6/26/06
Michigan Civil Rights Initiative Impact
Charity Nebbe

In November Michigan voters will decide whether or not to pass the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative. If passed the initiative would amend the state constitution to ban affirmative action programs. This initiative is similar to Proposition 209 which was passed in California in 1996. The Center for the Education of Women at the University of Michigan has conducted a study of the impact of Prop 209 in order to predict the impact of this initiative. Charity talked with Susan Kaufmann who is the Associate Director of the Center for the Education of Women.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/23/06
The Agate Lady
Charity Nebbe

All summer long on All Things Considered we’re checking out some of the more unusual attractions around the state. Today we go to the shores of Lake Superior for a conversation with Karen Brzys, better known as "The Agate Lady."

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/20/06
Health Care Job Growth
Charity Nebbe

As manufacturing jobs disappear in Michigan there is one field that is growing by leaps and bounds. Health care is now Michigan's largest private sector employer. Charity talked with Nancy McKeague, Senior Vice President of Michigan Health and Hospital Association.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/15/06
Ford Motor Company Analysis
Charity Nebbe

Today Ford Motor Company released a statement on the status of its “Way Forward” restructuring plan. Ford Americas President Mark Fields said the plan is going according to schedule. This is in response to critics who think restructuring at Ford is moving too slowly. It may also be in response to news that leaked yesterday that Ford and its suppliers are planning to invest 9.2 billion dollars in Mexico over the next six years. Charity talked with Micheline Maynard who is the Detroit Bureau Chief for the New York Times.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/14/06
Great Lakes Wind Farms
Charity Nebbe

The demand for electricity in Michigan and other Great Lakes states is continuing to rise and some people believe that demand might be met by harnessing the wind. Energy experts have gathered today in Madison, Wisconsin to discuss the potential of off-shore wind farms in the Great Lakes. Charity talked with Robert Fletcher who is Director of the Alternative Energy Program at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/9/06
Asparagus!
Charity Nebbe

It’s been promoted a symbol of fertility, an aphrodisiac, a tasty side dish and a valuable cash crop. Now asparagus is the subject of a documentary film. Charity talked with Kirsten Kelly who grew up in Michigan’s Oceana County, self appointed “Asparagus Capital of the Nation.” Her father was an asparagus farmer and she participated in the asparagus culture of the county, now she is co-director of Asparagus! A Stalk-umentary. The film will air this weekend at the Waterfront film festival in Saugatuck.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/7/06
Plymouth's Really Big Shoe
Charity Nebbe

All summer long on All Things Considered we’re checking out some of the more unusual attractions around the state. Today we go to the Plymouth Historical Museum which offers a variety of exhibits including a travel through time on Plymouth’s Main Street and collection of Abraham Lincoln artifacts, but the most popular item in the museum is a shoe.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/5/06
Memoir of Adoption
Charity Nebbe

In the early '90s Theresa and Marc were classic DINKs, dual income no kids. They were enjoying their freedom and the fruits of their labor. Then they decided to start a family. The journey they took to create that family was grueling, expensinve, heart breaking at times and infinitely rewarding. Theresa Reid has written about the experience in the new book, Two Little Girls: A Memoir of Adoption.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/2/06
Mackinac Wrap-up
Charity Nebbe

The annual Mackinac Island Policy Conference put on by the Detroit Regional Chamber wrapped up today. Charity talked to Michigan Radio’s Michael Leland who has spent the week on the Island attending sessions and talking to the attendees.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/2/06
Orphan Cars
Charity Nebbe

All summer long we’ll be checking out some of the more unusual attractions around the state of Michigan and today we start in Ypsilanti where orphans will be on display this weekend. If you a have a favorite attraction you think we should know about or something odd you'd like the backstory on send your suggestions to stateside@umich.edu.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/19/06
Capetown Stroller
Charity Nebbe

There are over 500 children living on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. These kids call themselves “strollers.” Ann Arbor filmmaker John Henion became familiar with this community of homeless children when he was studying International Development at the University of Cape Town. He is now working on a documentary that he hopes will bring the plight of street children in Cape Town to the attention of the world. The documentary is called "Stroller." Charity talked with him.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/18/06
Romancing the Panamanian Golden Frog
Charity Nebbe

The Panamanian golden frog is on the verge of extinction. The bright yellow frog with black stripes has fallen victim to destruction of its mountain habitat, pollution, climate change and a frog killing fungus, but this frog has a chance at survival thanks to efforts by the Detroit Zoo and others to breed it in captivity. The Detroit Zoo has been part of this project for five years and now has a number of golden frog tadpoles to show for their efforts. Charity talked to Andy Snider, Curator of Reptiles at the Detroit Zoo.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/16/06
Granholm in Japan Part 2
Charity Nebbe

Governor Granholm is in Japan today in an effort to lure Japanese businesses to Michigan. Today she’s visiting eleven businesses tomorrow eight more. Charity talked to John Carroll who is the Executive Director of the Detroit Regional Economic Partnership and has been on a number of these trips himself.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/16/06
Granholm in Japan
Todd Mundt

Governor Jennifer Granholm says she met with officials from nine companies in Japan today. It was the first day of her latest economic development tour to that country. Michigan Radio's Todd Mundt spoke with her about the meetings she's been having.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/11/06
Michigan Homes For Sale
Charity Nebbe

Dandelions aren’t the only things that pop up each spring in neighborhoods across the state… so do “For Sale” signs, and this year it seems like they’re almost as common as dandelions. It also seems like it’s taking homes longer to sell than it has in the recent past. Charity talked with Mitch Stapely, an economic analyst with Fifth Third Investment Advisors in Grand Rapids.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/10/06
Delphi's Day In Court
Charity Nebbe

Lawyers for bankrupt auto parts supplier Delphi and lawyers for Delphi’s unions and shareholders continued to give testimony today before a bankruptcy judge in New York. Delphi is making a case for being allowed to throw out its labor contracts as it reorganizes… the unions say that would give the company an unfair advantage and are threatening what could be a crippling strike. Gary Chaison, a Professor of Industrial Relations at Clark University in Massachusetts, has been watching the trial. Charity asked him if there is a precedent in US labor history for what Delphi is asking.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/9/06
The Push For New CAFE Standards
Charity Nebbe

The rising cost of gasoline and new reports about the effects of global warming have turned the attention of lawmakers the subject of fuel efficiency. A bill that would revise CAFE or Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards for passenger vehicles is scheduled to be debated tomorrow by a House Committee. Charity talked with David Friedman with the Union of Concerned Scientists to find out what’s at stake.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/8/06
More Election Reform
Charity Nebbe

