The Jefferson Exchange

Jefferson Exchange — February 20, 2013, HOUR 2 Mismatch (Affirmative Action) We've been debating the merits of affirmative programs since before the first of them even took effect.  Legal experts Richard Sander and Stuart Taylor Jr. add more fuel to the fire with a new book suggesting ways to reform--not repeal--affirmative action to the benefit of all.  Stuart Taylor will join us to discuss "Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It."

Jefferson Exchange — February 19, 2012, HOUR 1 Negotiation Competition Knowing how to negotiate is more than a helpful art, it's a necessary skill in some fields, like the law.  That's why the American Bar Association features an annual competition in negotiation, a competition just won by a pair of University of Oregon law students.  You'll hear from the winning team.   RV Manor Maneuvers A nasty fight between the Rogue Valley Manor retirement community and its parent company is now officially over.  Money and control were the major issues, and after Pacific Retirement Services fired the manor boss and removed seven board members, it was headed for court.  Now an out-of-court settlement grants manor residents more say in how the senior community is run, and it Will result in about potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in rebates.  

Jefferson Exchange — February 19, 2012, HOUR 2 The Stickup Kids Randol Contreras made it out of the South Bronx in some of its worst days to become a sociologist.  And he turns his current field of expertise back on his homeland, following the violent world of drug robbers in the Bronx in his book "The Stickup Kids." 

The Jefferson Exchange: February 18, 2013, Hour 1:President's Day With Lincoln The occasion of President's Day and the approach of the Academy Awards gives us a chance to reprise a couple of quality interviews from past editions of The Exchange, both focusing on Abraham Lincoln (sorry, Washington lovers).         At 8:00, "Lincoln" movie producer Kathleen Kennedy talks about the process of bringing The Great Emancipator to the big screen.  We recorded the interview onstage at the Cascade Theatre in Redding, right after the "Lincoln" premiere there last November.

The Jefferson Exchange: February 18, 2013, Hour 2:President's Day With Lincoln At 9:00, the movie is paired with a companion book, "Lincoln: A President for the Ages," a book of essays by historians and even actors in the movie.  You'll hear a reprise of our interview with editor Karl Weber.

The Jefferson Exchange: February 15, 2013, Hour 1: Rogue Thing on Climate Change The Southern Oregon Climate Action Network continues to press the case for local action to address a worldwide issue: climate change.  This weekend, SOCAN will host "It’s a Rogue Thing: Bringing Climate Concerns Home," an event aiming to connect communities across the valley and creatively address the challenges of our changing climate.  You'll hear from the organizers about the plans for the event.+ Klamath Dams Update The federal Interior Department now has a complete report to place before its secretary, to decide the fate of the dams on the Klamath River.  At least two major obstacles now exist: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is resigning and his replacement is not confirmed, and Congress has not authorized the secretary to decide on removing or keeping the four dams in question.  We'll update the process with representatives from the Karuk Tribe and the Klamath Water Users.

The Jefferson Exchange: February 15, 2013, Hour 2: A Strange Stirring Betty Friedan gets a huge amount of credit for changing the way American women think about themselves and their roles in society.  "The Feminine Mystique" was a groundbreaking book, and now it is getting another look by historian Stephanie Coontz, who challenges the assumptions people on both ends of the political spectrum made about Friedan and her book.  Coontz's book is "A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique and American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s."

Jefferson Exchange — September 11, 2012, HOUR 1 Chasing Ice National Geographic photographer James Balog set out in search of visual evidence of the Earth's changing climate.  He found it, but not without a great deal of work and hardship.  Balog's quest is the subject of the documentary film "Chasing Ice".  Director/Produce Jeff Orlowski will join us to talk about the film and its revelations.  Drug Trafficking Areas States and the federal government work together to identify High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), and to implement programs to reduce drug traffic.  Oregon's program, run from the state Department of Justice, recently released a threat assessment and counter-drug strategy.  We'll get the details from Oregon HIDTA director Chris Gibson.

Jefferson Exchange — September 11, 2012, HOUR 2 Subliminal (You Like Us) While we're all aware of subliminal advertising (listen to JPR!), it's a little harder to explain how it works (Jefferson Exchange, weekdays 8-10 AM!).  Leonard Mlodinow, with a background ranging from theoretical physics to the writing of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes, writes of what goes on in our minds, and how often we misperceive and misremember things, in his book "Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior."

Jefferson Exchange — September 10, 2012, HOUR 1 Tsunami Debris Task Force Oregon's annual Fall Beach and Riverside Cleanup is approaching (September 22nd), and there's a good chance that cleanup crews will find more things to pick up than usual.  Debris from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan began arriving on our shores months ago.  The recently-formed Oregon Tsunami Debris Task Force just held a series of meetings on the coast to deliver and receive information on the debris.  You'll hear what happens now. Success in Higher Ed How can higher education in Oregon increase student success?  That's the burning question behind a series of public forums scheduled around the state by the governor-appointed Task Force on Higher Education Student and Institutional Success.  We'll talk with Task Force member Camille Preus about the forums and how the public can get involved.

Jefferson Exchange — September 10, 2012, HOUR 2 Finding Love Again Sociologist and psychologist Terri Orbuch has a less-formal title: "The Love Doctor".  She studies relationships and offers advice on TV and radio, and has written several books, including the recent "Finding Love Again: 6 Simple Steps to a New and Happy Relationship."

Jefferson Exchange — September 7, 2012, HOUR 1 First Friday in the Arts It's the first Friday of another month, time for our First Friday Arts Segment… we run down a list of events in the performing and visual arts and invite you to add to the list, or add details to items you've heard.  Call in during the program at 800-838-3760 or 541-552-6782.   Scott Free It's hard to believe that it was less than a century ago that women were still fighting for the right to vote, just to pick the people who make important decisions.  Abigail Scott Duniway led the way in Oregon, and her life is celebrated in the play "Scott Free," staged on Saturday at the Eugene downtown library.  Playwright Toni Douglass and creative partner Barbara Callander join us. 

Jefferson Exchange — September 7, 2012, HOUR 2 Promised Land It may be easy to view the current political landscape and think there's little progress.  But Oregon has a rich history in politics and governance, from the earliest efforts to establish a federal territory, through the Beach Bill and the Bottle Bill, up to the present day.  Tom Marsh walks through that history in his book "To The Promised Land: A History of Government and Politics in Oregon."   

Jefferson Exchange — September 6, 2012, HOUR 1 Climate Change in Court Can you sue the governor and the state to force action on climate change?  A couple of Oregonians tried, but a judge dismissed the case.  The plaintiffs are not giving up, though, asking appeals courts to reinstate the case.  The non-profit group Our Children's Trust supports the lawsuit; executive director Julia Olson joins us to talk climate change and legal action. Condors and the Yurok The Yurok Tribe and the California Condor have a few things in common, chiefly the fact that both dropped sharply in numbers as white people settled on the West Coast.  Now the tribe is working to reintroduce the condor in Northern California, part of the bird's historic range.  You'll hear about the steps leading up to a hoped-for release of the birds in Yurok country.

Jefferson Exchange — September 6, 2012, HOUR 2 Ascent of the A-Word This is a challenge: seeing if we can discuss an inflammatory word on the air without actually mentioning the word.  Linguist and "Fresh Air" contributor Geoffrey Nunberg drills into our frequent use of a popular epithet in his book "Ascent of the A-Word: A**holism, The First Sixty Years."