Prime Time Radio - AARP

Part A: What might happen to Medicare in the years ahead? On this Prime Time episode, our two guests discuss the effects of health care reform on the program and solutions to fix the so-called doughnut hole. Robert Moffit, a veteran of more than three decades in Washington policymaking, is the Heritage Foundation's senior fellow in domestic and economic policy studies. He specializes in health care and entitlement programs, including Medicare. The Brookings Institution's Henry Aaron, a noted health care expert, focuses on financing reform of public systems such as Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, and tax and budget policy. Part B: What does the future hold for Social Security? In this episode, two experts, David John and Virginia Reno, explore whether the popular program can be saved with long-term, incremental changes, such as lowering benefits for higher earners, versus more radical approaches, such as converting the system into one of personal retirement accounts. John is the Heritage Foundation's lead analyst on retirement security issues. Roll Call/Congressional Quarterly has called John one of five experts who "exert more influence" on the Social Security debate than anyone else. Reno is vice president for income security at the National Academy of Social Insurance. She has a broad expertise in Social Security, retirement policy, private pensions, the income of the elderly and disability policy.

Part A: Dyan Cannon was a young actress just starting her career when she received a note from the most famous men in Hollywood saying he was interested in meeting her. It was then that she did the unbelievable; she refused to meet Cary Grant. They did finally meet and after a certain amount of pursuing by Grant, they got married. It was a stormy relationship at best, but writing her memoir, “Dear Cary”, helped her heal and forgive many past hurts from the relationship. Cannon also believes it taught her how to love again. Part B: Neil Sedaka has been successful in the music business for nearly six decades. An accomplishment he attributes to hard work, a willingness to reinvent his career, and a flexibility to change his style. He is now producing children’s books and music with his son, Marc. “Dinosaur Pet” is his wonderfully illustrated children’s book that features whimsical translations of classic songs like “Calendar Girl” and “Breaking up is Hard to Do”. Sedaka and his grandchildren sing these new translations together as “Dinosaur Pet” and “Waking Up is Hard to Do”

Part A: Urban farmer Will Allen, who was raised as a sharecropper's son, had successful careers in professional basketball and corporate sales before taking on the local food movement. When Allen saw how poor communities in Milwaukee lacked access to fresh, healthy food, he bought a cluster of abandoned greenhouses. He recruited kids from a nearby housing project and launched Growing Power, an organization that teaches farming principles and offers sustainable foods to neighborhoods in need. Allen's memoir, The Good Food Revolution, describes how a passion for farming can change the way America eats. Part B: When President Theodore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with the first family in 1901, many Americans - including notable black scholar W.E.B. Dubois - criticized the president for the invitation. In her new book, Guest of Honor, historian Deborah Davis examines the widespread ramifications of the historic meal and explores the gains in social equality over the last century.

Part A: Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has been at the pinnacle of the British Monarch for the last sixty years. One of the longest reigning monarchs in England’s history, Elizabeth became queen at the age of twenty-five. Scandal first thrust her into the public spotlight at the age of ten when her uncle, the Duke of Windsor, abdicated his right to the throne in 1936 and her father became King George VI. After the outbreak of World War II, Elizabeth stepped into the spotlight again giving her first radio broadcast as a young teenager encouraging children evacuated from London. When her father’s health started to decline at an early age, she began making public appearances on his behalf until his death 1952. She was proclaimed Queen of England later that year. In his book, “The Real Elizabeth”, Andrew Marr gives an intimate glimpse at the fascinating story of one of England’s longest reigning monarch on the celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. Part B: The history of the United States Army is fundamental to the history of our country and out national values. Yet unlike the other branches of the military, there is no one place that historical documents and artifacts are preserved. The Army Historical Foundation headed by Brigadier-General Creighton Abrams and military historian Jody Davis, have collaborated with the US Army to create the National Museum of the United States Army. The state of the art facility will celebrate the Army’s contributions to America and honor the sacrifices of men and women that have faithfully served

Part A: The family owned manufacturing company, Vita Needle, has a unique commitment to an aging workforce. The average age of an employee is seventy-four and the oldest employee, Rosa, is one hundred years old...and still going strong. She takes pride in her work on the production line and enjoys the chance to interact with other employees. In the book, “Retirement on the Line,” author, Caitrin Lynch, uses her experience at Vita Needle to analyze the company’s commitment to an aging workforce and the employee’s dedication, to change society’s perspective of working in retirement. Part B: Created by physicians with a passion to reduce misdiagnosis, the purpose of the Best Doctors Foundation is to supplement health care and improve the overall quality of medical treatment. Another of the foundation’s goals is to provide patients more time with doctors. Evan Falchuk, Vice Chairmen of the Foundation, explains how their work has the potential to improve health in local communities by connecting patients with the correct experienced physicians or specialists. The foundation also will give preliminary diagnosis and second opinions to patients, which helps them feel confident about their health decisions, especially when facing tough medical conditions