Anti-racism protesters nationwide have been met with chemical agents and aggressive force by police at demonstrations sparked by the modern-day lynching of George Floyd. This episode explores how our right to protest is being criminalized, through laws, harsh tactics, and other measures. This episode was originally published June, 2018. News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael " Manny Faces " Conforti Editor-In-Chief: Chris Twarowski Managing Editor: Rashed...
Jun 08, 2020•22 min•Season 5Ep. 12
In recent days, commentators have compared the mass demonstrations taking place in cities and neighborhoods across the country to the waves of protests that engulfed America in the 1960s. A veteran of the 1967 Newark Rebellion discusses George Floyd’s death, the culture of police brutality, and whether today's movement can produce change. Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=US ...
Jun 05, 2020•41 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Our compelling, award-winning examination of the factors that exist when overly-oppressed and tormented communities have finally had enough, and, much like the incidents that lay at the foundation of our democracy, are forced to rise up in rebellion. Featuring Dr. Cornel West, Rosa Clemente, and Lawrence Hamm. Music by The Band Called FUSE, lyrics by Silent Knight. News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael " Manny Faces " Conforti Editor-In-Chief: Chris Twar...
May 28, 2020•50 min•Season 5Ep. 10
A career public defender is now on the other side of the law. We speak to San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin about embracing reforms as district attorney of a prominent U.S. city, and combating COVID-19. News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael " Manny Faces " Conforti Editor-In-Chief: Chris Twarowski Managing Editor: Rashed Mian Episode Art: Jeff Main Executive Producer: Jed Morey Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6v...
May 01, 2020•23 min•Season 5Ep. 9
The areas victimized by racist federal housing policies in the 1930s are now among the most vulnerable to the severe impacts of climate change, according to a landmark study. And although the Fair Housing Act of 1968 banned redlining and housing discrimination in general, three out of four redlined communities rated "hazardous" 80 years ago are struggling economically today. It's a recipe for disastrous outcomes. News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael " M...
Apr 27, 2020•25 min•Season 5Ep. 8
While the coronavirus has indiscriminately ravaged communities across the nation, African Americans are dying at disproportionately higher rates, according to preliminary data. Those who study racial health disparities aren’t surprised, considering that African Americans suffer inordinately from chronic conditions, symptoms linked to systemic racism, and a deleterious physiological process dubbed “weathering” three decades ago. Features interviews with Dr. Uché Blackstock , a board-certified Eme...
Apr 22, 2020•32 min•Season 5Ep. 7
As part of our continuing coronavirus coverage, we examine the threat the virus poses to correctional facilities in Florida, which acted much later than other states to enact bans on nonessential workers. In the second part of the episode, we explore how the suspension of family visitation impacts inmates and their families. News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer/Host: Michael " Manny Faces " Conforti Editor-In-Chief: Chris Twarowski Managing Editor: Rashed Mian E...
Apr 10, 2020•53 min•Season 5Ep. 6
On March 13, the foremost expert on healthcare in correctional settings appeared on this podcast and warned of a “perilous and looming threat” inside these facilities. Rikers Island now has more than 200 coronavirus cases and recorded its first COVID-19-related death last weekend. Advocates warn that anyone held in the jail is in mortal danger. For more on this issue, visit www.usnewsbeat.com . Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprf...
Apr 08, 2020•19 min•Season 5Ep. 5
As the coronavirus pandemic exposes long-standing inequities in the United States, advocates say marginalized communities are going to suffer the worst from the consequences of a broken economy, neglect, and a decaying social safety net. Featuring Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis (Poor People's Campaign), Maria Morris (ACLU), and Alieza Durana (Eviction Lab). News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael " Manny Faces " Conforti Editor-In-Chief: Chris Twarowski Managing E...
Mar 24, 2020•26 min•Season 5Ep. 4
One of the foremost experts on correctional health services warned of a “very perilous and looming threat” inside American correctional facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. [BONUS EPISODE] Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=US See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Mar 13, 2020•23 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Intended to prosecute actual spies during wartime, the Espionage Act has been the U.S. government’s weapon of choice against antiwar critics and whistleblowers—and is now being deployed against a publisher, setting a sinister precedent for all journalists and news organizations. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief...
Feb 19, 2020•32 min•Season 5Ep. 2
In this episode, we take an alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite, which has become known as the cornerstone of his public perception. Along with Pastor Roger C. Williams of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove, NY, Larry Hamm, of the People's Organization for Progress, hip-hop artist Silent Knight, and King’s own words, listeners learn of MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign, which he believ...
Jan 17, 2020•30 min•Season 5Ep. 1
The US assassination of Qassim Solemani has ignited a new wave of tension with Iran. Let's figure out how we arrived at this critical juncture by examining the 1953 US-backed coup, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the ramifications of withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=US See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 10, 2020•24 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Consider this: Alan Newton served more than 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit before DNA analysis proved him innocent and he was exonerated. Now, had this occurred in Alabama, he would have received $50,000 for every year of wrongful imprisonment. Instead, Newton was convicted in the state of New York, where exonerees receive nothing, and are instead forced to sue the government for compensation. Eighteen states do not even have compensation laws, and those that do vary in exactly ...
Dec 24, 2019•19 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this special bonus episode, Editors Rashed Mian and Christopher Twarowski examine the impact of bail on New Yorkers and the potential impact new reforms will have on the state. Next, experts will discuss recent revelations from the "Afghanistan Papers" -- documents that showed the U.S. public has been misled throughout the war—in other words, lied to. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and edited by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www...
