Spectrum

President Donald Trump is obsessed with and enraged by Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” book that describes Trump and the West Wing in most unflattering terms, according to Philip Elliott, a Washington correspondent for TIME. The President can’t let it go. It has consumed more than a week of Trump’s time and the ire doesn’t seem to be abating, according to Elliott. The book also has uncovered a significant split between Trump and his once top political strategist Steve Bannon. Bannon was the named source on numerous unflattering depictions of Trump and his family members. Meanwhile, as controversy over the book swirls, President Trump is advancing an “unsettling” foreign policy with provocative nuclear Tweets directed toward North Korea, cutting off some aid to Pakistan, designating Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and jumping to the verbal support of Iranian protestors. Simultaneously, his State Department is gravely understaffed and morale is at rock bottom, says Elliott. If this was not enough controver

Robert Siegel came to Washington D.C. from New York City’s FM Radio scene some 41 years ago. He thought his transition to Washington was temporary and soon he would be back in the New York scene. Then, he discovered a fledgling National Public Radio. He joined a group of pioneering young reporters, journalists and broadcasters who thought audio storytelling was important and limitless in its possibilities. In short, he never returned to his New York roots. Instead, he flourished professionally and grew as NPR grew. Thirty years ago, he became one of the hosts of NPR’s afternoon news and talk show “All Thing Considered.” It was a position that he would not relinquish for three decades. Last Friday, on Jan. 5th, Siegel retired from his broadcasting position. Shortly before he signed off, Spectrum special correspondent Emily Votaw had the opportunity to speak with him about his career at NPR and in broadcasting. We bring you this special edition of Spectrum to share with you part of Siegel’s farewell to his

Remember being taught to read through Dick, Jane, and Spot the dog along with Puff the cat, Tim the teddy bear and Sally the baby sister. The Dick and Jane reading series began in the 1930’s and the books were published up until the 1970’s. In the 1960’s the books went through a renaissance to match the changing times. The art work was modernized. An African-American family was added to the storyline and the books became less sight based and more phonics based in teaching reading. Leading that quiet revolution was Dr. Helen Mansfield Robinson. She was born in Athens, Ohio in 1906 and became an Ohio University graduate in 1926. She married and reared a family and received her doctorate in Chicago in the 1940’s. From there she became a noted researcher, scholar and nationally recognized expert on teaching reading to children. Her contributions were stellar in combatting illiteracy and bringing the joy of reading to the masses. This week, Kimberly Barlag the Director of Communication for the Gladys W. and Davi

Some of you love politics… But, don’t you get really tired of all the partisan wrangling, name-calling and finger pointing by our politicians? The two parties usually can’t agree on the day of the week and the nastiness of their verbal exchanges is at an all-time high. One result of this political vitriol is that little gets done in Congress and in many state legislatures and our trust in public figures is plummeting. However, one retired politician is trying to erase the nastiness and re-establish CIVILITY in our public debate. Ted Celeste is a former state representative from Ohio. He served in the Ohio General Assembly from 2007 to 2012. But, he’s now director of State Programs for the National Institute for Civil Discourse – a non-partisan center for advocacy, research and policy. He leads the next generation project and travels the country doing legislative training called “Building Trust through Civil Discourse.” He has traveled to 22 different states trying to train state legislators and thei

Recently, President Donald Trump announced that he was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The act received widespread bi-partisan Congressional support and kudos from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the announcement was met by Palestinian condemnation and by protests from some U.S. European allies such as France and other leaders in the Middle East. Protest demonstrations have raged throughout the region accounting for widespread injuries and some violent confrontations with police, according to news reports. Dr. Ziad Abu-Rish, an expert in modern Middle East History, Social Movements and Popular Protests and U.S. Middle Eastern policy, also directs the Middle East and North Africa Studies certificate program at Ohio University. He explains to the “Spectrum Podcast” the impact of Trump’s move on the region and how it alters an American policy that had been in place for 70 years. It also disturbs the delicate political balance in the area. He is convinced that the Trump action

