90.3 at 9: June 2006

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, June 01, 2006
Maybe an illegal immigrant is an undocumented worker. Or maybe not. The terminology matters. And, it's a matter of controversy. Pick your preference: African American or Black. Liberal or progressive. Christian Right, evangelical Christian, or Christian conservative. Chairman, chairperson, or chair. How media (and others) make decisions about language is our topic on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, June 02, 2006
People have been reporting on war probably since the first rock was hurled. And it's always been both dangerous and difficult. Reporting on and from Iraq is danger and difficulty, squared - maybe even cubed. Getting the story; getting it right; and not getting killed or maimed are tall orders. We speak with two journalists who have reported from Iraq and came back on 90.3 at 9. Call with your questions for Iraqi-born Cleveland freelance journalist and blogger Ayad Rahim and Shaker Heights native Alan Feuer, a New York Times reporter who wrote Over There: from the Bronx to Baghdad.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, June 05, 2006
Being diagnosed with serious illness - like cancer - is often surreal, as the brain battles to hold on to the belief that nothing is wrong. Still, 10 million people in the U.S. are living with cancer. More than ever, people are surviving one, five, even 10 or more years after a diagnosis. We'll consider how cancer survivors cope, and how to provide help and support, on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Pain that feels good. That's the paradox of cutting and other forms of intentional self-injury. Numbers vary widely, but some say 1 in 10 teenage girls cuts, scratches, hits, or burns herself in response to emotional pain. And boys do it too - as do adults. We'll look at why people cut; how to spot it; and what to do about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Even real estate deserves a second chance. And Cleveland has no shortage of industrial sites - brownfields - that could use one. The city recently purchased the Midland Steel property. What will it take to transform the former industrial site into a new home for business? We look at detoxifying, reclaiming, and reusing brownfields - and take your calls - on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, June 08, 2006
Pharmacists have always dispensed more than medication - like information, counsel, advice. And their responsibilities continue to grow. They've been drafted into the War on Drugs. Medicare Part D has turned them into insurance advisors. And their beliefs have driven some pharmacists not to fill certain prescriptions. These developments and how they affect you is our topic on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, June 09, 2006
Lake Erie kicks up plenty of wind to propel boats around. What's less clear is how efficiently it would generate energy for use on land. Green Energy Ohio is in the midst of testing wind strength on the Lake. And the Great Lakes Science Center is about to turn on a wind turbine that's expected to provide 7% of the Center's energy. The future of wind power in Northeast Ohio is our topic on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, June 12, 2006
Handing toll roads over to private companies - one gubernatorial candidate thinks it should be done in Ohio. Republican Ken Blackwell recently announced he intends to privatize the Ohio Turnpike if he becomes governor. Other states - like Indiana - have moved in that direction as well. We'll talk about roadway privatization - and its pros and cons - on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, June 13, 2006
They don't always get the respect they deserve, but nurses play a critical role in everyone's healthcare. And their numbers are shrinking. It's not that the nursing shortage is new, but it is getting worse. Some hospitals, including the Cleveland Clinic, now recruit nurses from abroad to fill their ranks. What can be done, here, to draw more people into nursing, and to keep them? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Secretaries of State overseeing elections when their own names are on the ballot - some say it's a problem; some say it isn't. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has two jobs right now. He's preparing to supervise November's election, and running a race for governor at the same time. The situation is uncommon, but not unique. We'll explore the ethical and political implications on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, June 15, 2006
He partnered with National Public Radio on a talk show that set race at its center. Some thought this was great; others didn't. There's no question the Tavis Smiley show found an audience. Still, in 2004 Smiley broke with NPR. He's on the air now through PRI, and his show comes to 90.3 in July. In the meantime, we talk with him about his goals, hopes, concerns, and his best-selling book, Covenant with Black America on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, June 16, 2006
