Whether you like the content of his tweets or not, President Donald Trump will go down in history as one of our most transparent Presidents, according to Philip Elliott, a veteran Washington correspondent for Time, Inc. Elliott claims that people know what the President is thinking or focusing on in real time if one follows the nature of his tweets on Twitter. This is especially true of this past weekend when the President delivered over 50 tweets on a variety of topics from Saturday Night Live’...
Mar 20, 2019•51 min
Until about 1920, rural women in the United States outnumbered urban women and they were the genesis of many historic women’s movement initiatives. For example, rural women took the lead in temperance, women’s suffrage and gaining educational opportunities for women, according to Dr. Katherine Jellison, the Chairwoman of the History Department at Ohio University. Dr. Jellison also is co-chair of the national Rural Women’s Studies Association whose purpose is to “improve the visibility of rural w...
Mar 13, 2019•36 min
The recent conflict between Pakistan and India makes an already volatile region of South Asia even more unstable. Over the past two weeks, the two countries have battled with air strikes into each country provoked by a suicide bombing that killed 40 people in India on February 14. It was executed by a terrorist from the often contested Kashmir region. This rare use of air power is a major concern because both of these neighboring countries are nuclear powers, says Michael Kugelman, a leading spe...
Mar 06, 2019•35 min
Decades long protections afforded media against libel actions are being threatened to be upended by the duo of President Donald Trump and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. President Trump repeatedly has said that is should be easier to successfully sue the news media for libelous stories and that protections now afforded the media should be eradicated. He claims he will lead that charge. Just this month, he was joined in that belief by public statements made by Supreme Court Justice Cl...
Feb 27, 2019•38 min
When the dust settles from U.S. troop withdrawals in Syria and Afghanistan and troop build-ups in Iraq, the primary target of American hostility in the Middle East is Iran, according to Dr. Ziad Abu-Rish, an expert in Middle East history, social movements, popular protests and U.S. Middle Eastern policy. He says, that while other troops are coming home, some of President Donald Trump’s advisors are “openly calling for military action and more sanctions against Iran.” Dr. Abu-Rish, the director o...
Feb 20, 2019•38 min
Despite advances in civil rights in our country’s history, our society, in the 21st Century, is still plagued by racist symbols such as “blackface” and other racial stereotyping. It has been recently brought to the public’s attention through the publication of a blackface photo involving the Governor of Virginia and the admission by that State’s Attorney General that he appeared in blackface while in college in the 1980’s. Such denigration has continued in various forms to allow Caucasians to fe...
Feb 13, 2019•44 min
A new study will examine how the relationship between science and religion impacts political power, social authority and culture, according to Dr. Myrna Perez Sheldon, assistant professor of Gender and American Religion at Ohio University and editor of “Cosmologics,” a magazine that is the project of the Science, Religion, and Culture Program at Harvard Divinity School. Dr. Perez Sheldon believes that too often we become fixated on whether science and religion are polar opposites of one another ...
Feb 06, 2019•36 min
As President Trump is deadlocked with Congress over border wall funding, the government suffers a partial shutdown and true immigration reform is put on the back burner. The fight over border wall funding is distracting Washington from making true immigration reform, according to Dr. Andrew Selee, the President of the Migration Policy Institute – a fact-based institute seeking to improve immigration and integration. Most Americans are in favor of controlled immigrations, according to Dr. Selee. ...
Jan 23, 2019•35 min
A new book, “The Snow Leopard Project and Other Adventures in Warzone Conservation” has been recently authored by Dr. Alex Dehgan. Dehgan is an entrepreneur, expedition leader, diplomat and development official who specializes in creative science, technology and leadership. The book is about his efforts as the Country Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Afghanistan Biodiversity Conservation Program. In the middle of a warzone, Dr. Dehgan helped created the first national part, estab...
Jan 16, 2019•35 min
“Story” is tantamount when a filmmaker decides whether to make a film. If the story doesn’t resonate with the film’s creator, then the project will just be a jumble of parts. Story is the linkage that brings the chapters together to make a coherent film that is both informative and entertaining. This is the documentary filmmaking philosophy of Evan Shaw, a young award-winning producer of documentaries designed for public broadcasting. His films have ranged from athletic profiles and behind-the-s...
