The Weed Out Podcast: Recent Episodes
theweedout
A podcast by abolitionists for those who are in the mood to hear that discussion. We are Western Massachusetts based but hope to resonate everywhere. Discussions will focus on both local topics and events that impact us all on a broad level and could be applied to people all over the country.
We will share ways to get involved with direct action, information on how to make records requests from public officials, and good news about our area and beyond! We hope you will listen and follow along with us as we weed out the nonsense in our town and maybe even yours too.
Hey hey hey, long time no pod.
Joanna and Spencer host Mona Shadi of the easthampton tenants union. Mona shares her and others experiences with their landlord situation in easthampton MA. its a local landlord so you cant even pin this ghoulery on a big corporation. just old fashioned gouging.
Join us and please follow along and join a local tenants union!
Email: easthamptontenantsunion@gmail.com
www.theweedout.com
ICE ICE BABY
todays episode was recorded on 06/09/2025
ICE created havoc in Worcester in May 2025 detaining women and children while creating an environment where local folk felt they had to intervene. The fallout: a counselor charged with assault and a local "instigative journalist" David Webb was hit with a trespass order and a cease and desist for his role in demanding answers and data regarding this incident.
Join us on this episode and always you can follow us on social media or go to www.theweedout.com
here are some links relevant to todays episode with David Webb:
ICE detainment footage from Eureka St Worcester MA: https://youtu.be/1sqBsYTgdJI?si=u8oJMab6smXij5tu
David Webb attempts to retrieve records only to be met by the goon squad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sLBS51Zm3Q
MASS BAIL FUND: https://www.massbailfund.org/donate
hey hey hey thanks for tuning into the weedout where we weed out the bull shit going on in our backyard.
this episode Michael Hitchcock, organizer from Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds in Pittsfield MA joins us to discuss the town and the mayors attempt to curb free speech and harm panhandlers/the unhoused.
lack of housing is a policy choice and Michael discusses the inner workings of the political system in Pittsfield to explain how we got here. We also discuss the organizing to aide this being targeted by ICE.
tune in and lock in.
www.theweedout.com
Currently on the federal level, "DOGE" is defunding contracts, institutions, so on and so forth the un-fun way: the fascist way.
Defunding can be a wonderful thing when done with the proletariat in mind, but when left in the hands of Neo_badguys, defunding is never helpful. They will destroy and defund "helpful" institutions like the FAA and CDC but never the corrupt and unhelpful law enforcement.
When the chips are down, say in a snow storm, cops will literally be touted as heroes when the best they can do is put their lights on and block or contain and accident. Listen in as Spencer rants about so many other plausible solutions other than this.
When fascists take control of the purse strings it's never good for the 99% of us. We keep us safe.
Here's some links that were mentioned in the episode:
https://www.masslive.com/news/2025/02/mass-state-police-respond-to-over-400-car-crashes-during-weekend-winter-storm.html
https://abcnews.go.com/US/executives-private-prison-firm-corecivic-expect-significant-growth/story?id=118758271
https://www.tiktok.com/@keribla/video/7472432959669275935?_r=1&_t=ZP-8u029unl6LP
www.theweedout.com
Hey y'all. 2025 is mask off fash, so we figured we would update and add our thoughts on recent news regarding ICE and other Federal agencies invading our communities.
Our guiding principle remains simple: we keep us safe.
keep weeding out the bullshit. get to know your neighbors and please don't let our public servants like Joshua Garcia, Maura Healey and the rest promise the bare minimum. They wanted to lead so hold them to that. We. Keep. Us. Safe.
www.theweedout.com
links to articles discussed:
https://www.westernmassnews.com/2025/01/27/mass-attorney-general-releases-guidelines-schools-if-approached-by-ice-agents/
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/holyoke-works-to-protect-rights-of-migrants-in-city/
https://www.masslive.com/westernmass/2025/01/holyoke-mayor-superintendent-take-actions-stressing-support-for-immigrants.html
https://www.gazettenet.com/Holyoke-Mayor-Garcia-places-bid-for-a-second-term-59038105
Joanna and Spence hop in to break down the shoestring's reporting of the victim of Officer Reyes potentially getting a settlement due to the allegations brought against Ofc Reyes in a court of law.
