross the halfway point with the 14th letter of the alphabet - N We considered Nuclear Free, The Nikau Pine, and the NZX, but we landed on N for Northland or Te Reo Maori Te Tai Tokerau. Home to just over 200,000 of us, or 16 people per square kilometer, as well as places like Ninety Mile Beach, Kai Iwi Lakes, Bay of Islands, and our tallest tree Tane Mahuta. Sometimes referred to as the Birthplace of the nation, its history stretches all the way back to the 13th century. Ralph Johnson and Peter De Graaf chat to Jesse.

In this episode, we sit down with Tonya Jennings and Nathan Wright from Baker College (now with a mascot: The Bees!) to explore how the institution is creating new paths for education, especially for returning students, first-gen learners, and working professionals. We kick off with a look at their innovative "Return to the Hive" program, which offers institutional debt forgiveness for former students who left Baker due to unpaid balances. Half the debt is forgiven after one term, and the rest after completing a second semester. This initiative is specifically designed to remove financial barriers and re-engage students who've been out of the system for two years or more.We shift into how Baker supports first-generation college students through its "First-Gen Bees" program, which offers guidance and community for both students and staff who are navigating college without the benefit of a parent who's been through the process. Tonya and Nathan emphasize the college's “students first” culture, which drives many of their initiatives.The conversation moves to flexible programs like the new Accelerated One-Year MBA. Fully online and built for busy professionals, it allows students to move through coursework every four weeks and earn a degree in a single year. That flexibility extends to their continuing education offerings as well. Baker boasts over 1,400 non-credit courses, covering everything from trade skills like HVAC and CDL training to lifestyle topics like gardening in small spaces. The college also partners with local employers to address skill gaps, such as creating Spanish-for-manufacturing training to help teams communicate more effectively.Looking toward the future, Baker is doubling down on high-demand fields like healthcare and technology. Nursing remains a huge focus with no waitlists across campuses, and AI integration is quickly becoming a staple within programs and classrooms. The staff shares how Baker is embracing AI not as a threat but as a tool to enhance learning and career readiness, ensuring students are equipped to use it ethically and effectively.We also hear about their summer programs for middle and high schoolers, offering structured academic engagement during the break. These camps are expanding and serve as an important on-ramp for future learners. We close with a fun segment on favorite childhood books, giving the audience a peek at the personalities behind the professionals.Baker has campuses in Royal Oak, Owosso, and online.Learn more at www.baker.edu.00:00 – Return to the Hive Debt Forgiveness02:11 – What Makes the Program Unique04:08 – Supporting First-Generation Students05:17 – Accelerated One-Year MBA06:08 – Continuing Ed & Trades Training08:02 – Summer Camps for Youth09:16 – Workforce Trends & AI Integration12:26 – AI's Role in Student Learning12:52 – Fishbowl Question: Childhood Books14:55 – How to Connect with Baker College Learn more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce: https://www.royaloakchamber.com/Connect with our hosts:Jon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - http://www.jagindetroit.com/Lisa Bibbee from Century 21 Northland - http://soldbylisab.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A coroner has found there are ongoing and wide-ranging barriers for young people accessing suicide prevention services in Northland in the wake of a tragic suicide cluster. Amy Williams reports. A warning this story discusses suicide.

This is the last week of work for many of you, which might mean your attention turns to a summer camping trip. We are very fortunate to have 325 Department of Conservation campsites around the country and lots of them are about to experience their busy season. Manaia Armstrong is a DoC ranger in Mimiwhangata, Northland, part of his job is to look after the Waikahoa Bay Camping site. He joins Jesse to share tips and tricks to make camping better, and easier, for all.

Schools and kura could have an important role to play in preventing youth suicide. Coroner Tania Tetitaha's inquiry into the self-inflicted deaths of six young people finds they were effectively lost in a fragmented system. Children's Commissioner Claire Achmad says we need to make sure getting help is as easy as possible at the earliest stages of distress. She told Heather du Plessis-Allan school-based services like counselling and social workers provide a lot of benefits. Achmad says their presence makes them more accessible and more trusted by children and young people. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The self-inflicted deaths of six Northland young people reveals dangerous flaws in our suicide prevention system. An inquiry by Northland Coroner Tania Tetitaha into the deaths calls for a single, coordinated system. The youths had worked with up to 17 agencies - that hadn't seemed to identify or follow up on their need for support. Mindworks psychologist Sara Chatwin told Andrew Dickens we don't need more thinking groups and documentation, but rather people who have the skills and willingness to deal with these issues. She says in New Zealand, we clearly have a huge problem that other countries are very aware of. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the show, we're excited to welcome Katie Wieners, the owner of Monstera's Books in Downtown Overland Park! Katie lives in Overland Park with her husband, Justin, and their two daughters.  Before opening the bookstore, Katie spent nearly 15 years in software sales, building a successful career that many would consider the “safe path.” But after becoming a mom for the second time, she realized something important: the work that once energized her no longer felt aligned with the life she wanted to build. So she made a bold shift. In March 2024, Katie opened Monstera's Books, a beautiful blend of books and plants that quickly became a neighborhood favorite. Then in summer of 2025, a fire forced them closed. After extensive rebuilding the store and inventory, they reopened in time for the holidays. We're talking about what it looks like to pivot careers as a mom, follow a dream that feels a little scary, build something from the ground up, and create a space where other people can feel at home. Katie's story is such an inspiring reminder that motherhood doesn't close doors — it can actually open the right ones. Follow Monstera's on Facebook and Instagram. What We're Loving In Kansas City Santa's Secret Shop at Mama and Me Boutique in Liberty Does your kid have a list of friends, family, and special teachers they'd love to surprise for Christmas? Inside Santa's Secret Shop, your child can experience independence by shopping with a Helper Elf with affordable gifts priced from $3-$20. Shopping dates include: December 15-19: 2pm-6pm December 20: 11am-4pm December 21: 11am-1pm December 22-23: 11am-5pm December 24: 10am-1pm This fun little pop up is located inside Mama and Me Boutique in Liberty, MO. Ice Skating at Chicken N Pickle Grab your crew and head out for some seasonal fun at the ice skating rink at Chicken N Pickle in Overland Park (also a location in the Northland)! Weather permitting, the rink is open Monday–Friday from 4 p.m. to close and Saturday–Sunday from around 10 AM to close- perfect for afternoon family time or a spontaneous weekend outing. Skate passes are typically $11 with skate rentals around $4 (and kids 3 and under skate free!). There are lots of food options there, as well. Mom tip: don't forget to sign the waiver before you hit the ice! Connect with Megan and Sarah We would love to hear from you! Send us an e-mail or find us on Instagram or Facebook!    

It's one of Northland's top holiday spots and an ecological treasure - but right now Kai Iwi Lakes is facing a serious threat. Reporter Peter de Graaf has more.

Larry Weber talks about the stretch of darkness in the Northland, the Christmas Bird Count, and much more this mid-December

The Big Idea for this week was: No matter the situation, trust the Word of God-The Bridge is a weekly gathering of students in the Northland of Kansas City who want to see Kansas City changed by Jesus, one student at a time. For more information visit our website at https://discoverchurchkc.com/thebridge/ or follow us on social media at https://www.instagram.com/bridge_kc/ and https://www.facebook.com/BridgeDCKC

Mike Sabin has been a very busy man. He joined the NZ Police in 1996 and was stationed in Auckland and up north. He specialised in drug enforcement, especially methamphetamine, (otherwise known as P). He was one of the first specialised Clandestine Drug Laboratory task force members responsible for investigating and dismantling illicit P labs. In 2006 he established MethCon Group, concentrating on meth education and policy. In 2011 he entered Parliament as the National MP for Northland. Since 2019 Mike has owned and operated a private investigations business with six investigators in total. To say that this summary is just scratching the surface is an understatement. The Mailroom with Mrs Producer contains some interesting opinions. And we finish the year with comment on the increasingly Orwellian developments taking shape. File your comments and complaints at Leighton@newstalkzb.co.nz Haven't listened to a podcast before? Check out our simple how-to guide. Listen here on iHeartRadio Leighton Smith's podcast also available on iTunes:To subscribe via iTunes click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report highlights the effects of climate change on Northland - and why our northernmost region is so vulnerable to its effects. Peter de Graaf reports.

