http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/index.html A weekly television news program on PBS en-us 2008 JumpStart Productions. All rights reserved. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT News Politics Health http://www.pbs.org/now/images/rss_banner.gif http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/index.html 144 46 NOW on PBS http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/440/index.html Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT With gas prices spiking and home values crumbling, the American dream of commuting to work from the fringes of suburbia has become an American nightmare. Many are facing a hard choice: Paying for gas or paying the mortgage. How did it come to this? It's not just about America's financial crisis; it's also about big problems with our national infrastructure. Overstressed highways and too few public transportation options are wreaking havoc on people's lives and hitting the brakes on our already-stretched economy. NOW on PBS takes a close-up look at our inadequate transportation network and visits some people paying a high price -- in both dollars and quality of life -- just to get to work. Do we have the means to modernize both our infrastructure and our lifestyles? This is the first installment in "Blueprint America," a year-long, PBS-wide series focusing on the nation's infrastructure. "Blueprint America" is an initiative of Thirteen/WNET. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/439/index.html Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT This election year, the most crucial battleground states may fall far west of the Mississippi. Strategists say New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado are pivotal to Senator McCain's success, so how are these voters being courted? NOW on PBS travels to New Mexico to see how both campaigns are hoping to attract -- and secure -- first time voters on college campuses, as well as voters in New Mexico's large Hispanic population. It's clearly anyone's game -- this southwestern state was won by fewer than 400 votes in 2000, and 6,000 votes in 2004. NOW sits down with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, a supporter of Barack Obama and former 2008 presidential contender himself, who affirms the political importance of the "New West." "Had Kerry won those states [in 2004]," Richardson tells Maria Hinojosa, "even having lost Ohio, he'd be President." Will the New West play a key role in determining the fate of the country? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/438/index.html Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT The government's historic proposal to bail out the U.S. banking system is raising as many questions as it is offering solutions. Some in Congress are warning against reacting too quickly; others want conditions that protect homeowners, increase oversight, and limit the compensation of corporate executives. But the number one question on the minds of Americans: How will this affect me? NOW on PBS goes inside the round-the-clock efforts in Washington to craft a bailout plan of historic dimensions. NOW's cameras follow AFL-CIO Associate General Counsel Damon Silvers as he works to get help for working Americans in addition to bailing out financial firms in distress. Silvers, an architect of the major provisions Congressional Democrats are pushing for in the bill, provides key insight on the stake ordinary working Americans have in the fate of this proposal, and on what comes next. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/437/index.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT Given the hoopla surrounding Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton's historical political ascendance, why does the U.S. rank so low among countries for percentage of women holding national office? In a one-hour special, NOW's Maria Hinojosa talks to women leaders around the world and here in the United States for an intimate look at the high-stakes risks, triumphs, and setbacks for women leaders of today and tomorrow. Among these women are President Michelle Bachelet of Chile, the first woman leader in Latin America who did not have a husband precede her as President, and former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen, now in a tight race for a seat in the U.S. Senate. We also travel to Rwanda, where, 14 years after a horrific massacre left nearly one million people dead, women make up nearly half of parliament; and to Manhattan, where ambitious high school girls are competing in a high-stakes debate tournament. "Women, Power and Politics," is also about the personal journey of mother and award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa as she strives to answer the question: "What does to mean to be a woman in power?" now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/436/index.html Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT The Republican Party has long used wedge issues like abortion, gun control, and gay rights to its advantage in rallying conservative voters, but a shifting agenda amongst political evangelicals and new thinking about Democratic Party tactics might be changing the game. David Brancaccio discusses these issues and their implications with Bishop Harry Jackson and Author Drew Westen. Bishop Jackson, an influential voice among the nation's 100 million evangelicals, has shown a willingness to open his mind to opposing views, especially on climate control. Westen, author of "The Political Brain," talks about how appealing to voters' emotions reaps bigger electoral rewards than hammering home policy proposals. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/435/index.html Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:00:00 GMT John McCain chose Sarah Palin as his running mate in part to appease his party's strongly conservative base. With the Republican right wing weighing so much influence even in the waning days of the Bush presidency, where does that leave prominent moderate Republicans? Is there room for them in the GOP? David Brancaccio sits down with former New Jersey Governor and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman to discuss the political tolerance of the modern Republican Party, and her perspective on the current race. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/434/index.html Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT With Barack Obama officially nominated as the Democrats' Presidential nominee, is it time to re-think affirmative action? NOW on PBS looks at some state ballot measures that would eliminate race or gender considerations in public hiring, contracting and education programs. The controversial initiatives are being spearheaded by Ward Connerly, a long-time affirmative action opponent who some are accusing of ballot fraud. NOW also posed the question to leading thinkers at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. "I think that in some quarters, many parts of the country, a white male is really disadvantaged," Connerly, who considers himself multi-racial, tells NOW. "Because we have developed this notion of women and minorities being so disadvantaged and we have to help them, that we have, in many cases, twisted the thing so that it's no longer a case of equal opportunity. It's a case of putting a fist on the scale." now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/433/index.html Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT Can the quality of healthcare in developing nations be transformed by the same principle that makes fast food such a success here? NOW travels to Kenya to continue ongoing coverage of an enterprising idea: franchising not burger and donut shops, but health services and drugs in rural Africa. American businessmen have been teaming with African entrepreneurs to spread for-profit clinics around the country in the hopes of providing quality, affordable medical care to even Kenya's poorest people. In this show, NOW chronicles how the Kenyan facilities weathered recent violent unrest, as well as the program's expansion into Rwanda. Also on the show, a massive program to dispense medicine for people with HIV/AIDS in poor countries is changing lives and restoring hope. A small team of photographers is capturing those amazing transformations on film, hoping their compelling images will bring attention to the importance of drug access in the developing world. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/432/index.html Fri, 15 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT In 2006, Congress authorized the Secure Fence Act, a multi-billion dollar plan to build hundreds of miles of fencing along the southern border of the United States to stem the flow of undocumented immigrants and provide security from potential terrorism. But what was built to fight illegal immigration has turned into a nightmare for many Americans living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Turns out the fence -- which will cover less than half of the actual border -- inexplicably cuts through the middle of some properties, while leaving others untouched. Many question if it can keep people from sneaking in at all. NOW senior correspondent Maria Hinojosa travels to Texas to meet border families who fear losing their property, their safety, and their way of life. We also follow an investigative reporter who questions whether certain landowners are getting preferential treatment. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/431/index.html Fri, 08 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT When Pakistani filmmaker Sabiha Sumar chose to make a film about democracy in her country, she didn't just request a traditional interview with President Musharraf: she insisted on a formal dinner. To her surprise, the man who ran Pakistan for nearly eight years agreed, and Sumar spent the evening grilling Musharraf about the state of affairs in their sharply polarized culture. Sumar's documentary "My Dinner with the President," intercuts the dinner discourse with candid interviews with a wide range Pakistanis, from religious fundamentalists to partiers on a Pakistani beach. On Friday, August 8 at 8:30 pm (check local listings), NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Sumar about the film, about our cultural and political relationship with Pakistan, and about Musharraf's desire to democratize his nation while functioning as its dictator. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/347/index.html Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:00:00 GMT On Tuesday, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was indicted for failing to disclose gifts he received from VECO Corporation, an Alaska-based oil services company. But his indictment is only the latest news -- and perhaps the tip of the iceberg -- in an ongoing political scandal that's rocking the state. NOW goes behind the breaking headlines to shine a bright light on the scandalous connection between VECO and Alaska's old-boy political network. Three state legislators have already been convicted in Federal court for accepting bribes from VECO, and the FBI has video and audio evidence that reveal VECO executives shockingly handing out cash to those legislators in exchange for promises to roll back a tax on the oil industry. And more lawmakers -- including Senator Stevens' own son, former Alaska State Senate President Ben Stevens -- are being eyed in the growing scandal. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/429/index.html Fri, 25 July 2008 18:00:00 GMT Even though he's no longer running for president, John Edwards is still a man with a mission: to cut poverty in the United States by 50 percent in 10 years. The current economic crisis has him and his followers more committed than ever, but will their efforts gain enough momentum to make a difference? NOW's David Brancaccio talks with Edwards about how he plans to achieve this ambitious goal and what role it may and should have on the upcoming presidential election. Will the issue of poverty in America finally be addressed with more than just lip service? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/428/index.html Fri, 18 July 2008 18:00:00 GMT America thought it had won the war in Afghanistan six years ago, but a recent escalation in violence and instability -- including the death of nine U.S. soldiers this past weekend -- has given rise to the question: Have we allowed the Taliban to come back? NOW Correspondent Bill Gentile reports from Afghanistan's southern Helmand Province, where he was embedded for nearly three weeks in May and June with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (24th MEU). The 24th MEU are among 60,000 foreign troops on the ground in Afghanistan -- more than half of them American. They face an ominous challenge as the Taliban attempts a return to power, in some cases merging with other insurgent groups, and potentially providing safe haven for Al-Qaeda and other anti-American terrorists. Reporting from the front lines, NOW provides a soldier's-eye look into what some consider America's "forgotten war." Are we still winning it? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/427/index.html Fri, 11 July 2008 18:00:00 GMT NOW travels to Jordan to explore the implications of -- and possible solutions to -- having millions of young people out of work in the Middle East. Staggering unemployment rates among the region's massive youth population is fueling anger, frustration and resentment. To combat the problem, Jordan's Queen Rania has made job creation a top priority. "To me the Middle East is about young people. And if we fail to create opportunities for them then you're going to see a lot of frustrated hope," she tells NOW. Another initiative comes from an unlikely source: a Brooklyn, New York businessman who has set up programs across the region to give young people the real world skills they desperately need to gain employment. Both have their work cut out for them: nearly 70 million jobs are needed in the Middle East by the year 2020, according to the World Bank. Can these training programs help stem the tide or are they just a drop in the bucket? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/426/index.html Fri, 27 June 2008 18:00:00 GMT After the subprime mortgage debacle, have we learned that quick-turnaround mortgages to customers with low credit scores are always too good to be true? One enterprising entrepreneur says NO, and he has some success to back it up. NOW on PBS takes a look at the non profit organization "Just Price Solutions" and the man behind it, Brian Cosgrove. Cosgrove created a new mortgage model that, in his view, marries the speed and efficiency of the subprime model to safe lending practices including homeownership counseling and fixed rate mortgages. Cosgrove says the new system helps prevent foreclosures and safely protects individuals from predatory subprime lenders, but not everyone agrees. Some feel home ownership is oversold in America and that this mortgage enterprise is still risky business. Can Just Price Solutions place and keep people in affordable homes, or is this another cautionary tale in the making? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/425/index.html Fri, 20 June 2008 18:00:00 GMT The global middle class is expected to swell by more than 1 billion people over the next decade, with the biggest increases in China and India. While millions are being lifted out of poverty as a result, the booming middle class is also consuming more global resources. As a result, prices for everything from steel to gasoline to food are soaring. NOW reports from Pune, India, where college graduates are getting tech jobs, traditional families are flocking to the new mall, and professionals are hoping their new-found economic might will make their country an even bigger global player. But can America's middle-class -- and the rest of the world -- afford this unprecedented shift in the global economy? The world is buying like never before, but who's paying the price? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/424/index.html Fri, 13 June 2008 18:00:00 GMT Thousands of U.S. troops are getting discharged out of the Army. Many suffer from post traumatic stress disorders and brain injuries and aren't getting the care they need. The Army claims these discharged soldiers have pre-existing mental illnesses or are guilty of misconduct. But advocates say these are wrongful discharges, a way for the army to get rid of "problem" soldiers quickly, without giving them the treatment to which they're entitled. NOW travels to Texas' Fort Hood to meet traumatized soldiers fighting a new battle, this one with the army they served. NOW also interviews the army's top psychiatrist, Col. Elspeth Ritchie. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/423/index.html Fri, 6 June 2008 18:00:00 GMT NOW talks with the former head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral William J. Fallon, who resigned in March after a year of duty. Fallon had sharp disagreements with the Bush Administration's Middle East policy toward Iranian President Ahmadinejad. The former commander of all U.S. military forces in the Middle East and Central Asia, Fallon was portrayed in Esquire magazine as the man in the military preventing the administration from going to war with Iran. Also, we talk with political columnist and "The Uprising" author David Sirota about the populist movement spreading through the country. Can organizations that operate at the grassroots level create real political change? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/422/index.html Fri, 30 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT Living in the shadows of contemporary American society are hundreds of thousands of underage prostitutes -- desperate, exploited kids robbed of their childhood and of hope. The Department of Justice estimates that each day at least 300,000 American children are at risk -- on the streets, through escort services and increasingly on the internet. But while the underage sex trade is spreading, some leaders are taking strong measures to stand in its way. NOW on PBS goes to Atlanta, where Mayor Shirley Franklin has created aggressive awareness and crackdown campaigns that target pay-for-sex customers, or "Johns." NOW also meet with activists and crusaders working to help young people escape exploitation and get off the street. But getting out is an uphill battle with a very long road to recovery. Can we stop a child prostitution epidemic in our own country? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/421/index.html Fri, 23 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT There are more women serving in the military than ever before, and they're in danger -- but not just from combat. Last year, nearly 1400 women reported being assaulted and raped by their fellow soldiers, in some cases by their commanding officers. The shocking phenomenon has a label: military sexual trauma, or MST. NOW on PBS returns to the subject for an updated report and talks to women who've been raped and assaulted while serving in the military. Also on the show, NOW investigates how a hard-hitting Montana program to keep young people away from methamphetamines is working in neighboring Idaho. The Enterprising Idea of using shocking media campaigns was created by billionaire "venture philanthropist" Tom Siebel. NOW talks to Idaho's First Lady, Lori Otter, who, along with the Governor, has dedicated herself to the fight against meth abuse. We also meet a local Idaho mayor whose oldest daughter had been addicted to the drug. Can Montana's success be duplicated in Idaho and elsewhere? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/420/index.html Fri, 16 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT While America's reputation in the Middle East is hovering at historic lows, the demand for American university-branded education has never been greater. NOW on PBS takes a look at the unprecedented boom of American university campuses in an area where American military and cultural exports are typically viewed with suspicion. In the tiny oil-rich nation of Qatar, American universities like Carnegie Mellon, Georgetown, and Virginia Commonwealth are warmly embraced and enthusiastically attended by local residents and students throughout the region. But are some of these schools trading their good name for a big check? NOW travels to Qatar's Education City, the largest collection of American universities in the Middle East to investigate. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/419/index.html Fri, 09 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT A grim new statistic: One in every hundred Americans is now locked behind bars. But in this explosion of inmates some private companies are seeing opportunity. NOW on PBS investigates the government's trend to outsource prisons and prisoners to the private sector. While companies like Corrections Corporation of America say they're doing their part to solve the problem of inmate overflow, critics accuse private prisons of standing in the way of sentencing reform and sacrificing public safety to maximize profits. NOW travels to Colorado, where the controversy is boiling over, to find out. Should incarceration be incorporated? now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/418/index.html Fri, 02 May 2008 18:00:00 GMT Few predicted how competitive the race for President would be at this point, and no one knows how it will all turn out, but some insiders have the advantage of their own experience to provide a seasoned perspective. NOW on PBS host David Brancaccio shares a table with outspoken former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown and former McCain strategist Dan Schnur for an insider's look at what may happen next, and what the candidates each must do to win. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/417/index.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:00:00 GMT While many kids from rich families take going to college for granted, poor kids face a harsher reality. According to one source, only 7% of low-income kids earn a college degree by the age of 25. NOW shares a year-long investigation of an innovative program trying to level that playing field. College Summit is hoping to close the gap by helping students from low-income families select schools, complete college applications, write personal statements, and navigate financial aid. After months of documenting student participants in Denver, it's now time for a reality check: Can poor children get the same shot at college as those on the opposite end of the economic scale, or will rich students always have the advantage? As rejection and acceptance letters arrive in the mail, see who comes closer to achieving their dreams. now@thirteen.org http://www.pbs.org/now/rss/redir/now/shows/416/index.html Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:00:00 GMT As the political campaigns gear up for Tuesday's Pennsylvania primary, the candidates are trumpeting positions on one of the state's -- and the country's -- thorniest and most pressing issues: health care reform. With health care costs in the Keystone State 11% higher than the national average and rising twice as fast as the average wage, it's a problem Pennsylvania is desperately trying to fix on its own. The state legislature is debating a plan backed by Governor Ed Rendell to provide benefits to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, but there's disagreement over who's going to foot the bill. NOW gets insight on the problem and its proposed solution from a wide range of Pennsylvanians, including small business owners, legislators, a suburban family, and a packaged dessert company headquartered in Philadelphia that employs over 800 people. But the problem is bigger than Pennsylvania. With 47 million Americans uninsured and so many feeling the pinch of soaring coverage costs, can this Philadelphia experiment make a difference in the national crisis? now@thirteen.org