90.3 at 9: March 2006

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Two months after its launch, how well is the new Medicare prescription drug program working? As a concept, the new benefit holds almost universal appeal. In reality, it has not been quite so popular. Millions of seniors simply aren't signing up, and many of those who are report problems. What's your experience with the new program? The topic is Medicare prescription drug coverage on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, March 02, 2006
Since 1997, a person working at minimum wage has earned $5.15 an hour - or less than $11,000 per year for full-time work. In Ohio, folks are gathering signatures to put a proposal before voters to raise the minimum wage to $6.85 - a little over $14,000 per year for a full-time worker. Some say such a hike would harm business. What do you think? If the issue winds up on your ballot, how will you vote? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, March 03, 2006
Ohio doesn't always do very well when rated on things like government spending or the environment. But in one area at least, we've been named one of the best. Ohio's mental health system is one of just five that's earned a "B" from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. No state earned an A. According to NAMI, Ohio's mental health system is well-run, responsive to people, and innovative. But it's not perfect. The state of Ohio's mental health is our topic, on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, March 06, 2006
No doubt you're familiar with Rosie the Riveter, the icon of the World War II-era female factory worker. After the war, she was sent home to make way for returning soldiers. And she wasn't the only one. Women who'd entered academia during the war also faced a hostile lady-go-home environment when the war ended. What kind of legacy did those women leave? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9 with Linda Eisenmann, author of Higher Education for Women in Postwar America, 1945 to 1965.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, March 07, 2006
A place we hear quite a bit about - but that remains largely shrouded in mystery - is the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. That's where the U.S. has detained nearly 500 people as enemy combatants in the years since 9/11. Only a handful have been charged with anything. Newly released documents shed some light on who these detainees are, and how they wound up at Guantanamo Bay. We'll talk about their situation, and how it's evolving, on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, March 08, 2006
When you're at work, your focus is completely on the job, right? And of course, on your off-hours, you focus exclusively on your personal life. Well, probably not. Chances are you spend some of your time at work on personal matters - shopping or emailing, perhaps. And at the same time, you may very well find that things like your cellphone and laptop have connected you to work 24/7. Who does own your time? Who should? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, March 09, 2006
Even if you don't work in a dangerous occupation, work can be a dangerous place. Sometimes the heat from normal human friction can flare up as violence in the workplace. The Federal Government says an average of 20 people are killed and thousands more are assaulted in American workplaces each week. What do we know about the causes and prevention of workplace violence? Join us on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, March 10, 2006
How do you concentrate on accounts receivable when you're hung up on Alice in accounting? We spend most of our waking hours at work so it's no surprise that millions of us find romance there. But in the workplace as with the forward pass, only three things can happen and two of them are bad. Join us for conversation about workplace romance on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, March 13, 2006
No doubt you've heard that dozens of Cleveland students who've been skipping school are now being picked up in truancy sweeps. The school district, the police, and various area agencies are working together to encourage class attendance and curb violence in the Cleveland schools. As part of the effort, more city police are in school, and some afterschool programs are coming back. Will all this help? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Ever come up with an ground-breaking invention? If so, you're not alone. But if you're female, you are in the minority. Don't get me wrong - women have invented some impressive things - the dishwasher, the windshield wiper, and kevlar among them. But amid the ranks of inventors, women remain underrepresented. Is that changing? Women inventors is the topic on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Quite a few college presidents have made news in recent months; many are in trouble for some reason. A local college president is the target of a no-confidence vote by a group of faculty members. Some are stepping down following a vote of no confidence by their own faculty, or in the wake of sharp disagreements with their own boards of trustees. Some face ethical questions regarding their use - and possible misuse - of funds. Just what's going on with college presidents anyhow? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, March 16, 2006
