URL Weekly 8/25

Next-level reporting. Innovative Black & Brown publishers.

Friday, August 25, 2023

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Today is Friday, and we’re highlighting stories from across the URL Media network about one Detroit journalist’s journey to co-hosting an iconic show on NPR, justice for incarcerated survivors of sexual abuse in New York, and an Oklahoma school district under fire. — Alicia Ramirez

Uplift. 🙌🏼 Respect. 💯 Love. 💛

🎙️ Tonya Mosley’s journey from Detroit to ‘Fresh Air’ co-host: Tonya Mosley never expected to become a darling of public radio and podcasting; in fact, she originally set out to become a print reporter. Our Body Politic host Farai Chideya talks with Mosley about her upbringing in Detroit to now co-hosting “Fresh Air” on NPR. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

💵 A closer look at New York’s wage theft affecting 127K migrant workers: New York employers stole $52 million from restaurant workers between 2017 and 2021 – and face few consequences, according to exclusive wage theft data. Documented, in partnership with ProPublica, has the story here.

⚖️ A path to justice for incarcerated survivors: The recently passed New York Adult Survivors Act provides formerly and currently incarcerated victims of sexual abuse the ability to file civil lawsuits, even if the statutes of limitation have expired. Read more here from Prism.

Content warning: This story includes descriptions of sexual assault and abuse in prison.

⛓️ Black incarcerated people hit hard by inflation: Inflation has driven up the price of almost everything, but the impact is much worse for incarcerated people behind bars where necessities like soap, toothpaste and tampons are up to 80% more costly than on the outside. PushBlack has more here.

👛 When class whispers, does race shout?: What does class identity mean — and does it take race, ethnicity, or immigration status into account? Immigrantly host Saadia Khan and Jonathan Menjivar, host of the “Classy” podcast, explore the concept. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here.

🚌 Detroit looks to the future without solving today’s problems: The Detroit Department of Transportation is looking to expand service in the coming year, but how the agency will execute on its plan given a shortage of bus drivers remains a question. Read more here from Outlier Media.

🚘 Minneapolis mayor vetoes rideshare ordinance, announces changes for Uber drivers: This week, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed an ordinance passed by the city council that would have increased wages for rideshare drivers across the city. The veto came following pressure from both Uber and Lyft. Sahan Journal has the story here.

🏫 Takeover averted at Oklahoma school district: The Oklahoma State Board of Education this week voted to approve the accreditation of Tulsa Public Schools with the status of “accredited with deficiencies.” The local school board is required to check in with the state on a monthly basis. The Oklahoma Eagle has the latest here.

🪖 Questions remain as plans for multinational force in Haiti take shape: While Haiti's need for help is significant, it remains unclear whether the main players are working from the same script and on the same timeline. Read more here from The Haitian Times.

🎨 More than 100K show up to support Indigenous artists: More than 100,000 people attended the 101st Sante Fe Indian Market to celebrate American Indian culture, art, fashion and people. Native News Online has the story here.

🕯️ Remembering Nyreese Moore: WURD Radio recently lost a valued member of its family to gun violence. Nyreese Moore was a 22-year-old rising entrepreneur, loving father, son and brother. Moore, Isiah Williams, and Naasir Folk were fatally shot Aug. 11 at a Philadelphia park. Read more here.

♟️ This NYC chess store is weathering hard times with ‘good prices, good quality, and good treatment’: A Lebanese immigrant who came to New York City in the 1980s, Imad Khachan is the owner and founder of The Chess Forum, a one-stop shop for everything chess related. Epicenter-NYC has his story here.

🏆 Sahan Journal wins innovation award

The Institute for Nonprofit News recently awarded URL Media partner Sahan Journal the INNovator Award at the 2023 Nonprofit News Awards for the outlet’s Somali-language text message service.The project, “Tani waa su’aashayda,” which translates to “Here’s my question,” challenges the traditional newsletter format by delivering news stories through voice-notes sent via SMS, catering to the community’s preference for audio and video content. Read more 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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