Send us a textIn this inspiring episode of the Cultural Curriculum Chat™ Podcast, Jebeh sits down with the remarkable Jenna Udenberg—community builder, educator, and advocate dedicated to creating spaces where people feel truly seen and supported.Jenna shares her journey of serving diverse populations across the Northland and how her work is rooted in connection, compassion, and intentional inclusion. From navigating leadership roles to empowering youth and families, Jenna opens up about the lessons that shaped her path and the values that continue to guide her service today.Listeners will walk away with powerful insights on how to lead with heart, build trust in multicultural communities, and cultivate environments where belonging isn't just a goal—it's a practice.Whether you're an educator, community leader, or someone passionate about making a meaningful impact, this conversation reminds us that real change begins with relationships.Tune in for a warm, thoughtful, and uplifting dialogue with Jenna Udenberg.Learn more about Jenna's Work Here: Disability Advocacy and Accessibility Education & Consulting | Above & Beyond With U Learn more about my debut novel on presale now! COME SAY Hey!! Instagram: @cultrallyjebeh_ Facebook: @JebehCulturalConsulting Pinterest: @Jebeh Cultural Consulting LinkedIn: @Jebeh Cultural Consulting Leave a Review on our Podcast! We value your feedback! Buy My Book: The Orange Blossom https://a.co/d/dRgzqgB Follow our Blog Enroll In Our Mini Courses Enroll In My Digital Course: How To Be A Culturally Competent LeaderBuy My K-12 Lesson PlansSign Up For Our Newsletter Enjoy the Cultural Curriculum Chat podcast? Share the love! Refer a friend to Buzzsprout and both you and your friend will enjoy exclusive benefits. Click the ...

In this episode of the ROCC Pod, we sit down with Pastor Beau McCarthy from Genesis The Church, a unique faith community based here in Royal Oak. We open by dispelling expectations—Beau's journey began not in seminary, but in a ska band called The Insyderz, where he played bass alongside his co-pastor Nate, who played drums. Their shared roots in music and creativity eventually led them to explore spirituality more deeply, culminating in the founding of a church that embraces art, conversation, and faith.Genesis was locally formed in the early 2000s as an offshoot of Kensington Community Church in Troy. The team, mostly in their twenties at the time, wanted to establish a new kind of church in Royal Oak—one that would evolve with the community. Over the past 25 years, they've done just that.Inclusivity stands at the heart of Genesis' identity. We talk with Beau about how their journey toward inclusion started with a 2010 merger with the First Baptist Church of Royal Oak, a congregation founded in 1839. He shares powerful historical examples, including the contributions of Hamlet Harris, a free African-American who helped fund the church's original land purchase, and stories of Japanese-American and Vietnamese refugee families welcomed by the church during difficult times in American history.Beau openly discusses how Genesis has changed its posture over time, especially around LGBTQ+ inclusion. What began as a more traditional stance has shifted through reflection, repentance, and growth. Today, Genesis is committed to ensuring that every part of their space—from physical accessibility to gender-neutral bathrooms—communicates welcome. Even the way sermons are delivered, from the same level as the congregation, reflects this flat, inclusive posture.We also dive into the church's aspiration to be a beacon—a place of light, refuge, and good deeds. Beau explains that this vision informs how they walk with each other in both suffering and joy. That idea extends into his personal life too. He and his wife are adoptive parents to two Black sons, and he shares how that experience reshaped their family's identity and their approach to parenting.Beau wraps up by reflecting on the power of personal stories— both good and bad - and not just as anecdotes, but as guiding narratives that help individuals discover purpose and connection. Whether it's historical stories or modern journeys, Genesis is a church that honors and grows through storytelling. For those curious about joining or learning more, the church offers a low-pressure environment and multiple ways to connect—online or in person.Website: https://www.genesisthechurch.org/Pastor Beau's email: beau.genesisthechurch@gmail.com00:00 - Intro and Ernie Harwell Quote00:53 - From Ska Band to Ministry02:35 - Founding of Genesis The Church04:09 - The Church's Inclusive Roots08:44 - Evolving LGBTQ+ Posture11:31 - Pastor Beau's Transracial Adoption and Identity15:45 - Reconnecting with the Chamber16:28 - How to Connect with Genesis17:47 - Wrap-Up and Resources Learn more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce: https://www.royaloakchamber.com/Connect with our hosts:Jon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - http://www.jagindetroit.com/Lisa Bibbee from Century 21 Northland - http://soldbylisab.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Among everyday vehicles, nearly half are overdue for either their Warrant of Fitness (WOF) or their registration, according to a vehicle management app. Bonnet, an app that links to NZTA data crunched the numbers for 21,500 vehicles, privately owned and fleet operated. The Bonnet data shows in Northland, 66% of warrants are overdue, in Auckland around 16% have expired, but it's just 8% in Otago. AA's principal policy advisor, Terry Collins spoke to Lisa Owen.

I've truly been a fan of Bro for 2 decades, maybe more. I've read his articles, watched him on IN-Fisherman and Linder's Angling Edge and bought his signature baits by Northland for basically ever. We have been wanting to do an ice fishing episode for years, and legit, who better to talk about it than the legend himself?! What an honor to talk to this man! Honest, humble, and CLEARLY in love with the vibe of fishing. PLEASE GIVE US A 5 STAR POSITIVE REVIEW ON WHATEVER PLATFORM YOU'RE ON! TELL A FRIEND. SHARE THE WORD! Seriously though, it really helps us! POSITIVITY IS WORTH THE EFFORT! ALL FISHING IS FUN FISHING! ⁠https://www.tackleandtacos.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.grizzlycoolers.com-⁠ code WCB for 15% off ⁠https://hookandarrowsupply.com⁠ ⁠https://www.leupold.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.workingclassbowhunter.com/⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/p/Moldys-Marine-100067184804787/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Northland leader is calling for the popular Kai Iwi lakes to be closed to boaties in the lead up to Christmas because of the threat of a highly invasive pest. The freshwater gold clam, which can clog water ways and compete with native species for food, was found in the Waikato river two years ago. But earlier this month the clams were discovered in New Plymouth's Rotomanu Lake  - the first time they've been confirmed outside of the Waikato River. Ric Parore who is from Te Kuihi and Te Roroa is calling for the lake to be closed to boats and spoke to Lisa Owen.   