If you voted last week you were among an elite few. Voter turnout for the May 2nd election was very low this year in most municipalities. For example in Oakland County less than 9 percent of eligible county voters went to the polls… and whether people show up or not elections are still expensive. Representative Chris Ward, a Republican from Brighton thinks he has a solution. The House has already passed his bill that calls for school elections to be held every other year in November. Charity talked with Representative Ward about his proposal.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/8/06
Teacher Benefits Bill
Todd Mundt

House lawmakers are working on bills that supporters say could save Michigan school districts millions of dollars. The School Employees Health Benefit Act is designed to pool insurance coverage. Bills have already passed in the Senate. House Speaker Craig DeRoche spoke with Todd Mundt about the bill.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/28/06
When Work Makes You Sick
Charity Nebbe

Losing your job can be bad for your health. That's not news… we've known that for quite a while, but now we also know that worrying about losing your job can also have a serious negative impact on your physical and mental well being. Charity talked with Sarah Burgard, a Sociologist at the University of Michigan, who's been studying this impact.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/27/06
If I Am Found Dead
Charity Nebbe

More than 90,000 men from Michigan fought for the Union during the Civil War. The letters and diaries of four of those men have been collected in the new book “If I Am Found Dead: Michigan Voices From the Civil War.” Charity talked with David Lee Poremba, editor of the book.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/25/06
Turning Off the TV
Charity Nebbe

This is National Turn Off TV week… but Mitri Zainea didn’t wait for this week. He is the principal at North Muskegon Elementary School and he challenged his students to limit television and other electronic screen time during the month of March. The experiment had a surprising result. Charity asked him about it.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/24/06
Michigan's Immigrant Workforce
Charity Nebbe

The recent debate over immigration reform has highlighted a population that is easily overlooked. While politicians continue to wrangle over policy-- recent immigrants, legal and non-legal, continue to be an important and growing part of our economy. Teresa Hendricks works with the immigrant population; she is the Executive Director of the Michigan Migrant Legal Assistance Project. Charity talked with her

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/20/06
The IJC Listens to the Public
Charity Nebbe

The International Joint Commission, a US and Canadian group that oversees the implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement has been holding public hearings to get the input of individuals who care about the Great Lakes. The comments will be passed on to the US and Canadian Governments as they review the Water Quality Agreement. Charity talked to Herb Gray, the Canadian Chair of the International Joint Commission.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/19/06
Fattening TV
Charity Nebbe

Americans are fat and they’re getting fatter… and that includes our children. Researchers are working to find out what is at the root of our obesity epidemic and Julie Lumeng, a researcher at the University of Michigan Center for Human Growth and Development, believes television plays an important role. Charity talked with her

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/18/06
Reducing Mercury Pollution
Charity Nebbe

Environmental mercury has made its way into the food chain causing fish consumption advisories on every inland lake in Michigan as well as on some species found in the Great Lakes. Mercury has been linked to a number of health problems in children. Yesterday Governor Granholm announced a new initiative to reduce Mercury Emissions in the state of Michigan by 90% by 2015. The utility industry is luke-warm on the proposal, with representatives skeptical about whether or not the technology is available to make such a change. Environmental groups are very supportive of the plan. Charity talked with David Gard, Director of Energy Policy for the Michigan Environmental Council.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/17/06
Building a Better Prosthetic Leg
Charity Nebbe

Today if a person loses a leg and is fitted with a state of the art prosthetic leg chances are they will be able to walk again, but it will take more effort than it takes for an able bodied person to walk. In fact it will take 20 to 30 percent more effort. Now researchers have come up with a way to make prosthesis that take less energy. Art Kuo is one of those researchers. He’s a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan and Charity talked with him.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/14/06
The Wrong Reason to Exercise
Charity Nebbe

Have you worked out today? Planning something for after work? If you exercise… what’s your motivation? Losing weight is what motivates a lot of us, but that may not be enough to keep you going. A new study shows that women who exercise for a body shape motive, such as losing weight or wanting to become more toned, spend about 40% less time exercising than women who exercise for other reasons. Michelle Segar is a psychology researcher at the University of Michigan, and one of the people behind the study. Charity talked with her.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/11/06
When the Rivers Run Dry
Charity Nebbe

Many of us who are concerned about conserving water tend to focus on the water that’s going down the drain. We might install low flow toilets, front loading washers, and try to shorten our time in the shower, but as Fred Pearce demonstrates in his new book, “When The Rivers Run Dry,” we should be more worried about what we’re putting in our mouths. It’s food production around the world that’s leading us to an almost inevitable global water crisis. Charity talked with Fred Pearce

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/10/06
Kalamazoo?
Charity Nebbe

The new movie “Kalamazoo?” follows the adventures of three women who return to Kalamazoo for their high school reunion. The film was inspired by the experience of Kalamazoo native Joanna Clare Scott who produced and stars in the film. "Kalamazoo?" is now open in limited release in Southwest Michigan and will possibly be opening across the state in the near future. Charity talked with Joanna Clare Scott.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/29/06
Art Dispute
Charity Nebbe

“The Diggers” a painting by van Gogh has been hanging at the Detroit Institute of Art since 1970 and “Street Scene in Tahiti” has been at the Toledo Museum of Art since 1939. In 1938 both paintings were sold to art dealers by a German born Jew who was living in Paris. Now the heirs of Martha Nathan say she was pressured to sell the paintings for less than fair value and they deserve to be compensated. In January, after two years of heated negotiations with the heirs, the museums filed a federal lawsuit hoping to prove they have a legal right to the paintings. Charity talked with Mark Stryker who has been covering this story for the Detroit Free Press.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/23/06
American Sweethearts
Charity Nebbe

Nancy Drew, Gidget, and Buffy The Vampire Slayer all have a couple of things in common. They’re all teenage girls and according to Ilana Nash they all fit a stereo-type that’s been consistent in popular culture since the 1930’s. Charity talked with Nash who is the author of “American Sweetheart’s” a study of how teenage girls have been portrayed in pop culture.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/22/06
A Cure for Workaholics
Charity Nebbe

Do you find yourself staying late at the office? Going in on weekends? Bringing work home with you? Maybe you’ve postponed your vacation for a while… a couple of years, maybe you’ve even postponed retirement. You might be a workaholic and Joel Slemrod might have the cure. He is a professor of business economics and public policy at the University of Michigan and Charity talked with him.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/21/06
Cowbirds Threaten the Kirtland's Warbler
Charity Nebbe

