Making Contact

A look at pregnancy, and motherhood, inside US jails and prisons. What does the huge number of incarcerated women in prison foretell for the next generation of America’s kids?

40 years after the Clean Water Act became law, the landscape of our water supply has been transformed, and regulation is being framed by some as an enemy of progress. On this edition, we look at how we manage our water in the twenty-first century. Are we doing too little, or are we trying to control too much?

What’s the connection between the increase in chronic diseases, mental illness and drug addiction in our society today? On this edition, Dr. Gabor Mate talks about the relationship between mind and body health – and what the rise of capitalism has done to destroy both.

Occupy Wall Street has changed the conversation about the distribution of wealth.  So what now?  What policy changes and initiatives should the movement be pushing for?  Economics Professor Richard Wolff has some answers. 

Reproductive health services for women are under attack, leaving poor women and women of color lacking access. But a broad coalition of women is striking back, changing the conversation on abortion and race.

As the U.S. prepares for another presidential election, journalist Tariq Ali says the ‘choices’ don’t present much in the way of options. On this edition, Ali speaks about the growth of the ‘extreme center’ and how Occupy and other emerging social movements are challenging the status quo.

There’s a raging debate within the Occupy movement over what tactics should be used.  On this edition, a debate from Oakland, California between practitioners of non-violence, versus those who believe a diversity of tactics is what Occupy needs to move forward.

As the popular uprising against the Syrian government continues, reporter Reese Erlich is one of the few foreign reporters who got into Syria to interview opposition demonstrators, government officials and impassioned supporters of President Bashar al Assad. On this edition, Erlich takes us inside the Syrian uprising.

A dialogue between Princeton University professor Cornel West, and Revolutionary Communist Party USA spokesman Carl Dix about the future of America’s youth in the age of Obama.

A look back at some of the most important issues of 2011: Attacks on organized labor, the Egyptian revolution, and the struggle to address climate change. We’ll hear highlights from some of our best programs of the year, and get updates on where those stories stand now.

On this edition, author and political science professor Melissa Harris-Perry speaks about the stereotypes black women face, its impacts on their identity and how it has limited the ways in which society views them as true “citizens.”

Gang injunctions are a controversial crime fighting tool that some people say should be illegal, and others say is a necessary last resort for communities plagued by violence. On this edition, we go from the birthplace of gang injunctions in L.A., to their newest use in London.

We take a look at the health impacts of chemical exposure in nail salons, the shoddy regulation of cosmetics, and the movement towards greener nail salons.

As the Occupy movement continues to grow participants, activists and community organizers are grappling with how to ensure that Occupy develops beyond tents and into long-term systemic change.

He went from illiterate street kid, to world renowned poet. But it was in prison that Jimmy Santiago Baca connected with his Native American and Chicano heritage, and began learning the lessons of his people’s past. On this edition , Progressive Magazine editor Matthew Rothschild sits down with Jimmy Santiago Baca.

On this edition, we bring you the voices of Veterans from Occupy Wall Street and a special report on veterans returning home from war and the struggles they endure from inadequate healthcare to the inability in finding employment.

Reproductive health services for women are under attack, leaving poor women and women of color lacking access. But a broad coalition of women is striking back, changing the conversation on abortion and race. WARNING: This program contains graphic language.

The people of the U.S. have seemingly awakened, and are out in the streets, demanding changes to a system in which money controls politics.  On this edition, corporations, elections and the 99%. In a post-citizens united world, is it too late to reclaim our democracy?

Riots all over the world are calling on us to get involved in societal change. But what kind of action is needed, and how do we create real change? We feature a round-table discussion that explores political action, strategies, and leadership.

In 2011, why are there fewer than 20 female heads of state around the world? A former President, a Supreme Court justice and other women leaders reflect on the battles they’ve won on the way to the top of their fields, and just how far there still is to go.

Two generations of veterans cope with PTSD—looking to heal themselves and the world.   Featuring S. Brian Willson, author of Blood on the Tracks .

A new generation is telling their stories of overthrowing corrupt regimes. And in the digital age, their lessons can spread more quickly than ever before. We’ll hear from Egyptian, Serbian, and Azerbaijani activists, about their work to topple undemocratic rulers.

Honey bees help pollinate 1 in every 3 bites we eat. But they’re fighting to survive, in a world filled with pesticides and parasites. We’ll learn about colony collapse disorder and hear from beekeepers, researchers, and gardeners who are trying to protect the honey bee.

Was mainstream media in cahoots with government forces in the lead up to the Iraq War?  In his film, “The War You Don’t See,” Australian journalist John Pilger reveals how American and British journalists contributed to the drumbeat of war and how they could have prevented the invasion of Iraq.

American Arabs and Muslims are under the microscope, and many feel demonized and say they are living in fear of arrest. On this edition, we'll hear stories about the past 10 years of anti-Arab profiling and prosecution. We also look at parallels with the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.