Invasive Operations 6/30/03

More and more HMOs are tracking subscribers and confronting them for not taking their drugs and visiting their doctors. Some say it's about time HMOs got hands-on, others say what I eat and what I do is none of your business.

Guests: Dr. Linda Peeno M.D., former medical reviewer for Humana Inc., one of the nation's health benefits companies; Dr. Sam Ho, Chief Medical Officer for PacifiCare Health Systems, a California HMO; Susan Pisano, Vice President of Communications for the American Association of Health Providers

Regina Carter, Strings Attached: 6/20/03

Improvising a dream. The Jazz violinist Regina Carter has blazed musical trails her entire life, most recently as the first African American jazz artist to play Paganini's violin. From Detroit to Genoa with the reigning queen of jazz violin.

Guest: Regina Carter, jazz violinist

Fearless Flamenco: 6/19/03

Maria Pages and her dance company have taken flamenco from the tablaos of Spain to theaters the world over. Her serpentine arms, and emotional virtuosity are behind her modern interpretation of this traditional art.

Guest: Maria Pages, dancer and choreographer; Walter Clark, professor of musicology at the University of California, Riverside

Coastal Confrontation: 6/9/03

Great Waters. As urban sprawl spreads up and down the ocean's shore and fish stock disappears, one defender of the sea argues that stacks of reports aren't enough to save the oceans. People in landlocked places need to care.

Guests: Deborah Cramer, author of "Great Waters: An Atlantic Passage"; Nancy Schilling, founder of Friends of the Rivers in Spring Island, South Carolina

Slavery Behind Glass: 6/5/03

The peculiar institute.  The National Slavery Museum is currently under development in Virginia. Some say it's a long overdue exhibit of U.S. history, while others fiercely oppose the effort to put America's original sin on display.

Guests: L. Douglas Wilder, former Governor of Virginia, Distinguished Professor, Center for Public Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, and founder of the National Slavery Museum; Carol Swain, Professor of Political Science, Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University, and author of "The New White Nationalism in America: Its Challenge to Integration"

Conflict and Character: 5/28/03

George W. Bush at War.  The M.B.A. president who some say truly assumed the presidency on September 11, has now led the U.S. through two military campaigns. Examining the leadership of Bush the younger.

Guests: Richard Brookhiser, Senior Editor at "National Review," and author of the forthcoming book, "Gentleman Revolutionary: Gouverneur Morris, the Rake Who Wrote the Constitution"; David Gergen, Professor of Public Service, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former advisor to four Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton

Regime Change in Zimbabwe: 5/13/03

Leaders from around the world are demanding that President Robert Mugabe retire and clear the way for democracy. Exiled journalist Geoffrey Nyarota discusses the prospects for a Mugabe-free Zimbabwe.

Guest: Geoffrey Nyarota, Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, award-winning journalist, and founding editor of "The Daily News," Zimbabwe's first independent newspaper

Wondering Where the Weapons Are: 5/9/03

For months the administration claimed it was all about chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, and they had the intelligence to prove it. Empty canisters, dead-end paper trails, and the ongoing search for justification.

Guests: David Albright, President of the Institute for Science and International Security, and former nuclear weapons inspector in Iraq; David Kay, senior fellow at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and former Chief UN nuclear weapons Inspector

Arturo Sandoval's Trumpet Evolution: 5/02/03

Trumpet Evolution. Grammy-winning trumpeter Arturo Sandoval channels the legends of the horn. He celebrates and recreates the work of the giants, from Louie Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis, and the high notes in between.

Guest: Arturo Sandoval, trumpeter

The Deadly Truth: 4/28/03

The evolution of disease. Mad Cow, West Nile, SARS--there's a new virus in the headlines every day. One historian says medicine's power to eradicate illness is a dangerous myth, and argues the world needs to get used to living with infection.

Guest: Gerald N. Grob, Professor of The History of Medicine Emeritus at Rutgers University, and author of "The Deadly Truth: A History of Disease in America"

Code Blue at the Security Council: 4/15/03

Resurrecting the Security Council. In the wake of the war in Iraq, some claim it has outlived its usefulness, others argue it is even more vital today than ever. An open session on the future of the U.N.Õs inner sanctum.  