The Kirtland’s warbler has been a success story as far as endangered species go. Michigan has successfully protected breeding grounds for the little birds and for a number of years the US Fish and Wildlife Service has run an 11-week program to trap cowbirds, a species that lays its eggs in the nests of other birds. Species like the warbler incubate the eggs and raise the cowbirds often at the expense of their own young. Now because of federal cuts the trapping program is in danger and so is the warbler. Charity talks with Jim Bull, past president of the Detroit Audubon Society, about efforts to preserve the program.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/20/06
Cargo Sweepings in the Great Lakes
Charity Nebbe

Most of us know about the damage cargo ships can do to the Great Lakes when they empty their ballast tanks, but cargo ships are impacting the environment in another way that is almost completely overlooked. It’s called cargo “sweeping” and involves ships dumping residual materials such as coal, gravel, iron ore and whatever else has collected on the ship. Every year about 2 million pounds of these “sweepings” make their way into the lakes. Federal officials have known about the dumping for nearly 20 years, but no one has done anything about it… that could be about to change. Charity talked with Mark Coscarelli, a Senior Consultant for Great Lakes and Environmental Policy at Public Sector Consultants in Lansing.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/13/06
Exploring Saturn Through Chemical Analysis
Charity Nebbe

Up until about a year and a half ago we knew almost nothing about Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, but thanks to NASA’s Cassini Mission and the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe we now know that Titan’s terrain is a lot like ours with hills, plains, dunes and riverbeds… but we also now know that on Titan the streams are liquid methane and the hills and plains are ice. Many questions remain about Titan and Saturn and Sushil Atreya is one of the people trying to answer them. He is Chemical Analyst for the Cassini Mission and Director of the University of Michigan Planetary Science Laboratory. Charity talked with him.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/2/06
Leveling the Playing Field
Charity Nebbe

It’s no secret that the Big Three Automakers are really struggling right now… Ford and GM more than Daimler Chrysler. The automakers are asking for federal help, Governor Granholm is asking for federal help and so are congressional Democrats. President Bush has ruled out a bailout, but what could the Federal Government do? Charity talked with Walter McManus, Director of the Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University of Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/28/06
Katrina Survivors in Austin, TX
Charity Nebbe

While many survivors of Hurricane Katrina are celebrating Fat Tuesday in New Orleans today, there are many other survivors from all along the Gulf Coast who are still trying to make their way back home. Gregory Button is a researcher at the University of Michigan and he’s been studying the recovery efforts of Katrina survivors for the past six months. This week he’s in Austin, Texas.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/23/06
Responding to Risk
Charity Nebbe

Right now policy makers all over the world are coming up with ways to deal with the threat of global warming. Policy makers are also dealing with the threat of global terrorism. These two threats may not have a lot in common on the surface, but we can learn something from the way we’re responding to both risks. Charity talked with Tom Dietz who is the director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program at Michigan State University.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/22/06
Michigan's Segregated Schools
Charity Nebbe

In 2002 the Harvard Civil Rights Project identified Michigan as the state with the most segregated schools in the nation. Michigan State University has followed up on the research and data from the 2004-2005 school year shows that the problem is actually getting worse. Charity talked with David Plank who is the co-director of the Education Policy Center at MSU.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/21/06
A Victory for Beachwalkers
Charity Nebbe

The US Supreme Court has decided not to consider a case that pits land owners against beach combers. Last year the State Supreme Court ruled that beach walking along the Great Lakes is a right… the area between the water and the high water mark on the shoreline is accessible to all. The Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case leaves that ruling intact. Charity talked to Lynda Oswald, a Professor of Business Law at the U of M’s Ross School of Business.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/20/06
Ed McNamara Remembered
Mundt/Lessenberry

Former Wayne County Executive Edward McNamara died Sunday of heart failure. He was 79 years old. McNamara was the mastermind behind the new midfield terminal that bears his name at Detroit Metro Airport. Michigan Radio's Senior Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry has followed McNamara's career and spoke with Todd about his legacy.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/17/06
Kellogg Turns 100
Charity Nebbe

One hundred years ago this weekend a cooking mistake in Battle Creek, Michigan changed breakfast forever. Kellogg Cereal is celebrating its one hundredth anniversary. Charity talked with Melissa Barnes, a spokesperson for Kellogg.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/16/06
Fire the Senate?
Charity Nebbe

The group Unicameral Michigan wants to do away with the State Senate. They are collecting signatures right now and if they get enough, voters in November will voting on their proposal. Chances of passage seem like a long shot right now, but a lot change between now and November. Charity talked with Susan Fino, a political scientist at Wayne State University, about the prospect.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/15/06
Is Our Water Too Clean?
Charity Nebbe

Clean drinking water is a necessity of life… but can our water be too clean? Some scientists believe it can. Charity talked with Floyd Frost, an epidemiologist at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he has been studying the impact of our efforts to make sure our water is as clean as it can be.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/14/06
Bringing Home Baby... to the Pets
Charity Nebbe

First comes love, then comes marriage… and you know the rest. A new baby means a lot of changes for moms, dads, brothers and sisters, and babies can also turn the lives of family pets upside down. A class at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Howell helps families prepare their pets for the new baby and helps keep everyone happy and safe. Charity talked to dog trainer Christie Meyer who teaches the class.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/13/06
The Science of Pleasure
Charity Nebbe

Eating a decadent piece of chocolate cake brings most of us a great deal of pleasure, now researchers have a better understanding of how pleasure works on our brain. It used to be that scientists believe the only mechanisms involved in the pleasure response were neurons that release the substance dopamine… now we know better. Charity talked with Kent Berridge, a professor of Biopsychology at the University of Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/10/06
From Foster Child to Independent Adult
Charity Nebbe

When a child comes of age at age 18 they are legally an adult, but most kids can continue to depend on their parents for advice and counsel, if not financial support for many years to come. When a foster child comes of age, usually they’re on their own. This is a problem that Detroit Free Press Columnist Rochelle Riley is challenging her readers to fix. Charity talked with her.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/8/06
Migrant State Officials
Charity Nebbe

Every spring thousands of agricultural workers migrate north to Michigan. This winter representatives of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth went south to Texas to talk to some of those workers about what services they can expect when they get here. Charity talked with Gerry Aranda of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth who has just returned from the Rio Grand Valley of Texas.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/7/06
The Start of "Something New"
Charity Nebbe

In the new movie “Something New” Kenya McQueen is a beautiful, educated, thirty-something African American executive who has everything going for her except she can’t seem to find the right man. This may sound like a Hollywood cliché… but the movie is inspired by a true story brought to light by Trevor Coleman in a column he wrote for the Detroit Free Press in 2002. Charity talked with him.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/6/06
Preventing Youth Suicide
Charity Nebbe

