Hour 1
This week, the Democrats lost their ability to block Republican filibusters in the Senate when Scott Brown defeated Martha Coakley in the special election for the Massachusetts Senate seat that Ted Kennedy had held for more than four decades.

Filed under: economy, politics, social issues |

Hour 2
The use of unsterile needles by injectable drug users is a major source of HIV and hepatitis C infection. Needle exchange programs in which drug users turn in their dirty needle for clean ones, have been shown to be effective in reducing disease transmission. Currently there are only two needle exchange programs in Pennsylvania. But recent changes may increase access to clean needles. Last month the ban on federal funding for needle exchange has been lifted. Also, prescriptions are no longer required at pharmacies to purchase a syringe. This hour, we talk with SCOTT BURRIS, a law professor at Temple University Law School and ALICE BELL a project coordinator with Prevention Point Pittsburgh about how these changes will affect drug users and rates of disease.

Filed under: criminal justice, health, social issues |

Hour 1
Since the devastating earthquake rocked Haiti last Tuesday and killed thousands, the world's response to the immediate crisis has also been filtered by reflections on the long-term challenges facing the Western Hemisphere's second republic, and poorest nation. Today on "Radio Times," we'll take a look at Haiti's long-term prospects for recovery and rebirth.

Filed under: environment, politics, social issues, world |

Hour 2
You don’t have to look far to find nanotechnology at work around you. Nanoparticles – miniscule particles that can measure 1/100,000th the width of a human hair — are in computer components, stink-resistant socks, wrinkle-free pants, toothpaste, and sunscreen. In medicine, nanoparticles are hunting down and attacking cancer tumors. They are being used to purify wastewater and harness the sun’s energy. But some people are questioning the safety of nanotechnology. This hour, a conversation about the science and safety of nanotechnology with ANDREW MAYNARD, the Chief Science Advisor of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Filed under: environment, health, science |

Hour 1
Individuals donors, governments and relief organizations throughout the worlds have responded vigorously to the reports of human loss and widespread destruction in Haiti. Is relief coming in quickly enough to meet the emergency medical and infrastructure needs? And how are all these efforts coordinated? Our guests include Time Magazine reporter TIM PADGETT, emergency management expert JIM KENDRA, MIKE DELANEY of Oxfam America and WHYY's SUSAN PHILLIPS reporting from the Dominican Republic.

Filed under: environment, world |

Hour 2
TAD FRIEND has been a staff writer at "The New Yorker" since 1998. From his home in Brooklyn, he writes the magazine’s Letter from California, including a recent analysis of campus protests in Berkeley, as well as short pieces such as a recent snapshot of Phyllis Diller at age 92. His most recent book, "Cheerful Money: Me, My Family, and the Last Days of Wasp Splendor," was published by Little, Brown in September, and was selected by New Yorker writer Tad Friend as a notable book of 2009. Friend is married to the journalist Amanda Hesser, formerly the food editor of the New York Times Magazine, and was the title character in her second book, "Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover’s Courtship, with Recipes."

Filed under: author, family issues, parenting, social issues |

Hour 1
In 2009 there were at least 37 cases of domestic homicide in Philadelphia. In fact, while all other violent crime dropped in the city, domestic homicides increased. Some people blame the recession for the recent spike. What is behind the increase in domestic violence and what is the city doing about it? We talk with Deputy Police Commissioner PATRICIA GIORGIO-FOX, CAROL TRACY, executive director for the Women’s Law Project, and PAUL BUKOVEC, director of Menergy.

Filed under: crime, criminal justice, family issues, health, social issues |

Hour 2
What do you do with your old cell phone when you’ve bought your upgrade? Are you using your home computer in the most energy-efficient way? Technology enthusiast JOE HUTSKO explains how to use our home entertainment devices in a more environmentally-friendly way in his new book, "Green Gadgets for Dummies."

Filed under: entertainment, environment |

Hour 1
The populations of rural communities in the United States continue to dwindle, especially among the young and college-bound. Philadelphia-based authors and sociologists PATRICK CARR and MARIA KEFALAS – he's an associate professor at Rutgers-New Brunswick, she's an associate professor at St. Joseph's University – join us to discuss their new book, "Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What it Means for America."

Filed under: author |

Hour 2
Wall Street Journal drama critic TERRY TEACHOUT says innovative jazz composer and trumpet player Louis Armstrong "has done more than any other performer to shape America's collective personality." Born in New Orleans to a poor, 15 year old domestic and prostitute, Armstrong grew into one of the most famous people in the world. Many people attribute Armstrong to popularizing jazz throughout the world, characterizing him as a jolly, humble and sunny presence that inspired generations, both musically and spiritually, almost forty years after his death. TEACHOUT's new book is called, "Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong."

Filed under: author, entertainment |