THE RECESSION: THE SMALLEST VICTIMS

Thursday, May 28 2009 -THE RECESSION: THE SMALLEST VICTIMS

LaWanda and JuJuan Tanniehill

School authorities in Birmingham have a couple of numbers that underline the effects of this recession in very stark terms. Officials estimate that there are more than 3,000 homeless children who attend city schools. That would mean that more than twenty percent of the children who attend Birmingham city schools are living in shelters, in hotels or with relatives.

That's what happened to LaWanda Tanniehill and her two boys, eight-year-old JuJuan and four year old Mythais. The family lived with relatives for a while, and earlier this year they were at a shelter for three months.

LaWanda and JuJuan join Dick to talk about their search for a home.

Listen Now!

Download

GRADUATING RIGHT ON TIME!

Thursday, May 21, 2009 - GRADUATING RIGHT ON TIME!

Roscoe Dillard Griffin >>Larger

Last week, 92-year-old Roscoe Dillard Griffin graduated from the University of North Carolina after leaving school seven decades earlier. At the very end of his senior year, Dillard says he left college to manage his family's shoe store. He also met a girl and fell in love. Gail Clower, Dillard's daughter, says she never knew her father didn't have a degree. The two talk with Dick Gordon about how Dillard managed to complete his final university credits, and what finishing his degree means to their family.

See Dillard's yearbook picture, and a photo of the woman who stole his heart.

Listen Now!

Download

Teamwork in THE TRAILER PARK

Monday, May 11 2009-Teamwork in THE TRAILER PARK

Theresa Phillips

All this week, American Public Media is running a special series on a number of shows: Marketplace, Speaking of Faith, American RadioWorks. The idea is to explore The Next American Dream.

Theresa Phillips' vision of the American Dream for her children is that they are safe, regardless of the path they take in life. Her work within a trailer park women's co-op in Battle Creek, Mich., shaped that vision. Theresa says she moved to the community to escape an abusive past. To her surprise, she found many women in the same boat. So Theresa invited all the women in the trailer park to her lot to figure out how they could change their lives. Dick Gordon talks with Theresa about how helping out with childcare and food turned into a vibrant, home-grown support network, a new kind of American Dream.

Listen Now!

Download

WHEN CAN MY WIFE COME HOME?

Thursday, May 07 2009 -

WHEN CAN MY WIFE COME HOME?

John and Lourdes >> more photos

John Adams found himself in the thick of the nation's immigration troubles after falling in love with a woman named Lourdes from Guatemala. A year after their marriage, John and Lourdes were at the final meeting with an immigration officer to adjust her status from illegal to resident when the officer learned that Lourdes had once been picked up on an immigration violation and had not shown up in court. Lourdes was deported.

John is now raising their two children, Alexa and Orlando, alone. John tells Dick Gordon about his plans for the future and how this experience has altered his view of America.

Listen Now!

Download

CREDIT COACH

Thursday, April 30 2009 -CREDIT COACH

Kenneth Shandy

For many Americans, economic problems begin with steep credit card rate hikes and collection notices. Kenneth Shandy helps people learn how to get out of that kind of mess.

Kenneth calls himself a credit coach. He doesn't have a graduate degree in business, but he does have personal experience. As a teenage entrepreneur, he made and spent a lot of money. He had $20,000 in debt by the time he was 20 and had to teach himself how to dig his way out.

• Learn more about Kenneth’s business

Thanks for the Layoff

Thursday, April 23 2009 - Thanks for the Layoff

Holly Green

Thousands of Americans are now facing the question that Holly Green has faced when a job that you love just vaporizes: what do I do now?

It's harder to face when you're older. It can also be harder when you lose a senior-level job. Holly was president of a major company when she was let go. But Holly re-invented herself and she appreciates the lessons she learned during her downtime.

• Learn about Holly's company, The Human Factor, Inc.
  

Listen Now!

Download

Same-Sex Tax Woes

Thursday, April 16, 2009 - Same-Sex Tax Woes

Clark Williams >>More

The tax deadline was yesterday. Clark Williams and his partner Jim always file their taxes, but this tax year they were presented with a challenge. They are a married, same-sex couple, so in California they file a joint return. But they had to file as singles for the federal return. Clark talks with Dick about how filing as both a married person and as a single frustrated him - and led to the loss of money.

Listen Now!

