Health Care in Congress

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A bill from the House is limping towards a rare Saturday night vote. We’ll get the latest on negotiations over contentious issues like abortion and immigration with Gail Chaddock of the Christian Science Monitor. We’ll also look at AARP’s support of the bill — and what it might mean for its members and its own insurance business.

Journalist Michael Goldfarb

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In the 21st century, European countries are still struggling to integrate immigrants, primarily Muslims, into their societies. Veteran journalist Michael Goldfarb says the same thing was happening in the 1700s, only with the Jews. He delves into that history in his new book, “Emancipation: How Liberating Europe’s Jews from the Ghetto Led to Revolution and Renaissance.”

Read an Excerpt from Goldfarb’s New Book

See Michael Goldfarb on Tour:

Japan’s Lost Generation

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Japan offers a grim lesson for young people who are trying to find work today. Many who were growing up when Japan’s economic bubble burst in the 1990s are still struggling to find permanent jobs. The BBC’s Roland Buerk reports from Tokyo.

Japan Fears ‘Population Collapse’

The Business of Medical Marijuana

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Young marijuana plants are shown Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2009, in Seattle. The marijuana is distributed to members of a cooperative of medical patients who have received doctor's authorization to use the drug to treat their illnesses, such as AIDS and multiple sclerosis. Unlike several other states which permit marijuana sales to patients, Washington requires patients to grow marijuana themselves or designate a caregiver to grow it for them.(AP

(AP)

The medical marijuana business is booming in California. People are growing and selling pot just to make ends meet while others are positioning their farms to be the vineyards of the future. Journalist Susan Kuchinskas writes about this in Miller McCune Magazine.

‘The Prisoner’ Returns

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The 1960’s cult television series, “The Prisoner” has been remade and premieres this month on the AMC cable channel. Jim Caviezel stars as 6 and Ian McKellen as 2. Meanwhile, the 17-episode original series starring Patrick McGoohan as No. 6 has been re-released on DVD and is airing on the Independent Film Channel. Here and Now critic-at-large Ed Siegel joins us to talk — “The Prisoner” past and present.

Music from the Show

Radiohead, “Where I End and You Begin”
Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
Art Blakey, “C.O.R.E.”
Fred Hirsch, “Desafinado”
Calexico, “Crumble”
Christian McBride, “Theme for Kareem”
Johnny Rivers, “Secret Agent Man”

Tags: California, Health Care, Japan

Listener comments

Funny how right wingers claim a firewall between government money and health insurance provisions for choice call that money laundering yet they think that it is appropriate to simply put a “firewall” between government money and church providers who receive govenrment contracts.

funny how your program never bothers to point out that contridiction.

GO government radio!!!! Where we heard “unbiased” and “objective” news!!!!
Posted by jonas, on November 5th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Nice to hear Michael Goldfarb’s voice again.
My husband and I have long studied Jewish history and esp. German Jewish History. The 1920s had a period of “renaissance” for the Jewish population of Germany, but its number of those you call ghosts is high.
As for Moses Hess, you can find “The Life and Opinions of Moses Hess” in Isaiah Berlin’s “Against the Current”,one of the indefatigible Henry Hardy’s early compilations of IB’s essays.

Berlin’s essays are just the medicine one needs when the number of questions one has about all this far exceeds available answers.

I look forward to reading your book.
Posted by ruth gutmann, on November 5th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Funny that after all the discrimination jews went through they get there own country and do the same thing to Arab-Christians and Muslims.

As for your right-winger on abortion she seemed a waste of time for your program.

“keep government out of my life” unless its abortion,drugs, religion than there all for it.
Posted by Michael, on November 5th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
This is so strange to hear about in light of yesterday’s show with the so called ‘Drug zar’ . He sounded not unlike a mouth-piece for the antiquated leaders of the original war on drugs and mentioned nothing about what is going on around our country. In fact, he was suggesting that marijuana leads to other harsher drugs, which is why his office is still against the legalization of it.
I don’t understand the reasoning behind the continued effort behind our failed policy of this foolish drug war, it’s ridiculous.
Posted by terry, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I just listened to Robin’s interview about marijuana cultivation in California. Why did Robin not bring up the topic of marijuana addiction? For legitimate medical needs, marijuana has benefits, but pot can be addictive. Regardless of what certain people say, just like alcohol, and other substances, some people become addicted to marijuana. I would think that addiction warrants some comments in a discussion about the possible legalization of marijuana.
Posted by Annette, on November 5th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Thank you for the piece on the Prisoner. I watched the orginal while I was in high school and college and own the DVD set. It IS iconic and still stands as one of the two most thoughtful programs aired on mass market TV (the other being Max Headroom). It still can educate…especially considering the end-point.

I cringed at the description of the remake; is this yet another example of simplifying tthe orignal insights?
Posted by Theron P. Snell, on November 5th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
[...] That’s why the original was iconic and the remake something of only passing interest. Listen to critic Ed Siegel’s review of “The Prisoner” on Here & Now, Nov. 5. WBUR Topics: Arts · Reviews Have something to say? Please stay on topic, be civil, [...]
Posted by wbur.org » News » Cult Classic ‘The Prisoner’ Returns To TV, on November 6th, 2009 at 6:41 pm