We do not want to focus on Ofc. Reyes, but use this as an example of how these systems and institutions of law enforcement are not used to protect and serve. It is a corrupt institution from its founding and these stories are in every backyard, town, city and beyond. Weed out this bull shit.
link to main source within this article there are links to other sourcing of previous reporting.
thank you shoestring and dusty for digging on this.
solidarity to all workers
www.theweedout.com
On Friday Oct 11, 2024, Northampton PD and other local law enforcement forcibly swept Moose Camp from their Fitzgerald Lake camp in Northampton, MA. Please reach out to those organizing around Moose Camp if you can help. At the very least, call the Northampton Mayors and Police offices to demand better treatment of these folks.
Link to article here
https://theshoestring.org/2024/10/11/police-in-northampton-evict-outdoor-recovery-camp/
As this story unfolds we will continue to share what we hear on the ground.
www.theweedout.com
Laura Saylor and Spence react to the news from www.theshoestring.com reporting on documents pertaining to possible settlement payments for the former police officer who was alleged to have been harassed and abused by Officer Reyes (technically a Captain but we don't respect rank here)
link to story here
This story is important and we will break it down in further episodes. This story made the light of day because of committed folk in Holyokes community and those at places like the Shoestring who are weeding out the bull shit in our communities.
Jump in as Laura and I discuss and catch you up on the bull shit happening right here in our backyard
www.theweedout.com
UPDATE on the camp for unhoused in Northampton, known as Moose Camp, was set to be swept and cleared today 10/07/2024 but that did not happen. Solidarity to the community who showed up in numbers when the Northampton PD, HHS and Mayor's Office arrived. Reports from the ground said that no arrests were made and the sweep/eviction did not ultimately occur.
details here via the shoestring
We got word of this encampment being in danger of the violence of the state via instagram from this post.
If you have any questions, comments or thoughts please email us: theweedout@gmail.com
www.theweedout.com
Akil Vicks of On One joins us again to discuss the presidential ticket and the importance a comma makes. The fascists are weird but the liberals normalize it and help move the goal posts.
ghoulery & tomfoolery:
Mass State Trooper trainee dead at Academy "training"
www.theweedout.com
Laura Saylor joins us to update on sandra birchmore and the accused murderer, officer matthew farwell
this is far from over. this isn’t true crime. this is the weed out.
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This week, Laura Saylor joins us and we discuss the deadly police exchange of the IOF and USA policing. Have you heard of #copcity? Yeah, that's our DNC liberals wet dream of "training" and the program is built on an exchange of "ideas" between USA policing and IOF occupation.
GHOULERY AND TOMFOOLERY:
This week the Shoestring covers Holyoke PD in conjunction with other local ghouls they are harassing folk in lower ward apartment buildings, essentially arresting civilians for existing, which leads to collecting court feels all while patrolling private landlords property, subsidized by us! yay!!!
keep weeding out the bull shit,
follow us on social media https://linktr.ee/theweedout
www.theweedout.com
Join Akil Vicks of On One and Spencer Fox discuss Akil's piece on the VEEP sweepstakes in the 2024 Federal elections. Find his article here published to In These Times
We skipped Ghoulery and Tomfoolery™️ this week but we will bring it back next time. Too much ghoulishness in the main story with these elected officials to need a separate segment!
As always follow us on social media or www.theweedout.com
Andrew Quemere of The Mass Dump: A massive dump of Massachusetts public recordsjoins theweedout to share his investigation of public records in regards to the conviction of James Carver and the aftermath of a fire, multiple trials and ultimately 15 deceased in a fire. It's the same ol stuff, as far as the weedout and cops/the courts go. FYIsome background regarding James Carver and his possible wrongful conviction: https://andrewqmr.substack.com/p/james-carver-elliott-chambers-firefirst follow up piece:https://andrewqmr.substack.com/p/james-carver-eyewitness-identificationSubscribe to The Mass Dump to catch more in depth coverage from Andrew and his fantastic investigative work.
follow Andrew on twitter
this episode we welcome back former guests, Demilitarize Western Mass, to discuss their recent direct actions and what its like to be in the organizing spaces locally. Joey and Clara are just two of many in their collective and we are so happy to have them on to discuss action at L3Harris in Northampton.
