Candidates 2008 - UT-2: Bill Dew (2008-09-24)
Retired homebuilder Bill Dew is the Republican candidate for Congress in Utah's 2nd District.
Candidates 2008 - UT-2: Jim Matheson (2008-09-23)
Utah Congressman Jim Matheson talks about the challenges facing Utah and the nation as he campaigns for a 5th term representing Utah's 2nd Congressional District.
Kids Campaign Against Idling Cars (2008-09-23)
School kids in Utah have joined the campaign to shut off idling vehicles. Sheri Quinn has the story.
9/24/08: Utah Election Analysis (2008-09-23)
Wednesday, RadioWest is live from the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah. We're analyzing state and local elections with Hinckley Institute Director Kirk Jowers, pollster Dan Jones, former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson, and Rebecca Walsh of the Salt Lake Tribune.
9/23/08: Body Worlds (2008-09-22)
Body Worlds 3 - the exhibit that uses real human bodies to explore the human specimen has just opened in Salt Lake City. Tuesday on RadioWest, Doug is joined by creative designer Dr. Angelina Whalley and by anatomist Dr. Kurt Albertine to talk about the exhibit and the complexity of the human body.
9/19/08: Young@Heart (2008-09-19)
Singers in Young@Heart chorus say their musical tastes run from Opera to Stage Musicals to Frank Sinatra. But members like 87-year-old Len Fontaine are still adventurous enough to take on punk anthems like the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated." The choir is the subject of a documentary that's just been released on DVD. Fontaine and others join Doug to explain how Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and David Bowie have written the soundtrack of their "Golden Years." (Rebroadcast)
9/22/08: The Economic Meltdown (2008-09-19)
Monday on RadioWest, guest host Jenny Brundin leads a discussion on the economic meltdown. We'll unravel the tumultuous events of the past week and discuss what the credit collapse means for the economy and for you. We'll look at the roots of the crisis, how it was allowed to happen and how it's impacting Utah.
BodyWorlds Opens in SLC (2008-09-19)
An anatomy exhibit which displays hundreds of preserved body parts and human cadavers opens in downtown Salt Lake City Friday. KUER's Jennifer Napier-Pearce reports.
9/18/08: The Overwhelming (2008-09-19)
The playwright J.T. Rogers says his projects begin with a question he's afraid to answer. As Rogers watched the news reports during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda - he asked himself what kind of person he would turn out to be in the same situation. Rogers' play "The Overwhelming" is the result, and it opens this week at the Salt Lake Acting Company. Doug talks to Rogers and others about the human stories in the worst of tragedies.
Young Voters Say Presidential Campaign Is About the Issues (2008-09-19)
What do young voters think about the election and the future of the country?
Water Remains Key Voter Issue (2008-09-18)
Water ranks as the seventh highest issue on voters' minds this year, according to a survey commissioned by the Utah Foundation, a non-partisan think tank based in Salt Lake.
Candidates 2008: UT-1: Incumbent Supports Smaller Government (2008-09-17)
Utah Congressman Rob Bishop is running for re-election in the 1st Congressional District.
9/16/08: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (2008-09-16)
When the journalist Jennifer 8. Lee learned that fortune cookies weren't actually Chinese, she said it was like "learning I was adopted while being told there was no Santa Claus." Actually, many restaurant favorites like General Tso's Chicken or broccoli and lo mein have little to do with Chinese cuisine. Lee joins Doug to talk about the roots of Chinese food as we know it - and about just how American it really is. (Rebroadcast)
Candidates 2008: UT-1: Democratic Challenger Says Lack of Elected Experience Is a Qualification (2008-09-16)
Morgan Bowen, a Democrat from Cache County, is challenging the incumbent Republican in Utah's 1st Congressional District.
9/17/08: Poet Paul Muldoon (2008-09-15)
The Irish-born Paul Muldoon has been called "one of the five or so best poets alive." He's won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, chairs the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton and is Poetry Editor for The New Yorker Magazine. But before you settle on an image of the poet and professor, you should also note that he owns an arsenal of electric guitars and is in a garage band called "Rackett." Muldoon is in Salt Lake City and joins Doug to talk about great poets, his own poetry, and rock-n-roll.
9/15/08: Bruce Bastian (2008-09-12)
Bruce Bastian has said that his being gay should be as meaningful as being right-handed. He knows that's not the way world works though, and the Orem-based multi-millionaire is known as much for his philanthropy in the GLBT community now as for co-founding WordPerfect. Monday, Bastian sits down with Doug for a conversation about success, about finding yourself and about making a difference in the world.
9/12/08: Beethoven's Ninth (2008-09-12)
This weekend the Utah Symphony will perform an evening of Beethoven's work - including the 9th Symphony. So we're taking the opportunity to rebroadcast our conversation on the story behind the 9th. Our guest the Harvard professor Thomas Forrest Kelly says to appreciate the 9th symphony, you have to hear it in the way audiences when it was first performed in Vienna, in 1824. (Rebroadcast)
Candidates 2008: Mark Shurtleff (2008-09-11)
KUER's Election 2008 coverage continues with an interview with Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. KUER's Jennifer Napier-Pearce asks why he is seeking a third term.
9/11/08: Filmmaker Charles Oliver and "Take" (2008-09-10)
In the new movie "Take," Ana is traveling to meet her son's killer on death row. Writer and director Charles Oliver has said this isn't a documentary about Restorative Justice - a process that brings victims and perpetrators together to find healing and restoration. The theme of forgiveness is unmistakable in Oliver's film though - and it's become a voice for the movement. Thursday Doug talks to Oliver and others about finding justice in the most difficult situations.
Court Says No to Coal Plant Initiative (2008-09-10)
The battle over a coal-fired power plant planned for Sevier County has been described in terms of air quality, water rights and toxic waste. But yesterday, in a courtroom in Richfield, it came down to the question of who has the right to change local zoning laws.
Candidates 2008: Jean Welch Hill (2008-09-09)
Jean Welch Hill is a 38-year-old Democrat challenging two-term incumbent Mark Shurtleff for the office of Utah Attorney General. Hill spoke with KUER's Jennifer Napier-Pearce.
9/10/08: History Detective Gwendolyn Wright (2008-09-09)
Gwendolyn Wright says that history isn't about answers; it's about investigation and evidence and personal stories. Wright is one of the hosts of the public television series "History Detectives," and the author of a new book on American architecture. She'll be in Salt Lake this weekend for the Utah State History Conference - and today she joins Doug to talk about history, architecture and what objects can tell us about the world we share.
Sigurd Neighbors Weigh Power Plant (2008-09-08)
The question of whether to build a coal-fired power plant in the small Sevier County town of Sigurd has long-time neighbors taking different sides.
9/9/08: Media Ethics and the Campaign Trail (2008-09-08)
Sarah Palin's candidacy for Republican vice president has again raised questions of the media's role and behavior this election season. Should a candidate's personal life be off-limits or do reporters have an obligation to introduce politicians to the voting public? How does praise or criticism of the media become part of a campaign strategy? Doug is joined by Brooke Gladstone of On the Media, NPR's David Folkenflik and Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute's Ethics Group.
Book Review: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (2008-09-05)
Betsy Burton reviews The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbary.
Utah Teens and Bristol Palin (2008-09-05)
The disclosure that vice-presidential candidate Sara Palin's unmarried teenage daughter is pregnant shocked the nation. KUER's Jenny Brundin set out to find what teens in Utah think about the issues her pregnancy has raised.
9/8/08: The 19th Wife (2008-09-05)
Ann Eliza Young was 24 when she married her prophet Brigham Young. By her account, she was his 19th wife, and when she filed for divorce in 1873, she made headlines in newspapers and tabloids around the country. Novelist David Ebershoff says those contemporary accounts remind him of reports he read on the polygamists in Eldorado, Texas. In his new book The 19th Wife, Ebershoff weaves together the two time periods to create a portrait of polygamy and its effect on the lives of those who live it.
Utah RNC Delegates Want Drilling (2008-09-05)
Utah delegates want the government to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wild Life Refuge, but Presidential candidate John McCain opposes the plan. Matt Laslo reports from St. Paul, Minnesota.
Utah Delegates Leave RNC Confident (2008-09-05)
Utah delegates say they are headed home from the national convention feeling a bit more confident with the Republican ticket than when they left. Sara Sciammacco reports from Saint Paul.
Utah Delegate's View of GOP Convention (2008-09-04)
Sean Reyes is attending his first national political convention as a Republican delegate.
9/5/08: Dead Lucky (2008-09-04)
Lincoln Hall likes to say that on May 25, 2006, he died on Mt. Everest. It was the one of the deadliest climbing seasons on the mountain, and when Hall collapsed shortly after summiting, he was pronounced dead and left behind. His story gets really interesting though the next morning, when he was found very much alive. Lincoln joined Doug earlier this year to tell his story. (Rebroadcast)
9/3/08: The Film Club (2008-09-03)
When film critic David Gilmour's son Jesse was 15 years old, he was in trouble and he hated school. David tried helping, but nothing seemed to work. That's when the two struck upon a deal: Jesse could drop out of school on one condition. He had to sit down with his father and watch three movies a week. Wednesday, David joins Doug to talk about the relationship between father and son - and about the life lessons that can be learned at the movies. (Rebroadcast)
9/4/08: Pets in America (2008-09-03)
Just a few days after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, people from around the country were sending half a ton of food - hourly - to the animal rescue center set up in Mississippi. The historian Katherine Grier says that Americans have developed a culture of kindness towards animals. We've enjoyed their company for hundreds of years and our relationship to pets reflects broader changes in the country. Thursday, Doug talks to Grier about Americans and their pets through the years.
Utah Dems Wrap Up Convention (2008-08-29)
Utah Democrats wrapped up their convention in Denver with a focus on bringing young voters into the party.
9/2/08: Nixonland (2008-08-29)
The writer Rick Perlstein says that American culture and politics "were forged in blood and fire." In 1964, the Democrat Lyndon Johnson won a land-slide victory over Barry Goldwater - an election that seemed to herald America's liberalism. But just eight years later, the tides had turned and Republican Richard Nixon held the presidency with a similarly large margin. Tuesday, Rick Perlstein joins us to talk about how the battle lines of American politics were drawn and what it means for us today.
9/1/08: Jorge Fierro and Rico Mexican Market (2008-08-29)
When owner Jorge Fierro gives a tour of Rico Mexican Market, he smiles when he shows you his tortilla making machine. There's a small wooden press -- hand operated by one of his 30 employees. Fierro started his business selling freshly cooked pinto beans at the Downtown Farmer's Market. Now Rico Brand carries over 125 products distributed throughout Salt Lake and Park City. Doug talks to Jorge Fierro about his commitment to the local economy, & about the delight of well-made food. Rebroadcast
Tom Hayden Compares 1968 and 2008 Conventions (2008-08-28)
Interview with Tom Hayden, anti-war activist from the 1968 Democratic National Convention.
