Description:
NOW shines a light on corporate and government policies to expose their effects on society and democracy. Using expert reporting, interviews, and analysis, the show goes behind the headlines to provide insight on some of today's most pressing issues.
40 Podcasts:
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Content:
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Attacking Affirmative Action
With Barack Obama officially nominated as the Democrats' Presidential nominee, is it time to re-think affirmative action? NOW on PBS looks at some state ballot measures that would eliminate race or gender considerations in public hiring, contracting and education programs. The controversial initiatives are being spearheaded by Ward Connerly, a long-time affirmative action opponent who some are accusing of ballot fraud. NOW also posed the question to leading thinkers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. "I think that in some quarters, many parts of the country, a white male is really disadvantaged," Connerly, who considers himself multi-racial, tells NOW. "Because we have developed this notion of women and minorities being so disadvantaged and we have to help them, that we have, in many cases, twisted the thing so that it's no longer a case of equal opportunity. It's a case of putting a fist on the scale."
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Health Care Solutions
Can the quality of healthcare in developing nations be transformed by the same principle that makes fast food such a success here? NOW travels to Kenya to continue ongoing coverage of an enterprising idea: franchising not burger and donut shops, but health services and drugs in rural Africa. American businessmen have been teaming with African entrepreneurs to spread for-profit clinics around the country in the hopes of providing quality, affordable medical care to even Kenya's poorest people. In this show, NOW chronicles how the Kenyan facilities weathered recent violent unrest, as well as the program's expansion into Rwanda. Also on the show, a massive program to dispense medicine for people with HIV/AIDS in poor countries is changing lives and restoring hope. A small team of photographers is capturing those amazing transformations on film, hoping their compelling images will bring attention to the importance of drug access in the developing world.
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The Border Fence
In 2006, Congress authorized the Secure Fence Act, a multi-billion dollar plan to build hundreds of miles of fencing along the southern border of the United States to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants and provide security from potential terrorism. But what was built to fight illegal immigration has turned into a nightmare for many Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Turns out the fence -- which will cover less than half of the actual border -- inexplicably cuts through the middle of some properties, while leaving others untouched. Many question if it can keep people from sneaking in at all. NOW senior correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels to Texas to meet border families who fear losing their property, their safety, and their way of life. We also follow an investigative reporter who questions whether certain landowners are getting preferential treatment.
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Dinner With the President
When Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar chose to make a film about democracy in her country, she didn't just request a traditional interview with President Musharraf: she insisted on a formal dinner. To her surprise, the man who ran Pakistan for nearly eight years agreed, and Sumar spent the evening grilling Musharraf about the state of affairs in their sharply polarized culture. Sumar's documentary "My Dinner with the President," intercuts the dinner discourse with candid interviews with a wide range Pakistanis, from religious fundamentalists to partiers on a Pakistani beach. On Friday, August 8 at 8:30 pm (check local listings), NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Sumar about the film, about our cultural and political relationship with Pakistan, and about Musharraf's desire to democratize his nation while functioning as its dictator.
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Alaska: The Senator and the Oil Man
On Tuesday, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was indicted for failing to disclose gifts he received from VECO Corporation, an Alaska-based oil services company. But his indictment is only the latest news -- and perhaps the tip of the iceberg -- in an ongoing political scandal that's rocking the state. NOW goes behind the breaking headlines to shine a bright light on the scandalous connection between VECO and Alaska's old-boy political network. Three state legislators have already been convicted in Federal court for accepting bribes from VECO, and the FBI has video and audio evidence that reveal VECO executives shockingly handing out cash to those legislators in exchange for promises to roll back a tax on the oil industry. And more lawmakers -- including Senator Stevens' own son, former Alaska State Senate President Ben Stevens -- are being eyed in the growing scandal.
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John Edwards' War on Poverty
Even though he's no longer running for president, John Edwards is still a man with a mission: to cut poverty in the United States by 50 percent in 10 years. The current economic crisis has him and his followers more committed than ever, but will their efforts gain enough momentum to make a difference? NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Edwards about how he plans to achieve this ambitious goal and what role it may and should have on the upcoming presidential election. Will the issue of poverty in America finally be addressed with more than just lip service?
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Afghanistan: The Forgotten War
America thought it had won the war in Afghanistan six years ago, but a recent escalation in violence and instability -- including the death of nine U.S. soldiers this past weekend -- has given rise to the question: Have we allowed the Taliban to come back? NOW Correspondent Bill Gentile reports from Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province, where he was embedded for nearly three weeks in May and June with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU). The 24th MEU are among 60,000 foreign troops on the ground in Afghanistan -- more than half of them American. They face an ominous challenge as the Taliban attempts a return to power, in some cases merging with other insurgent groups, and potentially providing safe haven for Al-Qaeda and other anti-American terrorists. Reporting from the front lines, NOW provides a soldier's-eye look into what some consider America's "forgotten war." Are we still winning it?
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Jobs for Jordan
NOW travels to Jordan to explore the implications of -- and possible solutions to -- having millions of young people out of work in the Middle East. Staggering unemployment rates among the region's massive youth population is fueling anger, frustration and resentment. To combat the problem, Jordan's Queen Rania has made job creation a top priority. "To me the Middle East is about young people. And if we fail to create opportunities for them then you're going to see a lot of frustrated hope," she tells NOW. Another initiative comes from an unlikely source: a Brooklyn, New York businessman who has set up programs across the region to give young people the real world skills they desperately need to gain employment. Both have their work cut out for them: nearly 70 million jobs are needed in the Middle East by the year 2020, according to the World Bank. Can these training programs help stem the tide or are they just a drop in the bucket?
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Subprime Solution?
After the subprime mortgage debacle, have we learned that quick-turnaround mortgages to customers with low credit scores are always too good to be true? One enterprising entrepreneur says NO, and he has some success to back it up. NOW on PBS takes a look at the non profit organization "Just Price Solutions" and the man behind it, Brian Cosgrove. Cosgrove created a new mortgage model that, in his view, marries the speed and efficiency of the subprime model to safe lending practices including homeownership counseling and fixed rate mortgages. Cosgrove says the new system helps prevent foreclosures and safely protects individuals from predatory subprime lenders, but not everyone agrees. Some feel home ownership is oversold in America and that this mortgage enterprise is still risky business. Can Just Price Solutions place and keep people in affordable homes, or is this another cautionary tale in the making?
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India Rising
The global middle class is expected to swell by more than 1 billion people over the next decade, with the biggest increases in China and India. While millions are being lifted out of poverty as a result, the booming middle class is also consuming more global resources. As a result, prices for everything from steel to gasoline to food are soaring. NOW reports from Pune, India, where college graduates are getting tech jobs, traditional families are flocking to the new mall, and professionals are hoping their new-found economic might will make their country an even bigger global player. But can America's middle-class -- and the rest of the world -- afford this unprecedented shift in the global economy? The world is buying like never before, but who's paying the price?
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Fighting the Army
Thousands of U.S. troops are getting discharged out of the Army. Many suffer from post traumatic stress disorders and brain injuries and aren't getting the care they need. The Army claims these discharged soldiers have pre-existing mental illnesses or are guilty of misconduct. But advocates say these are wrongful discharges, a way for the army to get rid of "problem" soldiers quickly, without giving them the treatment to which they're entitled. NOW travels to Texas' Fort Hood to meet traumatized soldiers fighting a new battle, this one with the army they served. NOW also interviews the army's top psychiatrist, Col. Elspeth Ritchie.
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Dialogue with Dictators?
NOW talks with the former head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral William J. Fallon, who resigned in March after a year of duty. Fallon had sharp disagreements with the Bush Administration's Middle East policy toward Iranian President Ahmadinejad. The former commander of all U.S. military forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, Fallon was portrayed in Esquire magazine as the man in the military preventing the administration from going to war with Iran. Also, we talk with political columnist and "The Uprising" author David Sirota about the populist movement spreading through the country. Can organizations that operate at the grassroots level create real political change?
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Fighting Child Prostitution
Living in the shadows of contemporary American society are hundreds of thousands of underage prostitutes -- desperate, exploited kids robbed of their childhood and of hope. The Department of Justice estimates that each day at least 300,000 American children are at risk -- on the streets, through escort services and increasingly on the internet. But while the underage sex trade is spreading, some leaders are taking strong measures to stand in its way. NOW on PBS goes to Atlanta, where Mayor Shirley Franklin has created aggressive awareness and crackdown campaigns that target pay-for-sex customers, or "Johns." NOW also meet with activists and crusaders working to help young people escape exploitation and get off the street. But getting out is an uphill battle with a very long road to recovery. Can we stop a child prostitution epidemic in our own country?