If you wish to learn more about demilitarize wmass follow them on instagram and twitter
and as usual stick around for ghoulery annddddd tomfoolery at the end of the episode!
ps.
here's what corporate media entities have written up about Demilitarize Wmass. Clock what you may
Join us as Akil Vicks (On One on substack) and Spencer discuss recent news that Real Page has been colluding with landlords to artificially raise the prices of rent to the detriment of tenants.
Links referenced in the show:
https://jacobin.com/2024/04/homelessness-constitution-rights-supreme-court
https://jacobin.com/2023/03/biden-administration-homelessness-public-housing-crisiswww.theweedout.com
the weedout is happy to have Neighbor to Neighbor in #holyoke José Maldonado-Velez join us to update what's happening with holyoke's police commission, office of tenant protections, organizing and more!
please get connected with Neighbor to Neighbor to organize better communities!
links mentioned in the episode:
Neighbor to Neighbor Website: n2nma.orgEmail Holyoke Organizer: joseM@n2nma.orgEmail Springfield Organizer: katie@n2nma.orgLink to Police Commission Survey: https://forms.gle/YopeSiMNtBMxm1Sq7www.theweedout.com
Laura Saylor guest cohosts with Spencer, in this episode, and they get into the Karen Read cause out East along with the tragic case of Sandra Birchmore. Come for the true crime updates and stay for the ghoulery and tomfoolery! Thanks for your support. xoxo
theweedout.com
Listen in to Spence and co-host Akil Vicks discuss all things local along with some difficult topics near and far! Thanks for the support :)
xoxo
theweedout.com
Morgan Peterson the winner of Season 4 of Blown Away on Netflix joins us to chat about art and the experience on Blown away as well as how life and the political cannot be left out of Morgan's work. Please visit her website and see for yourself if you haven't already at www.themorganpeterson.com
P.S. Morgan is Spence's sister :)
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Some members of the SJP at Smith College join Spence for a conversation about what they are doing and more. Please listen in and support the students across WMA that are protesting peacefully in hopes to end a genocide.
Bill Shaner of Worcester Sucks and I love it joins us to talk all things Worcester, city politics, and more!
www.theweedout.com
Join us to meet the four candidates running in Massachusetts in 2024 from the Workers Party! This third party is a socialist principled political group with activist and leaders across the state. They need assistance in gathering signatures in order to get on the ballot at the Federal Level, even if you don't vote 3rd party, please assist them if you can in strengthening democracy and allowing more parties than the two we have now!
Thanks for listening and the support! xoxo
www.theweedout.com
Akil Vicks is a local writer and activist. Akil is from Philadelphia and has a background in research. He is currently working on multiple writing projects including contributing to Jacobin. Join us for a discussion about the election year, local politics, and more!
theweedout.com
For episode 60, we get an update on the Berkshires biggest town - Pittsfield (they have a new Mayor) and are facing a housing crisis. Michael weighs in on this and gives us all an update on what he and his wife are doing with their organization Roots & Dreams and Mustard Seeds Inc.
Many of us Western Ma folx know and love King Kone - get an update on that too!
xoxo
theweedout.com
RiverValleyPSL joins us again after visiting DC on JAN. 13th to protest the genocide in Gaza. There were reports of 400,000 thousand people that gathered together with this common demand for the President and the leaders of the West who are engaging in these actions.
Tune in to hear about the experience from a group that went locally!
theweedout.com
Sierra Dickey is a writer, educator, and organizerSierra's writings on abolition, immigration, education, gender, labor, and nature have been featured in publications like Shadowproof, Modern Farmer, Documented, Talk Poverty, and Library Journal. She currently covers police and prisons for The Shoestring.
Sierra has a Master’s in Education from Antioch University and has spent years working with immigrant learners in Vermont, Western Massachusetts, and Maine. Listen in to hear more about Sierra's most recent work, what it's like to moderate and direct forums for the shoestring and how one finds information or inspiration to write as a journalist in Western MA.
theweedout.com
On January 13th, the RiverValleyPSL is heading to DC to come together with other like minded people to "deliver a powerful message" that is asking for ceasefire and the US to disengage with the genocide in Gaza.
Over 100 people from Western Ma will ride from Amherst, Northampton, and Springfield to meet in D.C. - they hope you will join them!
