Your Call 032009 Media Roundtable

Where is Iraq six years after the U.S. invasion? On the next Your Call, we'll speak with Iraqis living in the U.S. and Jonathan Steele, a journalist who's covered Iraq. March 19 marks the six-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion. More than a million Iraqis have died, there are four and a half million refugees both inside and outside of Iraq, and the infrastructure has yet to be rebuilt. What does the future look like for Iraq? You can join us by phone or email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What do Iraqis think of the U.S. plan for their country? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Jonathan Steele, a British journalist and a contributor to The Guardian

Nabil Al Tikriti, associate professor of history at Mary Washington University

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 031909 How do drug companies market medication?

How do drug companies market medication? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation with Melody Petersen, author of Our Daily Meds. Every day drug companies subject us to barrage of advertisements. Nearly 65% of Americans are taking prescription drugs. Why are we prescribed so many pills? Join the conversation by email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. How does the FDA regulate drug companies? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guest:
Melody Petersen, author of Our Daily Meds: How the Pharmaceutical Companies Transformed Themselves Into Slick Marketing Machines and Hooked the Nation on Prescription

Click to Listen: How do drug companies market medication?

Your Call 031809 How is the economic downturn affecting immigrants and immigration reform?

How is the economic downturn affecting immigrants and immigration reform? On the next Your Call we'll talk about how the national conversation shifted as the economy dropped. Local police forces were authorized by the Bush administration to enforce immigration law. Are the first adopters changing their tune as funding dries up? As unemployment rises in California, is pressure growing to deport undocumented competition for scarce jobs? You can send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 a.m. How do you want immigration reformed? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Michelle Waslin in Washington
Senior Policy Analyst for the Immigration Policy Center

Shuya Ohno in Washington
Deputy Communications Manager for the National Immigration Forum

Pramila Jayapal in Seattle
Executive Director of One America

Click to Listen: How is the economic downturn affecting immigrants and immigration reform?

Your Call 031709 Who is Arne Duncan?

How will President Obama change American education policy? On the next Your Call we'll continue our series, the Transition in Realtime, and look at the state of the Department of Education as Margaret Spellings hands over the reins to incoming Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. For the last seven years, Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago Public Schools where he was known as a supporter of charter schools and higher pay for teachers who work in urban schools or who teach math and science. But Chicago schools have ranked very low among urban school districts and critics of No Child Left Behind have severe doubts about Duncan. Will Obama and Duncan give us the school reform we need? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Pauline Lipman in Chicago
Professor of policy studies at the College of Education at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Her books include High Stakes Education: Inequality, Globalization, and Urban School Reform. She is the founder of Chicago's Teachers for Social Justice.

Andy Rotherham in Washington
Founder of Education Sector, a left-leaning but independent national education policy think tank. Rotherham served as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy (Education) during the Clinton administration, launched the Progressive Policy Institute's 21st Century Schools Project and writes the widely read blog Eduwonk.com.

Alyson Klein in Maryland
Staff writer for Education Week, where she co-authors the Politics K-12 blog and covers Congress & the Dept. of Ed. She covered the presidential election for Ed Week and has interviewed new secretary Duncan.

Click to Listen: Who is Arne Duncan?

Your Call 031609 Will EFCA help the economy?

Will the Employee Free Choice Act help bring the economy back to life? On the next Your Call, we'll discuss the law that would make it easier for unions to organize. The battle over the act is expected to be fierce. The Chamber of Commerce and business groups plan to spend $200 million to defeat the bill, while SEIU is spending $50 million to ensure its passage. If it passes, would you join a union? You can join us by phone or email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. Are unions one of the answers to the economic downturn? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar.

Guests:
Chris Chafe
Executive director of Change to Win, a coalition created in 2005 of seven unions including the Teamsters, SEIU and the United Farm Workers of America

Jason Oxman in Northern Virginia
Senior Vice President for Industry Affairs at the Consumer Electronics Association, a trade association promoting growth in the consumer electronics industry

Russell Roberts in Fairfax, VA
Professor of Economics and J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Distinguished Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, research fellow at the Hoover Institution and the author of the blog econtalk.org, winner of the 2008 Weblog Award for Best Podcast. His latest book is The Price of Everything: A Parable of Possibility and Prosperity.

Click to Listen: Will EFCA help the economy?

