Podcasts about South Bronx

Sunny Hostin is facing intense backlash after newly released police bodycam footage captured her intervention during her adult son's encounter with MTA Police in New Rochelle, New York.Gabriel Hostin, 24, received a trespassing citation on June 16 after officers reportedly found him jogging on restricted Metro-North railroad property. He maintained that he entered through an open gate and did not realize he was in a prohibited area.But it was Sunny Hostin's response that ignited the controversy.During her conversations with police, “The View” commentator reportedly identified herself as a former federal prosecutor and emphasized her son's Harvard education, clean record, and work teaching geometry to children in the South Bronx. Officers remained professional and issued the citation under department policy.Hostin later wrote to prosecutors asking that the citation be dismissed, arguing that the incident was an innocent mistake and that continued prosecution would be unjust.Was this simply a concerned mother and attorney advocating for her son—or a powerful public figure attempting to use her career, connections, and status to obtain treatment unavailable to an ordinary family?In this video, Professor Nez examines the bodycam footage, the officers' response, Hostin's explanation, and the growing debate over privilege, accountability, law enforcement, and the apparent contradiction between her public rhetoric and her private actions.Watch the complete analysis and decide for yourself.Subscribe and turn on notifications for daily breaking news, political commentary, fact-checking, and analysis from Professor Nez.For free and unbiased Medicare help, dial (656) 218-0931 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to https://askchapter.org/nez✅ Reach out to me: https://bio.site/professornez✅ ORIGINAL MADE IN U.S.A 250TH AMERICA DESIGNS: https://professornez.myspreadshop.com/✅ Check out our Official Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@professornezclips▶ Support the Channel and Buy us a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/professornezEducational Commentary & Original AnalysisThis channel presents educational, lecture-style analysis created by a university professor and educator. Content focuses on contextual examination, historical background, legal frameworks, and evidence-based analysis of widely reported events, public records, and institutional processes.The approach emphasizes academic methodology, media literacy, and source-driven interpretation rather than advocacy, persuasion, or real-time news reporting. Viewers are encouraged to consult primary sources and form independent conclusions.All content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or professional advice. Views expressed are solely those of the creator.This channel may include references or links to third-party websites or products for informational purposes. Some links may be affiliate links, which may generate a commission at no additional cost to the viewer.In this video expert Professor Nez analyzes and educates on what happened and why with fact based, data based, verified and researched expertise reporting.All original content is protected by copyright. Fair use applies where permitted by law.Category: News Analysis & Educational CommentaryMethodology: This report utilizes primary source verification and comparative analysis of public records.Subject Matter Expertise: Political Strategy, Regulatory Policy, and Media Literacy.

In his first solo podcast, Love Island USA Season 6 star Kenny Rodriguez sits down with Zachary Cummings on The Journey Podcast to finally tell his story in his own words. Kenny opens up about growing up in the South Bronx, entering the villa as a bombshell and how his life changed almost overnight after the show.He shares his perspective on his relationship with JaNa Craig, the pressure of maintaining a public relationship and the problems he says were happening behind the scenes while Beyond the Villa was being filmed. Kenny also addresses the leaked private messages, takes accountability for a statement he regrets and explains why he remained silent while the public backlash continued.He speaks honestly about depression, panic attacks, online harassment and reaching the lowest moment of his life. This is a raw conversation about public judgment, relationship conflict, accountability, faith, mental health and finding the strength to rebuild your life.Patreon (EXCLUSIVE EPISODES)https://www.patreon.com/c/TheJourneyPodThe Journey Podcast Merchhttps://thejourneypodcast.shopINSTAGRAMhttps://www.instagram.com/zacharycummings_https://www.instagram.com/thejourneypodcasthttps://www.instagram.com/kennyrodriguezTik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/thejourneypodcast__#KennyRodriguez #LoveIslandUSA #TheJourneyPodcast #MentalHealth #JaNaCraig

