Spectrum

By WOUB Public MediaNews

Spectrum episodes

October 24, 2018 Medicine & Innovation Combine at the Cleveland Clinic through Dr. Frank Papay
Dr. Frank Papay is the chair of the Dermatology and Plastic Surgery Institute at the Cleveland Clinic Health System. He also is a physician who combines innovation with the healing arts of medicine.

Dr. Papay has spearheaded the Cleveland Clinic’s work in the emerging field of face transplants among other notable surgical breakthroughs. He and a team of gifted surgeons have been featured for this work in National Geographic. Here is the full story: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/09/face-transplant-katie-stubblefield-story-identity-surgery-science/?user.testname=none

He was part of the surgical team that performed the first “near-total” face transplant in the United States in 2008 and says that what was learned from that surgery has led to other medical discoveries.

That first face transplant patient is still alive and doing well, according to Dr. Papay. She is a strong advocate for the surgery, he says.

Dr. Papay talks about the extensive preparation that goes into the face transplant process from preparing the patient to picking a top-flight surgical team of numerous specialists. He also discusses the ethics underlying the procedure.

The costs of the various face transplants has been supported by the Department of Defense, says Dr. Papay. The military is interested in this surgery to potentially restore the faces of soldiers who have suffered injuries in battle.

Dr. Papay also is the holder of over 40 medical device patents. In 2017, he was inducted into National Academy of Inventors.

One of his more recent innovations is a device that can modify the transmission of pain signals to the brain and help control cluster migraine headaches.

He says that his innovative and entrepreneurial spirit has been cultivated and nurtured by “Forest Gump moments” – which he describes as serendipitous encounters with key people who have influenced his life and career.

Dr. Papay received his undergraduate degree from Ohio University in 1975 and a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1977.

He received his medical degree from the Northeast Ohio Medical University in 1984 and a doctorate in management (entrepreneurship/entrepreneurial studies) from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in 2013.
38 min
October 17, 2018 Trump Inflames His Base to Raise Enthusiasm for Nov. 6th Midterm Elections
Since the successful vote putting Justice Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court of the United States, President Trump has been characterizing the events surrounding that confirmation to fire the fears of his political base, according to Philip Elliott, a Washington correspondent for Time, Inc.

Trump has been using the protests of various citizen groups and the challenges by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee to characterize the Democrats as an “angry mob” out to still “get” Justice Kavanaugh and Trump, himself – says Elliott.

This line of rhetoric is designed specifically by Trump to gin-up the fears of Republicans going into the November 2018 midterm elections and to spark them to go to the polls to protect Trump, Elliott notes.

Elliott also characterizes, in the same way, Trump’s statement to “60 Minutes” that Kavanaugh would not have won confirmation if Trump had not attacked and mocked Dr. Christine Blasey Ford and her testimony. Trump calculates that his attack on the “Me Too” movement also amps up his political base.

Elliott says this election will be a referendum on President Trump.

Although the situation is important to many, Elliott does not believe the foreign policy issues surrounding the disappearance of Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi and his alleged murder by Saudi Arabian officials will have any impact of the impending midterm elections.

He agrees that the President is hedging when he espouses the line that Khashoggi may have been killed by “rogue killers” instead of blaming Saudi officials. However, Elliott does not believe that the bulk of Americans care that much about this issue.

Elliott, however, thinks that any new moves by the White House on immigration may have an election impact along with how FEMA handles the recent damages in the South from hurricanes Florence and Michael.

Elliott downplays that the President’s potential meddling with the Attorney General’s position and other possible Justice Department moves will have any great impact on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation and potential indictments.

Elliott is convinced that Mueller has a game plan to counter any attack on his office by the President. He also notes that new counsel will be on the horizon in the White House and with the President’s outside counsel team – after the midterms.

Elliott has been with Time since 2015. Prior to that, he served a decade with the Associated Press covering politics, numerous campaigns, campaign finance, education and the White House. He has covered three Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump
55 min
October 10, 2018 David Brooks, NYT Columnist, Explores the Grassroots for Trust & Connection
“New York Times” columnist and PBS NewsHour and NPR commentator David Brooks is searching for the heart, soul and future of America by traveling to smaller communities examining how they are successfully addressing issues.

In March 2018, Brooks was appointed Executive Director of “Weave: The Social Fabric Project” sponsored by the Aspen Institute. The project is searching for local initiatives that build trust, connection and relationships among local groups with sometimes disparate backgrounds and political leanings.

Recently, he spent a day in Appalachian Ohio and talked with local residents about their success in building the local economy and sense of community.

Brooks feels that nationally we are in a period of heightened distrust, extreme partisanship and a blurring of truth and facts. He fears that this angst keeps getting worse and he does not seeing it turn around on the federal level.

“We are lost in a valley of our hostilities and resentments,” he says.

However, on many local levels across the country, he is seeing a civic revolution led by local people with ideas for building community regardless of political affiliations.

