51% on WAMC

During Women's History Month, let's take a moment to consider what might hold women back from positions of leadership.  For some, the turning point happens early.

We hear a lot about political reform – and election and campaign finance reform in particular.  This year in New York one race for the state senate was a stunning illustration of just how badly the election process needs review. 

We live in a rapidly changing world. A study done by the Pew Charitable Trust into the religious beliefs of 

  Americans found that fully one quarter of Americans have left the faith they grew up in, and many have abandoned all organized religion.

Catholicism has suffered the greatest net loss, and people who describe themselves as “unaffiliated” now make up sixteen percent of the population.

  March brings a huge change in the European Union – animal testing for personal products will be banned…and companies that test on animals won’t be able to sell their products there. That’s bad news for China, which requires animal testing, and many American companies, which cling to testing despite new test which are cruelty free.  Pascaline Clerc is senior director for animal research issues at the Humane Society of the United States.

  When President Barack Obama took the oath of office for the second time, he’s followed it with an address that signaled a clear focus on progressive issues.

Gun violence, gay rights, climate change, voting reform, immigration – and equal pay – it’s a list of priorities that got the attention of conservatives across the country. But let’s break it down and look at just one issue – wage equity.

  On Valentine’s Day, we traditionally think about love – but what if you decided to be your own Valentine this year? With so many of us trying to do it all while doing way too much, this year perhaps it’s time to stop and look in the mirror – and ask yourself if you’re being your own best friend.

And if you aren’t, what does that teach the next generation?

The balance of global power is in transition. CNN Host Fareed Zakaria has been praised and panned for his 

No matter how fiscally conservative you are, your credit score matters. Whether you’re buying a car, a house or buying a new refrigerator with a store credit card, your credit score will determine your interest rate.

According to a survey done by a Boston bank, there are over 600 million credit cards holders in the US.  And in households with ongoing credit card debt, the average balance is over fifteen thousand dollars.

There’s a crisis brewing with a symbol of the American west. More than 50 thousand wild horses, protected by law,  have been rounded up and moved to enclosed pastures to make way for cattle. But the US Bureau of Land Management says the wild horse population is growing at an unmanageable rate – and advocates for the mustangs say that the government’s approach is both ineffective and cruel.

Holding pens are at or near capacity and the cost of caring for the captive horses is skyrocketing.

Noel Carmichael is an American in Africa. She moved to Tanzania after recovering from cancer, determined to change her life. She’s certainly succeeded. But while working to improve nutrition for children in Africa, she’s also learning things about herself…and about what we as Americans take for granted.  As we settle into a new year, she’s got a viewpoint worth hearing.