Orton Kids Blog from Denver (2008-08-28)
Will and Wes Orton, two boys from Utah, are among the bloggers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Utah Priorities: Immigration (2008-08-28)
Utah voters put immigration on the list of their top priorities in a survey this election season. The Utah Foundation's Steve Kroes talks about their concerns with KUER's Jenny Brundin.
8/29/08: Final Salute (2008-08-28)
The journalist Jim Sheeler's new book is about how the country honors those killed at war, and it all begins with a knock at the door. The book is a collection of powerful and touching stories of the families that have to answer the door and cope with the news. It's also a profile of one of the men charged with that difficult mission called "casualty notification." Jim Sheeler joined us earlier this year to talk about the true costs of war. (Rebroadcast)
8/28/08: The New Victory Garden (2008-08-27)
During World War II, a grass-roots response to rationing took hold across the country. People began planting "victory" gardens, and this experiment in back yard farming would eventually produce almost half of the nation's food needs. Today, there's a movement to bring back the home garden to address modern day problems like climate change, the cost of energy and health issues. Thursday, we're talking about what new victory gardens could mean for individuals and for the country.
8/27/08: Mustang (2008-08-26)
The horse has figured prominently in the history and the myth of the American West. But today, where horses run wild, author Deanne Stillman says that dwindling protections and ever-encroaching civilization is threatening its very survival. Wednesday, Stillman joins Doug for a conversation about horses - from their return to America with the conquistadors - to their starring role on the frontier - to the peril Stillman says they face today.
Special Ed Teachers Harder to Find (2008-08-26)
Utah school districts are having an increasingly difficult time hiring qualified teachers for special education.
Racial & Ethnic Differences in Prenatal Care (2008-08-26)
In recent years, ethnic minorities and immigrant women have been making up a growing proportion of the mothers giving birth in Utah. And yet, their use of prenatal care, compared to the majority, presents a complicated and troubling picture. KUER's Tasha Cook has this report.
Utah Delegates and Bloggers Excited to Support Obama (2008-08-25)
Utah delegates talk about their reasons for representing the party at this year's national convention in Denver.
8/26/08: Dangerous Drinking on Campus (2008-08-25)
Over 100 leaders of universities across the country agree that binge drinking is a problem on our campuses. Westminster College President Michael Bassis is among them, and he's signed on to what's called "The Amethyst Initiative." It calls for a public debate about how we deal with dangerous drinking - including the current legal drinking age of 21. Tuesday, we're talking about the Amethyst Initiative and about what current research says is the best way to educate youth about alcohol.
Obama Opens Utah Campaign Office (2008-08-25)
Utah has been called the most Republican state in the nation. That's not keeping the Democratic Party from trying to make a contest of it.
8/25/08: A History of Political Conventions (2008-08-22)
Throughout their history, conventions have more than once turned into a circus. The 1924 Democratic Convention took 103 ballots - and some fistfights between governors - before a nominee was decided. The 1912 Republican Convention was so divisive, Taft and Roosevelt hurled brutal public insults at each other. Doug and political historian Byron Shafer have a civil conversation about the role conventions have played in the Presidential election process - and just what they do for democracy today.
Utah Priorities: Teacher Quality (2008-08-22)
A new research brief by the Utah Foundation looks at ways to assess the quality of teachers in Utah schools.
8/22/08: Sick Around the World (2008-08-21)
Washington post reporter TR Reid says when it comes to health care, the United States - the richest country in the world - is a fourth rate power. Reid is writing a book about health care around the world - and earlier this year he hosted a film for the PBS documentary series Frontline. Reid traveled to five wealthy capitalist countries trying to figure out how they do it - that is offer health care to everyone and for a heck of a lot less. (Rebroadcast)
Lawmakers tout oil shale (2008-08-21)
With state lawmakers encouraging them on, Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Congressman Rob Bishop touted oil shale yesterday as a way to solve the nation's energy woes. KUER's Jenny Brundin reports.
8/21/08: Gonzo - The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008-08-20)
The term "gonzo" was coined to describe Hunter S. Thompson's first-person literary approach to journalism. His reporting on everything from the Hell's Angels to the Kentucky Derby to presidential campaigns was always irreverent, frequently exaggerated, but never what you'd expect. In a new documentary, filmmaker Alex Gibney has created a striking portrait of Hunter S. Thompson, and Thursday he joins us, along with historian Douglas Brinkley, for a look at one of America's greatest mavericks.
Leonardo Facing SL City Skepticism (2008-08-19)
New management for the Leonardo will appear before the Salt Lake City Council Tuesday, hoping to persuade them to release public funding to help build an arts and science museum in the old City Library building. But as KUER's Jennifer Napier-Pearce reports, it's shaping up to be a tough sell.
8/19/08: The Legend of Colton H Bryant (2008-08-19)
In her new book, Alexandra Fuller writes about the simple life and heartbreaking death of a roughneck working on a Wyoming oil patch. "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant" explores the impact Wyoming's stark, rugged terrain has on a person's character and the effect of the oil and gas industry on rural communities. Fuller joins guest host Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about one man's abbreviated life and the human costs of energy development. (Rebroadcast)
8/20/08: The Way of the World (2008-08-18)
In his new book The Way of the World, journalist Ron Suskind says that the United States government lost its moral compass in the lead up to war. The book itself has caused quite a bit of controversy. Suskind's allegations include the claim that the forgery of the letter linking al-Qaida to Saddam Hussein was ordered by the White House. Wednesday on RadioWest, Doug talks to Ron Suskind about his book and about what he sees as the nation's struggle to reclaim its moral authority.
Violent Crime Down, Property Crime Up in Utah (2008-08-18)
Crime and security are the sixth highest concern for Utah voters this year, according to a survey commissioned by the Utah Foundation. But in their latest report, crime is down 30 percent from 1995.
Downtown Mural Attracts Attention (2008-08-18)
You may have noticed a dog posing as a music conductor or a tiger spray painting down by the Rio Grande Depot. Jason Sparks has the details.
8/18/08: Live from Beijing (2008-08-15)
It's day eleven of the 2008 Olympics, and today on the program we're joined live by NPR correspondents Howard Berkes, Tom Goldman and Frank Langfitt from their vantage point in Beijing. We'll talk about some of the results thus far, about how the games are playing out, and about the process of reporting from China.
8/15/08: The Big Sort (2008-08-14)
You know the old saying: Birds of a feather flock together. The journalist Bill Bishop would say it's true. He says there's segregation going on in the country - and not just between red states and blue states. It's happening between towns and neighborhoods. People move, and when they do, they tend to gravitate towards communities that share their religious and political views. Bishop joins Doug to explain how our life-choices are dividing the nation. (Rebroadcast)
Affordable Housing Disappearing in Moab (2008-08-14)
Families living in a mobile home park are being told to leave. The owner of the land under their homes wants to sell it for a new resort.
Utah Foundation Transportation Study (2008-08-13)
Utahns are driving less, and the state of Utah is collecting less in motor fuel taxes. That poses new problems for building and maintaining roads in the state.
8/13/08: The Prodigal Tongue (2008-08-13)
Journalist and writer Mark Abley predicts that by 2015 half the world's population will be speaking - or at least learning - English. But as the language sweeps the globe, it's not just changing those it encounters - it's changing too. New words are being added at a "break-neck" rate from other languages, from hip-hop lyrics, from the blogosphere. Abley joins Doug Wednesday to talk about the journey English is taking and what the future of the language sounds like.
8/14/08: The Funeral Industry and Grave Choices (2008-08-13)
Americans are spending somewhere between 11 and 15 billion dollars a year on funerals. Of course, people want fitting memorials for their loved ones, but how much of what we spend is cultural and how much is reaction to marketing at our most vulnerable time? Thursday on RadioWest, Doug talks to journalist Mark Harris and others about the funeral industry in America. We'll talk about its history, where we are today and about alternatives to the modern burial.
Affirmation Seeks Another Meeting with LDS Church (2008-08-12)
Leaders of a gay Mormon support group want to sit down and talk with officials from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
8/11/08: The Billionaire's Vinegar (2008-08-11)
It all started with a bottle of French wine allegedly owned by Thomas Jefferson in the 1780s. Questions about the authenticity of the Jefferson bottles, which rattled the collecting establishment and launched a lawsuit, form the centerpiece of "The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the Worlds' Most Expensive Bottle of Wine." On Monday, Doug talks with journalist Benjamin Wallace about the obscure world of rare wines and how he traced the controversy told in his best-selling book.
8/12/08: The Mormon Quest for the Presidency (2008-08-11)
Did you know there have been ten Mormons who have run for president of the United States? Tuesday on RadioWest, historians Newell Bringhurst and Craig Foster join us to tell the stories of the nine men and one woman who made their bid and failed. The book is called "The Mormon Quest for the Presidency."
Utah Graduate Student Posts Olympic Weblog (2008-08-10)
Zuzana Tomas is competing in the women's marathon for Slovakia at the Olympic Games in Beijing. Friends all over the world are following her experience thanks to her weblog.
Odyssey To Dance in Beijing (2008-08-08)
As thousands of athletes and fans from around the globe gather for tonight's opening of the Beijing Summer Games, seven Utah dancers are packing their bags, setting off on Sunday to join the Olympic festivities.
Lockhart's Final Deer Valley Performance (2008-08-07)
Utah Symphony music director Keith Lockhart made his last appearance at the Deer Valley Music Festival last week. KUER's Dan Bammes reports.
8/8/08: Band of Annuals (Rebroadcast) (2008-08-07)
If you had to characterize Band of Annuals, it would be alt-country, but the group appeals to an incredibly wide audience: indie rockers, head bangers, folk fans.
8/7/08: Love in Later Life (2008-08-06)
The word romance may conjure up youthful flirtation and physicality, but more and more people in the retirement set are finding love in later life.
Coal Mine Safety After Crandall Canyon (2008-08-06)
KUER's Jennifer Napier-Pearce speaks with Scott Matheson, Junior, who chaired the Utah Mine Safety Commission.
8/6/08: Crandall Canyon Remembered (2008-08-05)
At 2:48 a.m. August 6, 2007, the Crandall Canyon coal mine near Huntington, Utah collapsed, trapping six miners. Rescue efforts claimed another three men and in the ensuing months, the catastrophe spurred Congressional hearings and re-launched a national debate about mine safety.