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Rape in the Military
There are more women serving in the military than ever before, and they're in danger -- but not just from combat. Last year, nearly 1400 women reported being assaulted and raped by their fellow soldiers, in some cases by their commanding officers. The shocking phenomenon has a label: military sexual trauma, or MST. NOW on PBS returns to the subject for an updated report and talks to women who've been raped and assaulted while serving in the military. Also on the show, NOW investigates how a hard-hitting Montana program to keep young people away from methamphetamines is working in neighboring Idaho. The Enterprising Idea of using shocking media campaigns was created by billionaire "venture philanthropist" Tom Siebel. NOW talks to Idaho's First Lady, Lori Otter, who, along with the Governor, has dedicated herself to the fight against meth abuse. We also meet a local Idaho mayor whose oldest daughter had been addicted to the drug. Can Montana's success be duplicated in Idaho and elsewhere?
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Education City
While America's reputation in the Middle East is hovering at historic lows, the demand for American university-branded education has never been greater. NOW on PBS takes a look at the unprecedented boom of American university campuses in an area where American military and cultural exports are typically viewed with suspicion. In the tiny oil-rich nation of Qatar, American universities like Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, and Virginia Commonwealth are warmly embraced and enthusiastically attended by local residents and students throughout the region. But are some of these schools trading their good name for a big check? NOW travels to Qatar's Education City, the largest collection of American universities in the Middle East to investigate.
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Prisons for Profit
A grim new statistic: One in every hundred Americans is now locked behind bars. But in this explosion of inmates some private companies are seeing opportunity. NOW on PBS investigates the government's trend to outsource prisons and prisoners to the private sector. While companies like Corrections Corporation of America say they're doing their part to solve the problem of inmate overflow, critics accuse private prisons of standing in the way of sentencing reform and sacrificing public safety to maximize profits. NOW travels to Colorado, where the controversy is boiling over, to find out. Should incarceration be incorporated?
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Election 2008: What to Expect
Few predicted how competitive the race for President would be at this point, and no one knows how it will all turn out, but some insiders have the advantage of their own experience to provide a seasoned perspective. NOW on PBS host David Brancaccio shares a table with outspoken former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown and former McCain strategist Dan Schnur for an insider's look at what may happen next, and what the candidates each must do to win.
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College Summit
While many kids from rich families take going to college for granted, poor kids face a harsher reality. According to one source, only 7% of low-income kids earn a college degree by the age of 25. NOW shares a year-long investigation of an innovative program trying to level that playing field. College Summit is hoping to close the gap by helping students from low-income families select schools, complete college applications, write personal statements, and navigate financial aid. After months of documenting student participants in Denver, it's now time for a reality check: Can poor children get the same shot at college as those on the opposite end of the economic scale, or will rich students always have the advantage? As rejection and acceptance letters arrive in the mail, see who comes closer to achieving their dreams.
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Health Care Meltdown
As the political campaigns gear up for Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, the candidates are trumpeting positions on one of the state's -- and the country's -- thorniest and most pressing issues: health care reform. With health care costs in the Keystone State 11% higher than the national average and rising twice as fast as the average wage, it's a problem Pennsylvania is desperately trying to fix on its own. The state legislature is debating a plan backed by Governor Ed Rendell to provide benefits to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, but there's disagreement over who's going to foot the bill. NOW gets insight on the problem and its proposed solution from a wide range of Pennsylvanians, including small business owners, legislators, a suburban family, and a packaged dessert company headquartered in Philadelphia that employs over 800 people. But the problem is bigger than Pennsylvania. With 47 million Americans uninsured and so many feeling the pinch of soaring coverage costs, can this Philadelphia experiment make a difference in the national crisis?
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Taxing the Poor
This month, millions of Americans are filing their taxes and hoping for the best, but are rich people actually paying a smaller percentage of taxes than the poor? NOW looks at plans in many states to raise sales taxes and lower property taxes in an effort to generate revenue. But those changes may come at an even bigger price. Anti-poverty advocates say this shift would place the heaviest tax burden on the poorest households--and benefit higher-income Americans. Despite the charge, it's a model many states have long embraced. NOW travels to one of these states, Alabama, to document the personal impact of regressive tax policies on three very different families. They include a working Mom who shows us how a ten percent sales tax on groceries makes a significant difference in what her family eats; a couple living in a ramshackle house in the backwoods who've always held jobs but still face hunger; and a well-to-do suburban couple who benefit from huge tax breaks.
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Daughters for Sale
Unable to make ends meet, many families in western Nepal have been forced to sell their daughters, some as young as six, to work far from home as bonded servants in private homes. With living conditions entirely at the discretion of their employers, these girls seldom attend school and are sometimes forced into prostitution. NOW travels to Nepal during the Maghe Sankranti holiday, when labor contractors come to the villages of the area to "buy" the children. There, we meet the Nepalese Youth Opportunity Foundation, which is trying to break the cycle of poverty and pain with an Enterprising Idea. They're providing desperate families with an incentive to keep their daughters: a piglet or a goat that can ultimately be sold for a sum equivalent to that of their child's labor. The organization says it has brought thousands of girls home to live with their families, but many cultural and political challenges still stand in their way.
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Regulators Fail Investors
Listen to David Brancaccio's web-exclusive interview with Arthur Levitt, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Levitt describes an "almost total failure of present regulatory institutions" at the root of the crisis sweeping financial markets, a crisis he assesses as even worse than those involving Enron and Worldcom. "Investors have been sorely, grievously hurt, and our system has been seriously endangered," Levitt said. He goes on to describe regulators as "cheerleaders" for the banks rather than acting in the interest of investors.
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Save Energy, Save Money, Save the Planet
Could a new effort to fight global warming save money and create jobs at the same time? NOW looks at a city-wide plan in Cambridge, Massachusetts to make all their buildings more energy efficient. Up to 80% of emissions in many urban cities comes from buildings. Cambridge hopes that this unprecedented effort to "green" its buildings will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by ten percent in just five years, the equivalent of taking 33,000 cars off the road. If every major city in America took the same approach, it would have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of the U.S. -- and it would generate tens of millions of new "green" jobs. The Cambridge Energy Alliance, a non-profit group, will help clients cut their energy use 15-30%, which translates into a lower utility bill. The Alliance will then help clients secure loans to pay for the building retrofits, loans designed to pay themselves off by the savings on those utility bills. Retrofitting thousands of buildings could also create a new green job market in Cambridge. It's a bold new experiment, but the Alliance hopes to become a national model that puts green thinking on display, as well as more green in people's pockets. Will this entrepreneurial effort bring new converts to the environmental movement?
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Toxic Toys?
Why does the United States remain one of the few developed countries to allow children to play with toys that some scientists say may cause infertility in boys? The toys in question contain substances called phthalates. While the European Union has banned these substances in products meant for children, there is powerful resistance from the chemical and toy industries to doing the same here.
NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels from California, where citizens have successfully gotten the state to pass a ban on phthalates in children's toys, to New York City's prestigious Toy Fair, and to Washington, D.C., to uncover some answers.
Phthalates help make plastic toys like some rubber ducks and teething rings soft and pliable. But scientific evidence suggests that exposure to phthalates (which are also used in dozens of other consumer items like, makeup, shampoos and shower curtains) may interfere with the sexual development of boys. Last year, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban phthalates in toys. The toy and chemical industry sued the city to block implementation, claiming there's not enough evidence to warrant any action. A similar ban is set to take effect throughout the state of California in 2009.
Investigative Journalist Mark Schapiro, author of "Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power," tells NOW, "By refusing to close the loopholes in EPA laws that regulate chemicals in toys (and other products), the U.S. government is jeopardizing our health, alienating us from the global market, and erasing our role as a world leader in environmental protection."
Is the US falling behind the European Union in regulating chemicals found in products we give our children?
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Economy on the Edge
After a tumultuous week on Wall Street and for the economy as a whole, David Brancaccio talks with noted economic forecaster Allen Sinai about what lies ahead. Brancaccio and Sinai discuss the nation's economic crisis and what can be done to stabilize the financial system. Sinai is an economist who has advised both Republican and Democratic administrations. Sinai tells David, "I don't think Americans quite realize the danger we're in economically and financially.
