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WCBS 880 Weekly Rewind: Cyberattacks on the Rise, Health Officials Warn about More Deadly Delta COVID Variant, Senate Hearing Looks at Whether College Athletes Should be Paid
Produced by Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — McDonald’s is the latest target in a string of cyberattacks that include the Colonial Pipeline, meat supplier JBS, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the New York City Law Department. On The 880 Weekly Rewind, WCBS anchor Steve Scott talked to Max Everett, CEO of Adnovem Consulting Group and former Chief Information Officer at The White House and the Department of Energy, about the danger this new type of warfare poses to Americans.
This week, health officials are sounding the alarm about the highly contagious Delta variant that was first discovered in India during their recent surge in severe cases of COVID-19. The variant is thought to be more transmissible and more deadly than other strains of the virus. Delta has taken over as the dominant strain in the U.K. and is rising in the U.S.
Scott also spoke with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) about whether college athletes should be compensated as the debate reaches Capitol Hill. WCBS reporter Steve Burns reports New York City’s mayoral candidates have deployed a new strategy as early voting in the city’s primary elections begin Saturday. And, WCBS reporter Peter Haskell gets a tour of UBS Arena, the next home of the New York Islanders.
Subscribe and download The 880 Weekly Rewind podcast for in-depth reporting and deeper analysis of the top stories of the week, produced by Neil A. Carousso for WCBS-AM New York.
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WCBS Newsradio 880 Wins Gracie Award for Special Report ‘Chaos in the Capitol’
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation (AWMF) has announced the winners of the 46th Annual Gracie Awards.
WCBS Newsradio 880 has been honored with an award in the category Frontline – Special Report [Radio Local] for our hour-long special “Chaos in the Capitol — A Nation Divided,” anchored by Lynda Lopez.
“Chaos in the Capitol — A Nation Divided” was a collaborative effort by the WCBS 880 team in the days after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
The program featured firsthand accounts from lawmakers and reporters who were in the nation’s Capitol when it descended into chaos, including interviews with freshman Congressman Ritchie Torres of the Bronx, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, former Long Island Congressman Steve Israel, 20-year-old Black Lives Matter protest organizer Yahshiyah Vines and more.
WCBS Newsradio 880’s Steve Burns, Marla Diamond and Neil A. Carousso contributed reports to the special. The program was written by Martin Untrojb and produced by Carousso and Lopez.
You can listen to the Gracie Award-winning report below:
The Gracies recognize exemplary programming created by, for and about women in radio, television, cable and interactive media.
Honorees are selected in national, local and student markets, including both commercial and non-commercial outlets.
“Throughout this important year, we have enjoyed some of the most compelling content in our history. We were informed, enlightened and entertained by women in media across all platforms,” said Becky Brooks, President of the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. “As we celebrate AWM’s 70th anniversary, we are thrilled to honor this incredible group of women who have demonstrated their commitment to sharing emotionally-charged, timely and compelling content. We look forward to reconvening in person to recognize these incredible achievements and brave storytelling.”
The Gracie Awards Gala will take place September 27, 2021 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. It will honor some of the most talented women in television, radio and digital media, including Kerry Washington, Kelly Clarkson, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and more.
This year’s ceremony will also recognize entertainment and news programming that addressed timely topics and social issues.
Click here to see the full list of honorees.
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Small Businesses Get Boost as Commuters Return to New York City
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — People returning to New York City are having real positive effects on the local economy.
“I’ve been hearing schools are reopening more, and being on the Upper West Side, that affects us because there’s a lot of families here, which is why we wanted to be here,” said Kim Duncan, owner of goldenlight visions, on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
Duncan opened the custom printing and photo store on 95th and Broadway in December 2019, just three months before the pandemic shutdown.
She thought her business would always be secure at a prime location strategically near the subway. COVID-19 has forced her to reimagine her business.“We always wanted to grow our website and our reach and be found online, but it is difficult,” she explained. “Search engine optimization is a whole world that we are exploring.”
Kim and her business/life partner Bretton May believe “failure is not an option.” Duncan told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso they plan to make it work.
“I know we’ll get past this. It’s just been a really long year,” she said.
