The landscape of farming in this country is changing- the average age of the U.S. farmer is 57, and when these farmers retire, their land will go up for sale. In some cases this land ends up in the hands of developers and presto, new subdivisions grow where crops once flourished. Now a new harvest of young farmers, armed with organic know-how and new media savvy, are getting organized- and getting political. They want to preserve farmland and keep the art of farming alive. And the movement is taking root right here in Washington State, where farmers under 34 years old have increased by 32%. One World Report has this story from Vashon Island.

Young Farmers

I did a story for WBAI Sunday News about the changes happening to Coney Island and the rumor that this was the last Mermaid Parade. The Coney Island Mermaid Parade celebrated it's Silver Anniversary this year with a record crowd of over half a million people attending. But many are saying this will be the last summer of the 'good ol' days' of Coney Island, as developers move forward with a $2 billion dollar plan to drastically remake this historic neighborhood.

The Mermaid Parade is organized by Coney Island USA, a tourism groups that organizes some of the better burlesque/sideshow/freakshow events that make Coney Island so great. Hopefully this summer I will get out there more to record and photograph Astroland while it lasts. June, 2007

Coney Island's Last Stand?

The Copyright Royalty Board has decided to raise royalty rates --webcasters will have to pay up to a 300% increase in royalty fees on a per-song basis. The consequences of this could signal the end of independent web-based radio shows and podcasts, as Josh Ward from SaveNetRadio says in the piece, and could bankrupt even larger webcasting stations like Yahoo and Pandora. June, 2007

Record Industry organization Sound Exchange says they just want artists and labels to get paid fairly for their work. But thousands of bands and artists may not get their chance to be heard or discovered, since the proposed fees would reduce the variety of independent programming out there.

Save Internet Radio!

A news story about The New York State Court of Appeals ruling on Hernandez v. Robles. The case was filed by Lambda Legal on behalf of five same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses in New York City, including Donna Freeman-Tweed and her partner, Lauren Abrams.They give their reactions to this ruling at a press conference held by Lambda Legal today. Produced in 2006 for WBAI.

WBAI 2006

Gay Marriage in New York

You Never Know

Salsa Cure

Johnny Cash-themed protest at the RNC in NYC, 2003.

WBAI NEWS 2003

Johnny Cash RNC

For fifty-two days, members of the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, Canada occupied a subdivision known as the Douglas Creek Estates, in an attempt to reclaim the land as indigenous territory. Here, the story of the an early morning raid by police and how Six Nation demonstrators were able to regain control of the site. Reported for WBAI by Amber Cortes, 2006.

Six Nations Land Reclamation Action

Lost Podcast Promo

Charlene Mitchell ran for president in 1968, nominated by the Communist Party. Born in 1930, she's a part of the civil rights movement since she was thirteen. I spoke to her for over an hour, the following edited interview is only a glimpse into her remarkable life and views. Produced for WBAI by Amber Cortes in 2006.

Charlene Mitchell

In celebration of International Women's Day, artist Christy Gast narrates the lives and words of the first ten women to run for President of the United States. The roster includes everyone from eccentric Victoria Woodhull, a clairvoyant who advocated for free love in 1872, to Margaret Wright, who represented the Peace and Freedom Party in 1976. Representing both major parties and a slew of independent ones, these women passed important legislation and opened the doors for women in politics. Leading to the important question, will we ever see a woman in the White House? Produced in March, 2006 for International Women's Day.

WBAI International Women's Day

Lady Presidents

A virtual verbal boxing match between Literature’s Leading Man of Men and feisty feminist flapper Zelda Fitzgerald. Made for the 99 Ways to Tell A Radio Story 2006 ShortDocs radio experiment.

You Never Know Radio

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