APEX Express is a weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. This Thursday APEX Express proudly presents “South Asians and The Labor Justice Movement.” This episode highlights Sandhya Jha, a pastor, founder and former Executive Director of the Oakland Peace Center, and racial, housing, and labor justice activist. In the first half of the episode, we discuss Sandhya's life, their path into organizing, and what they're up to now. The second half is dedicated to their recent project with the South Asian American Digital Archive's Archival Creators Fellowship Program. This episode was interviewed, produced, and edited by Swati Rayasam   Follow @Sandhya Jha on Facebook and check out Sandhya's website https://sandhyajha.com/    APEX Express is 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. Listen to the episode live on KPFA 94.1 in San Francisco, 89.3 in Berkeley, and online at KPFA.org.  References throughout the Show and Links: Without Fear Consulting Interfaith Alliance Oakland Peace Center Book – Blueprint for a Revolution Book – The Selected Writings of Eqbal Ahmad Podcast – Bending Toward Justice: Avatar the Last Airbender for the Global Majority The Alliance of South Asians Taking Action – ASATA Bay Area Solidarity Summer South Asian American Digital Archive Archival Creators Fellowship Program Sandhya Jha's project, you can listen to all of the oral histories here. Solidarity Forever Online Exhibit Arab Resource and Organizing Center Block the Boat No Tech for Apartheid  University of California Labor Center Equality Labs California Trade Justice Coalition NAFCON – National Alliance for Filipino Concerns Filipino Community Center Madhvi Trivedi Patak Transcript ​[00:00:00]  Miata Tan: Hello and welcome! You are tuning in to APEX Express—a weekly radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. I'm your host, Miata Tan. Tonight we're revisiting an episode from our archives, first aired January 5th, 2023. We're bringing it back this week in honor of South Asian American Heritage Month. This one centers Sandhya Jha — a pastor, organizer, and founder of the Oakland Peace Center — in conversation with APEX producer Swati Rayasam. The first half traces Sandhya's path into organizing, from a labor campaign at Johns Hopkins to two decades of interfaith and racial justice work. The second half digs into Sandhya's project with the South Asian American Digital Archive, where she spent a year interviewing South Asian workers inside the labor movement — collecting stories that don't usually make it into the archive. Here's Swati Rayasam in conversation with Sandhya Jha. [00:01:00] Swati Rayasam: I'm really excited actually today to talk to Sandhya Jha, who is a really close friend of mine. Hi Sandhya. Hi there. Sandhya is, a Pastor is a consultant and has been working on this really amazing project with the South Asian American Digital Archive that will get into later in the episode. But yeah, Sandhya I'm just really excited to learn more about you and to hear more of your story and, let's just dive in. [00:01:26] Swati Rayasam: Absolutely. [00:01:27] Swati Rayasam: We should first talk a little bit about how we know each other, you have this long organizing background. I've been in the Bay Area for the past seven years and I would be totally lying if I said I have not historically been, or I'm not even currently an active fangirl of yours. You are literally a pastor. You are a movement worker, how did you get involved in organizing? [00:01:53] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. So I am the product of my parents who were generous, compassionate [00:02:00] people who thought about the world beyond themselves, but were never involved in organizing or activism or anything like that. I think for anybody who comes from immigrant backgrounds, it's hard to tell our stories without naming who we come from. Right. And so my father was Sunil Kumar Jha from the village of Tildanga in West Bengal. My mother, who is still alive is Jeanette Campbell Jha. She is from Glasgow. So I come from a mixed religion and mixed race home. My parents chose not to name me Sandhya Campbell Jha not to give me that kind of grounding, but I was called Sandhya Rani Jha, which is a lot to live up to, well, yes, Rani does mean Queen. But it was actually handed down to me, part of the reason they wanted that middle name was it was my aunt's name, Durga Rani Upadhyay and she was the one who really [00:03:00] brokered my mother's acceptance into the Indian family and I think that there was something about being accepted on the Indian side of the family and not for many, many years on the Scottish side. That caused my parents and particularly my mother to double down on making sure I knew who I came from and who I came from was my people in the village of Tildanga. [00:03:23] Sandhya Jha: I grew up in Akron, Ohio, so we immigrated to this country when I was a toddler, in the late 1970s, which was a complicated time for Asian immigrants to be in the Midwest because it was a time that the rust belt was rusting and there was a growing sense that we were the reason. But also I grew up alongside folks who were trying to figure out how to put food on the table. So I think that landscape shaped me in a lot of ways. And I also come from people who grew up in poor working communities. And[00:04:00] when I went off to college, there was an organizing campaign. The board of directors of the university had created a for-profit corporation with the exact same board. [00:04:15] Swati Rayasam: Oh wow. [00:04:16] Sandhya Jha: So that the universities could subcontract all of their catering, all of their custodial work to this… basically Shell corporation. [00:04:28] Swati Rayasam: Are we telling on the university? [00:04:29] Sandhya Jha: Mm, Yeah. Why not? It was Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and I think that's relevant because the tension between Black communities next to Johns Hopkins Medical School and the school itself were very real because this was part of a very long history of exploiting community members. So the workers were organizing, and you know, I had read about activism, I cared about it. I paid as much attention as I could for a high school student. But when I got to college, this organizing [00:05:00] campaign was going, and the workers were really clear, Hey, college kids who are excited about this, we do have a role for you. It's to fill the crowd. It's to cheer us on. It's to when we ask you communicate to the university that our well-being matters to you because they will listen to you in different ways. But the campaign centered the workers and was really clear with us about what our role was because we were the folks with all the privilege by getting to be there, right? We had tons of privilege and it was a really good lesson for me. I am so grateful. The first organizing campaign I was a part of was a labor campaign that understood what it meant to center the people who were the most impacted by injustice and I think that shaped the rest of my career. [00:05:46] Swati Rayasam: And that's so special too because I think for many people who come into organizing, and I will definitely cop to this myself, like coming up and organizing through high school and college level organizing. When you are a student, nobody ever [00:06:00] tells you that actually you are the least useful kind of organizer that exists. Right. You are in this incredibly enclaved community. Your oppressor, the university, all they have to do is wait for you to graduate institutional memory will not keep you. Yeah. Right. And I think that it is, it's this perfect storm of, you have actually sometimes cool ideas, sometimes very rudimentary ideas, but you also have this turnover issue and you have this sense of self import, which often comes with your teens, early twenties. Yep. As you're just figuring all of that out. So Yeah, self differentiation, right? It's a narcissistic phase in our development. . [00:06:46] Swati Rayasam: It absolutely is and I think that's so important, and I can't imagine how my life would be shaped if I didn't have to spend a lot of time unlearning the self import and narcissism that I had gained through student [00:07:00] organizing. [00:07:00] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. No, I am really, really grateful for it. [00:07:02] Sandhya Jha: My first job outta college was working for a member of Congress, which sounds super fancy and pretentious, but, a member of congress from Akron, Ohio. So put that all in perspective. His name, believe it or not, was Tom Sawyer. Oh, wow. What I loved about Tom was back in those days, he believed very strongly that 80% of legislation was nonpartisan and that was the part that he spent most of his time on. He would weigh in with his party, when they were dealing with that 20% pretty consistently. But he was more interested in the stuff that everybody could agree on and I remember for about 15 years after I worked for him, I looked back and found myself thinking that was so naive. How did he not understand where we were about to head with the divisions between the political parties? But at this point in my life, I realize the people I respect most in organizing work keep pointing out that the binary of [00:08:00] left and right actually doesn't serve us very well. One of my biggest heroes in the movement right now is the Reverend Dr. William Barber, [00:08:07] Swati Rayasam: Hometown hero of mine. Yes. [00:08:09] Sandhya Jha: Poor People's campaign from North Carolina. And he always talks about how it's not about right and left. It's about right and wrong. And it turns out that when we engage in organizing with the awareness that there are huge swaths of things that most of us are well served by, we can do better organizing. And that was actually how Tom was legislating. And at a certain point I realized that my deep passion was around racial justice, but the distinct experience I had in a multi religious household was an awareness of how religion was being used as a weapon. I had an obsession. Every paper in college I wrote was about the Christian coalition, this right wing, organizing body in the nineties. So a friend of mine [00:09:00] said, You know, there's an interfaith organization working against the Christian Coalition. And it was called the Interfaith Alliance. Her mom had been a superintendent in Washington state in eastern Washington and was a pretty conservative person by my standards. [00:09:18] Sandhya Jha: But, Dr. Chow believed in multiculturalism and believed in teaching evolution. And the Christian coalition had organized to push her out of her position as superintendent and the Interfaith Alliance of Washington State had supported her in that time. [00:09:38] Sandhya Jha: And so Liz said, you know, they've got a national chapter, a national office. And that's where I ended up, cutting my adult organizing teeth which was great because talk about learning lessons for our current moment where religion is being weaponized in ways that are anti-trans, that are anti-queer, that are anti-women, that [00:10:00] are anti reproductive rights, that are anti-immigrant and refugee. I am really grateful to have experienced the power of multi-faith organizing, around a lot of those same issues. So that was what I did in the early two thousands and then I went to seminary and public policy school, and then I ended up out here pastoring a congregation of 10 people in a building of 40,000 square feet. [00:10:29] Sandhya Jha: And long story short, that's how the Oakland Peace Center was born, was out of this dream of cultivating deeper collaboration among nonprofits who were dedicated to a shared cause. The Oakland Peace Center, which is a collective of 40 different nonprofits committed to dismantling the root causes of violence in our community. I was the founder of that organization and it was when I was pastoring First Christian Church of Oakland that I asked the handful of folks who were members of that church, what they wanted to [00:11:00] contribute to the community, and they said they wanted to contribute peace in the midst of violence. And for a dozen folks to have given birth to a space that in non pandemic years, saw over a hundred thousand people do things like the Lawyers for Black Lives Conference and to do Kingian non-violence training and to be a part of food and clothing distribution, to participate in all the very diverse ways that we can create peace is pretty impressive. [00:11:30] Sandhya Jha: And a couple of years ago, I left the Oakland Peace Center because a colleague of mine said, Anybody can run a non-profit. We need you to do what you're actually good at, and what she meant by that was we need more people of color doing diversity, equity, and inclusion work that is actually grounded in power analysis. That isn't just how do we be nicer to each other in the workplace, but how do we recognize the ways that systems of white supremacy [00:12:00] unconsciously often shape the culture of our workplaces? And what do we do to dismantle that white supremacy culture so that we can be building nonprofits and institutions of higher education and faith organizations, and even corporations that are dedicated to our full liberation, our liberation, the lands liberation. [00:12:23] Swati Rayasam: I mean coming, especially from the place that you come in grassroots organizing and in faith based organizing, what is it actually to transition into this kind of consulting space around racial justice and really interface with a lot of people that I feel like as organizers, we don't really talk to? [00:12:42] Sandhya Jha: One of my favorite things about this shift in my work is I love getting to work with folks who don't think of themselves as organizers, who, it turns out are organizers, Right. I think we sometimes create a cult of here's what an organizer looks like, you [00:13:00] have to be a Martin Luther King or a Cesar Chavez and what I love is getting to work with moms and with teenagers and with folks who think of themselves as caring, compassionate, individuals, and when I go into an organization and work with their handful of folks who care about this issue, the DEI team, I get to teach them how to strategically organize. I get to teach them how do you create culture shift over time? I get to teach them how do you figure out who your allies are? How do you figure out how to move people who are neutral? It turns out that there are a lot more organizers out there than we realize if we don't create one definition of what an organizer needs to look like. [00:13:45] Swati Rayasam: I have been reading this political scholar Eqbal Ahmed, who really talks about the way the burden is on those of us who are deeply committed to movement work, narrow definition people, the burden is really on us to try and [00:14:00] create a liberatory future that feels both achievable. Mm-hmm. and safe for everybody. Because when people engage in mass struggle and in revolution, there are people who are a hundred percent willing to put their lives on the line. People who are willing to die for the cause. And we absolutely need those people. And there are many people along the spectrum who, if you can create a future that feels like it's within their grasp, they will come with you. [00:14:30] Sandhya Jha: Yep. I teach a lot of organizing classes and have gotten a chance to teach alongside my beloved colleague BK Woodson at Allen Temple Baptist Church, they have a leadership institute there. And one of the books we use is Blueprint for a Revolution by Srđa Popović. And I feel like I learned a lot as we read that book together and thought about how to apply it to the work we're doing in Oakland. They talked about how by engaging in nonviolent direct action, [00:15:00] they created space for elders to be a part of their work and youth to be a part of their work and families to be a part of their work. By making the movement playful. They gave people hope and gave people courage because dictators are terrified of being mocked. [00:15:17] Swati Rayasam: Yeah, exactly. And I think by being really restrictive or narrow about who we view as actually valuable organizers. And I think labor movements teach us this a lot, right? We really cut ourselves off at the knees on our ability to build a network or to be in touch with the general population, many of whom are more connected than we ever give them credit for. [00:15:41] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. Yep. it's part of why I love labor organizing. I talk with a lot of people who are disenchanted with organizing who ask me how I can have stayed involved for the past 25 years. And why I've been able to stay in it is cuz I'm organizing alongside workers and they have [00:16:00] full lives. And the work that they're doing in the movement is so that they can live their full lives. And there's something about having that perspective and recognizing the why all the time instead of getting lost in the weeds of the what. Is so important in this work. I think that has been a big theme of my organizing life is how do we build to the greatest common denominator? As my friend BK often says how do we build towards those shared values that often get erased when we are engaged in the right versus left debate. [00:16:39] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I think that it is so important and I also think that it's really hard in this moment of what feels like constant trauma and re trauma. [00:16:51] Swati Rayasam: And to some extent especially when we're talking about the left right dichotomy there are real concerns [00:17:00] about safety. Yep. And there are real concerns about security and who you are in community with and who you can find even the smallest level of acceptance from to ensure that you won't have violence visited upon you. And I think that these conversations of united front organizing, Right. trying to bridge across difference mm-hmm. for a shared goal, for a shared liberatory future Yep. Are really important. And they feel kind of impossible to achieve right now. [00:17:31] Sandhya Jha: It's interesting cuz I think that in many ways that is true. There are a lot of conversations that I think people with privilege expect, people who are marginalized to engage in. And those expectations are unfair, what I found very frustrating was the number of people with a lot of privilege who would be like, Ugh, I just can't talk to those people. And I'm like, Then who's going to? Exactly. and so I do think that some of this is about being willing to have [00:18:00] hard conversations in the places where we have privilege and recognizing who's at actual risk and showing up in ways that are protective of who is at risk. But that doesn't mean walking away from people who aren't where we are. Right. Because the fact of the matter is everybody's on a journey. And I have watched at the same time some of the disposability culture in movements write off people without giving them any way to address harm, repair harm, and find a pathway back into community. [00:18:41] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. And I think that's why, at least I am feeling really hopeful about, what I've seen over the past couple of years, this really important track into transformative justice and restorative justice, to acknowledge that there is harm that has happened, there are harms that happen every day between people. [00:19:00] And also we are all on our own journey to unlearn the things that we have been taught either directly or indirectly by our upbringing, by our environment and that you cannot easily dispose of people and that people are able to come back into community. Now that comes with a very important caveat that like they recognize the harm. Mm-hmm. that. They have done or how they've been party to it, that they acknowledge that there is healing work that needs to be done both with the person that they harmed and also probably in internally. [00:19:35] Sandhya Jha: Well, and the community, folks who don't do RJ on a regular basis tend to skip the community aspect. Yeah. That there is actually repair that needs to be done with community and there's work community needs to do to figure out how to re-embrace reabsorb people who have done harm in ways that still protect the person who's been harmed. [00:19:55] Swati Rayasam: Exactly. In ways that do not erase the harm that has happened, but [00:20:00] acknowledge, contextualize it and say, Okay, we are patching this and we are working to move forward in step with each other. Absolutely. [00:20:09] Sandhya Jha: Can I just say that one of the other things that I think you and I have in common is a real passion for bringing joy back into the work of Justice I quote Fabiana Rodriguez a lot on this particular thing, because I was at an event she was doing eons ago, and she looked out at us and most of us were activists and she said, Listen, y ‘all you keep inviting people to a struggle. I'm on your side and I don't wanna join a struggle. I want to join a party. And that was like a call to arms for me when I heard her say that. I was like, Oh my gosh, you're right. We are so much more fun. Like, I've hung out with people who are anti-trans and anti queer and anti-immigrant and anti refugee. They are not fun people. No, no. We have all of the best parties. So I don't know why we don't [00:21:00] capitalize on that more. So I think the role of joy and justice is so important. And this is why I was so excited to have you on the podcast that I launched recently. [00:21:11] Sandhya Jha: Right. Bending Towards Justice Avatar the last Airbender for the Global Majority. [00:21:15] Swati Rayasam: So literally like bringing it together. Two of my favorite things right, is like TV shows, wholesome TV shows like Avatar, The Last Airbender that I deeply love and organizing. Yes. All the work that I love. And I think it's true You know, what is actually really the important work is to work to build toward a future that is desirable Yep. That people want to be a part of. Yeah. That people can see happen. Yeah. And I think that is a lot of the difficulty that I have seen in some organizing circles. We are so well versed in what we are against and all of the things that are bad that so many people have a really hard time seeing or visioning or communicating [00:22:00] what it is that we are fighting for. Yeah. Right. And it's not enough to say, I'm fighting for a world where we can all be safe. Right. Yeah. I'm not, I'm fighting for a world where we can all take long naps in the middle of the day if we'd like to do that. Right. Yeah. But like really building and visioning that future of like, in this world in which we are all safe, there will be harm that happens. How do we deal with that? Yeah. What do we do with that? How do we make sure that it is able to keep everybody safe and also able to account for the times in which it is not able to keep everybody safe. [00:22:38] Sandhya Jha: Visionary does not have to mean naive. And we need it to be visionary. And sometimes I forget to do the visionary stuff. I've got a colleague, Dave Bell, he's a farmer who is also an anti-racism trainer and we do a lot of work together. He's a white guy who lives in White Swan, Washington, on the reservation and I remember being at a training with him and I [00:23:00] was all fired up and I was so excited about the conversations we were having and the people were really ready to do the hard work and roll up their sleeves. And Dave says to them, I would like to not have to do this work. And I'm like, What is he talking about? This is amazing. We're doing such good work. And he says, I would like for us not to have to talk about racism all the time. I would rather be farming. I would rather be, taking care of the cows in my field. [00:23:26] Sandhya Jha: I would rather be talking about my pottery work that I'm doing badly but learning how to do, I would rather be doing anything than have this conversation. But I don't get to be on the farm with the wheat, with the cows, with my bad pottery until we figured out how to do this anti-racism work. And it was a really humbling moment for me because I also get into that like I'm an organizer, that's my identity space. And it was this reminder of Dave's doing this. So he gets to live in a world where he gets to hang out in the fields and he [00:24:00] gets to, love on the cows. There's something about being reminded that we're doing this so that eventually we don't have to do it. That I think is actually visionary in its own way and it's important. [00:24:12] Swati Rayasam: Moving into a little bit more of the grit of like why I asked you to be on the show today. I met you originally when I moved to the Bay Area when you were the executive director of the Oakland Peace Center because At that time I was doing organizing work with the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action, which is a 20 year old bay area based organization, that was really founded around the Laki Reddy Bali Reddy sex trafficking. Yep. Caste and labor exploitation case that happened in Berkeley in 1999. And I was just so thrilled to be around and have in community so many rad desis. And you also did work with ASATA, right. Historically and are actively doing work with us. [00:24:56] Sandhya Jha: Absolutely. One of the places I think I invested the most [00:25:00] energy in where we got to spend a lot of quality time in the kitchen was one of the projects, Bay Area Solidarity Summer, an organizing institute, camp, however you wanna refer to it. [00:25:10] Swati Rayasam: Political education, Summer camp. [00:25:12] Swati Rayasam: Yeah, exactly. For young South Asian Americans who are committed to activism. What I think was the most beautiful part of that program when I was involved in it, and it's still the case today, is for young South Asians who think that they're the only ones who care about justice issues, who haven't met other people, who are South Asian, and identify as justice seekers first to meet each other and realize that there are people just like them. Then to look around and realize that those of us who are usually 10, 15, 20 years older than them are also committed to the work and have been doing it for decades. And then for them to get exposed to the long history of radical visionary organizing and activism of South [00:26:00] Asians here in the US and also in the homelands of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and diasporic countries all over the world. [00:26:13] Sandhya Jha: There's something about realizing, Oh, you have contemporaries, oh, you have elders, oh, you have ancestors. Mm-hmm. Especially in the face of the model minority lie that so many of us have had imposed on us, this lie that all we are all we're supposed to be is cogs in this larger capitalist machine that are non disruptive, which is why we're allowed to survive. And if we are non disruptive enough, we might even be able to be comfortable. And to discover that there's more to our story than that is so exciting and I love, love, love being a part of that. [00:26:52] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I think that is like fundamentally one of the most important kind of activities that [00:27:00] happens in the ASATA universe, I was a kid who also grew up thinking that there were no other South Asians like me, or there were no other folks who were interested in justice. I spent a lot of time doing, reproductive and queer justice in the south; I always think about what would it have meant if I came in, BASS for 18 to 24 year olds. Yep. what would it have meant if I had come in at a fresh 18 and been able to basically be apprised of the fact that I have this history Yeah. That it's not just me. And that actually, immigration and white supremacy and neo-colonial culture has created this project of assimilation that all of our parents have been in on, in a way to survive Yeah. And to be safe. And I tell my, I tell my mom that a lot because she's always a little surprised about the organizing work that I do. And I was just like, Your job was to survive. My job is to liberate. Yeah. [00:28:00] You