Who owns your news? With the announcement this week that Knight-Ridder has sold its 32 newspapers, that is an open question. McClatchy Company, which bought the newspaper chain, plans to sell a dozen papers - among them, the Akron Beacon Journal. Why is this happening? What does it say about the Beacon Journal's future, and about the future of newspapers in your community? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, March 17, 2006
According to scientists from eleven nations, "there is now strong evidence that significant global warming is occurring." The Joint Science Academies - which made that statement last June - includes leading scientists from the U.S., Russia, the U.K, and China, among others. The Academies are calling for a worldwide response to global warming. Just what's being done? What should be done? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, March 20, 2006
After a decade of doing the voice of "Chef" on Comedy Central's South Park, singer Isaac Hayes quit the show recently in protest. Hayes blasted the show for "religious intolerance," after an episode poked fun at his religion - Scientology. Was South Park being insensitive or was Hayes being oversensitive - or both? Can religion be satirized, but only in certain ways? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Ever wanted to ask NPR about the way it covers the news? Or about its ethics? Well, you're about to get the chance. NPR's new vice president for news - Bill Marimow - assumed the post last month. And already there's been plenty of news coverage for him to manage... about the War on Terror; presidential policies; hurricane recovery; the Middle East. But he'll take some time out to answer your questions on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, March 22, 2006
It's really only been in recent years that ads for prescription medication have exploded on TV and in magazines. Proponents say direct-to-consumer marketing of pharmaceuticals educates people. Critics say it encourages people to demand medicine from their doctors that may not be the best choice for them. We'll talk about the impact of widespread drug advertising on the choices we make, and on our health on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, March 23, 2006
It's probably not news to you that men and women with mental illness frequently wind up behind bars - or that the same is true for kids. What you may not be aware of is what's required to help these kids, and to reduce the chances they'll re-offend - intense and ongoing coordination among mental health agencies, child welfare, courts, schools, families. How well are we managing it? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, March 24, 2006
While the production lines whiz along, Tremont people are wheezing. Residents near the industrial Cuyahoga valley complain of asthma, nose bleeds and mysterious dust showers. But now they're armed with plastic bucket contraptions to test the air for themselves. We'll talk with the inventor of the so-called "Bucket Brigades" and learn what Clevelanders are breathing, on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, March 27, 2006
20.8 million Americans - that's 7% of the population - have diabetes, and nearly a third of them don't know it. The risks associated with diabetes are huge, according to the American Diabetes Association: heart disease, blindness, nerve damage, kidney disease. How do you spot diabetes danger signs in yourself and your kids? And what do you do after a diagnosis? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9. Join the conversation with our guests, Dr. James Gavin of Emory University and Dr. Doug Rogers of the Cleveland Clinic.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Non-profit organizations are allowed to make money to help fund their work. And some are finding innovative ways to do so. They might organize volunteers for a series of special events; charge for a service directly related to their mission; or even partner with for-profit institutions. All kinds of efforts are afoot in our neck of the woods. We'll talk about what area non-profits are doing and how they're doing it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Time flies as we careen headfirst into April - and you know what that means. Warmer weather, seasonal allergies, and - of course - taxes. It's no doubt an understatement to that say tax time is stressful. An understatement, but true nonetheless. Which forms do you need? What receipts? What can you deduct? Under what circumstances? And what can you do to avoid being audited? We talk taxes and take your questions on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, March 30, 2006
In a perfect world, drunk drivers would be nonexistent; or they'd be taken off the streets immediately, then head off straight to treatment... or jail. But it's not a perfect world, and even those who've driven drunk over and over sometimes spend little or no time behind bars. All too often, they wind up drunk, and in the driver's seat, again. Why? And how can we make our roads safer? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, March 31, 2006
Perhaps you've heard that more women are battered on Super Bowl Sunday than on any other day of the year. Disturbing information - and entirely false. It's an urban legend: a story widely circulated as truth that often plays on our fears and is wrong. Maybe you've heard that lipstick can cause cancer, and AIDS was created by the CIA. Both are urban legends. So, how do urban legends get started, and what makes people believe them? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.