Guests: Michael Glennon, Professor of International Law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University; Anne-Marie Slaughter, Professor of Politics and Public Affairs and Dean of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

Reverberations Through the Arab World: 4/10/03

With coalition forces controlling the capital city and Saddam Hussein nowhere to be seen, Baghdad residents are celebrating, looting, and others are digging through the rubble to find bodies of loved ones. Considering what comes next

Guests: Michael Hudson, professor of Arab studies and International Relations at Georgetown University; Abdel Bari-Atwan, Editor-in-Chief of Al Quds; Khaled Al-Maeena, Editor-in-Chief of Arab News; Francis Matthew, editor of Gulf News in Dubai; Rami Khouri, executive editor of the Daily Star in Beirut

Conflict and Character: 3/19/03

In part three of our series on Presidential leadership in times of crisis, we look at Woodrow Wilson. He sought peace without victory in the war to end all wars, but he still couldnÕt make the world safe for democracy.

Guests: John M. Cooper, Chairman of the History Department at the University of Wisconsin and author of "The Warrior and the Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt"; David Gergen, Professor of Public Service, Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former advisor to four Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton

War and The Bench: 3/3/03

Two hundred years ago, Chief Justice John Marshall handed down a decision that ultimately made the Supreme Court an autonomous institution. Today, some are arguing whether the court wields too much or too little power.

Guests: Anthony Lewis, former New York Times Columnist covering the Supreme Court; Phillip Bobbitt, University of Texas Law School Professor and Chair

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra: 2/28/03

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. The New York based collective draws musicians from around the world to celebrate and perpetuate the Afrobeat sound.

Guest: Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra

The Morning After The Grammys: 2/24/03

The Grammys. The annual event, only slightly less contentious than the Oscars, comes around again, renewing the constant debate: are they a celebration of musical accomplishments, or just a popularity contest?

Guests: Wayne Wadhams, professor of Music Production & Engineering at Berklee College of Music, and author of: "Inside the Hits: The Seduction of a Rock and Roll Generation"; Kelefa Sanneh, pop critic for the New York Times

Tan Dun's Musical Map: 2/21/03

Composing tiger, cello-playing dragon. The musical duo of Tan Dun and Yo-Yo Ma join forces again, performing Tan Dun's bold new composition, The Map. They'll join us to discuss the work and its celebration of China's Hunan region. - (Friday, February 21, 2003)

Guests: Tan Dun, award winning composer; Yo-Yo Ma, award winning cello player

Extra Chairs at the Table: 2/11/03

Seating India at the Security Council. With all eyes focused on the five permanent members, some are calling for a sixth seat. What bringing the worldÕs largest democracy to the table might mean for international security.

Guests: Sugata Bose, professor of South Asian history, Harvard University; Edward Luck, director of the Center on International Organization at Columbia University

Habib Koite: 2/07/03

Malian guitarist Habib Koite. Born into a traditional musical caste, Koite blends regional music with western rock--creating a world music sound of his own. Mali's modern guitar hero brings his musical heritage to our studio.

Guests: Habib Koite, Malian Musician; Banning Eyre, world music journalist

Measuring America: 1/31/03

Size has always mattered. Today we take inches, yards, and acres for granted, but that's due to the measure of the founding fathers who laid the ground rules for quantifying the nation's greatest resource: land. The tale of the tape and the history of measuring America.

Guest: Andro Linklater, author of, "Measuring America: How an Untamed Wilderness Shaped the United States and Fulfilled the Promise of Democracy"

America's Sagging Arches: 1/24/03

The not-so-golden arches. McDonald's, a corporate, cultural, and culinary symbol of the U.S., is posting its first quarterly loss since going public and facing changing demographics and appetites. Could it be that Americans don't want fries with that after all?

Guests: James Watson, professor of anthropology at Harvard University and author of, "Golden Arches East: McDonald's in East Asia"; George Ritzer, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, and author of, "The McDonaldization of Society"

A Love Supreme: 1/21/03

John Coltrane's musical and spiritual masterwork. Nearly 40 years since its release, the album still inspires, challenges, and confounds listeners. The legacy of the sax man, his musical gift to jazz and God.