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Important Links We Belong Here campaign page We Belong Here Partner organizations: Asian Law Caucus |Asian Refugees United | Hmong Innovating Politics | Hmong Family Association of Lansing | Rising Voices Transcript Nina Phillips: Hello and welcome. You are tuning into APEX Express, a weekly radio show uplifting the voices and stories of Asian Americans. I'm your host Nina Phillips, and tonight we are doing something a little different. Earlier this month on Monday, November 3rd, communities of Hmong and Nepali speaking, Bhutanese Americans, fellow immigrants and allies, gathered together at a virtual [00:01:00] community event called We Belong Here. The goal: to shed light on the continued detainment and deportation of immigrant communities in the United States and the specific challenges faced by Bhutanese, Hmong, and Southeast Asian folks.  Tika Basnet: When, uh, my husband got detained on April 8, I took one week after to reach out Aisa and she told me, Hey Tika, come forward, you know, your story is powerful. People need to know your story.  Nina Phillips: That was the voice of Tika Basnet. Her husband, Mohan Karki is a Nepali speaking Bhutanese refugee from Ohio who has spent months in ICE detention, trapped in legal limbo. Tika has been working tirelessly to bring her husband home and shared her story with us at We Belong Here. Tonight, we are bringing you a recording of this virtual community gathering. You'll hear more from Tika about the Free Mohan Karki campaign and from Ann Vue, [00:02:00] the spouse of Lue Yang, a Hmong community leader from Michigan, who is also currently detained and facing deportation. Ann is leading the movement to Bring Lue Home, and we'll be sharing more later about how you can get involved as well and support both of these campaigns. You will also hear from state representatives of Michigan and Ohio, the music and spoken word performance of Asian Refugees United, and community tools and resources that a vital in helping to keep our immigrant loved ones safe. The host of this community event was Miko Lee, APEX producer, and a voice that you might be familiar with. Alrighty, without further ado, here's Miko. Miko Lee: We belong here. What we recognize right now is there's almost. 60,000 people being held in detention right now, immigrants that are being held in detention. It is a pandemic that is happening in our country that's impacting all of our people, and we need [00:03:00] to be able to take action. Tonight we're talking very specifically, not with this 60,000 people that are in detention now, but just two of those stories, so that you can get a sense of what is happening in the Bhutanese and Hmong communities and what's happening right now, and to talk about those particular stories and some actions you can take. First I wanna recognize that right now we are on native lands, so all of us except our original indigenous people, are from other places and I'd invite you to go into the chat and find your native land. I am speaking with you from the unceded Ohlone land, and I wanna honor these ancestors, these elders that have provided for us and provided this beautiful land for us to be on. So I invite you to share into the chat your name, your pronoun, and also what indigenous land you are living on right now in this Native American Heritage Month. Thank you so much to all of you that have joined [00:04:00] us. We are really seeing the impact of this administration on all of our peoples, and particularly tonight in terms of the Hmong and Nepali speaking, Bhutanese communities. These are communities that have been impacted, specifically refugee communities that have been impacted in incredible detrimental ways by this administration. And tonight what we really wanna do is talk to you about what is going on in our communities. We wanted to make sure we translated so that we have as much access into our communities as possible because we wanna be as inclusive of our world as we can. We Belong Here is focusing on the fact that all of us belong here. We belong in this land, and we are telling these stories tonight in the context of these sets of people particularly that have so many similarities in terms of Hmong folks who worked with our US government and worked with our US military during the Vietnam War and then came [00:05:00] here as refugees and stayed in this country to the Nepali speaking Bhutanese folks, who left their country from ethnic cleansing and then went into refugee camps and now took refuge in the United States. So these are all stories that are impactful and powerful, and it's really what it means to be American. we have come from different places. We see these attacks on our people. right now I would like to bring to the fore two empowering women, refugees themselves. Hailing from places as different as Somalia and Southeast Asia, and they're gonna talk about some of the detention and deportations that are happening right now. First I'd like to focus on Rep Mai Xiong, who's from Michigan's 13th District. I hand it over to the representative.  Rep. Mai Xiong: Good evening everyone. I'm state representative,  Mai Xiong, and it is a pleasure to meet all of you virtually. I'm coming to you from Warren, Macomb County, Michigan, and I represent the 13th [00:06:00] house of district, uh, the communities of Warren Roseville and St. Claire Shores. I've lived here in Michigan for over 20 years now. I came to the United States at a very young age, was born in a refugee camp and came here when I was three years old. So I grew up in Ohio. And then I moved to Michigan to attend college. Never thought that I would ever be serving in the State House. I previously served as a county commissioner here in Macomb. And, uh, last year when President Trump got elected, I had very quiet fears that as a naturalized citizen, that even I did not feel safe given the, um. The failure in our immigration system. So we have seen that play out, uh, with this administration, with the, attempts to get rid of birthright citizenship de-naturalization. And, you hear the rhetoric from officials about, deporting the worst of the worst criminal, illegal aliens. And we [00:07:00] know, as Miko mentioned in, in her introduction, that, refugees came here through a legal pathway. The Hmong in particular served alongside America during the Vietnam War and were persecuted from Laos. So my parents fled Laos. And so growing up I didn't have, uh, citizenship. Um, and so we have seen, uh, in this administration that refugees are now caught up in this, immigration effort to get rid of people who came here through legal pathways Lue is a father. He is a community leader. Uh, he is a well-respected member of our community as all of these individuals are. And at some point our system failed them and we are working extremely hard, to get their stories out. But what I have found with many of these families is that they are, uh, afraid to come forward. They are ashamed. There is a stigma involved and, uh, culturally, as many of you may [00:08:00] know, if you are of Asian American descent, and a fear of, uh, retaliation. And as the only Hmong American elected here in Michigan, I'm grateful that I have, uh, the ability to.  have those connections and to be such a visible, uh, member of my community that many of these individuals. Felt comfortable enough to reach out to me. But the reality is back in July we didn't know anything other than, the number of people who were detained. And that was through a firsthand account from loved ones who you know, were accompanying their loved one and got detained. And so it was literally like trying to find missing people and then getting the word out to let them know that, hey, there's actually, there's help out there. The volunteer attorneys, the nonprofits, the Immigration Rights Center, uh, here in Michigan, I mean, everybody has been doing a phenomenal job because I think the majority, the vast majority of Americans understand that, um, these [00:09:00] individuals that are being taken out of our communities are not a, a threat to society. They are members of our community. They've lived here for decades. They have jobs, they have children. And when you when you take an individual out of our community, it actually does more harm then it does to make any one of us safe. So that's the message that I have been sharing with others, uh, not only in having a connection and being a refugee just like these individuals, but advocating for them and making it clear that these are our neighbors, these are our children's classmates, parents, and it doesn't make any one of us feel safer. One of the things I am. Upset about that I continue to talk about is that we're not actually in a immigration crisis. We share here in Michigan, we share an international border with Canada, and we have never had an issue with border security. The [00:10:00] problem is the policies that have been put in place, that these individuals have been caught up in our immigration system for decades, and it is extremely hard for them to obtain citizenship or to even know what their rights are. And so we really need, in addition to advocating for these families, we need immigration reform. Throwing money at a problem is not going to solve the problem. If anything, we have are, we are in an economic crisis. Miko Lee: Thank you so much for joining. Um, I'd love to turn the baton over to another one of our powerful women representatives, Rep. Munira Abdullah from Ohio's Ninth District. Rep Abdullah. We pass it over to you. Thank you so much.  Rep. Munira Abdullahi: Uh, thank you for having me and also Rep Mai Xiong, it is really great to see you. I'm grateful to have been able to see you go from Commissioner to State Rep, doing amazing things on social media as well. I'm very, a big fan. Uh, my name is Munira Abdullahi. I represent District Nine in Ohio, which is in the Columbus area. Northland, [00:11:00] uh, Manette Park. Uh, a little bit of New Albany in Westerville city schools. Um, I'm also a refugee. My family fled Somalia and Civil War, and I was born in refugee camp in Kenya. And then we came to the United States when I was about two, three years old, uh, and ended up moving to Ohio when I was like four. First moved to Utah, salt Lake City, Utah, and then to Ohio when I was about five years old. And so I certainly understand the fear of being an immigrant in a new country and, um, struggling to belong and figure out where are your place is. And, and also just adjusting to a whole new society, um, with the language barriers and, and all of the the barriers are in the way. And then that fear of, your immigration status. You know, before my parents were, you know, passed their, their, uh, citizenship test, right. It was very scary. Um, and I know many families who feel the same way right now, especially with this new administration. Um, with the OCE raids that are happening that are really disrupting our communities and our [00:12:00] families. Um, we have a, a, a cons, a constituent of mine, um, who is now, uh, in prison. We have, uh, have a couple actually. One is Leonardo Faso, and then I know one we're gonna talk about soon is Mohan Karki, who is his family, I believe, is on this call. Uh, and he was taken by ICE. And he's, uh, you know, the, the breadwinner and the, the caregiver of his family. And so it's really important not to forget that a lot of these people who are being taken by ICE are like the breadwinners and, and, and the caretakers of these families. And now the family's left with a hole, uh, in their, in their home. And so, we really need to remember to take care of these families. I know there's gonna be a GoFundMe that that will be shared. Um, but finding these families and supporting them. Um, in any way that we can monetary, you know, checking on them, giving, you know, helping them with food. Now we have SNAP benefits are being cut for many, many, many Americans. We are struggling as is, but immigrants in particular are struggling a lot, lot more, um, with these raids and, and with the uncertainties. But one thing I wanna remind everyone is that, you know, through community we [00:13:00] find strength. And so that, um, understanding, you know, where our communities are, where people are suffering and finding our place and helping with that, right? Whether that might, might be, uh, maybe we have the financial capabilities to, to support, maybe we can cook for someone. Um, maybe we can advocate where, where we have the ability to advocate. Whatever we can do, we have a responsibility to do it. Um, and there are successes. I know in Ohio it's a little different where we can't really advocate anything on the state level because it's like they, we just make things worse. We're in a very rough, super minority, the Democrats and super minority, and we have bills in the State House we're trying to fight against that are trying to make it worse, where we're trying to get rid of Republicans in the State House are trying to get rid of like a sanctuary cities, um, and penalize cities that don't engage, uh, or don't cooperate with ICE. Um, we have currently a bill, which actually this is, this might be more of a, on a positive note, is we had a bill house bill one. That sought to ban immigrants, certain immigrants from owning land in certain areas. [00:14:00] But because of community engagement, because of advocacy, because of collaboration with community advocacy groups, that Bill was effectively paused. Like, as of now, it's paused because people came and advocated. They spoke to their representatives, they testified, they called, they protested, um, they had press conferences. They brought so much attention to the bill, and it just became so. Obvious that people don't want this bill. And that pressure really got to the majority in the State House. And that bill has been paused, right? It was created to keep Chinese Americans from buying land specifically. Um, and that list can change, by the way. It's an, it's a, a rotating list. The Secretary of State can add whatever countries that they want to, that list, so it's very harmful. But the Asian American community came together alongside with us representatives in the State House and, and effectively like paused that bill. So there's there are positive things we could, we could achieve as a community when we fight together and communicate and stand with one another regardless of our nationality. We're all struggling here. We're [00:15:00] all in the same place. We're all, uh, in need of one another. And that's why I was reminding people was like, when we are in need of one another. And when one person is struggling, we should all be feeling that.  