Download

Back Home - Again

(DOUBLE FEATURE)

Monday, April 13, 2009 -Back Home - Again

When Tony and his wife Susan Sloan fell on hard economic times recently, they moved the whole family in with Susan's mother - Tony, Susan, their teenage son Ben, three dogs and two cats. Tony and Susan talk with Dick Gordon about the challenges of that arrangement, and why they think they've hit on a smart idea.

• Learn about Tony's hobby while laid off

Creative Job Search

Peggy Greco

Peggy Greco has always been a little nutty about the way she's pursued her career. But with this economic downturn, she's had to do something extreme. She's been riding her bicycle around town in a T-shirt that advertises her work as a private nurse.

• See Peggy's Web site

Listen Now!

Download

Save My Barbecue Joint

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, April 08 2009 -Save My Barbecue Joint

Jonathan Childres >>More

Jonathan Childres opened his barbecue restaurant seven years ago this week. He and his business partner describe the place as a bit of a “hole in the wall,” since the kitchen is tiny and the restaurant only seats 36 people. The two say they’ve been wanting to expand their business to a larger space since they opened, and they were ready to do so - until this year, when one of their investors unexpectedly pulled out at the last minute. So, Jonathan had to think creatively about raising the extra funds. He's turned to his customers. Would you invest in a restaurant if it meant you'd get free barbecue?

Listen Now! (SECOND INTERVIEW)

Download

Resurrecting a Neighborhood

(SECOND INTERVIEW)
Friday, April 03 2009 -Resurrecting a Neighborhood

Mark Post

During the housing boom, many Americans got into buying cheap houses and rehabbing them for profit. Over an 18-year period, Mark Post bought six homes in his neighborhood - but not to flip them. Mark had it in mind he could help make his community a better place.

When he first moved to the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, M.I., Mark says many of the homes were used by drug dealers and prostitution rings at night. Today, his neighborhood is home to a diverse group of mixed-income residents and crime has gone way down. Mark talks with Dick about his role in those changes, and how he fits into debates about gentrification.

Listen Now!(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Download

Resurrecting a Neighborhood

Friday, April 03 2009

Resurrecting a Neighborhood

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Listen Now!

Download

Mark Post

During the housing boom, many Americans got into buying cheap houses and rehabbing them for profit. Over an 18-year period, Mark Post bought six homes in his neighborhood - but not to flip them. Mark had it in mind he could help make his community a better place.

When he first moved to the Cherry Hill neighborhood of Grand Rapids, M.I., Mark says many of the homes were used by drug dealers and prostitution rings at night. Today, his neighborhood is home to a diverse group of mixed-income residents and crime has gone way down. Mark talks with Dick about his role in those changes, and how he fits into debates about gentrification.

Follow Up- Blessing in Disguise

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009- Follow Up- Blessing in Disguise

Alice Evans

Residents of Fargo, N.D. are still waiting to see what the damage will be from last month's flooding. Alice Evans would tell them one thing: the damage can take weeks, even months to reveal itself.

Dick Gordon first spoke to Alice Evans in July just after the Cedar Rapids floods. The kitchen of her catering business was destroyed. Alice lost her business partner and then couldn't find a loan to rebuild. Now she has reason to be optimistic – Alice has reopened her catering company, “My Personal Chef.” She talks with Dick about how she found her new kitchen and how her father convinced her that the floods were a blessing in disguise.

• Learn more about Alice's Personal Chef business
• Learn the latest on efforts to Rebuild Cedar Rapids
• Hear Alice’s 1st Interview Cooking Underwater
  
• Hear Alice’s 2nd interview Small Business Rollercoaster

Listen Now! (SECOND INTERVIEW)

Download

KNOCK OUT THERAPY

Stacy Nakell >>More

It takes an inner toughness to keep a job these days, and Stacy Nakell has one of the toughest jobs there is. She's a social worker. But she has an extra edge when she tells women that they can find the courage to stand up to a violent person in their lives. Stacy is a boxer in her off-hours.

Stacy had made a bet with her boyfriend when she walked into a gym for the first time. To Stacy’s surprise, competition also allowed her to confront her difficult childhood and mend a strained relationship with her father. Dick Gordon talks to Stacy about her passion for the sport of boxing and about how her time in the ring has transformed her approach to her work.

• See images from Stacy’s first bout with rival Tiffany
  
• See images from Stacy’s second bout with rival Tiffany

Listen Now!

Download

What's Gender got to do with it?

Beverly Kennedy

Beverly Kennedy decided she wanted a career in law enforcement. The trouble was, this was the early 70's in Boston, and the cops weren't hiring women to walk a beat. Beverly didn't take "no" for an answer, and built a career defending herself and other people. Beverly talks to Dick Gordon about how a tense moment with a male colleague motivated her to become a lawyer and eventually a domestic victim service worker.

