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Emyle Watkins spoke with Todd Vaarwerk, the Chief Policy Officer for Western New York Independent Living. Together they discussed the independent living movement and how New York State's 2023-2024 budget may impact residents with disabilities who rely on essential state services to live in their own homes as well as inpatient and outpatient mental health care. This episode was recorded shortly after the budget passed in May.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed three LGBTQ rights bills at the NYC Pride celebration on Sunday. Some Toronto organizers are shocked by the soaring costs of security at Toronto's Pride celebration event. Scott Sackett visits a local church that is defying the norm.

Results from yesterday's primary elections, air quality alerts return for Western New York, and Buffalo’s Affordable Housing Task Force will hold its first public input meeting today.

Ben Hilligas, the recently appointed Executive Director for the Buffalo Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) at the University at Buffalo, is bringing his background in social work to the position and hoping to expand the opportunities and capabilities of the long-running learning institution. Afterwards, with Pride month coming to a close, the President of Niagara Pride, Ronald Piaseczny talks to us about how this year’s celebration was more important than those prior.

Theater Talk notes the extraordinary number of closings after this weekend. So many great shows! So little time (left)! BLOOM, and DEAR EVAN HANSEN, and GOLDEN GIRLS 3, and GRAND HORIZONS, and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, and ANTHONY CHASE, MY LIFE IN THE AUDIENCE, all worthy of your consideration. (See listings below.) Unfortunately, the last four shows of THE SOUND INSIDE at The Kavinoky have been canceled. For 30 years (as of November 2022) 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.

On this week’s Producers’ Picks highlights episode we revisit our previous conversations with: Adrienne Garr and La’Tryse Anderson from Buffalo S.N.U.G. (6/1), Charles Brandy and Melvin Watkins of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier (6/6), and Gi Swords and Faith Winship from GLYS of Western New York (6/7).

Ten splash pads are open in the City of Buffalo starting today. Habitat for Humanity Buffalo celebrated their first modular home, which may help to overcome the rising cost of construction materials. The NBA draft happened last night. The NHL draft is next week. Theatre Talk with Peter Hall and Anthony Chase.

After his child’s Western New York school omitted Black History Month and DEI initiatives from their teaching plans, Ryan Howze set off to create a curriculum and supplemental history podcast to address this need. Ryan joins Lorenzo Rodriguez to discuss his curriculum program as well as some of the conversations that are currently consuming the public education landscape on a national scale.

An Air Quality Alert remains in effect today due to smoke and haze making its way south from Northern Ontario and Quebec. Valerie Wales talks with Buffalo's National Weather Service.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE by William Shakespeare, presented by Shakespeare in Delaware Park, had a very entertaining opening. And Theater Talk mourns the loss of beloved Buffalo character actor, two-time Artie Award winner, Jerry Maher. For 30 years (as of November 2022) 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.