Tag: Steps

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Business

Host of ‘Reply All’ Podcast Steps Down After Accusations of Poisonous Tradition

Host of ‘Reply All’ Podcast Steps Down After Accusations of Toxic Culture

PJ Vogt, host of the popular Reply All podcast, said goodbye Wednesday after complaints from former colleagues that he and a senior reporter had contributed to a toxic work environment and opposed union efforts.

Mr. Vogt and senior reporter Sruthi Pinnamaneni each apologized in statements on Twitter.

The allegations at Gimlet Media, which produces Reply All, came after the podcast released its second installment in a series of reports of discrimination in the popular food magazine Bon Appétit video series. Following the Minneapolis Police Department’s murder of George Floyd last year, US newsrooms and media outlets, including the New York Times, have grappled with allegations that they did not adequately address inequalities among their ranks.

Eric Eddings, a former Gimlet employee who co-hosted the podcast “The Nod”, tweeted on Tuesday that “Reply All” and in particular Mr. Vogt and Ms. Pinnamaneni “contributed to an almost identical toxic dynamic at Gimlet” described them in their series on Bon Appétit.

“The BA staff’s stories deserve to be told, but to me it is detrimental that the coverage and storytelling are from two people who have actively and AGGRESSIVELY worked against multiple efforts to diversify Gimlet’s staff and content” , he wrote. “It was so inspiring to hear the words of people who, like me, have suffered from people who have caused this suffering to me and others.”

Mr Vogt, 35, said on Twitter that he “failed profoundly as an ally” when workers unionized and that he apologized to everyone he disappointed. “I should have thought about what it means not to be on the same side of a movement that is largely led by young paintmakers in my company,” he said.

“Today they have my support, but I can lend them,” he wrote. “I was a baby and an idiot in many ways.” He said he asked permission to step back from the show and took time to “think and listen”.

Ms. Pinnamaneni said her behavior regarding diversity and union organization efforts was “poorly informed, ignorant and hurtful”. She said on Twitter: “I didn’t pay enough attention to the colored people in Gimlet and I should have used my strength to support and promote them.”

Mr. Vogt and another presenter, Alex Goldman, started the podcast in 2014 and adapted it from their previous WNYC radio show “TLDR” (too long; not read). In the past few years, “Reply All” episodes have taken listeners to phone scam rings in India, to a maximum security prison in Illinois, and on a trip to track down a guitar song a director heard on the radio as a teenager.

Spotify, which owns Gimlet Media, didn’t respond to a request for comment. Gimlet Media also did not respond to a request for comment.

Her former colleague Mr. Eddings said he heard Mr. Vogt “vilified other colleagues” and “saw personally harassing messages from PJ to union organizers”. Mr. Vogt is not receptive to complaints that employees with color feel that they have no opportunities for advancement, he said.

He also said that he had asked Mr Vogt several times to contribute to diversity efforts, such as joining a diversity group or staff meetings, to show the issue was important to high-profile people, but Mr Vogt was not. He said that people of color on the podcast saw union formation as a way to create an environment in which they could thrive, but that Mr Vogt and Mrs Pinnamaneni were trying to raise support against them.

Brittany Luse, a former Gimlet employee who co-hosted “The Nod” with Mr. Eddings, spoke in support of his statements. “It’s impossible to explain how dark those times were,” she wrote on Twitter, referring to efforts to unite at Gimlet. “Your recoil thickened the air.”

Reggie Ugwu contributed to the coverage.

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Business

11 Steps to Impress Your Boss and Thrive in Your Job

11 Steps to Impress Your Boss and Thrive in Your Job

“I would have asked him about it, but the fact that he hit me is great,” said Ms. Aaron. “All I had to do was check and log off.”

Bring recommendations. When asking your manager for advice on an issue, explain the options you were considering, which ones you prefer, and why. This shows that you did the research, understand the details, and intelligently evaluate tradeoffs. Plus, your boss can choose between options instead of coming up with them.

When asking for feedback or a decision, include a due date. “Don’t let them put off a decision for later, because later it can never be,” said Mr. Ng as your letter sinks into the morass of electronic correspondence.

Let your manager know that, for example, you need feedback by 5:00 p.m. Tuesday so you can send a report on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. If you don’t get a response by a certain (reasonable) time, you will move on with your plan.

