Close Massachusetts Senate Race Catches Democrats Off Guard

The race for the late Senator Edward Kennedy’s seat is down to the wire and the polls show the race is very close. Democrat Martha Coakley and Republican Scott Brown are trading ads and trying to raise a lot of money ahead of Tuesday’s election. Some local radio stations have also been giving a lot of airtime to Brown’s candidacy. We’ll speak with Here and Now’s Monica Brady Myerov. Independent candidate Joe Kennedy is also running.

Doctors Worry Generic and Brand Name Drugs Aren’t Interchangeable

Some doctors and patients are concerned that generic drugs for conditions like depression, heart conditions and epilepsy might not be as effective as the brand-name drugs. And insurers are encouraging more patients to take less-expensive generics. We speak with Lesley Alderman, who co-writes the “Patient Money” column for the New York Times.

While Haitians Mourn, an Aid Worker Reflects on Country in Need

A man mourns during the funeral of his 3-year-old daughter who died in Tuesday's earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. An earthquake measuring more than 7 on the Richter scale hit Haiti on Tuesday leaving thousands dead. (AP)

A man mourns during the funeral of his 3-year-old daughter who died in Tuesday's earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010. (AP)

As Airplanes are landing from around the world with aid for victims of the earthquake in Haiti, we speak with Cate Oswald. She’s worked in Haiti for program manager for Partners in Health, a non-profit organization in Boston that provides health care in Haiti, she’s worked in the country for 3 years.

How to Help: Earthquake Relief for Haiti
The number for Americans who are looking for information about family members in Haiti is 1-888-407-4747

Investors Discuss Clean Energy Sector

In New York today, the United Nations is hosting a gathering of investors who represent $22 trillion in potential funds for the environment. At the Investor Summit on Climate Risk, they’ll discuss climate change as a bottom line issue, and the clean energy sector as an economic opportunity. Investors, however, say governments have to get on board before they’ll take the plunge. We talk about the summit with Mindy Lubber, President of its co-sponsor, Ceres.

Listeners Letters

We hear from listeners.

Jazz Musician Pat Metheny Plays Instruments By Remote Control

Inspired by his childhood fascination for his grandfather’s player piano, renowned jazz musician Pat Metheny wanted to create an orchestra that played like a player piano but with 21st century technology. The result is his “Orchestrion” which uses mallets as well as computers to play a collection of musical instruments. The BBC’s Andrew Purcell brings us the story.

Watch Pat Metheny Demonstrate his Orchestrion

Music from the show

Astor Piazzolla, “Libertango” (performed by Cory Pesaturo)

Art Van Damme Quintet “Don’t be That Way”

Richard Galliano “A French Touch”

Guy Klucevsek, “Altered Landscapes: Part One”

Pinata Protest “Rocket”

Marty, Brentwood NH

Re: Generics vs Brand Name drugs: I’m very suspicious of the anecdotal evidence that they’re different. I asked my pharmacist (at a Costco) if he’d heard of any problems in his professional literature or journal, and he said No, far as he knew, generics are chemically identical to original brand name drugs, no differences professionally reported. Subtle, self-reported differences, especially in mood-altering drugs, are easy to fool oneself with. You don’t ask individuals how they “feel” a vaccine or antibiotic worked; you use broad-based, statistical double-blind studies only. Anti-depressants (with which I’m personally familiar) are only a little better than nothing, and have to be accompanied by talk-therapy, usually cognitive-behavioral therapy, to counteract inevitable relapses of depressive episodes. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the “legs” of this story come from the drug companies, trying to preserve their profits from the brand-name versions by fostering doubt in generics. A real journalist should investigate that angle.
Chris

My wife switched generics and had constant headaches and sickness until she returned to the original generic. Just because you put all the same ingredients in a pizza doesn’t mean it will be the same. Different kinds of flour, tomatoes, and cheese will give you a radically different result.
Brian, Wilmington, DE

In re the final thought of today’s broadcast:

Your closing comment of today’s broadcast, “A vacation in Haiti? Now?” struck a chord with something I’d thought about when I first heard about the earthquake… I realized that this would likely shut down a valuable sector of Haiti’s industry: tourism. I attempted to look up the percentage of Haiti’s economy is from tourism, but the CIA World Factbook did not break down the “Services” portion of Haiti’s economy, but the 2004 estimate was 52%. I think that discouraging Royal Caribbean from renewing an important portion of their economy is the opposite of what is needed for them now. I think the more realistic response would be “Hopefully the Haitian government can get the tourism industry up and running as soon as possible to provide much needed revenue.”