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Wiretap Whistleblower
Should telecommunication companies receive retroactive immunity for their role in helping the government eavesdrop on American phone calls and e-mails? As the Congress and President Bush duel over the answer to that question, NOW on PBS interviews a whistleblower with exclusive insight into the role played by one of those companies. AT&T technician-turned-whistleblower Mark Klein tells David Brancaccio about the "secret room" set up by the National Security Agency inside his AT&T office in San Francisco. He also describes in remarkable detail -- with documents to back him up -- how wires were split and extra equipment was brought in to essentially suck up and store e-mails from all over the country. Klein claims this activity is a violation of the Fourth Amendment.
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Torture Tactics: Interview with Alex Gibney
This year's Oscar-winning feature documentary, "Taxi to the Dark Side", tells the story of an innocent Afghan taxi driver who died while being interrogated and tortured by U.S. soldiers. NOW interviews the film's director, Alex Gibney, about torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, and how the issue is playing out in the presidential race. At the intersection of human rights, civil liberties, and national security, how should America respond?
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Rewriting Campaign Rules
Within days of the crucial Texas and Ohio primaries, a Democratic veteran insider takes us inside the last-minute strategies of the Clinton and Obama campaigns. NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Joe Trippi, the former Senior Advisor to John Edwards who also headed up Howard Dean's 2004 campaign, about the political road ahead. Is this the final act for Clinton and Obama, or will the increasingly contentious fight go on?
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Fighting Over Forests
Signed by President Bill Clinton in 2001, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects nearly 60 million acres of the country's national forest lands from most road building, mining, and logging. Over the last seven years, the Bush Administration has tried to amend the landmark regulation to give states more flexibility. NOW travels to southeast Idaho to investigate how a proposed change in the rule threatens to open thousands of acres of pristine public lands to private development. In the report, NOW speaks to representatives from the ranching, environmental, and mining communities, as well an Administration official. Who gets to control the fate of Idaho's vast roadless forests? Find out how you can help shape the answer. Also this week, NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa talks to a prominent feminist and her daughter who agree on lots of womens' rights issues, but are totally opposed in their choices for President.
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Benefits Denied
Temporary workers and independent contractors make up nearly a third of the U.S. workforce, and represent a growing asset to companies who rely on freelance flexibility. But corporations are using the designation "freelancer" to avoid paying health care and other benefits, even though many of these workers put in the same hours as their covered counterparts. NOW looks at the effect of this tactic on the lives and personal economy of freelance workers. We also examine an Enterprising Idea to help independent workers manage their personal needs, including benefits, networking, and investment help. Freelancers Union, founded by former labor lawyer and MacArthur grant recipient Sara Horowitz, provides a safety net for over 60,000 workers, but how is it viewed by the traditional labor movement?
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Spinning Election Strategies 2008
NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Dan Schnur, John McCain's director of communications in 2000, to see how the McCain campaign plans to unite the Republican Party, and new imperatives for both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. What strategies will succeed, and what pitfalls await those with their eyes on the White House?
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Middle Class Insecurity
Leading up to the Super Tuesday primaries, polls indicate that the economy ranks as the number one issue on the minds of Americans, beating out immigration, global warming, even terrorism. NOW on PBS travels to America's heartland -- Illinois -- to investigate rampant anxiety among America's middle class. How did families on the edge of financial collapse get to this point, and which presidential candidate do they think can restore economic hope and stability?
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God and Politics 2008
No recent Republican President has won without the help of Evangelical Christian voters, and they are credited with Mike Huckabee's recent meteoric rise in the polls. But some in the Evangelical community, disillusioned by what they see as broken promises from the Bush Administration, are rethinking their political strategies. NOW on PBS travels to Wichita, Kansas to investigate how and why the movement is shifting away from hot button issues like abortion and gay rights to broader and less divisive issues like Global Warming and AIDS. Is the religious right forging a new path, and how will it affect their political clout?
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Democrats Divided 2008
With the primary season underway, America is focused on whether the next president will be Democrat or Republican. Meanwhile, within the Democratic Party another struggle is unfolding. NOW on PBS reports on a rift between progressives who believe the party has sold out its liberal values and centrists eager to capture a broad swath of the more conservative voters. It's a struggle that is taking place at all levels of government. In Maryland, six-term incumbent Al Wynn is facing a tough challenge from newcomer Donna Edwards. According to Edwards, Wynn has sold out to big business and the Bush agenda, including a vote for the war in Iraq and the 2005 Energy Bill. Wynn says his challenger is naive and doesn't understand that there are choices in politics between compromise and doing nothing. Fueling candidates like Edwards are the footsoldiers of the progressive battle -- bloggers and other political outsiders like Matt Stoller of OpenLeft.com who are drumming up national support on the Internet. Maria Hinojosa speaks with the candidates and Matt Bai, author of The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle To Remake Democratic Politics.
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The Latino Vote 2008
The booming Hispanic population in political swing states is creating opportunities and headaches in both political parties as they try to court the Latino vote. NOW on PBS travels to Florida just weeks before its important primary to examine Republican tactics to win over Hispanic Americans. A fifth of Florida's residents are Hispanic, and Republicans are scoring points on traditional issues of faith and national security. But at the same time, they're frustrating Latinos with what many of them see as harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric. Who has the winning approach?
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Dirty Politics 2008
Political mudslinging as a campaign tactic is as popular as it's ever been. Romney, Clinton, Huckabee, Giuliani, Obama--no one's managed to steer clear of targeted rumors and malicious gossip. NOW on PBS travels to South Carolina, the home of legendary no-holds-barred campaigner Lee Atwater, to see where negative stories come from, how they spread, and whether they can be effectively defeated with positive messaging. "In South Carolina, we know how to run negative campaigns," Rod Shealy, a veteran campaign strategist who was convicted for violating campaign laws, tells NOW. "Your challenge as a campaign is to damage your opponent without getting caught doing it." Will political smears influence the result of the 2008 election?
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How Green?
Can environmentalists and conservative lawmakers get along in the Idaho wilderness? That's the challenge Republican Rep. Mike Simpson took on when he sponsored compromise legislation with the help of the Idaho Conservation League to protect a vast swath of the state's natural environment. But the price is too high for some. NOW talks to residents, ranchers, off-road vehicle fans, and wilderness advocates -- including singer-songwriter and resident Carole King -- to unearth the truth behind a tug-of-war that is playing out not just in Idaho, but in other states and the halls of the U.S. Congress. "Some people thought I'd lost my mind when I said 'we'll try to solve this problem.' But you know, that's the reason you're here. You're elected to try and solve problems" Rep. Simpson tells NOW. Carole King is unconvinced, and says the Gem State's wilderness "is a rare and precious jewel. It's Idaho's Hope Diamond. And if you cut it up into little tiny pieces, just like the Hope Diamond, the little pieces aren't worth anything." Can the red state stay green? (First aired January 5, 2007)
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Home At Last?
What do homeless people most need to reenter the fabric of society? Some say the answer is right there in the question: homes. NOW investigates a program that secures apartments for the long-term homeless, even if they haven't kicked their bad habits. If you think that sounds crazy, think again. Advocates say this approach reduces costs, encourages self-help and counseling participation, and restores self-esteem. The evidence seems to be with them, and the program is spreading to hundreds of cities across the country. NOW follows a man nicknamed 'Footie' who invited us to see this idea in action. (First aired February 2, 2007)
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Ron Paul and Internet Politics
At the intersection of the Internet and politics, presidential candidate Ron Paul's supporters are rewriting the rules of political campaigns. NOW explores how the Texas congressman and his supporters are using the Internet to attract voters -- and massive contributions -- from across the political spectrum. Supporters include anti-war progressives, anti-tax libertarians, civil libertarians, and even some white supremacists. The common theme is anger over where the country is heading.
"Ron Paul's campaign is so extraordinary to many of us because even while it was getting massive online traffic, you'd be lucky to get a whisper of his campaign in a lot of media outlets," said Zephyr Teachout, Howard Dean's former online organizer and now a Duke University professor.
That anonymity changed when, on November 5, Paul's campaign raised a record-breaking $4.2 million -- even though many of his followers have little political activism experience and were acting online without the help of Paul's official campaign.