Miko Lee: Thank you  Rep Munira. Thank you so much for joining us. And yes, we are all part of a collective community that needs to be working together. And Rep Munira talked about Mohan Karki and next we're gonna see a short video performance that was created by Asian refugees United, uh, Maxine Hong Kingston said, “in a time of destruction, create something”. So we're gonna watch this video that was created. Uh, it's a shortcut of a performance by Asian Refugees United. Nina Phillips: Hello, it's APEX Express host Nina Phillips here chiming in with a couple words on this performance. It's a very music and spoken word forward piece, so you should get a good sense of the production through just the audio. The youth performers from Asian Refugees United do a wonderful job of embodying the story of Mohan Karki and his family through music and [00:16:00] movement and dance as well. Very evocative. If you'd like to see this short video clip in full, with the visuals, please visit the website of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. That's accre.org/our-voices/webelonghere.  Enjoy the show. ARU Performer: Mohan Karki, I was detained by an ICE officer to be deported to a country that I never been to. A country. That I don't belong to [00:17:00] a country I wasn't born to, that I don't speak the language of. When they moved me to a detention center in Michigan, I called my wife Tika. They're taking me, I told her my voice was calm, but inside I was breaking into a million pieces. It felt like a goodbye, not just to her, but to the life we built together to the dreams that we planted seeds for. I was just 17 years old when I decided who I was before I could even speak up for myself. I stand here as a victim of an unjust system that never gave me a chance.[00:18:00]  I am a man with purpose. I worked hard. I drove trucks. I supported my family, and I loved my wife Tika, and waited for the day that I would finally meet our baby. [Speaks in Nepali] How do I tell my daughter that leaving her was never my choice? Now I wait for the news. Now would completely change everything. Will they send me back to Bhutan? Will I be deported like the ones before me? No one talks about what happens to us [00:19:00] once we're gone. We vanish. Into silence. Where do I belong?  You belong here. They belong here. We belong here. [Singing in Nepali] [Speaks in Nepali] What type of future do we wanna build? A future where we can all belong? A future where we can coexist, [00:20:00] coexist in nature. And coexist with each other. A future where another Mohan Karki does not have to fear of being displaced all over again. A future where Mohan Karki does not have to be separated from his new born baby girl. A place where people like Mohan Carkey can have home, a future and community, a future with family, a future and harmony. A future to heal. A future to grow. Above all, a future to belong. I hope the future is more generous to all of us. [Singing in [00:21:00] Nepali] Miko Lee: Can you all give it up in the chat for those performers. Nawal was our interpreter at the very beginning of this, and to show the power of how art can transform things at that performance, the ACLU was there. And actually because of that, we were able to find a pro bono lawyer to be able to help with one of, uh, Mohans Habeas Corpuses cases and just that's an example of Asian refugees United, that was their work before all of these detentions were going on. It was youth empowerment and storytelling, but they had to pivot, given the shape of our world. I wanna transition us to our panel of speakers of powerful. Again, powerful women. [00:22:00] Um, Ann Vue who is the spouse of Lue Yang, Tika Bassett, who is the spouse of Mohan Karki and Aisa Villarosa, who has been our brilliant, dedicated lawyer from Asian Law Caucus working on this. So we're not gonna go over and tell the entire stories of each of these people and what happened to them. And if you want that, you can listen to the radio show that we did on APEX Express. Tika, I wanted to start with you and just hear from you, what is your response after watching that video about your husband? Tika Basnet: Yeah, it is really beautiful story. Um, thank you ARU for, um, representing my husband story. Um, it just make, make me cry and I was crying while watching the video and it remind me what happened. Since seven month ago. And, um, yeah. Hi, my name is Tika Basnet. I'm from Ohio and I've been fighting for my husband deportation and detention since seven month ago. Without the community and without all the [00:23:00] support that I got from organization, I don't think it is possible that my husband will still be here. And the reason that this is possible is because I reach out to them without getting fear, without getting afraid of what will happen if I speak outside. So, um, yeah, um, it is really difficult. What is going on right now. Sometime I don't wanna speak because of the current policy. Uh, it make me feel, even though I'm US citizen, um, sometime I feel like if I speak something against the policy, I, they will might, they might gonna take my citizenship away. And then, um, I realized that, if I speak then it'll help me. Right now, um, ICE is not letting my husband come home, even though it is been seven month and our attorney try everything in a possible way. Uh, the ICE is not letting my husband come out. I dunno how long it'll take. I don't know. don't wanna, yeah. Thank you.  Miko Lee: No, you can speak more. Tika. Do you wanna add?  Tika Basnet: Yeah, um, especially I wanna thank you [00:24:00] ARU and Aisa and Miko. Everything is happening right now is because of them, because I reached out to them. If I did not, I feel like my husband is story will be one of those Bhutanese people that disappear. I don't know what happened to them. I hope, uh, the reason that I'm fighting for my husband case is because he deserve fear. Uh, he has a family member here. He has a community that loves him. He was supporting his parent, he was supporting us. We don't have a country. Um, this is our country and we belong here. Thank you.  Miko Lee: You. Thank you, Tika. I wanna bring Ann Vue up to speak about your husband, Lue Yang and his case and what's going on with his case. Very complicated case. What is going on with his case right now?  Ann Vue: So first of all,  Thank you guys so much for. Giving Tika and I this space just to share our stories of families who are fighting every day, um, just to stay together. So [00:25:00] currently with Lue's case right now we are, we just got his, um, stay of removal approved the emergency stay of removal approved. I might, um, have the right lingo for that, but, uh, so as of October 22nd our Michigan governor's, pardon was issued for Lue. So we were so grateful for that. I know our, our Michigan lawmakers are working around the clock uh, Michigan DHS team to bring him back to Michigan, uh, where we have a petition currently filed for his release while his case, uh, is ongoing. Miko Lee: Thanks Ann. And I just wanna point out that there's in, even though these communities are distinct and these two men are distinct, beautiful individuals, there are so many commonalities between the two. Um, both born in refugee camps, both in one case, the Bhutanese, the Nepali speaking Bhutanese, folks having escaped ethnic cleansing to then go to a. Uh, [00:26:00] refugee camp to then come to the US and in another families who worked with the American government in the Secret War in Vietnam, who then again became refugees and came to the US. Two young men who when they were young, like very young, um, with their peers, were involved in incidents that had, uh, really bad legal advice. That did not help them in the process. And that is why even though they're amazing contributing members in our current society, they have this past old, almost like childhood record that is impacting them. And both of them are impacted by statelessness because. Even though they're being deported, they're being deported to a place of which it is not their home. They might not speak that language. They might not have connections with that. Their home is here in America. Um, that is why we say use the terminology we belong here. Um, before we go a little bit more into personal stories [00:27:00] I saw from Asian Law Caucus, I wonder if you can give a little bit of an overview about the broader, legal actions that are taking place around these kidnappings.  Aisa Villarosa: Yeah, thanks Miko. And just huge love to Ann and Tika. Reiterating that these are two refugee communities bonded through not just this frustrating, heartbreaking experience, um, but also this, this solidarity that's building. To share Miko, about the broader legal ramifications, and there was a question in the chat about what's the big deal about a stay of removal? So just for starters, the system that Mohan and Lue got pulled into can be lightning quick with removing folks. Part of this is because Mohan, Lue, so many folks in refugee communities all across the country years and years ago, perhaps when they were teenagers, just like Mohan and Lue, uh, there might have been some sort of, run in with law enforcement. Oftentimes racial profiling [00:28:00] can be involved, especially with the over-policing, right in our country, decades later, after living peacefully in their communities. Oftentimes decades after an immigration judge said to Mohan, said to Lue, you are not a safety risk. You are not a threat to the community. You've done your time. You can come home. Uh, maybe some folks had some ICE check-ins that they would come to every year. Um, and then with this administration, this unprecedented attack on immigrant and refugee rights, that is when we started to see for the very first time as folks have mentioned, these broad deportations, uh, to countries that previously were not accepting refugees primarily because that is the same country of their ancestral persecution. Um, in some cases they have zero connection to the country. Um, and in cases like the Bhutanese refugees, they're actually [00:29:00] expelled from Bhutan when they're removed. Again, all this is happening for the very first time. There are some serious legal questions with due process. Even if immigration court does run on a similar track as a lot of our other court systems, there's still a duty of fairness and often that duty is completely neglected.  Nina Phillips: You are tuned into Apex Express on 94.1 KPFA, 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley, 88.1 KFCF in Fresno and online@kpfa.org. Coming up is Klezmer Dances II by The Daniel Pelton Collective.  [00:30:00] [00:31:00] [00:32:00] That was  Klezmer Dances II by The Daniel Pelton Collective. You are tuned into APEX Express [00:33:00] on 94.1 KPFA. Now back to Miko and her conversation with Tika Basnet and Ann Vue. Two incredibly strong women who are leading campaigns to bring home their respective spouses from ICE detention, and Aisa Villarosa with the Asian Law Caucus. Miko Lee: I would love to speak to a little bit more of the uplifting power of these women that are being highlighted right now. And I'm wondering both for Ann and Tika, if you could talk a little bit about your sense of resilience. because both of your spouses were, even though when they were youth, there were systems impacted in our Asian American communities. There's some shame that's associated with that. And so some people have been really hesitant to speak out. Can you talk a little bit about what encouraged you to speak out on behalf of your husband and how that has made a difference for you in the community? And I'm gonna start with Ann first.  Ann Vue: So I would say, um. In the [00:34:00] beginning when Lue was first detained on July 15th. I was scared. I am the first generation born American, uh, um, right here in Michigan. And even myself, I was so scared to say anything to anyone. I remember getting that call from Lue and it just felt so unreal. Quickly playing back to 2008, uh, which would be the third time that the embassy, Laos and Thailand both rejected Lue's entry and how his immigration officer was like, don't wait, start your life. And then fast forwarding it to what had happened, I was scared and, um. Lue and I are both, uh, Hmong community leaders as well. And Lue, of course, um, being president of the Hmong Family Association, him and I decided we're gonna keep a little quiet at first, and I started getting [00:35:00] calls from our Hmong community members. Uh, in concern to them receiving a letter, which is all dated for the same time at the same place that is not usual, where people would normally go see their immigration officer. And immediately that weekend I went to go visit him and I, it was explaining to him that I have received nine calls and I don't know what to do in immediately he. I think that the urgency around his people created that fear and immediately he was like, Hey, we've gotta start talking. You've gotta call you. You have to start making calls. Because he was detained on the 15th. On the 15th, which was Tuesday, and these letters were mailed to the community on that Friday. And immediately him and I started talking more and more and he said, “we have a 50-50 chance. If you don't fight for me and the others, then. We get sent back, you're gonna regret that for the rest of your life or [00:36:00] you fight for us. And as long as you fought all the way till the end, whatever happens, we can live with that”. And immediately, I remember speaking to, uh, attorney Nancy, and I've been mentioning to her that I wanna call, I wanna call Rep Mai. And I wanted to call Commissioner Carolyn Wright and she was like, well make the call and I'm glad that she didn't wait. And she just said, Hey, you know what? She just started talking and immediately Rep Mai called and that's how it kind of started this whole journey. So I am so thankful that I did. I did voice it out because I myself, even as a community leader, I felt hopeless. I felt like as loud as I am, everyone that I, for the first time had no voice. It became, became lonely. I became scared. Because they've got a, you know, we have a family, right, that we're raising together with small children. So I'm glad that we did, uh, [00:37:00] share our story and I'm glad that it is out. And, and that it, it opened the key to many other Southeast Asian families to do the same as well too.  Miko Lee: Thank you so much, Anna. And I remember you saying that even Lue was speaking with folks in Spanish to get their stories and share them out as well. Ann Vue: He had to learn it! And you know, I will say that with this whole detention thing, it doesn't just detain our person. It detains our whole family. We're all a part of this, you know? And so, you know, Lue had to learn how to count so he can give the numbers 'cause he was doing it with his hand motions. Because it's a hard system, it's a very complex system to navigate, which is how people go disappearing. And so for him to be able to reach out. Give me phone numbers to these families, regardless. Love beyond borders, right? And I was able to reach out to these families so that that way they know where their person was and [00:38:00] help them get set up so they can, so their families can call them. Miko Lee: Thank you so much for doing that. And you and your husband, both as organizers and continuing to be organizers even when locked up. Tika, I wanna turn it to you and ask about the courage it took to speak up and what keeps you going.  