Ah, summer. It's vacation time; the sun is shining. You're parked in a beach chair, slathered in sunblock, ready to read. Whether your tastes run to sci-fi, or chick lit, or something else entirely, there's a fresh crop of books ripe for the picking. Overwhelmed by your choices? No worries. Our panel of Cleveland literati will help you separate the transcendent from the trash. We'll talk to local mystery writer Les Roberts, creator of the Milan Jacovich Mysteries; Plain Dealer book section editor Karen Long and Amy Rosenfield, Fiction Team Leader and Book Club Coordinator at Joseph Beth Books, on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, June 19, 2006
The mayor of Akron has proposed that panhandlers there be required to register annually, get fingerprinted, and obtain a photo ID badge. The ordinance would also require panhandlers to stay 20 feet away from ATMs, sidewalk cafes, and downtown attractions. Similar efforts are in place elsewhere. We'll talk about how well such laws work - and consider whether they may violate anyone's rights - on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, June 20, 2006
Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank President Sandra Pianalto was quoted last week saying that inflation had her worried. And markets fell. Turns out, she was quoted out of context. And she was offering an opinion, not declaring a policy shift. Why, then, did stocks take a dive? We'll talk about that - and about the economic forecast overall - on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Parents worry about their kids - their safety, education, future. And their health. When a child's health is compromised, it can send whole families into a tailspin. We're looking at the effects of childhood cancer this week, particularly the impact it can have on families. We'll speak with a man who lost his 10-year-old daughter to cancer, with a psychologist, and a pediatric oncologist - and we'll take your calls on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, June 22, 2006
The 10-story behemoth machines dominated our industrial landscape for the better part of a century. But their future is uncertain. Just two Hulett Ore Unloaders remain. They've sat disassembled for years, made obsolete with the introduction of self-unloading ships. The question is whether they should be put back together, preserved as a tribute to Cleveland's industrial heritage. We'll talk about whether it's worth the time and money to do so on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, June 23, 2006
New research confirms that more people than ever are getting tattoos, and on more parts of their bodies. One question is, why? Over a third of Americans in their 20s have them. Move up the age categories, and the number of people with tattoos diminishes, but is still significant. You can find evidence of tattooing going back thousands of years, and in countless, very different, cultures. What makes them so compelling to so many people? We'll talk about it on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Monday, June 26, 2006
Some say the ordination of openly gay clergy is inevitable. Others say it's entirely unacceptable. Almost everywhere, gay clergy are the focus of controversy. Episcopalians are in a fierce struggle over the issue, as are Conservative Jews, and others. How much wider can the denominational rifts grow? We'll talk about the present debate and what the future could hold on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Cab drivers are informal ambassadors. But in Cleveland, it's a toss-up as to what they'll provide - a cordial guided tour or something far different. Often, they can't even be found. Critics say regulations are rarely enforced. That cabbie sitting behind the meter might not even be licensed. The city is considering cracking down. We'll explore what that might mean, and hear your taxicab tales on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Wednesday, June 28, 2006
The skies opened up; down came the rain. And it's still coming down, as communities around the region continue to feel the effects. While flooding is never welcome, it is a fact of life, more so in some areas than others. But that doesn't mean communities - or individuals - are fully prepared. We'll talk about what can be done to recover from - and plan for - a flood on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Thursday, June 29, 2006
In the latest blow to Ohio's auto industry, Honda has decided to locate its new $400 million factory in Greensburg, Indiana. That's 1,500 jobs not coming to Ohio... another indicator that all is not right in Ohio's economy. A recent study finds earnings among Ohioans dropping for people across the pay scale. We'll talk about why, how the auto industry factors into the equation, and what it all means for the future on 90.3 at 9.

90.3 at 9 for Friday, June 30, 2006
Music has always been able to soothe souls and elevate pulse rates. And a new study finds it may also relieve chronic back pain. Whether your tastes run to Enya or Radiohead, researchers have found that the most ethereal of art forms can have tangible medical value. The day may be approaching when doctors will tell their patients to take two sonatas and call them in the morning. We'll talk about music as treatment on 90.3 at 9.