"I think the message should be the only thing that counts, but you can't get the message out without the money," Paul tells NOW.
Can viral energy and passion in the virtual world translate into real world votes?
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Talking About War
On the very day Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese warplanes 66 years ago, David Brancaccio interviews filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick and the Rev. James Forbes Jr. about Burns and Novick's epic World War II documentary "The War". Looking to the past as a mirror to the present, the four discuss how the waging of war intersects with our notion of democracy. "It's incumbent upon a democratic society to evaluate what the arithmetic is -- the cost of war," Burns tells the group. Sharp insight about the year's must-see documentary, and the modern lessons contained therein.
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Will The 2008 Vote Be Fair?
How safe is your right to vote? This week NOW talks to David Becker, a former Justice Department official and voting rights activist who worked under both President Bush and President Clinton, who alleges a systematic effort to deny the vote to hundreds of thousands, even millions of people. In a revealing interview with NOW's David Brancaccio, Becker openly worries that the 2008 election will not be free and fair. And is our own government part of the solution, or part of the problem?
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Oil, Politics & Bribes
NOW shines a bright light on the scandalous connection between VECO Corporation -- an Alaska-based oil services company -- and Alaska's old-boy Republican network. Two state legislators have been convicted in Federal court for accepting bribes from VECO, while one more awaits trial. The FBI has video and audio evidence that reveal VECO executives shockingly handing out cash to those legislators in exchange for promises to roll back a tax on the oil industry. But that may only be the tip of the oily iceberg. NOW's Maria Hinojosa learns that dozens more lawmakers are being eyed in the growing scandal, including one of the country's most powerful politicians, Alaska U.S. Senator Ted Stevens. NOW investigates the bribes, the connections to Big Oil and the payoffs to obtain friendly tax policies.
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Mortgage Mess
NOW travels to North Minneapolis to investigate the mortgage meltdown that's left the city scarred with boarded-up and abandoned houses. What's happened in communities like this one has investors everywhere shaken. Wall Street firms are stumbling and markets around the globe are reeling. Economists worry the mortgage bust may even lead to a recession. By one estimate, investors could eventually see as much as 400 billion dollars go down the drain--losses almost twice as big as the savings and loan crisis of the early 1990s. NOW connects the dots to reveal the extent to which recklessness, corruption and greed created the subprime mess that now threatens to undermine our entire economy. David Brancaccio talks to Rep. Keith Ellison, who grew up in North Minneapolis and who has pushed legislation to address the crisis. He also talks to Ameriquest whistleblower Mark Bomchill, who explains the competitive "boiler room" culture that encouraged brokers to aggressively push mortgage products they knew clients would be unable to repay.
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Children's Health Care Showdown
NOW investigates the latest Congressional maneuvers to determine the fate of a children's health care program. The State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, is a block grant from the federal government to cover children whose family incomes exceed that which would make them eligible for Medicaid, but are too low to afford private insurance. But the fund is quickly running out of money. President Bush vetoed a bipartisan SCHIP reauthorization bill on October 3, claiming it would attract recipients who could otherwise afford private insurance. Now, the issue has become a political free-for-all, with family lives hanging in the balance. As part of its investigation, NOW interviewed Graeme Frost and his parents. Graeme is a twelve year-old boy whose family has been using SCHIP to pay for his medical expenses following a car accident. After Frost told his story as part of the Democratic weekly radio address at the end of September, he and his family became the targets of right wing attacks. Many are now asking: Did Congressional Republicans assist in a smear campaign?
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Growing Local, Eating Local
When the federal government ended its 60-plus years of price support to tobacco farmers in 2004, Virginians were hit particularly hard. NOW travels to the mountainous farmlands of Appalachia to meet farmers who've attempted the difficult switch from tobacco to increasingly popular organic produce. Among those profiled is restaurant owner Steven Hopp who, along with his wife -- acclaimed author Barbara Kingsolver -- spent a year living off the land. Social entrepreneur Anthony Flaccavento founded an Enterprising Idea called "Appalachian Sustainable Development" to help local farmers and markets make the transition not just to organic, but to local organic. Can local farmers change course and crops and still survive in a shifting economy? Also on the show, David Brancaccio interviews prominent environmentalist Bill McKibben about his "National Day of Climate Action" on November 3, and what we can all do to fight global warming.
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God and Global Warming
In August, NOW traveled with an unlikely alliance of Evangelical Christians and leading scientists to witness the breathtaking effects of global warming on Alaska's rapidly-changing environment. Though many in the Evangelical community feel recognition of global warming is in opposition to their mission, the week-long trip inspired new thinking on the relationship between science and religion, and on our moral responsibility to protect the planet. Travel with NOW and the expeditionary group on a breathtaking and surprising journey to find common ground between Earth and sky. "Despite having some differences on some well known issues, our two communities clearly shared a deep and fundamental reverence for life on Earth and a profound concern about what human activity was doing to it." write Dr. Eric Chivian and Reverend Richard Cizik for NOW.
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Immigration on Main Street
With Washington stuck in place on illegal immigration policy, local governments are taking the matter into their own hands, shifting the cultural and political battleground from Pennsylvania Avenue to Main Street, USA. NOW catches up with two New Jersey mayors who have sharply different -- and politically surprising -- approaches to dealing with undocumented immigrants in their communities. Morristown mayor Don Cresitello, a Democrat, wants to invoke a Department of Homeland Security provision that would grant his police department federal enforcement powers in dealing with illegal immigrants. "They shouldn't be here, and we shouldn't be spending that money on a population that's not supposed to be in this country," Mayor Cresitello tells NOW. An hour away, Hightstown mayor Bob Patten has turned his little town into a "Sanctuary City" -- a place where law-abiding illegal immigrants are protected and embraced. "We don't ask people what their immigration status is now," says Mayor Patten. "We simply want to treat everybody justly, fairly. There's a due process." NOW's David Brancaccio visits the mayors and members of their immigrant communities to uncover the impact these measures are having, and the passions that fuel them.
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Child Brides: Stolen Lives
NOW's Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels around the world for a revealing exploration of early child marriage in developing countries, and how people can act locally and globally to solve the problem. The hour-long special, 'Child Brides: Stolen Lives,' marks the first time the subject has been documented in a primetime television newsmagazine. Countries visited include Niger, India and Guatemala. The stakes are high: child brides typically experience high rates of childbirth complications, HIV infection, partner violence, and a cycle of poverty. An estimated 100 million girls will be married over the next 10 years. In her report, Hinojosa takes viewers on a journey of sorrow, healing and hope, including scenes of an illegal midnight wedding in India where children as young as three are married. In each country, Hinojosa shares the work of brave community members who are campaigning to end the centuries-old practice of child marriage -- sometimes putting their own lives at risk.
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Michael Apted on '49 Up'
NOW's David Brancaccio sits down with acclaimed director Michael Apted to talk about the surprising human predictors of future-generation education and income both here and in Britain. Apted discusses what he's learned from "49 Up," the seventh chapter of his groundbreaking documentary series that follows the lives of English citizens every seven years. "49 Up" premieres on "POV" October 9. Also on the show, "Off the Grid," a visit to Decorah, Iowa, where several families are going above and beyond the energy conservation call of duty by producing their own power from renewable sources.
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Veterans of PTSD
For many Iraq and Gulf War veterans, the transition from battlefield to home front is difficult. Bouts of fierce anger, depression and anxiety that previous generations of soldiers described as "shell shock" or "combat/battle fatigue" now earn a clinical diagnosis: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. But the relatively new medical label doesn't guarantee soldiers will get the care they need. NOW looks at how America's newest crop of returning soldiers is coping with the emotional scars of war, and some new and innovative treatments for them. In the show, we spent time with Iraq War veteran Michael Zacchea, a Marine Lt. Colonel who trained Iraqi troops and led them in the battle of Fallujah. Haunted by the violence he saw there, Zacchea and other soldiers diagnosed with PTSD now face what could be a lifelong struggle to leave the horrors of war behind and reclaim their once-peaceful lives.
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Who's Making Money From Microcredit?