WWII veteran of Hiroshima continues healing (2008-08-05)
Tomorrow marks sixty-three years since the world's first nuclear bomb attack killed more than 120,000 Japanese men, women and children. Yet even now, fears about a nuclear attack happening again remain high. That troubles one Utah man in particular. For him, the attacks that ended World War II brought anything but peace. KUER's Jenny Brundin reports.
8/5/08: Mountain Meadows - Part 2 (2008-08-04)
Documents recently released by the LDS Church shed new light on what led to the bloodshed in Mountain Meadows, Utah in 1857.
Salt Flat News (2008-08-02)
The Salt Flat News was a quirky desert newspaper - an experiment in existential journalism - that folded 35 years ago. But it's still very much alive in the mind of Richard Goldberger. KUER's Jenny Brundin has this portrait.
8/4/08: "Massacre at Mountain Meadows" (2008-08-01)
Since the 1857 slaughter of more than 120 men, women and children at Mountain Meadows, Utah, questions about why a group of Mormons settlers killed an unarmed emigrant party and how much influence Brigham Young had in the attack have swirled around the incident.
8/1/08: Ralph Nader (2008-08-01)
For over 40 years, Ralph Nader has been a force in American life. Nader's influence and legacy extends from seat belt safety to clean air and water standards to product labels.
7/31/08: "Bonk" (Rebroadcast) (2008-07-30)
The writer and journalist Mary Roach says that it took science a long time to get up the nerve to study human sexuality. (Rebroadcast)
Surviving an abusive childhood (2008-07-30)
The youngest son of a drug dealer, James Ballou grew up surrounded by rampant drug use, sex, violence and abuse. But the boy wasn't destroyed - he survived the destructive forces by embracing the philosophy that we are who we choose to be. KUER's Jenny Brundin spoke with Ballou about his new book, Soul Survivor.
7/30/08: "Bargaining for Eden" (2008-07-29)
In "Bargaining for Eden," author Stephen Trimble can be tough in his assessment of how billionaire Earl Holding acquired public land for a ski resort and made a deal to host the 2002 Winter Olympics there. But Trimble's own environmental philosophy was put to the test when he became a landowner and developer himself.
7/29/08: Turf War (2008-07-29)
It's no secret that Americans love their lawns. In fact, turf in the U.S. covers an area roughly the size of New York state. But as water becomes more scarce and chemical treatments more toxic, an anti-lawn movement is sprouting. Some are questioning whether we should keep our finely-manicured grass or plant gardens instead.
7/28/08: "Chasing Churchill" (2008-07-28)
A new PBS documentary explores the public itinerary as well as the public journeys of former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill. On Monday, Doug talks with British writer and journalist Celia Sandys about her famous grandfather.
7/25/08: Valerie Plame Wilson (2008-07-24)
Friday, a conversation with Valerie Plame Wilson. She joined us earlier this year to talk about having her cover as a CIA operative blown in the political squabble over the justification for the war in Iraq. You all know the story by now. The disclosure spurred a federal investigation that led to the conviction of the Vice President's Chief of Staff. Plame Wilson has written a book about her experience called "Fair Game." (Rebroadcast)
7/24/08: The Bear Lake Monster (2008-07-23)
In 1868 stories of a strange creature in Utah's Bear Lake were blazing throughout the territory. Joseph Rich, the son of a prominent Mormon leader, wrote in the Deseret News: "the Indians say there is a monster animal which lives in the lake. They represent it as being of the serpent kind, but having legs about 18 inches long." Today we'll tell the stories of Utah's lake monsters and explain why they are so tempting to believe. (Rebroadcast)
Children and the 4-day work week (2008-07-23)
Since Governor Jon Huntsman announced earlier this month that 23,000 state workers will shift to four-ten-hour work days, it's been a scramble for some employees to figure out how to make the change work.KUER's Jenny Brundin reports.
7/23/08: Monet to Picasso (2008-07-22)
It's been called a "blockbuster" and a "once in a lifetime" event. With 74 masterworks from 19th and 20th century artists like Picasso and Gauguin, the Utah Museum of Arts has every reason to be proud. The exhibit comes from Cleveland, and Wednesday on RadioWest, Jennifer Napier-Pearce talks to curator William Robinson and to art historian Richard Brettell about the masters of European modernism - and the fascinating journey from impressionism to surrealism.
Downtown Theater Draws Mixed Reviews (2008-07-22)
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is poised to propose an $81 million investment in downtown: a new 2,400 seat Broadway-style theater. But some local arts groups are giving the proposal half-hearted applause.
7/22/08: The Uprising (2008-07-21)
Is there an uprising brewing in America? David Sirota thinks so. In his new book the author travels the country stopping in union halls, shareholder meetings for Exxon Mobil and to the Mexican border to chat with Minutemen. Sirota examines whether the populist uprising he sees on both the left and the right will transform into a full-fledged revolt - a prospect that terrifies Washington and Wall Street. He joins Jenny Brundin Tuesday to talk about his book, The Uprising.
7/21/08: Drilling for Energy in Utah (2008-07-18)
High energy prices are pushing new oil and gas development on public lands in the West. Drilling permits are being approved in areas some groups believe should be wilderness. Do we have to drill everywhere? How much difference will increased drilling make in prices at the pump, or America's independence from foreign suppliers? Dan Bammes looks at those questions with Utah Congressman Rob Bishop, Kent Hoffman from the BLM and Stephen Bloch from the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance.
7/18/08: Howard Hughes and the "Mormon Will" (2008-07-17)
In 1976, a handwritten will found in Salt Lake City left $150 million of Howard Hughes' fortune to a rural Nevada meat delivery driver, Melvin Dummar. Hughes' "Mormon Will" was declared a fraud by the courts, and Dummar lost everything, including his reputation. Former FBI agent Gary Magnesen has written "The Investigation," which reposes the central question: has Dummar been telling the truth all along? (Rebroadcast)
7/17/08: The Upside of High Fuel Prices (2008-07-16)
Is there any reason to think the current high price of gasoline is a good thing? Could today's fuel prices finally motivate the kind of conservation and technological innovation that American society has been slow to accept? KUER's Dan Bammes will look at the upside of high fuel prices with guests Chris Pummer, a business writer whose MarketWatch article on the issue prompted thousands of responses, and with financial planner John Bird from the Albion Financial Group.
7/16/08: Children of War (2008-07-15)
Millions of children grow up surrounded by war, and the number is growing each year. Two University of Utah researchers study how children's moral development is effected by the violence, lawlessness and deprivation in their lives. Is the future of these children just a bleak moral vacuum, or is there hope? Jenny Brundin talks to Cecilia Wainryb and Monisha Pasupathi about children of war.
7/15/08: Where Did I Leave My Glasses? (2008-07-14)
You've probably had this happen - you can't find your keys or don't remember the name of the person you just met yesterday - and you worry it's a sign of things to come. There are 78 million baby boomers in the US today, and memory loss is one of their biggest concerns. The journalist Martha Weinman Lear joined Doug to explain that what you're experiencing is universal and normal. (Rebroadcast)
7/14/08: The Last Days of Old Beijing (2008-07-11)
As Beijing prepares for the Summer Olympics, the narrow lanes and compact neighborhoods that once defined China's old city are giving away to high-rise apartments and modern shopping centers. Monday on RadioWest, author Michael Meyer joins Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about China's changing urban landscape and the price of progress.
7/11/08: The Hummingbird's Daughter (2008-07-10)
Journalist, poet and novelist Luis Alberto Urrea's novel "The Hummingbird's Daughter," is the story of a distant relative, Teresita Urrea. Famed throughout Mexico for the power to heal with her touch, the family ranch becomes a center of pilgrimage for the people and a source of concern for the government on the eve of the revolution. Urrea joined Doug to talk about his quest to find Teresita, and the book he offers her as a gift. (Rebroadcast)
7/10/08: Skinhead Confessions (2008-07-09)
TJ Leyden was 14 when he started propagating the gospel of hate. He covered his body in sinister tattoos, he stabbed and maimed people in the name of white power, and he recruited hundreds to his way of thinking. But then Leyden had an epiphany. Thursday on RadioWest Jennifer Napier-Pearce talks with Leyden about his remarkable transformation and the years he's spent trying to make amends.
7/9/08: Killer At Large (2008-07-08)
Look around the grocery store or movie theater and this will come as no surprise, but over the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in our waist lines in the United States. In fact, 2/3s of us are obese, and 17% of our children are overweight. A new documentary explores why Americans keep packing it on and what we can do about it. Wednesday on RadioWest, director Steven Greenstreet talks to Jennifer Napier-Pearce about his film Killer At Large.
7/8/08: Always a Cowboy (2008-07-07)
Historian Will Bagley echoes Mark Twain when he explains the similarities between 1929 and 2008: it may not be an exact repetition, but they do rhyme. There's a transportation crisis, corporate corruption and massive consumer debt. Bagley has just published a new biography of Utah's Judge Wilson McCarthy, a man whose life mirrors the social and economic changes of 19th and 20th century America. Will Bagley joins Doug Monday to talk about McCarthy and the lessons history offers for today.
Utah Wilderness Legislation (2008-07-07)
The Utah Redrock Wilderness Act has been introduced again in Congress, but it may not fare any better with Democrats in control than it did with Republicans.
7/7/08: Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan (2008-07-07)
Monday on RadioWest we're rebroadcasting our conversation with the writer and ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan about food and place. Nabhan has spent his life exploring the relationship of people to land and its native sustenance. So when he talks about preserving the agricultural heritage of rural America or the cuisine of traditional societies or our own biological connection to certain foods, he's talking about culture and its deep dependence on a dwindling natural world. (Rebroadcast)
7/7/08: Always a Cowboy (2008-07-06)
Historian Will Bagley echoes Mark Twain when he explains the similarities between 1929 and 2008: it may not be an exact repetition, but they do rhyme. There's a transportation crisis, corporate corruption and massive consumer debt. Bagley has just published a new biography of Utah's Judge Wilson McCarthy, a man whose life mirrors the social and economic changes of 19th and 20th century America. Will Bagley joins Doug Monday to talk about McCarthy and the lessons history offers for today.
7/4/08: So Help Me God (2008-07-03)
The debate over the relationship between church and state is nothing new in this country. In fact it's never really subsided. In his book "So Help Me God," theologian and scholar Forrest Church chronicles that very first battle in this ongoing culture war. It started as George Washington was preparing to take the oath of office. This piece of history provides some insight into the modern struggle. (Rebroadcast)
Wyomingites reflect on oil and gas development (2008-07-02)
A series of gatherings took place in Wyoming called the Weather Reports. It was the first time many had the chance to voice their worries and hopes about oil and gas development in the state.
7/3/08: Summer Reading 2008 (2008-07-02)
Today on RadioWest we're offering some help to those of you who haven't decided which books to take on summer vacation. Local book experts Betsy Burton of The King's English, Ken Sanders of Ken Sanders Rare Books and Catherine Weller of Sam Wellers Bookstore will bring their suggestions. We hope you'll join us with yours.
