News Beat

With the world’s attention focused on the fallout of yet another illegal war waged by the United States and Israel, Palestinians across Gaza and the Occupied West Bank continue to be rounded up, imprisoned, and tortured within a network of military detention camps throughout the region—many held without charges or trials, some indefinitely, others killed. We’ve released several episodes covering the ongoing genocide there, and this latest drop is a continuation, focusing on Israel’s targeted abuse, detention, and torture of Palestinian journalists risking their lives to report on the relentless atrocities and vicious humanitarian crisis that has claimed tens of thousands. Our guest is Sara Qudah, Middle East & North Africa Regional Director at the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)—a leading global organization dedicated to defending truth-tellers and press freedoms worldwide—which recently published a damning special report titled ‘We Returned From Hell’: Palestinian Journalists Recount Torture in Israeli Prisons” exposing such unimaginable horrors. Speaking with us from Paris, she explains its key findings along with the plights of imprisoned and tortured journalists, and stresses the ongoing quest for accountability. News Beat is produced in association with Manny Faces Media. Sign up for our free newsletter at newsbeat.substack.com Producer/Audio Editor: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianSupport the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=USSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy encompasses so much more than simply his 'I Have a Dream' speech, and his mission is as imperative today as it was then. We republish “MLK: What They Won’t Teach in School”—our 2017 inaugural episode—each MLK Day as a reminder of the civil rights leader’s lasting impact, the movement’s ongoing struggle, and still unrealized goals. Learn some of what the history books left out. Featuring interviews with Pastor Roger C. Williams of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove, NY and Larry Hamm of the Newark, NJ-based social justice group People's Organization for Progress; original verses performed by hip hop artist Silent Knight; and King’s own words, listeners learn about MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign, which he believed would be his true legacy. More than likely, it was this that got him killed. News Beat is produced in association with Manny Faces Media. Sign up for our free newsletter at newsbeat.substack.com Producer/Audio Editor: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianEpisode Art: Jeff MainSupport the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=USSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode’s guest is Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma and critical care surgeon based in California who volunteered twice in Gaza—witnessing a systematic pattern of children shot in the head and chest by Israeli ground forces, and narrowly escaping death when Israel broke the latest ceasefire and bombed the hospital he was treating patients in. He recalls his experiences from both visits, discussing the critical role of the United States in perpetuating the ongoing atrocities; Israel’s intentional targeting of hospitals, schools, and caregivers; the horrific humanitarian crisis decimating the civilian population of Gaza; and the utter impunity enjoyed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—a fugitive war criminal wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Feroze stresses the vital need for the United States to immediately cease supplying Israel with U.S. taxpayer-funded bombs and weaponry, and end its participation in the mass killings. News Beat is produced in association with Manny Faces Media. Sign up for our free newsletter at newsbeat.substack.com Producer/Audio Editor: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed Mian\Support the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=USSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like we always do at this time of year, we present an important, alternative look at Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, examining how the civil rights icon was so much more than simply the “I Have a Dream” soundbite, which has become known as the cornerstone of his public perception. Along with Pastor Roger C. Williams of the First Baptist Church of Glen Cove, NY, Larry Hamm, of the People's Organization for Progress, Hip Hop artist Silent Knight, and King’s own words, listeners learn of MLK’s Poor People’s Campaign, which he believed would be his true legacy. More than likely, it was this that got him killed. News Beat is produced in association with Manny Faces Media. Sign up for our free newsletter at newsbeat.substack.com Producer/Audio Editor: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianEpisode Art: Jeff MainSupport the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=USSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Amnesty International, the largest human rights organization on the planet, has released a sweeping, scathing, landmark report concluding that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Titled ‘You Feel Like You Are Subhuman,’ the nearly 300-page investigation bases its damning findings on the international stipulations of the Genocide Convention, hundreds of interviews with witnesses and survivors, and forensic analysis of Israel’s offensive in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas. Joining us from Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank is Budour Hassan, international researcher on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories at Amnesty International, who provides critical context and insights regarding the report and the unimaginable, ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people. Read the full report at Amnesty.org.  News Beat is produced in association with Manny Faces Media. Sign up for our free newsletter at newsbeat.substack.com Producer/Audio Editor: Michael "Manny Faces" ConfortiEditor-In-Chief: Chris TwarowskiManaging Editor: Rashed MianEpisode Art: Jon ChimSupport the show: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=EYkdQRkbZ6vNTGfNSGWZjx7_15orqqDl8vkmrAg3TkxLprft1OguFwxlheC3tAkNd-KVPG&country.x=US&locale.x=USSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.