(ADVANCE TO SECOND INTERVIEW)

Listen Now!

Download

Tuesday, March 17 2009

Bearing Witness In Congo

Anneke Van Woundenberg

Reports suggest that war-torn regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo have recently experienced a period of calm. But people who live and work there know how tragic the situation still is. Anneke Van Woundenberg is a human rights investigator. She travels to remote villages and interviews witnesses and victims of brutal attacks. Anneke says though the witness accounts can be heartbreaking, she's still optimistic about Congo's future. She talks with Dick Gordon about her latest trip to Congo, when she met one man who saw the decimation of his village - and watched on a screen in a crowded church as the International Criminal Court prepared to try one of Congo's rebel leaders for war crimes.

• Find out the latest news in Africa through Human Rights Watch
• Learn more about Anneke Van Woudenberg

Listen Now!

Download

Friday, September 19 2008 - Pushing Drugs

Friday, September 19 2008 - Pushing Drugs

Shahram Ahari

Shahram Ahari believes that the relationship between pharmaceutical companies and doctors can compromise the health of patients. Shahram knows what he's talking about: he was a drug rep with Eli Lilly, where he learned how to entice doctors with gifts, slanted statistics, and psychological profiles. He even earned the nickname "safe cracker" for getting into the offices of doctors who avoided sales people like him.

Shahram tells Dick Gordon why his selling techniques worked. He also recounts the crisis of conscience that led to his quitting the industry.

• Learn more about how pharmaceutical companies influence prescribing
• Watch Shahram describe how he sold the drugs

Listen Now!

Download

Monday, September 22 2008 - Lessons from '29

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Monday, September 22 2008 - Lessons from '29

Mary Jane Young

Mary Jane Young still has vivid memories of the 1929 crash. Her father had been a successful real estate builder in New York and had also bought stocks. He eventually lost everything.

Mary Jane talks to Dick about watching their belongings, including her playhouse, auctioned off on their front lawn - just hours before her family became homeless.

Mary Jane then - more >>

Mary Jane says it was a lullaby her mother sang that helped her through their move from a park bench to an abandoned house.

• See photos of Mary Jane from the 20s and 30s

Listen Now!

Download

Thursday, October 09 2008 - HEART matters

Thursday, October 09 2008 - HEART matters

David Bass

The presidential candidates are seeking support for their proposed health care plans, citing rising costs across the board. This year, uninsured Americans are expected to spend $30 billion on out-of-pocket medical expenses.

Musician David Bass was born with heart problems and later required a heart transplant to save his life. But he was turned down by his doctor for care because he lacked health insurance. He talks to Dick Gordon about how he navigated the Medicaid system to get on the transplant waiting list.

Rebecca Porter - see their family

His wife Rebecca Porter also joins the conversation. She says David's heart problems sparked her interest in nursing. Now that the family has medical benefits, she says, her family's outlook on the future has changed.

• See David with the heart machine on his son's first birthday
• Learn more about David's current band "The Freight Hoppers"

Listen Now!

Download

Friday, October 10 2008 - Still A Target

Friday, October 10 2008 - Still A Target

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming. Over the last year, violence against gay people has increased 24 percent.

Geo Vaughan has found out how hate-motivated attacks against the gay community are thriving. In August, Geo was looking for a nightclub in the Chelsea district of Manhattan - an area known to be gay-friendly. When he got a bit lost, he asked a group of young men for directions. They assaulted him when they realized he was gay.

Geo talks to Dick Gordon about being gay bashed and how speaking out against it has changed his life.

• See Geo's video about being gay bashed
• Read Geo's myspace blog
• Report a hate crime
  

Listen Now!

Download

(SECOND INTERVIEW)

Monday, October 13 2008 -Tough Job - Senior Prosecutor

Kimberly Esmond-Adams

Among the tough jobs people choose as professions, there's one that no one really want to think about: prosecutors of serious crimes against women and children.

Kimberly Esmond-Adams became a prosecutor in 2002. She says that the work is hard because the kinds of things that the people are accused of is hard for most of us to believe. Kimberly talks with Dick Gordon about how she manages to control her anger in cases where a family member is accused of raping a child and why she decided to become a prosecutor against her father's wishes.

• Learn more about Kimberly's cases
• Check out the Black Prosecutor's Association

Listen Now!

Download