URL Weekly 03/08

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, March 8, 2024

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about potential impacts of an Alabama Supreme Court ruling on reproductive rights, the legacy of graffiti and Hip-Hop, and a New Jersey filmmaker’s journey.

Happy International Women’s Day! In tomorrow’s newsletter, we are taking a look at stories of women who exemplify this year’s Women’s History Month theme: Women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

🏳️‍🌈 Alabama embryo decision has a devastating impact on LGBTQIA+ couples: The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos are people, arguing that the state’s Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to the destruction even of “extrauterine children.” The ruling has severe implications for families hoping to conceive using in vitro fertilization (IVF). Prism has the story here.

More: What U.S. reproductive rights advocates can learn from Latin American movements (🎧 Latina to Latina)

🗳 What Minnesota’s ‘stunning’ uncommitted turnout in Democratic primary means for the November election: Some political pundits say the results of Tuesday’s primary could signal potential losses for Democrats running in state legislative races this fall. Sahan Journal has more here.

More: Mobilizing voters around reproductive justice (🎧 WURD Radio)

🚨 FBI raids home of Eric Adams’ top aide, sparking split reactions in the Chinese community: A Bronx home belonging to Winnie Greco, one of Mayor Eric Adams’ top aides, was raided by the FBI last week. Greco is also currently under investigation by the city’s Department of Investigation for unspecified reasons. Documented has more here.

🕊 Former Black Panther dies in prison for a crime he did not commit: Edward Poindexter was a Black Panther at the height of the Black Power movement in the 1970s when he, along with fellow Panther David Rice, was sentenced for the 1971 murder of Omaha police officer Larry Minard. He died in prison last December. PushBlack has more here.

Join us in celebrating the launch of URL Media’s new hub for independent journalism by Black and Brown publishers! Discover the stories and perspectives that matter. Check it out here.

🇻🇪 Are Venezuelan immigrants bringing a crime wave?: Several crimes committed by Venezuelan immigrants have taken over national media in recent weeks, but how serious is the problem? La Noticia has more here.

🛢 Big oil’s legacy in Ecuador: Thousands of Amazonian indigenous people are living with the consequences of oil exploitation in Ecuador, and neglect and abandonment by the government. palabra. has more here.

🇭🇹 Guy Philippe moves to grab Haitian presidency while PM Ariel Henry struggles to return: The Réveil National political party has proposed a presidential council with Guy Philippe as president of Haiti, while Prime Minister Ariel Henry struggles to return to the country. The Haitian Times has more here.

💵 Miss. bill seeks to involve nonprofits in disbursing Medicaid funds: State auditor Shad White and civil suit plaintiffs have long accused state politicians of using nonprofits to siphon away millions of dollars that should have gone to impoverished Mississippi children and families. Now, the legislature wants to give nonprofits access to Medicaid healthcare money. Black Girl Times has more here.

🏡 Inside the deed fraud scam that’s rocking Detroit’s fragile housing ecosystem: If Zina Morgan put her Realtor hat on, there would be plenty of upsides to the two-story brick home she lives in, on a tree-lined block of Mansfield Street near Detroit’s northwest border. But Morgan was court-ordered not to use her real estate license and to leave the Mansfield house next week because of one downside: She has no legal right to live there. Outlier Media has more here.

🎤 ‘Style Wars’ 40 years later: The legacy of graffiti and Hip Hop: Graffiti is embedded in New York City’s culture. These vibrant reminders of self-expression first began appearing on the streets of NYC in the 1960s. But in 2024, its importance has never felt more alive and relevant. Epicenter-NYC has more here.

🇨🇳 New president to step in to run Museum of Chinese in America: The board of the Museum of Chinese in America the week named Michael Lee to be its new president. Lee is currently the managing director of development at the New York Institute of Finance, an organization that trains individuals from over 100 countries in finance. AsAmNews has more here.

🪶 First Native American nominated for an Best Original Song Academy Award to perform at Oscars: In a historic moment for Indigenous representation at the Academy Awards, Scott George, a member of the Osage Nation, is the first Native American to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song with his composition, “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” for Martin Scorcese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. Native News Online has more here.

🎥 N.J. filmmaker guides us through his journey and his plans for local creatives: Jeff Stewart’s latest and upcoming directorial debut is a drama and crime film titled, Saint Michael of the City. The film, also co-written by Stewart, follows an ex-criminal who returns home for a chance at salvation and possibly revenge. The film will premiere at the Garden State Film Festival. Trenton Journal has more here.

🇲🇽 ‘I am not from here, not from there’: Ana Sheila Victorino, “Bask & Being” co-founder, shares her journey back to Mexico, how speaking Spanish more fluently shaped her identity, and how invested she feels in American society given her dual nation status in this week’s episode of Immigrantly. 🎧 Listen to the full interview here.

✊🏽 Community reflections at Black Voice News’ Black History Celebration: Community members recently joined a discussion led by Dr. Paulette Brown-Hinds and Hardy Brown II about Black history, the origin of Black Voice News and its work as local government watchdogs at the San Bernardino County Museum in Southern California. Read more here.

🪅 Latino heritage across America: Historic sites you can’t miss: Throughout its long history in the U.S., the Latine community has contributed significantly to the nation’s art, culture, politics, and more that can be found in communities across the country. Luz Media has more here.

🎙 Twice as Good: A podcast on Bob Marley, Black Liberation, and the film ‘One Love’

In episode three of the Twice as Good podcast, URL Media co-founders Sara Lomax and S. Mitra Kalita dive into the legacy of Bob Marley and the recently released film “One Love.” They’re joined by special guest Lloyd Cummings, a DJ and WURD Radio host who interviewed Bob Marley in the 1970s and has deep insight into the life and legacy of one of the greatest musicians of all time. 🎧 Listen to the episode here.

Sara Lomax-Reese, CEO of WURD Radio, media entrepreneur for almost 30 years, served as Program Lead for the inaugural Facebook BIPOC Sustainability Accelerator and is a former John S. Knight Fellow.

S. Mitra Kalita, former SVP at CNN Digital, current CEO & Publisher at Kalita Mukul Creative Inc., which publishes Epicenter-NYC, The Unmuted and The Escape Home has worked at The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The LA Times, and has launched brands like Mint and Quartz.

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