Jan 02, 2019•47 min
Just reading a story, watching it on video, or listening to it on a podcast or audio book may be too static and traditional for new experiential story consumers. With the maturation of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, holographics, and other forms of non-traditional storytelling, soon consumers will be able to control their own interpretation of a story and experience the story through senses beyond sight and sound, according to Beth Novak, associate professor in the School of Media Art...
Dec 26, 2018•39 min
The consolidation of power in House of Representative leadership positions has spurred on the devolution of Congress from a “respected legislative institution to a body plagued by a win-at-all-costs mentality and a culture of perpetual campaigning,” says Donald Wolfensberger, author and scholar. Wolfensberger, a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., also was a former Congressional staffer for nearly three decades. He ...
Dec 19, 2018•29 min
Although much of this country’s educational focus is on P-12 grades, adult education cannot be ignored and adult literacy education is proven to be valuable in breaking links to poverty and improving job possibilities for those who participate. Adult literacy education improves a student’s abilities and possibilities across a lifespan. Recently, the Patton College of Education at Ohio University became the first four year institution in Ohio to receive a special Aspire Grant from the Ohio Depart...
Dec 12, 2018•40 min
The United States once was a leader in recognizing and combatting the threats of climate change. But, under the Trump Administration, America has become the global outlier in the efforts to solve climate change problems, according to expert Dr. Geoffrey Dabelko. Dr. Dabelko is a professor, director of the Environmental Science Program and Associate Dean at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs at Ohio University. Previously he served 15 years as director of the Environmental Chan...
Dec 05, 2018•41 min
Confusion has been a feature of the Trump Administration’s policies toward immigration and especially the current border issues with migrants and the caravan from Honduras. Philip Ewing, national security editor for National Public Radio (NPR), says the recent tear gassing of migrants at the southern border of the United States was a result of some of that confusion. He notes specifically that the gassing was administered by border law enforcement officers who allegedly felt threatened by oncomi...
Nov 28, 2018•55 min
When we hear the words “innovation” and “entrepreneurship” we don’t always think of well-established brands like Coca-Cola. However, Coke is one of the world’s leaders in developing new beverages and cutting-edge technologies to deliver them to customers. Chris Hellman, global vice president and general manager of the Coca-Cola Freestyle Division, is the embodiment of innovation within the highly competitive beverage industry. Hellmann says it is Coke’s goal to be a “total beverage company” that...
Nov 21, 2018•29 min
Rural Health Day is November 15 and it’s designed to throw a spotlight on health care problems facing rural areas and some of the solutions being proposed. Currently, over 60 million Americans live and work in rural areas. That equates to nearly one in five Americans or 20 percent of the population. Yet, many health issues facing rural communities are still unresolved. Local hospitals are closing in large numbers, doctors are disappearing from rural regions, and certain medical conditions such a...
Nov 14, 2018•31 min
In addition to President Donald Trump’s scorched-earth campaigning, overall political races in 2018 have been meaner and more costly than ever, according to TIME, Inc. Washington Correspondent Philip Elliott. Most candidates, at least on the Republican side, attempted to mimic the President’s combative campaign style, Elliott says. However, many did not feel comfortable with that type of overly harsh campaigning which often was not factually based. Democrats also found it difficult to respond to...
Nov 07, 2018•38 min
As a nation, our population is divided into political and ideological tribes who only listen to others who agree with them and demonize anyone who is different from them, according to Dr. Scott Titsworth, dean of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University. Thus, we have a nation of rhetorically warring camps who do not agree even on the basics and find the opposition to not only be wrong but dangerous and evil, according to Dr. Titsworth. As the verbal attacks ratchet up and the nam...
Oct 31, 2018•45 min
Dr. Frank Papay is the chair of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Health System. He also is a physician who combines innovation with the healing arts of medicine. Dr. Papay has spearheaded the Cleveland Clinic’s work in the emerging field of face transplants among other notable surgical breakthroughs. He and a team of gifted surgeons have been featured for this work in National Geographic. Here is the full story: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/201...
