Your Call 111207 Veterans Day Special--What Kind Of Care Do Our Vets Get Now?

How are wounded veterans being cared for upon returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan? On the next Your Call, we’ll get an update on vets' health care. According to a new report by Physicians for Social Responsibility, healthcare for Iraq vets could top $650 billion. Since the 2003 invasion, at least 60,000 U.S. soldiers have been wounded. The percentage of amputees is the highest since the Civil War. Is the VA prepared to deal with this crisis? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Larry Scott, member of VA Watchdog organization

Dr. Evan Kanter, a member of the Board of Directors for Physicians for Social Responsibility

Click to Listen: Veterans Day Special--What Kind Of Care Do Our Vets Get Now?

Your Call 110907 Media Roundtable

On the Next Your Call it's our Friday Media Roundtable. This week we speak with LA Times consumer columnist David Lazarus about consumer safety and the credit crunch, with NPR ombudsman Lisa Shepard about interviewing torture victims in the presence of their torturers and with Al-Jazeera English México Correspondent Franc Contreras about one of the worst natural disasters in Mexican history, the flooding of Tabasco. What was your story of the week? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
David Lazarus in Los Angeles
Author of the Consumer Confidential column for the LA Times

Franc Contreras in México City, México
Al-Jazeera English’s México correspondent

Lisa Shepard in Washington DC
Ombudsman for NPR News. 

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 110807 What Makes the War Real?

What do we see in still photos of the Iraq War that we miss in other forms of media? On the next Your Call, New York Times photojournalist Ashley Gilbertson joins us to discuss his photographic memoir of his time in Iraq called “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.” We’ll also be joined by independent journalist Dahr Jamail, author of “Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Iraq.” What can we learn from journalists whose goal is to show what life is really like for Iraqis? And what do you want from coverage of a war? It’s Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Dahr Jamail in San Francisco
Independent reporter and author of Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq

Ashley Gilbertson in Washington DC
War photographer for the New York Times and author of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
 
Click to Listen: What Makes the War Real?

Your Call 110707 On the Record: Senator Chris Dodd

What kind of a president would Senator Chris Dodd make? On the next Your Call, we continue our On The Record series where we look at the voting records of presidential hopefuls. This week, we’re focusing on Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut. Senator Dodd is making waves for stalling the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until amnesty for telecom companies is removed. Dodd has been in Congress for 33 years. Where does he stand on issues you care about and who’s funding his campaign? Join us on the next Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Tom Swann, executive director of the CT Citizen Action Group and previously ran Ned Lamont’s campaign against Joe Lieberman.

Bill Curry, columnist for the Hartford Courant, a two-time Democratic nominee for governor of Connecticut and a White House advisor in the administration of Bill Clinton.

Hari Sevugan, spokesperson for Chris Dodd for President
 
Click to Listen: On the Record -- Senator Chris Dodd

Your Call 110607 How can we support caregivers?

Are we doing enough to support caregivers? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about family caregiving. Fifty million Americans are taking care of sick family members. Their unpaid work is valued at $306 billion per year. What challenges do they face? How does public policy affect their work? What can we as a society do to support caregivers? And what does the future look like for our aging population? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guest:
Peggy Flynn, as founder of the Caregiving Zone
 
Click to Listen: How can we support caregivers?

Your Call 110507 Crackdown in Pakistan

Just days before the Pakistani Supreme Court was due to decide whether General Pervez Musharraf’s recent reelection was valid, he imposed emergency rule, suspended the Constitution, and fired the Supreme Court. Over the weekend, Musharraf’s military government arrested 500 opposition party figures and announced that journalists who bring “ridicule or disrepute” to the General could face up to three years in prison. News channels in major cities have been blocked. We’ll get the latest from a Pakistani journalist on the next Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you. 

Guests:
Shahnaz Rouse, professor of sociology at Sarah Lawrence College
Zahid Hussain, senior editor of Pakistan's Newsline magazine

Click to Listen: Crackdown in Pakistan

Your Call 110207 Friday Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call, it's our Friday Media Roundtable. This week, we'll speak with the Nation's Gary Younge about misconceptions of black history in the media. We'll also hear from Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Loretta Tofani. She's out with a lengthy series about the treatment of workers in China. And Al-Jazerra English's Anand Naidoo joins us to discuss the latest in Gaza and Iraq. What was your story of the week? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar.