If you'd like to join them and have not yet registered please do so here:
https://donorbox.org/jan-13-river-valley-to-dc
If you can't go, but want to donate please do so! You can do that here:
https://donorbox.org/jan-13-river-valley-to-dc
Join us as we discuss the fascist parades in the wake of a waltham, ma police officer and national grid worker killed in a motor vehicle accident.
cops parade as a show of force, collect OT, whitewash their image with the deceased body of a coworker. we discuss the role this plays in manufacturing consent.
We are talking ableism and how it is baked into our language and so many things that it is something we all have to work on pushing back on the norm. If you are not someone who is disabled, we discuss how someday we will all face some kind of disability. The word disability is another term that is often criticized by those who are differently abled as it implies difference and inability in the name. This is one example of how it permeates the language and culture that we live in. Thanks for listening and considering ableism and how it impacts us all! Take care!
xoxo,
Joanna & Spencer
Spencer and Joanna will be talking all things CATS! The cute little fur balls are often used as a symbol of antifascists movements, they are the assigned pet of "witches", and they really bring the joy and the are only a few of the things we discuss.
We could not resist a chance to chat about our cats and the different ways they are used as symbols that align with our values. As always, we also will include some local ghoulery & tomfoolery. All of the shelters in Western, Ma are a great place to find a wonderful new family member. Please consider adopting a fur baby during this cold season if you are able. Take care all!
xoxo
Clara and Fergus, from Demilitarize Western MA, join us to discuss recent direct actions taken against L3 Harris in Northampton, MA. We talk about the group, their goals, and how the group ended up taking these direct actions. Please listen in to hear more and to get involved if you'd be interested in doing them.
theweedout.com
Spencer and Joanna will discuss the allegations against Captain Reyes and what the Holyoke administration/PD did in order to investigate and handle the allegations. Captain Reyes handled any internal affairs issues and so people reporting concerns would have to go to him. He was eventually accused of creating a hostile work environment which included sexual harassment even when asked to stop. The person that made the allegations was also an officer on the Holyoke PD. Join us to discuss this mess and find out how much it costs the tax payers!
Owen Broadhurst is a local organizer and friend of The Weed Out. He joins us to discuss recent sweeps of certain neighborhoods in Holyoke that have impacted not only Owen's close connections but neighbors to all of us in the Western Ma Community. The police arrested some for not having ID on them and this should not be the case. Owen also gives the audience an update on The Worker's Party here in Western Ma and how to get involved if you would like to know more or join. Thanks for listening, sharing and following along! We appreciate you all :)
xo,
Joanna & Spence
theweedout.com
Laura Saylor joins us to give us some updates on what is going on in her part of the state (Eastern, MA). She gives us an update on Ron Sellon and the protesting her and her organizers are doing regarding this Police Chief being able to keep his position. Further, she talks about why she is still focusing on Sandra Birchmore and will continue to protest and meet with the people that have information that should be used to bring some kind of justice for Sandra.
www.theweedout.com
Danielle and Tamik (who is a person who remains incarcerated in Hampden County) join Spence and Joanna to ask the Western Ma Community for your help. We discuss the No Longer 3/5ths Coalition and what that means for those that remain incarcerated here in MA. The ability for those people to have the right to vote was taken away in 2000. We need people to gather signature to restore this right for those incarcerate. Please listen in as to why and how you can help.
www.theweedout.com
Listen in to hear from Defund 413! We ask them who they are and what they are all about. Spence chats to one of the members Birdy about what is happening in Amherst, MA right now along with the CRESS program and the local elections that are coming up on Tuesday, November 7th. Please share with those you know in that town and listen in to hear about what is happening in a community here in Western Ma that addresses needs of the citizens and removes police interactions and so much more!
www.theweedout.com
This episode is an update from the Trader Joe's United Union here in Hadley, MA. Listen in for some updates on what's going on, how we as a community can help, and how the National Union campaign is going for Trader Joe's!
www.theweedout.com
Katie Talbot is back with some good news and some updates from Neighbor to Neighbor. There are some local elections, housing organizing and dates that are coming up to watch out for, and some initiatives at the state level that we can all take action on. Listen in to here more about how you can get involved with your neighbors!
www.theweedout.com
It's 9/11 and how could anyone ever forget with the way the media and government have used this tragedy. Listen in as we discuss 9/11, the aftermath, and why it's important to have discussions about this date that reflects on more than the narratives assigned to it.
