FM: National Productions
DT: Friday April 27, 2012
RE: 51% Show #1189
STATIONS: If you have comments or suggestions, please contact Susan Barnett at SBARNETT@WAMC.ORG
We encourage stations to air the entire show in full, but you can also excerpt portions, with appropriate credit given upon notification of WAMC.
Here is this week's information on 51% #1189.
(SHOW THEME)
BILLBOARD – Susan Barnett (Music Out)
(:42)
The impacts of the recession are grim. Cuts to programs that help the hungry and the unemployed are leading to a dramatic drop in the number of people on welfare – and a huge spike in the number of families going hungry. A recent Washington Post article indicated that the welfare rolls have shrunk by 55% since 1996 – down to a little less than two million families. But the number of families living in poverty has risen from a little over six million to 7.26 million. Sharon Johnson, senior correspondent for Womens eNews, has been studying the numbers and finding there’s another population that’s in crisis – our seniors.
8:29 Sharon Johnson seniors
Sharon Johnson is senior correspondent for WomenseNews. Find out more at womensenews.org.
Coming up, an answer to one of the big challenges faced by seniors in today’s world. Plus some really big, babies prowling the mountains. If you missed part of this show or want to hear it again, visit the 51% archives at wamc.org. This week’s show is #1189.
(10:29)
One of the challenges faced by older folks, beyond the concerns of making ends meet, is feeling isolated. In Minnesota, there’s a program that combines two populations and benefits both of them. The Day Services program at Mt. Olivet Church in South Minneapolis serves 35 seniors and 65 children, from infants to preschool. KFAI producer Will Hale has the story.
4:55 Elder childcare PRX
Now let’s move from human babies to the babies of spring.
True hibernators and especially black bears are wandering the woods behind my home. The babies, in early April, were already huge, which led to me to wonder when they were born. Turns out, winter’s birthing time for mama black bears. Jay Andersen of WTIP North Shore Community Radio spoke to local naturalist Chel Anderson about something called brown fat.
6:54 Bears PRX
Other North woods naturalist interviews with Chel Anderson can be found on the Boreal homepage and on the website at wtip.org.
(12:53)
That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance. Our theme music is by Kevin Bartlett.
If you’d like to hear this show again, or visit the 51% archives, go to our website at WAMC.org. You can also find a regular column related to 51% at feminist.com. Thanks so much for joining us…we’ll be back next week with another edition of 51% The Women's Perspective.
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