Microfinancing has been hailed as a breakthrough in combating global poverty by giving small loans to impoverished people in the hopes of transforming their lives. But one very profitable Mexican lending program is now under intense scrutiny. This week, NOW continues its "Enterprising Ideas" series with a look at Compartamos bank, which started as a nonprofit organization lending small sums of money to poor indigenous Mexican women to help them start their own businesses. Today, it's a for-profit bank with more than 600,000 Mexican clients. Interviewing both grateful loan recipients and vocal critics -- like Nobel prize-winning microfinance pioneer Mohammed Yunus -- NOW investigates if Compartamos is truly serving the poor, or exploiting them.
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Third Time Around
On the heels of a much-anticipated progress report in Washington, NOW travels to Iraq for an exclusive, hard look at the war through the telling eyes of U.S. soldiers on the ground, and of the families they left behind. We also examine first-hand the so-called "Anbar Awakening," a controversial partnership between U.S. soldiers and Sunni tribal leaders, many of whom who had previously been fighting the Americans. Some--including President Bush--are calling this a significant step forward in reestablishing peace and order in Iraq. Hear what soldiers on the ground have to say. We first met the Third Infantry's First Brigade from Georgia's Ft. Stewart in a NOW show broadcast last January, only weeks before they headed back to Iraq for the third deployment in four years. As the long months of the "surge" unfold, we see them fighting an elusive enemy that prefers roadside bombs to pitched battles, while back at home their newborns become toddlers, and birthdays and anniversaries come and go. With the personal and political effects of constant redeployment and re-strategizing apparent everywhere, are we at a turning point or a breaking point?
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Military Sexual Trauma
Roughly one in seven of America's active duty military soldiers is a woman, but a NOW investigation found that sexual assault and rape is widespread. One study of National Guard and Reserve forces found that almost one in four women had been assaulted or raped. Last year alone, almost 3,000 soldiers reported sexual assault and rape by other soldiers. The shocking phenomenon has a label: military sexual trauma, or MST. In one of the only national television broadcasts covering the issue, NOW features women courageously battling to overcome their MST, and investigates what keeps this brutal phenomenon from gaining more attention.
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Montana Meth Project
When Tom Siebel, a billionaire software developer and part time Montana resident, learned the devastating effect methamphetamine addiction was having on the big sky state, he decided to use his successful marketing techniques--and 20 million dollars from his own wallet--to "un-sell" the deadly and highly addictive drug. It's called the Montana Meth Project. NOW's David Brancaccio talks with the venture philanthropist about blitzing the state with stark and shocking ad campaigns designed to drag meth use out of the shadows and get into the faces of kids. The results are promising, and his idea is spreading around the country. Also on the show, another "Enterprising Idea": a business model focusing on ethnic foods that's creating local jobs for Boston's inner city.
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AWOL
Choosing to go to war is both a government's decision and one made by individual enlistees. But changing your mind once you're in the army is a risky decision with serious consequences. NOW talks to two soldiers who went AWOL and eventually left the Army, but who took very different paths. NOW captures the moment when one man turns himself in, and when another applies for refugee status in Canada, becoming one of the 20,000 soldiers who have deserted the army since the War in Iraq began. Each describes what drove him to follow his conscience over his call to duty, and what penalties and criticism were endured as a result. "I see things differently having lived through the experience," former army medic Agustin Aguayo tells NOW. "When I returned from Iraq, after much reflection I knew deep within me I could never go back."
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Home Insurance 9-1-1
In the fall of 2003, one of the largest recorded wildfires in California's history destroyed over 2,200 houses and killed fifteen people. Soon after, many who'd lost their homes had a rude awakening: their insurance did not nearly cover their losses as expected. The insurance industry, which claims to cover "more property, more lives, more liability-related risks than any time at history," is busy fighting allegations that customers are receiving smaller payouts than what they were promised. This week, NOW collaborates with Bloomberg Markets magazine to investigate tactics some insurance companies may be using to reduce, avoid, or stall homeowners' claims in an effort to boost their own earnings. "The insurance industry...is purposely misleading customers," California Lieutenant Governor and former Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi tells NOW. "The first commandment of the insurance industry is, 'Thou shalt pay as little, as late, as possible.'...You go to financial heaven if you can carry out that commandment." The insurance industry is enjoying record-breaking profits, but who's paying the price?
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Income Inequality
In America, the top one-tenth of one percent of earners makes about the same money per year collectively as the millions of Americans in the bottom fifty percent combined. This is putting a tight squeeze on the middle class, while leaving millions of others in the cold. This week, David Brancaccio talks with Pulitzer prize-winning financial reporter David Cay Johnston, as well as author and advocate Beth Shuman about the state of our country's vast income divide and how it's hurting those just trying to make ends meet.
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Guantanamo Justice?
A strong blow to the Bush Administration's detainee policy, and the military lawyer who dealt it. David Brancaccio talks with Lieutenant Commander Charles Swift, whose Supreme Court victory on behalf of his client, a Guantanamo Bay detainee, successfully challenged the Bush administration's detainee policy. It also laid the foundations for the current Congressional debate over how to try those accused of terrorism. Will this development in the war on terror deliver swifter justice or false hope?
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Voter Caging
Was there a White House plot to illegally suppress votes in 2004? Is there a similar plan for the upcoming elections? NOW examines documents and evidence that points to a Republican Party plan designed to keep Democrats from voting, by targeting people based on their race and ethnicity. Congress is investigating, and so are we. We speak with David Iglesias, one of eight fired U.S. Attorneys, who says he lost his job because he refused to go along with the White House plan to suppress votes.
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Post-Abortion Politics
Does abortion cause long-term emotional and psychological problems for women? NOW introduces viewers to a new front in the effort to end abortions in the United States: claims of extreme negative effects on a woman's mental health. Once focusing primarily on the unborn child, anti-abortion advocates see new hope in an argument that focuses on the women who've made or are about to make a fateful decision. All sides of the debate have been listening and weighing in, including the Supreme Court.
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Emission Impossible?
A California Assemblywoman's personal environmental mission to reduce auto emissions inspired her colleagues to act and other states to follow suit. Supported by favorable federal court decisions, encouraged by an iconic Governor, and armed with new laws, her state is now on the cutting edge of efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of everything from American power plants to automobiles. NOW investigates not only California's aggressive stance against global warming, but also strong political opposition standing in the way of its expansion. Are California and the EPA headed for a showdown? Also on the show, "The Algebra Project," an inspiring program to uplift low-income schoolchildren with the power of math.
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Insuring the Children
While 45% of all children in the United States are receiving some form of public medical assistance, 9 million children are not covered by either public or private health care. The State Children's Health Insurance Program -- or SCHIP -- is a block grant from the federal government to cover those low-income children, but the fund is running out of money. NOW investigates how SCHIP's future is caught up in a battle between those who think the government insures too many kids, and those who think it's not doing enough.
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Michael Moore on "Sicko"
For years, the U.S. healthcare system has been assailed from all sides. At best, it's portrayed as a frustrating bureaucracy. At worst, it's costing people their very lives. In his new documentary, "Sicko," Michael Moore has turned his eye toward our American Healthcare system, as dominated and regulated by insurance companies, health maintenance organizations and legislators who are too often bought off by "Big Pharmacy" and HMOs. As part of his research, Moore asked for -- and received -- thousands of healthcare nightmare stories, many of which are retold in the film. He also takes a hard look at how our system stacks up against those of Canada, France, Great Britain...and Cuba. NOW Host David Brancaccio sits down with the controversial chronicler of American culture to find out what makes him tick, and why our healthcare system ticks him off.
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The Report Card
When New Orleans' failing public school system got washed away with the flood waters, the city embarked upon an ambitious and controversial overhaul with an emphasis on charter schools. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently managed schools that proponents hail for innovation, and opponents argue have not yet proven themselves. This week, NOW returns to Lafayette Academy, a charter school where students and teachers have struggled in the past school year with mismanagement and a lack of resources. NOW also visits the fifth graders at KIPP Believe College Prep, part of a successful national charter school network called the "Knowledge Is Power Program." "I think the great thing about being a charter school in New Orleans right now is that we have the autonomy and the power to create the school that we want to create," KIPP School Director Adam Meinig tells NOW's David Brancaccio. Also on the show, a moving "Enterprising Idea" profile of a novel program that makes new cars affordable for the working poor.