Guests: Ashley Kahn, author of "A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album"; Elvin Jones, drummer and member of the quartet that recorded "A Love Supreme"

Friendly Fire: 1/16/03

Who's to blame when the good guys get killed? As the U.S. military looks for answers in the deaths of Canadian soldiers, more questions arise about accountability in the technological fog of modern war.

Guests: Scott Snook, retired Army Colonel, professor at Harvard Business School, and author of "Friendly Fire: The Accidental Shootdown of U.S. Black Hawks over Northern Iraq"; Larry Seaquist, retired U.S. Navy Commander, and Chairman of The Strategy Group

Voices of Wars Past: 12/20/02

Preserving the history of war. For years scholars have chronicled the facts and the figures of great battles, but today oral historians are leading the charge--archiving the personal recollections from those Americans who fought in the trenches.

Guests: Peggy Bulger, director of The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress; Bob Babcock, founder of Americans Remembered and author of "War Stories, Utah beach to Pleiku"; Bill Parfitt, WWII infantry Veteran , Private First Class, 22nd Infantry; Chartley Morley, WWII and Korean war Army dietitian, 42nd Infantry

Charlie Haden on Bass: 12/13/02

The pulse of Jazz. Sax and trumpet players get the glory, but bass players hold down the fort. Charlie Haden, the reigning king of the double bass, has left his fingerprints all over jazz, and he'll share his notes on life at the top of the bottom.

Guests: Charlie Haden, Grammy-winning bassist, composer and bandleader; Alan Broadbent, piano player in Quartet West

Mycotopia: 12/02/02

The fungus that saved the world. No, not a horror film, but the dream of mycologist Paul Stamets. His studies show that mushrooms can clean up oil spills, restore ecosystems, and fight disease. And you thought they were just something to pick out of the casserole.

Guest: Paul Stamets, mycologist, author of "Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms," and president of Fungi-Perfecti

Arthur Miller: 11/28/02

A short story for Thanksgiving. "Bulldog." It's a classically American tale, about a boy, a dog, and coming of age. Who better to father it than one of America's greatest writers, Arthur Miller.

Guest: Arthur Miller

John McPhee's Fish Tales: 11/22/02

The Founding Fish. No, not a tippling revolutionary, but John McPhee's new book. The wide-ranging writer angles his pen around the biology, history, and the gastronomic affection for the American Shad. Alosa sapidissima--most savory.

Guest: John McPhee, writer

Lunar Lunacy: 11/20/02

Conspiracy theories or full moon fever? Astronauts in fistfights, NASA's PR campaigns, bizarre TV specials, all because millions still claim the lunar landings were a government hoax. The enduring myths of Apollo.

Guest: James Oberg, aerospace engineer, NASA consultant and writer; R. Rene, author of "NASA Mooned America"; Philip Plait, astronomer, and author of "Bad Astronomy"

Rejecting Early Decision: 11/08/02

Yale drops out. Lots of schools and lots of kids are eager to participate in the early decision process, but now some of the nation's top universities say they'll take a pass. Top students and the problem with commitment.

Guests: Richard Levin, President of Yale University; James Fallows, National Correspondent for the Atlantic Monthly

Analyzing the Vonneguts: 11/06/02

Welcome to the Monkey House. If you thought the fiction of Kurt Vonnegut was the product of a twisted mind, you're right. The writer and his formerly schizophrenic son Mark discuss the ups and downs of mental illness.

Guests: Kurt Vonnegut Jr., writer; Mark Vonnegut, pediatrician and author of "The Eden Express"

Chasing The Clouds: 11/01/02

A real rain man. While most people look for images in the clouds, Peter Hobbs looks for answers. For nearly 40 years the cloud microphysicist has flown into stormy weather, trying to unravel the mysteries of rain and snow.

Guests: Peter Hobbs, founder and director of the Cloud and Aerosol Research Group at the University of Washington; Ken McMillen, retired Navy commander and pilot for CARG for 13 years

Senator John McCain: 10/30/02

The Arizona Republican has taken on Communists, corporate special interests, and congressional colleagues. He'll take on a conversation about heroes and Ernest Hemingway.

