BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Tara Palmeri, investigative reporter and host of the new podcast ‘Broken: Seeking Justice’
How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “I’ll be in Brooklyn Heights having dinner at my favorite local Sardinian restaurant, River Deli. Unfortunately only five friends can join this year because of restrictions on the number of people who can sit together in one place at a time.”
How did you get your start in journalism? “I was an intern at Voice of America and then a news assistant at CNN. My first assignment at CNN was assisting the production of President Obama’s inauguration, from the stage!”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading during coronavirus social distancing? And why? “I read Hemingway’s ‘To Have and Have Not.’ I just had this feeling when the virus started spreading that there would be serious unrest because of the shortage of supplies, the outsize effect on minority communities and impending depression. It seemed like a good time to revisit a classic.”
What’s a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “Podcasts! My show ‘Broken: Seeking Justice’ on the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and how they are taking justice into their own hands comes out Sept. 16. It’s an investigative journey, packed with news, that takes on the people who matter -- the ones who are still alive. The production is top-notch. The executive producers are Adam McKay, Adam Davidson, Julie K. Brown, Kevin Messick and Laura Mayer. I’m also working on another project that will likely debut in late October on Ghislaine Maxwell’s father, the late media magnate Robert Maxwell.”
How’s the Trump presidency going? “That’s a loaded question! It’s amazing how Republicans inside the Beltway are quietly apologetic about the whole thing, but there are tri-state Republicans -- small business owners -- who are thrilled with Trump despite the hijinks. But from my vantage point, as a former White House correspondent, it’s a dumpster fire.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I can tap dance! It’s a talent and party trick that always seems to shock and amaze.”