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The Unforeseen
In the 1970s and 80s, Land Developer Gary Bradley worked to transform Austin, Texas' pristine hill country into lucrative residential subdivisions, making both headlines and lots of money. When local residents learned of new plans to develop 4,000 acres over nearby Barton Creek, they rose up to stop Bradley and his partners in their tracks. Whereas the developers had strong connections in the Texas legislature -- and a powerful ally in eventual Governor George W. Bush -- the city had an even stronger connection to their unspoiled home. NOW's David Brancaccio talks with filmmaker Laura Dunn about her documentary, "The Unforeseen," which captures the drama, passion, and heartfelt convictions on all sides of the conflict without making easy targets of any of them.
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Stents and Sensibility
In 2006, Americans spent at least $14 billion dollars on procedures involving coronary stents -- little tubes that open clogged arteries to the heart. But according to the FDA, there's no evidence that stents significantly reduce the risk of future heart attacks. Now, a major study from a top cardiologist is suggesting many of the procedures prescribed for chest pains are overused. NOW investigates the facts behind coronary procedures and finds -- to no surprise -- that money is as much an issue as medicine. "There's no question that coronary intervention is big business. There is a lot of money involved in this," Researcher Dr. James Ferguson tells NOW. "And this gets everybody very nervous. And very upset. And very passionate." With big medical device makers so vested in the sale and marketing of their equipment, are some putting profits above patients?
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Maximum Capacity
The number of inmates in American prisons is outpacing the system's ability to hold them all. In one startling example, California prisons hold 70,000 more inmates than they're designed for, even though the state has built a dozen new prisons in the last 15 years. One of the biggest reasons is rampant recidivism. "Right now, 7 out of every 10 inmates that leaves this prison comes back," California Warden Mike Poulos tells NOW. "We need to stop that revolving door." NOW goes inside an Illinois prison that may have the answer to California's problems. With its innovative plan to keep released inmates from coming back, the Sheridan Correctional Center is trying to redefine "tough on crime" by being the largest fully dedicated drug prison in the country. The approach involves aggressive counseling, job training...and following the convicts after they get out. Can their novel approach keep convicts out of jail for good? NOW looks at the lives of three different men -- all in different stages of the system -- to find out.
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The Health Care Franchise
Can the quality of healthcare in developing nations be transformed by the same principal that makes fast food such a success here? NOW travels to Kenya to investigate an enterprising idea: franchising not burger and donut shops, but health services and drugs in rural Africa. American businessmen are teaming with African entrepreneurs to spread for-profit clinics around the country in the hopes of providing quality, affordable medical care to even Kenya's poorest people. But can they overcome obstacles like extreme poverty, corruption, cheaper fraudulent services, and long distances to establish a sustained solution to a chronic problem? "If we had as many franchise outlets delivering health care in developing countries as Subway has sandwich shops, we've estimated that we could serve about 120 million people a year," Businessman Scott Hillstrom, who conceived the idea, told NOW's David Brancaccio. This is part of a new beat on NOW and NOW Online called "Enterprising Ideas" that focuses on innovative solutions to social problems around the world. For the next two years, NOW will devote time to examining how people are applying business skills toward a new kind of bottom line: making the world a better place.
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Miles to Go
Many of the cars now on America's roads get no better gas mileage than the ones we were driving twenty years ago. Meanwhile, other country's cars are leaving ours in the dust in terms of fuel efficiency. How did this happen, and what are American auto manufacturers doing about it? Former GM engineer and NOW correspondent Jonathan Silvers goes under the hood of the U.S. car industry to look at what's being called a colossal failure of American engineering. Does Detroit have a secret weapon waiting in the wings? Also, we profile an organization that hopes to move kids out of poverty with -- of all things -- bicycles. Part of NOW's "Ideas That Work" series.
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The Royalty Treatment
When veteran government auditor Bobby Maxwell learned oil giant Kerr McGee was not paying the $10 million he says it owed in oil royalties, he prepared an order to Kerr McGee to pay up. Making sure the government gets its money from energy companies was Maxwell's job in the Minerals Management Service (MMS), a division of the Department of the Interior. But Maxwell claims his bosses at the MMS quashed that order. After filing a lawsuit under the False Claims Act, which protects and encourages whistleblowers, Maxwell lost his job. This week, NOW talks with Maxwell about the personal and professional price he says he paid in pursuit of fairness, and examines an industry under fire for keeping too much of the enormous revenue it makes for drilling on land and waters owned by us all. Are oil and gas companies being protected -- and even feted -- by the government agency charged with regulating them? "I felt very strongly that the American taxpayers just had $10 million stolen out of their pocket," Maxwell tells NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa. "And that that needed to be remedied." Also on the show, a look at growing -- and novel -- nationwide efforts to force action on global warming. Is humor part of the solution?
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Casualties of War
Reporter Steven Vincent and his translator put their lives on the line each day in Iraq to uncover the truth about sectarian violence. In August 2005, they were kidnapped by the very people they had been reporting on. Vincent was shot dead, becoming the first U.S. journalist murdered in Iraq. NOW's Maria Hinojosa travels to the Middle East to talk to his Iraqi translator, Nour Al Khal, an extraordinary woman who, despite being shot three times, survived. Like two million of her compatriots, Nour, who still fears for her life, has fled Iraq and lives in limbo as a refugee in a neighboring country. Now Vincent's widow, Lisa Ramaci, is doing everything she can to bring Nour to safety in the U.S. "We share Steven. She was his friend. He was my husband. But we both loved him in different ways," Ramaci tells NOW. But she's facing an uphill battle, as the U.S. shuts out thousands of Iraqis like Nour who helped Americans in Iraq. In fact, only 466 Iraqi refugees have been permitted into the U.S. since the war began in 2003. What's next for Nour and millions of other refugees who are overwhelming cities across the Middle East?
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Past Due and Pay Day
Housing in the United States is taking a big hit, as "too-good-to-be-true" home loans fail, refinancing dries up, and foreclosures surge. How did the market plummet so far so quickly and are current homeowners paying the price? NOW investigates by revisiting a California town whose real estate fortunes have taken a hard turn for the worse. Also this week, NOW spends more time with a group of determined Florida farm workers who pick the tomatoes that may wind up on your fast food burgers or burritos. For nearly a decade they've also been picking a fight with Corporate America to get a better wage for themselves and their families...and they've been winning.
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No End in Sight
Nearly four years after President Bush declared an end to combat in Iraq, the country is still fraught with daily casualties, costly commitments, and an ongoing debate on how to end the violence. How did it come to this? NOW's David Brancaccio speaks with two very different, but unforgettable men who allege that U.S. bungling in Iraq created and fueled the deadly insurgency. Paul Hughes, a retired Army colonel, was part of the transition team after the U.S. invasion of Iraq. He says key decisions were made that ignored the realities of Iraq. Omar Fekeiki was a Washington Post reporter and translator who risked his life to help U.S. journalists. Both Hughes and Fekeiki are featured in a new Sundance prize-winning documentary, "No End in Sight," which exposes what it calls "a chain of critical errors, denial, and incompetence that has galvanized a violent quagmire." Fekeiki's identity was hidden in the documentary for his protection, but he chose to appear unmasked on NOW for the first time.
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Stock Alert
NOW takes a close look at hedge funds -- secretive, unregulated, and often very risky investment accounts that have brought incredible wealth and power to some, but with the potential to spell dire consequences for ordinary Americans. Hundreds of billions of dollars are invested in hedge funds, and there's a good chance some of your retirement money's in one. But many hedge fund managers say they won't tell anyone how they make their money -- not even the government. NOW talks to former SEC lawyer-turned whistleblower Gary Aguirre, who investigated hedge funds and says he was banned from probing a Wall Street titan with close ties to the Bush Administration. "I was just following an evidence trail, and it led to that door," Aguirre tells NOW. "The logical thing was to knock on the door and try to find out what was behind it."
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Interview: Kurt Vonnegut
Listen to one of Kurt Vonnegut's last interviews, from NOW's October 2005 broadcast. Host David Brancaccio sits down with the legendary author of CAT'S CRADLE and SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE to talk about his life and the state of American democracy. With his classic wit, Vonnegut delivers some choice words for our parties, our system, and our president.
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Inside Egypt
NOW travels to Egypt for an international perspective on America, Americans, and the war in Iraq. Among those profiled is a thoughtful, educated young woman who boycotts American goods and represents a new generation of Egyptians familiar with Western culture, but turning toward Islam. From Arab streets to corporate settings, NOW uncovers outrage at America's foreign policy in the Middle East and investigates what America needs to do to regain the trust of one of our closest allies in the region. "There is a book, you know, how to lose your marriage in 30 days?" Emad Eldin Adib, an Egyptian media tycoon tells NOW. "The Bush Administration should write a book: how to lose your allies in the Middle East in 30 months."