know? Yeah. And I could not do that if you were not so focused on creating that environment for me. [00:28:07] Swati Rayasam: I love that. [00:28:07] Swati Rayasam: we'll drop in the show notes, but, BASS – Bay Area Solidarity Summer is solidaritysummer.org. So we'll put that in the show notes as well as ASATA, the Alliance of South Asians Taking Action is ASATA.org. And yeah, I think that is a really good segue into how we got involved in this amazing project. [00:28:31] Swati Rayasam: You're tuned in to APEX express at 94.1 KPFA and 89.3, KPFB in Berkeley. And online@kpfa.org. [00:28:43] Swati Rayasam: I think it was Fall 2021 that you and I were talking. Yep. And you were telling me that you were involved in this amazing archival fellowship project. Is run by the South Asian American Digital Archive and [00:29:00] that you were going to do your project about labor. Mm-hmm. and South Asians. Yep. And my immediate, incredibly naive response was, how many South Asians are there in labor? [00:29:12] Sandhya Jha: Exactly. And it's not naive. It's interesting cuz I think that this project actually emerged out of my favorite part of BASS, which was when the young adults would ask what their opportunities were in the world of justice. And I would say, you know, there's a place for us in labor justice. It had never crossed most of their minds. Right. We don't think of ourselves as having a role especially in formalized unions. And so SAADA, the South Asian American Digital Archives has an archival fellows project. And the whole purpose of it is to diversify their archives and collect the stories that are usually overlooked in the telling of South Asian American stories. [00:29:56] Sandhya Jha: And they have done a great job over the years of collecting the [00:30:00] stories of informal organizing, like the Punjabi Taxi Drivers campaign, the Bangladeshi Nail Workers Campaign. Those were informal labor organizing campaigns. That have been really well archived and they're amazing stories. I wanted to make sure that the next generation of South Asian activists knew about the South Asians who were actually part of the formal organized labor movement. [00:30:30] Sandhya Jha: And so I spent this past year interviewing, maybe a half a dozen or so South Asian American workers. Generally, not always, but mostly what would be classified as low wage workers who found a pathway into formal organizing bodies, unite here or the building trades or any number of the formal unions that keep [00:31:00] the labor movement alive across the country today. And I'm really proud of the fact that we do have South Asian workers who have moved up the ranks to be official organizers or to be at negotiating tables. And so that's part of the story I thought it was worth us telling. [00:31:19] Swati Rayasam: And I am, I'm so excited that we get to dive deeper into this project and I really love your framing too, around the three large bins that you have, solidarity, spirit and struggle. [00:31:34] Swati Rayasam: Right? Yeah. Yeah. [00:31:35] Sandhya Jha: I started out with certain assumptions about what I was going to learn, partly because I've been doing labor solidarity work for 25 years at this point. I really thought I knew what I was gonna hear. And what I discovered was there were these consistent themes across, the interviews. that there were these notions of, Oh, what's meaningful to me is [00:32:00] getting to organize across cultures, getting to organize with people who, on the surface and even deep down are very different than me, but we share this vision of what our lives can be. And so that solidarity message I found really powerful. Also, and admittedly because I come out of a spiritual background, was probably looking for it. I was really struck by how many of the interviews ended up talking about the role of spirituality and shaping people's values. And in a couple of instances, organizers said, what my religion taught me was that religion needs to be challenged. And building up that muscle was what helped me challenge systems of injustice in other places. But others said that their journey with their faith tradition was what guided them into the work of labor organizing. [00:32:52] Sandhya Jha: And then that third bucket of struggle, I think is the lived experience of how [00:33:00] hard it is to take on oppressive systems of capitalism, how hard it is to take on decks that are stacked against us and what it means to have somewhere to turn in the midst of those struggles. I will say there were also a couple of lessons I was surprised by because my South Asian identity is so central to my organizing work, I was expecting to collect stories of people who were proud South Asians, who were also proud to be involved in the labor movement. And I assumed that they would see connections between those things because I certainly do. But what I discovered is for the most part, they were like, Yeah, I'm South Asian. I'm not saying that doesn't matter, but it's not super relevant to my organizing work. My organizing work is about [00:34:00] our cross-cultural solidarity. And that was something I hadn't been expecting that emerged as I did those interviews. Interesting. And I'm really grateful that the South Asian American Digital Archives likes telling all of the stories because I think I promised them that what they were going to get was, we're proud to be South Asian organizers. And what I got was, yeah, we're South Asian, we're proud to be organizers. And the that SAADA is like, yeah, that's part of our story too. [00:34:28] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. And I think that's, that I think is incredibly important. We have this really, amazing series of audio clips from your SAADA interviews that really represent a lot of the themes that you were highlighting about solidarity, spirit, and struggle. And I'm just really excited to play them as we talk through these larger themes in your larger project and the experience of South Asian labor organizers. [00:34:55] Swati Rayasam: This clip is from somebody that you and I both know, which [00:35:00] is Prem Pariyar. I was so thrilled that Prem was a part of your project. I think Prem is an incredible organizer, so yeah tell our listeners a little bit about Prem. Prem [00:35:09] Sandhya Jha: It was pretty exciting to get to work with him you know, he moved here from Nepal and in Nepal he had been a Dalit activist and he came to the United States and had this notion that in the United States there is no caste and he was disabused of that notion very quickly as a restaurant worker dealing with anti Nepali bias in Indian restaurants, dealing with caste bias in Nepali restaurants, well dealing with Caste bias in all the restaurants. [00:35:35] Swati Rayasam: Hey, everyone, Narrator Swati here, I just wanted to put in an explanatory comma, a la W Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu to talk about some terms you just heard. Sandhya referenced that Prem was a Dalit activist and also talked about Caste bias. For those of you who don't know, Caste is a violent system of oppression and exclusion, which governs social status in many south Asian countries, although it is [00:36:00] most commonly associated with India. It works on an axis of purity and pollution, and it's hereditary. At the top of the caste system are Brahmins, by the way Sandhya and I are both Brahmin, and not even at the bottom, but completely outside of the system are Dalits who were previously referred to by the slur untouchable and Adivasis who are indigenous to South Asia. [00:36:25] Swati Rayasam: Despite being “illegal” Caste bias, Caste Oppression, Caste apartheid, are still prevalent, both in South Asia and as Sandhya references, in the United States. It manifests in many ways that people experience racial injustice, via socioeconomic inequality, systemic and interpersonal violence, occupation, and through the determination of marriage and other relationships. You can learn more at EqualityLabs.org and APEX currently has a show in the works that delves into this more deeply. Now. Back to Sandhya [00:36:58] Sandhya Jha: What is [00:37:00] delightful to me is Prem went on to get an MSW and is building out amazing mental health resources for Dalit communities for the Nepali community. Seeking to build out a program where there are more and more people in Nepal who are trained with MSW skills. [00:37:21] Sandhya Jha: I met with one of his professors from CSU East Bay where he got his degree and she said, You know, that the entire Cal State system is adding caste to its anti-discrimination policies thanks to the work he started at CSU East Bay. And it was really beautiful to hear that because the focus of my conversations with him were more around how his experiences in the restaurants led him into the solidarity work with nail salon workers. [00:37:53] Swati Rayasam: To just, kick back to the caste abolition work that Prem has been doing, that caste abolition work [00:38:00] at CSU East Bay has been such critical work in these ongoing conversations around caste that have been in the South Asian community primarily, but have been percolating elsewhere. [00:38:13] Swati Rayasam: You know, the state of California filed a lawsuit against Cisco systems Yep. For caste discrimination in their workplace and there have been all these conversations around caste and tech work and interplay that with the no tech for apartheid work. Right. That has been happening in Palestinian liberation circles. Yeah. And really building that solidarity movement. So I think that Prem is an absolute powerhouse Yeah. In that regard. But yeah, let's listen to this clip. [00:38:42] Prem: During that time, I got connected with other community organizer, like workers group. I got connected and so I was connected with nail salon workers, who were exploited at their workplace and with them, [00:39:00] I got to go to the capital in Sacramento. And so I thought I need to advocate for the restaurant workers. that was my first experience, like working with other workers and with the assembly members and like other other policy makers I shared what is happening what kinds of discrimination happening at the workplace. So I advocated for the restaurant workers at that time. I shared my stories and I supported the rights of nail salon workers. I was there to support them and they supported me as well, and it was wonderful. And finally that advocacy worked. And the bill was drafted and it was passed finally. And so it was huge achievement at that time. [00:39:49] Swati Rayasam: I love that. I think that is such a perfect story of when you win, we all win. [00:39:56] Sandhya Jha: And what I also love about it is he goes on [00:40:00] to talk about how he has remained in relationship with those nail salon workers. That they show up for each other, that they take each other food, that they show up to each other's baby showers and birthday parties, and there's this sense of community that emerges out of this shared struggle. And so that's a cross-cultural campaign. They were mostly Vietnamese. There were some Bangladeshi nail salon workers, but it was mostly people from a different culture than his. [00:40:27] Sandhya Jha: But somebody at the Asian Health Services program that he was at, saw his gifts, saw his passion, and he really responded to that in exactly, the most powerful way. I can imagine. [00:40:38] Swati Rayasam: And I think one of the nice things as well about that is that person at Asian Health Services connected Prem in and the Nail Salon Worker group, California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Prem came from Nepal, I'm not sure, but the extent to which his organizing background and how comfortable he was in the US organizing space around labor [00:41:00] issues was probably significantly less that worker group took it upon themselves when they saw Prem come in to say, Oh, you are advocating on behalf of restaurant workers. Great. Why don't you join us? Let's help support and so the nail salon workers saw Prem, saw solidarity with Prem and said, It is our responsibility mm-hmm to bring you into this space to connect you in and to move in, struggle together. Yeah. Toward our shared goals of safety, of health, of rights. Yep. [00:41:35] Sandhya Jha: Exactly. [00:41:36] Swati Rayasam: So, we have this clip from Daljit, tell me a little bit about Daljit. Daljit [00:41:42] Sandhya Jha: Yeah. Daljit was an attorney who now reads tarot for people because she needed a break from the toxicity of that career and how it was taking her away from her family. Daljit is a deeply spiritual person and, [00:42:00] as I mentioned before, this theme of spirit showed up in some really beautiful ways in some of the interviews. I loved the way she understood her Sikh tradition as foundationally being connected with the land and foundationally connected with the people who work the land. [00:42:15] Daljit: Agriculture is our culture and the religion that I was born into, Siki, the founder of that faith was a farmer. And so a lot of the scripture, the analogies, the metaphors, the poetry, the music, the songs, the boon, the traditional folk songs, that can be taunting and teasing banter, all that stuff the land is the framework for that. And my most favorite line from the Guru Granth Sahib, our holy book, is, [speaks Punjabi] and that basically means that, the waters our guru, the airs our father, but our mother is Earth. And that's the greatest of all , and that's adherence to ecosystem. That's the [00:43:00] indigenous Cosmo vision that should be paramount. And that's what I try to teach my children. And so I think that's what I was taught as a kid without necessarily being able to pinpoint it, but it was just infused throughout our songs, our music, our food, the Harvest, there's two times a year that our celebrations, whether it Baisakhi or Lohri. It's so connected to the harvest and what is coming out of the soil or not. And you're connected to the cycles of nature. [00:43:28] Swati Rayasam: The connection between nature land, spirituality the way that it shows up in so many faith backgrounds and so many faith organizers, I think is really, really beautiful. [00:43:41] Sandhya Jha: And I love that Daljit Kaursoni who was raised in this tradition, has found her way to Buddhism and is raising her kids with those connections, but without ever losing this grounding in the liberation of the land, the liberation of the [00:44:00] people. [00:44:00] Sandhya Jha: And for that to be a key element of her spirituality, even as her spirituality evolves, I think it's pretty powerful. Tafadar [00:44:08] Sandhya Jha: One of the other people I got to interview ,Tafadar, he's a Bangladeshi American in the building trades and is a deeply committed Marxist. For me, this was a particularly exciting interview because I'm Bengali, so from West Bengal, before partition, Bangladesh and what's now West Bengal, were one state. And so it was fun to get to talk with him and to say, Hey, this is our legacy as Bengalis is radical worker organizing. [00:44:40] Sandhya Jha: And I remember saying to him, Some people in the building trades are not super excited to be working with brown people. And some people in the building trades are a little biased against women. And as a very, very progressive South Asian? How do you navigate that [00:45:00] space? [00:45:00] Sandhya Jha: And he said, Here's the thing is, yeah, I organize alongside some moderate to conservative white folks from New Jersey and he said, but in the building trades, if that moderate to conservative white guy from New Jersey decides he doesn't like my feminist politics, or he doesn't like my brown skin, if he decides that's a reason not to train me, he might die. And it was really interesting because even though I've been doing labor justice work for a long time, it was one of those moments I was like, Oh, right. Your work is very dangerous and you all have to rely on each other whether you like each other or not. That is the magic of organizing that no one ever talks about. This is why we can do cross class, cross-cultural work because literally you have to trust each other with your lives. Right. That was a really clarifying moment for me. And it was one of those interesting moments where I was like, [00:46:00] Solidarity is not a romantic thing. Uh, it is very much a matter of life and death. [00:46:05] Sandhya Jha: And I think that is really important and that exact thing that you brought up, you don't even have to necessarily trust somebody. Right. But you do need them. Yep. Right. And like that really clear understanding that like your fates are intertwined and it is truly in everybody's best interest. If you are trained well, irrespective of whether or not at lunch, I'm interested in sitting anywhere near you. I think that's really great. [00:46:32] Sandhya Jha: One of the things that was really exciting about talking with Tafadar was the reminder that labor organizing and formal union organizing at its best can be in solidarity with other movements really worker justice and housing justice and racial justice are inseparable, on some level. And so, one of the most inspiring stories I got to hear across all of these interviews [00:47:00] was a campaign that brought together folks across the anti- gentrification, the immigrant rights, and the labor justice movement. [00:47:14] Tafadar: It's ironic, building affordable housing with deadly exploitation. And, um, to do this, the de blassio administration, they embark on massive major rezonings of poor areas to relax the local zoning laws to be able to bring in these developments. And a couple of years ago, my, my union in local 79's. Took a very sharp turn towards a community organizing approach because labor can't win on our own, and that's the perspective that all of labor should adopt. In order to fight against the sweatshops in our industry. We united with a lot of community organizations in the South Bronx. [00:47:53] Tafadar: We formed the South Bronx, Safe Southern Boulevard Coalition. And along with these groups, we [00:48:00] protested and did a whole lot of activism, lobbying, community organizing to stop the rezoning of Southern Boulevard, which is a massive stretch in the South Bronx, while the De Blassio administration had succeeded in another part of the Bronx where there's like massive displacement still underway right now. And we were determined to stop it there. And it was a beautiful thing that we can unite because on our end as labor, we had to prevent all these trash companies from coming in and exploiting workers. And we were working with these tenants who are afraid of being displaced. And people generally, we do need revitalization of our neighborhoods. We do need investment. We do need things to be changed and made better. For us. If it's not for us, if it's done without us, then eventually we're not even gonna be here anymore. So we had that alliance going on and not only did we manage to stop that rezoning, we also educated the local city councilman on why his position was wrong and supporting the rezoning. And he eventually completely flipped this [00:49:00] position. And now chairs the land use committee of the city council from the perspective that we educated him on, which it's just been a very interesting dynamic. But, there's a lot of rezoning battles all over the city that's like the main front of anti gentrification struggles. And I've been watching those kinds of campaigns go on since I began organizing about 15, 16. I've seen very different approaches to them, but I've never seen any model really work until that one kicked in where Labor and the community came together. So that was one of my favorite campaigns because of that lesson that we were able to concretely put into practice and set as an example for not only for community movements all over New York City, but also for Labor. [00:49:43] Sandhya Jha: I think this hit me in particular because I've done so much work around antis displacement in Oakland, and my experience has been. [00:49:53] Sandhya Jha: That while for most of us on the ground, the connection between housing justice and labor justice is really clear. When you [00:50:00] start getting into the technical policy issues and the funding issues, the folks who are running labor and housing justice or affordable housing, struggle to find ways to collaborate. And it's been one of my consistent heartbreaks for at least a decade at this point because I work at the intersection of those things and sometimes I despair of us being able to find ways to move forward together. And so to hear a story like this one and to be reminded at core, those justice issues can and must be we already knew, must be, but actually can function together to build a better community. That was actually really life giving for me to hear. [00:50:45] Swati Rayasam: Yeah. I a hundred percent agree. And I think the point that Tafadar as well brings in the clip of just saying we knew that we could do this, but we knew we couldn't do this without community organizing. Right? Yeah. That labor couldn't do this alone. Yeah. [00:51:00] And I think that is a lot of what, when we talk about solidarity politics, it's not just a backdoor way of inclusion for inclusion's sake, we have to all do this. Actually, it is integral that all of us are involved in any of these campaigns because it impacts all of us. And because we are not going to win with only a single constituency and in the very same way that, Tafadar was identifying that labor couldn't do that alone. in community organizing spaces that you and I have been in mm-hmm. , like we are constantly talking about how we cannot do any of this without labor. Yep. And I think a beautiful example of that is the Block the Boat campaign yeah that the Arab Resource Organizing Center, started back in 2014 and then again during 2021 to block the Zim ship from the port of Oakland. And like this community organization [00:52:00] AROC could not do that without working with the longshoreman to collaborate with the port workers. And I think that when we see the marriage of community organizing and labor organizing, that is when we get the power of grassroots organizing. [00:52:16] Sandhya Jha: Something I wanna mention about the SAADA Fellowship that I was really grateful for: two things. First off, they did a really good job of making sure we got trained in grassroots oral history. So they took really seriously what it meant for this to be justice work. And they made sure we had exposure to methodology that was gonna lift up and honor and foster the voices of people whose stories don't get heard often enough. And that was a really big deal to me. The other thing is they made sure that we had an advisory board, people who are in this [00:53:00] work who could help us, figure out who to talk with, who could help us build out an event strategy. And you helped me build out my advisory committee. Anibel Ferris-Comelo who is with the University of California Labor Center, [00:53:14] Swati Rayasam: Prem Pariyar, a Nepali Dalit restaurant worker, organizer pushing for Caste as a protected category with Equality Labs, a Dalit feminist organization, and a social worker supporting the mental health needs of his and many other South Asian communities in Alameda county. [00:53:31] Swati Rayasam: Will Jamil Wiltchko with the California Trade Justice Coalition, Terry Valen who I did a lot of organizing with at the beginning of the pandemic, around the struggles that seafarers were facing with the onset of COVID-19. And he's the organizational director of the Filipino Community Center in San Francisco. The president of NAFCON which is the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns and just an all in all amazing organizer [00:53:57] Sandhya Jha: the last thing I wanna mention [00:54:00] is SAADA also helped me set up a digital exhibit with Art by Madhvi Trivedi Patak and I wanted to give them a shoutout because they're an incredible artist, but also they grew up in a working class family and didn't get exposed to what it looks like to do labor justice. And so as they developed the artwork to go with the digital exhibit, they got to experience the possibilities of labor solidarity that they hadn't gotten to experience as a child. And so I really loved that Madhvi was a part of this project as well [00:54:38] Swati Rayasam: All of the clips that you shared really identifying, again, these like huge fundamental pillars of solidarity and spirit and struggle. these clips were amazing. They are so rich and so layered with all of these people's varying and different experiences. Really showing in [00:55:00] all of these different walks of life at all of these ages with all of these experiences, that all of these people have this unified and shared identity in struggle, in spirit, and in solidarity for liberation. [00:55:14] Sandhya Jha: And one of the things that I think is worth celebrating is whether they see it as part of their South Asian identity or not. People who do identify as South Asian now have this resource that says there's a home for you in the labor movement. Yes, there are. There is a value to your voice. There is a value to your wisdom, there's a value to your experience in the labor movement. [00:55:36] Swati Rayasam: I think it's a beautiful project. Sandhya, I think it has been an amazing amount of work I've watched you do over the past year. These stories are so wonderful. I really encourage people to check it out. Where can they find your project? [00:55:49] Sandhya Jha: The website's www.saada.org/acfp [00:56:00] /exhibit/solidarity-forever. We'll put that in the notes. We'll definitely put that in the show notes. [00:56:05] Swati Rayasam: I just wanna make sure that we replug your podcast Bending Toward Justice Avatar, The Last Air Bender for the Global Majority and you can find that at tinyurl.com slash ATLA podcast, Capital P (tinyurl.com/ATLAPodcast). And then the last thing that I also wanna make sure that we plug is Without Fear Consulting. [00:56:27] Sandhya Jha: I love working with folks who know that their organization could be a little more liberative, and are, just not quite sure where to start. I love working with a team of folks who want to be about the work of incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the DNA of their organization and I love setting them up so that they can keep doing that long after I'm working with them. So please do find me withoutfearconsulting.com. If you're interested in that. [00:56:58] Swati Rayasam: Amazing. Sandhya [00:57:00] Jha, Pastor, Racial Justice consultant, podcast host, archivist, singer songwriter, amazing cook. You can do it all. I think you deserve a nap. it has been amazing talking to you. I am so glad to be able to hear about your project and also to hear a lot more about your life. [00:57:23] Sandhya Jha: Yay. Thank you so much. [00:57:25] Miata Tan: That was Swati Rayasam in conversation with Sandhya Jha. As Swati mentioned, you can learn more about her work in the show notes at kpfa.org/program/apex-express. Speaking of Swati — she's currently working on an episode marking the 25th anniversary of 9/11, out in early September. It'll cover the work of the South Asian Coalition, a national network of organizations working together on South Asian American movement building. Keep an eye out for that one. This episode originally aired January 5th, 2023 — we're re-airing it this week in honor of South Asian American Heritage Month. This is APEX Express on 94.1 KPFA, airing every Thursday evening at 7pm. Thank you for tuning in tonight. APEX Express is a proud member of Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality. A network focused on long-term movement building, capacity infrastructure, and leadership support for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders committed to social justice. Learn more at AACRE.org This program produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's episode was produced by Swati Rayasam. Get some rest y'all. The post APEX Express – 7.16.26 – South Asians and The Labor Justice Movement appeared first on KPFA.