Suicide is the number three killer of children in Michigan. Between 1999 and 2002, 583 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 took their own lives. Many of these deaths could have been prevented and Blue Cross Blue Shield is working to raise awareness of mental health issues among young people to prevent deaths in the future. Charity talked with Dr. Beth Goldman, a medical consultant for the Blues and an adjunct clinical assistant professor at the University of Michigan School of Medicine.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/6/06
Superbowl XL Ad Review
Todd Mundt

By now it is a given if you’re not watching the Super Bowl for the game – you’re watching it for the commercials. Those 30 second blockbusters now cost $2.5 dollars. Michigan State University advertising professor Bruce Vanden Bergh joins a group of colleagues and other every year to watch the game and rate the ads. Todd asks Bruce if poor ads in recent years have hurt the game’s reputation as a magnet for blockbuster commercials.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/1/06
Dodging the Avian Flu Bullet
Charity Nebbe

The first case of avain flu has been identified in Iraq, there have been a number of cases in Turkey and countries close by are nervous. But bird flu has not made it to the United States this year and according to Dr. Howard Markel, it probably won’t. Charity talked with Dr. Markel who is a professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/31/06
Detroit "Superbowl City"
Charity Nebbe

Detroit has worked hard to get ready for Superbowl XL… but wouldn’t it be great if the effort and the pay-off continued past Superbowl Sunday? Charity talked with Michael Bernacchi, a professor of Marketing at the University of Detroit Mercy. He has an idea that could keep that Superbowl spirit alive in Detroit for many years to come.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/31/06
Evolution and Intelligent Design Discussion
Todd Mundt

The debate over evolution and intelligent design has not stopped since the court ruling in Pennsylvania late last year. Todd talks with advocates for both sides of the controversy.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/30/06
Michigan Needs Nurses
Charity Nebbe

Hospitals in the US could avoid as many as 6,700 patient deaths, 70,400 complications and 4 million days of hospital care a year if they hired more nurses. That’s according to a study from the School of Public Health at UCLA. The Michigan Nurses Association is planning on using this new information from this study in its effort to encourage legislators in Michigan to pass the Safe Patient Care package of Legislation. Charity spoke with Cheryl Johnson, President of the Michigan Nurses Association.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/27/06
Resisting Antibiotic Resistance
Charity Nebbe

Growing resistance to antibiotics is dangerous, expensive, and there is a lot we can do as individuals to slow the process down. That’s the message of the Michigan Antibiotic Resistance Reduction Coalition. Charity spoke with Mary Eley, the Executive Director of MARR.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/26/06
Self Discipline and Academic Success
Charity Nebbe

If you offer a child one dollar today, but tell them that if they wait a week you’ll give them two… the child who chooses to wait may have a lot more going for them than two dollars. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have studied the relationship between self discipline and self denial and academic success. Charity Nebbe talked to researcher Angela Duckworth about her findings.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/26/06
State of the State Analysis
Todd Mundt/Jack Lessenberry

Todd spoke with Michigan Radio's Senior Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry about Governor Granholm's State of the State address and how it sets the stage for the upcoming election year.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/26/06
2006 State of the State Address

Governor Granholm's 2006 State of the State Address. The address was broadcast live from Lansing.

Additional Resource:
The text of Governor Jennifer Granholm's 2006 address

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/25/06
State of the State: A Review of Last Year
Charity Nebbe/Jack Lessenberry

Governor Jennifer Granholm gives her fourth State of the State address tonight at 7:00. She’s expected to focus on education, jobs and health care issues… but before looking ahead Charity Nebbe talked with Jack Lessenberry, Michigan Radio’s Senior Political Analyst, about what came out of last year's speech.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/25/06
The Aerotropolis Concept
Todd Mundt

Could Detroit Metro Airport become an economic engine for southeast Michigan? In some ways, it is already. Hotels, warehouses and shipping companies locate near the airport to take advantage of it. But a University of North Carolina professor thinks it has greater potential. Professor John Kasarda met with architects and students and faculty at the University of Michigan over the weekend to brainstorm about a concept he calls the aerotropolis. Todd Mundt spoke with Professor Kasarda about what an aerotropolis is?

Additional Resource: Eighth Annual Urban Design Charette

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/24/06
State of the State Preview
Charity Nebbe

Tomorrow night Governor Jennifer Granholm will give her fourth State of the State address and her first one in an election year. Charity Nebbe spoke with Chris Christoff, Lansing Bureau Chief of the Detroit Free Press, to get a preview.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/24/06
Another Apollo Program
Jack Lessenberry

Ford Motor Company’s announcement that it will cut about 30-thousand jobs and idle fourteen facilities in North America including the Wixom plant is just the latest loss of manufacturing jobs that Michigan and the US has had to deal with. The nation has lost about 3 million manufacturing jobs since the middle of 2000. US Senator Carl Levin is urging Congress to pursue "an Apollo-type program" to help the manufacturing sector. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Senator Levin.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/23/06
Will Ford's "Way Forward" Work?
Charity Nebbe

Ford Motor Company announced the details of its “Way Forward” plan today. The “Way Forward” involves closing 14 plants and laying off up to 30,000 workers. One of the plants that will be closed is the plant in Wixom that makes the Lincoln Town Car and the Lincoln LS. Charity Nebbe spoke with Micheline Maynard who covers the auto industry for the New York Times.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/23/06
Journey to the End of the Earth
Charity Nebbe

In 2001 twelve women set out to become the first all female skiing expedition to the North Pole. Sue Carter organized Polar Trek 2001 and she has written about the adventure in the new book “Ordinary Women: An Arctic Adventure.” Charity Nebbe spoke with Sue Carter about the journey.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/23/06
It's Voting Time, Eh?
Jack Lessenberry

Today Canada is holding its second nationwide election in less than seven months. Canada has 4 major parties. And the Liberal Party has been in power since 1993. But polls now show that the Conservative party, led by Stephen Harper, is running well ahead of the Liberal Party led by Prime Minister Paul Martin. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with John Coleman of the Windsor Star about what may happen – and what this might mean for us.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/20/06
Michigan's Minimum Wage
Charity Nebbe

Michigan’s minimum wage is $5.15 hour, but there’s a good chance that’s going to change in the next year, in one way or another. The legislature could approve an increase, but if they don’t odds are pretty good there will be a ballot proposal and voters will have their say. Charity Nebbe spoke with Craig Ruff, a Senior Policy Fellow at Public Sector Consultants, about the future of Michigan's minimum wage.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/20/06
The Future of Assisted Suicide
Jack Lessenberry