Dec 23, 2019•54 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Just like Home Alone and Die Hard, 'tis the season to enjoy a couple of classic blasts from the News Beat past. Today, we’re bringing you our first big award-winning episode, Why We Riot . It’s a compelling examination of all the factors that exist when overly-oppressed and tormented communities have finally had enough, and, much like the incidents that lay at the foundation of our democracy, are forced to rise up in rebellion. Music by The Band Called FUSE, lyrics by Silent Knight. Support the ...
Dec 17, 2019•50 min•Season 4Ep. 4
If we were to ask you to name the largest mental health facilities in the country, what would you say? We'll save you the trouble. The answer: jails. America's failure to effectively treat the mentally ill amid a mass incarceration crisis has only exacerbated the struggles for thousands of people. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Mo...
Dec 03, 2019•22 min•Season 4Ep. 3
From the expert voice of Naomi Klein, to the voices of teenagers taking part in the global climate strike, to incendiary lyrics from hip-hop artist Silent Knight, this powerful episode explores the ongoing climate crisis and the people who are fighting for our collective future. Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=US See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Nov 16, 2019•38 min•Season 4Ep. 2
UPDATE: Chesa Boudin, the deputy public defender in San Francisco, was officially elected district attorney in a hotly contested race for the hugely important seat. Boudin is among a number of DA candidates who have run on a reform agenda and he intends on dramatically reimagining the DA position in his hometown, much like Larry Krasner in Philadelphia. If you haven’t already, make sure to listen to the full episode, “Restorative Justice: Healing Instead of Incarceration.” Support the show: http...
Nov 11, 2019•12 min
This episode introduces the concept of restorative justice , in which crime victims actually have a say in the punishment handed down to their offenders . So instead of universal prison time, atonement might come in the form of community service, or in a face to face meeting, or any number of other acts of redress that those affected see as fit. This isn’t a radical, new approach, but a centuries-old practice, that many say empowers victims and paves the road for true healing . Support the show:...
Oct 23, 2019•23 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Our multiple award-winning, groundbreaking format brings together the worlds of social justice journalism, music, and original lyrical contributions from brilliant artists. If you’ve been following us from the beginning, you’ll know that we cover complex and often underreported issues. Last season, we shed light on the negative consequences of the colonization of Puerto Rico, prison rape in the #metoo era, Rosa Parks’ lifelong, militant pursuit of justice, and reforms underway in California, whi...
Oct 22, 2019•3 min
In this special bonus episode, we examine whether recent criminal justice reform laws are strong enough to significantly reduce jail and prison populations in the United States. 2019 has been particularly prolific in terms of new laws passed, yet some experts warn more needs to be done to dismantle mass incarceration. Also, we address poverty in America and the battle over felony disenfranchisement in Florida. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is p...
Jul 02, 2019•35 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Since a U.S. Supreme Court-imposed mandate in 2011, the Golden State has sought to address prison overcrowding through myriad reforms, including by moving people from state prisons to county jails, reducing prison sentences for certain crimes, and creating resources to help people reenter society. Crime in California is now at historic lows. Yet some reforms have been met with resistance from law enforcement organizations and “tough-on-crime” politicians concerned these initiatives will endanger...
Jun 04, 2019•24 min•Season 3Ep. 11
Tens of thousands each year, and hundreds of thousands collectively, are shackled with electronic monitors—devices that track a person’s every move. In most cases, these are attached to those on parole. In others, courts may even choose to lock them onto a person’s body as a condition of pretrial release. Critics of e-carceration are warning the increased use of this technology could be the beginning of a future where more people will be incarcerated inside their homes than within traditional pe...
Mar 14, 2019•24 min•Season 3Ep. 10
How is the Fourth Estate, perhaps the single-most important defender of the public, faring in the ongoing digital revolution, where the internet and smartphones provide real-time access to posts and stories authored by anyone with a mere Wi-Fi connection? This episode examines the current state of journalism, featuring insights from a wide range of writers and editors spanning the media spectrum. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and en...
Feb 21, 2019•35 min•Season 3Ep. 9
History remembers Rosa Parks as a tired, middle-aged woman who stood up to racism and segregation in the South by literally sitting down and refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger when ordered, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Civil Rights Movement. As transformative a moment as it was, this singular act has come to define the entirety of her dynamic and multidimensional life—much in the same way the first four syllables of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have...
Feb 01, 2019•25 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, we take an alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite, which has become known as the cornerstone of his public perception. Along with Pastor Roger C. Williams of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove, NY, Larry Hamm, of the People's Organization for Progress, hip-hop artist Silent Knight, and King’s own words, listeners learn of MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign, which he believ...
Jan 15, 2019•30 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Prison abolition may appear to be a radical conception, but it wasn't always that way. In fact, in the '60s and '70s, the idea of prison abolition in the United States was a very real issue being discussed among academics and politicians alike. This was before the passage of sweeping policies and laws targeting impoverished black and brown communities, a resurgence of the racist war on drugs, and Clinton-era criminal justice policies that collectively transformed America into the world's largest...
Dec 20, 2018•24 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In an era when women comprise the fastest-growing prison population in the U.S., those incarcerated are screaming #MeToo, too. But is anyone listening? News Beat: Social Justice Never Sounded So Good News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced, engineered and hosted by Manny Faces: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer: Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main Support the sh...
Nov 29, 2018•28 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In the age of Trump, Democrats parade as democracy's saviors yet serve same corporate overlords as the GOP, abandoning progressive left ideals & the people. Episode features interviews with Jill Stein, Chris Hedges, Glen Ford and Richard D. Wolff, and lyrical contribution from Rebel Diaz. Distributed in partnership with Left Forum. News Beat: Social Justice Never Sounded So Good News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced, engineered and host...
Nov 15, 2018•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
