Brooklyn Today: ‘It ain’t over’ at WBAI

October 10, 2019 Brooklyn Today

Here is Brooklyn Heights seen from the 12th floor of 25 Columbia Heights. Eagle photo by Paul Frangipane

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THE LEDE: Good morning! “It ain’t over,” radio host Jim Freund said on Tuesday. Freund, 65, hosts a science fiction and fantasy talk show called “Hour of the Wolf” on 99.5 WBAI FM — the decades-old, listener-sponsored radio station currently taking its parent nonprofit, the Pacifica Foundation, to court.

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THE RUNDOWN

~ HERE’S HOW OTHER CITIES INVESTIGATE POLICE MISCONDUCT: To understand the range of options municipalities use to ensure accountability and trust between the police force and communities, the Eagle looked at the policies of the Civilian Complaint Review Board’s counterparts in other U.S. cities — and found that similar agencies have jurisdiction to begin their own investigations without anyone ever filing a complaint.

~ WBAI RADIO STAFFERS, STILL BARRED FROM AIR, RAMP UP FIGHT: On Monday, Pacifica — which owns a slate of other independently operated radio stations — abruptly shut down local programming at WBAI and shuttered its Atlantic Avenue workspace, citing millions of dollars of debt and the desire to rebuild the station around national, syndicated content.

~ ‘EYESORE’ AD BARGE BOOTED FROM NEW YORK’S WATERWAYS: The massive Times Square-style advertising barge that popped up in New York’s waterways last October will no longer operate in the state, according to a settlement reached on Monday between the city and the company responsible for operating the boat.

~ AFTER KAPOROS: THE BUSHWICK BROWNSTONE THAT SERVES AS A CHICKEN RESCUE CENTER: For the past two years, a group of volunteers have rescued and rehabilitated dozens of chickens in the basement of a Bushwick brownstone during the week of Kaporos.

~ TAKE A STROLL AROUND CYPRESS HILLS CEMETERY: Why not visit the place where American icon Jackie Robinson was laid to rest? Robinson, who broke the race barrier in Major League Baseball in the 1940s when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers, is buried at Cypress Hills Cemetery.

~ THE MAN BEHIND BROOKLYN’S OWN FASHION WEEK: For the past 13 years, while New York Fashion Week’s high-profile, high-priced events dazzle the industry elite across the East River, a smaller, more inclusive affair takes place in Brooklyn.

~ BROOKLYN HEIGHTS RESIDENTS BLAST 4-STORY-HIGH ‘MCMANSION’: Lou Greco wants permission from the city Landmarks Preservation Commission to build a new single-family house at 27 Cranberry St., one of the only empty lots in the Brooklyn Heights Historic District.

~ THE DEADLINE FOR VOTER REGISTRATION IS ALMOST HERE: November elections are right around the corner — and the last day to register to vote in the general election is Friday, Oct. 11.

~ HERE’S YOUR CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CITY CHARTER: The city’s constitution — known as the City Charter — could change for the first time in 20 years next month. In preparation, city officials are giving residents a chance to learn about what is at stake: a string of changes that would impact the functions of local government.

~ ANTI-BIAS TRAINING AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE EDUCATION ARE A ‘MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH,’ SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR SAYS: Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza said Tuesday that core elements of his agenda — including implicit bias training and making sure classroom materials reflect a diverse set of experiences — are not just sound education practice, but are urgently important for student survival. (Chalkbeat)

PODCAST

~ INSIDE THE AGENCY INVESTIGATING POLICE MISCONDUCT: Families of those killed by police officers can request an independent investigation of their cases. Yet in Brooklyn, the majority have not. Lack of awareness is one of the leading causes of this, and due to bureaucratic regulation, the agency cannot automatically investigate. On this week’s episode, we analyze facts around the agency and hear from a family affected by police misconduct.

MORE BROOKLYN NEWS

~ Popular Greenpoint music venue Brooklyn Bazaar is closing because of a “ridiculously unreasonable” landlord. (Gothamist)

~ Brooklyn’s road signs are being hacked to display messages against car use. (Jalopnik)

~ The MTA plans to redraw all 72 bus routes in Brooklyn. (NY1)

STAFF PICKS

~ READ: “An unseen victim of the college admissions scandal: The high school tennis champion aced out by a billionaire family” (ProPublica)

~ EAT: Here are the 40 best cheap eats in New York City, including nine spots in Brooklyn. (Eater)

~ CARTOON: The subway gets an updated motto. (The New Yorker)

~ TECH: Here are 10 tips on how not to leave a trace on the internet. (NYT)

WHAT’S HAPPENING

6:00PM — The Stacked Deck: Race and America’s Unjust Criminal Justice System at Brooklyn Historical Society. Details.

7:00PM — “68 Voices, 68 Hearts” Screening and Q&A at The Center for Fiction. Details.

7:00PM – 9:00PM — Writing the Chinese American Restaurant with Lillian Li and Serena Dai at Museum of Food and Drink. Details.

THE WRAP

⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1945, the Brooklyn Eagle reported, “Brooklyn’s wounded veterans breathed easier today as they learned that a new 1,000-bed hospital will be erected at Fort Hamilton — it means they will no longer have to trek up to the Bronx to Kingsbridge Road Veterans Hospital for treatment.”

📔 IMPRINT
Gwen Stefani graces the latest cover of Shape.

👑 ROYAL WATCH
“What happens when the Queen dies?” (Jezebel)

🏀 SPORTS
Nets owner Joe Tsai isn’t normally considered a political person, but he recently got involved in a major geopolitical fight. (NYT)

BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to Nora Roberts, Mario Lopez, Ben Vereen, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jessica Harper, Charles Dance, David Lee Roth, Tanya Tucker, Chris Pronger, Bradley Whitford, Bob Burnquist and Brett Favre!