Tika Basnet: Yes. So when, uh, my husband got detained on April 8, I took one week after to reach out Aisa and she told me, Hey Tika, come forward. You know, your story is powerful. People need to know your story. And I told first thing to Aisa is our community is very just mental. They doesn't understand. And I've been looking at the video where our Bhutanese people get detained and deported and on common section, the first thing that I noticed was people are commenting, oh, these people are criminal. They are, maybe they, um, kill someone or they rape someone, you know, without. Understanding the people's story. And I, I [00:39:00] was thinking the same, whatever, if I come forward, will they gonna understand my story? Will they gonna talk to me? Will they gonna ask me personally, what is going on? And I actually same as Ann, I, um, I. Was scared to come out. I did not come out in two within two, two months, you know, when, uh, I tried to deport my husband on my due date that I was about to give birth, um, BIA, uh, grant, day of removal, you know, in two month I was crying alone. I was messaging Aisa and I was telling all my pain. And then when they stop my husband deport his son and that day, um. Aisa and ARU, everybody encouraged me. Like, you know, you need to come forward. People need to know your story. And then that day I decide, and I also remember that, um, within one minute after I gave birth, I was messaging, uh, ARU team I think his name [00:40:00] is Pravin or something. I was messaging him, Hey, I'm ready to give, uh, interview. I'm ready to give uh, a story. And that day I decide like I wanna come forward. I don't care what society is thinking, I'm the one that going through and people need to know my story. And, uh, I think, uh, and also I look at my daughter, you know, I don't want, um, her to think that I did not fight for her dad. You know, I want her to think like her mom is, is strong enough to fight and looking at her. That gave me so much power and yeah. And now like give, getting a lot of support, a lot of love is give me like, you know, I, I feel like, um, I wouldn't, uh, get all the support if I was scared and did not, uh, talk about my story. So now like receiving a lot of love from everywhere and that give me couraged to continue and talk about my husband's deportation.  Miko Lee: Thank you, Tika. And I wanna recognize that we're running late, but we're gonna get through it if those of you could stay with us a little bit [00:41:00] longer. My one more question to both Ann and Tika is what message do you have for people that are experiencing this right now? Because this, as we said, 60,000 people are detained right now. Your spouses, we, as we have said, it's not just you with your, the children, the grandparents, all the other people. What advice do you have for other folks that are going through this and do you have a message for those folks? Ann Vue: I would say, um, for anyone who is going through what Tika and I and the many are going through that, um, make sure you document everything, get your loved ones Alien Number because you want to track it as you go. Build your circle. Know that you are not alone. Uh, reach out. I'm still learning as I go too. And it's unfortunate that we as family, like have to become attorneys overnight and learn to as well. But make sure that you guys, that you know that you're not alone you know that [00:42:00] we're not fighting the system. We're fighting a system that. Hopes, uh, that we get tired of fighting it. And the moment that you speak up, they can't disappear your loved one quietly. And I am a very big, um, firm believer. There's this scripture that has always carried Lue and I and, uh, I, I can't stress on it enough. And especially to all of those, to all of our, everybody that's on tonight. And beyond that, uh, there's a scripture. It's a Proverbs, right? 3:27-28 that says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is your power to act”. And so thank you to those who continues to act when action is really within your reach and. We belong here, our families belong here. And compassion delayed is really compassion denied. And so don't fight alone 'cause that's what they are hoping that we will fight alone, [00:43:00] but we're together in this.  Miko Lee: Beautiful, thanks. And Tika, what about you? What advice do you have for other people that are experiencing this with family members?  Tika Basnet: So, yeah, um, I'm encouraging everyone like we experiencing this deportation for the first time or. Come forward. You never know. You know how many support you will get. Looking at Ann and my story that if we did not reach out to the community, I don't think our husband will be here at the moment. So you are the one who going through the pain and, uh, sharing your pain will make you at least a relief and you never know. Your husband Deportes and will stop. You will get like support from, from community. So ICE is not deporting only your husband or your like wife or someone, they are deporting your dream, your hope. So when they try to deport my husband, they were deporting my husband, uh, my [00:44:00] daughter future, the future that we talk about. So I am telling everyone that come forward. Story, your story, and you'll get lot of love. You'll get lot of support. And if I did not talk before, I don't think my husband will be here. He'll be one of the person that disappear long time ago. So yeah, please come forward and see your story. And the last thing is, I wanna say we belong here. This is our home and our future is here.  Miko Lee: Thank you so much, Tika. Um, Aisa, I wanna turn it over to you. Ann was saying suddenly we have to become lawyers and, and so can you talk about, and even like with Lue's case, it was suddenly he got pardoned at the last minute when he was on a deportation plane, and then it was like, oh, that should fix everything, but it doesn't, so can you talk a little bit about some of the legal ramifications that people should know about? Aisa Villarosa: Sure. And just to say, Mohan, Lue, Tika, Ann, I mean, y'all have lived [00:45:00] several movies in, in just the span of months the amount of stress, both you yourselves as the lead advocate, your families. Uh, so, so for folks watching this is literally Mohan and Lue getting like pulled off planes because of the shared advocacy here, uh, which starts with the decision to speak out. Um, and for folks in the room who aren't sure whether they want to share their story, you know, we're not saying, oh, go to the press so much of it. Involves just opening your heart to a trusted person. Um, many of those people are here in this room uh, my organization, Asian Law Caucus. Uh, in a minute we'll share some links for some of our resources. Uh, the wonderful folks at ARU, there's such a full crew, and if you're part of a community, especially the many, many, too many refugee communities being targeted. You are not alone. So in terms of what the legal battle [00:46:00] looks like, another thing to remember is that for any case, there's usually a, a wave of folks that's needed, uh, for Lue, for Mohan. That's multiple states sometimes because in the immigration world, for example, you could have a very, very old final order of removal. So this is essentially the order that is put forward by an immigration judge. That technically allows a lot of these awful deportations and disappearances to take place. The battle to fight that can be multi-state, uh, multi-issue. So you're talking to a criminal defense attorney, you're talking to an immigrant rights attorney. Uh, but going back to that trust, just talk to someone who both you can trust and someone who has a good lay of the land because these cases are incredibly complex. Folks I work with, sometimes they're physically driving to a law office. Someone named Emily is on the call. You know, we drove to a law office. Turns [00:47:00] out the record we were looking for was, was too old. The, that previous attorney didn't have the record on file. There are so many practical challenges you don't anticipate. So the sooner you do that math and just open your story up, um, to, to a loved one, to a trusted one. And in a little bit we're, we'll share more links for what that process looks like.  Miko Lee: So we're gonna move into that call to action. We're running a bit over time, so if you could hang with us for a couple more minutes. Um, we want to one, thank all of our amazing guests so far and then move to our call to action. What can you do? A bunch of people are throwing things into the chat. We're gonna start with Rising Voices. Oh, I guess we're gonna start with OPAWL and Sonya is gonna share about OPAWL's work and the call to action there. Sonya (OPAWL): Hi everyone. My name is Sonya Kapur. I live in Columbus, Ohio, and I'm a member of OPAWL Building AAPI Feminist leadership. I'd like to share a little bit about our efforts to support Mohans Campaign for Freedom and encourage you to donate to [00:48:00] Mohans GoFundMe to cover his legal fees, and the link to the GoFundMe will be in the chat. With the funds raised so far, Tika and Mohan were able to hire a seasoned attorney to review Mohans court documents and work on his case. So your donations will allow Mohan to continue working with his legal team as we fight to bring him home. So even five or $10 will help us get closer to reuniting Mohan with his family and community here in Ohio. A really fun piece of this is that a local, Columbus based illustrator and OPA member Erin Siao, has also created a beautiful art fundraiser to help raise more funds from Mohans release campaign. So when you donate to Mohans GoFundMe between now and November 15th, you receive a complimentary five by seven art print of your choice. Families belong together on the right or on the left. To receive a print, you just email Erin and her. Email address will also be in the [00:49:00] chat, a screenshot of your donation confirmation along with your name and address. You can also send a direct message of the screenshot to her Instagram account, so please consider uplifting our art fundraiser on social media. Encourage others to donate to the GoFundMe and share Mohans story with your family and friends.  Miko Lee: Thanks, Sonya and Opal, and we'll turn it over to Emily at Rising Voices. Emily (Rising Voices): Hi, thank you. Um, rising Voices is one of the, uh, many members helping bring Lue Yang home. Just wanna share that. We do have a online petition going that directs you to email the ice field office in Detroit, pressuring them to bring him home. Um, there's also a number to call with a script provided. So nothing has to be reinvented. We please, please encourage you to share this out, and you do not have to be from Michigan to make a call or email every single email. And, all counts. And we also do have a GoFundMe for [00:50:00] him and his family. As we all know legal file, legal fees pile up, so anything counts. Thank you so much everyone.  Miko Lee:  Thanks Emily. Now we're gonna pass it over to Nawal talking about this event which is connected to disappeared in America.  Nawal Rai: Hi everyone. I'm Nawal here again and yeah, so We Belong Here. Uh, today's event was part of the Disappeared in America Weekend of Action, which is a national mobilization action to protect immigrants, uh, expose corporate complicity and honor the lives lost in detention and across America more than 150 towns and cities held.  Um. Weekend of Collective action this weekend on November 1st and second, standing in solidarity with immigrants families, uh, from holding freedom vigils outside of ICE facilities to via de Los Mortis gathering, honoring life's lost in detentions to ice out of Home Depot actions. Calling out corporate complicity this weekend was a resounding nation nationwide call for compassion, dignity, and [00:51:00] democracy, and demanding justice and due process for all. The National Action was organized by the Coalition of Partners, including National Day Labor Organizing Network, Detention Watch Network, the Worker Circle, public ci, uh, citizen, and many allied organization across the country. Thank you all. Thank you for joining us today.  Miko Lee: Thank you to everyone for showing up today. We thank all of our speakers, all of our many partner organizations. As we were saying, it takes many of us working together collectively. Even though we said there's 60,000 people detained. There are so many more than that. We know that immigrants contribute and refugees contribute immensely to the American experience, and we want everyone to know that we belong here. All of us belong here. This is our home.  Thank you so much for joining us all. We appreciate all of you, the interpreters, the translators, the folks behind the scene who helped to make this event happen. Um, shout out to Cheryl Truong [00:52:00] and Nina Phillips for really doing all the tech behind this. And to all of you for showing up tonight, we need each and every one of you to participate to show that you are part of the beloved community, that you are part of believing that America can be a place filled with beloved love instead of hatred. Um, so I would love you all to just all together. Shout out. We belong here. 1, 2, 3.  Event Attendees: We belong here. We belong here.  We belong here.  Miko Lee: Have a great night, and thank you all for joining us. Nina Phillips: This was a recording of a virtual community gathering that took place earlier this month on Monday, November 3rd. It was made [00:53:00] possible by We Belong Here, a coalition of immigrant rights organizations, Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality, Asian Refugees United, Asian Law Caucus, Hmong Family Association Lansing, Hmong Innovative Politics, OPAWL and Rising Voices.  As I mentioned earlier, you can watch the phenomenal video performance from Asian Refugees United on the website of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality.  That's aacre.org/our-voices/webelonghere  There's also up-to-date information on how best you can support both the Free Mohan Karki and Bring Lu Home campaigns. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing. Your voices are important. Let's keep immigrant families together.  To close out. Here's a little more from the video performance. [00:54:00] [00:55:00] [00:56:00] [00:57:00]  Nina Phillips: For show notes, please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/APEX-express.  APEX Express is a collective of activists that include Ama Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Nina Phillips, Preeti Mangala Shekar, and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me, Nina Phillips. Get some rest, y'all. Good night. The post APEX Express – November 27, 2025 – We Belong Here: Bhutanese & HMoob Americans in the Struggle Against Statelessness appeared first on KPFA.

