Indy Audio

Indypendent reporter Keating Zelenke talks about her article in our September print edition on student-loan debtors who face an October 1 deadline to resume making their monthly loan payments after a three-and-a-half-year pandemic moratorium comes to an end.

On Friday, Sep. 22, United Auto Workers President Sean Fain announced the strike was being expanded to 38 parts distribution centers across the country belonging to General Motors and Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler. One of the parts distribution centers that went on strike on Friday at noon is in Tappan, NY, in Rockland County, north of the city. We are joined by Jeff Purcell, presiden...

We talk about Sunday's climate march ahead of the UN summit in NYC. There were as many as 75,000 people on hand demanding that President Biden take dramatic actions to end fossil fuels. We also hear from Bill Brunson, a co-founder of the Liz Christy Garden on Houston between Bowery and 2nd Ave., one of the first community gardens in the city.

Live Call-ins // The Indypendent News Hour on WBAI // 19 Sep. '23 by The Indypendent

We get an update on the epic struggle in Atlanta over the future of Cop City, the massive police-training facility that local officials are clear cutting a forest to build. Matt Scott, editor at the Atlanta Community Press Collective, talks about the latest developments in the referendum push, the RICO charges 61 protesters are facing, the current state of the site, an upcoming mass action in Atla...

In the first half of today’s show, we get all the the latest from the epic struggle in Atlanta over the future of Cop City, the massive police training facility that local officials want to clear cut a forest to build. Matt from the Atlanta Community Press Collective catches us up on all that and more. We cover Sunday's climate march ahead of the UN summit in NYC. There were as many as 75,000 peop...

In the first half the show, we speak with State Senator Jessica Ramos of Queens about climate change, the city’s failed response to the migrant crisis and her reaction to growing speculation that she might challenge Mayor Eric Adams in the 2025 Democratic primary. In our second segment, we are joined by long time Indypendent columnist and Contributing Editor Nicholas Powers. Nick is currently work...

We speak with State Senator Jessica Ramos of Queens about climate change, the city’s failed response to the migrant crisis and her reaction to growing speculation that she might challenge Mayor Eric Adams in the 2025 Democratic primary.

We are joined by long time Indypendent columnist and Contributing Editor Nicholas Powers. Nick is currently working on his fourth book. It explores the intersection of psychedelics, race and systems of power and it asks where psychedelics would fit in a socialist revolution. Nick is also preparing to leave in a few days for Burning Man, the annual late summer counter-cultural extravaganza held eve...

We take call-ins during the last segment of our weekly news hour and also provide updates on a newsroom search in smalltown Kansas and a recent win for the ongoing movement to stop the building of a police training center in Atlanta.

Indy correspondent Amba Guerguerian provides an update from the SAG-AFTRA picket lines where we hear from a picketer and bystanders. And then we speak with The Indy’s film critic and Screen Actors Guild member Peter Carellini who is starring in a new role — as a union strike captain out on the picket line three mornings a week leading chanting and singing. He talks about his sentiments around the...

Manhattan State Supreme Court Judge Lyle Frank issued a permanent injunction barring the Adams administration from transferring the retirees from traditional Medicare coverage to a Medicare Advantage plan controlled by the private insurance giant Aetna. The switch would have gone into effect on September 1. While that won’t be happening, the Adams administration has vowed to pursue an appeal to a...

In our first segment, we’ll look at a big legal victory on Friday for New York City’s 250,000 retired city employees. The Adams administration wanted to switch their medical coverage from traditional Medicare to a privately run plan. But that’s on ice for now. In our second segment, we have an update from the SAG-AFTRA picket lines. And we hear from The Indy’s film critic and Screen Actors Guild —...

We speak with Dr. Ronald Day of The Fortune Society about Rikers eliminating funding for outside groups who provide programming on the penal colony that educates inmates and provides support to reenter society. Seems like the Department of Correction is trying to get eyes and ears out of the notorious jail complex.

Alex Pellittieri, recently elected to the DSA’s national steering committee, talks to us about the DSA’s recent convention in Chicago. He discusses the path forward for the DSA, the central issues for DSA, and how to make the relationship between labor and socialism stronger.

First, we discuss the recent Rikers budget cuts with Dr. Ronald Day, which eliminated fundingfor outside groups who provide programming on Rikers Island that educates inmates and provides training for how to re-enter society. He covers what the programs offered to inmates and how programming being cut will hurt them. We also talk to Alex Pellittieri, who was recently elected to the DSA’s national...

We talk with Brendan Lopez, a union leader at his Starbucks location who was fired in June. Lopez and his fellow baristas confronted the boss who fired him at a Starbucks corporate headquarters. Lopez discusses his firing, Starbucks' union-busting activities, and striking.

We cover the recent historic contract settlement between UPS and the Teamsters. We speak with Antonio Rosario, an organizer with Local 804 about why the recent contract is unprecedented for workers.

First, we cover the recent historic contract settlement between UPS and the Teamsters. We speak with Antonio Rosario, an organizer with Local 804 about why the recent contract is unprecedented for workers. We then talk with Brendan Lopez, a union leader at his Starbucks location who was fired in June. Lopez and his fellow baristas confronted the boss who fired him at a Starbucks corporate headquar...

Amba Guerguerian gives updates about the deteriorating conditions on Rikers Island, including the recent cut of daily programming, and yesterday's announcement that Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor is calling for the oversight of all the jails on Rikers Island to be relinquished by the City.

We talk to two SAG-AFTRA members, Nicole Izanec and Jonathan Walker, about the historic actors' and writers' strike. They discuss the atmosphere on the picket line, how the contract they're fighting for reflects the massive changes that have taken place within the industry, and how the greed of streaming services has led to inequity and pay disparity.

We talk to two SAG-AFTRA members, Nicole Izanek and Jonathan Walker, about the historic actors' and writers' strike. They discuss the atmosphere on the picket line, how the contract they're fighting for reflects the massive changes that have taken place within the industry, and how the greed of streaming services has led to inequity and pay disparity. Then, Amba Guerguerian gives updates about the...

In the first part of the show, we speak with Steve Wishnia and Evelyn Jones about retired city workers’ recent legal victory that paves the way for retirees to keep their healthcare. Wishnia is a labor journalist, and Jones Rich is a retired public educator and activist at the forefront of the fight to keep their Medicare coverage. We then talk to Derrick Holmes of Rider’s Alliance, an organizatio...

Amba Guerguerian interviews UPS driver Antonio Rosario about the possibility of a strike on August 1st. They discuss the teamsters and UPS drivers' negotiations with UPS, and the drivers and teamsters willingness to strike if a fair contract is not reached.

We talk to Derrick Holmes of Rider’s Alliance, an organization that advocates for improved mass transit in New York, about the fight to make a busway on Fordham Road.