The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week rejected an attempt by the Bush Administration to overturn Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act. The act allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of prescription drugs for terminally ill patients. Physician-assisted suicide became a high-profile issue in Michigan in 1990. That’s when Dr. Jack Kevorkian began publicly helping people die. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Dr. Stanely Levy. He’s both a friend of Dr. Kevorkian’s and his personal physician. Levy was also a member of a group of doctors called Physicians For Mercy that supported Kevorkian’s work.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/19/06
Ballot Proposals Galore
Charity Nebbe

The ballot Michigan voters encounter this November could be a long one. So far there are nine ballot proposals under discussion and the election is still a long way off. Charity Nebbe talked with Mike Traugott, a political scientist at the University of Michigan, about the proliferation of ballot proposals.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/19/06
Bill Ballenger on Going Part-Time
Jack Lessenberry

Most states manage to get along with a part-time legislature, and many of those don’t pay their lawmakers very much. Alabama legislators, for example, get ten dollars a day. Indiana lawmakers get $11,600 a year. But Michigan has a full-time legislature whose members make nearly $80,000 a year. Only California pays its lawmakers more. From time to time, there have been rumblings about returning Michigan’s legislature to part-time status. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry called up Bill Ballenger to get his take on the issue. He is the editor and publisher of Inside Michigan Politics and a former state senator.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/18/06
Kary Moss on Stopping Domestic Spying
Jack Lessenberry

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Detroit against the National Security Agency seeking to stop its secret electronic surveillance of Americans. The national ACLU was joined in the lawsuit by a number of other prominent groups and writers. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Kary Moss the Executive Director of the ACLU of Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/17/06
Mike Flanagan Pushes for Reading, Writing, and Algebra
Jack Lessenberry

The State Superintendent of Schools shook up the education establishment last fall when he called for much stiffer statewide requirements to earn a high school diploma in Michigan. Currently, all the state requires is one semester of civics. Mike Flanagan wants the state legislature to change that to include four years of math including Algebra and Algebra 2; four years of English, three of social studies and two of world languages. As well as a year of physical education and arts. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with State Superintendent Mike Flanagan about his proposal for higher standards.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/16/06
JoAnn Watson Remembers The Dream and The Action
Jack Lessenberry

Before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, made his famous I Have a Dream speech in Washington, he led a march down Woodward Avenue in Detroit where he gave a first version of that speech. JoAnn Watson was there. At the time she was 12 years old. She grew up to be the first woman to lead the Detroit branch of the NAACP – the largest branch in the nation. And she is on the Detroit City Council. Thirteen years ago, Watson organized a 30th anniversary reenactment of that march. Jack Lessenberry spoke with JoAnn Watson about why she works to help keep King’s legacy alive.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/13/06
Cutting Taxes to Retain Residents
Charity Nebbe

Last week Governor Granholm signed a bill that would allow Detroit and other urban areas around the state to cut property tax rates for some homeowners. It is an expansion of the Neighborhood Enterprise Zone Act first approved in 1992. The act originally only allowed tax abatements for new and rehabilitated housing… now it can be applied to more established neighborhoods. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick thinks this might be the key to revitalizing the city, but other urban mayors are less enthusiastic. Charity Nebbe talked with Michigan State University Economist Charles Ballard about the tax breaks.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/13/06
John Cherry Grades His Commission's Progress
Jack Lessenberry

Two years ago, the governor chartered a study on higher education in Michigan. Formally called the Commission on Higher Education and Economic Growth, it became known as the Cherry Commission after its chair, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry. A little over a year ago, the Commission released its final report. Essentially, it said the state of Michigan was slipping economically in part because it isn’t keeping pace with neighboring and competing states in terms of higher education. The report called for a doubling of the number of residents who earn college degrees in the next ten years. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with John Cherry to see how things are going.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/12/06
Winter Getaways
Charity Nebbe

Many of us have a long weekend coming up and this is traditionally a time when many of us would be taking advantage of winter sports opportunities, but winter seems to have temporarily deserted us, so Charity Nebbe turned to travel writer Jim Dufresne for some advice on what to do this weekend. Jim Dufresne is the author of "Michigan Off The Beaten Path" and many other books.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/12/06
Mike Cox: The State's Chief Lawyer
Jack Lessenberry

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox made history three years ago when he became the first Republican in half a century to be elected attorney general in what was one of the closest races in Michigan history. He has made collecting money from deadbeat parents and identity theft two of his top priorities. But news headlines about him turned bruising and bizarre after he went after attorney Geoffrey Fieger for alleged campaign violations. The attorney general accused Mr. Fieger of seeking to blackmail him over an affair; Fieger denied the charges. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry took the high road and spoke with him about other issues.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/11/06
The Big Three at the Auto Show
Charity Nebbe

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit opens to the public on Saturday, but the press have already come and gone. Charity Nebbe spoke to Csaba Csere, the editor in Chief of Car and Driver, to get his impressions.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/11/06
What DeVos Would Do
Jack Lessenberry

Normally, there are two races for governor in Michigan. The primary contest and then the general election. This year it appears that neither party will have a primary. Governor Granholm has no opposition on the Democratic side, and the Republicans have agreed on Dick DeVos as their candidate. DeVos is a Grand Rapids native and the former chairman of Alticor, a company founded by his family which most people still call by its original name, Amway. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Dick DeVos about his ideas for the state.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/10/06
The Year Ahead in Lansing
Charity Nebbe

Right before the state legislature adjourned for 2005 the big topics were welfare reform and restructuring of business taxes… now they’re back and the big topics on the table are welfare reform and restructuring business taxes. Charity Nebbe talked with Chris Christoff, Lansing Bureau Chief for the Detroit Free Press, about the year to come in Lansing.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/10/06
Oakland County's Relationship with Detroit
Jack Lessenberry

For many across Michigan, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is symbolic of the city of Detroit. But for many more people, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has been symbolic of the suburbs. Since 1992, he’s been Oakland County executive. Relations between Detroit and Oakland county have been rocky over the years. Patterson was famous for his almost legendary feuds with Detroit Mayor Coleman Young. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with him about the relationship between Oakland County and Detroit.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/9/06
Movin' Out
Charity Nebbe

How do you know what kind of shape a state is in? You could look at economic data, census data, you could take a poll… or you could ask United Van Lines. The nation’s largest household mover has just released a report that shows that Michigan ranks second in the percentage of its customers moving out of state. Charity Nebbe asked demographer Kurt Metzger with the United Way of Southeast Michigan about the relevance of the report.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/9/06
What's Happening in the Legislature
Jack Lessenberry

This week, The Michigan Legislature convenes for the first time this year. The past few years have been bruising for the state, with economic woes and a perennial state budget crisis. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with House Speaker Craig DeRoche of Novi about what his goals are for this legislative session.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/9/06
Open Source and the Wikipedia Controversy
Todd Mundt

The online encyclopedia Wikipedia recently came under scrutiny. An entry on the journalist John Siegenthaler contained erroneous information. The error prompted concerns about whether users could trust the information in Wikipedia or other online resources. Clifford Lampe is a professor at Michigan State University. He studies open source collaborations on the Internet, including efforts like Wikipedia. Todd talks with Cliff about what this controversy says about open source in general, wikipedia and other kinds of open source on the internet?

