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Local News: May 3, 2024

Coalition Pushes for “Just Cause” Employment in Ithaca The campaign for “just cause” employment legislation in Ithaca continues. According to the Cornell Sun, the Ithaca Just Cause Coalition has been pushing Common Council to adopt their proposal and a working group on the matter is being formed. The coalition includes unions, nonprofits and businesses. The proposal would end “at will” employment in Ithaca. Under the proposed rule, employers would need to demonstrate that progressive steps were taken to address poor work performance before terminating an employee. Employers would also be able to fire people for illegal or dangerous behavior, or for economic reasons like loss of income.   Employers who violate the rule would…

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Youth Farm Project Celebrates Earth Week with Greta Garrison of the Youth Radio Project

By Felix Teitelbaum

Youth Farm Project participants Stella Sapp-Dietrich and Etienne Exantus and Ray Hage Assistant Director of Cornell’s Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP) with Greta Garrison of the Youth Radio Project on WRFI.

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CREATIVES: New Voices Literary Festival Preview with Raul Palma [AUDIO]

By Felix Teitelbaum

Listen to author Raul Palma in conversation with student organizers April Morales, Emily Trage, Riley Rhoder and Professor Jacob White. The 2024 New Voices Festival runs from April 24-26 at Ithaca College and in your community.  

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Tune in, Turn on, and Take Part! Join Us for WRFI’s Spring “Fun” Drive and Be Part of this Community-Powered Radio Revolution!

By Felix Teitelbaum

What does community radio mean to you? We think this commercial-free, free-form, independent station helps make our listeners lives-and life in our communities-just a little better. We strive to make programing that opens ears, opens hearts, and leads us to ask important questions about our world. Even if it’s just to ask yourself, “What in…

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LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell – Academic freedom

By Celia Clarke

This is the last of my three stories about freedom of expression at Cornell University this year. Here are links to the first and second stories. The academic theme at Cornell this year is “Freedom of Expression.”  In earlier stories, we reported about the general mood at Cornell around free speech, and students’ opinions about…

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Latest from the WRFI News Team

Daily features and interviews from our community

Picket Line Protests Ithaca College’s Faculty and Department Cuts

By WRFI News Staff | February 8, 2021 | Comments Off on Picket Line Protests Ithaca College’s Faculty and Department Cuts

Ithaca College is planning to make major cuts to its faculty and curriculum.  Students, faculty, and community members have criticized the College’s process. On February 8th, they formed a picket line at the entrance of Ithaca College. The cuts are a part of Ithaca Forever Strategic Plan, which was formed due to the shaky financial…

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Which Way Forward: The road (so far) to reimagining law enforcement

By WRFI News Staff | February 5, 2021 | Comments Off on Which Way Forward: The road (so far) to reimagining law enforcement

This is the last episode of part one of the Which Way Forward: Redefining Public Safety series. WRFI News Contributor Fred Balfour lays out how Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order for every municipality with a police department to reimagine its public safety practices will play out in Tompkins County. Ithaca Voice intern James Baratta walks…

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Which Way Forward: Examining community organizing and its impact on criminal justice

By WRFI News Staff | February 4, 2021 | Comments Off on Which Way Forward: Examining community organizing and its impact on criminal justice

In the fourth episode of Which Way Forward: Redefining Public Safety, we switch gears to how some organizers both on the streets and behind the scenes are fighting for a more equitable future for local people of all ages – including changing public safety policies. This episode of Which Way Forward was co-reported by outgoing…

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Which Way Forward: Stopping crime while practicing restraint

By WRFI News Staff | February 3, 2021 | Comments Off on Which Way Forward: Stopping crime while practicing restraint

In the third episode of Which Way Forward: Redefining Public Safety, Ithaca Voice senior reporter Anna Lamb reexamines the most recent case of police brutality in ithaca known as the “commons incident” – and how ithaca police officers’ excessive use of force could have been prevented. As a note to listeners, this episode includes detailed…

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