As the coronavirus pandemic exposes long-standing inequities in the United States, advocates say marginalized communities are going to suffer the worst from the consequences of a broken economy, neglect, and a decaying social safety net. Featuring Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis (Poor People's Campaign), Maria Morris (ACLU), and Alieza Durana (New America). News Beat is an award-winning Morey Creative Studios podcast. Producer: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianEpisode Art: Jeff MainExecutive Producer: Jed MoreySupport the show.

News Beat

When Epidemics Collide: Coronavirus, Criminal Justice & Poverty

One of the foremost experts on correctional health services warned of a “very perilous and looming threat” inside American correctional facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. [BONUS EPISODE]Support the show.

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

 Intended to prosecute actual spies during wartime, the Espionage Act has been the U.S. government’s weapon of choice against antiwar critics and whistleblowers—and is now being deployed against a publisher, setting a sinister precedent for all journalists and news organizations. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main

Espionage Act & The Battle For The Free Press

In this episode, we take an alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite, which has become known as the cornerstone of his public perception. Along with Pastor Roger C. Williams of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove, NY, Larry Hamm, of the People's Organization for Progress, hip-hop artist Silent Knight, and King’s own words, listeners learn of MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign, which he believed would be his true legacy. More than likely, it was this that got him killed. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main

MLK 2020: What They Won't Teach In School

 The US assassination of Qassim Solemani has ignited a new wave of tension with Iran. Let's figure out how we arrived at this critical juncture by examining the 1953 US-backed coup, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, and the ramifications of withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal. 

BONUS: Breaking Down the US-Iran Conflict

Consider this: Alan Newton served more than 20 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit before DNA analysis proved him innocent and he was exonerated. Now, had this occurred in Alabama, he would have received $50,000 for every year of wrongful imprisonment. Instead, Newton was convicted in the state of New York, where exonerees receive nothing, and are instead forced to sue the government for compensation. Eighteen states do not even have compensation laws, and those that do vary in exactly what the restitution is. On this episode, we dissect the disparity in exoneration compensation laws and how even seemingly liberal states such as New York have mandates on the books many consider woefully inadequate. News Beat is an MP Studios production, a division of Morey Publishing: www.MoreyPublishing.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main

Exonerated and Broke

In this special bonus episode, Editors Rashed Mian and Christopher Twarowski examine the impact of bail on New Yorkers and the potential impact new reforms will have on the state. Next, experts will discuss recent revelations from the "Afghanistan Papers" -- documents that showed the U.S. public has been misled throughout the war—in other words, lied to. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and edited by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main

BONUS: New York Bail Reform and the Afghanistan Papers

Just like Home Alone and Die Hard, 'tis the season to enjoy a couple of classic blasts from the News Beat past. Today, we’re bringing you our first big award-winning episode, Why We Riot. It’s a compelling examination of all the factors that exist when overly-oppressed and tormented communities have finally had enough, and, much like the incidents that lay at the foundation of our democracy, are forced to rise up in rebellion. Music by The Band Called FUSE, lyrics by Silent Knight.

Why We Riot

 If we were to ask you to name the largest mental health facilities in the country, what would you say? We'll save you the trouble. The answer: jails. America's failure to effectively treat the mentally ill amid a mass incarceration crisis has only exacerbated the struggles for thousands of people.   News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main 

Mentally Ill and Incarcerated

From the expert voice of Naomi Klein, to the voices of teenagers taking part in the global climate strike, to incendiary lyrics from hip-hop artist Silent Knight, this powerful episode explores the ongoing climate crisis and the people who are fighting for our collective future.    

Climate Justice: The Youth-Led Revolution to Save Our Future

UPDATE: Chesa Boudin, the deputy public defender in San Francisco, was officially elected district attorney in a hotly contested race for the hugely important seat. Boudin is among a number of DA candidates who have run on a reform agenda and he intends on dramatically reimagining the DA position in his hometown, much like Larry Krasner in Philadelphia. If you haven’t already, make sure to listen to the full episode, “Restorative Justice: Healing Instead of Incarceration.”

BONUS: Restorative Justice Advocate Wins Pivotal DA Race

This episode introduces the concept of restorative justice, in which crime victims actually have a say in the punishment handed down to their offenders. So instead of universal prison time, atonement might come in the form of community service, or in a face to face meeting, or any number of other acts of redress that those affected see as fit. This isn’t a radical, new approach, but a centuries-old practice, that many say empowers victims and paves the road for true healing.

Restorative Justice: Healing Instead of Incarceration

Our multiple award-winning, groundbreaking format brings together the worlds of social justice journalism, music, and original lyrical contributions from brilliant artists. If you’ve been following us from the beginning, you’ll know that we cover complex and often underreported issues. Last season, we shed light on the negative consequences of the colonization of Puerto Rico, prison rape in the #metoo era, Rosa Parks’ lifelong, militant pursuit of justice, and reforms underway in California, which we produced in partnership with The Marshall Project. We've got new episodes for you right around the corner. Here’s a bit of what you can expect.

Season Four - Trailer

In this special bonus episode, we examine whether recent criminal justice reform laws are strong enough to significantly reduce jail and prison populations in the United States. 2019 has been particularly prolific in terms of new laws passed, yet some experts warn more needs to be done to dismantle mass incarceration. Also, we address poverty in America and the battle over felony disenfranchisement in Florida. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main

BONUS EP: Are New Criminal Justice Reform Laws Enough?

Since a U.S. Supreme Court-imposed mandate in 2011, the Golden State has sought to address prison overcrowding through myriad reforms, including by moving people from state prisons to county jails, reducing prison sentences for certain crimes, and creating resources to help people reenter society. Crime in California is now at historic lows. Yet some reforms have been met with resistance from law enforcement organizations and “tough-on-crime” politicians concerned these initiatives will endanger public safety. While there’s still a lot to be done concerning criminal justice reform, California has presented itself as a model for the rest of the nation. This is a special podcast collaboration with The Marshall Project, a New York City-based nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering, and creating and sustaining a sense of national urgency about, the U.S. criminal justice system. News Beat is a Morey Creative Studios production: www.MoreyCreative.com News Beat is produced and engineered by Michael “Manny Faces” Conforti: www.MannyFaces.com News Beat Executive Producer is Jed Morey Editor in Chief: Christopher TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianCover Art Design: Jeff Main  

California: Epicenter of Mass Incarceration Reform

A social justice podcast combining hard-hitting journalism and interviews with hip-hop music and original lyrics from independent artists. Each episode delves into an important issue with an alternative take to widely accepted narratives, arming listeners with knowledge and insight they won't hear from mainstream media outlets.

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News Beat

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