News Beat Wins Top Podcast at 2021 New York Press Club Journalism Awards

July 30, 2021 civil liberties, police brutality, racial justice

News Beat podcast won top honors at the 2021 New York Press Club Journalism Awards for shining a light on state violence against Black women and girls.

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This Week in Social Justice: ExxonMobil vs. The Environment & Haiti's Past, Present & Future

July 13, 2021 Climate crisis, racial justice, human rights

'This Week in Social Justice' unravels ExxonMobil's environmentally devastating propaganda, and Haiti's long and brutal relationship with U.S. imperialism.

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This Week in Social Justice: Indigenous Death Schools & Climate Change's Lethal Impact on Minority Communities

July 04, 2021 Climate crisis, Indigenous Rights

'This Week in Social Justice' tackles Canada's genocidal Indigenous schools and climate change's lethal and disproportionate impact on communities of color.

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Weaponizing Critical Race Theory to Sanitize Education

June 22, 2021

Banning the teaching of a so-called Critical Race Theory could create a chilling effect that prevents educators from exploring racial issues in America.

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Breaking Down Larry Krasner's Decisive Primary Win in Philly

May 21, 2021

The widely watched Democratic primary for Philadelphia district attorney ended with a convincing win for Larry Krasner, the unofficial leader of the progressive prosecutor movement.

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‘Excited Delirium’: Are Police Using Junk Science to Justify Brutality?

April 15, 2021

We examine how law enforcement use a dubious medical-legal construct to justify behavior in excessive force cases and to explain deaths in police custody.

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'Monument to Racism': How An Interstate Highway Decimated a Black Community in New Orleans

April 08, 2021

The story of how a thriving Black neighborhood in New Orleans was decimated by the government, and what it means for Biden's infrastructure plan.

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NY Legalizes Marijuana, Delivering Blow to War on Drugs

April 02, 2021 war on drugs, marijuana, racial justice

From decriminalizing consumption and expunging past convictions to investing in impacted communities, the new law seeks to amend destructive policies.

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Divide & Conquer: How 'Model Minority' Drives Wedge Between Racial & Ethnic Groups

March 26, 2021

The 'model minority' concept was adopted to highlight the relative prosperity of some Asian Americans and drive a wedge between racial and ethnic groups.

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Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's 'Revolutionary' Appointment

March 19, 2021 Climate crisis, Native Americans, Indigenous Rights

We examine U.S. Interior Secretary Haaland's historic appointment and what it means for Native people and the climate.

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Reformers Introduce Bill in NY to Expunge Criminal Records

March 01, 2021 criminal justice reform

If passed, New York would follow three other states that have passed "Clean Slate" laws in as many years.

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep7: MLK's True Legacy

January 18, 2021 civil liberties

Special prime-time livestream of This Week in Social Justice focuses on MLK, featuring Poor People's Campaign Co-Director Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis & News Beat Artist in Residence Silent Knight.

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News Beat Named 'Outstanding' Podcast of 2020

December 31, 2020 civil liberties

The Bello Collective names News Beat among '100 Outstanding Podcasts From 2020,' highlighting our #SayHerName episode about violence against Black women.

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News Beat Podcast Wins Highest Honors at SPJ /PCLI Journalism Awards

December 25, 2020 civil liberties

News Beat wins 'Best Podcast' and other top honors from SPJ / PCLI Journalism Awards for second consecutive year.

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep6: Should Newsrooms Defund Crime Coverage?

December 24, 2020 civil liberties

This Week in Social Justice livestream guest Free Press journalist Tauhid Chappell makes the case for defunding the crime beat, citing racial bias and more.

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep5: Hip-Hop Protest Songs & Fred Hampton

December 14, 2020 civil liberties

This Week in Social Justice livestream guests Silent Knight & Jeffrey Haas discuss hip-hop's transcendental prowess & assassination of Black Panther Fred Hampton

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep4: Battling Systemic Racism, House Decriminalizes Marijuana

December 07, 2020

In our latest livestream, the News Beat team talks to Arisha Hatch of Color Of Change about the group's racial justice initiatives.