July 14, 1970. A group of Puerto Rican activists stage an occupation demanding better health care at the Lincoln Hospital in South Bronx, New York City. This episode originally aired in 2025. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

Samuel "Sami" Miranda grew up in the South Bronx and resides in Washington, DC. He is a visual artist, poet, filmmaker and high school teacher. For over three decades Sami Miranda has focused on story telling through multiple media. First through his poetry and visual art and in the past five years through combining poetry and film to tell stories that help provide space for people's names to be spoken, for their stories to be told and remembered. Films he co-produced and co-directed, "Hiding Place", "Desert Poems", “Jesus” and "Spanish Joe Remembers" have been included in film festivals in DC, Berlin, the Netherlands, Madrid, Houston, Bethesda, Seattle and Milwaukee. He is currently working on film projects that focus on DC stories and migration stories. He is the author of Protection from Erasure, published by Jaded Ibis Press, Departure, a chapbook published by Central Square Press, and We Is, published by Zozobra Publishing and his book Rewarding the Unhurried is forthcoming from Flowersong Press. He is currently working on collaborative projects with musicians, visual artists and filmmakers. He has performed his poetry and facilitated poetry workshops throughout the US, St. Maarten, Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Madrid. Samuel's artwork has been exhibited internationally in Puerto Rico and Madrid, as well as New York and Washington, DC. Most recently, his work was in the Smithsonian's new Molina Family Latino Gallery inaugural exhibition ¡Presente! and has been included in university and private collections. Films he co-produced and co-directed, "Hiding Place", "Desert Poems", “Jesus” and "Spanish Joe Remembers" have been included in film festivals in DC, Berlin, the Netherlands, Madrid, Houston, Bethesda, Seattle and Milwaukee. Sami Miranda also manages programming for the American Poetry Museum and serves as its Executive Director.

In an age dominated by algorithms, outrage, and endless scrolling, what does it mean to become a truly human person?   John Heers joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on modernity, the crisis of meaning, internet Orthodoxy, the rise of the "Orthobro," and why so many people are searching for identity. We discuss how social media shapes the soul, why information alone cannot heal us, the Orthodox understanding of the heart, and how genuine community—not merely online discourse—forms us into the people God created us to be.   John argues that the greatest struggle of our time is not merely political or cultural, but deeply spiritual.   Finally, we dive into one of John's favorite topics: the Supra. More than a shared meal, it has become a living expression of hospitality, friendship, and the kind of embodied community that modern life has largely forgotten.   If you've ever wondered why so many people feel disconnected despite being more "connected" than ever, this conversation is for you.   About John Heers:   John Heers is the founder of First Things Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through hospitality, cultural exchange, education, and authentic human relationships. His work has taken him across the globe, serving as a Peace Corps water resource manager in Mali, directing emergency relief efforts in the Republic of Georgia following the Abkhazia conflict, working in international development in Haiti, and teaching for nearly a decade in the South Bronx and Harlem. He also helped found Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Florida.   Today, John hosts the Heavy Things Lightly podcast and continues his work through First Things Foundation, including the Art of the Tamada, international field work, and Keipi Restaurant in Greenville, South Carolina—a nonprofit restaurant introducing guests to the rich tradition of Georgian hospitality. His work explores how the wisdom of the Old World can help heal many of the cultural and spiritual crises of the modern West. (First Things Foundation⁠)   Guest's Links: https://www.heavythingslightly.com https://first-things.org    Sponsors: Thea's Orthodox Young Adult Formation Conference: https://thetemplesteps.com Podsworth App: https://podsworth.com  Code: BUCK50 for HALF off your first order! Clean up your recordings, sound like a pro, and support the Counterflow Podcast! Full Ad Read BEFORE processing: https://youtu.be/F4ljjtR5QfA  Full Ad Read AFTER processing: https://youtu.be/J6trRTgmpwE Visit my website: https://www.counterflowpodcast.com  Leave us a review and rating on Apple Podcasts! Thanks!

This month Mayor Mamdani implemented a rent freeze for the next two years on rent stabilized apartments. Memories are short. This has been tried before and it was a dismal failure. But this time will be different. You see when property owners have expenses rising including city taxes, insurance, utilities,  and rents are legislated to be flat, and you still need to comply with the city's stringent building standards regulations, the math doesn't add up. At a certain point, the owners of these buildings are being legislated into bankruptcy. Most of the city's 1M rent stabilized units are in the Bronx and Northern Manhattan. About 2M residents live in these apartments.The last time this was tried an urban wasteland was the result. The South Bronx was littered with burned out buildings. Desperate building owners found that it was more desirable to collect an insurance settlement than to lose their building to foreclosure. I remember those days well. My family was from NY and there were daily news reports of another fire in the South Bronx which swallowed up a few more buildings.Between 1970 and 1981, the Bronx lost roughly 100,000 housing units to abandonment and arson, approximately one out of every five units in the borough's total housing stock. In 1980 alone there were 8,312 arson fires in NYC. When the rent is frozen, a black market opens up. We saw this in the past. Tenants in a rent stabilized property would choose to sublet their apartment for more than they were paying, but less than a market rate apartment. The large gap between the market rate and the rent stabilized units creates an incentive for this black market to emerge.But no, this time will be different. ------------**Real Estate Espresso Podcast:** Spotify: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/3GvtwRmTq4r3es8cbw8jW0?si=c75ea506a6694ef1)   iTunes: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-real-estate-espresso-podcast/id1340482613)   Website: [www.victorjm.com](http://www.victorjm.com)   LinkedIn: [Victor Menasce](http://www.linkedin.com/in/vmenasce)   YouTube: [The Real Estate Espresso Podcast](http://www.youtube.com/@victorjmenasce6734)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/realestateespresso](http://www.facebook.com/realestateespresso)   Email: [podcast@victorjm.com](mailto:podcast@victorjm.com)  **Y Street Capital:** Website: [www.ystreetcapital.com](http://www.ystreetcapital.com)   Facebook: [www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital](https://www.facebook.com/YStreetCapital)   Instagram: [@ystreetcapital](http://www.instagram.com/ystreetcapital)  

Attend a Live Q&A with Dr. Glandt. Reigster here.What if the way we treat type 2 diabetes is fundamentally backwards?Dr. Mariela Glandt is an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist who spent 15 years practicing conventional medicine before concluding, in her words, that how we treat diabetes “is actually upside down.” As co-founder of OwnaHealth, she focuses on addressing the insulin resistance underlying type 2 diabetes, not only the elevated blood sugar it eventually causes.In this episode, she walks through the science of that shift: why fasting insulin may reveal metabolic dysfunction before A1C becomes abnormal, why a laboratory “normal” range running up to 20 can be misleading, and why she believes repeatedly escalating insulin can contribute to weight gain, reduced insulin responsiveness, and worsening metabolic health.She also shares what she has learned bringing low-carbohydrate and ketogenic therapy to underserved communities in the South Bronx, where patients may be navigating severe diabetes alongside financial pressure, cultural food traditions, psychiatric illness, chronic stress, and conflicting medical advice. Her work shows that these therapies can succeed even in communities facing significant barriers to care.Dr. Glandt also breaks down what GLP-1 medications actually do, where they can help, and what they may leave unresolved—including the risks of muscle loss, inadequate protein intake, and relying on medication without addressing the patient's broader metabolic health.Questions Answered in This Episode:• What key mindset shifts do conventionally trained physicians need to make when transitioning to a more integrated approach to medicine?• How does reframing diabetes as insulin resistance change the way a doctor practices?• What are the earliest signs of metabolic dysfunction that many clinicians miss?• Can ketogenic metabolic therapy succeed in underserved communities?• What do GLP-1 medications actually solve, and what do they leave untouched?• Where can ketogenic therapy and GLP-1 medications work together?• What has Dr. Glandt observed in patients living with both metabolic and psychiatric illness?• Where does endocrinology most need to change course?Viewers will come away with a different lens on metabolic disease, one that looks beyond glucose and weight to the biological, social, and practical factors shaping a patient's health.More links:For Richer, for Poorer: Low-Carb Diets Work for All IncomesOwnaHealth: Reverse the course of chronic disease — for everyone.Special thanks to the sponsors of this episode:✅ Toups and Co – Get 15% off your first order with code METABOLIC here.✅ iRestore – Get a huge discount on the Elite and the Illumina bundle with the code LINK here.In every episode of The Metabolic Link, we'll uncover the very latest research on metabolic health and therapy. If you like this episode, please share it, subscribe, follow, and leave us a comment or review on whichever platform you use to tune in!You can find us on all your major podcast players here and full episodes are also up on our Metabolic Health Summit YouTube channel!Find us on social: InstagramFacebookYouTubeLinkedInPlease keep in mind: The Metabolic Link does not provide medical or health advice, but rather general information that does not serve as a substitute for a licensed healthcare professional. Never delay in seeking medical advice from an appropriately licensed medical provider for any health condition that you may have.

Mayor Mamdani came to a handshake agreement with Council speaker Julie Menin this morning at City Hall on next year's fiscal budget. This will aid New York residents in affordable housing and transportation. Norway hasn't played in the World Cup since 1998. But they just advanced to the Round of 16. WFUV's Livia Regina heads to a historically Norwegian area in Brooklyn to see how Norwegian New Yorkers are celebrating their team. WFUV's Sonia Weliwitigoda spoke with Justin Sanchez, a City Council Member representing District 17 in the South Bronx, who is also pursuing his law degree at Fordham, about how he's incorporated the Fordham mission into his council work.

An 85% graduation rate against a district average of 60% — at a second-chance school in the South Bronx where the primary healing tool isn't a worksheet or a clipboard. It's a professional recording studio.

A Conversation with Dr. Curtis Palmore | True But Useless What does it take to turn around a school — and why does it have almost nothing to do with curriculum? Dr. Curtis Palmore, CEO of United Charter High Schools — the largest charter high school network in New York City — grew up in the South Bronx. Today, he leads schools in the same neighborhoods where he was raised, and the through-line of his work is simple: kids in under-resourced communities deserve the same quality of education as anyone else. In this conversation, Curtis talks about the mindset shift he believes every school turnaround actually hinges on — what he calls the "true but useless" reframe. When educators get stuck listing everything that's hard about serving high-need students, they're not wrong. But they're also not moving. He talks about what it looks like to lead adults out of that stuckness, before you ever touch a curriculum. He also gets into the role of joy and belonging in high schools (and why it tends to disappear exactly when students need it most), how his network is navigating AI in a way that's intentional rather than reactive, and what New York City's shrinking student population means for schools trying to grow. Curtis has been doing this work for nearly three decades — from his first classroom in Washington Heights to a network serving students across multiple boroughs. This one is full of things worth sitting with.

Ep 244 One World in a New World with Christian TorresWhat happens when a gifted young man from the South Bronx earns a scholarship to one of New York's most prestigious schools, becomes a police officer, commits a life-altering mistake, spends nearly a decade in prison—including 18 months in solitary confinement—and emerges with a profound understanding of human potential, decision-making, and artificial intelligence?In this remarkable conversation, Zen Benefiel sits down with Christian Torres, decision intelligence strategist, former NYPD officer, and Director of Business Intelligence, to explore one of the most powerful redemption stories we've featured on One World in a New World.Together they dive into:

Honoring LGBTQ+ and Soccer, we speak with Ecuadorian-born Liaam Winslet, director of Transgrediendo. We celebrate the world's most popular sport, soccer, with Andrew So of South Bronx United and spotlight Fuerza Fest, LGBTQ+ Latino arts festival.