Your Call 031309 Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it's our Friday media roundtable where we bring in reporters from the mainstream, alternative and international press to discuss the week in American media. This week Iraqi journalist and shoe thrower Muntadher al-Zaidi was sentenced to three years in prison, Afghan president Hamid Karzai came to Washington and a candidate for a senior position in the state department was derailed by a whispering campaign that was protected by a wall of journalistic silence. We'll be joined by Anand Naidoo, anchor and correspondent for Al-Jazeera English; Glenn Greenwald, staff blogger for Salon.com and Pratap Chatterjee, investigative journalist with Corpwatch. Where did you see the best reporting this week and where did it fall short? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Anand Naidoo in DC
Anchor and correspondent for Al-Jazeera English

Glenn Greenwald in France
Staff blogger for Salon.com and author of three books, most recently Great American Hypocrites: Toppling the Big Myths of Republican Politics

Pratap Chatterjee in San Francisco
Investigative journalist and managing editor of the global corporate watchdog Corpwatch. His new book Halliburton's Army: How a Well-Connected Texas Oil Company Revolutionized the Way America Makes War. For the last year he has been based in Dubai.

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 031209 What's in it for California?

How does President Obama's housing plan help Bay Area homeowners in trouble? On the next Your Call we'll discuss the $75 billion national effort to forestall foreclosures. Obama's plan stands in stark contrast to the inaction of the Bush Administration to directly help homeowners in favor of the banks, but less than 10% of mortgages in the Bay Area qualify. 40% of foreclosures nationally are here in California. Does the only national program to turn back the tide stop at the Sierra Nevada? You can send us an email anytime to feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 am. Did you find a way to save your house? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
John Eller in San Francisco
Head Organizer & Northern California Campaign Director for ACORN. The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now is the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families working together for social justice and stronger communities.

Ginna Green in Oakland
Spokesperson for the California office of the Center for Responsible Lending. CRL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research and policy organization dedicated to protecting homeownership and family wealth by fighting abusive financial practices.

Click to Listen: What's in it for California?

Your Call 031109 How does the Tibet Uprising live on in the Bay Area 50 years later?

How does the Tibet Uprising live on in the Bay Area fifty years later? On the next Your Call we'll speak with representatives from the Tibetan exile, Chinese expat and white communities about the present and future Tibet. Is there common ground for dialogue? How has Tibetan culture influenced life here? You can send us an email anytime to feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 a.m. Can a peaceful resolution to the Tibet crisis start here? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Dennis Cusack in San Francisco
Co-Chair of the International Tibet Support Network. He is also author of the newly released Tibet's War for Peace. He is an attorney in San Francisco.

Edward Liu in San Francisco
A Chinese-American attorney & writer in San Francisco. His blog Spatium Trientis is about finding a third way for Chinese-Americans, unburdened by the homeland or the West.

Dechen Tsering in San Francisco
President of the Tibetan Association of Northern California

Click to Listen: How does the Tibet Uprising live on in the Bay Area 50 years later?

Your Call 031009 What do Winter Soldiers say to Obama's administration?

Almost six years after the invasion of Iraq, what message are the Winter Soldiers sending the new administration? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation with a panel of Winter Soldiers. They are traveling across the country to give an accurate account of what's happening on the ground in Iraq and in Afghanistan. You can join the conversation by email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What do Winter Soldiers think of Obama's administration? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Doug Connor, a first lieutenant in the army and surgical nurse in Iraq

Jane Song, a member of Iraq Veterans against war

Carl John Davison, a 26-year-old veteran of 8 years in the military. In March of 2008 he refused to deploy to Iraq or participate in the U.S. military. He was court martialed, fined, demoted, sent to jail and discharged in September 2008.

Click to Listen: What do Winter Soldiers say to Obama's administration?

Your Call 030909 How has U.S. foreign policy affected women in the Middle East?

How has U.S. foreign policy affected women in the Middle East and at home? On the next Your Call, we'll mark International Women's Day by speaking with women's rights activists about what changes they expect to see under Obama administration. In the run up to the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration took to the airwaves promising it would "liberate women," but the realities tell a different story. You can join the conversation by emailing feedback@yourcallradio.org. What changes do you hope to see? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Cynthia Enloe is an internationally renowned scholar who helped to found feminist studies in International Relations. She is director of the Women's Studies Department at Clark University.

Zeina Zaatari is senior program officer for the Middle East and North Africa for the Global Fund for Women.