Guest: Senator John McCain

The Funk Brothers: 10/25/02

Motown's unsung heroes. While Diana Ross and Smokey Robinson crooned in the spotlight, the musical soul of Detroit's hits came from the backing band -- The Funk Brothers. A celebration of the musicians who made Motown's groove.

Guests: Jack Ashford and Joe Hunter, Funk Brothers; Allan Slutsky, musician, author, and producer of the film "Standing in the Shadows of Motown"

The Spy Who Won't Die: 10/24/02

The cult of Bond, James Bond. Next month 007 hits the big screen for the 20th time, the original novels are again in stores, and a massive museum exhibit is showcasing the gadgets and escapades of the super spy.

Guests: Michael Harvey, curator of the exhibit "Bond, James Bond" at London's Science Museum; Toby Miller, professor of cinema studies at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts; Peter Lamont, production designer who's worked on 17 James Bond films

Chatting up a Storm: 10/16/02

Democracy in "flames." The Internet promised a new forum for the free exchange of thoughts and ideas, but most chat rooms produce more invectives than insights, more vitriol than virtue. Can online discourse evolve?

Guests: Nicholas Thompson, Markle Fellow at the New America Foundation: Mike Godwin, policy fellow at The Center for Democracy and Technology and moderator for The Well

Outsmarting the Odds: 10/14/02

From calculus to casinos. The fabled MIT blackjack team took extra-curricular activities to new heights, making millions outsmarting the house. An inside look at the high rollers that were too smart for the chess club.

Guests: Ben Mezrich, author of "Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions"; James Hartley, vice president gaming services with iView Systems, and casino surveillance expert; Kevin Lewis, former member of the M.I.T. blackjack team

The Dobro According to Jerry Douglas: 10/11/02

What has six strings, a metal cone, and a spider? The dobro, and in the hands of Jerry Douglas it sings the slinky sound of bluegrass and roots music. Jerry and his signature dobro resonate live in our studio.

Guest: Jerry Douglas, Dobro virtuoso

Public Domain on the Stand: 10/10/02

The Supreme Court hears a case that could rewrite American copyright law. Congress' power to shift the balance between the interests of creators and the public now rests on the scales of justice.

Guests: Edward Lee, professor of law at Ohio State University College of Law, and attorney for the plaintiffs in Eldred v. Ashcroft; Robert Clarida, partner with Cowan, Liebowitz & Latham and counsel for the American Intellectual Property Law Association; Michael Strunsky, trustee of the Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Family Trust

Wind Resistance: 10/07/02

Tilting at windmills. As concern about foreign oil and global warming builds, the answer to energy woes might be blowing in the wind. But the developer of an offshore wind farm is facing gale-force resistance -- from environmentalists.

Guests: James Gordon, President of Cape Wind Associates; Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental attorney and anti-windfarm campaigner; Kert Davies, research director for Greenpeace USA.

The Soundscape of Modernity: 9/26/02

The evolution of the sonic environment. Last century, acoustic engineers sought to harmonize the relationship between sound and space to augment the listening experience. Where you are, what you hear, and the soundscape of today's virtual reality.

Guests: Emily Thompson, senior fellow at the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology at MIT and author of "The Soundscape of Modernity": Leo Beranek, world renowned acoustical design consultant

Tribal Injustice: 9/23/02

The Paper Trail of Tears. The monumental accounting scandal of the Interior Department, more than a century of mismanaging American Indian trust accounts. Tribal justice and contempt for Gale Norton.

Guests: Nell Jessup Newton, dean of the University of Connecticut School of Law, and Indian law expert; Virginia Boylan, partner in the Indian Tribal Governments Practice at the law firm of Gardiner, Carton and Douglas in Washington D.C.; Louis Gray, Osage Indian, editorial writer and reporter for the Native American Times in Tulsa Oklahoma

The Second Coming of Christianity: 9/18/02

While all eyes focus on Islam, some Christians are spreading an extreme Gospel around the globe. Neo-orthodoxy and ascendant Christian fundamentalism overseas, and in America.

