The Sound of Ideas: Archive by Date

January 2008

The Capitol Steps

Posted January 1, 2008
Topics: Arts and Culture

An hour of seasonal political satire. Repeats at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

Myron Robinson, Retiring Urban League CEO

Posted January 2, 2008
Topics:

We'll spend the hour with Myron Robinson, who recently retired after 17 years as president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Cleveland. Few people know more about the economic development challenges facing Cleveland's black community. And few have done more to meet those challenges. Recently, the local Urban League's Multicultural Business Training Center was honored by the Small Business Development Centers of Ohio as the best performing small business training center in the state. Since its inception in 2004, the center has helped 60 small businesses get off the ground. That's just one example of the work the Urban League is doing to promote economic independence. Much of the growth in those programs happened on Robinson's watch. We'll discuss with Robinson where the organization is today and where it's going in the future.

Regional News Roundtable: of Elections and Economic Development

Posted January 3, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Community/Human Interest, Courts/Crime - Fire/Law Enforcement, Regional Economy/Business - News

It's been a few weeks since we last convened our news roundtable, but the news hasn't stopped. In fact, some stories have just kept going. The Secretary of State assures the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections it can handle a voting machine change-up. Meanwhile at City Hall, the Cleveland city council's Public Safety Committee finds itself charged with inaction, and the city's chief of economic development steps down while on vacation. On the Sound of Ideas, we'll talk about those stories and make a few predictions for the New Year. Join us Thursday morning at 9 a.m.

Soup Kitchen for the Soul: Finding Your Volunteering Passion

Posted January 4, 2008
Topics:

Every year it's the same thing: the ball drops at midnight New Year's Eve, and minutes later so do all those well-meaning New Year's resolutions. One of the most popular New Year's resolutions is to help others. It sounds easy but as with so many other resolutions it's hard to stick with it. In fact, it's hard to figure out where to begin. Advice on new ways to volunteer -- and how to find the time -- Friday at 9, on The Sound of Ideas.

Violence in the Inner Ring

Posted January 7, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Community/Human Interest, Courts/Crime - Fire/Law Enforcement, Parenting/Child Care

Homicides aside, crime is down in Cleveland. That may be, but, with a recent high profile assault in Shaker Heights, crime appears to be on the rise in the inner ring. These seemingly random and extreme acts of violence are provoking reaction across the region. Monday morning, we'll talk with local leaders and you about the violence and crime that ignores city boundaries. The conversation begins at 9 a.m.

The Medicated Child

Posted January 8, 2008
Topics: Health, Children's Health, Mental Health, Parenting/Child Care

Four-year olds fidget, have short attention spans, act anxious and throw temper tantrums--behavior that hardly sounds like justification for antipsychotic medication. Yet physicians diagnose one million children--some as young as four years old--with bipolar every year. Diagnoses of mental illness in children have risen sharply in the last decade, raising questions about the efficacy and safety of treating children with medications meant for adults. Producers at Frontline explore those very questions in The Medicated Child--which airs on WVIZ/PBS Tuesday night at ten. Join us Tuesday morning at nine on the Sound of Ideas, when we'll talk with one of the producers and members of the local mental health community about the stakes of treating children who are mentally ill.

The Jewish Americans

Posted January 9, 2008
Topics: Arts and Culture, Education, Aging/The Elderly, Community/Human Interest, Ethics/Religion, Immigration

The first Jews came to America in 1654. Since then, the history of American Jews is as much as story of defining identity as it is about religion. Some debate whether Jewish American is more accurate than American Jew. As one Jewish American puts it, "One is the noun, one is the adjective, and my noun changes, my noun changes based on my context." As the first installment of The Jewish Americans airs on WVIZ/PBS Wednesday night at 9, we'll take a look at the history of the Jewish Clevelanders. You're invited to join us, Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. Image: Yuri and Magda Tsimbler, Russian immigrants

Campaign 2008 - Who’s on First?