Tonight on The Huddle, former Green Party MP Gareth Hughes and Infrastructure NZ CEO Nick Leggett joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar wants airports around the country to stop giving Jetstar an 'advantage' with discounts that allows them to run cheaper flights. What do we make of this? The Northland business chamber has suggested many businesses in the area won't want to join a class action lawsuit against Transpower because they just want to move on from the collapsed pylon saga? Do we think the business owners will get on board? New research shows millennials are the first generation to drift further left than their older counterparts. Why do we think this is? LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Businesses are taking class-action over a power outage to of all Northland last year - although the exact loss is still unknown. In June, an inexperienced worker removed nuts from three legs of a pylon, which toppled, cutting electricity to almost the entire region. An opt-out class action against Transpower and its lines maintenance contractor is progressing through the courts. Stout Street Chambers partner, Mike Colson, says losses will be calculated in due course. "It's giving Northland businesses an opportunity to be compensated - and second, an opportunity to incentivise those working on critical infrastructure to do a good job out of it." See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world of backyard fight clubs is a controversial one. and when TVNZ in depth journalist Indira Stewart began investigating them in Auckland and Northland, she wasn't sure what she'd find. 

Time for heading off, our weekly travel segment where we hear from you - our afternoons listeners - about some of your amazing adventures. We've travelled the silk road, motorbiked around the world, and kayaked the Yukon. It's been a while since we've had a local adventure though, maybe you are an expert in exploring the West Coast cave systems or a Northland beach aficionado. Whether local or abroad if you've got a story to share, we'd love to hear from you Afternoons@rnz.co.nz. Today we're heading to the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. It's an area of Papua New Guinea that Sarah Togher became very familiar with whilst stationed there with VSA.