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/6/06
Four Legged Katrina Survivors
Charity Nebbe

While many people around the state were helping out the human survivors of Hurricane Katrina, the Humane Society of Kent County turned their attention to the four legged survivors. Now some of the animals who made their way to Michigan are looking for new homes. The Humane Society is holding a Katrina Survivor Adoption Day at Woodland Veterinary Clinic in Grand Rapids tomorrow from 2-6pm. Charity Nebbe spoke with Karen Terpstra, Executive Director of the Humane Society.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/6/06
Found Money
Jack Lessenberry

There was an unexpected piece of good news this week. For years the state has continually found itself with less money than it planned on. Now state officials say there was a surplus of almost $320 million in the treasury for the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. To find out what’s going on Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry called up someone who knows Michigan’s finances. Tom Clay is with the non-partisan and non-profit Citizens Research Council; before that he spent many years as director of the state budget offices under both Republican and Democratic governors.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/6/06
Northwest Airlines Plans New Carrier
Todd Mundt

Bankrupt Northwest Airlines announced that it wants to launch a new regional airline flying from their hub cities to medium-sized markets. Northwest officials say operating smaller planes in these markets is key to their growth. Airline expert Joe Brancatelli joins Todd to look at what Northwest has planned.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/5/06
The Next Four Years for Kwame Kilpatrick
Charity Nebbe

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took the oath of office for his second term today. After a tumultuous first term and a contentious campaign the mayor started his second term with a little less swagger and flash than he started with the first time. Charity Nebbe spoke with Michigan Radio Senior Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry about the next four years in Detroit.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/5/06
Intelligence Matters
Jack Lessenberry

Washington has been shaken by revelations that President Bush had authorized the National Security Agency to conduct intercepts of international phone calls. The New York Times also reported that the N-S-A monitored phone calls and e-mails inside the U-S. The law specifies that the government is supposed to go to a special secret court for a warrant. But President Bush did not. And some are saying this was “a potentially impeachable offense.” Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Congressman Peter Hoekstra about the matter. He’s the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a Republican from Holland.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/5/06
Michigan's Election Year
Jack Lessenberry/Todd Mundt

2006 will be a big political year for Michigan. We will vote for governor, a U.S. senator and state legislators. Michigan Radio's Senior Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry talks with Todd about these important races.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/4/06
Michigan's Energy Future
Charity Nebbe

You may feel like you’re facing an energy crisis every time you open your heating bills this winter, but according the Michigan Public Service Commission the state will be facing a genuine energy crunch in the near future. Charity Nebbe spoke with Peter Lark, Chairman of the Michigan Public Service Commission.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/4/06
A Religious Scientist Congressman
Jack Lessenberry

The controversy over whether intelligent design should be taught as an alternative to evolution in public schools has resurrected an old controversy in America – science vs. religion. That controversy could come to a head in Michigan soon. The Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor is threatening to sue the Gull Lake Michigan Community Schools over its policy that "intelligent design'' can't be taught as part of science classes. Congressman Vern Ehlers may see this issue from a nearly unique perspective. He’s a Republican from Grand Rapids and he is a religious man… the son of a Christian Reform minister. He is also a scientist – one of only two members of Congress to have a PhD in physics. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with him recently about his views on the issue.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/3/06
Northwest's Striking Mechanics Soldier On
Charity Nebbe

Mechanics for Northwest Airlines went on strike in August… the strike continues and last week the union turned down an offer of severance pay from the airline. No more talks are planned. Northwest has continued flying an uninterrupted schedule with replacement workers and any other kind of offer from the airline seems unlikely. Charity Nebbe spoke with Richard Block a professor of labor and industrial relations at Michigan State University.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/2/06
Dr. Death's Sentence
Jack Lessenberry
Last month the Michigan Parole Board voted 7 to 2 to recommend that Jack Kevorkian stay in prison. The parole board wants the Governor deny a request to pardon or commute his sentence. Kevorkian’s attorney, Mayer Morgenroth, says Kevorkian’s health is poor and he’s worried that he might not live until he is eligible for parole in 2007. Michigan Radio’s Jack Lessenberry spoke with Attorney Mayer Morgenroth…he also goes by Mike.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/15/05
Keith Taylor Picks the Best Michigan Books of the Year
Charity Nebbe

The other day book reviewer Alan Cheuse made his picks for the best books to give this holiday season… now today book reviewer Keith Taylor has his picks for the best work from Michigan authors. Keith Taylor is a writer and the director of the Undergraduate Creative Writing Program at the University of Michigan. His picks this year are in fiction The Lake, the River and the Other Lake by Steve Amick, non-fiction Melville: His World and Work by Andrew Delbanco, and in poetry Refusing Heaven by Jack Gilbert.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/14/05
The Santa Claus Girls are Coming to Town
Charity Nebbe

In 1908 the Santa Claus Girls charitable organization was founded in Grand Rapids. The group was the idea of Arianna VanDoorn who was the assistant to the pastor of Park Congregational Church. Her goal was simple; to make sure that all the boys and girls in Grand Rapids received something for Christmas. That first year they gave gifts to 150 children. Ninety seven years later the goal of The Santa Claus Girls remains the same. Now sponsored by the Grand Rapids Press the group expects to give gifts to 11,000 children in Kent County. Sixty years ago Dawn Guppy was one of the children who received a present from The Santa Claus Girls.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/12/05
Seeing the World Through Culture Colored Glasses
Charity Nebbe

We all know that where you come from can influence how you think about the world, but new research shows us that people from different countries literally see the world in different ways. Richard Nisbett is a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan and he has proven this by studying graduate students from China and the United States.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/8/05
Giving Sperm Cells Directions
Charity Nebbe

The point of fertility treatments is to help a sperm cell meet an egg cell. Now a team of doctors and engineers at the University of Michigan has found a new way to help the sperm reach its goal. Gary Smith is a Professor and Researcher in the University of Michigan’s Reproductive Sciences Program.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/6/05
Why Women are Leaving the Workforce
Charity Nebbe

Recently a number of media outlets have reported that educated women are opting out of the work force when they become mothers. This theory seemed to be supported by the fact that the percentage of American women in the work force has been declining, but according to a new study that decline is not the result of women choosing to stay home. Heather Boushey is a researcher with The Center for Economic and Policy Research and the author of the study.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