Guests: Philip Jenkins, Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies at Penn State University, and author of "The Next Christendom: The Rise of Global Christianity"; Michael Battle, Assistant Professor of Spirituality and Black Church Studies at Duke Divinity School

The Memory of Trees: 9/16/02

The memory of trees. The Bristlecone Pine is patriarch of trees, and we'll rap with the man who's spent a lifetime tapping its roots, trunk, and branches--charting a map that will ultimately span 12,000 years of global history.

Guests: Thomas Harlan, dendrochronologist; Christine Hallman, dendrochronologist, focusing on frost ring research

West Nile in the Wild: 8/30/02

The gifts of the NileÑpharaohs, pyramids, and now a mosquito-born disease plaguing North America. West Nile Virus, still more panic than pestilence for humans, is decimating bird populations. Following the trail of a virus, as the crow dies.

Guests: Dr. Kathryn Converse, wildlife disease specialist, National Wildlife Health Center; Ward Stone, state wildlife pathologist, New York Department of Environmental Conservation; Bob McLean, program manager for wildlife diseases at the National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, Colorado; Vicki Kramer, Chief of Vector-Borne Disease Section, California Department of Health Services

The Next Chapter in Business: 8/23/02

The life-saving chapter in the corporate handbook. As more companies fall through the bursting bubble, they're landing safely in Chapter 11. Taxpayers, investors, consumers, and corporate bankruptcy, who really pays the bills when the CEOs can't?

Guests: Margaret Howard, Professor of Law at Washington and Lee University; Bettina Whyte, principal of Alix Partners and president-elect of the American Bankruptcy Institute; Aaron Feuerstein, chief executive of Malden Mills

Change Is In The Air: 8/20/02

Flying the not-so-friendly skies. First class, hot meals, and direct connections are departing now at gate 11. With the major airlines circling the bowl, the fortunes of no-frills carriers are taking off. Are you ready to fly Greyhound?

Guests: Michael Boyd, president of the Boyd Group/Aviation Systems Research Corporation; David Stempler, president, Air Travelers Association; Satish Jindel, president of SJ Consulting Group

They Might Be Giants: 8/16/02

They Might Be Giants. Twenty years, 10 albums, hundreds of songs, a Grammy and now a documentary... maybe they finally are giants. The two Johns cram their guitar, accordion and twisted wits into our studio.

Guests: John Flansburgh and John Linnell of "They Might Be Giants"

Crisis of Consumer Confidence: 8/14/02

The recession conundrum. Has the storm passed or are we just in the eye? Market turmoil, unemployment, corporate bankruptcies have all the experts flustered, but consumers are still spending. Can your MasterCard save the economy?

Guests: Alfred Kahn, professor emeritus of political economy at Cornell University; Michael Kanell, national economics reporter, The Atlanta Journal and Constitution; Christopher Carroll, professor of economics at Johns Hopkins University and an expert on consumer confidence

Judicial Elections On Trial: 8/09/02

Justice for sale. More than 25,000 judges win their robes by wooing voters, and now some business leaders are objecting, arguing the election system tilts the scales towards deep pockets. But can judicial election reform set the bench free?

Guests: Roderick M. Hills, co-chair of the Committee for Economic Development's Subcommittee on Judicial Selection; Roy Schotland, Professor of Law at Georgetown University and author of "Elective Judges' Campaign Financing: Are State Judges' Robes the Emperor's Clothes of American Democracy?"; Chief Justice Thomas Philips, elected Chief Justice of the Texas supreme court

Nick Lowe: 8/07/02

Digging Nick Lowe's new mood. From broken glass to broken hearts, the Jesus of Cool waxes lyrical on songwriting, pop-stardom, and middle age. After all, what's so funny about musicians growing up?

Guest: Nick Lowe, musician

Linda Thompson: 7/30/02

Linda Thompson is one of the originals of British folk music. Her haunting and mellifluous voice returns to the bright lights after nearly 20 years of silence. The better half of the legendary folk duo steps out again.

Guest: Linda Thompson, folk musician

Alan Lomax: 7/25/02

Two men who captured the country with tape recorders, Studs Terkel on Alan Lomax. WeÕll explore the musical and cultural legacy of folk music's late, great ambassador.