7/2/08: Working a 4-Day Week (2008-07-01)
There aren't a lot of progressive ideas coming out of Utah government these days, but Governor Jon Huntsman is implementing a ground-breaking idea to save energy - a four-day work week. Though other states have offered it to their employees, Utah is the first to make it mandatory for some. Wednesday on RadioWest, we'll talk about the plan and about the impact of the 4-day model on employees, customers and the bottom line.
7/1/2008: Are We There Yet? (2008-06-30)
Fuel prices may have you yearning for the days of good old family road trips: the license plate game, back-seat territorial wars and songs to pass the time. Historian Susan Sessions Rugh says that vacations were a time for strengthening family bonds. But her new book Are We There Yet? goes beyond nostalgia. Tuesday on RadioWest, Rugh joins Doug to talk about the changing patterns of family life, prosperity and the reasons this innately American ritual declined.
Terry Tempest Williams Reflects on Powder River Basin (2008-06-30)
Utah naturalist and author Terry Tempest Williams reflects on how oil and gas development has changed Wyoming's landscape in the Powder River Basin.
6/30/08: The Supreme Court's Second Amendment Decision (2008-06-27)
Last week, the US Supreme Court clarified a question about gun rights that has raged in this country for decades. Does the Second Amendment guarantee the right to bear arms to the individual? Monday on RadioWest, we'll talk about the decision and about the culture of guns in America.
Utah Government Moves to 4-Day Work Week (2008-06-27)
Utah's governor plans to try a 4-day work week for thousands of state employees.
Utah Government Moves to 4-Day Work Week (2008-06-27)
Utah's governor plans to try a 4-day work week for thousands of state employees.
Monet to Picasso Exhibit at Utah Museum of Fine Arts (2008-06-26)
74 masterworks covering 100 years of Europe's most magnificent artwork is on display at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.
6/27/08: A Strong West Wind (2008-06-26)
Gail Caldwell says the question of how we become who we are belongs not just to genes or geography, but to the entire symphony of culture. Caldwell - a Pulitzer Prize winning book critic - published a memoir called A Strong West Wind. She joined us back in 2006 to explain how place and art and love mold us all. (Rebroadcast)
Chaffetz Defeats Cannon in GOP Primary (2008-06-25)
Challenger Jason Chaffetz upset incumbent Republican Congressman Chris Cannon in Tuesday's Republican primary election.
6/26/08: Let Their People Come (2008-06-25)
Thursday we're rebroadcasting our conversation with development economist Lant Pritchett about his intriguing and controversial idea for helping solve global poverty. Ten years at the World Bank gave Pritchett a realization that the standard trade and aid solutions weren't enough. He says to the world's wealthiest economies: You really want to help impoverished people around the world? Let them in your country. (Rebroadcast)
6/25/08: Album Art in the Age of Vinyl (2008-06-25)
There are lots of good stories and some decent art in the images that adorned the album covers in the age of vinyl. CD covers still have art, but the experience is different. Among our guests today is Jann Haworth. She lives in Utah these days, but she also happens to have been one of the artists who created the iconic album cover for The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. She and others join us to talk about the relationship between art and music and its influence on a generation.
Jordan School Board Election (2008-06-24)
It's primary election day in Utah except in the Jordan School District, which is electing two new school boards.
6/24/08: Dooce.com (2008-06-23)
Heather Armstrong started her blog dooce.com back in 2001. She was making a lot of money as a graphic designer then and living the single life in Los Angeles. She lost her job because of her blog, married, moved to Utah and became a stay-at-home. And her blog has been there - baring all for those who would read - every step of the way. Tuesday, Armstrong is joining us to talk about writing her story in the blogosphere and about her new book, Things I Learned About My Dad.
6/23/08: The Age of American Unreason (2008-06-20)
The scholar Susan Jacoby says there is a "vast kingdom of junk thought" that has contributed to American ignorance and anti-intellectualism. It's not just the advent of the internet and other trappings of modern popular culture that has led to this decline. Jacoby argues that the trend has been going on for the past four decades. Monday on RadioWest, Susan Jacoby is joining us to talk about "The Age of American Unreason" and the threat it poses to the future of American democracy.
Bachauer Pianist Profile: Song Choi (2008-06-20)
Song Choi from Sandy, Utah is among the competitors at the Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Piano Competition in Salt Lake City.
6/20/08: Facing East (2008-06-19)
In a play by the poet and writer Carol Lynn Pearson - Alex and Ruth McCormick - devoted Mormons - stand in a cemetery after the funeral of their gay son who has committed suicide. They are trying to understand the life of their boy and their conflicting feelings of love for him and loyalty to their faith. Facing East is being performed in St. George, so we're rebroadcasting our conversation with Pearson. It's about the path she's cleared over time on the questions of homosexuality and religion.
Moving Bridges on I-80 (2008-06-19)
U-DOT has been building replacement bridges for I-80 for months at the 13th East interchange. Starting this weekend, they'll be moved into place. Project manager John Montoya talks about just how that is done.
6/19/08: Note by Note (2008-06-18)
There are a few places in the world where the creation of a fine instrument is a labor of love - a matter of craft more than mass production. In the new documentary "Note by Note," filmmaker Ben Niles follows the life of such a piano. It's a 9-foot concert grand - a Steinway with a character all its own. The film and the piano are in Utah this week - and Thursday on RadioWest we'll talk to Niles and others about craftsmanship, artisans and the relationship between artist and instrument.
State Spending Growth in Utah (2008-06-18)
A new Utah Foundation report shows little growth in state spending in recent years as a proportion of personal income.
6/18/08: The Fortune Cookie Chronicles (2008-06-17)
When the journalist Jennifer 8. Lee learned that fortune cookies weren't actually Chinese, she said it was like "learning I was adopted while being told there was no Santa Claus." Actually, many restaurant favorites like General Tso's Chicken or broccoli and lo mein have little to do with Chinese cuisine. Lee is with us on Wednesday to talk about the roots of Chinese food as we know it - and about just how American it really is.
6/17/08: Writing Nature (2008-06-16)
Nature writer David Gessner has a problem with, well, nature writing. He says that impotence and sanctimony and false romanticism pervade the genre. Gessner is awed by the loud and wild disorder of nature - and he wants to bring a sense of realism back into the way we see the world around us. Tuesday on RadioWest, David Gessner joins Doug to talk about his work and his recent essay - "My Green Manifesto."
6/16/08: Measuring the Health of Nursing Homes (2008-06-13)
End of life care is an industry - and not every nursing home is driven by the patients' best interest. In Sunday's Salt Lake Tribune, journalist Matt Canham reported on the hundreds of hours he spent combing the records of 91 private nursing homes in Utah. While many are doing a good job - the deficiencies of others are alarming. Canham joins us Monday to talk about what he's learned.
Republican Primary in Utah's 3rd District (2008-06-13)
Utah 3rd District Republican Representative Chris Cannon has faced challenges within his own party for most of his 7 elections, but this year's may be the toughest yet.
6/13/08: The Case for the Independent Farm (2008-06-13)
The downtown farmer's market begins a new season in Salt Lake City tomorrow - a good opportunity to talk about the condition of independent farms and the growing trend of community supported agriculture. Why do the striped beets on John Borski's little farm in Kaysville taste so good? What is it about Jamie Gillmor's Morgan Valley lamb that is so flavorful? It's more than just good soil and open range land. It has something to do with scale and community. (Rebroadcast)
Kyle's Fishing Adventure (2008-06-12)
KUER's Dan Bammes has this Father's Day postcard about a fishing trip with his stepson.
Republicans Plan Congressional Election Strategy (2008-06-11)
Republicans in Utah's Congressional delegation don't see a need to soft-pedal campaign messages this election year.
Computer Records Stolen from University Health Care (2008-06-11)
Backup tapes containing more than 2 million patient billing records were stolen from a courier taking them to a storage facility from the University of Utah hospital.
6/12/08: The Film Club (2008-06-11)
When film critic David Gilmour's son Jesse was 15 years old, he was in trouble and he hated school. David tried helping, but nothing seemed to work. That's when the two struck upon a deal: Jesse could drop out of school on one condition. He had to sit down with his father and watch three movies a week. David has written a book about the experience, and Thursday he joins Doug to talk about the relationship between father and son - and about the life lessons that can be learned at the movies.
Enterpreneurs Learn Business in Business (2008-06-10)
MBA students from some of the country's top business schools are learning entrepreneurial skills by running businesses at a program based in Park City, Utah.
6/10/08: Young@Heart (2008-06-10)
Singers in Young@Heart choir say their musical tastes run from Opera to Stage Musicals to Frank Sinatra. But members like 87-year-old Len Fontaine are still adventurous enough to take on punk anthems like the Ramones "I Wanna Be Sedated." The choir is the subject of a new documentary - and they're in Salt Lake tonight. Fontaine and others join Doug to explain how Sonic Youth, Talking Heads and David Bowie have written the soundtrack of their "Golden Years."
6/11/08: Nobody Knows - Blacks and the Mormon Priesthood (2008-06-10)
In June of 1978, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received the "Revelation on Priesthood" - granting all men in the church the priesthood regardless of race. Wednesday on RadioWest, Doug talks to the creators of a new documentary called Nobody Knows - The Untold Story of Black Mormons. We'll look at the history that led up to that change, and ask how black members see their position in the church these 30 years later.
6/9/08: The Nature of Compassion (2008-06-09)
In "Field Notes on the Compassionate Life," author Marc Ian Barasch explores the nature of compassion, what he calls "the x-factor that every faith exalts as a supreme virtue." RadioWest talks to Barasch about the fieldwork that took him to kitchen tables, maximum security prisons, political organizations and medical conferences. (Rebroadcast)
Black Mormons Look Back 30 Years After Priesthood Revelation (2008-06-06)
30 years ago this week, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints changed a long-standing policy preventing blacks from holding its priesthood. Even before the change, a group called Genesis was helping black Mormons to live their faith.
6/6/08: Rethinking the Fight Against AIDS (2008-06-06)
Recent antiretroviral medications are allowing those with HIV and AIDS to lead longer and healthier lives. But new data show there's a dark side to the optimism about living with AIDS. The number of Utahns newly infected with HIV is up in the first quarter of this year. Researchers and activists are left wondering - why the uptick and what can be done about it? Friday, guest host Jennifer Napier-Pearce leads a conversation on the fight against AIDS.
Sounds of the Galapagos (2008-06-05)
KUER's Jenny Brundin recently returned from the Galapagos archipelago and brought back sounds of the wildlife and people who love it.