Yasmeen Hassan is a Pakistani lawyer and the deputy director of programs at Equality Now, an international women's rights organization based in New York.

Click to Listen: How has U.S. foreign policy affected women in the Middle East?

Your Call 030609 Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call, it's our Friday media roundtable -- the day we connect you with reporters to discuss coverage of the week's news. This week, Rush Limbaugh led the news as the California Supreme Court took up Prop 8, the Obama Administration released the secret torture memos, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton criticized planned housing demolitions in the West Bank, and Eastern Europe teetered on the edge of collapse. You can join us by phone or email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. Where did you see the best reporting this week and where did the media fall short? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Bill Scher in Massachusetts
Online editor for Campaign for America's Future, executive editor of LiberalOasis.com and author of Wait! Don't Move To Canada!: A Stay-and-Fight Strategy to Win Back America.

Adrian Wooldridge in Washington
Washington Bureau Chief and 'Lexington' columnist for the Economist
Magazine

Melissa Griffin in San Francisco
Columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and author of the blog Sweet Melissa

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 030509 What Do You Want From Our National Parks?

How should we rebuild the national park system? On the next Your Call we'll talk with members of the National Parks Second Century Commission who are gathering ideas to improve the parks. How can national parks become more relevant to everyone in America's increasingly diverse population? What kind of programs should they have? How should parks balance tourism and preservation? Send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join us live at 11 am. What should we do to preserve wildlands for another century? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Ron Tipton in Washington
Senior Vice President of Park Policy for the National Parks Conservation Association

Bill Wade in New Mexico
Chairman of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees

Click to Listen: What Do You Want From Our National Parks?

Your Call 030409 Does Mexico's violence have roots in the U.S.?

How much of the violence in Mexico has its roots in the United States? On the next Your Call, we'll speak with journalists on both sides of the border. More than 1,000 people have been murdered this year in Mexico. Kidnappings and murders connected to Mexican Cartels are increasing in Arizona, New Mexico and Southern California. Why is violence flaring up now? You can join us by phone or email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What should the U.S. do to slow demand for weapons and drugs pouring in and out of Mexico? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Laura Carlsen in Mexico City
Director of the Americas Policy Program at the Center for International Policy. She co-edited Confronting Globalization: Economic Integration and Popular Resistance in Mexico. Before joining the Americas Policy Program, Carlsen was a correspondent for Latin Trade magazine, editor of Business Mexico, freelance writer, and researcher.

Armand Peschard-Sverdrup in Leesburg, Virginia
Mr. Peschard is an expert on the strategic priorities of the three nations that make up North America. He is a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the former director of their Mexico Project and directed the CSIS North American Futures 2025 Project. He is the CEO of Peschard-Sverdrup & Associates.


Scott Stewart in Austin, Texas
VP for Tactical Intelligence for Stratfor, short for Strategic Forecasting Inc., is a private intelligence company with its headquarters in Austin, Texas. Stewart is Stratfor's senior terrorism and security analyst. He is a former Diplomatic Security Service Special Agent who was involved in hundreds of terrorism investigations, most notably the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.

Claudine LoMonaco in Tucson, Arizona
Reporter and Producer with Arizona Public Media where she covers the border.

Click to Listen: Does Mexico's violence have roots in the U.S.?

Your Call 030309 What do you want to hear from NPR during our media crisis?

What do you want to hear from NPR in the midst of media crisis? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation with NPR's Ombudsman, Alicia Shepard. Last December NPR announced the cancellation of Day to Day and News and Notes. It also laid off 64 people, and eliminated 21 other positions. How are the cutbacks going to impact NPR's programming? You can join the conversation by phone or by sending us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What are your questions or concerns? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Alicia Shepard, National Public Radio's Ombudsman

Click to Listen: What do you want to hear from NPR during media crisis?

Your Call 030209 What's the future of transportation in the Bay Area?

What's in store for the future of transportation in the Bay Area? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation about the $495 million federal stimulus funding allocated for Bay Area regional transit agencies and road projects. Which projects should we invest the money in? You can join the conversation by phone or by sending us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What are your transportation priorities? It's Your Call, with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Randy Rentscher, Metropolitan Transportation Commission's Manager of Legislation and Public Affairs

Scott Denman, president of Genesis

Guillermo Mayer, a lawyer with the Bay Area's Public Advocates.

Click to Listen: What's the future of transportation in the Bay Area?