Guests: Studs Terkel, Pulitzer Prize winning historian and writer; John Cohen, folk musician, photographer, writer, and film maker; Bill Nowlin, co-founder of Rounder Records

Student Visas: 7/11/02

Expelling foreign students. Now that the international students are gone for summer, some want to keep it that way. They are calling for universities and the INS to crack the whip on student immigration in the interest of homeland security.

Guests: George Borjas, professor of economics and social policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government; Catheryn Cotten, director of the International Office at Duke University

High-Fat Foodfight: 7/08/02

The Atkins diet. For three decades it's been one of the biggest and most bitter food fights in the medical community. Now some long-time opponents are coming to the dinner table to chew the fat and admit that that might not be such a bad thing.

Guests: Gary Taubes, award winning correspondent for Science magazine, and author of "Bad Science, The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion."; Dr. Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition and director of the Weight Management Center at the Washington University School of Medicine

Extreme Genealogy: 7/02/02

Extreme genealogy. You used to brag about your ancestors coming to America on the Mayflower? Well, new computer and DNA technology indicates that we are all the offspring of royalty. 21st century science and new theories of our common ancestry.

Guests: Steve Olson, author of "Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past Through Our Genes"; Mark Humphrys, lecturer, School of Computer Applications, Dublin City University

Peter Benchley: 6/25/02

Swimming with the godfather of sharks, Peter Benchley. He's scared more people out of the water than any other author. Now, the man who created "Jaws" is trying to save Carcharodon carcharias and its kin from the wrath of man.

Guest: Peter Benchley, SCUBA diver, and author of "Jaws" and "Shark Trouble"

The North Mississippi Allstars: 6/18/02

The North Mississippi Allstars. No they're not a baseball team. These allstars are the product of a childhood spent listening to Van Halen in the land of native hill-country music. They'll be tracking their musical Mississippi mud into our studio.  

Guests: The North Mississippi Allstars

Sex Crimes and the 5th Amendment: 6/17/02

Sex crimes and the 5th amendment. The Supreme Court approves a controversial treatment program for inmates, requiring them to confess previous crimes, and risk further prosecution.

Guests: Stephen McAllister, dean and professor of law, University of Kansas School of Law, and attorney for the petitioner in McKune v. Lile; Brett Dignam, associate clinical professor of law, Yale University

Belly Dance: 6/11/02

Raks Sharki--the mesmerizing, mysterious, and misunderstood terpsichorean delight of the East. Lifting the veil on the exotic Eastern cultural tradition of music, dance, and spirituality.

Guests: Dr. Anthony Shay, dancer, choreographer, and artistic director of the AVAZ International Dance Theater; Anne Rasmussen, professor of Ethnomusicology and director of The William and Mary Middle Eastern Music Ensemble; Sharifa Asmar, professional dancer and dance instructor

Universal Pre-Kindergarten: 5/31/02

Pre-K for all. Policy wonks are touting a bold new plan to keep three-year olds off the streets: universal pre-kindergarten. Publicly funded pre-school could give kids the head start they need, and with corporations backing the plan, it just might sell. - (Friday, May 31, 2002)

Guests: Joanne Brady, vice president and director of the Education Development Center's Center for Children and Families; Steve Palko, president of XTO Energy, and a trustee of the Committee for Economic Development; Kathleen McCartney, professor of education at Harvard University

Selling the California Dream: 5/27/02

Golden State, Golden Youth. A new history explores how the wholesome images of Disney, The Beach Boys, and Gidget belied the deeper realities revealed in Watts and Berkeley. Exploring the pop-culture marketing of the California dream.

Guests: Kirse Granat May, historian and author of "Golden State, Golden Youth: The California Image in Popular Culture, 1955-1966"; Dick Dale, king of surf guitar

Reforming Parole: 5/17/02

Sending Parole back to the slammer. The system for rewarding good behavior on the inside is facing more criticism on the outside. Massive case loads, insufficient funds, and get-tough policies are taxing the system.