Immigration Debate Comes Back to Congress (2008-06-05)
Utah Representative Chris Cannon is among those who want to see Congress pass a new immigration bill before the election this fall.
6/5/08: Cowgirl and Rancher Heidi Redd (2008-06-05)
Thursday on RadioWest we're wrapping up our series of programs from Moab with a conservation with a true American original - Heidi Redd. About an hour south of Moab on the border of Canyonlands National Park, you'll find Heidi's home for the last 40 years, Dugout Ranch. About 10 years ago, worried about the prospect of development, she sold the ranch to the Nature Conservancy to preserve it. But that's only one part of the story of a remarkable life.
6/4/08: Moab - Art and Place (2008-06-04)
For years tourism has driven the economy of Moab, but residents are hoping that people see the place as more than just a playground for mountain bikers and four-wheelers. The landscape of the red rock desert of southern Utah provides another kind of inspiration - and an energetic arts community is emerging here. Wednesday we're talking about the influence of place - this place - on the life of an artist.
6/3/08: Moab: The New West? (2008-06-03)
Tuesday we're on location in the new Grand County library talking about how Moab is living up to the ideals of the New West. Environmentalist had hoped that the city would a new economic model, that it would shift away from industries like mining and cattle. Instead they envisioned a community that has as its center piece the beauty of the land and its remarkable terrain. A few decades into this experiment, locals say the results have been mixed.
Exploring the Colon (2008-06-03)
KUER's Jenny Brundin goes spelunkiing in a 20-foot inflatable replica of the human colon with the help of an expert guide, Dr. J.P. Hughes.
6/2/08: Amy Irvine's Trespass (2008-05-30)
The writer Amy Irvine joined us earlier this year to talk about her book called "Trespass." Four months after her father had committed suicide, Amy left Salt Lake City for the high desert town of Monticello. As a wilderness activist and apostate Mormon, she was the ultimate outsider in a community of Mormon ranchers. At its heart this book is an elegy to her father, to the desert and to the connection between body and nature. (Rebroadcast)
Youth Waves II-Andrea Flores (2008-05-30)
In the first piece for our continuing series "Youth Waves II," we hear about the fear and anxiety many students have over applying to college. Some kids have whole teams of people -- their parents and others -- guiding them through the application process: What tests to take, how to write an essay, which schools are the best. Andrea Flores isn't one of those kids.
Breaking Down Per-Pupil Spending in Utah (2008-05-29)
A new study from the Utah Foundation analyzes what Utah taxpayers for the money the spend on each student in public schools.
5/30/08: Spending Utah's Education Dollars (2008-05-29)
Utah ranks last in the nation in per pupil spending, but how exactly are those education dollars being spent and what is the real impact on students? A new report from Utah Foundation takes on the questions, and Friday, Dan Bammes and guests look at the results of the study.
5/29/08: The Fall of Conservatism (2008-05-28)
In his latest article for The New Yorker magazine, the journalist George Packer says that there's a reason the least conservative, least divisive Republican is the last man standing for the party's presidential nomination. Packer argues that conservatism is "dying before our eyes." Thursday, he joins Doug to look at the shift in the political party, and at the intellectual despair he says now exists among many Republicans.
5/28/08: Dead Lucky (2008-05-27)
Lincoln Hall likes to say that on May 25, 2006, he died on Mt. Everest. It was the one of the deadliest climbing seasons on the mountain, and when Hall collapsed shortly after summiting, he was pronounced dead and left behind. His story gets really interesting though the next morning, when he was found very much alive. Lincoln Hall is in Salt Lake City, and joins Doug to tell his story.
5/27/08: The Tricky Part (2008-05-23)
Tuesday on RadioWest, we're profiling the latest production by Plan B Theatre Company. Martin Moran's one-man play "The Tricky Part" is based on his experiences as a teen sexually abused by a man 20 years his senior. The work is a surprising journey through the complexities of Catholicism, desire and human trespass.
PTSD Scholar Speaks (2008-05-23)
KUER's Tasha Cook interviews Lynnette Averill, a doctoral psychology candidate who works with Utah veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study PTSD at the pre-eminent PTSD center in Australia.
5/26/08: We Refused to Die (2008-05-23)
In 1942 the Japanese army forced about 70,000 US and Philippino prisoners of war to march some 80 miles across the Bataan Peninsula on the way to a prison camp. More than 10,000 died or were summarily executed along the way. Among the survivors was Gene Jacobsen - who published a book about the ordeal. Jacobsen joined us back in 2004 to share his story of three and a half years as a prisoner of war. (Rebroadcast)
5/23/08: Kurt Andersen - Heyday (2008-05-22)
Earlier this year, Studio 360 host Kurt Andersen joined us. Aside from being a public radio personality, Andersen is also a critic, a columnist and a novelist. His latest book is an historical novel set in 19-century America. It's called Heyday - and it's the story of four people chasing their dreams at a time when America herself is still being dreamed-up. (Rebroadcast)
New Salt Lake City Economic Development Leader (2008-05-22)
Long-time downtown leader Bob Farrington will be Salt Lake City's new economic development director. KUER's Jenny Brundin has more.
Utah Veteran with PTSD Struggles, Gets Help (2008-05-22)
Monday is Memorial Day, a day to remember those veterans who have died while serving in the U-S military. It is estimated that more than 4-thousand have been killed while in Iraq and Afghanistan. While others return home alive, they are wounded from combat, not just with physical scars, but with deep psychological ones. These veterans live with what is known as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. KUER's Tasha Cook has this profile.
5/22/08: Final Salute (2008-05-21)
More than 4,000 American soldiers have died in Iraq since the war began in March of 2003. Regardless of the politics, the number serves as a sobering reminder of the human sacrifice of war. In his new book Final Salute, journalist Jim Sheeler chronicles a year with Steve Beck - a Marine Major whose job it is to inform families of the death of their soldiers. Thursday, Jim Sheeler introduces us to the people that are paying the highest price in war.
Radioactive Waste from Overseas (2008-05-21)
U.S. Representative Jim Matheson insists he's not anti- nuclear power. But he wants to make sure the U.S. does not become a dumping ground for nuclear waste from foreign countries. His proposed bill got a hearing today in Congress. Elizabeth Wynne Johnson reports from Capitol Hill.
Wild in the City (2008-05-21)
This winter, writer and photographer Stephen Trimble came face to face with a cougar on the west side of the Salt Lake Valley. He writes about the experience in the current issue of The Wasatch Journal - and about a 12-year scientific research project involving 170 radio-collared cougars. Trimble talks with KUER's Jenny Brundin about the private land on the Valley's west side that makes for a healthy population of cougars and the deer they hunt.
5/21/08: The Vatican and LDS Baptisms for the Dead (2008-05-20)
Last month, the Vatican sent a letter to Catholic dioceses around the world. In it, they were told not to give parish records to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for their genealogical holdings. The letter cited concerns for Catholic Church members' privacy and also with the "detrimental" and "erroneous" LDS practice of baptism for the dead. Wednesday, we'll look at the directive from the Catholic Church and at what is at stake for Mormons practicing their faith.
5/20/08: A Slight Discomfort (2008-05-20)
Jeff Metcalf is a writer, so when he discovered he had prostate cancer, that's how he worked his way through the experience. He set about organizing a clear story out of the more abstract jumble of desperation, humiliation and revelation. Today on RadioWest, we're playing excerpts from the latest incarnation of Jeff's story, it's a piece of radio theater. Jeff will join us to talk the work - it's call "A Slight Discomfort"
Veteran struggles, gets help (2008-05-16)
On Monday, the Veteran's Medical Center in Salt Lake City will host a seminar for the media on Battlemind, a self-assessment tool given to veterans when they return from war. The program wasn't around when Iraq war veteran Bryan Catherman came home. In his essay, he talks of his own struggles after coming home... and of the VA staff who've tried to help him.
5/19/08: The Thirteen American Arguments (2008-05-16)
Veteran political journalist Howard Fineman says that there are certain debates that have been with us since the founding of the nation. And thankfully, for Fineman, they defy resolution. In his new book, "The Thirteen American Arguments," Howard Fineman explores questions like Who is a "person?" and Who judges the law? Monday, he joins Doug to talk about how these arguments continue to define us and to keep us free.
Oil Shale Development in Utah (2008-05-16)
Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch told lawmakers on Capitol Hill they need to stop getting in the way of Utah's development of oil shale. Matt Laslo reports from our Washington bureau.
5/16/08: The Legend of Colton H Bryant (2008-05-15)
In her new book, Alexandra Fuller writes about the simple life and heartbreaking death of a roughneck working on a Wyoming oil patch. "The Legend of Colton H. Bryant" explores the impact Wyoming's stark, rugged terrain has on a person's character and the effect of the oil and gas industry on rural communities. Fuller joins guest host Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about one man's abbreviated life and the human costs of energy development.
5/15/08: Conservation Biologist M.A. Sanjayan (2008-05-14)
Today on RadioWest the conservation biologist M.A. Sanjayan will join us. He's spent his professional life fighting for the concept of biodiversity, but he's pushing the environmental community to define the term in a broader way. Sanjayan is trying to get more racial diversity within the movement and he's integrating the fight for conservation with the struggle against global poverty. He says the common denominator is that need to connect with nature.
Australian Pianists Dazzle Utah (2008-05-14)
Two of Australia's top pianists are visiting Utah this week, dazzling concertgoers and school children.
5/14/08: The Big Sort (2008-05-13)
You know the old saying: Birds of a feather flock together. The journalist Bill Bishop would say it's true. He says there's segregation going on in the country - and not just between red states and blue states. It's happening between towns and neighborhoods. People move, and when they do, they tend to gravitate towards communities that share their religious and political views. Wednesday, Bishop joins Doug to explain how our life-choices are dividing the nation.
5/13/08: Investigating Crandall Canyon (2008-05-12)
George Miller, the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, has called for a criminal investigation into the Crandall Canyon Mine Disaster that killed 6 miners in Utah last August. At question is whether general manager Laine Adair and others "willfully misled" MSHA about the safety of the mine. Today on RadioWest, we're taking a look at what is known about the disaster and at what it reveals about coal mining in the country.
5/9/08: Einstein (2008-05-09)
Walter Isaacson's book on Albert Einstein is coming out in paperback next week, so today we're rebroadcasting our conversation with the biographer. Isaacson calls Einstein the paramount icon of our age, and his book weaves together Einstein's scientific thinking with his political beliefs and his complicated personal life. The thing that seems to tie it all together is imagination. The story, Isaacson says, is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom. (Rebroadcast)
5/12/08: Mark Twain and the American West (2008-05-09)
When Mark Twain wrote about his 1861 visit to the Utah Territory, he turned his caustic wit on its inhabitants and religion alike. His look at the Book of Mormon declared it "chloroform in print." Take out the phrases "and it came to pass" and "exceeding sore" he argued, and "[Smith's] Bible would have been only a pamphlet." Doug is joined by biographer Ron Powers to talk about his book Mark Twain: A Life and about Twain's contribution to the mythology of the West. (Rebroadcast)
Geothermal plant breaks ground (2008-05-09)
Ground will be broken today to build Utah's first geothermal plant in 20 years. A report on renewable energy in the Rockies found the state's geothermal potential is vast. KUER's Jenny Brundin speaks with Raser Technologies CEO Brent Cook.