John talks with Dr. Mason Pimsler about his work to combat a public health crisis in the South Bronx by addressing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vous connaissez la salsa, vous connaissez le hip-hop, mais connaissez-vous la « salsa-hip-hop » ? C'est la nouvelle danse fusion à la mode à Paris. Son initiateur s'appelle Rodrigue Lino, ancien vice-champion du monde de break dance. Ce Français d'origine congolaise anime chaque dimanche un atelier de découverte au Centquatre, une scène parisienne de promotion des arts actuels.  Jambe souple, hanches de roseaux, pied flottant : Rodrigue Lino s'amuse autant qu'il enseigne, en polo beige, pantalon tabac, chaussures de flamenco aux pieds. Sous la verrière de l'espace du Centquatre, une soixantaine d'élèves boivent ses paroles et suivent ses mouvements. Rodrigue Lino, vice-champion du monde de break dance il y a près de 20 ans, a grandi dans un environnement congolais baigné de danses latines, mais avec des frères influencés par le hip-hop. Alors pourquoi choisir ? Pourquoi ne pas fusionner les deux ? « Ce n'est pas une culture comme le hip-hop ou comme la salsa et les danses latine, c'est vraiment un courant. Deux types de danses qui fusionnent. Et encore, quand on dit "salsa hip-hop", dans le hip-hop, c'est déjà une fusion. La salsa aussi d'ailleurs. En fait, tout est fusion. » Depuis quelques mois, Irina suit assidûment les pas de Rodrigue : « J'avoue, au début j'étais un peu sceptique, en me disant "comment on peut fusionner les deux ?" Et en fait cela fait complètement sens. Avec le rythme, on sent bien que l'on peut faire des pas de mambo, de salsa, et ça s'intègre avec des mouvements de hip-hop. »  Maitriser le chaloupé latino et la raideur break dance, facile ? Pas tant que cela, selon Gulnara Bekirova, chorégraphe Azérie, qui assiste Rodrigue Lino : « Oui, ça peut être dur, parce que cela veut dire qu'il faut maitriser deux rythmes. Et ces deux styles sont déjà très riches aussi. Donc oui, c'est dur mais c'est possible. »  Rodrigue a redécouvert la salsa hip-hop, mais il ne l'a pas inventée. Cette danse fusion est née à New York dans les années 1970 : « La chose que je dis très souvent, c'est que je n'ai pas inventé l'eau chaude. On me dit souvent que la fusion vient de moi, mais non, pas du tout. En fait, je me suis juste appuyé sur ce que faisaient les gens du South-Bronx. C'est-à-dire que les premiers breakdancers étaient portoricains et afro-descendants. Et cela fait que les Portoricains qui dansaient le break dance avaient la saveur latine dans leurs pas et dans leurs corps. » Avec conviction, le chorégraphe de 44 ans a réussi à placer Paris sur la carte mondiale des danses-fusion. Reste à savoir si la salsa hip-hop connaitra le destin de la plus célèbre d'entre elles, le Street Jazz. 

Vous connaissez la salsa, vous connaissez le hip-hop, mais connaissez-vous la « salsa-hip-hop » ? C'est la nouvelle danse fusion à la mode à Paris. Son initiateur s'appelle Rodrigue Lino, ancien vice-champion du monde de break dance. Ce Français d'origine congolaise anime chaque dimanche un atelier de découverte au Centquatre, une scène parisienne de promotion des arts actuels.  Jambe souple, hanches de roseaux, pied flottant : Rodrigue Lino s'amuse autant qu'il enseigne, en polo beige, pantalon tabac, chaussures de flamenco aux pieds. Sous la verrière de l'espace du Centquatre, une soixantaine d'élèves boivent ses paroles et suivent ses mouvements. Rodrigue Lino, vice-champion du monde de break dance il y a près de 20 ans, a grandi dans un environnement congolais baigné de danses latines, mais avec des frères influencés par le hip-hop. Alors pourquoi choisir ? Pourquoi ne pas fusionner les deux ? « Ce n'est pas une culture comme le hip-hop ou comme la salsa et les danses latine, c'est vraiment un courant. Deux types de danses qui fusionnent. Et encore, quand on dit "salsa hip-hop", dans le hip-hop, c'est déjà une fusion. La salsa aussi d'ailleurs. En fait, tout est fusion. » Depuis quelques mois, Irina suit assidûment les pas de Rodrigue : « J'avoue, au début j'étais un peu sceptique, en me disant "comment on peut fusionner les deux ?" Et en fait cela fait complètement sens. Avec le rythme, on sent bien que l'on peut faire des pas de mambo, de salsa, et ça s'intègre avec des mouvements de hip-hop. »  Maitriser le chaloupé latino et la raideur break dance, facile ? Pas tant que cela, selon Gulnara Bekirova, chorégraphe Azérie, qui assiste Rodrigue Lino : « Oui, ça peut être dur, parce que cela veut dire qu'il faut maitriser deux rythmes. Et ces deux styles sont déjà très riches aussi. Donc oui, c'est dur mais c'est possible. »  Rodrigue a redécouvert la salsa hip-hop, mais il ne l'a pas inventée. Cette danse fusion est née à New York dans les années 1970 : « La chose que je dis très souvent, c'est que je n'ai pas inventé l'eau chaude. On me dit souvent que la fusion vient de moi, mais non, pas du tout. En fait, je me suis juste appuyé sur ce que faisaient les gens du South-Bronx. C'est-à-dire que les premiers breakdancers étaient portoricains et afro-descendants. Et cela fait que les Portoricains qui dansaient le break dance avaient la saveur latine dans leurs pas et dans leurs corps. » Avec conviction, le chorégraphe de 44 ans a réussi à placer Paris sur la carte mondiale des danses-fusion. Reste à savoir si la salsa hip-hop connaitra le destin de la plus célèbre d'entre elles, le Street Jazz. 

Welcome to MENO — your go-to for perimenopause, menopause, and everything in between. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Allie Sharma, a Cornell-trained psychiatrist and Co-founder of Being Health. Dr. Sharma's backstory includes working with trauma survivors in post-conflict countries like Afghanistan and marginalized populations in the South Bronx. Despite her elite training, she reveals she learned zero about menopause in medical school—a gap she now solves through an integrated mental health model that bridges the gap between hormones and the brain. IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER: -The 40% Surge: Why the risk of depression can be 40% higher in perimenopause than premenopause. -Neurotransmitter 101: How estrogen directly impacts serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine metabolism. -The GABA Connection: Why progesterone acts as a natural "calming" hormone on the brain's GABA pathway. -The Truth About the Pill: Why standard birth control may not be the right solution for perimenopausal mood shifts. -Biohacking with Ketamine: How infusion therapy facilitates a "neuroplastic window" to treat resistant depression. -The SSRI Libido Myth: Navigating sexual side effects and finding alternative treatments like SNRIs or Wellbutrin. -Ancient Medicine, Modern Results: Why the WHO endorses acupuncture for treating depression. -CBT for Menopause: Using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to manage the psychological distress of hot flashes. RESOURCES beinghealth.co Dr. Allie Sharma on IG @alliesharmamd @mentalhealthcoalition @beinghealthcare ABOUT MENO MENO is the definitive platform for menopause and perimenopause care — connecting women to trusted experts, solutions, and support https://joinmeno.com/ https://www.instagram.com/join.meno https://www.tiktok.com/@join.meno Follow our Founder/CEO on Instagram @jacquelinebuckingham Disclaimer: MENO is for general information and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine in any way. MENO does not constitute professional health care services or medical advice. No doctor/patient relationship is formed as a result of this podcast. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of MENO is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard getting medical advice for any such medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Shaun Ossei-Owusu looked around at his classmates at UC Berkeley School of Law, there were many upper middle class children of lawyers who were coming straight from their undergraduate degrees. There were not many people like him, a child of Ghanaian immigrants who grew up in an impoverished South Bronx community and was now finishing his PhD as a returning student. That background and his academic training gave him a different perspective on the law school curriculum. For example, his Property Law class was mostly focused on the ins and outs of titles and transfers. "It was strange to me, particularly being going to school at Berkeley, how little the class said about homelessness," Ossei-Owusu tells host Lee Rawles in this episode of the Modern Law Library. "We have about 750,000 people in this country who are unhoused in any given night. And this is the course, Property Law, that's most directly concerned with how we organize access space and shelter. And the course doesn't say much about homelessness. And so I felt that that was strange, but I didn't want to be the student in class saying, 'Well, why aren't we talking about this?' " Ossei-Owusu went on to practice healthcare enforcement law at Sidley Austin, and worked for the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia. His time as a litigator and public interest lawyer gave him a look at how law school principles fared in real world situations. "Lawyers are implicated in many of the hot-button issues of the day, and much of that is tied to the ways that we train lawyers in law school to distance legal reasoning from social and moral consequences–and the ways they bring that habit into legal practice, whether it be BigLaw, public interest lawyering, or government lawyering," Ossei-Owusu says. It's something he now thinks deeply about as a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School who focuses on criminal justice, social welfare and professional responsibility. In Law on Trial: An Unlikely Insider Reckons with Our Legal System, he calls out the ways this early training can result in further injustice and inequality for society. "Professional ethics say your job is to primarily serve clients, which creates an inevitable distance between what lawyers do and who pays the price," writes Ossei-Owusu in Law on Trial. "The result is a system that trains smart people to engineer brilliant solutions while staying disconnected from the human wreckage they may leave behind." In this episode of the podcast, Ossei-Owusu and Rawles talk about the hard truths of public interest legal work, how regulatory work can sometimes have more impact than litigation, and and how good intentions alone cannot erase harm.

The New York Knicks now lead the eastern conference finals 3-0. Completing 10 straight wins. They will be going to the finals, first time since 1999 with one more win! Back to Back Sweeps in the playoffs. The NYPD denied their permit for a watch party in front of Madison Square Garden. Claiming complaints & saftey concerns. Teenager was killed Subway surfing on the J train. City beaches are now officially opened. The start of Memorial Day weekend. The three day LIRR labor strike came to an end . fire in Morris Heights leaves one dead. South Bronx culture festival! Bronx, Puerto Rican day parade May 30! Free salsa in Washington Square, Park! It feels like the summer already! Free concerts and free movies at Hudson yards! And so much more!Children's Museum of Manhattan children's Museum of the Bronx and children's Museum of Brooklyn participate in museums for all. With your EBT or snap card you can get free admission or discounted rate. Like, Subscribe & share! and check out Super Puerto Rico Man! The Orignal Bronx Superhero! Free mini comic and press kit Superpuertoricoman.weebly.com@MRCAKEAVE SEASON 11 EPISODE 21THIS WEEK MUSIC BY “LIFE” song STREET LIFE @designbynatureapparelCO HOST SYTrends and News of the WEEKBRONX NEWSMANHATTAN NEWSHARLEM NEWSBROOKLYN NEWS

Die Themen: Deutsche Meisterschaft im Bäume-Umarmen; Kanzler besucht die SPD; Merkel zur Ukraine: Europa setzt diplomatisches Potenzial nicht ausreichend ein; Riesigen Offshore-Projekten droht das Aus; Mamdanis erstes Lebensmittelgeschäft ist in der South Bronx geplant; Fußball-WM 2026: England sorgt sich wegen Sex-Geräuschen im Teamhotel; Narzissmus made in Germany. Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/ApokalypseundFilterkaffee Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio

In the second half of our show, we spoke with Reneé Feltz about her epic cover story for the May print edition of The Indypendent titled “Trash Revolution: NYC Dumps Throwaway Culture for Sanitation Overhaul. Will It Succeed?” We were also joined by Clarisa Alayeto, a South Bronx activist who has fought to clean up her community for decades and is featured in Renee's cover story.

Have you ever wondered if all that doing is actually getting in the way of your creativity? What if I asked you to let yourself be less useful?This week I'm sitting down with photographer, documentarian, and creative force Lindsey Lerner, founder of Field Notes From the Work in the Wild, a stunning project on Substack that documents people in the messy middle of their most meaningful work.Lindsey started out as my creative coaching client and has since become one of my dearest friends and creative allies. And in this conversation, she gets radically honest about what happened when she finally stopped over-functioning, stopped building everyone else's dreams, and started making room for her own.We get into:-Why being less useful might be the most creative thing you can do-How to keep the faith when your path makes absolutely no sense-What it really means to ask for help, and why it's so hard for high achievers-How to braid your passions into something only you can create-Plus the moment Lindsey's wife said something so simple it rewired everything.If you've ever confused hustle for worth, or wondered if there's a more holistic, authentic way to create, this one is for you, cutie.And if you're in New York, Lindsey's bringing Field Notes to life on September 26th at Bronxlandia in the South Bronx. Subscribe to Field Notes on Substack to get first access to tickets: https://fieldnotesfromthework.substack.com/ Love you. Let's get into it.

In this conversation, David Bryan and Dr. Peter Schnall delve into the complexities of work stress, exploring its definitions, causes, and effects on both mental and physical health. They discuss how workplace design, demands, and control impact employee well-being, using bus drivers as a case study to illustrate the physiological responses to stress. The importance of management's role in creating a supportive work environment and the need for medical professionals to recognize work-related stressors are emphasized. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the potential role of AI in addressing these issues. In this conversation, Peter L Schnall discusses the impact of AI on work environments, emphasizing the importance of human interpretation in understanding work stressors. He highlights the need for AI to be designed with worker well-being in mind and critiques the inadequacy of well-being programs that fail to address structural issues. The discussion also covers the receptivity of businesses to change, the lack of regulation in the U.S. regarding work stressors, and the global perspective on job stress. Schnall introduces the Healthy Work Campaign, aimed at raising awareness about the health consequences of work-related stressors and advocating for healthier work environments. He challenges the notion that workers should simply 'tough it out' and argues for the business case for prioritizing worker health, while acknowledging the difficulties in changing corporate attitudes.Dr. Peter L. Schnall, MD, MPH is a physician, internist, and epidemiologist best known as the Founder and Director of the Center for Social Epidemiology, a nonprofit organization he established in 1988 with his family. The organization's focus is on promoting public awareness of the role of environmental and occupational stress in the etiology of psychological disorders and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Schnall is a recognized expert and active researcher on the role of occupational stress in causing hypertension and cardiovascular disease, with a long-standing interest in the role that work organizations and psychosocial stressors play in their development. His interest in the subject has deep roots: it began while practicing medicine for 8 years at the Martin Luther King Health Center in the South Bronx, where he noticed that many patients diagnosed with hypertension showed remission of their high blood pressure while off medication — a finding that contradicted the established medical view of hypertension as an irreversible chronic disease. He subsequently received a three-year NIH/NHLBI postdoctoral fellowship in cardiovascular epidemiology at Columbia University, and his doctoral research — conducted in collaboration with Dr. Tom Pickering at Cornell Medical Center — became the longest-ever longitudinal study of work stress and ambulatory blood pressure, funded for 14 years. https://www.healthywork.org/https://unhealthywork.org/