On the federal level, Brooks notes a “lack of empathy” but in towns across the country, he is noting a movement he calls “radical mutuality.” That means an increase in social trust, improved human relationships and displaying human decency toward one another.

He thinks journalistically that we pay way too much attention to President Donald Trump and his statements and tweets. He also thinks that too often journalists are in ideological silos.

Instead, Brooks wants to use some of his journalistic influence to shine the national spotlight on local groups across America who are achieving positive goals for their communities and working across political and socio-economic lines.

Brooks says that human cooperation and relationship building can solve problems and improve a community’s way of life. He feels those efforts should be highlighted, nurtured and encouraged.
29 min
October 03, 2018 Higher Education Still Has Value Says an Emeritus President of Two Universities
Higher education still has value either in preparing someone for a career or enhancing his/her worldview through general studies.

So says Dr. Robert Glidden, President Emeritus at Ohio University and California Polytechnic State University. He has had a career of over four decades in higher education administration.

Despite the rising costs of a university education, Dr. Glidden feels that a college education pays off for the student both through enhanced career opportunities and broader knowledge of the world. He argues that a good “liberal arts education” is still valued in our society.

Dr. Glidden concedes that the costs of higher education have escalated at an alarming rate and he is concerned about the amount of debt that most students have upon graduation.

However, he cautions that online and electronic education courses and degrees do not necessarily save money for colleges and universities. He is a strong believer in expanding ways to deliver higher education to a broader swath of the population but he does not think that online courses are a major cost-saver for the institutions sponsoring them.

He also says that it is incumbent upon the universities to assure that the quality of online education matches the quality on face-to-face classroom education.

Dr. Glidden still is a strong proponent of regional campuses to main universities. Not only do they provide non-traditional students with opportunities but they also enhance the geographic region in which they are located, he says.

Dr. Glidden spent 10 years as President of Ohio University from 1994 through 2004. He then became Interim President of California Polytechnic State University in 2010, a position he held for seven months.

His earlier career included three years as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Florida State University and deanships at Florida State and Bowling Green State University.

Since his retirement, Dr. Glidden has been involved with several national organizations and associations advancing the causes of higher education and he has been a strong proponent of university and program accreditation.
42 min
September 26, 2018 Healthcare is Boosted by Artificial Intelligence Innovations, Says Expert
Artificial intelligence may be on the brink of revolutionizing worldwide healthcare says digital strategist and award winning journalist Randy Rieland.

Data being analyzed by artificial intelligence have allowed improved diagnostics and more targeted treatments for many types of diseases, including cancer.

Artificial intelligence also has markedly improved medical record keeping and advanced radiological procedures, Rieland says.

In addition to improved diagnostics, record keeping and radiological techniques, artificial intelligence is being used as a predictor of certain health risks for individuals. It also is being used to predict future conditions in some patients based upon huge data sets of others with similar circumstances.

Although not foolproof yet, Rieland believes that the accuracy and reliability of artificial intelligence in healthcare far exceeds manual and other more traditional methods of data analysis.

Artificial intelligence also is being used to predict the threats of worldwide infections and when certain diseases may prove resistant to antibiotics, Rieland noted.

Experimentation also is being done to link artificial intelligence to our brains to help people with certain neurological diseases speak through electronic means and others to be able to move prostheses based on Brain-computer Interfaces.

Rieland is a digital media strategist and contributing writer about innovations for Smithsonian.com. He also is an experienced manager digital media projects and interactive strategies.
40 min
September 19, 2018 EPA Regulation Rollbacks are ‘Really Alarming’ says Health Science Expert
Some 70 environmental regulations have been rolled back by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) since the beginning of the Trump Administration. And, Dr. Michele Morrone, professor of Environmental Health Science at Ohio University finds this to be “really alarming.”

She claims that these rollbacks are exposing citizens, especially in Appalachia and other poverty stricken areas to increased environmental health risks – including danger to the purity of drinking water. Anxiety and other mental health issues also may be associated with environmental health

Dr. Morrone claims the EPA is putting the promise of some jobs before concerns over people’s health. She cites the easing of regulations on coal burning power plants as an example.

The easing of these regulations will cause between 350 and 1,500 deaths nationally, according to the EPA’s own study.

The northern two-thirds of West Virginia and Pennsylvania will be hit the hardest, according to a recent Associated Press story.

In addition, the EPA has eased the monitoring of coal ash impoundment facilities. Coal ash, containing mercury, arsenic and other substances, is stored in large holes in the ground and the ash soaks into the ground or spills over causing dangers to ground water and the surrounding environment.

Recently, a coal ash impoundment facility burst as a result of Hurricane Florence and its contents spewed into the surrounding area.

Another concern is large lagoons used to store pig manure. These are vulnerable to Hurricanes and other natural disasters. For example, North Carolina, where Hurricane Florence struck, is estimated by the “New York Times” to have 9.7 million pigs producing 10 billion gallons of manure annually.

“The Trump Administration is showing no concern over people’s health today, people’s health tomorrow, or people’s health 15 years from now,” Dr. Morrone claims.