Voters concerned about energy (2008-05-08)
Energy - and the cost of energy - has displaced public education as the most important issue, according to a new report by the Utah Foundation. The rising cost of fuel is central. But, as KUER's Dan Bammes reports, issues of energy supply, technology and conservation are also critical to the discussion.
Portraits of Utah Workers 1 (2008-05-07)
Today we begin a series of portraits of Utahns, the work they do every day and how they feel about it. David Thomlin is the lead molder at the family owned May Foundry and Machine Company in Salt Lake City. In a dark, noisy, and dirty hangar, Thomlin holds down an old fashioned industrial job - increasingly rare in today's high-tech world.
5/8/08: The Devil Whale (2008-05-07)
We continue our series on Utah music with the alternative folk band The Devil Whale. The Salt Lake City band - formerly known as Palomino - is very popular in Utah Valley. Provo club owner Corey Fox says their lead singer and guitarist Brinton Jones is "the most passionate front man on the scene." Doug talks to Jamie Gadette of the Salt Lake City Weekly and to Fox about the unique role Utah Valley plays in local music. We're then joined by the band - live with instruments in studio.
5/7/08: Flow - Access and Privatization of Water (2008-05-07)
Today on RadioWest we're talking about water: in particular, what some believe is an emerging global catastrophe over the world water supply. This is a story about the trend to privatize water systems, but it's also about polution, politics and economics. In the end, this is about access to clean water and it's effecting every country in the world. We'll profile a film being screened in Utah this week. It's called Flow: For Love of Water.
Mayors Plan Jordan River Renewal (2008-05-06)
The Jordan River touches a dozen municipalities, and they're all planning to work together to restore it.
Salt Lake City 29 Years Later (2008-05-06)
George Pence moved back to Salt Lake City after 29 years away, and reflects on what's changed -- and what hasn't.
5/6/08: Bonk (2008-05-05)
The writer and journalist Mary Roach says that it took science a long time to get up the nerve to study human sexuality. Even then much of that research went on behind closed doors in laboratories, Alfred Kinsey's attic and yes, brothels. Roach has written a new book called Bonk and Tuesday, she joins Doug to talk about the physiology of sex and about the stigmas that have made studying it so difficult.
A Universal Government-Private Health Care Plan Introduced (2008-05-02)
It could be the Holy Grail of health care reform: a plan that covers everyone and pays for itself. Turns out budget experts say it really is possible.
5/5/08: Healthy Americans Act (2008-05-02)
Utah Republican Senator Bob Bennett and Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden are co-sponsoring the Healthy Americans Act - an attempt to reform America's health care system. The legislation is getting a lot of attention for its bipartisan support - seven Democrats and seven Republicans are on board. Monday on RadioWest, Doug talks to Senator Bennett and others about the proposal and what it brings to the health care reform debate.
Health Care Reform: What's Possible? (2008-05-01)
A health care economist says comprehensive change is necessary, and he looks at what's politically possible.
5/2/08: The War We Deserve (2008-05-01)
The scholar Alasdair Roberts says that many Americans tell an oversimplified tale about the war in Iraq. They fault the president and his powerful cronies for everything gone wrong. The truth though, according to Roberts, is much more complicated, and the American public shares the blame. Friday, we're rebroadcasting our conversation with Alasdair Roberts about the unrealistic demands we place on our government and how little we are willing to sacrifice to make them happen. (Rebroadcast)
5/1/08: Actor Mandy Patinkin (2008-04-30)
Later this month, the Tony and Emmy winner Mandy Patinkin will be in concert at the Browning Center for the Performing Arts in Ogden. Patinkin is known for his Broadway roles in musicals like Evita and Sunday in the Park with George and his television roles from Chicago Hope to Criminal Minds. To many, he remains legendary as Inigo Montoya, the swashbuckling swordsman in The Princess Bride. Thursday, Mandy Patinkin joins Doug to talk about his varied career, and his passion for stage and screen.
Congress takes up Washington County Land Bill (2008-04-30)
This week Congress heard mostly favorable testimony from county officials and environmentalists for what amounts to an uneasy peace agreement over land use in Southwestern Utah.
4/30/08: Picturing Joseph Smith (2008-04-29)
A daguerreotype has recently re-emerged that is raising some intriguing historical questions. The researcher S. Michael Tracy believes it to be the only known photo of the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith. Others question its authenticity and it has raised quite a stir. What makes such an image so fascinating - and what would a real image of Smith mean to the faithful?
4/29/08: Valerie Plame Wilson (2008-04-28)
Tuesday on RadioWest Valerie Plame Wilson will join us to talk about how she responded to having her cover as a CIA operative blown in the political squabble over the justification for the war in Iraq. You all know the story by now. The disclosure spurred a federal investigation that led to the conviction of the Vice President's Chief of Staff. Plame Wilson is coming to Utah this weekend. She's written a book about her experience called "Fair Game."
4/25/08: The Millennials (2008-04-28)
Millennials - the generation born from 1982 to 2002 - are described by some researchers as selfish and entitled, and by others as compassionate and self-assured. Tuesday, Doug talks to Neil Howe, co-author of Millennials Rising, and then to Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me about the Americans who are coming of age in a world very different from that of their parents and grandparents. (Rebroadcast)
Group Opposes Washington County Lands Bill (2008-04-25)
A community group in southern Utah says the new bill to resolve federal land issues in Washington County ignores important community input.
4/28/08: From Faithful to Fanatical (2008-04-25)
Three weeks after the raid on the FLDS compound in Eldorado, Texas, questions about due process, religious liberty and the psychological underpinnings of sects remain in the headlines.
4/24/08: "Carmina Burana" (2008-04-24)
Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" embodies the explosive passions, drama and color of fate, fortune and life itself. The Utah Symphony Chorus is performing the piece this weekend.
Abstinence-based Sex Education Challenged (2008-04-23)
Members of Congress from Utah are among those who continue backing abstinence-based sex education in spite of research showing it doesn't work.
4/23/08: The Year of Living Biblically (2008-04-23)
Not touching unclean things or wearing clothes with mixed fibers were just two of the some 700 rules that A.J. Jacobs tried to follow as he lived an entire year according to the strict prescriptions of the Bible. The editor at large of Esquire tried to keep his rules in New York City of all places, and Thursday, Jacobs talks to Doug about his funny - and profound - journey. (Rebroadcast)
4/21/08: Aging in the 21st Century (2008-04-21)
Geriatric specialist Dr. Harry Lodge says that we humans have achieved staggering longevity. If you take care of yourself, you have a very good chance of living until you're 90, and it's the Boomer generation that's redefining aging in America. Lodge joins Doug to talk about the social and biological influences on aging, and what it means to "grow old" in the 21st century. (Rebroadcast)
4/22/08: House Lust (2008-04-18)
Have you ever attended an open house with no intention of buying? Would you rather shop for bathroom tile than for shoes? If the answer is yes, than the journalist Daniel McGinn says you may have "House Lust." You're not alone though. For many, the American dream of owning a home has become a sort of mania. Tuesday, McGinn is with us to explain "the arms race for square footage" that has come at such a high price.
Utah Activist Lobbies in DC (2008-04-18)
An activist from Utah did the rounds of Utah's Congressional delegation, hoping to keep radioactive waste from Europe from winding up in Utah.
4/18/08: Acts of Faith (2008-04-18)
Eboo Patel is American - and Muslim - and Indian. He grew up outside of Chicago dealing with racism and his own struggle to decide which of the three identities he would embrace. But Patel came to learn that the power to create change lies at the intersection of religion, ethnicity and nationality - not at the extremes. Doug spoke with Eboo Patel when he was in Utah last year about what he calls "the struggle for the soul of a generation." (Rebroadcast)
Health Care Reform Task Force Begins Work (2008-04-17)
KUER's Dan Bammes speaks to Republican State Representative David Clark about the legislature's health care reform task force.
4/17/08: Waiting for Hockney (2008-04-16)
For 10 years the aspiring artist Billy Pappas worked on one life-sized portrait. He had set out to reinvent realism - to invent a new art form. Thursday on RadioWest, Doug talks to filmmaker Julie Checkoway about her new documentary "Waiting for Hockney." Checkoway followed Pappas through what some might call his compulsive, eccentric process - and on his quest to meet the one person he felt could validate his work.
Public Participation Invited in Utility Case (2008-04-16)
A consumer advocate is urging public participation in a utility regulation case now before Utah's Public Service Commission.
4/16/08: Fresh Air's Terry Gross (2008-04-15)
Next week, NPR's Terry Gross is coming to Salt Lake City. What do you learn about people after you've done literally thousands of interviews? Today on RadioWest, we'll talk about the essence of a good interview. Terry's learned it's about preparation and trust, that you learn more about their lives from their weaknesses than from their strengths and to get it right you may have to break a few rules of polite behavior.
Senator Hatch Wants Radio to Pay the Players (2008-04-15)
Senator Orrin Hatch thinks radio stations need to pay performers as well as composers when they play music.
4/15/08: Pursuing Polygamy in Texas (2008-04-14)
In 1953, authorities arrested some 400 Mormon fundamentalists - including 236 children. Fast forward to this month - when more than 400 children from the FLDS community in Texas were taken into state custody. Tuesday, we'll talk about the recent raid and how it compares to earlier actions. At the heart of the matter remains an essential question: Is this life style a matter of religious liberty or a form of slavery for women?
4/14/08: Sick Around the World (2008-04-11)
Four in five Americans agree that the US health care system needs a "fundamental" change, but there are many differing opinions on what that change should look like. Veteran Washington Post journalist TR Reid has investigated health care in five other countries - the UK, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland. Monday, Reid joins Doug to talk about what we can learn from both the failures and success of these systems.