On December 14, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote to rescind a 2015 regulation that would end “net neutrality”. Opponents of this action say it will consolidate too much power over the Internet into the hands of a few large broadband providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon and cable companies. If passed, the high speed Internet providers would be allowed to block certain websites (at their discretion) and “throttle” (slow delivery) content for others. The large broadband companies then could charge a premium to content providers to ensure faster service and delivery of content to customers. Those additional charges would be passed along to consumers, according to Dr. Trevor Roycroft, an economist, and expert on consumer issues in telecommunication. Dr. Roycroft is a professor in the J. Warren McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems at Ohio University. Also, not every Internet user would have equal access to legal and legitimate websites. Some may b

“Philanthropologist” is a word created by two filmmakers Craig Martin and Earl Bridges. It is a combination of “philanthropist” and “anthropologist.” It also describes what these two filmmakers do. They share stories from around the globe of those sacrificing to serve others. Martin and Bridges are philanthropologists with cameras and microphones. They travel the world documenting stories of humans making a difference…solving problems and seeking solutions for the betterment of humankind. Their storytelling will soon come your way in a new PBS docuseries called “Good All Over” scheduled to air in June 2018. The first four shows are currently in the post-production stage. They also soon will be launching a new podcast called “Philanthropologist” to tell stories through audio. Both Bridges and Martin started out together as children of missionaries in Thailand. They even played basketball together on a team there. However, their paths split with Bridges getting an undergraduate degree in accounting and mas

The pomp, pageantry, and elaborate ceremonies honoring President Donald Trump on his recent Far East trip met the White House expectations for presidential optics and the perception of exalting the U.S. President. However, many observers wonder if President Trump actually made much headway in negotiating new trade agreements or getting additional help in solving the N. Korean nuclear issue, according to Phillip Ewing, national security editor for National Public Radio. Additionally, the magnitude of the trip has been minimized somewhat with the Twitter skirmish Pres. Trump has had with the father of one of the three UCLA basketball players released after shoplifting arrests in China. The battle over who should receive credit for their release has somewhat overshadowed the foreign policy ramifications of the trip, Ewing says. Ewing also notes that current criticism of the President and some of his advisors by a rather substantial number of retired Generals is unprecedented in its volume and ferocity. Simultan

Dr. Mario Grijalva is a molecular cell biologist who has focused his career on helping to eradicate Chagas disease – especially in South America. This bug, the Trypanosoma Cruzi parasite, exists only within certain parts of Latin America, and has caused havoc in most countries in the region. The parasites causing Chagas can be transmitted by certain insect bites. The parasites also can be transferred congenitally and through blood transfusions. Most of the people infected do not know of the existence of the parasite for 5 to 20 years. Then they develop defective heart symptoms that can often prove fatal. Professor Mario Grijalva, director of the Tropical Disease Institute at Ohio University, he has spent his lifetime career researching and finding ways to curb the disease. Ecuador, his native land, is a country that exists on the equator on the South American continent. As the name suggests, it is a country straddling the equator on South America's West Coast. It is a tropical country with a diverse l

While traveling on Air Force One this week in Asia, President Trump lamented the fact that Russia’s Vladimir Putin is insulted by United States accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 Presidential election. Trump contended that Putin’s bruised feelings would prevent him from making “deals” with the US concerning Syria and North Korea. The President also referred to former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former C.I.A. Director John O. Brennan as “political hacks” and that the investigation into Russian meddling is an “artificial Democratic hit job.” The next day, Pres. Trump adjusted his comments to say that he was not supporting the views of Putin but was instead just acknowledging his beliefs. This latest “dust-up” again brings to focus the tenuous relationship between the U.S. and Russia and the strange relationship between the country’s two leaders. To put this ongoing relationship into focus, Spectrum podcast talked with international expert and specialist in Russia/Soviet and East