No surprises. Never surprise your boss, especially with bad news. The adage, “tell me early that I’m your friend, tell me late that I’m your critic,” still applies, Ms. Newman said. If you run into problems or are at risk of missing a deadline, call your manager asap and work together.

Build up trust. Proof of your integrity and reliability helps build a level of trust and keeps your manager from the urge to micromanage you. The personal values ​​you exhibit are just as important as the work you produce, said Ms. Aaron. This is especially important if you are working remotely. Keep your boss informed, Ms. Aaron said, “tracking people down is a hassle.”

Managing also means protecting your boss from unnecessary work. If you can’t complete a task, try asking a coworker for help instead of asking your boss to reassign the task. Whenever you have a question, see if you can find the answer yourself first so that you can let your manager know about the opportunities you tried.

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Health

Abraham Twerski, Who Merged 12 Steps and the Torah, Dies at 90

Abraham Twerski, Who Merged 12 Steps and the Torah, Dies at 90

What set Rabbi Twerski apart from many other Orthodox therapists was his willingness to look outside of his community. In one of his works, “The Shame Worn in Silence: Spouse Abuse in the Jewish Community” (1996), he highlighted a problem that many Hasidic leaders argued should be treated discreetly within the island community, without inform the police or outside authorities.

Abraham Joshua Heschel Twerski was born on October 6, 1930 in Milwaukee, where his parents immigrated in 1927 after leaving Russia. His father Jacob, the sixth generation descendant of the Grand Rabbi of Chernobyl, was the rabbi of the Beth Jehudah Synagogue in Milwaukee. His mother, Devorah Leah (Halberstam) Twerski, was the daughter of a chief rabbi of Bobov, one of the largest Hasidic sects.

Abraham was the third of five brothers, each of whom became rabbis but also received advanced secular training and college and university degrees, something very few Hasidim aspire to do. He attended Milwaukee public schools and played in a Christmas game in second grade. When his mother went to school, the headmaster thought she was there to complain. Instead, she told the headmaster that if her son’s Jewish upbringing wasn’t strong enough to survive a second grade game, it was his family who had abandoned him.

He received his rabbinical ordination in 1951 at the Hebrew Theological College in Chicago (now in Skokie, Illinois). While serving as an assistant rabbi with his father’s synagogue, he enjoyed counseling others, but recognized that ward members always turned to his father for advice on their most intimate personal problems. In a 1988 interview with the National Council of Jewish Women, he stated that studying psychiatry could help develop his own talent.

“So I went to medical school to become a psychiatrist and do what I wanted to do as a rabbi,” he said.

He received his medical degree from Marquette University in Milwaukee, a Jesuit institution. When actor Danny Thomas, a practicing Catholic who grew up in the Midwest, learned during lunch with Marquette officials that a student who was an Orthodox rabbi said it would take up to $ 4,000 to complete his medical degree he told the officials, “He has it,” and he did well.

Rabbi Twerski was trained as a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh. He was due to take up a teaching position at the university, but after Sister Adele of St. Francis Hospital informed him of the hospital’s needs for a stronger mental health program, he became its director of psychiatry. He stayed there for 20 years.

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Business

TSA weighs barring lots of from flights, steps up safety earlier than inauguration

TSA weighs barring hundreds from flights, steps up security before inauguration

A TSA officer checks a man’s ID at a checkpoint at Orlando International Airport.

Paul Hennessy | SOPA pictures | Getty Images

The Transportation Security Administration said Friday it is screening hundreds of people to see if they should be banned from flights as it will increase security ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

“Currently TSA is processing hundreds of names with law enforcement agencies for a thorough risk assessment,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “Our intelligence and screening professionals are working diligently around the clock to ensure that those who pose a threat to our aviation sector are subjected to enhanced screening or are unable to board a plane.”

TSA said it is also increasing the number of Federal Air Marshals on some flights, random gate screenings, and more law enforcement and canine explosives detection teams. The staff is also being increased at some train stations.

The additional measures come after the deadly riot in the U.S. Capitol last week and a spate of flight disruptions, some of which are politically motivated.

In the aftermath of the uprising, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, which represents around 50,000 flight attendants on more than a dozen airlines, raised safety concerns about “mob mentality” on some flights to Washington DC last week, saying that people should be involved in the riot flying will be banned.

The FAA promised to have a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior on flights and to impose a fine of up to $ 35,000.