Duncan has a background in marketing and customer service and is eager to welcome people back to the Upper West Side. May is an artist who designs the store’s custom vinyl canvases.
During the shutdown, she took advantage of guidance and support through the NYC Small Business Resource Network to learn digital marketing and e-commerce. They also offer one-on-one personalized assistance with business coaching, financial planning, loans and grants.
Goldenlight visions began offering a new adjacent service that has taken off: photo tips.
“Everybody that comes in is concerned about their images,” Duncan told WCBS 880. “Our tips will help people make them better, and then, we can take it to the next level.”
Now that subway ridership is inching back to nearly 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, some commuters are just noticing goldenlight visions for the first time.
“It’s great to finally see people where they’re coming in now saying, ‘Oh, is this new?’ And here, we’ve been here over a year and people are just finding us now,” she said.
Watch the Small Business Spotlight video above for more on goldenlight visions and Midtown’s recovery.
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WCBS 880 Weekly Rewind: Businesses May be Forced to Raise Wages as Hiring Slows
Produced by Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Capitalism is at work.
On The 880 Weekly Rewind, Lynda Lopez talks to New York Times Economics Reporter Ben Casselman about who is benefiting in the pandemic recovery and if businesses will finally raise wages after years of stagnation as the pace of hiring slows while unemployment benefits in many cases exceed salaries. Casselman said some workers have “leverage” now.
Also on this week’s podcast, WCBS reporter Mack Rosenberg speaks with two CUNY graduates about how they’ve adjusted their career prospects in the pandemic, Naomi Osaka’s French Open withdrawal sparks a conversation on mental health and New York City’s mayoral candidates duke it out a week before early voting in the primaries.
Subscribe and download The 880 Weekly Rewind podcast for in-depth reporting and deeper analysis of the top stories of the week, produced by Neil A. Carousso for WCBS-AM New York.
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‘Times Square is Rising Up:’ How a Restaurant Row Bar Persevered Through the Pandemic
By Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Traffic has returned to the Crossroads of the World, giving a significant bump to businesses that have weathered the pandemic storm.
“Ninth Avenue is now the old parking lot that it used to be, which is a tell-tale sign of people coming back,” said Shane Hathaway, co-owner of Hold Fast Kitchen and Spirits, on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by Dime Community Bank.
Hathaway told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso both foot and vehicle traffic has steadily increased this spring as many COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.
“Times Square is rising up,” he said, adding, “It seems like there’s a vibrancy that obviously was not there last year.”
“It’s going to be interesting to see the difference between last summer and this summer,” he said.
The restaurateur is hopeful New York City’s $30 million tourism campaign and Broadway’s reopening this fall will guide people past his establishment on Restaurant Row, which has stayed afloat because of outdoor dining.
“You’re supposed to be outside of your building and we were able to extend to the next building by the wonderful graciousness of Judy the landlord who has allowed us to use the frontage of her space to expand ours – effectively doubling our space,” Hathaway said.
He returned that act of kindness with a cocktail named “Judy’s a Beauty.”
“It’s strategically placed right under ‘Hold Fast Our Dreams,’ which is our namesake, because she’s helping hold us up,” Hathaway said.
The gritty owner explained on the Small Business Spotlight that “Hold Fast” is a military motto that means to “stand your ground” and “bear down to weather the storm.” Sailors would tattoo “H-O-L-D F-A-S-T” across their eight knuckles so their fists would spell out “Hold Fast” when holding the line upon rough waters on-board their ship. Hathaway told Connolly and Carousso he has lived by that motto through the pandemic and told his staff to believe in themselves.
He hired “12-14 people” through the pandemic, filling vacant and new food delivery positions even though he has not been profitable the last 14 months. Now, Hold Fast is hiring again.
“We’re looking for bartenders, we’re looking for servers, we’re looking for front of the house people for support staff, we’re looking for kitchen staff, because now with the expanded hours, you can only push people so much,” Hathaway said. “We’re burning out and everyone’s only human and you can only be there so long before it starts to have an impact on your mentality and your social life and that’s not healthy for anybody.”
He described hiring people as a “special feeling,” especially during an economic crisis when job opportunities are helping families make ends meet.
Meet this determined owner and see Times Square’s re-emergence on the Small Business Spotlight video above.