Ghoulery and TomFoolery segment: https://x.com/JoshLandesWAMC/status/1700600598536524237?s=20
https://x.com/theweedout/status/1700611285086343615?s=20
www.theweedout.com
Laura Saylor is an activist, abolitionist and organizer in Mansfield, MA. She is dedicated to finding the truth about what happened to Sandra Birchmore on in Eastern Mass (Canton/Stoughton area). She was a young woman who lost her life too young and deserves the truth to come out about what really happened to her. This case involves police officers and DAs who still are in their positions and have done nothing or have moved up or onto different positions of power. Join us and find out more and how to help if you are able to attend a few stand-outs planned in the coming months.
theweedout.com
On Sunday (August 13th), a group of people (around 100 people) gathered outside of City Hall in Northampton, MA. This group was demanding action for the police brutality that was recently brought to light by theshoestring.org. The incident from this report took place on April 4th but it should be noted that there are two other people currently suing Northampton Police for their inappropriate use of force. The organizers of this event were the Workers Party of Western MA, The Communist Party, Party of Socialism of Liberation of the Pioneer Valley. Please listen in for more from some of the organizers and attendees of this protest.
More on theweedout.com
Content Warning: This episode discusses police brutality and violence against civilians. Please be advised.
On April 4th, Holyoke resident Marisol Driouech was stopped for a headlight out on her vehicle. Driouech was picking up a delivery for an online food ordering service when they were stopped by the police. It then turned violent for Driouech rather quickly with the Northampton police being the ones to carry out the violence. This story was covered by theshoestring.org and can be found here.
theweedout.com for more!
Recently, our friends at theshoestring.org covered some technology that the Easthampton police will soon be using to monitor the citizens in their region. As we know, these technologies typically cost the taxpayers money and do not work accurately and are used for reasons other than "safety". Please listen in to hear more about this as well as some other local news.
Jeff Raymond of the Mass Transparency Project joins us for our 40th episode. Jeff talks about why having access to public records is important to accessing how money is being used and allocated in a community. It can be a way for the community to tell what is happening with individual municipal employees, etc. Join us to hear some of the wild stories Jeff has from getting some information he has requested. You will also be surprised (or not!) that he still has a large number of appeals pending as many public records have not been freely given yet. What a great discussion about community and the power we have as citizens, local journalists, and community members!
theweedout.com
This time we are breaking out some fresh local headlines to talk about and share with y'all. Some have to do with beekeeping, the Trader Joe's Union, others are about local town budgets, and along the way we discuss the importance of the DPW and how the police are really the ones defunding their own communities. Join us for some local news and laughs!
theweedout.com
One of our favorite journalists, Andrew Quemere joins us to discuss the Northwestern DA here in MA withholding public records. Andrew was persistent in asking for records and had to put in multiple appeals. These are requests that Andrew has made to multiple DA's throughout the state. The NW DA did not agree that these records should be made public. Listen in to find out what happened with Andrew's public records requests, how he will proceed and how you can get assistance if this were to happen to you.
In this episode, one of the admins from the IG account Holyoke Memes joins us to discuss local politics, shit posting and how it can be cathartic and also bring awareness and how important it is to laugh! Please join us for a fun and informative discussion.
theweedout.com
On June 10th, The Weed Out and our street team (shout out to Bridget, Caleb and Jay Jay!) went to the Common Park in Pittsfield, MA to join with other like minded people for the Solidarity Economy Festival & Gathering. We spoke to a number of people at the gathering both organizers and attendees about what makes them feel safe and what brings them joy. Please listen in, it was a wonderful time!
theweedout.com
This episode we speak with Draven Dolores a Springfield resident who is a native and has faced being an unhoused youth. Draven has founds resources in the community that helped and made it possible for them to find housing, get a degree and find work. Draven is an activist who focuses on local government, housing, and had even travelled to DC with Neighbor to Neighbor and others to discuss housing issues that the Federal Level. Please listen in for local resources. Draven shows how important it is to uplift the community with help and not violence.
www.theweedout.com
Izzie & Thalia join us for a second time after their recent vote on Friday, May 25th. It was a unanimous vote to move forward and unionize. Please join us to celebrate this win with them, talk about what is coming, and learn how to support them on the long road ahead!
www.theweedout.com
How do you find your joy? Do you find it in the little things? Do you like to plan ahead and have something "big" to look forward to or maybe it's a mix of it all? No matter how you find it we hope everyone knows how important it is to take a step back sometimes and see all the good there is in this beautiful World. Spencer and Joanna talk about gardening, obviously, and so much more! You'll have to listen in to see what else bring us joy.