Guests:
Anand Naidoo in Washington, DC, an anchor and correspondent for Al-Jazeera English.
Loretta Tofani, in Salt Lake City, a Pulitzer Prize winning independent reporter, working at the Pulitzer Center
Gary Younge in New York City, a staff writer with The Nation

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 110107 What Makes A Woman Powerful?

Who is a powerful woman? On the next Your Call we’ll discuss the many ways women exercise power in the world. Forbes magazine released their list of the 100 most powerful women and it was full of politicians and billionaires. Are there other ways women exercise power that Forbes missed? And does having female prime ministers and secretaries of state change the way the traditional power is exercised? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guest:
Laurel Thatcher-Ulrich, author of Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History and professor at Harvard University.

Laurel Thatcher-Ulrich will be speaking tonight at 7:30 at Mrs. Dalloway’s Literary & Garden Arts, 2904 College Avenue in Berkeley

Click to Listen: What Makes A Woman Powerful?

Your Call 103107 Election 2007

Next Tuesday is Election Day. Do you know what’s on the ballot? On the next Your Call, the Chronicle’s John Diaz, SPUR’s Egon Terplan, and the Green Party’s Christina O’Lague will join us to discuss their endorsements of measures on the San Francisco ballot. With no real competition for Mayor, District Attorney, or Sheriff, the big fights this election are over MUNI, libraries, free Wi-Fi, and parking. Who’s supporting and funding these measures? What are you voting for? It’s Your Call with Sandip Roy.
 
Guests:
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor for the SF Chronicle
Egon Terplan, Economic Development and Governance Policy Director of SPUR
Christina O'Lague, Green Party Coordinating Council Member

Click to Listen: Election 2007

Your Call 103007 The Budget

How can we make sense of the $2.8 trillion dollar U.S. budget? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with Linda Bilmes, a budget expert and public policy professor at the Kennedy School of Government. Federal spending grew by nearly 50 percent between 2001 and 2007 and the federal debt has grown to about 9 trillion dollars. What is the overall war spending in the budget? And what’s being squeezed as a result? It’s Your Call, Rose Aguilar, and you.
 
Guest:
Linda Bilmes, a budget expert and public policy professor at the Kennedy School of Government

Click to Listen: The Budget

Your Call 102907 Is California running out of water?

Is California running out of water? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about managing California’s water supply. Two-thirds of the planet is covered in water but population growth and climate change could impact our water supply in the coming decades. What is the connection between global warming and our water supply? And what can we learn from states that are experiencing a water crisis? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.
 
Guest:
Norm Miller is an adjunct professor of geography at UC Berkeley and associate director of Berkeley Water Center. Professor Miller is one of the four professors at UC Berkeley who have contributed to a United Nations international climate change organization that is sharing the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore.

Mindy McIntyre is water program manager at The Planning and Conservation League. That’s a nonprofit organization involved in environmental public policy research and education. Mindy works on projects to improve water management and policy in California.

Click to Listen: Is California running out of water?

Your Call 102607 Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call, it's our Friday Media Roundtable. This week, Southern California burned. Did the reporters covering the fires connect the emergency with larger ecological and social trends? Also this week battles raged on the border of Turkey and Iraq and within the halls of power in Istanbul. Did you see or hear reporting that covered more than the blow-by-blow and provided the context to help you understand what's at stake? What was your story of the week? It's Your Call, with me, Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Robert Parry in Healdsburg, California
Founder and editor of Consortium News

David Roberts in Seattle, Wash.
Staff writer for Grist and blogmaster of Gristmill

Evrim Bunn in Washington DC
Reporter with Voice of America Turkish Service

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 102507 The Mad Cowboy

What can we learn about the meat and dairy industry from a Montana farmer who also happens to be a vegan? On the next Your Call, we talk with Howard Lyman, the fourth generation rancher who rose to fame after he and Oprah were sued by the cattle industry for libeling beef, a crime in Texas. They won the suit. Lyman is now on a crusade to change food safety policies and end our addiction to meat. What would a world of vegetarians look like? What would happen to livestock if we all became vegan? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Update: Howard Lyman is speaking tonight at the Marin Humane Society at 7:00 p.m.
171 Bel Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, CA

Guest:
Howard Lyman, fourth generation cattle farmer, now vegan activist

Click to Listen: The Mad Cowboy

Your Call 102407 On the Record: Mike Huckabee

Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee is gaining ground among conservative Christians. What do we need to know about his views? On the next Your Call, we continue our On the Record series about presidential candidates’ voting records and campaign contributions. Up next: former Arkansas governor and Baptist Minister Mike Huckabee. At the Values Voters Summit this weekend, he focused on abortion, immigration, and what he calls Islamo-fascism. What does his voting record say about what he would do as president? It’s Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.
 