From the streets of the South Bronx to running one of the busiest weed operations in New York City — this is the story of Angel Diaz, aka Julito. In this raw and unfiltered interview, Julito breaks down how he was raised in the drug game, watching his mother move heroin and cocaine before stepping into the streets himself at just 12 years old. From selling crack and flipping weed to building a massive distribution network moving pounds daily, he shares how loyalty, hustle, and survival shaped his rise. But the game comes with a price. Julito opens up about violence, betrayal, federal indictments, and the moment everything came crashing down due to snitches and internal conflict. After years behind bars, he reflects on the truth most don't talk about: There's no glory in the street life. Go Support Julito! IG: https://www.instagram.com/bx_julito/ Clothing: https://www.maisonbullion.co Book: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-united-states-of-america-v-julito-angel-diaz/1146480500 This Episode Is #Sponsored By The Following: Lucy! Find LUCY near you at https://lucy.co/stores, or save 20% on your first online order at https://lucy.co/CONNECT with promo code CONNECT. Shopify! Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.com/mitchell Betterhelp! When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at https://betterhelp.com/connect Cash App! Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/1ekoiacn #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Cash App Green, overdraft coverage, borrow, cash back offers and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Join The Patreon For Bonus Content! https://www.patreon.com/theconnectshow 00:00 Intro: Meet Julito – Bronx Weed Kingpin 01:53 Puerto Rican Roots & Family in the South Bronx 03:56 Julito's Upbringing & Family's Criminal Past 10:05 Early Hustles: Family Drug Business 16:39 Growing Up Surrounded by Drugs & Violence 21:15 This Episode Is Sponsored By Lucy 22:40 Weed, Heroin, Crack: Bronx Drug Culture Breakdown 30:00 This Episode Is Sponsored By Shopify and Betterhelp 32:38 Julito's First Steps as a Young Hustler 36:19 The Weed Block Corner Sales 41:52 This Episode Is Sponsored By Cash App 43:16 From Corners To Big Business 48:45 Clientele, Profits & Outwitting the Law 55:40 Moving Up: Gaining Trust and Becoming the Boss 01:12:01 Running the Block & Dealing with Competition 01:23:50 Weed Droughts, Strains, and Evolving Drug Game 01:31:07 The Rise of Sour Diesel and High-End Weed 01:36:01 Block Politics & Rivalries in the Bronx 01:43:43 Violence, Betrayal, and the Feds Closing In 01:54:41 The Murder, the Snitch, and the Downfall 02:07:38 Feds Build Their Case & Block Goes Down 02:18:27 Prison, Reflecting on the Game & Life Lessons 02:20:19 Life After Prison & Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful episode of Murder, Mystery, & Mayhem Laced with Morality, we sit down with James L. Hill, a storyteller whose life journey is as layered and compelling as the characters he creates.Raised in the South Bronx during a turbulent era shaped by the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and cultural revolution, James developed a perspective forged through both chaos and curiosity. His experiences—ranging from disciplined Catholic education to seasons of personal exploration—have shaped a unique voice that navigates the tension between darkness and redemption.Writing under J.L. Hill, he is the author of the gripping “Killer With…” crime series featuring Bulletproof Morris “Mojo” Johnson, as well as imaginative works like Pegasus: A Journey to New Eden and the Gem Stones Series. His stories span crime, science fiction, and fantasy—each exploring the complexities of human nature and the consequences of choice.In this conversation, we explore:• The real-life experiences that shaped his storytelling• The blurred lines between morality, survival, and identity• Why even the darkest stories can reveal deeper truthsThis episode is a reminder that behind every mystery and every moment of mayhem…there is a story worth understanding.✨ Where light pierces through the darkness with the spoken and written word.

Joel Sanchez is an American Volleyball coach. A New York product, he played competitively for club Mocha and was a standout at Lehman College. Once he entered coaching, he hit the ground running, with a "Midas touch" on every single program in which he was involved. From club to college to adult pros, wherever there is success, there he is, with a list entirely too long for the description. To date, he is the program director of Legacy Volleyball Club, where his work won him national director of the year in 2022. 04:19 - Legacy volleyball: the idea, the pioneering, the ascension, providing a place of safeness and escapism. 18:22 - NYC being the pandemic ground zero and how the club survived, catching up on 25 years of playing and coaching (for our "people"), being raised in a culture where taking care is first contact is never an issue. 28:28 - Remembering Guillermo Ramos, the hardest hitter we have ever seen, the invincibility of Bameso in 2004-2005, the "beauty" of Desmond "Shadow" Hamilton 38:31 - Why Omar Vargas was the most important coach in NYC from 1994-2004, the majority or NYC coaches in the 2000's were active players with little guidance trying to figure it out - and did they, ever, about Justin Stack, Dan Skillins, Krishna Daas, Danial Levant 52:26 -Personalizing your work: does it work more for you or against you? Plus, how do you set up an environment where people want to come to practice. 1:06:35 - The golden rule of coaching girls and women vs coaching boys and men, plus the moment we realized players changed and we stayed the same, about Jackie Meadow, why do we need a degree to coach? 1:22:22 - finding ways to coach and eat in the South Bronx, plus, more NYC talk, about Elvis Rodriguez, Mike Salak, Seidu Ajanako 1:30:01 - a coach's wild dream is for a player to say they are a better person because of them, and open letter to Joel Sanchez, thanks to the players who picked up the phone and said "yes."

Dr. Kenneth (Ken) Harris is an experienced practitioner of holistic medicine and author of the book, Synchronicity.  In this Blue Sky conversation, Ken describes the subtle but important difference he sees between coincidence and synchronicity and tells why he thinks it's important for all of us to connect actively with others, leaving ourselves open to the mysterious and positive connections that can be made between people.  As someone who was once clinically dead following a heart attack and had an "out of body" experience, Ken describes his appreciation for life and how fleeting our time here is.  His enthusiasm and positivity are infectious and the ideas and anecdotes he shares here are thought-provoking and uplifting.    Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Ken Harris  The host introduces Dr. Ken Harris, a pioneer in holistic healing and founder of the Waldwick Wellness Center. Initially skeptical, the host was won over by Dr. Harris's intelligence and unique perspective on life, particularly his book 'Synchronicity'.  02:07 Chiropractic and Holistic Healing  Dr. Harris discusses his 50-year career as a chiropractor and holistic practitioner, emphasizing mind-body-spirit interconnectedness. He explains chiropractic's controversial nature due to its challenge to big pharma and focus on root causes and prevention.  06:00 Defining Synchronicity  Dr. Harris defines synchronicity as meaningful coincidence, a concept coined by Carl Jung, emphasizing the importance of meaning over mere chance. He explains that synchronicities serve as an internal GPS, confirming one is on the right path.  08:33 A Synchronistic Reunion Dr. Harris shares a personal story of a 'wrong turn' leading him to reunite with a childhood baseball teammate on a beach after 54 years. This detailed anecdote illustrates how a series of seemingly unrelated events can lead to a meaningful synchronicity, highlighting the importance of awareness and openness to such signs.  14:18 Embracing Connection and Optimism  Dr. Harris discusses his belief in universal connection and the importance of engaging with others. He shares his motivation for writing 'Synchronicity' after a spiritual message to remind people they are guided, and recounts another synchronistic encounter on an airplane that affirmed his approach.  21:50 Second Chances and Fear of Death  Dr. Harris introduces his bestseller, 'Second Chances: From Surviving to Thriving,' which emerged from his near-death experience during a heart attack.   29:00 Ego, Soul, and Personal Transformation  Dr. Harris differentiates between the ego's fear of death and the soul's eternal nature, explaining how his near-death experience shifted his focus from 'what's in it for me' to 'how can I help.' He recounts his personal journey from a 'tough kid' in the South Bronx to a compassionate chiropractor, attributing his transformation to meeting his wife and a serendipitous chiropractic adjustment.  34:18 Optimism and the State of the World  Dr. Harris advises listeners to avoid mass media and embrace optimism for a longer, more fulfilling life, likening a glass to being 'all full' with liquid and air. He advocates for daily meditation to connect with inner guidance and discusses his book 'Second Chances' as a source of hope and inspiration, reinforcing the idea that help appears in unexpected ways when one remains open and optimistic.  38:45 Reflections and Closing Remarks  The host reflects on Dr. Harris's infectious optimism and valuable advice, particularly regarding media consumption. He encourages listeners to consider Dr. Harris's perspectives on coincidences, connections, and his zest for life, even if they don't agree with all his conclusions. 

In this episode, we break down the life and career of Patrick J. Brosnan a Retired NYPD Legend. Pat was a detective who built his reputation in the streets of the South Bronx during one of New York City's most violent eras. From making over 1,000 felony arrests and taking 300+ illegal guns off the street, to surviving a line-of-duty shooting in 1995, Brosnan's career is the definition of old-school, proactive policing. He went on to become one of the most decorated detectives in NYPD history, earning over 130 awards for valor and being named New York State Police Officer of the Year. But his story doesn't stop when he took the shield off. After retiring from the New York City Police Department, Brosnan built a national security powerhouse growing a company from his basement into a firm with 7,000+ employees across 500+ cities, before launching the Brosnan Investigative Group, one of the premier investigative and risk management firms in the country. We also dive into: The reality of policing the South Bronx during peak crime years What made Brosnan one of the most effective detectives on the job The transition from street cop to corporate security leader His media career and outspoken takes on crime, terrorism, and public safety The mindset required to go from NYPD to building a national business This is more than a police story it's about discipline, resilience, and building something bigger after the job. ️ Watch & Follow Pat Brosnan Pat Brosnan Live (970 AM) https://am970theanswer.com Brosnan Investigative Group https://brosnangroup.com About This Channel Welcome to New York's Finest: Retired & Unfiltered where real cops give real insight into policing, crime, and the decisions behind the headlines. Subscribe for weekly episodes 1 Million + monthly downloads YouTube: @TheFinestUnfiltered Pat Brosnan, NYPD detective, South Bronx policing, NYPD war on crime, retired NYPD, crime in NYC, policing stories, law enforcement podcast, Brosnan Investigative Group, security expert, counterterrorism, NYPD history, real police stories, Finest Unfiltered SPONSORED BY THE KEY This episode is sponsored by The Key, the NYPD's premier promotional exam prep school. If you're serious about making Sergeant, this is where preparation meets results. Sign up today: https://www.thekeypromotionschoolshop.com/product-page/sergeant-key-season-ticket Use Code: FINESTUNFILTERED699 ️ Get $150 OFF the Sergeant Key Season Ticket “Preparation is The Key.”️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5689366474915840 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The All Local, Monday, April 20th 2026

In this episode of EMS One-Stop, Rob Lawrence travels to New York City to sit down with Lillian Bonsignore, the 37th Commissioner of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY). A 30-plus year veteran who rose through the ranks of EMS — from EMT in the South Bronx to Chief of EMS and now Commissioner — Bonsignore brings a ground-up understanding of the largest fire-EMS system in the United States. She reflects on stepping into the role as “walking onto a fast-moving train,” immediately confronted with major incidents, severe weather and system pressures, while simultaneously building her leadership team and setting direction for the future. | MORE: ‘We have to right the ship': FDNY commissioner doubles down on EMS pay parity The conversation explores the unique structure of FDNY, where the Commissioner operates as the executive leader “almost like CEO of the company,” while operational command sits with the Chief of Department. Bonsignore is clear-eyed about the scale and demands of the system: over 2.2 million runs annually, with 1.6 million EMS-related, reinforcing her long-held position that EMS must be treated as an essential service with appropriate funding and career pathways. Drawing on her experience leading through the COVID-19 pandemic and responding on Sept. 11, 2001, she emphasizes resilience, communication and presence — being visible in stations, honest with staff and committed to supporting those who “leave their own families behind to go serve a stranger.” Bonsignore also addresses criticism of her appointment directly and without hesitation, framing it as a misunderstanding of the Commissioner's role and the realities of modern emergency response. She underscores that FDNY is both fire and EMS, and that her career — spanning 9/11 response, pandemic leadership and decades of frontline service — positions her to lead the entire enterprise. Looking ahead, she speaks to the need for infrastructure investment, workforce stabilization, mental health support, and the thoughtful adoption of technologies such as AI and body-worn cameras. As FDNY approaches the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and the nation's 250th year, her focus remains clear: support the workforce, strengthen the system, and prepare the department for the next generation of service. Key quotes from Commissioner Bonsignore “Walking into a position like this is like walking onto a fast-moving train.” “I understand the ground level challenges that go on because I lived them.” “The commissioner is the administrative level, almost like CEO of the company.” “We're responding to over 2.2 million runs a year … 1.6 million of those runs are EMS-related runs.” “We have to stabilize our system … it's time that EMS is finally treated as an essential service.” “I will always tell you the truth. You may not like my truth, but I will give it to you.” “The decision of a first responder is to leave their own families behind … to go serve a stranger.” “They are literally your heroes … they will put their lives on the line for you.” Episode timeline 01:10 – First 100 days as Commissioner — “fast-moving train” 02:30 – Career journey and EMS roots shaping leadership 04:30 – Workforce trust, credibility and lived experience 06:30 – Pay parity and EMS as an essential service 09:00 – Structure of FDNY — Commissioner vs. operational command 11:30 – Setting direction and stabilizing the organization 13:30 – Relationship with the Mayor and political leadership 17:30 – Addressing criticism and misconceptions 19:30 – Leading through COVID — scale, innovation, mutual aid 23:30 – Morale, resilience and leadership presence 26:30 – Recruitment and retention challenges 30:30 – AI and future innovation in EMS 32:30 – Behavioral health response and BeHeard program 36:30 – First responder mental health and support systems 38:30 – Violence against EMS and workforce protection 41:00 – Body-worn cameras and transparency 43:30 – 9/11 reflections and legacy 50:30 – Commemoration planning and future outlook Enjoying the show? Email editor@ems1.com to share feedback. 

