Lead is in the walls and water of an untold number of places New Yorkers live, go to school, work, and visit. Its life-altering impacts pose a potential danger to everyone in our state, but lead poisoning disproportionately affects Black and Brown New Yorkers. Thousands of people’s lives are impacted by lead poisoning, but our state and local governments aren’t doing nearly enough to combat it.

On this episode, we speak with Shannon Burkett, an award-winning actor, writer, producer, and nurse who created the podcast “Lead: How This Story Ends is Up to Us,” which tells the true story of her family’s experience with lead poisoning.

We also talk with Lanessa Owens-Chaplin, the Director of the NYCLU’s Racial Justice Project about an ongoing lead water crisis in Syracuse and about what we can do to prevent lead poisoning in New York.

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Resources:

Listen to Shannon’s podcast: "Lead: How This Story Ends Is Up To Us" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lead-how-this-story-ends-is-up-to-us/id1808995949

More on the Lead Pipe Replacement Act: https://www.nyclu.org/resources/policy/one-pagers/ensure-safe-drinking-water-for-all-new-yorkers

More on Syracuse’s lead crisis https://www.nyclu.org/resources/policy/one-pagers/syracuse-is-ignoring-its-lead-water-crisis

Fight the lead crisis in Syracuse: https://action.aclu.org/petition/fix-lead-crisis-syracuse

Follow Shannon @endleadpoisoning: endleadpoisoning.org

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

Follow NYCLU on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

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Perhaps no dynamic defines politics in New York State and New York City in 2026 more than the relationship between Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The Mayor needs the Governor’s help to accomplish many of the key pillars of his agenda, and the two have already signaled clear areas of agreement and key points of friction.

On this episode, we discuss the promise and potential pitfalls of this relationship with Christina Greer, who understands New York politics as well as anyone. She is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Fordham University and the co-host of the popular podcast FAQ NYC.

And we also speak with NYCLU Assistant Director of Policy Michael Sisitzky who explains some of the top civil rights issues that Hochul and Mamdani must reckon with.

Please, download, rate, review, and subscribe to Rights This Way. It will help more people find this podcast.

Resources:

Listen to Christina's podcast, FAQ NYC: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/faq-nyc/id1422065980

NYCLU Mayoral Agenda: https://www.nyclu.org/report/a-civil-rights-agenda-for-the-next-mayor-of-new-york-city

A civil liberties agenda for NY State: https://www.nyclu.org/report/rising-to-the-historical-moment-a-new-york-civil-rights-agenda-for-2026

NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman arguing for the NY for All Act in the Albany Times Union: https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/ny-for-all-act-is-the-best-way-to-protect-immigrants-and-communities

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

Follow NYCLU on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Trump is waging war on free speech and academic freedom. And too often, colleges and universities have waved the white flag. Over and over, places of higher education have given in to the Trump administration’s outrageous demands and allowed the federal government to have an unprecedented say in what gets taught and what people can say on college campuses. New York City’s Columbia University is at the center of Trump’s attempts to destroy America’s colleges.

Few have had a better seat to watch this assault on our cherished freedoms than Professor Katherine Franke. Franke is a former tenured law professor at Columbia who was put under investigation by the university in 2024 in the midst of the school’s crackdown on pro-Palestine speech. Then in January, she entered into an agreement with Columbia to leave the school after 25 years as a distinguished professor.

Few people have spoken out with more passion, clarity, and insight about the ongoing siege on academic freedom. On this episode, we speak with Professor Franke about her experience at Columbia, the climate of censorship, fear, and repression at Columbia and schools across the country, and efforts to fight back against Trump’s attacks.

Please download, rate, review, and subscribe to rights this way. It will help more people find this podcast.

Guest: Katherine Franke https://www.instagram.com/profkfranke/

Resources:

Follow Professor Katherine Franke: https://www.instagram.com/profkfranke/

Inside Columbia’s Crackdown on Pro-Palestine Free Speech: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/inside-columbias-crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-free-speech

Mahmoud Khalil in His Own Words: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/mahmoud-khalil-in-his-own-words

What are the Stakes of Mahmoud Khalil’s Case: https://www.nyclu.org/podcast/what-are-the-stakes-of-mahmoud-khalils-case

NYCLU Letter: Columbia Should Not Capitulate to Trump: https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/letter-columbia-should-not-capitulate-to-trump

For more on everything we discuss in this episode, visit www.nyclu.org/

For transcripts and additional information on the episodes, visit www.nyclu.org/podcasts

Follow NYCLU on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.