Guests:
Max Brantley, the editor of the Arkansas Times, a Little Rock alternative weekly
Michael Scherer is the Washington correspondent for Salon.com

Click to Listen: On the Record with Mike Huckabee

Your Call 102307 Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity

How does pornography affect what it means to be a man? On the next Your Call, we'll have a discussion about the multibillion dollar porn industry with Robert Jensen, author of Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity. Jensen says mainstream porn has come up with more ways than ever to humiliate and degrade women. So why is it so popular? Over 260 porn sites go up daily. Has pornography become normalized? How does it affect you? It's Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar and you.
 
Guest:
Robert Jensen is the author of Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity (South End Press, 2007) and an associate professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin.

Click to Listen: Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity

Your Call 102207 An Update on Burma

A month after the uprising in Burma, what's the status on the global call for democracy? On the next Your Call, we'll have a discussion about Burma, one month after the military violently suppressed protests, leaving many people dead and more than 3,000 detained. Human rights activists are calling on Chinese, Indian, and other companies doing business in Burma to condemn the government’s abuses. Meanwhile, Burma is fading from the front pages. How will that affect the struggle for democracy? It's Your Call, with me Rose Aguilar and you.
 
Guests:
T. Kumar, advocacy director for Asia & Pacific for Amnesty International USA.

Dr. Tun Myint, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Nyunt Than, president of the Burmese American Democratic Alliance (BADA), a Bay Area based grassroots organization working to raise awareness about human rights abuses in Burma.

Click to Listen: An Update on Burma

Your Call 101807 Friday Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it is our Friday media roundtable. Benazir Bhutto landed in Pakistan after eight years in exile; George W. Bush warned there would be a third world war if Iran goes nuclear. This week, Arnold Schwarzenegger signed 97 bills and vetoed another 58, and the BBC is giving hundreds of pink slips to its employees. What was your story of the week? It’s Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.
 
Guests:
Graham Usher, a journalist and writer now based in Pakistan
John Nichols, writer for The Nation
Frank Russo, publisher of California Progress Report

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 101807 The Arab Film Festival

What will be showcased at the upcoming 11th Annual Arab Film Festival? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with the festival’s filmmakers. From the first Lebanese vampire thriller to documentaries about finding peace through dance and skateboarding, we’ll hear about the Arab world through its films. How do these movies manage to bridge a gap between cultures? What challenges do these filmmakers face in the Arab world? And how are they being received here in the U.S.? It’s Your Call, with Sandip Roy and you.
 
Guests:
Sonia El Feki, artistic director for the Arab Film Festival
Muayad Mousa Alayan, director of Qater Al Nada
Nadia Kamel, director of Salata Baladi
Line Halvorsen, director of USA vs. Al-Arian

Click to Listen: The Arab Film Festival

Your Call 101707 A conversation with Indian activist Vandana Shiva

What are the important issues affecting India’s farmers today? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation with Indian activist and physicist Dr. Vandana Shiva. One in six people on earth live in India and more than half of the country's population of 1.1 billion depend on agriculture for their living. What are the main ecological and political issues affecting India today? Why have Shiva's projects combating GMOs and monocrops been so effective? And what advice does she have for environmentalists here in the U.S.? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Update: Vandana Shiva will be speaking at 3:25 at the First Unitarian Church in downtown Oakland, at 685 14th St. near the 12th St. BART at the Business Ethics Network conference. For tickets and information call Anne at 503-478-0892.

Guest:
Dr. Vandana Shiva is a physicist, ecologist, activist, editor, and author.

Click to Listen: A conversation with Indian activist Vandana Shiva

Your Call 101607 What are the most effective ways to fight breast cancer?

What are the most effective ways to fight breast cancer? On the next Your Call, we’ll have a conversation about the second leading cause of cancer death among women. While U.S. cancer rates are down, this year, 180,000 women will still be diagnosed with breast cancer. New treatments get a lot of press, but what’s really working? Have there been any significant developments over the past decade? And are those pink ribbon campaigns making any difference? It’s Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.
 
Guests:
Barbara Brenner, executive director of Breast Cancer Action
Dr. Marion Kavanaugh-Lynch, director of California Breast Cancer Research Program.

Click to Listen: What are the most effective ways to fight breast cancer?