North Carolina Science Now is a statewide public television series that also is multimedia. It explains scientific discoveries, research, and principles using ordinary language that is understandable. Not only are the stories long-form news features on UNC-TV but they truly are multimedia. Frank Graff, a veteran of more than two decades of local television news in at least seven different cities, in 2012 turned his sole focus to explaining science in a factual but interesting and entertaining way. He acts as reporter and producer. In addition to the television piece, http://science.unctv.org/content/ provides a blog about the stories, additional reference materials, and sometimes animations. Graff also has teamed with an experienced educational professional and, together, they also produce model curricula that can be used by teachers to teach a 15 minute unit on the subject contained in each story. North Carolina is a very diverse state scientifically with mountains in the west and the Atlantic Ocean on it

After two 12 count indictments were issued against former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, a guilty plea of a Trump Campaign security advisor was unveiled on Monday. Washington DC was buzzing with strategizing, gossiping, and worrying. George Papadopolous, part of the Trump Security Group, admitted to communicating with Russians who promised Hillary Clinton’s emails after he initially lied about it to the FBI. It also was verified by court papers that Papadopolous had been involved in “proactive cooperation” with the FBI since July 2017. This put Russian involvement into the middle of the Trump campaign as the President continued to tweet that there was “no collusion.” Special Counsel Robert Mueller had struck his first visible blow. Speculation now runs rampant as to what will come next and what political and legal positions should be taken in anticipation of Mueller’s next step. Philip Elliott, Washington correspondent for TIME, described to Spectrum the current positions of

Each stage of a career-early, mid-career, and retirement bring unique problems and issues that are addressed specifically by career consultant Beverly Jones. Jones is an attorney, an executive coach, an author, a blogger and a podcaster. She works with people at all stages of their careers to help them traverse the ever-changing landscapes of the workplace. Beverly is the author of the book Think Like an Entrepreneur Act Like a CEO – 50 Indispensable Tips to Help you Stay Afloat, Bounce Back and Get Ahead at Work and she hosts the podcast Jazzed About Work, available through Apple Podcasts, Google Play and on the NPR Podcast Directory. Often she advises millennials just entering the workplace about when it’s time to move from one job to the next and how not to sacrifice a private life for a career. She also gives tips on networking – what it is and what it should never be. For those in the mid-career doldrums, she suggests that they find a new challenge either in private life or on-the-job…something new to

JJ DiGeronimo is President of Tech Savvy Women. She is a speaker, an award-winning author and an executive strategist. And, she is a strong proponent of women actively pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). DiGeronimo charted her own course in Silicon Valley after determining that a career in STEM was her ambition. However, she has left the tech world as an employee and now she owns her own company leading other women through the employment maze of STEM. She notes that women and men approach careers differently and have different career expectations. They even approach resumes differently, according to DiGeronimo. Men tend to be more direct and metric based whereas women tend to generalize, she says. Recently, DiGeronimo released a new book “Accelerate Your Impact,” which is directed towards women in the workplace. The book has earned the Next Generation Indie Book Award. Her latest book meshes with her 2011 book “The Working Woman’s GPS.” In addition to authoring bo

Lidia Catalano is a multimedia journalist from Turin, Italy visiting this country to examine the growth of alternative work arrangements. Her primary observation is that this segment of our economy is growing beyond expectations. Alternative work arrangements take many forms such as hiring temporary, on-call and independent contract workers. It also includes freelancers and some short-term contract workers. This economy is known as the “Gig Economy” – after the term for a short-term performance – a “gig.” This economy is booming in the United States, according to Catalano. One reason is that employers do not normally have to pay benefits to “gig” workers. Instead, the compensation is usually paid hourly or by a set amount for a job or a period of time. For employers this is a cost savings because they don’t pay benefits and for the worker, it gives him or her extra freedom and mobility, according to Catalano. Catalano is on a 90 day tour of the United States studying work economies. Long-term she is a j

