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Flags are at half-staff today to mark the one-year mark of the death of Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno. Theater Talk with Peter Hall and Anthony Chase.

In this episode, we begin Women's History Month with a candid conversation about how inclusion and equity of women are represented in pop culture. Bentley welcomes three strong women: Africana Studies assistant professor, choreographer, podcaster, and performing artist Naila Ansari, educator & researcher in gaming and pop culture; Vanessa Haddad, and comedian and voice of the Buffalo Bandits Allie Brady. You won't want to miss this honest and humorous "group chat" that digs into super fandom, nostalgic television, and the role of women in history, sports, politics, stage, and screen.

Anthony and Peter note two by local playwrights: THE BOWLING PLAY (by Kelly Copps) and FAUCI AND KRAMER (by Drew Fornerola). And, they also enjoyed THE LIGHT FANTASTIC. For 31 years (as of November 2023) Theater Talk has been appointment listening on WBFO, featuring the insights of theater critic and historian, Anthony Chase, who joins Peter Hall for a five-minute weekly broadcast at 6:45 and 8:45 Friday mornings on 88.7 WBFO with a podcast available on wbfo.org. NOTE: Theater listings are included with the podcast. As part of BTPM (Buffalo Toronto Public Media), their beat is primarily Buffalo theater, but Broadway, The Shaw Festival, and The Stratford Festival are covered as other relevant art forms are touched on, including ballet and opera.

What’s Next? welcome Dee Johnson and Deb Erwin, the co-founders of Witness CARES LLC, an outgrowth of the National Witness Project, which aims increase cancer screening among underserved African American women. The duo’s work has seen them navigate community issues of medical mistrust as well as transportation challenges, all in service of a flourishing program that covers the gaps in the health care industry. Johnson and Erwin join Jay Moran for a conversation about fixing health care disparities here in Buffalo and beyond, as well as future plans for screenings of other types of cancers in larger populations.

Catch up on the news for the week on today's WBFO Brief.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced progress that she's said she's made on combatting crime and car theft. It's Super Tuesday, and WBFO will be carrying coverage.

Today on What’s Next?, two guests from Jewish Family Services speak about their work in refugee resettlement, specifically the role of mental health in that process. Bijoux Bahati is the manager of the TST-R program, and Danielle Bernas is the director of the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Healing. Both have extensive experience working with immigrants and new arrivals as they navigate the challenges of resettlement, including mental health and cultural issues, and the places where those intersect. Bahati and Bernas sit down with Jay Moran to share their work, as well as give background on cultural brokers, the rich and growing diversity in Buffalo neighborhoods, and the challenges of identity.

Mayors from around New York State will be in Buffalo as they rally support for their calls for more funding from Albany. A local group says a city-wide ban on menthol cigarettes will save Black lives.

Jay Moran speaks to Jillian Hanesworth about her exhibit at Buffalo's AKG.

Smoking rates are declining, but efforts to curb tobacco use keep ramping up. Rashawn Smalls, the program manager for Tobacco-Free Erie and Niagara through CAI Global, joins What’s Next? to talk about what it means to advance tobacco-free communities, including eliminating secondhand smoke and creating overall healthy environments. Then, we revisit a conversation with expert Dr. Gary Giovino about how tobacco use interacts with other factors like diet and income.