Hector Ayala finds himself at a crossroads over choosing to continue as White Tiger now that his identity has been revealed or focusing on his studying at ESU. But when a new drug pusher moves into the South Bronx, the Tiger must prowl the night!Issues Reviewed: Spectacular Spider Man Volume 1, Issues 21-23 and Issues 25-26

Put on your dancing shoes and crank up your favorite 80s beats, because on this episode of the Gimme Three Podcast, we're cutting some rug. Actor, writer, producer (and dancer) Hannelore Berlin joins Nicholas Ybarra as they deep-dive into three of the 1980s' most impactful dance films. - We start with perhaps the most iconic dance film of the decade, in which Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey made the entire world swoon in 1987's Dirty Dancing. - Second, we explore perhaps the most important film in hip hop history. Harry Belafonte produced this authentic slice-of-life look at the South Bronx and B-Boy culture in Beat Street. - Finally, Kevin Bacon stars in the career-making performance, Footloose.Have you seen these films? Which is your favorite? Let us know!❗️SEND US A TEXT MESSAGE ❗️Support the showSign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can  keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

“The shortest distance between you and me is a story.” — Colum McCannIn 1932, Albert Einstein wrote to Sigmund Freud asking if humanity could cure its “lust for hatred.” Freud said no. Mankind's instinct for death and destruction could not be eliminated. That said, the Viennese doctor went on, the desire to end war should never be abandoned. What was needed was a “mythology of the instincts” and a “community of feeling.” In other words: a story. The book sold 2,000 copies. By 1933, the Nazis had seized power and the two men had fled into exile.Colum McCann — National Book Award-winning novelist, author of Let the Great World Spin and American Mother — has spent the last dozen years trying to build Freud's community of feeling. His organisation, Narrative Four, now operates in 35 countries with 1,200 school partners and 285,000 participants. The method is deceptively simple: two strangers exchange personal stories, then retell each other's story in the first person. Overpowered by empathy, they realise they're not so different.At 21, Colum McCann bought a typewriter thinking he'd be the next Kerouac and produced a foot and a half of gibberish. He then went on the road and spent eighteen months cycling across America. Everyone he met wanted to tell him their story. That's his story, but not where it ends. Five Takeaways•       Einstein Asked Freud If Stories Could Prevent War: In 1932, Einstein wrote to Freud asking if humanity could cure its “lust for hatred.” Freud said no — but added that the desire to end war should never be abandoned. What was needed was a “mythology of the instincts” and a “community of feeling.” Basically: storytelling. The book sold 2,000 copies. By 1933, Hitler was in power.•       You Tell My Story, I Tell Yours: That's the Narrative Four method. Pairs of strangers exchange personal stories, then retell each other's story in the first person to the group. Something fires in the brain — dopamine, memory, imagination, empathetic engagement. It's been done 285,000 times in 35 countries. Oxford and Ohio State confirmed it: polarisation drops dramatically.•       South Bronx Kids Met Eastern Kentucky Kids. They Were Terrified: One group Black and immigrant, the other white or Cherokee. One urban, one rural. One blue, one red. Put them in a room and they're terrified of each other — until they tell a personal story. Not a didactic story, not a political argument. Something that opens up the rib cage. Then they realise they're not so different.•       Yesterday Was Big Tobacco's Moment for Social Media: The landmark court verdict on Facebook and YouTube addiction dropped the same day we recorded this conversation. McCann's son has been saying for years that social media will be the cigarettes of the future. Social media promised everyone a platform for their stories. What it delivered was isolation, loneliness, and the epidemic of kids who say “I don't have a story.”•       Stories Can Do Anything. They Can Never Take Them Away: McCann bought a typewriter at 21, thought he'd be the next Kerouac, produced a foot and a half of gibberish, and spent eighteen months cycling across America instead. He learned that everyone has a story and a deep desire to tell it. Books may go the way of opera. AI may recombine what we've already written. But they can never take away stories. About the GuestColum McCann is the author of eight novels, three collections of stories, and two works of non-fiction. Born in Dublin, he is the recipient of the US National Book Award, the International Dublin Literary Prize, and an Oscar nomination. He is the president and co-founder of Narrative Four, a global non-profit that uses storytelling to build empathy and community. He lives in New York.References:•       Narrative Four — the global story exchange organisation. Get involved, become a facilitator, or get your school on board.•       Episode 2840: What Came First: Stories or Language? — Kevin Ashton on the story before the word. McCann watched it and agrees.•       Episode 2844: Was St. Francis of Assisi the First Silicon Valley Critic? — Dan Turello on agency, embodiment, and why Dante wrote without being able to edit.•       Episode 2846: How to Be Agreeably Disagreeable — Julia Minson on disagreeing better. McCann's method is the narrative version of Minson's science.About Keen On AmericaNobody asks more awkward questions than the Anglo-American writer and filmmaker Andrew Keen. In Keen On America, Andrew brings his pointed Transatlantic wit to making sense of the United States — hosting daily interviews about the history and future of this now venerable Republic. With nearly 2,800 episodes since the show launched on TechCrunch in 2010, Keen On America is the most prolific intellectual interview show in the history of podcasting.WebsiteSubstackYouTubeApple PodcastsSpotify Chapters:(00:00) - Introduction: Kevin Ashton, Bob Dylan, and why stories never end (02:09) - The shortest distance between you and me is a story (04:04) - How Narrative Four began: Lisa Consiglio and a question in Aspen (05:03) - The story exchange: I tell your story, you tell mine (06:41) - 35 countries, 285,000 participants, 1,200 school partners (07:59) - South Bronx meets Eastern Kentucky: terrified until they tell a story (09:11) - Radical empathy and the New York Times Magazine (10:38) - Belfast and Limerick: afraid they'd start a war (14:21) - Oxford and Ohio State: polarisation dramatically reduced (15:01) - Yesterday's Big Tobacco moment for social media (18:24) - Einstein, Freud, and the mythology of the instincts (22:45) - Can science measure the value of a story? (26:38) - Can machines tell stories? AI and the novelist's fear (29:33) - Dylan's “Key West”: that's my story, but not where it ends (33:47) - Citizen assemblies and the political power of stories (36:05) - The bicycle journey: eighteen months across America at 21 (39:41) - How to get involved: narrative4.com

In this episode of the State University of New York (SUNY) Charter Schools Institute's More Great Seats 4 Kids podcast, the Institute's Mike Lesczinski is joined by Kalila Hoggard, Chief People Officer at DREAM, and Ana Rader, Director of Seasonal and Fellowship Recruitment at DREAM, for a conversation on building sustainable teacher pipelines from within school communities. They discuss the origins and growth of the DREAM Teaching Fellowship, why DREAM prioritizes alumni and community members as future educators, and how the fellowship supports both teacher development and long-term student success. The episode explores recruitment, retention, mentorship, and professional growth, while highlighting how investing in homegrown talent strengthens school culture and advances DREAM's commitment to generational impact.About DREAM Founded in 1991 in East Harlem, DREAM began as a baseball program for neighborhood youth. Today, it is a network of seven schools in East Harlem and the South Bronx serving young people from birth through early adulthood — through 0-4 early childhood programs, extended-day and extended/year school model for students in grades K-12, and six years of alumni support after high school graduation. DREAM serves more than 3,000 students and alumni across East Harlem and the South Bronx. With strong academic results, free afterschool and summer programs, deep family partnerships, and healthy school meals cooked on-site, DREAM supports the whole child — so young people are prepared for school, college, and career. More InformationState University of New York (SUNY) Charter Schools Institute DREAM DREAM Teaching Fellowship Support the show

Today, Hunter was joined by Dalourny Nemorin, a public defender with the Legal Aid Society and candidate for NY's 15th Congressional District. Dalourny joins the show to discuss her candidacy, why she is running, and how her background as a public defender makes her the perfect fit to represent the South Bronx in Congress.     Guest: Dalourny Nemorin, Public Defender and Candidate for New York's 15th Congressional District, Legal Aid Society   Resources: Check out Dalourny's Campaign Here: https://www.dalourny.nyc/     Sign up for the ABA Public Defender Summit https://events.americanbar.org/event/12d07164-1011-4723-9352-e8e3168db945/welcome     Contact Hunter Parnell:                                 Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com  Subscribe to the Patreon www.patreon.com/PublicDefenselessPodcast  Donate on PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=5KW7WMJWEXTAJ Donate on Stripe https://donate.stripe.com/7sI01tb2v3dwaM8cMN Trying to find a specific part of an episode? Use this link to search transcripts of every episode of the show! https://app.reduct.video/o/eca54fbf9f/p/d543070e6a/share/c34e85194394723d4131/home **** ALL OPINONS SHARED BY HOST HUNTER PARNELL DO NOT REFLECT THE THOUGHTS OR OPINIONS OF THE AURORA MUNICIPAL PUBLIC DEFENDER****

Migdalia Cruz, an award-winning playwright and the translator/adaptor of Shakespeare's “Macbeth” at the Magic Theatre, in conversation with host Richard Wolinsky, discussing her play, her career, and her ideas about the nature of theatre. Migdalia Cruz is best known for her plays “Featherless Angels” and “Miriam's Flowers” studied playwrighting with the legendary Irene Fornes before embarking on her own career. With fifty plays under her belt, she has been produced in numerous venues around the United States. She has also translated plays from Spanish. Growing up in the South Bronx, to Puerto Rican parents, she originally planned to study math but found that theatre was her real calling. Her focus is on social justice, and presenting voices of those who rarely have voices in the American arts. “Macbeth,” the Scottish play, has been reset in New York in the 1970s, and in Brooklyn for this production. The three witches become a major element of the play, and here both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are played by women. The interview was recorded by computer on March 3, 2026. The post Migdalia Cruz, Playwright, Adaptation/Translation “Macbeth” at the Magic Theatre appeared first on KPFA.

Esta nota de actualidad es nuestro homenaje a Willie Colón, el "Malo del Bronx", un artista cuya trayectoria revolucionó la música latina del siglo XX. Surgido de las calles del South Bronx, Colón transformó el sonido del trombón en un estilo propio y en la voz de la diáspora. Gracias a sus icónicas colaboraciones con Héctor Lavoe y Rubén Blades, elevó la salsa a un nivel de profunda conciencia social, convirtiéndola en un reflejo de la vida urbana. Tras su fallecimiento en febrero de 2026, se lo recordamos como un genio musical y como una figura indispensable para entender la historia de la salsa    Notas del episodio: La noticia que conmovió al universo de la salsa Top 10 de las canciones de Willie Colón El legado de Willie Colón     

The A24 film Marty Supreme brings the world of table tennis into the cultural spotlight, it also quietly parallels a powerful real-life story behind the sport. Appearing in two scenes in the film is Yasiris Ortiz, a professional table tennis champion and Bronx-based community leader whose journey from international competition to grassroots youth empowerment mirrors the film's central themes of discipline, belief, and dreaming beyond circumstance. Ortiz's appearance in Marty Supreme is not a performance in the traditional sense; she is not portraying a fictional character, but rather bringing authenticity to the screen as a real athlete whose life has been shaped by the sport. For Ortiz, table tennis has never been just a game; it has been a tool for transformation, one she now uses to create opportunity for young people across New York City. Born and raised in Bayaguana, Dominican Republic, Ortiz discovered table tennis at a young age and quickly fell in love with the sport after competing in her first tournament. That passion carried her beyond her hometown and onto the international stage, representing the Dominican Republic as a member of the national table tennis team at the cadet, junior, and senior levels. Through competition, she traveled the world and learned firsthand how sport can open doors far beyond what once seemed possible. In 2016, Ortiz moved to New York City with her family, facing the challenges of adapting to a new country, learning English, continuing her education, and rebuilding her athletic life from the ground up. Unsure whether she would be able to continue competing, she spent countless hours riding the subway across the city in search of table tennis clubs where she could practice and stay connected to the sport that had shaped her identity. What began as persistence soon became purpose. That purpose crystallized when Ortiz began teaching table tennis at an elementary school in the South Bronx. There, she witnessed something transformative: students arrived to class excited, engaged, and eager to learn. Through table tennis, they developed focus, confidence, discipline, and joy—qualities that carried into the classroom and beyond. As interest grew, neighboring schools began reaching out, and what started as a single program evolved into Spin & Learn, an education and wellness organization founded in 2020 that integrates table tennis with academics, physical fitness, and social-emotional learning (SEL). Since its launch, Spin & Learn has partnered with more than 45 public schools across New York City, serving thousands of K–12 students through in-school enrichment, after-school programming, wellness days, assemblies, and author visits connected to Ortiz's children's book, “Yasi the Champion.” The organization has become known for meeting students where they are, using movement and play to build lifelong skills, confidence, and a sense of belonging. It delivers high-quality programming at scale through its strategic partnerships with leaders in the global table tennis industry, including Paddle Palace, the leading equipment supplier in North America, and Stiga Sports as Ortiz's official partner. Now, as Marty Supreme brings renewed visibility to the sport, Ortiz is marking a new chapter with the official launch of the Spin & Learn Foundation, a newly established 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to expand access to table tennis, wellness, and enrichment programs beyond the school setting and into the broader community. The Spin & Learn Foundation was created because families kept asking for a place where their children could continue training after leaving their school programs. Ortiz saw how quickly access could disappear once students moved on, even though the interest and talent were still there. The Foundation is about creating continuity, making sure young people and families have a place to grow, train, and belong. While Spin & Learn operates primarily within schools, the Foundation is focused on long-term, community-based impact. Its mission is to provide programs for economically disadvantaged individuals across diverse communities, ensuring access to enrichment opportunities through table tennis that promote physical and mental wellness, build personal resilience, and develop leadership skills for lifelong success. Through future partnerships with community centers and shared spaces, the Foundation aims to serve not only youth, but also families, adults, and seniors who may not otherwise have access to structured recreational and wellness programming. Ortiz sees a meaningful connection between the themes of Marty Supreme and the work she has spent years building, noting that she relates deeply to the film because she came to this country without a clear path, driven only by a dream. Everything she has built since then, including a table tennis program that has reached thousands of students, started with believing in that dream. As table tennis reaches new audiences through film and popular culture, Ortiz believes the moment carries responsibility as well as opportunity. She emphasizes that representation matters, but representation paired with access is what creates real change. Seeing the sport on screen is powerful, but what matters most is what happens off screen—in schools, in communities, and in spaces where young people need support and mentorship. With the launch of Spin & Learn Foundation, Ortiz is working to ensure that the attention surrounding Marty Supreme translates into something lasting: expanded opportunity, deeper community engagement, and a growing network of spaces where sport, education, and wellness intersect. From the big screen to the Bronx, Yasiris Ortiz's story continues to unfold, not as fiction, but as a living example of how belief, discipline, and access can change lives. To learn more, visit Spin & Learn online at https://spinandlearn.com/, call 718-690-1673, or email info@spinandlearn.com. Spin & Learn is an educational and wellness organization that combines table tennis, physical fitness training, academics, and social-emotional learning to create fun, active, and meaningful learning experiences for students, primarily serving K–12 students across New York City in partnership with public schools and community organizations. - Looking for that extra spark to level up your life? Say hello to Ash Brown—your go-to American powerhouse, motivational speaker, and the ultimate hype-woman for your personal and professional growth. Ash isn't just a voice in personal development; she's a trusted friend who brings real-talk wisdom and contagious energy to every conversation. Whether you're stuck in a rut or ready to scale your dreams, Ash is here to fuel your journey with a mix of heart and hustle.