On the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast for Thursday 27th of November, Kiwibank's CEO and the Reserve Bank Governor unpack the Official Cash Rate cut to 2.25%. A class action lawsuit is being filed against Transpower and Omexom over the massive power failure following the pylon disaster – are Northland businesses interested? Kiwi singer Bic Runga is releasing her first fully original album since 2011, so she joined for a chat about ‘Red Sunset' and her new tour. Get the Mike Hosking Breakfast Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A suggestion most Northland businesses are ready to move on rather than seek compensation over widespread power outages. In June last year, an inexperienced worker removed nuts from three of a pylon's legs causing it to fall over cutting power to almost the entire region. The opt-out class action against Transpower and its lines maintenance contractor is being backed by Australian financing firm Omni Bridgeway. North Chamber Chief Executive Leah McKerrow told Mike Hosking local businesses are ready to move on, if it's been learnt from. She says businesses would rather see investment in energy resilience and roading rather than try to take on a government-owned entity. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter looks at Hawaiian waka returns to Waitangi, 40 years after sparking a revival of Maori ocean voyaging. He'll look at local shock over the violent death of businessman Monty Knight and there's a big development in the long-running saga of Kaeo's water supply following a decade-long boil water notice.

Kennedy Warne joins Kathryn from Northland, where he's been visiting a marae teaching traditional weaving. Kennedy also talks about two of the double-hulled waka of the Hawaii-based Polynesian Voyaging Society which are in New Zealand at the moment as part of a five-year circumnavigation of the Pacific. And cats have been included in the Predator Free 2050 target list - he talks about how hard it is to trap them.

Māori in Northland have met this weekend to discuss the expulsion of MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi from Te Pāti Māori. She spoke to Melissa Chan-Green

With most migrants well on their way, it's time to start spotting the birds that will be here in the Northland throughout the winter

A petition calling for a stronger dog control law has put the spotlight back on Northland's, and the nation's, problem with roaming dogs. Dog attack victims say they're too scared to walk to their dairy and even a Northland dog advocate says the problem is completely out of hand and will only get worse as economic hardship deepens. The Mayor of the Far North says the problem is massive. There are only about 8,000 dogs registered on record but Moko Tepania says the true number of dogs in Northland could be as high as 20,000 to 30,000. Peter de Graaf reports.