The devastation in Puerto Rico, as a result of two major hurricanes – Irma and Maria, is beyond most of our comprehension. Half of the population, or 3.4 million people, lack drinking water and 95 percent are without electricity – after two weeks. Additionally, 80 percent have no phone service so outreach to friends and relatives is nearly impossible. Natural disasters drain resources from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean islands suffering from major infrastructure and structural damage, according to Roger-Mark DeSouza. He is the director of population, environmental security, and resilience for the Wilson Center in Washington DC. He currently heads the Global Sustainability and Resilience Program, Environmental Change and Security Program, and Maternal Health Initiative. But, not only are the islands threatened but mainland coastal areas of the United States also are facing elevated environmental threats, according to DeSouza. DeSouza spoke with WOUB’s Spectrum podcast about the multipl

After being the voice of Bart Simpson in Fox’s animated series, The Simpson’s, for 29 years, voice-over actor Nancy Cartwright wanted to do something different artistically. So, she fired up the “artistic muse” inside her and she co-wrote and produced an independent feature film based upon a portion of her life. It has just been released. “In Search of Fellini” is about “75 to 80 percent” based upon a real adventure Nancy had in her early 20’s when she toured Italy alone in search of the world famous director Federico Fellini. She did this after being obsessed by the Fellini film “La Strada.” She left her voice-over work behind and toured Italy searching for the great director. While there she received a marriage proposal plus encountered a life threatening situation among other major incidents. The adventure was life-changing. The description of the film says: “A shy small-town Ohio girl who loves movies but dislikes reality, discovers the delightfully bizarre films of Federico Fellini, and sets off on a s

Judy Woodruff, award-winning broadcast journalist, has spent over four decades covering Washington for PBS, CNN, and NBC. She currently is the anchor of the PBS NewsHour airing across the country on PBS stations each week-night. She has seen monumental changes in journalism and how news is delivered over her career. One change is the role of women. In 2013, Woodruff and her colleague Gwen Ifill were the first two women to anchor a major newscast together. Ifill died in 2016 leaving Woodruff alone at the anchor desk and leaving a hole in Woodruff’s life. Woodruff explains that the PBS NewsHour, which is gaining audience numbers, is committed to thorough and accurate reporting in all of its stories underscored by a sense of fairness and balance. She says, too often today, that people only want to hear news from their own political perspective – conservatives watch FOX News and liberals watch MSNBC. Instead, PBS tries to be neutral and attract all audiences interested in deep reporting. Instead of having screa

Recently, President Donald Trump rescinded an Executive Order called DACA issued by former President Barack Obama protecting undocumented immigrants who came to this country illegally as children. The impact of Pres. Trump’s action could leave 800,000 people – the “Dreamers” as they are called – subject to deportation. Instead of making the rescission immediate, however, Pres. Trump gave Congress six months to pass some form of legislation to protect the Dreamers status in this country. This may be a difficult task given the fractious nature of Congress and its displayed inability to pass major legislation. To obtain protected status under the Obama order, Dreamers had to provide all of their vital information to the federal government, pass background checks, have no criminal record and be either employed, in the military, or attending some form of school, according to Dr. Andrew Selee, president of the Migration Policy Institute in Washington DC, a policy and research think tank. As a result, these people

In 2015, Jordan Phillips mother, Nicole, fought a bout with breast cancer. The diagnosis and treatments were totally unexpected and caught the family off-guard. Jordan, then 12 years old, was sad and frustrated and wanted to do something to help her mother and others like her. So, Jordan, on her own, created a cozy for coffee mugs. She sewed them herself and has sold them in various ways for donations to cancer research. She has called them “Cozys for the Cure” and to date, she had raised over $100,000 in donations for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization. While delivering a speech about her project in New York City, along with her mother, Jordan piqued the interest of a manufacture and distributer. As a result, her Cozys for the Cure are now being sold in over 1,600 Walmart Stores across the nation with a portion of the sales proceeds being donated for cancer research. Jordan explains that one day she saw cardboard coffee cup cozys with illustrations drawn on them. That gave her the idea to