Rob Ferrett and Veronica Rueckert learn how the rise of surrogacy has changed the American family. They look at the response of aid groups in the Philippines and discuss how growing up in Wisconsin influenced Joe McCarthy, born on this day in 1908.
Featured in this Show
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Expert Talks Relief Efforts In Typhoon-Ravaged Philippines
Nearly a week after Typhoon Haiyan ripped through the Philippines — claiming the lives of thousands — significant relief efforts are underway. While supplies are starting to hit the ground, one relief expert cautioned against expecting immediate results from the help.
“This storm flattened a huge area,” said Jon Brause, director of the World Food Programme in Washington, D.C. “There’s really no infrastructure left. It’s going to take months to get roads cleared, infrastructure back in place, electricity, water … and then we’re going to have to get people back to work as well.
“And we can’t do that in a week,” he said.
At its peak, the storm reached wind speeds of 195 mph, leaving complete devastation in its path.
“Consider (Hurricanes) Katrina and then Sandy just to get an image of how bad this is, and then take it up a notch from there,” Brause said. “This is probably the worst storm in recorded history.”
Brause said food is now becoming available, but transporting it to affected areas becomes the next problem.
“There isn’t trucking,” Brause said. “You have to bring trucks in, which we’re doing. We’re also bringing in barges and smaller coastal vessels that we can load with relief items and then move around to some of the smaller communities around the various islands.”
That relief effort doesn’t stop after basic supplies are delivered. Brause said his organization, along with others, are committed to getting things cleaned up, getting people back to work, and getting local economies up and running again.
Many are wondering about the best way to personally contribute to the relief effort. Brause was clear that money is the best option.
“If you try to donate anything else … it just complicates logistics even further trying to move in other items,” Brause said.
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How Surrogacy Is Transforming The American Family
Couples with infertlity problems typically face a limited range of options for having children – adoption or uncertain fertility treatments. But our guest says there’s another growing path – surrogacy, and it has the potential to transform the American family.
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Emergency Response In The Philippines
Last Friday Typhoon Haiyan struck the central Philippines, affecting millions and killing thousands of people. It is said to be the deadliest natural disaster in the nation’s history. The Director of the World Food Programme Office in Washington, D.C. discusses emergency response.
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Wisconsin Legend Joseph McCarthy
November 14 is the birthday of Wisconsin Legend Senator Joseph McCarthy, born in Grand Chute in 1908. More than anyone else, McCarthy is associated with the communist witch hunts that took place in the US in the early 1950s during the depths of the Cold War. For some insights into the rise and fall of Joe McCarthy, we have Jerald Podair, Professor of History and American Studies at Lawrence University.
Episode Credits
- Rob Ferrett Host
- Veronica Rueckert Host
- Chris Malina Producer
- Galen Druke Producer
- Jon Brause Guest
- Leslie Morgan Steiner Guest
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