Posted January 10, 2008
Topics:

New Hampshire voters have had their say, producing comeback stories for Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain, and the shake-up may give pause to the media's obsession with polls. We'll talk about that and hear how the election results thus far are resonating with Ohio voters. Join us Thursday at nine on 90.3.

Death Penalty Doubts

Posted January 11, 2008
Topics:

For the second time this week, another man on Ohio's Death Row escaped execution. But only one man walked out of prison free. Governor Ted Strickland commuted the death sentence of John Spirko to life without parole ... while Ken Richey was released for good after serving two decades on Death Row. The court said the conviction was based on insufficient evidence. We'll talk about Death Row doubts, Friday at 9 on The Sound of Ideas.

Learning from Amphibians

Posted January 14, 2008
Topics: Environment, Community/Human Interest

There are some 5,700 species of amphibians on the planet, and over the last twenty years, about a third of those species have experienced some serious decline. We're talking about extinctions and rapid declines too large to be explained away by natural cycles. Scientists say these population problems may point to a similar future for other animals--even humans. We'll talk about this cold and slimey world Monday morning at 9 a.m. Photo courtesy Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Fighting Crime in Cleveland

Posted January 15, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Courts/Crime - Fire/Law Enforcement

After a year of alarming homicide rates, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson is cracking down with a laser-like focus on illegal guns. It's not exactly a new plan, but, experts say this is what reduces crime. Criminologist Lawrence Sherman has studied seen this work in seven different studies around the world, in places as wide-ranging as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Bogota, Colombia. "We don't know why it works, but the same is true for antibiotics.... What we do know is that it works," Sherman says. Let's hope so. Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., we'll talk with criminologists, council members, community leaders and you about this new crime-fighting plan.

Got Issues? The Candidates and the Economy

Posted January 16, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Housing/Real Estate, Regional Economy/Business - Analysis and Trends, Regional Economy/Business - News

As voters in Michigan and Nevada prepare to select their party's presidential candidate, the issues in the race are shifting. The economy has become the nation's top concern. In less than two months, Ohio voters head to the polls, so, to help prepare for that, we're starting a series of conversations about the issues and what the presidential hopefuls hope to do about them. Help us tackle the economy Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.

Weekly News Roundtable

Posted January 17, 2008
Topics:

In the news this week, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner demands paper ballots in every county across the state; the Cuyahoga County Commissioners find a buyer for the former Ameritrust tower, a building critics say has become a boondoggle; the City of Cleveland sues 21 banks and lenders over subprime loans gone bad; a buyout for state employees;more financial troubles for Myers University; and the latest from the Kucinich camp. That's our list of the top regional stories this week, what's yours? Join us for the Sound of Ideas regional news roundtable. This morning at 9:00 on 90.3.

Testing Patients’ Patience

Posted January 18, 2008
Topics:

Emergency rooms are at the breaking point. Too many patients and too few beds mean longer waits for everyone. A new report shows the delay in medical care is putting lives at risk. A Harvard study shows the average wait for emergency room care is 30 minutes. From 1997 to 2004 the median wait for a patient having a heart attack increased from 8 to 20 minutes, and a quarter of heart attack patients wait 50 minutes or longer. Those are critical moments that could save a life. The study also found that blacks, Hispanics and women wait even longer. How long should patients need to be patient? We'll take a look at the changing face of emergency medicine Friday morning at nine on the Sound of Ideas.

The Franchise

Posted January 21, 2008
Topics: Arts and Culture, Community/Human Interest

OK, the Cavaliers are eight games back, but do you remember last year, in the playoffs, when LeBron scored 48 points against the Pistons? Now that was some basketball. It's hard to remember that just five years ago the Cavs were losing nearly 75 percent of their games. Doesn't sound like the team that just spanked the Spurs Thursday night. Sportswriting legends Terry Pluto and Brian Windhorst tell the story of the team's rebirth in their new book The Franchise: LeBron James and the remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers. They'll be our guests Monday morning at 9 a.m. You're invited to join us.