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A Living Wage
NOW examines the fight for a "living wage" -- the pay needed to cover an actual week's worth of living -- on the Nashville, Tennessee campus of Vanderbilt University. The chancellor there earns $1.2 million a year, the endowment is $3 billion, but some of the school's lowest-paid workers -- groundskeepers, custodians, and dining service workers -- earn less than $8.00 an hour. Is the university really sensitive to their basic needs? NOW Senior Correspondent Maria Hinojosa reports that with the help of student activists and public figures like actor Danny Glover, the workers recently won a wage increase. "We have our home here. And I'm fighting -- we're both fighting to hold on to it," says Vanderbilt custodian Dewayne Arbogast. "And the only way we can do that is to make sure Vanderbilt continues to pay us adequately."
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Talking to Iran
President Bush has declared Iran to be part of the "Axis of Evil" and administration officials have said no options -- including military options -- are off the table in the effort to stop Iran from building a nuclear weapon. In the midst of this standoff between Washington and Tehran, some U.S. religious leaders are trying to succeed where politicians and diplomats cannot. This week, producer Jamila Paksima revisits her birth country of Iran with American spiritual leaders hoping to promote dialogue on such explosive issues as nuclear proliferation, the Iraq war, and the holocaust. The team met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, top officials in the government, and several of the ayatollahs who have a powerful influence on government policy. Can this delegation of mostly Christian leaders defuse the standoff and reopen the lines of communication between America and Iran?
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A Spy in the Spotlight & Bill George Interview
David Brancaccio takes a look at today's dramatic House committee testimony from former spy Valerie Plame. Plame testified about the leaks that ended her undercover career, but jumpstarted investigations into questionable "spin" tactics at the highest levels of our government. Also this week, NOW talks with a former Fortune 500 CEO and Harvard professor who prescribes a cure for self-serving corporate leaders who abandon rules of right and wrong at great peril to their companies, their communities, and the environment. Bill George's new book, "True North," provides insight and inspiration from 125 top U.S. business leaders across a wide spectrum of industries. In a compelling interview, the two discuss what's wrong with American capitalism and how to fix it.
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A Growing Hunger
There are roughly 30,000 cotton-growers in America who receive billions of our U.S. tax dollars every year through government subsidies. But critics charge this generous financial support may be ruining the livelihoods of tens of millions of cotton growers in the poorest parts of the world. NOW looks at the tragic global consequences of our subsidies, and at a new farm proposal -- supported by the President -- which seeks to rein in the assistance. Are we paying a terrible global price for subsidizing U.S. cotton farmers?
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Enemies of Happiness
David Brancaccio talks with Danish filmmaker Eva Mulvad about her documentary "Enemies of Happiness." The film follows the outspoken and successful campaign of Malalai Joya, a 28 year-old Afghan woman running in the country's first democratic parliamentary elections in 35 years. The elections represented a special milestone for Afghan women, who had endured second-class citizenry their entire lives. During the campaign, Joya's life was threatened multiple times because of her vocal and fearless opposition to the presence of warlords in the nation's government. But Joya's dedication also inspired many Afghanis to join her in the cause of real reform. "Enemies of Happiness" won the World Cinema Jury Prize in Documentaries at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.
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Vaccine Debate
A new cancer-fighting vaccine holds life-saving promise for young women, but debate over its use is raising tough questions at the crossroads of medicine and morality. NOW investigates the controversy over Gardasil, a new vaccine developed by the pharmaceutical giant Merck that blocks certain high-risk strains of the sexually-transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV) which cause 70% of cervical cancers. Just weeks ago, Texas Governor Rick Perry issued a controversial executive order requiring all girls entering sixth grade to be vaccinated with Gardasil, with opt-out exceptions. Some 20 other states are considering similar action. But many critics feel that mandating these vaccinations infringes on parental rights and may encourage risky sexual behavior among young people. Others argue that the rush to inoculation is too hasty, and that more medical review is required. Some also wonder if state government decisions were inappropriately prejudiced by Merck's powerful political influence. NOW travels to Michigan, a flashpoint of the debate, to uncover more about the issue and discuss its human consequences with doctors, local politicians, and private citizens, including a young mother living with cervical cancer brought on by HPV.
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For Your Eyes Only?
NOW reports on new evidence suggesting the existence of a secret government program that intercepts millions of private e-mails each day in the name of terrorist surveillance. News about the alleged program came to light when a former AT&T employee, Mark Klein, blew the whistle on what he believes to be a large-scale installation of secret Internet monitoring equipment deep inside AT&T's San Francisco office. The equipment, he contends, was created at the request of the U.S. Government to spy on e-mail traffic across the entire Internet. Though the government and AT&T refuse to address the issue directly, Klein backs up his charges with internal company documents and personal photos. Criminal Defense Lawyer Nancy Hollander, who represents several Muslim-Americans, feels her confidential e-mails are anything but secure. "I've personally never been afraid of my government until now. And now I feel personally afraid that I could be locked up tomorrow," she tells NOW. Who might be eyeing the hundreds of millions of e-mails Americans send out each day, and to what end?
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Digging Out of Debt
The average American owes an estimated $9200 on credit cards. And while recent changes to bankruptcy laws may put a smile on the face of some banks and credit card companies, they're making it hard for average Americans to dig themselves out of debt. NOW returns to Waterbury, Connecticut, where it first began reporting about these laws, and revisits a family struggling with bankruptcy. Also this week, NOW review the case of Anthony Graves and explores whether the justice system is condemning innocent men and women to death. Graves was sentenced to Texas' death row in 1994 mainly on the testimony of a lone eyewitness who later recanted. After six appeals, Graves has finally been granted a new trial. But will justice kick in for Graves as quickly as it turned against him?
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Home at Last?
What do homeless people most need to reenter the fabric of society? Some say the answer is right there in the question: homes. On February 2 at 8:30 pm (check local listings), NOW investigates a program that secures apartments for the long-term homeless, even if they haven't kicked their bad habits. If you think that sounds crazy, think again. Advocates say this approach reduces costs, encourages self-help and counseling participation, and restores self-esteem. The evidence seems to be with them, and the program is spreading to hundreds of cities across the country. NOW follows a man nicknamed 'Footie' who invited us to see this idea in action.
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The Heat Over Global Warming
Ahead of a major UN scientific report on global warming to be released next week, David Brancaccio talks with Laurie David, an environmental activist and outspoken co-producer of the Oscar-nominated documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." David levels direct charges against those she feels stand in the way of climate change education, and says America needs to lead the world in protecting the planet. "People are finally understanding the urgency of the issue. And I think they're starting to look at what they can do," David tells NOW. "But now we have to get government to change...we have to take a leadership role." Also this week, Maria Hinojosa talks with an environmental crusader, Majora Carter, who's looking to effect climate change in her own neighborhood of the South Bronx.
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Back to the Front
As President Bush seeks to add to the U.S. military presence in Iraq, NOW asks: are we asking too much of our soldiers, many of whom are on their second or third tours of duty? This week, NOW follows troops from Georgia's Fort Stewart as they prepare to leave their loved ones and head back into harm's way. Through their personal stories, we witness the strains both the war and our expectations are placing on America's military. Michael Murphy is one of the Fort Stewart soldiers deploying to Iraq for a second tour. "I think my biggest hope for this next year is just for it to go quickly and smoothly. I don't want anything major to happen to any of my guys or the rest of the squad or platoon," Murphy tells NOW. "But my biggest concern also is just to make it home with ten fingers and toes."
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Home Grown
Can America grow its way out of its dependence on foreign oil? Country music legend Willie Nelson thinks so, and has a new twist on a 100 year-old idea that just may get us there. Nelson has introduced a new kind of crop-based diesel fuel he calls "BioWillie." Not only does BioWillie burn more cleanly than regular diesel, but it could give farmers a brand new market for their crops. NOW talks with Neslon about this new trend in biofuels that is attracting the attention of farmers, environmentalists, and even some of the big energy giants as well. "There's other places in the world [that] have already made it happen, and you say, duh, why can't we do it here?" Nelson tells NOW. "Anywhere things can be grown that you can turn into fuel, do it."
