21-WFMJ News Podcast

Jessie Balmert, state government reporter for the Columbus Dispatch, talks about the Governor's race, the Senate race and whether there's any way the May 3 primary can go forward as scheduled without delay. 

Ron Torbert, a 1981 graduate of South High School from Youngstown, shares his experience as a referee for Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022, and growing up in the Valley. Listen up!

YSU professor and author Chris Barzak discusses the rising movements in several states to ban certain books from the classroom, including one of his own.  Barzak says that while the thought process behind these bans is harmful, he remains optimistic that they will actually backfire and encourage more reading and diversity of thought.  Barzak's book, "Wonders of the Invisible World,"...

Malaynia Spiva speaks with Erin Bishop from the Youngstown City Health District and Michelle Edison with the Mahoning County District Board of Health about the longstanding problem of infant mortality in the county.  After years and years of struggling to improve the problem, Mahoning county's infant mortality rate remains signficantly higher than many other places. What progress has been mad...

Former longtime Vindicator columnist Bertram de Souza reflects on the trailblazing life and legacy of former Vindicator publisher Betty Brown Jagnow.  de Souza recalls Mrs. Jagnow's  seven decades at the newspaper, her devotion to serving the community and her sharp wit and passion for the paper and its people. 

21 Sports talks with Mike Mulhall, Vice President of Business Development for the Cleveland Sports Commission about the NBA All Star Weekend coming to Cleveland later this month. Mullhall talks what's available for fans and much more. Listen up!

Dan O'Brien, managing editor of The Business Journal, talks with Madison Tromler about the latest developments in the electric vehicle industry in Lordstown and whether or not the promise of Voltage Valley is finally coming true. 

In a lengthy and candid conversation, Corey McCrae speaks with Kevin Richardson of the Central Park Five, who were wrongfully accused and convicted of a brutal attack on a jogger in New York City in the late 1980's.  Richardson talks about  the reforms needed in order to shatter the false perceptions some in authority have held against Black and Latino men. Richardson recounts how that night...

Managing editor Justin Mitchell speaks with White House Deputy Communications director Kate Berner about Biden's first year in office. Berner talks about Biden's accomplishments, such as a low unemployment rate and vaccine rollout, as well as the problems plaguing the country, such as high inflation and an inability to pass big-ticket items such as Voting Rights and the Build Back Better...

In this edition of the 21 News Podcast, Madison Tromler has a conversation with Wynton Rayford of the East Liverpool and Wellsville NAACP. Rayford reflects on the importance of Martin Luther King Day in this moment in history and the legacy Martin Luther King Junior left behind. 

21 Sports Sports Director Dana Balash talks with the Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletic Association Doug Ute about adding girls wrestling and boys volleyball for the 2022-23 school year. Also discussed was the first year of 16 teams from each region in the football playoffs and if there's any thought of shortening the regular season due to the expanded playoffs. Listen up!

 21 News Anchor Derek Steyer speaks with the Governor one on one as we enter what's shaping up to be a busy year in Ohio 

In the first episode of the third season, Managing Editor Justin Mitchell speaks with David Pepper, author of "Laboratories of Autocracy: A Wake up call from Behind the Lines." One year since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Pepper argues that the real threat to American democracy is happening in a much quieter way at the state level with little attention from the people.  Far from...

Dr. James Kravec, chief medical officer at Mercy Health, talks about the strain the current wave of Covid infections is having on hospitals. Kravec points out that the vast majority of those in the hospitals remain unvaccinated. So is it still safe to gather for the holidays? Kravec says yes,  as long as you take some basic precautions. 

Congressman Mike Kelly speaks with Madison Tromler as he begins his reelection campaign. Kelly talks about why he blames Republicans as well as Democrats for the size of the nation's deficit, where he sees the Covid pandemic heading next and the current ethics probes he's facing. Kelly also says , after leading one of the legal efforts to overturn the 2020 election in Pennsylvania, that...

21 Sports Director Dana Balash talks with Horizon League Commissioner Julie Roe Lach on the status of Youngstown State University's Athletics, the Horizon League and why the men's basketball team opens its conference schedule on the road. Lach also discusses why there are no more Men's/Women's basketball doubleheaders and more on the importance of YSU and the Horizon League.

Connor Steffen speaks exclusively with national Republican pollster and strategist Kellyanne Conway. Conway is now working on the Senate campaign for Bernie Moreno, who is seeking the GOP nomination for the seat being vacated by Rob Portman. Conway walks about moving the party forward beyond Donald Trump by focusing on issues over insults and whether the realignment of 2016 is likely to last into...

Youngstown State University alum Cathy Lucas talks about her work with the LGBTQ Alumni Chapter to offer a helping hand to students in need. Lucas talks about how the fund can help LGBTQ students while offering an inclusive environment free from discrimination. 

 Easy Street Productions Co-founder Todd Hancock joined 21 News to go over what this year's show has to offer and what makes it unique from years past.

Madison Tromler speaks with economist Omid Bagheri from Kent State University about the President's move to open up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Will this actually lower gas prices? By how much? And for how long? 

In this 21 News podcast, Dr. Deirdre Adduci says in her 35 years of being a therapist topics of today are the most polarizing she has experienced in counseling. 

In this edition of the 21 News Podcast, managing editor Justin Mitchell speaks with Jared Bernstein, one of President Joe Biden's top economic advisers, about the Build Back Better plan just passed by the U.S. House.  Bernstein talks about the bill chances of making it through a divided Senate and what his answer is to people in places like the Mahoning Valley with concerns over a changing ec...

Andrew DiPaolo speaks one on one with Jim  Boscov, President of Boscov's, about how the first few months have gone at the Eastwood Mall. Amid supply chain woes plaguing shoppers this holiday season, Boscov explains their unique business model and how he believes it will help them weather the storm. 

In this 21 News Podcast, Malaynia Spiva sits down with Director of Development at Second Harvest Food Bank Renee Fuller.