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep3: Canceling Student Debt & COVID-19's Effect on Child Morbidity

November 23, 2020 civil liberties

News Beat podcast's This Week in Social Justice livestream highlights the heavy burden of student debt on minorities & COVID-19's hidden tolls on children.

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This Week in Social Justice - Ep2: Black Belt History & Blue Georgia Victory

November 13, 2020 civil liberties

News Beat podcast This Week in Social Justice livestream guests Dr. Craig McClain & Marcus Ferrell explain the evolutionary history of South's Black Belt & successful effort to turn Georgi blue.

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Welcome to ‘This Week in Social Justice’ Livestream - Ep1: Drug Decriminalization

November 09, 2020 civil liberties

News Beat podcast's inaugural 'This Week in Social Justice' livestream spotlights drug decriminalization and other criminal justice reforms, and features Fair and Just Prosecution's Miriam Krinsky, and Drug Policy Alliance's Grey Gardner.

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5 Million Americans With Felony Convictions Barred From Voting This November

October 15, 2020 mass incarceration, felony disenfranchisement

While down slightly from 2016, millions won't be able to vote this November due to Jim Crow-era laws that persist despite attempts at reforms.

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Slavery & Genocide: How Indigenous Remember Christopher Columbus (in 6 Minutes)

October 12, 2020 civil liberties

Mohawk activist John Kane of Native talk show & podcast 'Let's Talk Native...' explains Christopher Columbus' legacy of slavery & genocide against Indigenous people.

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NYPD Accused of International Human Rights Violations for Violent Crackdown on Protest

October 09, 2020 civil liberties, police brutality

The NYPD's brutal crackdown on protesters in the South Bronx on June 4 led to mass arrests, dozens injured, and human rights violations, reports Human Rights Watch.

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What We Know About COVID-19 in Juvenile Detention Centers

October 01, 2020 mass incarceration, juvenile justice

There have been hundreds of infections in juvenile detention centers within the first six months of the pandemic, despite measures to reduce youth prison populations.

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Federal Court Strikes Blow to Voting Rights in Florida Felony Disenfranchisement Case

September 22, 2020

Felony disenfranchisement is a hallmark of Jim Crow. A recent court ruling will make it nearly impossible for thousands in Florida to vote this November.

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Black Lives Matter Protests 'Overwhelming Peaceful,' Report Finds

September 10, 2020

The far majority of recent racial justice demonstrations were non-violent, says researchers.

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Bonus Clip: Concern Over Mental Health in Prison Amid COVID-19

August 31, 2020 mass incarceration, COVID-19

COVID-19 is ripping through jails and prisons, with catastrophic consequences for the many mentally ill incarcerated within the world's largest prison state.

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Return to Sender: Saving the U.S. Post Office Is a Racial Justice Issue

August 21, 2020

The Postal Service has long been a source of stable employment for Black Americans, as we document in this special bonus podcast.

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D.C. Council Approves Restoring Voting Rights to the Incarcerated [Web Exclusive]

July 10, 2020 felony disenfranchisement

Millions of people with felony convictions are barred from voting. Washington, D.C., wrestling with systemic racism, took a step toward greater inclusion by restoring these critical rights.

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[Bonus Clip] Birth Of #SayHerName, Featuring Andrea J. Ritchie

July 09, 2020 police brutality

Those calling for justice argue that Black women historically receive far less attention than men who've been killed by law enforcement.

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[Bonus Clip] How Slave-Era Tropes About Black Women Persist

July 07, 2020

Racist tropes about Black women developed during the slave era persist today.

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Why The 2020 Anti-Racism Uprisings Feel Different

June 05, 2020 civil liberties, mass incarceration, police brutality

A veteran of the 1967 Newark Rebellion discusses George Floyd's death, the culture of police brutality, and whether the recent mass movement can produce change.

