Posts by WRFI News Staff
Bill McKibben speaks to Members of Cornell Community about Fossil Fuel Divestment to Combat Climate Change [AUDIO]
On March 13th, 2019, Bill McKibben spoke to members of the Cornell Community, arguing the power of divesting the University’s endowment to combat climate change. The talk was titled, “Reversing Course on Climate Change and Divestment: the Middlebury Story.” Bill McKibben is an award winning environmentalist, author, journalist, and scholar. He is the Schumann Distinguished…
Read MoreIthaca pastor responds to United Methodist Church decision to maintain same sex marriage ban [AUDIO]
Retired Methodist pastor Rebecca Dolch served as a pastor for decades in Ithaca, including at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and at Forest Home Chapel Methodist Church. They are both “reconciling churches,” which means they’re inclusive of all sorts of people. Here, Rebecca Dolch speaks with WRFI’s Laura Rosbrow-Telem about a recent United Methodist Church…
Read More“Bogdan’s Journey” explores a man’s quest to heal a community.
Larry Loewinger, co-director of the documentary film, “Bogdan’s Journey”, talks about how the eponymous character tried to help the residents of his home city, Kielce, Poland, come to terms with the violent pogrom that occurred there over 70 years ago. Loewinger was invited to Ithaca to speak about the film by Cornell’s Jewish Studies Program.This…
Read MoreCongressman Tom Reed – Town Halls: February 2019 (Audio)
Congressman Tom Reed (NY 23rd District) has started holding more frequent town halls around the district since his serious challenge three months ago from Tracy Mitrano of Penn Yann. On Saturday February 23, 2019, he met with about 50 attendees in Owego (Tioga County) and 60 attendees in Groton (Tompkins County). Attendees raised 14 major…
Read MoreCan standardized testing improve teachers? [AUDIO]
A bill detaching students’ scores on state exams from the way teachers are assessed for hiring and promotion passed the state legislature in January. This is a huge reversal in state policy — from emphasizing state tests in teacher evaluations to now, almost doing away with them. In this report by WRFI’s John Yoon, teachers…
Read MoreKitchen Table Conversations: Schools As the Glue in a Community (Audio)
And now for another episode in WRFI’s occasional series: Kitchen Table Conversations. Small towns and villages are watching a slow decline in the number of community organizations —main line churches, Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, little league teams, volunteer groups, and locally owned businesses. Ithaca resident Walter Peck recently retired from 30 years of teaching high…
Read MoreNew grounds for safe drug injection site bill in Albany — yet no official yes from Ithaca or Tompkins
State legislators are trying to revive a bill establishing supervised injection sites that hasn’t moved since 2017. Here‘s John Yoon reporting for WRFI. As the staggering epidemic of fatal opioid overdoses continues to rage, cities are looking for solutions. You might remember the Ithaca Plan from 2016: a comprehensive drug plan proposed by Ithaca Mayor…
Read MoreMary Jo Dudley talks about challenges of migrant workers
Director of Cornell Farmworker Program Mary Jo Dudley spoke with WRFI’s John Yoon about immigrant rights, volunteership, and social change. Here‘s the interview. This piece first aired on Your Morning on February 11. Image courtesy of Farmworkers Forum.
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