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Independent news, culture and courageous conversation. 93.9 FM | AM 820 www.wnyc.org

The former FBI director tells Terry Gross that he wants to sound the alarm about the “forest fire” of the Trump presidency – and also to defend the FBI against charges of partisanship.  "People love the FBI when they think it’s on their side,“ Comey says. "We were not — and are not — on anybody’s side.” Comey talks about being fired by President Trump, hiding from the president in a curtain, and the origin of his now-famous use of “lordy.” His new memoir is A Higher Loyalty.  

Photo: Elias Williams for NPR

WNYC <3′s Pigeons

City pigeons get a bad rap. But now, one New York photographer is challenging those assumptions.

Andrew Garn's latest book, "The New York Pigeon: Behind The Feathers", features over a hundred pages dedicated to the bird. "I think that pigeons are sort of underappreciated as birds," Garn told WNYC. "It's my belief that pigeons are actually the most important bird in the world." 

Listen to the full interview on wnyc.org

As the MetroCard gets phased out, so might a familiar horror story captured in the short documentary, “Mr. Yellow Sweatshirt.”

We asked one of the film’s directors, Pacho Velez, five questions about the inspiration and impact of “Mr. Yellow Sweatshirt”, which was released online Monday for the 25th anniversary of the electronic turnstile. 

"It's kind of a sign of, we seceded once and maybe in New York state we should secede again," he explained. 
"I think that New York state needs to break away from New York City. New York City has separate needs from here, it's a separate world, and upstate New York cold be a very great place to live. Right now in the situation it is, we're talking about moving down South to a better tax state. And the North isn't for us anymore. And we kind of long to be down South." 
LISTEN to the full story.
Daryl Steil, who coordinated efforts to have the memorial made in Rockville, Minnesota said it's hard to explain but the melted piece of metal has a distinct effect on people.
"As we were standing around this piece of metal, I could tell that every once in a while somebody would go up to it and touch it. And I was getting the same draw," said Steil. "There are spirits there."

HP Liao and Amy Tam-Liao lost their 3-year-old daughter when she was fatally struck by a car while crossing the street with her grandmother. Ever since, they have been tirelessly pushing to change street safety laws in New York City.

Check out "The People’s Guide to Power," an ongoing series from WNYC that examines how government works in our region, how people get involved — and how they sometimes get left out.

Boys who dance are tough...It just makes me feel free — like I can do anything I want.

KyMoy Phillip, a 12-year-old student at Lincoln Center’s audition boot camp.

A two-week program at Lincoln Center aims to give students the finishing touches they need to win a spot in a performing arts program, with tips on everything from technique to handshakes to posture.

The program is run jointly by Lincoln Center Education and the city's Department of Education. It's primarily for students in Title I schools, where at least 60 percent students come from low-income families.