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Florida Law Linking Legal Fees to Voting Eligibility Ruled Unconstitutional

May 26, 2020 mass incarceration, felony disenfranchisement

In 2018, Floridians approved the restoration of voting rights to people with felony convictions. A law decried as a "poll tax" was ruled unconstitutional.

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[EXCLUSIVE] San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin Talks Bail, Sentencing Reforms & COVID-19

May 01, 2020 mass incarceration, COVID-19, bail reform

A career public defender is now on the other side of the law. We speak to Boudin about embracing reforms as district attorney of a prominent U.S. city, and combating COVID-19.

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Report: COVID-19 Jail Deaths Could Double U.S. Fatalities

April 23, 2020

Failing to significantly reduce jail populations could result in 100,000 more deaths than currently projected, a new ACLU report says.

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Expert Warns Of ‘Perilous’ Coronavirus Threat In Jails & Prisons [Podcast]

March 13, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic is spreading across the country. Experts warn that jails and prisons are especially vulnerable to an outbreak.

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[Exclusive] Legendary Attorney James Goodale Talks Assange & Attacks on Free Press

February 24, 2020 civil liberties, Espionage Act, Julian Assange, press freedoms

Famed First Amendment attorney James Goodale discusses the criminalization of journalism and the U.S. government's crackdown on whistleblowers.

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New York Bail Reform: Tackling Mass Incarceration

December 30, 2019

New York's bail reform law goes into effect in January. This special podcast explains what this law does and how it will impact New Yorkers.

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Bonus Podcast: New York Bail Reform & The Afghanistan Papers

December 23, 2019

In this special podcast we examine bail reform in New York and discuss revelations from the "Afghanistan Papers"--a secret history of the war.

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Bonus Episode: Chesa Boudin, Restorative Justice Advocate, Wins San Francisco DA Election

November 12, 2019

Chesa Boudin, progressive candidate for San Francisco DA featured on our Restorative Justice episode, wins.

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Criminal Justice Podcasts: Bail, Youth Prisons, War On Drugs & More

August 28, 2019

News Beat podcast examines critical issues related to America's broken criminal justice system.

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In Florida, the Fight for Voting Rights Continues

July 02, 2019

Last year, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment restoring rights to 1.4 million people. For many, a new law may stand in the way.

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Criminal Justice Reform Is Spreading Across The Country. But Is It Enough to Dismantle Mass Incarceration?

July 02, 2019

From New York to Colorado and states in between, lawmakers are tackling criminal justice reform. Experts, however, warn that not enough is being done.

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News Beat Podcast Wins Top Honors at SPJ Press Club of Long Island Media Awards

June 19, 2019

News Beat podcast clinched top prizes at the Long Island chapter of Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) awards recognizing journalistic excellence.

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News Beat Podcast Partners With The Marshall Project to Spotlight California’s Ever-Evolving Response to Mass Incarceration

June 18, 2019

News Beat podcast joins forces with Pulitzer Prize-winning criminal justice news outlet The Marshall Project to highlight California's mass incarceration reforms.

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How Supporters of Historic California Bail Abolition Bill Became Some of Its Strongest Critics

November 27, 2018

California passed a law abolishing money bail. (Hurray.) It also grants sweeping powers to judges to lock up defendants at will, indiscriminately, however. (?!?!) Grassroots prison reform groups were

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What’s Next for Federal Prison Reform? We May Find Out Soon Enough.

November 14, 2018

Now that the much-anticipated midterm elections are over, will Congress re-examine a stalled prison-reform compromise bill?

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Historic Midterms: Huge Wins for Women, LGBT Candidates, Minorities & New Voters in Florida [VIDEO RECAP]

November 08, 2018

Yes, we know, the Democrats took back the House. But the 2018 election was historic in many other ways. Social justice was also on the ballot.

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Florida Passes Amendment Restoring Voting Rights to Over 1 Million Residents

November 07, 2018

Florida is one of four states that permanently bars ex-felons from voting, and its disenfranchisement law is one of the nation’s most stringent.