Airlines and airports also increase security. Major US airlines are banning passengers from checking guns on flights in the Washington DC area for next week starting this weekend. American Airlines stops selling alcohol on flights, while Alaska Airlines limits the number of tickets sold into the city.

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Business

Main Arts Group Chief Steps Apart Amid Office Complaints

Major Arts Group Leader Steps Aside Amid Workplace Complaints

Robert Lynch, executive director of Americans for the Arts, the powerful national advocacy group, has resigned following complaints and investigations into the organization’s equity and diversity practices and workplace management.

Mr Lynch, who has held a leadership role there for more than three decades, will take paid leave, the group’s board of directors said in a statement on Wednesday. “It has been shown that despite our best efforts, we have not achieved our goals of leading, serving, and promoting the various networks of businesses and individuals who practice the arts in America,” the statement said.

Mr. Lynch, 71, was a prominent advocate of resources for nonprofit arts organizations. He was also a member of the Biden-Harris Transition Team for Arts and Humanities. His departure from his position at AFTA, where his annual compensation package was reported to be over $ 900,000 in tax returns, was voluntary and effective immediately, the statement said. (Mr Lynch’s work with the Biden-Harris transition team is complete, a spokesman said.)

His absence should enable a thorough review of AFTA, which has over $ 100 million in foundation assets. “It is Bob’s firm belief – one regrettably shared by the Board of Directors – that the most appropriate course of action at this time is to proceed with the investigation without the distraction and in the best interests of the mission of the organization and the field.” Statement said.

The move comes after a growing chorus of criticism from current and former AFTA staff and advisory board members who said the organization has failed to fulfill its mission regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. There were also complaints about sexual harassment and a management culture based on intimidation rather than transparency. Critics had asked Mr. Lynch to resign because he had not responded to the problems they listed for a long time. The excitement was also the subject of a report in the Washington Post earlier this week that detailed the issues, including reports of widespread reprisals among senior executives.

In recent months, as calls for diversification of AFTA’s leadership and better service to creative communities and paint artists increased, the group publicly defended its actions and promised to do better. It is one of several arts organizations, large and small, that have recently been forced to reckon with a history of inequality in their ranks and programs.

In its statement, AFTA said it will now be the subject of two independent investigations, one by law firm Proskauer Rose regarding the work environment and one by consulting firm Hewlin Group, which focus on AFTA’s policies and procedures regarding diversity will, equity and inclusion.

A retired former board member, U.S. Army Brig. General Nolen Bivens will lead the group as interim president and managing director, the board said.

Categories
Entertainment

Two Ailey Stars Will Now Flip Their Focus to Child Steps

Two Ailey Stars Will Now Turn Their Focus to Baby Steps

Glenn Allen Sims and Linda Celeste Sims did what many couples do: they had a baby. But they are no ordinary couple.

Two esteemed veterans of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Glenn for 23 years and Linda for 24 years – they have long held onto jobs that have pushed them to their physical limits. With the birth of their son Ellington James Sims in April 2019, they faced a new challenge.

Your last season in the city center in December 2019 was exhausting – not that you knew it from her dance: refined, passionate and, as always, full of life. Your coping mechanism? “We went to the theater and fell asleep,” said 45-year-old Sims in a joint interview with Ms. Sims. “We’d take a nap in our locker room.”

At the time, Ellington – now nearly 20 months old and chirping happily in the background – did not sleep through the night. “Originally, our plan was to keep dancing and staying with the company, ”said Ms. Sims, 44 years old. “But at Ailey, traveling is really the problem.”

It is not just the dancing that ailey dancers require; It’s the tour that can take five months or more in a normal year. When they decided to retire before the outbreak of the pandemic, one question became increasingly easy to answer: “Are we taking him on the streets?”

“Why should I raise my child in a hotel?” Ms. Sims said. “And don’t get me wrong – two weeks, three weeks on tour? It can be done. But not months at a time. It was like we needed the best for the baby. “

In this virtual Ailey season, the couple’s farewell performance will be shown on Wednesday, which includes a number of video clips from their repertoire. as well as a new film about the romantic central duet in “Winter in Lisbon”, a solemn work by Billy Wilson on Dizzy Gillespie; and a discussion with the couple, led by choreographer Ronald K. Brown. But it’s not that they’ll never dance again.

“Guest artist?” Ms. Sims said. “I’ll be there when you need me. Or occur for certain special events. “

Mr. Sims, who said his career was spent in minimal clothing, won’t miss the form-fitting full body.

