After All Things

Justice served?

Bruce Blakemen says he’s disgusted over an accused 9/11 plotter’s accepted plea deal. Connecticut police launch new technology to investigate gun crimes. New York officials want to hear from residents about proposed social media regulations. Plus, literary groups across the region celebrate James Baldwin’s 100 birthday today.

Duration:: 12m
Broadcast on:: 02 Aug 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

[Music] You're listening to After All Things WSHU's Daily News and Culture Update from the Long Island Sound region. Bruce Blakeman says he's disgusted over an accused 9/11 plotters accepted plea deal. Connecticut police launched new technology to investigate gun crimes. New York officials want to hear from residents about proposed social media regulations, plus literary groups across our region celebrate James Baldwin's 100th birthday today. Those stories and more are ahead. I'm Sabrina Garan. [Music] Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman says he's disappointed in the U.S. defense department's decision to accept a plea deal for the alleged mastermind behind the September 11th attacks. WSHU's Desiree Diorio has more. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two of his top lieutenants will plead guilty to murder and conspiracy charges in exchange for a life sentence. The case will continue against one other defendant who did not accept the deal. Blakeman, who says he lost his nephew at the World Trade Center, says he's worried the three men could be used as bargaining chips in future hostage negotiations. There has been no justice. These terrorists should have been tried in a military tribunal. The evidence was overwhelming, and upon being found guilty, they should have been executed. The deal requires they answer questions from families of the victims about their motives and the roles they played in the attacks. They're currently being held at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. It's not yet clear where they'll serve their life sentences. Desiree Diorio, WSHU News. Connecticut State Police has made available kiosks and mobile vans to give local police departments 24/7 access to a nationwide forensic computer network that's used to investigate firearms crimes. WSHU's Ebon Udama reports. Cornell Higgins is the state emergency services and public protection commissioner. He says having 24/7 access to the national integrated ballistic information network, NIBON, would help local police solve gun crimes much faster. Simply put, the more we use NIBON, the better information that comes out of it and the more likely we are to identify criminals and hold them accountable. Chief State's Attorney Patrick Griffin says the information helps prosecutors get convictions. The process is evidence-based, it is objective, and it's supported by the latest in forensic technology. The system allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence in real time, creating a fingerprint for guns used in violent crimes. A state law that takes effect in October requires all Connecticut police departments to use NIBON, Ebon Udama, WSHU. Four candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for state senate to represent Bridgeport Trumbull and Monroe, debated at the Trumbull Library last night. WSHU's Molly Ingram was there. More than 100 people were in the audience as Bridgeport City Councilman Scott Burns, former Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, Quinnipiac Professor Sujada Gadkar Wilcox, and former Bridgeport City Councilman Tyler Mack tried to convince voters that they were right for the job. The candidates agreed on most of the issues presented, including the two that got the biggest crowd reaction. All four are in favor of opening the state's primaries to allow voters who are not registered with the party to participate, and all four say there's work to do to avoid another absentee ballot scandal, but that they have to continue to support mail-in voting. Bridgeport resident John Marshall Lee says he was relieved the debate was civil. "People seem to be having fun, fun with each other, and we can't get so serious that we forget, these are our neighbors, these are citizens. They got rights too." Lee says he'll have lawn signs for three of the candidates in his yard ahead of the August 13th primary to raise awareness about the election. Molly Ingram, WSHU News. ♪♪ Literary and cultural groups across the country are celebrating writer and activist James Baldwin's 100th birthday. More on that is a head first, a message from our supporter. ♪♪ Local support comes from Hartford HealthCare, the only health system in the Northeast, with all its hospitals receiving A grades for safety from the LeapFrog group, the nation's leading independent safety watchdog group, HartfordHealthCare.org. ♪♪ Former President Donald Trump will be on Long Island's South Fork for a campaign fundraiser this evening. Drivers headed to the Hamptons should expect significant gridlock and rolling road closures throughout the day. An old-lime, Connecticut native has won Olympic gold in the 2000-meter men's for