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Majority of Floridians Favor Felony Voting Rights Amendment

September 26, 2018

It appears Democrats and Republicans agree that permanently stripping someone's right to vote is a bad idea.

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News Beat Podcast Wins High Honors at Religion News Association National Journalism Awards

September 24, 2018

News Beat podcast earned high honors at Religion News Association's national awards competition, ranking among top outlets from across the United States.

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News Beat Artist-In-Residence Silent Knight Named 'Innocence Ambassador'

August 16, 2018

The newly forged partnership between Silent Knight and Innocence Project is just the latest collaborative project for the Brooklyn-born rapper.

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Listen to the Complete Second Season of News Beat Podcast — Social Justice Never Sounded So Good

August 13, 2018

News Beat is a social justice podcast melding journalism with hip-hop. Season 2 included episodes on money bail, youth prisons, MS-13 & much, much more.

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Congresswoman Blasts 'Racist' Jeff Sessions, Says U.S. Should Apologize for War on Drugs

June 19, 2018

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman puts forth resolution calling on Congress to apologize for United States' ineffective war on drugs and make reparations to those crushed by policies targeting minority commu

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‘News Beat’ Wins Best Podcast at 2018 New York Press Club Journalism Awards

June 05, 2018

News Beat clinched top honors in the Podcast category at New York Press Club's annual awards competition recognizing outstanding journalism in print, broadcast and online by media outlets across New Y

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‘Discover Pods’ Spotlights News Beat Podcast

May 17, 2018

Podcast discoverability site ‘Discover Pods’ is spotlighting News Beat, featuring a profile of our podcast and Q&A with Executive Producer Jed Morey on its main scroll and in a review post.

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Report Warns 'Hatred of Journalism Threatens Democracies' as U.S. Press Freedom Ranking Falls

April 26, 2018

The United States’ press freedom ranking fell for the second consecutive year, marking a disturbing trend for a nation that purports to be the beacon of human rights and free speech.

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Talking MS-13, Immigration & Rebel Diaz's Revolutionary Music

April 19, 2018

A discussion about the notorious MS-13 street gang and its origins. Featuring a bonus interview with revolutionary hip-hop duo Rebel Diaz.

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A Discussion About Poverty in America

April 06, 2018

PODCAST: America has a poverty crisis that's impacting at least 40 million Americans, not counting the 64 million people who earn less than $15 an hour. We discuss.

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Gina Haspel Covered Up Torture. Now She Might Run The CIA.

March 21, 2018

We talk to two former government insiders who warn about Haspel, who led a secret prisoner black site and covered up illegal torture.

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A Discussion About the War on the Freedom of the Press

March 15, 2018

Why are press freedoms so important? Who are the journalists being murdered? Are dictators now using 'Fake News' a la Trump? We discuss.

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BackBeat: The Making of 'America's Black Hole'

February 21, 2018

In this episode of BackBeat, the podcast crew digs a little deeper into the controversial legacy of the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

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When It Comes To Mass Shootings, We May Not Have Pulled The Triggers, But Make No Mistake: We're All Complicit

February 15, 2018

Sadly, the country yet again has to confront a deadly shooting. There will be memorials, and necessary news coverage about how students and teachers acted with bravery while their school was being ter

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BackBeat: Freedom For Sale

February 07, 2018

On this episode of BackBeat, the guys examine the injustices of America's cash bail system, which helps inflates the world's largest prison system.

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Don’t Forget The Muslims

January 19, 2018

Muslim Americans organized like never before during the presidential election. Despite their efforts, Trump won, and their greatest fears became reality.

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News Beat Podcast 2017 Year in Review

December 22, 2017

In season one, News Beat chronicled everything from the war on drugs, never-ending illegal wars, whistleblowing, Jihad, and right-wing extremism.

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BackBeat: Radical Caucasian Extremism

December 11, 2017

The guys examine the disparity in extremism coverage in the media and the overall perception about which groups are most dangerous.