We give more information on the Solidarity Economy Festival & Gathering that will take place in Pittsfield at the Common Park on June 10th. The festival goes June 10th & 11th - Please check out the website! We hope to see you there. We will be asking - "What keeps you safe? & What brings you joy?" to festival goers who are willing to record with us for a few minutes at a time. Either way, we hope to see you on June 10th!
Michael Hitchcock of Roots and Dreams and Mustard Seeds joins us for a second time. Michael fills us in on what he and his spouse are working on while co-directing the non-profit in downtown Pittsfield. We talk a little bit about the upcoming mayoral race in Pittsfield as it is that time for a number of municipalities in Western, MA.
On June 10th & 11th the Solidarity Economy Festival & Gathering will be held at the Common Park in downtown Pittsfield. Please head down to the Common on June 10th there is a Farmers Market in the morning that you can even check out! Visit the link for more information on attending or hosting a table.
theweedout.com
We heard you when you reached out after the last episode on local headlines and are back at it in this episode. We have gathered stories from all over Western, MA along with one focusing on the State and one being national news. We select stories that highlight either issues in the community or things we can celebrate - such at upcoming Berkshire Pride. Listen in for all the good, bad, the funny and so much more!
Link to theweedout.com for more info.
It's the 30th episode of The Weed Out and we are so excited to bring you 3 of the Union Organizers from Hadley, MA who helped establish and intent to unionize. They are the second store in the country and we are so happy for them to give us some of the details so that we can support them as a community and continue to uplift all workers. Solidarity with all unions and workers!
For links please visit theweedout.com
Laura Saylor joins us for a second discussion about police brutality and corruption happening out in Eastern, MA. These are not specific to Western, MA but are not so far away that we should not all take notice and be aware of what is happening nearby. The Chief in one town is refusing to leave after being dismissed. A woman has been allegedly framed by a group of Police for murder of her partner who was also a cop. Lastly, we will talk more about the Sandra Birchmore case as Laura and others hope for justice for Sandra. All of these incidents involve cops using the status and positions to enact brutality or engage in corruption. This is not only happening in the towns we talk about out East, it is happening everywhere! We must take back our towns and we can start with out budgets. This season, please urge your city or town government not to give the police more money but to fund other public social programs that will uplift and help the community.
visit theweedout.com for links mentioned in the show.
Decarcerate Western Mass joins Joanna & Spencer to discuss all the great things they are doing in the region. Decarcerate Western Mass "is a coalition of people and organizations that came together at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with the purpose of supporting incarcerated folks and getting people released." They are an abolitionist group, aiming to reduce the number of people incarcerated in prisons and jails with a local focus in Western Mass.
Listen in for some local headlines from all around Western, Mass. Some you may have read and others you may not have seen. They are stories that are good to focus on as municipalities throughout the region set their budgets. The budgets we have show our values as a community. Thank you for listening and you all take care!
For more information, including links to all stories mentioned please visit: www.theweedout.com
Joanna & Spencer have a chat with Will Meyer of the Shoestring about local media. We discuss local independent journalists and how important this is as we continue to see more and more news sources having layoffs, closing, or being PR for local police departments or businesses.
Please listen in and maybe you will be interested in reaching out to the Shoestring to write a local story or you may start following them to keep informed - either way, enjoy & take good care!
Visit theweedout.com for links and more info.
Katie Talbot from Neighbor to Neighbor in Holyoke, MA joins us!
www.theweedout.com for more info and links
This episode of The Weed Out features Mike Crawford of The Young Jurks. Spence and Mike do some cross pollinating of our shows and direct action that focus on Worker's rights here in MA and beyond!
Thank you, Mike, for joining us this time - can't wait to do it again.
Visit theweedout.com for links and more info.