4/11/08: PostSecret (2008-04-10)
How well do you think you know your sister, your spouse or your best friend? Everyone has secrets. They may be painful or funny, but sometimes they just have to be told. Frank Warren has become a confessor of sorts. He collects anonymous postcards that reveal something about their creators and makes them public on his blog, PostSecret. Warren joins Doug for a look at the things we conceal and what those things can teach us about the human experience. (Rebroadcast)
RadioWest on XM (4/11/08): How to Be Idle (2008-04-10)
Tom Hodgkinson argues that the Western addiction to work has resulted in a lot of ill health, debt and anxiety. In his book How to Be Idle, he seeks to recover an alternative tradition - one that says not only is idleness good, but that it is essential for a pleasurable life. Hodgkinson joins Doug Fabrizio to make the case for doing less with your life. (Repeat)
4/10/08: The Ten-Cent Plague (2008-04-09)
After the end of World War II and before the television took over the American household, comic books were the most popular form of entertainment. But they were also shockingly irreverent. Churches denounced them, cities outlawed them, and even Congress held hearings on comic books and juvenile delinquency. In his new book, the writer David Hajdu says that before rock 'n roll rebelled - there was "The Ten-Cent Plague." Hajdu joins Doug to talk about comic books - and how they changed America.
4/9/08: Windy City (2008-04-08)
You know Scott Simon as the host of NPR's Weekend Edition Saturday, and in his 30 some years with NPR, the Peabody-Award-winning correspondent has seen it all. Simon has put this experience together with his descriptive powers to create his second novel. It's called Windy City: A Novel of Politics. Wednesday, Scott Simon joins Doug to talk about politics, satire and creating fiction.
4/8/08: Listening Is an Act of Love (2008-04-07)
Independent radio producer David Isay worried that the stories collected for the Story Corps project would eventually get repetitive and would only be interesting to the people participating. The national oral history project is now in its fifth year though, and Isay says there's an "astonishing array" of stories. David Isay - whose documentary work has earned him five Peabody Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award and a MacArthur Genius Award - joins Doug to explain why listening is an act of love.
4/7/08: The Lost Ark of the Covenant (2008-04-04)
The Ark of the Covenant disappeared from the Temple in Jerusalem more than 2500 years ago, but still it's the subject of speculation, fiction and myth. The scholar Tudor Parfitt's life work has been tracking down the lost tribes of Israel, and in his new book, he takes on the great mystery of the ark. His journey took him from Israel to Egypt, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and even Papua, New Guinea. Monday, Parfitt talks to Doug about his quest for one of the world's most important artifacts.
4/4/08: The Last Duel (2008-04-03)
Honor is a curious concept, and until the mid-19th century, it was entirely proper for a gentleman to risk his life to defend it. In his book, "The Last Duel," BBC political correspondent James Landale recounts the true story of a Scottish merchant who fatally shot his banker in a duel in 1826. Landale joins Doug from London to reconstruct the social and cultural circumstances of dueling, and to explain why "honor" drove so many young men to an early death. (Rebroadcast)
337 Project to Morph Into Green Condos (2008-04-02)
The decorated but vacant building known as the 337 Project is about to become a new kind of condominium project using recycled materials.
4/3/08: NAACP Chairman Julian Bond (2008-04-02)
This Friday marks 40 years since civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, but did he die in vain? That's the question posed in a day of lectures sponsored by the University of Utah's College of Law. Julian Bond - Chairman of the NAACP - will come to Utah to be part of the commemoration. Today on RadioWest, he joins Doug to reflect on the modern civil rights movement.
4/2/08: The Eyes of Babylon (2008-04-01)
After serving in Iraq under the don't ask, don't tell policy, Jeff Key resigned his post in the Marines. He was proud to serve his country - but couldn't reconcile his reasons for joining the military to what he saw as an immoral war. Key has written a play about his experiences. It's called The Eyes of Babylon and it opens this week in Salt Lake City. Wednesday, Jeff Key joins Doug to talk about his service, and about his journey of conscience.
Utah Scientists Study Plants in Space (2008-04-01)
Today's astronauts tend a small garden for the sake of science and a little bit of food. Sheri Quinn reports future space missions will need to do some serious gardening.
4/1/08: The Book Bizarre (2008-03-31)
Tuesday, we're offering a list of bizarre books for this most foolish of holidays. From fake works like the book on silence - consisting of entirely blank pages - to serious tomes with titles like "Inquiry into the Medicinal Value of the Excreta of Reptiles," our team of local booksellers has seen it all. We hope you'll join us with your own "weird book" suggestions as well.
4/1/08: The Book Bizarre (2008-03-31)
Tuesday, we're offering a list of bizarre books for this most foolish of holidays. From fake works like the book on silence - consisting of entirely blank pages - to serious tomes with titles like "Inquiry into the Medicinal Value of the Excreta of Reptiles," our team of local booksellers has seen it all. We hope you'll join us with your own "weird book" suggestions as well.
3/31/08: Where Did I Leave My Glasses? (2008-03-28)
You've probably had this happen - you can't find your keys or don't remember the name of the person you just met yesterday - and you worry it's a sign of things to come. There are 78 million baby boomers in the US today, and memory loss is one of their biggest concerns. The journalist Martha Weinman Lear has just published a new book, and in it she explains that what you're experiencing is universal and normal. Lear joins Doug to talk about the what, when and why of normal memory loss.
3/28/08: Joe and Lee Bennion (2008-03-27)
For generations art has been an important part of life in Spring City, Utah. Last summer, we broadcast a series of programs from the community. The painter Lee Udall Bennion and her husband - the acclaimed potter Joe Bennion - joined us as to talk about the connection between art and place. (Rebroadcast)
Top Issues for Utahns (2008-03-27)
A Utah Foundation report released yesterday details the top issues and concerns of Utah voters. Its list of priorities can be a guide for candidates as they campaign and for voters when they cast their ballots this November. KUER's Tasha Cook has more on this report:
3/27/08: For God and Country (2008-03-26)
Former US Army Captain James Yee was a chaplain at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base ministering to detainees. Then in 2003, Yee was abruptly arrested, charged with espionage and thrown into solitary confinement. All criminals were eventually dropped. Yee is in Salt Lake City, and joins Jennifer Napier-Pearce to reflect on what justice, faith and patriotism mean in a post-9/11 world.
3/26/08: Happy Valley (2008-03-25)
It might be easy - and convenient - to think of drug users as people who come from the fringe of our society. Ron Williams knows differently though. As a father raising his daughter alone - he had to answer some tough questions from her about her mother. The truth was - Ron's ex-wife was addicted. His search for answers led to a new film called Happy Valley. Ron Williams and others join Doug in studio to talk about drug addiction in Utah.
3/25/08: Earth: The Sequel (2008-03-25)
Scientists often describe global warming in catastrophic terms: melting glaciers, storms on steroids, droughts, mass migration. But where many see only disaster, Fred Krupp sees hope. From investors tinkering in their garages to venture capitalists financing emerging low-carbon solutions, Krupp says the American entrepreneurial spirit can solve the global warming crisis. Krupp is coming to Utah, and today he joins Jennifer Napier-Pearce for a look at how the market can deal with global warming.
Couple Committed to Electric Cars (2008-03-24)
A 100 percent electric car is pretty cutting-edge in Utah ..there's a two-seater in Logan, a pick-up truck in Park City .and now, a West Capitol Hill family drives a 100 percent electric car that seats five. KUER's Jenny Brundin reports on those rarest of individuals who, upon seeing air pollution and reading about global warming, actually do something about it.
3/24/08: Let Their People Come (2008-03-23)
Economist Lant Pritchett spent more than 10 years at the World Bank. He's seen trade and aid dispersed to the world's most impoverished regions, and still the separation between rich countries and poor countries continues to grow. As a Mormon raised in Utah and Idaho, Pritchett sees migration as part of his culture. He also sees it as a solution to poverty. Pritchett joins Doug in studio to talk about his controversial idea - that opening national borders will benefit economies around the globe.
Uranium Taillings to Leave Moab by Truck (2008-03-21)
The high cost of rail transporation means tons of old uranium mill tailings will be moved out of Moab by truck.
3/21/08: American Brutus (2008-03-20)
Today on the program we're telling the story of John Wilkes Booth. Most everyone knows Booth as the man who killed Abraham Lincoln, but the historian Michael Kauffman says his plans were much larger than that. He planned to topple the entire Union government. Doug talks to Michael Kauffman about the background and motives of this "American Brutus." (Rebroadcast)
Utah's Delegation Reacts to Lobbying Rules Change (2008-03-20)
Recent changes in the rules for lobbyists are changing the culture in Washington. Not all members of Congress are pleased.
3/20/08: Reading Judas (2008-03-19)
Thursday on RadioWest, the scholar Karen King is joining us. Her book "Reading Judas" is just out in paperback. In it, King and co-author Elaine Pagels reflect on the recently discovered Gospel of Judas and what it reveals about Jesus' most misunderstood follower.
3/18/08: High Crimes on Everest (2008-03-18)
When the journalist Michael Kodas went to climb Mount Everest in 2004, he envisioned the project as an adventure piece. By the time he returned he had a crime story. Kodas discovered an atmosphere of corruption on Everest: petty thieves and con men, prostitutes, extortionists. Michael Kodas is coming to Utah this week. Tuesday on RadioWest he joins Doug to talk about the book he's written on the experience. It's an expose of a culture that exploit the grand impulse for adventure.
Help for Beekeepers in Farm Bill? (2008-03-18)
Utah is known as the Beehive State, but beekeepers here are watching their colonies disappear. There may get some help in the farm bill now before Congress.
3/19/08: The American Frontier in Music (2008-03-18)
If you could pick one piece of music that portrayed the American West - what would it be? The writer and cultural historian Joseph Horowitz says composers like Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and Roy Harris defined the iconic West in music - and that it was lean and uncluttered: "as spare as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains and Mojave Desert." Horowitz joins Doug Wednesday for a portrait of the American Frontier in music.
3/17/08: The World Without Us (2008-03-17)
If the world were suddenly devoid of humans - not one soul left - what would happen to the planet? Though we imagine our structures built to last, it wouldn't take long for streets and buildings to crumble, and nature to move on quite happily. Monday on RadioWest, Alan Weisman takes us on a tour of "The World Without Us." (Rebroadcast)
3/13/08: The Autumn of Multitasking (2008-03-12)
Remember the promises made by the makers of the microchip? That connectivity would liberate us from an earthbound existence? In an essay for the Atlantic Monthly, the writer Walter Kirn described another scenario - the digital universe as an unsustainable investment of human energy. Thursday morning, we're rebroadcasting our conversation with Kirn about multitasking and how it's actually dumbing us down.
3/13/08: The End of the Horizon (2008-03-12)
Thursday night, RadioWest is broadcasting live from the set of Plan B Theatre Company's newest production "The End of the Horizon." In 1934, artist and naturalist Everett Ruess disappeared in the rugged canyon country near Escalante, Utah. To this day, his fate remains a mystery. Utah playwright Debora Threedy's drama looks at the disappearance through the eyes of those who felt it most painfully - Ruess' family.