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What is News Beat Podcast? Journalism & Music Podcast Explained [Facebook Live]

December 05, 2017

The News Beat team took to Facebook Live to discuss how this new podcast challenges conventional narratives through journalism and music.

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BackBeat: 2001 AUMF - The Latest Weapon in America's Illegal, Perpetual War

November 25, 2017

Listen to the full episode of "BackBeat: AUMF - THE LATEST WEAPON IN AMERICA'S ILLEGAL, PERPETUAL WAR." Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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BackBeat: Chelsea Manning - Collateral Murder Cover-Up

November 09, 2017

The team elaborates on the Chelsea Manning leaks and expands on how the government, and some in the media, tried to obscure the revelations.

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BackBeat Special Edition: 'Hijacking Jihad' Follow-up Live from WISE Up Summit

November 01, 2017

Although the "WISE Up: Knowledge Ends Extremism" report has been in the works for several years, in some ways, it’s more accurately 16 years in the making.

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BackBeat: Exonerated and Broke

October 05, 2017

The news beat podcast team dissects disparity in exoneration compensation laws across the U.S. and the inspiration for the "Exonerated and Broke" episode.

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The Rise of Facebook & Downfall of Social Discourse

October 03, 2017

This paradigm of how people consume news and information and the manner in which its circulated to friends and family shifted a long time ago.

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The Flashpoint Has Arrived. Sports Will Never Be The Same.

September 30, 2017

There’s no question that outward political acts, or even something as small as engaging in conversation about topics unrelated to an athlete’s profession, is almost universally considered blasphemous

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The Fallacy of 'Trump the Independent'

September 25, 2017

It’s an incredible spectacle, really, to watch the corporate media and their favorite talking heads explore this notion of Trump’s so-called independence. This, only a month after Trump failed to issu

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Journalism Has Never Sounded So Good

September 23, 2017

News Beat is fueled by journalism, expert voices, progressive issues & music. Our producer Manny Faces explains why hip-hop is our genre of choice.

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The Truth on Trial: Recalling Chelsea Manning’s Court Martial

August 31, 2017

Under the circumstances of which Manning has spent the last seven years of her life it’s equally mind-numbing and inspiring to witness her very public and incredibly honest transformation.

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BackBeat: Hijacking Jihad

August 31, 2017

A behind-the-scenes examination of our latest News Beat episode: Hijacking Jihad - Reclaiming Islam's 'Personal Struggle'

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BackBeat: True Origins of the War on Drugs

August 23, 2017

BackBeat is our way of giving listeners some behind-the-scenes audio ear candy about each News Beat episode.

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America… We’re gonna be just fine: A Post-Trump Survival Plan

August 18, 2017

Tick-Tock. Bannons' out and Trump's days are numbered. Trumpism is a cancer and the best way to fight cancer is to starve the tumor.

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News Beat's New Artist in Residence Is...

August 15, 2017

News Beat, political & cultural podcast that fuses journalism & music, announces first Artist in Residence, recording & performing artist, Silent Knight.

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An American Socialist in Cuba

July 11, 2017

In the brief moment the door between our nations opened a crack, a flood of hope, optimism and cash flooded in. The genie is officially out of the bottle and the most interesting days are ahead. The y

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Treat The Symptoms, But Cure The Disease

July 06, 2017

The system that gave us Trump—the very same that may one day contribute to his downfall—is itself part of an infected establishment.

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Rebel Diaz and the Newbie

July 01, 2017

I got an insane crash course on the origins of hip-hop and how so many of the expressions of this art form rose from the ashes of neoliberal policies.

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The Secret Truth About Eid: Family, Roasted Marshmallows & Muslim Bans

June 29, 2017

Ironic that the most powerful court in the land decided to hear the travel ban case just days after the supposedly non-Islamophobic administration broke with two-decade-old tradition and decided again

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Introducing News Beat

June 26, 2017

We want every News Beat to be a work of art—bringing together the activist communities in both hip-hop and journalism to preach a new narrative.

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