12/2/05
Searching for the Missing of Former Yugoslavia
Charity Nebbe

The war in the former Yugoslavia has been over for ten years, but there are still more than 20,000 people classified as missing. In an effort to identify the remains of victims of the conflict the International Commission on Missing Persons, or ICMP, is collecting blood samples from Balkan refugees living in the United States. They will be in Grand Rapids this weekend. Doune Porter is the head of communications for the ICMP.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

11/23/05
Thanksgiving on the Gulf Coast
Charity Nebbe

Many lives disrupted by Hurricane Katrina are still far from back to normal. Following the storm University of Michigan Adjunct Professor Gregory Button traveled to Texas to interview New Orleans evacuees to find out if their needs were being met. Now Button is continuing his research, talking to Gulf Coast residents as they return to their homes and work to rebuild their lives.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

11/09/05
Teaching to the Test
Charity Nebbe
Teachers in Michigan are under a lot of pressure to prepare their students to pass standardized tests. Many teachers find themselves teaching to the test. Nancy Patterson is a professor of English at Grand Valley State University. She is concerned that the formulaic writing being taught is stifling the creativity of students.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/22/05
Northwest strike update
Bill Poorman
Northwest Airlines says its operations are carrying on normally on this, the third day of a strike by its unionized mechanics and plane cleaners. Union representatives, meanwhile, say Northwest is using a variety of tactics to make the situation appear better than it really is. Today was considered a full test of the airline's plan to keep flying with replacement mechanics and managers filling in for union workers. Bill Poorman has more.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/22/05
Northwest strike: Monday morning
Todd Mundt
This is the third day of a strike by unionized mechanics and plane cleaners at Northwest Airlines. It's the first day the airline will try to keep to a normal schedule with replacement workers and managers filling in. Todd Mundt spoke with analyst Joe Brancatelli, who runs the travel web site "Joesentme.com," about the strike's effect on Northwest during the weekend.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/4/05
Detroit Newspapers Change Hands
Todd Mundt
Detroit's two newspapers are getting new owners. The three-way deal involves Gannett and Knight-Ridder and a new player in the Detroit newspaper business - MediaNews. The Joint Operating Agreement between the two papers will remain, even as the players are changing. Metro Times columnist and Michigan Radio political analyst Jack Lessenberry joins Todd. Jack was an editor at the News when the Joint Operating Agreement was created in 1989. Knight-Ridder has owned the Free Press for 65 years... why is it leaving Detroit?

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

8/3/05
Two Candidates Emerge In Detroit
Todd Mundt
Detroit's mayor has finished second in the primary election for a second 4-year term.,  Kwame Kilpatrick came in behind ex-Deputy Mayor Freman Hendrix in yesterday's primary election.  The two will face off in the November 8th general election.  Metro Times columnist and Michigan Radio political analyst Jack Lessenberry joins Todd to discuss the outcome.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

7/12/05
Detroit hosts the MLB All-Star Game
Bill Poorman
Detroit hosts the Major League Baseball All-Star Game tonight. It's the first All-Star Game for the city since 1971, the first in Comerica Park, and the first of two high-profile professional sports games for downtown Detroit in the next few months. The Super Bowl is coming next year. City leaders are counting on the positive economic impact from these major events, and they're also hoping to put a bit of a shine on Detroit, as well. Bill Poorman talks with Michael Bernacchi, a marketing professor at the University of Detroit-Mercy, about the impact of the game.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/20/05
Housing construction boom in Ann Arbor area
Bill Poorman
Areas across the country and some parts of Michigan are experiencing a housing construction boom. The Ann Arbor News is running a series all this week looking at construction in the Ann Arbor area called "Building Homes, Changing Lives". Bill Poorman speaks with Mary McDonough of the News about the series.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/13/05
University of Michigan's president travels to China
Bill Poorman
This coming weekend, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman will travel to China with a group of U of M officials. They'll have a variety of meetings, including with four universities in the country. Michigan Radio's Bill Poorman interviewed President Coleman about the trip, and began by asking her why she's visiting with those four schools.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/2/05
U.S. Senator Carl Levin on the politics of climate change
Bill Poorman
Starting this evening, a number of business and environmental leaders will gather at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan for a conference on global climate change. The idea is to look for ways to move conversations about global warming beyond just the environmental movement, and make it part of talks about global trade, energy policy, and national security. U.S. Senator Carl Levin of Michigan is the keynote speaker. He’s expected to discuss federal action on climate change. Senator Levin says he doesn’t expect to see much action from the energy bill that Congress is considering right now…

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

6/1/05
An update on Great Lakes water levels
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman talks with Cynthia Sellinger,a hydrologist with the Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab in Ann Arbor. It's part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Sellinger says Lakes Michigan, Huron, and St. Clair are still below the long-term average water level. Bill begins by asking why that is...

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/27/05
Interview with the Author of W Is for Wind
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman talks with Pat Michaels, author of W Is for Wind, a children's alphabet book focusing on the weather.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/13/05
100th Anniversary of MDOT
Bill Poorman
Michigan Radio's Bill Poorman talks to Kirk Steudle, the chief deputy director of the Michigan Department of Transportation, about the 100th anniversary of the agency. The interview begins with how MDOT got started.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

5/12/05
Kalamazoo Animation Festival
Bill Poorman

Bill Poorman takes a look at the third Kalamazoo Animation Festival. He speaks with the director and a few of the participants and we hear some of this year's films.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)


Web extra: More of Bill's interview with animator/creator Bill Plympton.
Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

A few links to find more information on the Kalamazoo Animation Festival:
Kalamazoo Animation Festival International
Bill Plympton's web site
Joe Spark's web site