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How Green?
Can environmentalists and conservative lawmakers get along in the Idaho wilderness? That's the challenge Republican Rep. Mike Simpson took on when he sponsored compromise legislation with the help of the Idaho Conservation League to protect a vast swath of the state's natural environment. But the price is too high for some. NOW talks to residents, ranchers, off-road vehicle fans, and wilderness advocates -- including singer-songwriter and resident Carole King -- to unearth the truth behind a tug-of-war that is playing out not just in Idaho, but in other states and the halls of the U.S. Congress. "Some people thought I'd lost my mind when I said 'we'll try to solve this problem.' But you know, that's the reason you're here. You're elected to try and solve problems" Rep. Simpson tells NOW. Carole King is unconvinced, and says the Gem State's wilderness "is a rare and precious jewel. It's Idaho's Hope Diamond. And if you cut it up into little tiny pieces, just like the Hope Diamond, the little pieces aren't worth anything." Can the red state stay green?
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Food Fight
Can labor unions still pack a punch for workers? This week, NOW travels to Tar Heel, North Carolina to investigate the twelve-year battle to unionize the world's largest pork processing plant. In so doing, NOW's Maria Hinojosa became the first TV journalist ever allowed to film inside the plant, owned by Smithfield Packing Company. Smithfield has been locked in a fight with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) for over a decade, amid court and government findings of past intimidation, physical violence, spying, and other violations of workers' rights. The outcome of the stand-off is a test case for organized labor's efforts to unionize low-wage workers, particularly in the traditionally anti-union South.
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Corporate Compassion
Corporations don't have the best reputation when it comes to compassion. More often than not, the bottom line leaves no room for benevolence. But some big businesses are taking a new approach. This week, NOW interviews Jonathan Schwartz, the charismatic CEO and president of Sun Microsystems, and billionaire venture capitalist Vinod Khosla, about their efforts to invest and grow programs that help make the world a better place. Khosla describes a radical proposal to move all U.S. automobile fuel consumption from gasoline to ethanol. As Khosla tells NOW, "We have a serious energy crisis. We have a serious climate crisis. We have a serious terrorism crisis. All three are related to one issue: oil consumption."
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Norman Lear on Minding our Media
Public opinion polls unanimously show that trust in mainstream media -- the institution most responsible for keeping us all informed and aware -- is at an all-time low. How did we get here, and more importantly, how can we repair the damage? NOW poses these questions to legendary television producer and People for the American Way founder Norman Lear. Also interviewed is Martin Kaplan, associate dean of USC's Annenberg School of Communication. Is mainstream media serving public or corporate interests? Issues and answers from people who've spent their lives minding the media.
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Live and Learn
Viewed before Hurricane Katrina as an institutional disaster, New Orleans' public schools got a second shot at success as a result of the devastation. City planners ran with the opportunity, deciding not just to rebuild schools, but to implement a bold experiment in public schooling. A full 60 percent of the city's reopened schools are now independently-run charter schools. NOW looks at the challenges, successes, and implications of one of these schools, Lafayette Academy, through the eyes of individual students, faculty, and parents. "I am convinced that this is all going to be the basis for the rebuilding process in New Orleans," Lafayette Academy Principal Eileen Williams tells NOW. "I'm a firm believer that if we're going to do away with poverty in this country and do things that are right, we've got to begin with educating our youth."
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Fog of War
Dozens of families say the military has misled them about how their loved ones died, and the army has officially acknowledged seven instances of misinformation. In the most high-profile case, the army is finishing its fourth investigation into the death of former pro football player Pat Tillman in Afghanistan two years ago. This time, they are investigating to see if facts were intentionally covered up. But Tillman is not the only disturbing case. NOW talks to the mother of Army Pfc. Jesse Buryj, reportedly killed by friendly fire in Iraq. "They have two options: to tell me who killed my son, or to have a very good reason why they can't figure it out," Buryj tells NOW. "Those are their only two options. And one will not be acceptable." Also this week, David Brancaccio talks to Tyler Drumheller, a 25-year veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency, to get his insight into past intelligence blunders and what anti-terrorism tactics we can expect from the CIA moving forward.
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Election Day Outcomes
News headlines are heralding Democratic Congressional victories on Election Night, but the larger story of the 2006 mid-term elections transcends statistical winners and losers. Since late summer, NOW has been focusing on crucial but underreported personal and political questions related to the election, such as: the performance of malfunctioning voting machines, the outcomes of deceptive ballot initiatives, the influence of religion in politics, the impact of immigration and minimum wage issues, the political role of the blogosphere, and the success rate of "clean" campaigners. NOW takes a hard look at the outcomes of these issues, as well as the individual people profoundly affected by them. Also this week, NOW's David Brancaccio and Salon.com editor-in-chief Joan Walsh place a magnifying glass on mid-term election outcomes to reveal what it means for America's future.
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Sway the Course?
With less than a week to go before the election, it's clear no single issue will have more impact than the war in Iraq. NOW goes to one of the most pro-war districts in the country -- the Texas 31st -- to see how townsfolk deeply affected by our presence in Iraq are expressing their feelings at the ballot box. This solidly-red district is home to Fort Hood, the largest active duty army base in America, and almost everyone living there has a personal connection to the war. Is the war in Iraq changing the minds of even the most entrenched voters? "Everybody here has felt the pain of what's going on," Jerry Morris, a district resident and retired Army Major told NOW. "So I think people here are more willing to say, 'maybe we need to rethink what we're doing.'" Also, an insightful interview with writer Andrew Sullivan, looking ahead to Tuesday's election.
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Minimum Wedge
In the final days of campaigning, a big battle is brewing over small wages. Congress hasn't touched the federal minimum wage level in nearly a decade (though its members routinely raise their own wages). But this year, eleven states have approved raising the minimum wage and six others have it on this November's ballot. In this week's show, NOW visits a Missourian who's relying on the minimum wage to support her entire family. She and others are engaged in a David vs. Goliath struggle -- in some cases against members of Congress -- to bring about something close to a "living wage" for those making the very least. Meanwhile, Democratic strategists are hoping this issue will light a fire under fellow Democrats to get them to the polls in some crucial battleground states.
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Votes for Sale?
The run-up to this year's midterm election smells of scandal and corruption, which raises the question: Can anyone stop the influence of big money and big influence on political campaigns? This week, NOW presents a special hour-long investigation into the fight to keep American elections free and fair. Airing less than three weeks before Americans go to the polls, "Votes for Sale?" will spotlight the so-called Clean Elections movement, a radical experiment adopted in Maine and Arizona to revolutionize how campaigns are conducted. It may not only help clean up politics, but also open the door for more average Americans to run for office and win. NOW also looks at a contentious California vote initiative, Proposition 89, with the same mission of cleaning up campaigns. But will "politics of the people" be a clean democratic step forward or a messy economic step backward? NOW travels across the country to find out.
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My Country, My Country
Filmmaker Laura Poitras spent eight dangerous months documenting the life of an Iraqi medical doctor and his family as they struggled to maintain hope amidst the bombings, bloodshed, and military occupation. When she returned to America, Poitras was labeled with the highest possible threat rating from the Department of Homeland Security. The resulting film, "My Country, My Country," is an intimate portrait of daily life in the war zone. NOW's David Brancaccio talks to Poitras about her eye-opening experiences working on what The Village Voice calls "the most valuable piece of film to emerge about the war in all of its three years."
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Cleaning House?
Congressman Foley's abrupt resignation last week is sending political shockwaves throughout the Capitol and the country, but more distressing are allegations that House leadership may have known details of Foley's inappropriate correspondence with a young page and done little about it. NOW asks: Can Congress police itself? Our investigation looks at the collision of political and ethical decision-making in Washington and its profound effects on the upcoming elections and our democracy. Also this week, the FCC is again considering proposals to let big media get even bigger. NOW takes a closer look at their most recent hearing.
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Alien Nation?
NOW looks at how Republican candidates, eager to rally conservative voters, are talking tough on illegal immigration -- even if that means bucking the President. Even more surprising, they're doing so in states which have few illegal immigrants. NOW travels to Indiana to see how the politics of immigration is playing out, what people's fears are, and if xenophobia plays a part in political tactics. "If you're a Republican Party that's fairing poorly, sometimes you have to win ugly," says Robert |