Waste from Italy Coming to Utah (2008-03-11)
Only one member of Utah's Congressional delegation is showing any concern about a plan to bring radioactive waste from Italy for disposal in Utah.
3/12/08: Learning to Lie (2008-03-11)
If you have children, you've probably been told a lie two: "I didn't hit my sister" or "Yes, I brushed my teeth." You may think that they'll outgrow this stage, but a recent survey found that 98% of teens lie to their parents. Wednesday on RadioWest, Doug is talking to the writer Po Bronson. Bronson's recent article in New York Magazine takes on kids and lying, and as it turns out - they're learning it from you.
3/11/08: Doris Kearns Goodwin (2008-03-10)
The Pulitzer-prize winning author and presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is coming to Utah this week. Goodwin served as assistant to Lyndon Johnson during his final year in the White House, and she's written on the Kennedys, the Roosevelts and Abraham Lincoln. Tuesday on RadioWest, Goodwin joins Doug to share what she's learned about vision and leadership from the presidents she has studied.
3/10/08: In Defense of Food (2008-03-07)
Years ago, writer and journalist Michael Pollan changed his diet with a simple garden and a few basic rules like eating your veggies and avoiding foods with unrecognizable ingredients. His most recent book is In Defense of Food and in it, Pollan says that what we're eating today isn't food at all and that the way we're consuming it isn't actually eating. Pollan is coming to Utah, and he joins Doug for a look at the out of control American diet.
Prison Education Programs Face Cuts (2008-03-07)
Utah's prison education programs will have to scale back after their budgets were cut by the legislature.
Utah Legislature Wraps Up General Session (2008-03-06)
The Utah legislature ended its general session yesterday. Many of its leaders describe the session as calm and well-organized.
3/7/08: Between a Rock and a Hard Place (2008-03-06)
As a mountaineer and avid outdoorsman, Aron Ralston had come to believe that what we do in life defines who we are. In April of 2003, this sense of adventure brought Ralston to a remote canyon in Southern Utah, where in one flash his wrist became pinned to the canyon wall. After days of trying to free himself, Aron Ralston severed his right arm with a dull multi-tool and saved himself. (Rebroadcast)
Utah Legislature Wraps Up General Session (2008-03-06)
The Utah legislature ended its general session yesterday. Many of its leaders describe the session as calm and well-organized.
Utah Legislature Wraps Up General Session (2008-03-06)
The Utah legislature ended its general session yesterday. Many of its leaders describe the session as calm and well-organized.
Education, Land Use and Liquor at the Legislature (2008-03-05)
In the final week of the legislative session, lawmakers were dealing with an omnibus spending bill, limits on town incorporations and Utah's unique liquor laws.
3/6/08: 2008 Legislative Wrap-Up (2008-03-05)
Utah's 2008 Legislative session ended Wednesday at midnight, so Thursday on the program, we're taking a look at the decisions your representatives made. We'll also talk about the atmosphere on the hill this year. Doug is joined by lawmakers and journalists who have been covering the session, and we hope you'll join us as well.
3/4/08: The Pentagon - A History (2008-03-04)
The Pentagon is one of the most enigmatic buildings in the world. 17 miles of corridors are in this thing. Just the building itself takes up 29 acres, and it was created in 17 months. Today on RadioWest we're rebroadcasting our conversation with Washington Post reporter Steve Vogel. We talked to him about the fascinating story of the Pentagon. It's not just about a building. It's also a broader history of the evolving role of the military in American life. (Rebroadcast)
Spending Bills "Bundled" in Final Days (2008-03-04)
Republican leaders in the Utah legislature are "bundling" bills for education programs. Educators say a better choice would be more funding for the basic school program.
3/3/08: The Zookeeper's Wife (2008-03-04)
Monday morning, we're rebroadcasting our conversation with the Doug talks to the poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman about her book The Zookeeper's Wife. It's the true story of Jan Zabinski and his wife Antonina, who sheltered 300 Jews in the Warsaw Zoo during World War II. (Rebroadcast)
3/5/08: Environmentalist Bill McKibben (2008-03-04)
The environmentalist Bill McKibben has been editing an anthology of more than 100 American nature writers. The project got him thinking about the act of writing and its relationship to environmental activism. "Each advance in environmental practice," says McKibben, "was preceded by a great book." Wednesday on RadioWest, Bill McKibben joins Doug to talk about his career as a leading advocate for the environment and about how the writing process has informed his thinking.
Scaled back domestic partnership registry advances; car insurance may go up (2008-03-03)
A significantly scaled back attempt to reign inn Salt Lake City's domestic partnership registry passed a Senate commitee today. And - hundreds of thousands of car-insurance holders may see their rates rise under a bill before House lawmakers.
3/3/08: Stories from the Heart of the Land (2008-02-29)
At 7:00 p.m. RadioWest presents a special live broadcast with radio producer Jay Allison. Allison joins Doug at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center to talk about his NPR series, "Stories from the Heart of the Land" and the profound and inspiring experience of humans in nature.
Utah Theater CenterStage (2008-02-29)
Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker is moving forward with his plan for a downtown arts district. KUER's Tasha Cook has more on this story.
2/29/08: Jane Goodall (2008-02-28)
Dr. Jane Goodall has revolutionized the world of science and the way we understand animals, and it is her empathy and spiritual connection to nature that inspired her work. Goodall will be in Utah next week, so we're rebroadcasting our conversation with her about the life lessons she has learned in the forests of Gombe and her message of hope. (Rebroadcast)
2/28/08: Band of Annuals (2008-02-28)
We're beginning a series of programs profiling local music, and we start today with a very popular local band called Band of Annuals. If you had to characterize them, it would be alt-country, but the group appeals to an incredibly wide audience: indie rockers, head bangers, folk fans. Band of Annuals will be in the studio today - with their instruments - talking about music and best of all playing some of it.
Education & Immigration At the State Capitol (2008-02-28)
Major changes in how Utah public schools will be funded and the push for statewide immigration reform bills were discussed at the State Capitol yesterday.
Budget Disappointments, Clean Air and Animal Torture at the Utah Legislature (2008-02-27)
The Utah legislature is making difficult funding decisions with a week left in the general session and revenue projections down.
2/27/08: HB 266 and the International Baccalaureate Program (2008-02-27)
Today we're trying to figure out what's behind the suspicion of a handful of Utah lawmakers to the United Nations. Concerns about the UN prompted a Senate committee last week to reject a bill that would provide funding for International Baccalaureate programs in high schools. These are voluntary programs that teach students international issues. Two parts to the program: that uneasy relationship between conservatives and the UN and the kind of education young people are getting about the world.
Legislative Bills Won't Change Much at UTA (2008-02-26)
A legislative audit found much to criticize at the Utah Transit Authority, but the bills meant to address those issues would make only a few changes.
Utahn starts orphanage in Africa (2008-02-25)
After witnessing harrowing abuse at an orphanage in Cameroon, 27-year-old Utahn Ryan Hansen helps the kids escape, and starts his own orphanage.
2/26/08: Amy Irvine's Trespass (2008-02-25)
Tuesday, Doug talks to author and conservationist Amy Irvine. She's just published a new book called Trespass: Living on the Edge of the Promised Land. It's a memoir of Irvine's move to the desert in the wake of her father's suicide and the struggle to find her place in the rural, conservative community. It's also an elegy though - to the rugged landscape of the Colorado Plateau and to our dwindling connection to the land.
2/25/08: Kick Like A Girl (2008-02-22)
The Mighty Cheetahs had two undefeated seasons under their belt, and the team's coach decided it was time to find these third-grade girls a little competition. So the Salt Lake City soccer team joined the boys division. Filmmaker and coach Jenny Mackenzie has created a short documentary of the season, and the result is a look at what sports help girls and boys learn about winning, losing and playing your best. Monday, Doug is joined by Mackenzie and others to talk about youth sports and gender.
Immigration bill, Money for IB programs killed (2008-02-22)
Money for gifted learning programs in Utah is in jeopardy because a state Senator believes such classes foster a quote United Nations agenda. Also on Utah's Capitol Hill yesterday a bill to strip the Board of Regents of its powers ..but first, KUER's Jenny Brundin reports on lawmakers efforts to crack down on illegal immigration before November elections.
Bills Targeting Unions, Road Safety and Higher Education (2008-02-21)
At the State Capitol yesterday, state lawmakers considered a bill that would affect unionizing efforts and measures that would transform career and technical training in Salt Lake Valley and attempt to ensure the safety of all Utah drivers.
2/22/08: A World in a Grain of Sand (2008-02-21)
Friday on RadioWest, we're broadcasting live from the University of Utah's Science and Literature Symposium "Measuring Scale." Doug talks to physicist Lisa Randall, poet Linda Gregerson and philosopher of architecture Sanford Kwinter about how size - from the tiniest of particles to the vastness of the cosmos - informs how they think about their work and our world.
Utah Lawmakers Contemplate Budget, Education Funding (2008-02-20)
Utah's legislature is looking at a major change in the way schools are funded, along with a much smaller budget surplus than they anticipated.
2/21/08: Ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan (2008-02-20)
Thursday on RadioWest the writer and ethnobotanist Gary Nabhan will join us to talk about food and place. Nabhan has spent his life exploring the relationship of people to the land and its native sustenance. So when he talks about preserving the agricultural heritage of rural America or the cuisine of traditional societies or our own biological connection to certain foods, he's talking about culture and its deep dependence on the dwindling natural world.
2/20/08: Payday Lending and the Principles of Usury (2008-02-20)
Wednesday, we're talking about the high-cost debt industry in this country. In particular, we're focusing on payday lenders, who found a niche in places where there are a high number of working poor, minorities and elderly. Our guest is University of Utah law professor Christopher Peterson, who has just published an intriguing study that shows a link between what some regard as predatory loan places and conservative Christian populations like the Bible belt and the Mormon mountain west.
State Revenue Projections Down (2008-02-19)
The Utah legislature has a lot less money to work with than earlier projections anticipated, but the surplus is still substantial.
2/19/08: The Enemy at Home (2008-02-15)
Conservative thinker Dinesh D'Souza says that America has earned its bad reputation around the world. More specifically, he argues that it is the cultural left that bears the responsibility for anti-Americanism. D'Souza points to the decadence of American culture and a global campaign to promote secular values as the causes of 9/11. Tuesday, Doug talks to Dinesh D'Souza about his book "The Enemy at Home."
2/18/08: Presidential Courage (2008-02-15)
Monday on the program we're rebroadcasting our conversation with one of the country's leading presidential historians - Michael Beschloss. In his recent book, Beschloss has selected stories of American presidents who jeopardized their political careers, reputations, and even their lives to make the right decision. Beschloss writes: "Throughout our history it has been important for presidents to summ