Live, Local, and Commercial-Free

Listen now at 89.7FM, 88.1FM in Ithaca, or by using our web player.

Cornell Palestinian Solidarity Encampment Closes

Protestors at Cornell’s Palestinian solidarity encampment took down tents and left the Arts Quad Monday. On April 25, the day the encampment was set up, Cornell’s administration told the group it had only hours to vacate. However, 18 days later, members of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) voluntarily ended their occupation.  As dusk settled on campus, a group of about 225 students, staff, and community members gathered peacefully, for speeches, song and Christian, Jewish, and Muslim prayer. [The sounds of Palestinian Orthodox prayer.] Pundits and politicians including local congressman Mark Molinaro have called campus protestors “antisemitic” and “extremist.” But people at the assembly Monday repeatedly called for peace, liberation, and dignity…

Now Playing

Reload page to refresh.

Archive Player

Environmental Groups Report that NYS Municipalities May Be Using Oil and Gas Liquid Waste For Road Deicing

By Esther Racoosin

Three environmental groups:  NYPIRG, Earthworks and Food and Water Watch, have published an analysis showing that some municipalities in New York State have been granted permits to use liquid waste from gas and oil operations for deicing roads. Liz Moran, Environmental Policy Director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG, discusses their…

Read More

Help WRFI Get a Strong Start for 2021

By Felix Teitelbaum

2020 has been a rough year, and your small but mighty community station has been here with with you every step of the way. Please join our year-end campaign and help us raise $17,000 so we can take on 2021. Every little bit helps deliver more great local programming emphasizing inclusion, justice, and truth. When…

Read More

Area Congregations Together Hosts 2020 Virtual Thanksgiving Service

By Esther Racoosin

  On November 22, 2020, Area Congregations Together, also known as ACT, hosted a virtual Thanksgiving Service.  Suzanne Scholten, one of the organizers of the service, talks about how ACT decided on the theme for this year’s event, “Finding gratitude in hard times: What I learned from the impacts and challenges of Covid-19, economic crisis,…

Read More

2020 Edition of “Spring Writes” Literary Festival is Virtual

By Esther Racoosin

Jennifer Tennant, Artistic Director of Spring Writes literary festival and Robin Schwartz, program manager of the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County, talk about this year’s festival.  Events begin on Wednesday, November 18th, and continue until Sunday, November 29th.  Attendees can watch presentations via Zoom; some of the talks and panel discussions will allow for…

Read More

Latest from the WRFI News Team

Daily features and interviews from our community

Cornell Palestinian Solidarity Encampment Closes

By Felix Teitelbaum | May 15, 2024 | Comments Off on Cornell Palestinian Solidarity Encampment Closes

Protestors at Cornell’s Palestinian solidarity encampment took down tents and left the Arts Quad Monday. On April 25, the day the encampment was set up, Cornell’s administration told the group it had only hours to vacate. However, 18 days later, members of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) voluntarily ended their occupation.  As dusk…

Read More

Alcance Latino: Cornell Small Farms Program [in Spanish]

By Felix Teitelbaum | May 15, 2024 | Comments Off on Alcance Latino: Cornell Small Farms Program [in Spanish]

Spanish Farm Field Day at West Haven Farm (Photo: Jamie Johnson) Carlos Gutiérrez habla con Mildred Alvarado, María José Oviedo y Tim Shenk, quienes forman parte del programa Futuro en Ag en Cornell. Hablan sobre oportunidades educativas para agricultores de habla hispana y aspirantes a agricultores en el estado de Nueva York. Carlos Gutierrez speaks…

Read More

Investment Crowdfunding Platform Launches In Ithaca

By Felix Teitelbaum | May 14, 2024 | Comments Off on Investment Crowdfunding Platform Launches In Ithaca

The buy local movement isn’t new. But now, an initiative in Ithaca is offering a different kind of opportunity: to invest in local businesses. Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter and GoFundMe are nothing new and are donation based. The new Ithaca Exchange is investment crowdfunding.  “Investment crowdfunding works with businesses to create actually SEC approved investment…

Read More

Local News: May 10, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | May 13, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: May 10, 2024

Sabotage Cuts Candidate Forum Short A forum for Ithaca City School Board candidates Thursday night was interrupted and then cut short. The event was hosted by the Ithaca Teachers Association (or ITA) via Zoom. Seven candidates were slated to participate, three of whom are endorsed by the ITA. According to the Ithaca Voice, the attack…

Read More