WCBS 880 In Depth

We’re headed to the video game aisle, where things could start looking a little scary for gamers, as equipment they love might soon be disappearing. An expert will explain why we can blame AI for it. After we check out video games, we’re also stopping by the toy aisle to get a stern warning about the viral squishy, sensory toys that are sending kids to the hospital. Featuring audio from WBEN News and Talk in Buffalo and the Dana & Parks Show out of Kansas City.

This week’s episode is taking us from the dark depths of the Great Lakes – where there was recently a research expedition – to the streets of New York City and Rio De Janeiro in Brazil, where dangers lurk beneath pedestrians’ feet. Featuring audio from Mike Rogers and the Other Side of the News out of KRLD 1080 in Dallas, WWJ Newsradio in Detroit, 1010 WINS in New York City, the Dana & Parks Show out of KMBZ in Kansas City and the Dave Glover Show out of KMOX in St. Louis.

America has a ton of clothing waste. It’s part of the reason many eco-conscious shoppers prefer thrifting. There’s one problem: even when thrifting, many still buy a ton of clothes and toss barely used garments. Social media is fueling this via massive thrift hauls, a.k.a showing off your shopping sprees. Thrifting and environmental experts help us to explore whether or not shopping secondhand has lost its environmental focus. We’re also looking at how are low-income communities — who’ve historically relied on thrifting for its affordable prices — are affected.  Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

In New York City, Black women are nine times more likely than their white counterparts to die during childbirth. This is why maternal health advocates are pushing the city to connect Black mothers-to-be with Black midwives and doulas for better pregnancy outcomes. In this episode, we hear from birth-givers, advocates, and lawmakers about how to give Black New Yorkers better birthing experiences. Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood

New York will no longer prosecute or arrest children under age 12 in 2023 for pretty much all crimes except homicide. Advocates are hopeful this will interrupt the school to prison pipeline — especially for Black and Latinx kids. On the In Depth podcast, we hear how trauma-informed practices could provide better outcomes for at-risk kids. Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

In 2021, more than a third of high schoolers reported experiencing poor mental health during the covid-19 pandemic, according to the CDC. • Forty-four percent of high schoolers persistently felt sad or hopeless. • One in five teens considered suicide during the pandemic. Experts are saying there is a shortage on mental health resources that kids need, including guidance counselors. On this episode of In Depth, we speak to recent graduates of New York's Staten Island Technical High School about the mental health challenges they faced during the pandemic. We also speak with Psychologist Dr. Allison Holman, a specialist in collective trauma, and Dawn Yuster, the director of the School Justice Project. Hosted by Jill Webb Produced by Femi Redwood, Anddy Egan-Thorpe, and Dempsey Pillot.

New York City has a trash problem. But a lot of that garbage on the sidewalk is food waste. Experts say a lot of it is good to eat. Zero waste advocates are trying to lessen New York City’s waste footprint. Anna Sacks, known online as "Trash Walker" on social media, is showing her fellow residents exactly what’s being tossed everyday. Think Zero’s Ushma Pandya shares tips on how New Yorkers can decrease the city’s food waste footprint – especially during the holiday season when waste increases. Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood

There’s a lack of women in top leadership positions at many universities across the country. A study by the Women’s Power Gap found that only 22 percent of what’s considered R1 universities currently have a woman serving as president. American Association of University Women CEO Gloria Blackwell discusses some of the study’s highlights. New York University Professor Teboho Moja breaks down why this is a systemic issue. CUNY Graduate Center’s President Dr. Robin Garrell explains what’s different at a university with a history of women in its presidency. Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

The Bronx is home to 1.4 million people – a population bigger than most American cities – but only houses two full-time bookstores. This makes it a book desert. But Bronxites are working to close the literacy gap in their borough.  Saraciea Fennell, a book publicist raised in the Bronx, noticed authors rarely ever came to the Bronx for literacy events. She tells In Depth how she changed that by starting The Bronx is Reading Festival. Bronx native Gregory Hernandez shares his findings from his film “1.5 Million.” The documentary explores what led to the borough’s low literacy levels and how community members are working to boost literacy. Professor Susan Neuman, an early literacy expert at New York University, shares how better funding could bolster literacy rates. Host/Producer: Jill Webb Audio Engineer: Anddy Egan-Thorpe Additional Production Assistance: Dempsey Pillot Managing Producer of Podcasts: Femi Redwood 

The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), a decades-old law designed to give indigenous people adoption priority to indigenous children, is being challenged at the Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in Haaland vs. Brackeen say this system is racist due to non-Native families being at the bottom of the list. On this week’s In Depth, we’re asking: What does this mean for Indigenous communities in New York and across the nation? We hear from Hilary Tompkins, a member of the Navajo Nation who was adopted by a white family before ICWA was enacted. We’re also joined by Joe Heath, general counsel for the Onondaga Nation, who explains the injustices leading up to ICWA and how challenging the act could affect tribal sovereignty. Frank Edwards, an assistant professor at Rutgers University, shares research on how ICWA has impacted the child welfare state over the last few decades.

Listen as we explore the history of hunger and poverty in America and the steps being taken to end it once and for all.

THE LEGACY OF 9/11 IS STILL TAKING ITS TOXIC TOLL ON THE FDNY WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ILLNESSES AND DEATHS.   WE LOOK AT THE CONDITIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES IN THIS EDITION OF THE 880 IN-DEPTH PODCAST.

Are we ready for the next big one

Peter Haskell's personal story of how a vocal disorder has cut short his broadcasting career 

Our conversation with Ashwin Vasan on concerns about the convergence of flu and covid and the mental health impact on health care professionals and others

New Jersey's Health Commissioner talks about turning pandemic into an endemic and how the flu this fall may complicate matters

Taking a look at post pandemic mental health in our New York community

Democracy needs healing as we head toward the midterm elections

Immigration in America: Why we're still fighting about and where we've come from.

The National September 11th Museum seeks to keep the story alive as the years move on  

New York's sluggish recovery shows no signs of speeding up

How some of those who fled from Taliban rule are now living as our neighbors

The Threads of our democratic fabric are fraying...

What can we expect, what do parents need to know

The future of moving in and around New York is changing. 

What's to blame for brazen crimes in New York City

What you need to know - InDepth 

Variants, Boosters, and a peak at the future - WCBS 880 In Depth.

WCBS880 Award Winning story teller Mike Sugerman has his own story to tell

Two Former NY Members of Congress weigh in for 880 In Depth

A conversation with writer, podcaster Zayd Ayers Dohrn

The 50th anniversary of America's biggest political scandal

The difficult journey of one Long Haulers recovery

Can lessons of 9/11 rebuild help in pandemic recovery plus new cancers added to health impact from toxic ground zero smoke

Jobs, High Prices and High Hopes

880 In Depth digs in on what will work

In Depth on the pain of a million dead

880 In Depth on how crowds are coming back 

Why some say our unprotected children are sitting ducks 

Digging into NJ's new pot business

The Mets honor their "franchise" player with a brand new sculpture at Citi Field unveiled before the home opener.

New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez and Rutgers law professor Elise Boddie on the significance of Judge Jackson’s rise to the US Supreme Court.

A conversation with 18-year-old Haley Nelson, who was long COVID, and Dr. Larry Kleinman of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School who has been studying long COVID in kids. 

Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson weighs in

How the next crisis we need to tackle is a mental health crisis

Two years after the pandemic arrive, our In Depth on where we are today

How will it end

Heading toward the new normal

Why is it happening and How can we stop it

Judith Persichilli on lifting the mask mandate and lessons learned