Shortly before the January pandemic, the couple moved from New Rochelle to a home in Mahopac, NY, where Ms. Sims teaches at Marymount College, Ballet Hispánico, and Ailey Extension.

Mr. Sims is pursuing a degree from SUNY Empire State College, where his focus is on performing arts management. Oddly enough, the timing of her decision to retire from Ailey during the pandemic has proven itself. “We were able to walk and didn’t feel the pressure of having to be at work during that time,” said Ms. Sims.

When life returns to normal, Ms. Sims will become the rehearsal director for Ballet Hispánico, where she trained and danced. Mr. Sims is in talks to become the company’s head.

“I don’t feel like I’m leaving anything or my career has not fulfilled,” Ms. Sims said. “I feel very well nourished and fed. And I still have a feeling that there could be another story. “

Their story first began in Ailey, where they met and secretly dated. “We were really, really young – 19 and 20,” Ms. Sims said. “We wanted to keep the space where we are professional at work. No love dove stuff. “

They married in 2001 and eventually started being cast together. Sometimes couples don’t have the same chemistry on stage, but their partnership has been a striking example of support and sophistication. In the most regal and inconspicuous way both remained in the service of the choreography and showed themselves in their full strength.

While Ailey has given them a lot – in addition to traveling the world, they’ve each danced in nearly 100 works over the years – Mr. Sims can pinpoint exactly what he’s missed: family. “Our family has always been a part of us and around us, but now there are more ways to just talk to them when I feel like I want to talk to them,” he said. “And now we have our own.”

What follows are edited excerpts from a current interview.

You just shot “Winter in Lisbon” for the virtual gala last month. What does this achievement say about you?

GLENN We are today.

LINDA The second time I saw it, I thought, my goodness, how many people can actually say they dance like that at 44? As dancers we are so hard on ourselves that we forget that we have to be thankful too. And so I am very grateful that, even after having a child, I can still do the things that I can physically do.

What did you notice when you were actually on stage in your last season in New York together?

LINDA Being away from the stage for a whole year felt different. I thought I hope I fit into all of my costumes. And I did! But to be on stage with Glenn was just wonderful. Dancing fixed me. We made many “revelations” and the way I would hear the music would be different. I just felt very mature.

GLENN I was more attuned to my body, but I heard more nuances in music because my life was full of nuances.

LINDA I cried”. [The Ailey solo is dedicated “to all Black women everywhere — especially our mothers.”] I had two chances to play it in the season and the first time I had so much to say – like when you want to eat something and eat it that fast, but you didn’t have time to enjoy it. I didn’t let it simmer. So I thought what are you holding back What are you afraid of? Why don’t you just do it

How did that feel

LINDA It was all. I think I cried the whole thing. I don’t know what it looked like! [Laughs] Sometimes ugliness can be beautiful; I allowed myself to be so vulnerable. There’s the whole experience of childbirth and – women don’t talk about it – how exhausting [motherhood] is. There are really ugly moments when it’s not just joy. It’s like your baby has been born, you will feel this joy and love. And it is like that, no, it doesn’t always happen all the time. I thought I will talk about it. [Laughs]

They weren’t planning to have children. What changed your mind

LINDA In Europe we always went sightseeing with the company and I saw these families. I got the urge to get. It was pretty much like that when I turned 40. I feel complete with Glenn so I don’t want this to sound wrong, but I still felt like something was missing.

GLENN And I gave her those crazy eyes because then you have to look around. … I looked around our apartment and thought, OK, everything will change. The art on the wall, the glass table. How will it work financially? I started to freak out. It’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, but I never wanted to put pressure on Linda about children. Ever.

LINDA And that’s a nice thing. After 18 years of marriage, we had Ellington.

Are you obsessed with Duke Ellington?

LINDA No! We weren’t obsessed at all. But one of the pieces that I think we sculpted on stage every time we performed was “The River”. [set to Ellington]. The musicality, the choreography of Mr. Ailey – it’s just one of our favorite pieces. We fell in love with [Ellington’s] Music; It’s not that we hear it every day, but we can actually perform with its music. So we just thought, how do we find a name that connects the two of us but is also unique enough to be itself?

GLENN It’s also about the partnership Ailey had with Duke Ellington and the way we met – through Ailey. It was something we could always carry with us. So how do we honor our own careers and our son? With a great name.