Tonight on Triple Feature, we look at three early hip-hop films that helped translate a Bronx-born movement to mainstream America: Krush Groove (1985), Beat Street (1984), and Disorderlies (1987). Krush Groove, directed by Michael Schultz, dramatizes the rise of Def Jam and stars Blair Underwood, Sheila E., Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and the Fat Boys. Beat Street, directed by Stan Lathan and produced by Harry Belafonte, focuses on breakdancing, DJ culture, and graffiti art in the South Bronx, starring Rae Dawn Chong and Guy Davis. Disorderlies, also directed by Schultz and released by Warner Bros., features the Fat Boys alongside Ralph Bellamy in a broad studio comedy. Together, these films capture hip-hop's early crossover moment—music, dance, style, and personality moving from local scene to national platform.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

Grab a cold one and pull up a chair. This week, Beans and Gaz are joined by a man whose life story sounds less like a resume and more like a Hollywood screenplay. We are sitting down with retired NYPD veteran Al Gonzalez, a man who spent decades navigating the grit of the South Bronx while carrying a set of bagpipes through the halls of global history.Al takes us deep into the "Fort Apache" era of the South Bronx. We hear firsthand accounts of the organized chaos of the 80s and 90s, the adrenaline of the beat, and the unforgettable cast of characters—both on the force and on the street—that shaped his career. These stories are so raw and compelling they eventually leaped off the pavement and onto the stage in Al's acclaimed Off-Broadway play, Officer: Confessions of a South Bronx Cop.It's not every day you meet a cop who has stood watch over the most famous women in the world. Al shares what it was really like to pull security detail for:Mother Teresa: Protecting a living saint in the heart of the city.Princess Diana: Insights into the charisma and the crowds that followed the People's Princess.Just when you think you've got Al figured out, he pulls out the pipes. We discuss his secondary life as a world-class bagpiper—a talent that took him from the precinct to the Highlands of Scotland. Al reflects on the surreal honor of performing for Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral Castle, proving that a kid from Jersey can truly end up anywhere if they play their cards (and pipes) right."You haven't lived until you've patrolled the toughest blocks in New York by day and tuned your drones for a Queen by night."In this episode, we discuss:The transition from the street to the stage.The unique psychology of policing the South Bronx in its wildest era.The "behind-the-velvet-rope" moments with global icons.How music provides an escape from the intensity of police work.From the South Bronx to the Silver Screen Guarding Saints and Icons - The Piper of Balmoral.You can learn more about Al on his websites:www.theroyalpiper.comwww.officertheplay.comIf you are interested in bringing Al's show to the UK, get in touch with us here www.tallboyradio.com

Protect your family with our 1-minute free parent quiz https://www.smartsocial.com/newsletterJoin our next weekly live parent events:  https://smartsocial.com/eventsEpisode Summary:In this episode of the Smart Social.com Podcast, host Josh Ochs talks with Harry Sherman, Community Superintendent of School District 9 in the South Bronx, about the challenges and strategies related to keeping students safe and responsible online. They discuss issues like screen addiction, inappropriate content, cyberbullying, and the role of AI in education. The conversation highlights the importance of building trust, transparency, and positive online behaviors in students. They also cover how schools, parents, and communities can work together to reinforce digital safety and healthy social media habits.Become a Smart Social VIP (Very Informed Parents) Member: https://SmartSocial.com/vipDistrict Leaders: Schedule a free phone consultation to get ideas on how to protect your students in your community https://smartsocial.com/partnerDownload the free Smart Social app: https://www.smartsocial.com/appdownloadLearn about the top 190+ popular teen apps: https://smartsocial.com/app-guide-parents-teachers/View the top parental control software: https://smartsocial.com/parental-control-software/The SmartSocial.com Podcast helps parents and educators to keep their kids safe on social media, so they can Shine Online™

What happens when “being professional” quietly turns into “being unseen”?In this episode of unMASKing with Male Educators, Dr. Mark Anthony Neal, Black Studies scholar, writer, and professor at Duke University, joins Ashanti for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about masks we wear in education, what students have lost (and gained) in the post-pandemic classroom, and why freedom with language can be a pathway to belonging.In this episode, they cover:Growing up working class in the South Bronx: a father who wasn't verbal, but spoke through Sunday breakfast, gospel, and the Mets“Stoicism as a mask”: how Black men learn to control emotion by pretending they don't have anyWhy aging (and experience) shifted Dr. Neal's teaching: from gravitas and control → toward visible humanity and frailtyThe hidden cost of the attacks on Black Studies: not always bans—sometimes student fear and “natural attrition”Building the classroom as a vernacular space: language as freedom, not a barrier to participationImposter syndrome and “talking right”: how fear of sounding smart silences students before they ever start“Students are like iPhone updates”: why educators have to recalibrate pedagogy every few yearsPost-pandemic social gaps: why mentoring feels harder for students who didn't practice relationships outside their homesSave a Seat for Me: a love letter to Black fathers—and a new language for how Black men show up emotionally(0:01) Welcome + Dr. Mark Anthony Neal introduces himself (South Bronx roots, working-class parents, path from high school teaching to the academy)(1:45) Music as love language: Sunday breakfast, gospel, jazz/blues, and baseball as father-son connection(4:03) Upcoming book: Save a Seat for Me and why Black fatherhood is inseparable from American fatherhood(5:46) The “mask” framework: what we show vs. what we protect as educators(9:05) “Stoicism as control”: why many Black men learn to hide interiority (especially anger)(18:22) Teaching style shift: from “professorial gravitas” → toward conversational, accessible learning(20:24) Language & belonging: making the classroom a vernacular space (and why code-switching isn't the classroom goal)(27:57) Representation reality: brilliant Black women teachers early on—but no Black male teacher until Dr. Neal became one(32:16) “Higher expectations”: why lowering the bar is one of the most common ways schools fail Black students(54:31) Closing invitation: share your mask anonymously at Million Mask MovementConnect with Dr. Mark Anthony NealBook: Save a Seat for Me (Simon & Schuster) — publishing August 4, 2026Pre-order: Amazon, Simon & Schuster, and (hopefully) independent Black bookstoresInstagram: @BookerBBBrownTwitter: @NewBlackManResources & Ways to EngageThe Million Mask Movement – Create a mask anonymously: https://millionmask.orgEducator Portal – Bring mask-making and emotional data into your schoolGlobal Young Men's Conference – Youth voice, belonging, and healing spacesEver Forward Club – Brotherhood, connection, and mentorshipConnect with Ashanti BranchInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/branchspeaks/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BranchSpeaksTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/BranchSpeaksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashantibranch/Website: https://www.branchspeaks.com/Connect with Ever Forward ClubInstagram:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/everforwardclub⁠Facebook:⁠ https://www.facebook.com/everforwardclub⁠Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/everforwardclub⁠LinkedIn:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-ever-forward-club/⁠Support the Podcast & Ever Forward Clubhttps://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/branch-speaks/support#unmaskingwithmaleeducators #millionmaskmovement #takingoffthemask #BlackStudies #BlackMaleEducators #BlackFatherhood #Masculinity #EmotionalSafety #HigherEd #TeacherLife #StudentBelonging #Mentorship #CodeSwitching #AIInEducation #ShowYourWork

What happens when life throws you a diagnosis that changes everything?In this powerful episode of the Vibrant Living Podcast, I sit down with Zoraida Morales, a woman who turned 13 years of chemotherapy into a mission of transformation, resilience, and hope. Born in the South Bronx, Zoraida built a career in finance, only to have her world upended by cancer at age 45. But her story didn't end there; it blossomed into a new calling. Today, as a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach and Cancer Coach, Zoraida helps survivors, caregivers, and anyone facing chronic illness move from fear to flourishing.We talk about:Her journey from investment banking to thriving beyond cancer.The moment she experienced God's embrace during her darkest season.Why “devotion to self” is essential for healing—mentally, physically, and spiritually.Her 7 essential steps after diagnosis that bring clarity, hope, and strength.Simple, natural practices like her honey-ginger-turmeric balm that support health and reduce inflammation.Zoraida reminds us that healing is possible, joy is attainable, and life can be lived by design, not default.

Louis A. Rivera is a retired NYPD officer, author, and storyteller who brings a raw, behind-the-scenes perspective to policing in New York City. From surviving the turbulent streets of the South Bronx to handling riots, 9/11, and internal challenges, Louis chronicles a real cop's journey through two gripping memoirs: The 52nd and Four Six Rescue to Central. His firsthand account covers his start as a high school volunteer with the 46 Precinct Rescue Unit, his rise through the NYPD ranks during times of social change and unrest, and the relentless passion that drove him. https://youtu.be/Q-2KthaiFeE In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Louis Rivera joins Robert Plank to share powerful stories about coming of age in 1980s New York, the importance of passion and teamwork, and how volunteering laid the groundwork for a career in law enforcement. Louis discusses how internal obstacles can rival street dangers, reflects on evolving police culture and diversity, and delivers insights for those motivated by service. Explore what it truly means to follow your dream, whether facing riots, corruption, or the call to make a difference. Quotes: "Proudly we served; everyone who volunteered with the unit lived by those words." "Follow your dream, your passion, become a cop, and be the best cop you can be." "You don't let obstacles get under your skin. You push back, you persevere, you serve." Resources: Get THE 52ND by Luis A. Rivera on Amazon today

Ever lie awake at night replaying all the moments you lost it with your kids, your partner, or your co-workers? You're not alone. Bart van Melik is back on the show (his first appearance was four years ago) as our Teacher of the Month for January. Bart has one of the more interesting origin stories in the meditation world: from a small town in the Netherlands to Kenya on an exchange program (where he met his wife of 30 years), to studying in Thailand, to teaching meditation to teenagers in juvenile detention in the South Bronx. In this conversation with executive producer DJ Cashmere, we talk about: The difference between being mindful and knowing you're mindful (and why this matters when your 11-year-old is pushing every button) Why awareness feels like protection How to stop the cycle of: snap, regret, repeat What Bart learned teaching meditation to kids in juvie who told him his meditation was "lit" Why your kids might be your fiercest Zen teachers The surprising power of saying "no" without aversion How everything actually goes faster when you stop rushing His favorite teaching from a modern-day monk: "Keep calmly knowing change" Related Resources: Bart's previous episode on insight dialogue and relational meditation practice New guided meditations from Bart available throughout January Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris  

Marshall Cho is the Founder of Meadow Park Basketball offering training, camps, and clinics in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Marshall began his career as an educator through the Teach For America program, teaching mathematics in the South Bronx and Harlem and serving as the boys basketball coach at Future Leaders Institute, where he led them to a New York City Charter School Championship.Fate then led him to Mozambique, where Marshall worked as a volunteer coach and instructor with the Mozambican National Basketball Federation as well as the varsity boys basketball coach at the American International School of Mozambique, a program that he launched and developed. During his time in Africa, Marshall also served as a coach for the NBA's Basketball Without Borders Africa and led various volunteer efforts such as conducting basketball clinics with local basketball clubs and rehabilitating basketball courts through partnerships with Hoops 4 Hope and the U.S. Embassy.Returning to the U.S., Marshall worked as an assistant coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md. During his time there, DeMatha won two WCAC championships, compiled an 88-19 record, and sent four players to the NBA: Victor Oladipo, Jerian Grant, Quinn Cook, Jerami Grant. He then embarked upon his next chapter back in his home state as Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Portland for the Portland Pilots.Marshall served for eight seasons as the varsity boys basketball coach at Lake Oswego High School, where he earned the distinction of being among Oregon's first Asian American varsity boys basketball coaches. During Marshall's tenure, he won the Three Rivers League title for three consecutive seasons as he was named league Coach of the Year each year.Marshall worked as the head coach for consecutive years (2024 & 2025) with the World Select team at the Nike Hoop Summit, where he had volunteered with Team USA in years past. He also worked as a court coach at USA Basketball's Men's Junior National Team Minicamp in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four and as the camp lead instructions director for the Yao Foundation Camp in China.On this episode Mike & Marshall discuss the critical need to prioritize skill development over competition in youth basketball, advocating for a shift toward a more balanced ratio of practice to games. In our discussion, we delve into the systemic issues that have led to an environment where the emphasis on winning has overshadowed the essential learning process inherent in training. We explore the significance of fostering a culture wherein young athletes can engage in meaningful practice sessions that promote skill acquisition, rather than merely participating in games for the sake of competition. The conversation also highlights the insights from Marshall's extensive coaching career and his commitment to nurturing the next generation of players. This episode ultimately highlights the essential role that coaches play in shaping not only skilled basketball players but also well-rounded individuals, ready to face the challenges of life.Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @hoopheadspod for the latest updates on episodes, guests, and events from the Hoop Heads Pod.Make sure you're subscribed to the Hoop Heads Pod on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and while you're there please leave us a 5 star rating and review. Your ratings help your friends and coaching colleagues find the show. If you really love what you're hearing recommend the Hoop Heads Pod to someone and get them to join you as a part of Hoop Heads Nation.Grab a notebook before you listen to this episode with Marshall Cho, Founder of Meadow Park Basketball.Website -

Katie talks to British-Pakistani geo-strategic analyst Moeed Pirzada about new Epstein emails which reveal the the sex criminal's hatred of Imran Khan and what that reveals about Pakistan today. But first Katie talks to Andre Easton who is running to represent New York's 15th Congressional District, which is in the Bronx and has been represented by the extremely pro Israel Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. And then Katie talks to Roua Daas, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and lead on the Mask off Maersk campaign and People's Embargo for Palestine. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-dr-144947666 Support the show by following Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps_ Moeed Pirzada is a British-Pakistani geo-strategic analyst, television anchor, columnist, and commentator who has been living in exile in Washington, D.C since the regime change in Pakistan 3 years ago. He has written extensively for out lets including The Guardian and Al Jazeera, and interviewed Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan, as well as former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Andre Easton is running to represent New York's 15th Congressional District, which is in the Bronx and has been represented by the extremely pro Israel Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. Andre was born to Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx, and has spent 12 years teaching English in South Bronx public schools. He is an active father who is raising three boys with his wife, Angelica, who is also a public school educator in the Bronx. He is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and has been a part of the movement against police brutality, organized for housing justice, and helped lead political education courses. Roua Daas is an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and lead on the Mask off Maersk campaign and People's Embargo for Palestine. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps_

Be sure and join us with our special guest, FDNY veteran and actor Jack McGee. He was born in the South Bronx, New York, the youngest of eight children. He attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, where he was class president and also played on the Football team, and appeared as a member of the background harmony in The Young Rascals. In 1977, he became a firefighter for the New York City Fire Department. As a firefighter, he served with FDNY Engine Company 38 and Ladder Company 51 in the Bronx. During his acting career, he was in the TV Series RESCUE ME, he portrayed FDNY 15th Battalion Chief Jerry Reilly. He also played Otis Schmidt, the driver and engineer in the movie BACKDRAFT. He has appeared in over 100 films and television series. Going to be another great show. We will get the whole skinny. You don't want to miss this one. Join us at the kitchen table on the BEST FIREFIGHTER PODCAST ON THE INTERNET! You can also Listen to our podcast ...we are on all the players #lovethisjob #GiveBackMoreThanYouTake #Oldschool #Tradition #volunteerfirefighters #FDNY #learyfirefightersfoundation #rescuemeBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/gettin-salty-experience-firefighter-podcast--4218265/support.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another unfiltered, no-holds-barred episode of the Mike Drop Podcast—where relevancy is irrelevant, and we dive headfirst into the raw stories of warriors, survivors, and straight-up legends. In the shadowy underbelly of the early internet, one man turned the tables on a digital predator like no one else could. Dr. James McGibney, a former U.S. Marine and founder of ⁠Bullyville.com⁠, orchestrated the downfall of Hunter Moore—the infamous "revenge porn king" behind ⁠IsAnyoneUp.com⁠, the site's explosive takedown chronicled in Netflix's gripping documentary The Most Hated Man on the Internet. What started as a personal vow to infiltrate Moore's world, befriend him, and dismantle his empire from the inside became a masterclass in digital vigilantism, proving that sometimes, to beat a bully, you have to out-bully them. But McGibney's story isn't just about cyber sleuthing; it's forged in the fires of unimaginable hardship. Born in the South Bronx, he endured a childhood ripped apart by domestic violence, foster care horrors—including abuse that left scars deeper than code—and a burning quest for retribution that shaped his unyielding drive. From ripping out his own braces in a defiant act of rebellion to channeling that rage into protecting the vulnerable, McGibney's path reveals how personal demons fuel world-changing justice. Buckle up for this mike drop episode, where McGibney drops raw truths on everything from his Marine days and cyber security expertise to the meticulous, "psychotic" beauty of intelligent revenge. It's a riveting blend of heartbreak, heroism, and hard-won wisdom that reminds us: in a world of anonymous cowards, one voice—amplified by grit—can shatter empires. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices