lystn

Zanief Washington has been numb to the sound of gunfire since he was six, when a stray bullet smashed through his living room window in Albany and lodged itself in the wall while he was playing a video game. Now 19, he walks for hours around the city each day, trying to escape the poverty and gun violence that plagues his neighborhood. Times Union reporter Eduardo Medina recently spent time with Zanief, and learned about the young man's hopes and dreams of lifting himself up to make it in the music business. On this episode of the Eagle, Eduardo reflects on his experience getting to know the young man through his reporting. Also on this episode, education reporter Rachel Silberstein talks about how school districts are scrambling to beef up security for virtual learning, and Times Union Editor Casey Seiler analyzes this week's top headlines.