Weekend Voices 3/27/10

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell
Topic: Paul Pillar Speaking at the 2010 Camden Conference
What is the U.S. policy in Afghanistan and how does it affect the region? In the opinion of the speaker, is our policy there succeeding?  What is the best course of action in Afghanistan given the situation there today?
Guest: Paul Pillar, Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Center for Peace and Security Studies, Georgetown University. Former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia.  Q&A included Paul Pillar, Ronald Neumann, Ahmed Rashid, Larry Goodson, Nicholas Burns

Talk of the Towns 3/26/10

Producer/Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Topic: Teen choices and challenges—how do we support them?
There are many choices that teens face, some of which have consequences for physical and mental health… what are some of those choices, and how do adults—parents and other family members, teachers, coaches and others help frame the choices and encourage teens to make healthy choices?
One of the big fears that adults have for teens has to do with substances that are addictive and behaviors that have dangerous consequences—smoking, binge drinking, drugs, unprotected sex, driving while under the influence.  What are the ways you have found effective to help teens understand the consequences, helping them to make good decisions?
What can adults do to better support teens with these choices and passages?
What can teens do to support each other with these choices and passages?
Guests: Don Ficker and Tony Beal, Jonesport-Beals High School; Milja Brecher-Demuro, Healthy Acadia; Barb Ames, Youth Program Coordinator, Bucksport Parks and Recreation; Terra Ashworth, Jazz Maddocks, Scott O’Donnell and Katie Bridges, students from Bucksport.

RadioActive 3/25/10

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Earlier today the Maine House of Representatives voted down the Health and Human Services Committee’s minority report on LD 1706.  The proposed bill would have required labels on cell phones sold in Maine, warning of potential health risks, including brain cancer, and would have specifically cautioned against their use by pregnant women and children.
The public hearing LD 1706 drew experts from the scientific and medical fields across the US and Europe, cell phone industry lobbyists, and a great deal of media attention, but the bill did not make it out of committee.
As we’ve reported, both here on RadioActive, as well as on Weekend Voices, some of the expert testimony from the public hearing on LD 1706 was not available, due to an apparent technical glitch with the webstream from the State House.   With the assistance of Representative Andrea Boland, sponsor of the bill, we were able to obtain a copy of the audio from an independent videographer, Liz Barris, and with her permission we are able to bring you these excerpts today, from expert witnesses who flew to Maine from different parts of the US, and even Europe, to testify at the public hearing in Augusta on March 2nd.  Not exactly the missing Nixon tapes, but important nonetheless, as we are left to educate ourselves on this issue.