5/4/05
Higher Education: Does Michigan Have A Future Call-in Show
Jack Lessenberry
We discuss the social and economic impacts of doubling the number of college graduates in the state. We discuss how to pay for an increased commitment to education, what the graduation goal might mean for elementary and secondary education, and ways to attract business to Michigan’s more educated workforce.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/29/05
Jerry White of the Land Mine Survivors Network
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman talks with the executive director and co-founder of the Land Mine Survivors Network about his graduation from the University of Michigan with an MBA, running a worldwide non-profit organization, and the next step in controlling land mines.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/27/05
Unemployment in Michigan - Part 2
Bill Poorman
In the second of two parts, Bill Poorman talks with Michigan State University economist Charlie Ballard about the state's unemployment situation.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/26/05
Unemployment in Michigan - Part 1
Bill Poorman
In the first of two parts, Bill Poorman talks with Michigan State University economist Charlie Ballard about what the state's unemployment numbers really mean.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/21/05
Venture Michigan Fund
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman speaks with State Treasurer Jay Rising about the new Venture Michigan Fund, a new state program designed to help bolster the venture capital industry in the state.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/11/05
Just what does the state superintendent do anyway?
Bill Poorman
As the state continues its search for a new state superintendent of schools, Bill Poorman talks with David Plank, co-director of Michigan State University's Education Policy Center, about the role of the superintendent in the education of Michigan's children.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/11/05
The Difference Between a Tornado Warning and a Tornado Watch
Bill Poorman
As springtime weather begins, Bill Poorman talks with George Wetzel of the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids about the frequency of tornados in Michigan and the difference between the weather alerts the NWS puts out.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/1/05
The State of the Auto Industry
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman speaks with Michael Flynn of the University of Michigan's Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation about the future of GM and the state of auto sales in the industry.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/31/05
The Future of the Small Tech Industry in Michigan
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman speaks with Rick Snyder, founder and chief executive of Ardesta LLC, a firm that focuses on developing the micro- and nanotechnology industries in Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/14/05
Flint Political Update
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman speaks with Flint Journal city reporter Chris Machniak about the current political situation in the city.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)


3/8/05
Taxes in Michigan
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman with James Hines, research director for the Office of Tax Policy Research at the University of Michigan.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)


3/3/05
State Economic Development
Bill Poorman
Bill Poorman with Don Jakeway, the president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/25/05
Movers and Seekers
Charity Nebbe
Chances are you live in Michigan, but you have roots somewhere else. At a time in the past you or one of your ancestors moved here. As Charity Nebbe reports, a new exhibit at the Michigan Historical Museum takes a look at the experiences, dreams and challenges of people who came to Michigan in the 20th century.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/11/05
New MSU President
Bill Poorman
Michigan State University is celebrating its 150th Anniversary today. Michigan State has a new president as well. Today, Lou Anna Simon will officially become the 20th president of MSU. She will be the first woman in that role. Before becoming preident she had been the provost, or top academic officer, at Michigan State for 10 years. President Simon spoke with Bill Poorman about her plans for the University.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/9/05
Emmett Carson Interview
Bill Poorman
The support provided by foundations plays a vital role in many enterprises,especially not-for profits, and public radio in particular.  Emmett Carson is the president and ceo of The Minneapolis Foundation, a foundation that serves Minnesota.  He's also a recognized author and scholar about philanthropy and foundations.  Dr. Carson was in Ann Arbor yesterday to speak at an event held by the Nonprofit & Public Management Center at the University of Michigan on the role of foundations in supporting the ideas of Martin Luther King, Junior.  Bill Poorman spoke with Emmet Carson about his ideas.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/8/05
2005 State of the State Address
MPRN
Governor Jennifer Granholm gives her third State of the State Address in Lansing. She outlines her goals for the new year and recaps where the state is for legislators at the Capitol.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/21/05
Home Economics
Bill Poorman
During his second inaugural address yesterday, President Bush renewed his call for a so-called ownership society. He wants people to take more direct responsibility for a variety of aspects of life - from investing and retirement to health care and insurance. Now, you might be certified financial planner or a corporate benefits manager. But how do the rest of us figure out how to make these increasingly complex choices? As Bill Poorman reports, it might be time for a new emphasis on a field many of us probably have thought little about since high school - home ec.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

11/22/04
Healthcare and the Uninsured
Todd Mundt
Millions of people in the US don't have health insurance. One way or another we are all paying the price. Depending on how you count it, between 44 million & 60 million people don't have medical coverage at any given time. What does this mean for all of us? We'll talk about the roots of this problem and how its effecting families, businesses, and even the health care services insured people can get. This special call-in was hosted by Todd Mundt with guests University fo Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Health Economist Catherine McLaughlin.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

10/26/04
Proposal 2 Statewide Call-in Special
Charity Nebbe
Michigan Law defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. On November 2nd Michigan voters will decide if that definition of marriage should also be in the state constitution.  We'll explore Proposal 2 and take your questions during a special call-in show.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

9/27/04
Dr. William Thomas on Nursing Homes
Todd Mundt
Long-term care specialists are meeting in Lansing today and tomorrow. Among the speakers will be Dr. William Thomas. He's the originator of a concept called "Eden Alternative." About three dozen nursing homes use the concept, which is designed to improve quality of life and reduce staff turnover. I talked to Doctor Thomas about nursing home care. Dr. Thomas is the author of "What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save The World."

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

4/21/04
Special State Call-in: Universities And The Future
Todd Mundt
Michigan's public universities are trying to figure out how to do it all - with less. Funding from the state has been cut, but the pressure is still on to educate our kids, provide jobs, and improve life in the communities they're in. Todd Mundt talked with University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Grand Valley State University President Mark Murray about public universities in a time of economic uncertainty.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

3/11/04
An interview with Madeleine Albright
Bill Poorman
Madeleine Albright is someone with a unique perspective on world events. Albright was Secretary of State in the Clinton Administration, dealing with many of the issues that are still important in the world today – from the Middle East to Haiti. Secretary Albright is in Ann Arbor this week, where she’s a distinguished fellow at the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan Business School. Bill Poorman spoke to her at the U of M Law School and asked her what she makes of the current US approach to diplomacy and to the world community.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

2/24/04
Brown vs Board of Education Call-in Special: Segregation Today
Todd Mundt
In 1954, the Supreme Court's Brown versus Board of Education decision outlawed school segregation. But fifty years later, the white kids and the black kids in our nation's classrooms are still apart. Todd Mundt talks with William T. Trent, a Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Sociology at University of Illinois, Urbana and Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. She is author of "Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?" They discuss how far we've come since the court's decision and how far we still need to go.

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

1/13/04
Jim Garrison, "America as Empire: Global Leader or Rogue Power?"
Todd Mundt
Writers, journalists and political scientists have been weighing in on Iraq and the Bush Administration’s policy of pre-emption. Many writers focus on what they say are actions that have turned world opinion against America. Author Jim Garrison notes that perception. America is the sole superpower, he writes, and Americans need to understand and accept the role of global police officer that comes with it. But Garrison says America must use its power to strengthen international institutions. In his book, “America As Empire,” he writes that from the beginning, America has seen a role for itself in the world. (This is an extended version of the broadcast interview.)

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)

11/25/03
University Presidents' Call-in
The state of Michigan has $920 million dollar deficit. The governor says spending has to be cut. These budget cuts will impact everyone including the state's higher education system. Todd Mundt talks with University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman and Michigan State University President Peter McPherson about the budget and the Universities:

Hear Audio Story (requires Real Player)