rowing. Liam Corrigan and his teammates were in a tight race yesterday with New Zealand. It's the first U.S. gold medal in this event since 1960. A Torrington man is in a coma after being bit by a timber rattlesnake extremely rare to the Northeast. Joseph Ricciardella was attempting to move the snake out of the middle of a road. He managed to drive himself to a nearby hospital where he went into cardiac arrest. New York State wants feedback from residents on two laws that crack down on how social media platforms cater to children. John Campbell reports. State Attorney General Leticia James' office is seeking public comment on the two new laws that have yet to take effect. One of them prohibits social media companies from using addictive algorithms on users under the age of 18, at least without parental consent. The other restricts them from collecting and selling those same user's data. Governor Hochl signed the bills into law earlier this year, but they won't take effect until the AG's office finalizes regulations. The state is looking for input on things like the methods companies use to obtain parental consent and what should count as an addictive feed. For more information, visit ag.ny.gov. In Albany, I'm John Campbell for the New York Public News Network. Literary and cultural groups across Connecticut and the country are celebrating writer and activist James Baldwin's 100th birthday today. WSHU's Ada Usenlars spoke with cultural historian of Kindred Thoughts Bookstore, Michelle Blacksmith about the day. So, Michelle, Kindred Thoughts is in Bridgeport. It's a black-owned bookstore that focuses on African-American literature and culture. Your bookstore and so many other groups are celebrating the centennial of James Baldwin this year. What makes those communities hold Baldwin so close to their hearts? Sure. James Baldwin means so much to, I think, the African-American community as a whole, particularly because he was such a champion of the African-American community. He was someone who always stood up for black folks. He would go to the mat. He was in Europe and decided to come back to the United States, particularly because of what was going on with the civil rights movement. So, he really took stock of what was happening and not just talked or wrote about the civil rights movement, but was an active participant. So, that reason alone, Baldwin is beloved by many in the black community because he really put himself out there to be a part of the forefront of the fight for civil rights. And for you, as a cultural historian and personally, what does James Baldwin and his work mean to you? Oh, while where to begin, you know, as a cultural historian, he means so much to me in terms of the body of his work and the beauty of it. So, with Baldwin, and I say this professionally and personally, I feel seen and I feel heard. And he has had the amazing ability to write about in two people in such a way that it was very, very personal. Are there any lessons that you've learned from his writing that you'd like to share? Well, one of the things is to be fearless. You know, I think that, especially when you think of a man who was born in 1924, spent time going between New York and Europe, and was dealing with kind of cultural aspects of cultural attitudes that we might take for granted today. But, you know, his his queerness and I use queerness on purpose because that was the term that he preferred, but his ability to live his life fully. And on that note, Baldwin and his work hold significance to communities defined outside of race as well. Can you speak to the impact that he's had on the queer community and his navigation of his own identity? The intersectionality of James Baldwin is at first or foremost, one of color or community and one of gender orientation. And James Baldwin lived his life as a Black queer man, who was an activist, a social engager, a community spokesperson, an author, a writer, an essayist, a poet, a playwright, and a brother and an uncle. He was all those things, but the intersectionality becomes important, because Baldwin lived his life in such a way as to not deny who he was, without ever proclaiming who he was. He just allowed himself to be. Michelle, thank you so much for joining me today. Thank you. And on September 24, the shoe community theater in Fairfield, along with WSHU Public Radio and more, will present a screening of the award-winning documentary, James Baldwin, the price of the ticket, with a panel discussion to follow, visit shucommunitytheatre.org to learn more. [MUSIC] For the latest news from Long Island and Connecticut, you can listen on the radio, stream online at WSHU.org, or download the WSHU app, after all things is supported by Hartford HealthCare. And whether it's news, classical music, or podcasts like this one, they're all made possible with support from our listeners, so as always, thank you so much for listening, and please share this podcast with your friends. I'm it's Sabrina Garon, have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend, I'll talk to you on Monday. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [BLANK_AUDIO]