Looking For A Thaw In Washington

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President Barack Obama says he wants to thaw out relations between Democrats and Republicans in Congress on issues ranging from a jobs bill to health care legislation. The capital could use some warmer relations after all the record breaking snowfall its been dealing with. We look at how the president’s job bill and healthcare reform are expected to fare with Gail Chaddock, congressional correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.

The Great American University- Is It Under Threat?

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Our guest Jonathan Cole says research universities, institutions dedicated to the discovery of new knowledge, are indispensable to America’s greatness. They’ve brought us everything from ATMs and Gatorade to computers and cancer treatments. In his new book, “The Great American University”, Cole argues that research universities are under attack, from government regulations after 9/11, from financial cuts, and sometimes from lack of healthy internal debate over ideas. Jonathan Cole is a professor of sociology at Columbia University, where he also served as provost and dean for over a decade.

• Read Jonathan Cole’s Essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education

Argentina Finds Clues About ‘Disappeared’ Through DNA

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The BBC’s Candace Piette reports from Buenos Aires on how advances in DNA technology are helping the people of Argentina find out what happened to some of the estimated 30,000 “disappeared” – the mostly young adults reportedly killed by the military government which ruled in the late 1970s and early 80s.

Philadelphia School Responds To Racial Attacks

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Parents, students and teachers are awaiting a report from the Philadelphia School District about a series of attacks that took place early December. 11 Asian students were injured, reports say the attackers were primarily African American, and now the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund has filed a civil rights complaint with the Justice Department. We speak with Jeff Gammage, staff writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Amy Bloom’s ‘Where The God Of Love Hangs Out’

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We speak to best-selling author Amy Bloom. In her new collection of short stories she looks at love: filial, platonic, and sometimes illicit.

Music From The Show

• Volcano Choir, “Sleepymouth”
• The Wee Trio, “About a Girl”
• Thelonius Monk, “Caravan”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Gibraltar”
• David Goodrich “Falling”