Guests: John J. Larivee, chief executive officer, Community Resources for Justice; Carl Wickland executive director, American Probation and Parole Officers Association; Mark Graham, senior case manager, Exodus Transitional Community in New York City; Jennifer Gonnerman, staff writer for the Village Voice

War Profiteering: 5/13/02

Every Blackhawk kicking up the dust of Afghanistan is money in the bank for defense contractors. The war on terrorism might be fuel for the U.S. economy, to others it's a congressional pork roast, but it's all your money.

Guests: Barry Bluestone, professor of political economy at Northeastern University; Tom Schatz, president of Citizens Against Government Waste

Warehouses for the Mentally Ill: 5/1/02

As states continue evicting patients from public institutions, private facilities provide refuge for some of the displaced. An investigation in New York reveals that many of these private homes are nothing but psychiatric flophouses.

Guests: Clifford Levy, reporter for the New York Times; George Gitlitz, Adult Home Project Director at the Coalition for the Institutionalized Aged and Disabled

Nuclear Road Trip: 4/22/02

The government has ordered a massive transfer of weapons-grade plutonium from Colorado to South Carolina. But the governor there says the toxic convoy will enter the Palmetto state over his dead body. The fallout from disarmament.

Guests: Paul Leventhal, founder and president of the Nuclear Control Institute; Clif Le Blanc, a reporter for The State in Columbia, South Carolina; Ambassador Linton Brooks, chief of the Energy Department's nuclear nonproliferation programs

Fado: 4/10/02

Imbued with sorrow, despair, and unrequited love, it is the melancholy folk music of Portugal. It's experiencing a renaissance courtesy of young singer's like Mariza, who brings the mournful sounds of Fado to our studio.

Guest: Mariza, Fado singer

Sacred Steel: 3/29/02

Robert Randolph brought the pedal steel guitar from honkytonks and Hawaiian luaus to the House of God. He makes it sing the blues, soul and gospel. Now he's delivering his musical sermon from our studio.

Guest: Robert Randolph, pedal steel guitarist

Satellite Radio: 3/28/02

Two new networks have boldly launched their celestial systems, and one is taking NPR along. Some broadcasters are predicting the demise of local radio. Others say the new birds won't fly.

Guests: Margaret Low Smith, Vice President for Programming at NPR; Stephen A. Blum, President of Tellus Venture Associates; Steven Gavenas, Executive Vice President of Programming and Business Development for XM Radio; Joe Capobianco, senior vice president of content for Sirius Radio

The White House in Stealth Mode: 3/19/02

The Bush administration operates on the Q-T, and Congress is tired of being snubbed. The contentious balance of, and battle for, power between the executive and legislative branches.

Guests: Mike Gerhardt professor of constitutional law at the William and Mary School of Law, and a former special consultant to the White House Counsel's office in the Clinton administration; John McGinnis, professor at the Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, and former deputy assistant attorney general during the Reagan and Bush administrations; Congressman Ernest Istook, Republican from Oklahoma, and a member of the House appropriations committee

A New Take on the War on Drugs: 4/8/02

After billions in funding, millions of arrests, and a decades-old "war on drugs," the dubious results have inspired the GOP governor of New Mexico to call for a new approach to pot.

Guests: Gary Johnson, Governor of New Mexico; Dr. Eric A. Voth, M.D., specialist in International Medicine and Addiction Medicine

Privatizing Social Security: 3/14/02

President Bush calls it the best hope for the single most successful government program in American history. The debate over reform - restringing the safety net.

Guests: Olivia Mitchell, professor of insurance and risk management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and member of President Bush's Commission to Strengthen Social Security; Peter Diamond, Institute Professor at MIT specializing in Social Security

Altan 3/13/02

The band that put County Donegal on the musical map. Their passionate performances of Ireland's traditional folk music have enchanted audiences the world over. Altan, live in studio, twin fiddles and all. This time we mean it.

Guests: Altan: Mairead N’ Mhaonaigh, fiddle, vocals; Dermot Byrne, accordian; Ciaran Tourish, fiddle; Ciaran Curran, bozouki; Mark Kelly, guitar, vocals; Daithi Sproule, guitar, vocals

Oscar Lopez: 3/01/02

This spirited six-stringer is one of the tocaores mas calientes on the world music scene. The Chilean-born Canadian brings his cultural and musical fusion to our studio.