Oct 24, 2018•37 min
Since the successful vote putting Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court of the United States, President Trump has been characterizing the events surrounding that confirmation to fire the fears of his political base, according to Philip Elliott, a Washington correspondent for Time, Inc. Trump has been using the protests of various citizen groups and the challenges by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to characterize the Democrats as an “angry mob” out to still “get” Justice Kavan...
Oct 17, 2018•55 min
“New York Times” columnist and PBS NewsHour and NPR commentator David Brooks is searching for the heart, soul and future of America by traveling to smaller communities examining how they are successfully addressing issues. In March 2018, Brooks was appointed Executive Director of “Weave: The Social Fabric Project” sponsored by the Aspen Institute. The project is searching for local initiatives that build trust, connection and relationships among local groups with sometimes disparate backgrounds ...
Oct 10, 2018•29 min
Higher education still has value either in preparing someone for a career or enhancing his/her worldview through general studies. So says Dr. Robert Glidden, President Emeritus at Ohio University and California Polytechnic State University. He has had a career of over four decades in higher education administration. Despite the rising costs of a university education, Dr. Glidden feels that a college education pays off for the student both through enhanced career opportunities and broader knowled...
Oct 03, 2018•41 min
Artificial intelligence may be on the brink of revolutionizing worldwide healthcare says digital strategist and award winning journalist Randy Rieland. Data being analyzed by artificial intelligence have allowed improved diagnostics and more targeted treatments for many types of diseases, including cancer. Artificial intelligence also has markedly improved medical record keeping and advanced radiological procedures, Rieland says. In addition to improved diagnostics, record keeping and radiologic...
Sep 26, 2018•40 min
Some 70 environmental regulations have been rolled back by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the beginning of the Trump Administration. And, Dr. Michele Morrone, professor of Environmental Health Science at Ohio University finds this to be “really alarming.” She claims that these rollbacks are exposing citizens, especially in Appalachia and other poverty stricken areas to increased environmental health risks – including danger to the purity of drinking water. Anxiety and ot...
Sep 19, 2018•35 min
Long-time Democratic activist and author Thomas B. Reston says the Democratic Party has lost its way and lost its soul over the past generation or more. In his book, “Soul of a Democrat: Seven Core Ideals that Made our Party and Our Country – Great,” Reston claims that the party has lost its focus and it has jettisoned old philosophies that historically sparked the electorate. He cites the Presidential Election of 2016 as an example. He gives reasons for the party’s lackluster recent performance...
Sep 12, 2018•34 min
David Crane has dedicated his professional life to intelligence and security issues both nationally and internationally. He has a long history of service and has risked his life for his country. But, at this point, he is extremely concerned about how President Trump in handling intelligence and security issues. Crane says that Trump ignores or refuses to hear security briefings and he goes into major foreign policy events (like the meetings with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un) grossly unprepared...
Sep 05, 2018•37 min
The incessant drumbeat of news media criticism by President Donald J. Trump is causing some major concerns among the press and First Amendment advocates, according to veteran, award-winning journalist Andrew Alexander. Alexander is a former Washington Post ombudsman, a former Washington Bureau chief for Cox Newspapers and an award winning veteran journalist with more than four decades of experience. He says that the characterization of news media as “enemies of the people” has both domestic and ...
Aug 29, 2018•38 min
While White House reporters often are given releases and official statements by the President or his staff, it is more important than ever to vet the facts and go through a rather thorough fact checking process before publishing the material, says Toluse Olorunnipa, one of Bloomberg News’ six White House correspondents. In the competitive White House journalism environment, Olorunnipa says it is important to be first with a story and beat other news organizations but it is more important to be a...
Aug 22, 2018•39 min
By the year 2020, it is estimated that we will have over 6 million workers in nanotechnology industries, says Dr. Amir Farnoud, an Assistant Professor of Chemical, Biomolecular and Biomedical Engineering at the Russ College of Engineering and Technology at Ohio University. The development of nanoscience is exploding at such a rate, it is difficult to predict with any accuracy how much and how fast the field will grow in an extremely short period of time, Dr. Farnoud adds. Nanotechnology is the s...
Aug 15, 2018•39 min