Joanna and Spencer are joined by Andrew Quemere again to finish up our talk on the Records request process here in MA. As we said in the last episode, the law states that citizens have access to certain information.
Andrew discussed the law and how to make a request in part 1. This episode focuses on the appeal process and what to do if you aren't getting the records you are requesting.
www.theweedout.com for more info and links
Laura Saylor, of the Workers Party, joins us this week to discuss the case of Sandra Birchmore which takes place in Canton, Ma as well as a number of other towns in Eastern, Ma. Birchmore was 13 when she was first introduced to her abusers through a school resources program that connects police officers with children. Sandra died pregnant after years of sexual abuse and trafficking at the hands of those who were supposed to serve and protect her. Laura will also discuss a bit about the Workers Party and another police murder in Easton, MA of Marianne Griffiths when the cops were called for a wellness check.
For more information and links please visit theweedout.com
In this episode, we had a great discussion with Dev a local organizer and activist. Dev is affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation and is working with others who hope to focus on their values and grow here in Western Ma as a group. Dev and members of the local PLS group work closely with other local groups like the Western Ma Worker's Party as well as the Tenants Union of Western MA, Northampton Abolition Now, and others. Dev and the organizers he works with hope to uplift the community and imagine a better future for us all.
Please visite theweedout.com for more information and links to more!
Please listen in while we talk with Andrew Quemere about police brutality in a tiny town in the farthest Western corner of the state. Not only does this story involve the police in two small towns, but all the way from Pittsfield Chief of Police, the Berkshire County DA, and the Mass State Police.
Andrew is an independent investigative journalist and his work can be found on The Mass Dump a newsletter he writes focusing on public records, police, and the legal system in Massachusetts. Please follow, share, and subscribe to get updates!
Please visit theweedout.com for more info!
Join Spencer and Joanna to talk about the recent murder of Sayed Faisal in Cambridge and things shared by the Berkshire DA regarding recent drug busts and tie these issues together in how both utilize copaganda to direct the narrative to the public. We have spoken about copaganda in the past and we will keep speaking about it. It is part of our media that is often hard to identify.
Go to theweedout.com for more!
For this episode, Spencer goes solo and discusses Copoganda. It permeates much of society through the news, TV shows, social media, and so on.
For more visit: theweedout.com
Join us while we discuss the newest small business in the area to vote to unionize - The Lady Killigrew cafe in Montague, MA.
Please visit theweedout.com for more information.
Please listen in on your discussion with a friend of the show and local activist, Michael Hitchock of Pittsfield, MA.
Join us while we have a conversation with local organizer and activist John "JR" Rivera.
Please join us as we discuss downtown Northampton and one of the most well-known real estate ghouls - Eric Suher.
Join us as we discuss the Worcester Police Department's recent news that the DOJ will be taking over to conduct an audit. Worcester is in Central MA so about an hour from where we are located and we thought since Springfield, MA recently was investigated as well (in the last few years) we could discuss that too.
Listen in while we discuss union organizing, worker solidarity, and what that looks like locally and all over. Union popularity is the highest it's been in 20 years. We see Starbucks, Amazon, and other stores and businesses where workers are organizing. We are excited about this increase in interest in worker's rights and hope you are too!
This episode focuses on the Holyoke City Council meeting on 10/18/2022. We have highlighted a few discussions from that meeting between some of the councilors. Thanks for listening and for the support!
In this episode, please join us for part 2 of our interviews with each other. Spencer will be interviewing Joanna - thanks for the support and take care!
In this episode, Joanna will interview Spencer and dive in with some personal questions. This will give the audience some more in-depth information about the co-host. Thanks for listening, we appreciate you!
This episode focuses on the Prison Industrial Complex in the US. Please join us as we discuss this system while imagining a new way and a more just and safe future for us all.
In this episode, we will discuss how the Police are defunding the communities that they work in and not the other way around.
This episode is focusing on the Holyoke City Council meeting that was held on October 4th, 2022.
An inaugural podcast made by two abolitionists living in Western, MA. We introduce ourselves and discuss our tone overall as we go forward and civility norms in society that drive how we all are supposed to speak or act.
This is an ever-evolving project that will focus on both local and more broad local news and current events/issues that are important to all of us.
Please join us when you are in the right head space!