An invasive on the rise, the Winged Euonymus is becoming more of a problem in the Northland

In part two: Northland has always been notorious for its power cuts, but havoc wreaked by recent outages has called into question the robustness of the network. Far North Mayor Moko Tepania says a 'detailed investigation' into the cause of the power cuts is needed. Then, while many of you are preparing for the Metallica concert in Auckland we talk to one New Zealander who has an amazing story to tell about the band and their lead singer James Hetfield.

Is a North Otago sheep and beef farmer, and poster girl for the Methane Science Accord, who responds to correspondence from a young Northland dairy farmer regarding his concerns about mandating feed additives as a part of a climate policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A holiday park in Russell has taken a bold step, removing TVs from all of its rooms. Park Manager Shane Maddren spoke to Corin Dann.

A Northland holiday park's scrapping its TVs to allow nature to take centre stage. Russell–Orongo Bay Holiday Park is one of the first holiday parks in New Zealand to go completely TV-free. It's encouraging guests to unplug from screens and reconnect with the natural world. Park Manager Shane Maddren told Mike Hosking they have plenty of activities to keep guests occupied. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Pastor Josh for this Extra Extra Takes episode as Andrew Stanley joins in for an interview before his comedy show at Northland this coming Thursday, Nov. 20th. Listen in for some personal insights into one of the fastest rising Christian comedians today!  BOGO tickets for the Nov 20 show at Northland at https://nland.ch/48dsAHm. Use code: NORTHLANDBOGO

At the moment, about 46.5 million households in the United States have a cat in the family and after you listen to this podcast episode, that number is sure to grow, at least in the Northland. This surefire spike can all be attributed to Duluth's most unique coffee shop, a one-of-a-kind cat café located along Superior Street. Wired Whisker opened in 2024 to the delight of cat and coffee lovers everywhere, becoming northern Minnesota's first and only café of its kind. Wired Whisker is two-fold, a coffee shop when you walk through the doors, offering handcrafted coffee classics, a wide variety of food options with a fun feline twist and even beer, wine and cider options. The other piece of the puzzle is the cat lounge, where for a nominal fee, you can cuddle with cats all seeking their forever home, and maybe find your dream feline in the meantime. Whether you're looking for a new furry friend or just need a little TLC, Wired Whisker is unlike any other spot in the Zenith City. Come for the coffee, stay for the company in the form of cute cats. No matter what gets you through the door, one thing is certain: you'll never forget your first time at Wired Whisker. Misha Smith, the FURRRce behind the operation, joins us to share how this cool café came to be.

Matt Shiles welcomes Pastor Josh back into the studio after their whirlwind trip to El Salvador to witness the work of World Vision. After a brief recap of that trip and how it relates to what Northland is doing in our own comminutey, Matt tees up Pastor Josh to bring the fire once more about his sermon concerning "If you don't get the grammar right, you'll get the Gospel wrong". Join us for this exciting episode of Extra Takes!

In this episode of the ROCC Pod, we sit down with Jim Komoroski of the M1 Agency for a deep dive into the often misunderstood world of Medicare and Social Security planning. Jim shares how a personal family health crisis during the pandemic exposed major blind spots in his mother-in-law's retirement planning—despite her seemingly having “her affairs in order.” That experience led him and his wife LIsa, a fellow Gen Xer, to launch the M1 Agency with a mission to help others avoid similar pitfalls.We begin by discussing the concept of being a “feral Gen Xer”—a nod to the self-sufficient, figure-it-out approach that defines many in this generation—and how that mindset helped Jim build a business rooted in research, self-education, and a drive to serve. Jim explains that M1 specializes in Social Security optimization, Medicare education, and annuities, with a local focus and a name inspired by both Woodward Avenue and Medicare itself.The heart of our conversation is focused on how ill-prepared most Americans are when it comes to Social Security and Medicare. Jim breaks down common misconceptions, like the idea that Medicare covers everything or that Social Security won't exist in the future. He stresses that very few people truly optimize their Social Security benefits—only about 8%—and the rest leave an average of $111,000 on the table over their lifetimes. Through individualized planning, Jim helps clients make better decisions on when to claim benefits and how to coordinate those choices with retirement accounts and lifestyle needs.We also touch on lesser-known facts, like how divorced individuals can still benefit from their ex-spouse's Social Security if they were married for at least ten years. Jim emphasizes that education should start early—ideally in your mid-40s—so you're not caught off guard by the real costs of healthcare and retirement. Even healthy Medicare recipients in Michigan spend around $3,700 in their first year on premiums and out-of-pocket costs, so having a strategy is crucial.Jim also shares insight on how misinformation spreads—especially online—and why it's essential to dig into the details, not just rely on headlines. His daily “M1nute” videos help break down complex topics into digestible updates that apply directly to Michigan residents. We wrap up with a conversation about the value of getting involved in the community through the Royal Oak Chamber and how those human connections energize business owners like us.More:The M1 Agency Website: https://www.them1agency.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/them1agency/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheM1AgencyJim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimkomoroski/00:00 – The Social Security Optimization Problem01:00 – Meet Jim Komoroski of M1 Agency02:42 – How a Family Crisis Sparked a Business05:51 – When Should You Start Planning?07:26 – Medicare Myths and Real Costs10:50 – What is Social Security Optimization?13:08 – Social Security and Divorce15:33 – The “M1nute”: Sorting Out Misinformation16:45 – Chamber Involvement and Community Impact19:56 – Fishbowl Question: Advice I Wish I Took22:32 – Where to Find Jim and Final Thoughts  Learn more about the Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce: https://www.royaloakchamber.com/Connect with our hosts:Jon Gay from JAG in Detroit Podcasts - http://www.jagindetroit.com/Lisa Bibbee from Century 21 Northland - http://soldbylisab.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's heartbreak among former staff of a Whangarei lion park at news that the seven surviving big cats are due to be put down this week. Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary operator Janette Vallance says the park owners, Bolton Equities, made the difficult decision to euthanise the seven lions, saying there was no options left for them. The park is now closed to the public and the property listed for sale. Northland reporter Peter de Graaf has more.

A conservationist and former bee keeper is describing biosecurity's response to the yellow legged hornet as "hopelessly inadequate". Three queens have been discovered on Auckland's North Shore, one in the early stages of building a nest, and two males have also been spotted. The hornet, that's not established in New Zealand, is known to feed on honey bees and could pose a threat to the industry. Northland conservationist and former beekeeper Brad Windust spoke to Lisa Owen.

Southfield mayoral candidate Sylvia Jordan, a daycare owner and former City Council president, joins hosts Vanessa Moss, Allan Lengel, and Jim Nardone to discuss her vision for Southfield, concerns about the Northland City Center development, and issues surrounding foreclosures.The hosts also discuss ethics concerns at City Hall.

Cancer care should be close to home. It's not just convenient, it's necessary for good patient outcomes. We take a closer look at the growing options in the Northland for patients and their families.

New Zealanders are being warned to make sure they're immunised against measles if they're travelling off shore with active outbreaks in a number of countries and a rising number of cases here. Four local measles cases have been connected to the Bluebridge ferry sailing from Picton to Wellington on October the third. Health authorities have contacted about 350 passengers from the sailing to give them health advice. Cases have been identified in Northland, Auckland, Manawatu and Nelson. Health New Zealand public health medicine specialist Dr Matthew Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

When Rachel Hill's son, who has Down Syndrome, left school there were limited options for his employment, education and training.

There were tense scenes in the Northland town after outgoing mayor Craig Jepson called an unprecedented emergency council meeting.