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Monday      
March 22, 2010

President Barack Obama, joined by Vice President Joe Biden, makes a statement to the nation Sunday night following the final vote on health care reform in the House of Representatives (AP)

More Challenges Ahead On Health Care Reform

It was a raucous, sometimes ugly legislative battle, but late last night the House of Representatives succeeded in passing the Senate’s health care reform bill by a margin of 219 to 212 votes. The House also passed a bill of fixes, which the Senate will now vote on, and Republicans have vowed to delay and derail that bill using every parliamentary device at their disposal. Gail Chaddock, congressional correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor lays out the road ahead.

Tales From The Dark Side Of Post-Soviet Russia

In 1997, Mark Ames founded The Exile, an English language newspaper that took on the establishment of post-Soviet Russia in ways no other journalism dared. After the fall of communism, a series of political and economic reforms sent Russian society into a tailspin, but nobody was writing about it… except The Exile. Mark Ames and partner Matt Taibbi went native, immersing themselves into the culture and sub-culture to get the truth — a truth that they say was ignored by the mainstream press. We speak with Mark Ames, as well as James Verini, who writes about the rise and fall of The Exile in the current issue of Vanity Fair.

Purple People Movement Draws Crowds In Italy

Purple People demonstrators in Rome last year carry a banner demanding the resignation of Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi (AP)

A new political movement is drawing tens of thousands of people into the streets of Italy to oppose Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Purple People movement members wear something purple to their rallies, where they denounce Berlusconi’s personal scandals and his attempts to evade justice. The BBC’s Duncan Kennedy reports from Rome.

Islamic Terrorism: One Expert Says It’s A Fad

Jessica Stern lectures on public policy at Harvard Law School; she also serves on the Hoover Institute task force on national security and law, and she wrote the book “Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill.” She discusses the cases of two American women who have been implicated in terrorism cases, and she tells us that she believes Islamic terrorism is a fad that Americans won’t be discussing in a few decades.

Gilbert Grape Author Reaches The Heights

We speak with Peter Hedges about his new novel “The Heights.” It’s the story of a happily married couple living in Brooklyn Heights; their marriage is tested when a wealthy couple moves into the neighborhood. Hedges’ adaptation of first novel “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” was nominated for an Oscar; he’s also the writer-director of the films “Pieces of April” and “Dan in Real Life.”

Music From The Show

  • Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
  • Charles Mingus, “Pedal Point Blues”
  • Jimi Hendrix, “Crosstown Traffic”
  • Dntel, “Last Songs”
  • Sondre Lerche, “Dan in Real Life”
  • Betty Press

    Comment on the Health Care reform segment. Just wanted to mention that the example given by Gail Chaddock, CSM was out of context. She may have found a calm, thoughtful protester to give a different slant to the raucous tone of the protest but what is thoughtful about someone stating ideas based on misinformation. It just goes to show how people have been misled on what is in this bill and the media doesn’t need to keep putting those misinformed ideas out there to keep confusing the issue on a national radio station.

  • Ambrose

    Misled? Like how President Obama said the new health care plan is going to save hundreds of millions of $ over the next 10 years and trillions of $ over the next 20 years? Yes…I would say they’ve been misled.

  • John Murphy

    I heard Gail Chaddock’s response to your question today about the lack of civility in the health care “debate” related to name calling etc. If I understood her correctly, she attempted to say that it was isolated and may have resulted from the individuals making the disgusting insults– were drinking? Any real proof? She then was allowed to follow up with saying that she had talked to a unemployed computer programmer who had a compelling argument that the government was now going to take over the US! She implied that he was sane and articulate. Why did’t you follow up and ask– what argument did you hear that convinced you that the government was going to take over this country relating to healh care reform? Lets at least try to get at the truth!!

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