Got Issues? The Candidates and Health Care

Posted January 22, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Health, Children's Health

The push to Super Tuesday is underway, and the candidates are rolling out their health care proposals. Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing: the need for change. Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., we'll continue our analysis of the issues this election season with a look at what the leading candidates hope to do about the nation's ailing health care system. Mandates or the market? We'll sort it out, and you decide. Tomorrow morning at nine on 90.3.

Is Authenticity What Consumers Really Want?

Posted January 23, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Community/Human Interest, Regional Economy/Business - Analysis and Trends

A couple of philosophical questions here: How authentic is a Starbucks frappucino? What about a day at Cedar Point? Those aren't exactly idle questions. The authors of the Experience Economy are back with a new book and they say companies can't make money unless consumers see their offerings as authentic. So if you want more money, you've got to get real, ...whatever that is. Wednesday morning at 9, we'll find out what's real and whether Authenticity really is what consumers want.

Reporters’ Roundtable: Politics as Unusual

Posted January 24, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Health, Community/Human Interest, Technology, Regional Economy/Business - Analysis and Trends

In the news this week, political infighting in Summit County has spread from the Republican party to the Board of Elections. Meanwhile, the presidential campaigns have begun eyeing the Ohio electorate. In business, there's good and bad news: two of the region’s largest banks have awful fourth quarter earnings, investment in the local biotech industry is up sharply, and a homegrown toy company pulls up stakes. Join us at 9 a.m., and we'll analyze these stories and others on the Thursday reporters' roundtable.

Real Estate Reservations

Posted January 25, 2008
Topics: Economy, Facing the Mortgage Crisis

The housing bubble has burst. There's a glut of homes for sale at bargain basement prices. What does that mean for people who want to buy or sell a home this spring? The market is flooded with houses. That's great for buyers. But how does one know the true worth of a home and how to find the right lender? If you're selling, how do you position your house to sell fast yet still get top dollar? Tips on buying and selling a house in this brave new marketplace. Friday at 9 on The Sound of Ideas

So You Wanna Be a Political Star…

Posted January 28, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Community/Human Interest, Ethics/Religion

Running a city, even a small one, is a lot like running a multi-million dollar corporation - it requires financial expertise, a head for the law, and the skill to manage people...and their egos. As it turns out, few newly elected officials are well-prepared for what awaits them--parliamentary procedure can be just as obtuse as that first budget vote. We'll take a look at what it takes to run municipal governments, and how to train future leaders.

Got Issues? The Candidates and National Security

Posted January 29, 2008
Topics: Government/Politics, Community/Human Interest, Terrorism

In the State of the Union, President Bush will talk about security in Iraq. Any proposals will likely be short term. The war's end will lie with the next President. Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. we'll continue our coverage of the issues shaping the presidential race as we examine the war and national security. Some military experts give all the candidates largely failing grades for their proposals on Iraq. We'll find out why and let you judge for yourself.

Ship Shape: The Changing Role of the Port of Cleveland

Posted January 30, 2008
Topics: Environment, Government/Politics, Transportation, Making Change, Regional Economy/Business - News

Since taking over the helm at the Port Authority, Adam Wasserman has made a few noteworthy changes, but proposing to move the port uptown to East 55th Street is not actually the biggest change. Wasserman has said he wants the Port to take an active role in the region's economic development. Instead of financing anyone who asks, he says, they'll finance only the projects that will improve the region's economic health. Adam Wasserman is our guest Wednesday morning at 9 for a conversation about the Port and your pocketbook. Photo from the Cleveland Press Collection

Thursday Reporters’ Roundtable

Posted January 31, 2008
Topics:

State lawmakers come up with a new plan to insure the uninsured while the Governor looks for ways to cut state spending because of an unexpected revenue shortfall that could approach $2-billion. The Plain Dealer says it's time to replace Dennis Kucinich and the paper knows just the guy. The city of Cleveland hires a new economic development director. The old Hoover complex in North Canton is about to get new life. Join us for conversation about the week's top stories on the Sound of Ideas this morning at 9:00 on 90.3.

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