Your Call 022709 Media Roundtable

On the next Your Call it's our Friday media roundtable where we examine the week that was in American media. This week President Obama delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress, and Hearst announced the days of the San Francisco Chronicle were numbered unless a buyer was found soon. We'll be joined by Doug Henwood from the Left Business Observer, Jane Mayer from the New Yorker and Mark Sandalow, author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times and Rise to Power. Where did you see the best reporting this week and where did it fall short? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Doug Henwood in New York
Editor of the Left Business Observer, contributing editor of The Nation and producer of Behind the News on KPFA, Saturdays, 10-11 AM. He is the author of After the New Economy: The Binge and the Hangover That Won't Go Away, now in paperback.

Jane Mayer in Washington
Staff writer for the New Yorker in the Washington Bureau where she writes about national security and the War on Terror. She is the author of the best seller The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals.

Mark Sandalow in Washington
Staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle for 21 years, the last 10 years as the paper's Washington bureau chief. He is a political analyst for CBS-5 and KCBS and teaches politics and journalism at the University of California's Washington Center. He is the author of Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi's Life, Times and Rise to Power.

Click to Listen: Media Roundtable

Your Call 022609 How do you find your voice and change your world?

How do you find your voice and change your world? On the next Your Call -- in conjunction with an event Thursday night celebrating the voices in Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States -- we'll talk about the voices that inspire us and how we can inspire others. What are the voices from U.S. history that have inspired you? You can send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join live at 11 am. Who is speaking out today that will belong in the People's History a century from now? When have you found your own voice? It's Your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Anthony Arnove in San Francisco
Writer, editor and activist. He is the author of Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal and the editor, with Howard Zinn, of Voices of a People's History of the United States.

James Kass in San Francisco
Founder & executive director of Youth Speaks, which creates writing, poetry, and spoken word programs for young people. Kass was the 1996 San Francisco Poetry Slam Champion and launched Brave New Voices, the International Youth Poetry Slam Festival, which is hosted in a different American city each year. Youth Speaks is based in San Francisco, but has affiliate programs in many other cities including New York, Seattle, Honolulu and Los Angeles.

Click to Listen: How do you find your voice and change your world?

Your Call 022509 Will credit card companies fall next?

Will the credit card companies be the next to fall? On the next Your Call, we find out what happens now that card issuers have raised interest rates, added new fees, lowered credit limits and even shut down accounts. Americans recycle $882 billion dollars in debt, month after month; as unemployment sails past 5 million, how long before defaults skyrocket? You can send us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org or join live at 11 am. What happens when the downturn turns on plastic? It's Your Call with Sandip Roy and you.

Guests:
Jose Garcia in New York
Senior research and policy associate at Demos with over ten years of experience working on civil rights, census advocacy, and socio-demographic analysis. Co-author of Up to Our Eyeballs: The Hidden Truths and Consequences of Debt in Today's America.

David Lazarus in LA
Business & consumer columnist for the Los Angeles Times. He joined the paper in August 2007. He previously worked as a columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle and a nightly radio talk show host for San Francisco's KGO Radio.

Click to Listen: Will credit card companies fall next?

Your Call 022409 How will California's state budget affect your community?

How will California's state budget affect your community? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation about California's $130 billion spending package. It's a combination of steep spending cuts, tax hikes and borrowing. Who are the winners and losers? Funding for the social safety net will shrink college fees will rise. You can join the conversation by phone or by sending us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. What does the budget say about state politics and our future? It's Your Call with me, Rose Aguilar, and you.

Guests:
Jean Ross, director of the California Budget Project

Lenny Goldberg, executive director of the California Tax Reform Association

Click to Listen: How will California's state budget affect your community?

Your Call 022309 Can California avoid a drought?

Can any amount of rain avert drought in California? On the next Your Call, we'll have a conversation about the future of our water supply. The director of the California Dept. of Water Resources recently said that state is faced with its most severe drought since at least the early 1990s. How has our demand for water changed? What will water rationing look like? You can join the conversation by phone or by sending us an email at feedback@yourcallradio.org. How is climate change affecting California's water supply? It's your Call with Rose Aguilar and you.

Guests:
Andrew T. Fisher, professor of Earth & Planetary Sciences and Hydrogeology at UC Santa Cruz

Mindy McIntyre, Water Program Manager at Planning & Conservation League

Click to Listen: Can California avoid a drought?