In addition to being concerned over environmental regulation rollbacks, she also is concerned about the fact that, under the Trump Administration, we no longer have viable climate change action plans. Former plans were revoked by the President.

All of these factors cause Dr. Morrone to have concerns for the health and safety of our population.

Dr. Morrone is the current Coordinator of the Environmental Health Science Program at Ohio University and also is the National Director of the Appalachian Rural Health Institute.
35 min
September 12, 2018 Democratic Party has Lost Its Soul Says Author/Activist Thomas Reston
Long-time Democratic activist and author Thomas B. Reston says the Democratic Party has lost its way and lost its soul over the past generation or more.

In his book, “Soul of a Democrat: Seven Core Ideals that Made our Party and Our Country – Great,” Reston claims that the party has lost its focus and it has jettisoned old philosophies that historically sparked the electorate. He cites the Presidential Election of 2016 as an example.

He gives reasons for the party’s lackluster recent performances and outlines suggestions on how it can right itself.

Reston claims that Democrats spend too much time running against and attacking Donald Trump and not enough time and effort crafting a messages that would resonate with voters.

Instead of developing a unifying message that would appeal to the whole electorate, he claims Democrats also spend too much time and effort targeting specific blocs of voters and tailoring a number of messages to appeal to those individual blocs.

He asserts that President Trump, as a candidate, espoused messages that took many traditional Democratic voters away from the party.

Reston says Democrats need to get back to seven basic ideals: 1) Stand for the individual common person; 2) Fight for all outsiders; 3) Honor today’s secular altruism; 4) Making the ideas and ideals of the party understandable to everyone; 5) Bolster economic security for all; 6) Return to a pragmatic and idealistic foreign policy; and 7) Support the ongoing struggle for civil rights.

In his book, he uses historical references to individuals who are mainstays of the Democratic Party to make his points -- people like Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Reston has spent his life in politics. He has worked for eight presidential campaigns and countless state and local elections. He was twice the Secretary of the Democratic Party of Virginia and was Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs under President Jimmy Carter. He also is a strong civil rights advocate. He has twice been Chair of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).
35 min
September 05, 2018 Trump Treats Diplomacy and “Intelligence” Like Reality TV: Says Security Expert
David Crane has dedicated his professional life to intelligence and security issues both nationally and internationally. He has a long history of service and has risked his life for his country. But, at this point, he is extremely concerned about how President Trump in handling intelligence and security issues.

Crane says that Trump ignores or refuses to hear security briefings and he goes into major foreign policy events (like the meetings with Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un) grossly unprepared.

In fact, Crane says Trump treats the meetings more like “reality television” instead of diplomatic summits.

As a result of the President’s negative views on “intelligence,” Crane paints a rather dismal picture of where the United States is in world politics. According to Crane, America is withdrawing from the world stage and relinquishing its role as a world power.

America is at its weakest point since its war for independence, Crane notes.

Crane also in the podcast explains the rights of federal employees not to be fired without due process and just cause and explains the issues surrounding revoking of “security clearances.” Again, he cites the President’s actions as being more “theater” than “substance.”

Historically, the Congress and the House and Senate oversight committees on “intelligence” acted as checks and balances against abuses of Presidential power. However, Crane sadly reports that the House Intelligence Committee has abdicated that role and instead is doing the bidding of the President.

He also finds danger in the President demanding unswerving loyalty and allegiance to himself instead of the Constitution. Crane notes that the oath of office of any federal employee swears allegiance to the Constitution and not to a particular leader. He claims that President Trump either does not have the “intellectual capacity or the depth to understand that.”

Crane also notes that the national and international “rule of law” is threatened by this President. The President “does not believe in the rule of law” and “sees it as a hindrance,” Crane says.

Crane currently is the Ohio Glidden Visiting Professor at Ohio University in 2018-2019. He is a security specialist and international lawyer. He spent over 30 years in top-level intelligence work for the government. He also helped create and was the founding director of the Office of Intelligence Review for the Department of Defense.

From 2002 to 2005, Crane was the Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. This was an international war crimes tribunal that brought Liberian President Charles Taylor to justice for horrific crimes.

For the past decade, Crane has been a Professor of Practice at the Syracuse University College of Law teaching international criminal law, international humanitarian law and national security law.

Crane received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio University and his law degree from Syracuse University. He received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Ohio University in 2017.
38 min
August 29, 2018 Trump’s Assaults against News Media are Heightening Security Concerns
The incessant drumbeat of news media criticism by President Donald J. Trump is causing some major concerns among the press and First Amendment advocates, according to veteran, award-winning journalist Andrew Alexander.

Alexander is a former Washington Post ombudsman, a former Washington Bureau chief for Cox Newspapers and an award winning veteran journalist with more than four decades of experience.

He says that the characterization of news media as “enemies of the people” has both domestic and global ramifications.

In this podcast, Alexander spells out some of the dangers this President poses to the First Amendment and how Trump differs—in that regard from past Presidents.

Alexander notes that the phrase “enemies of the people” is one that Vladimir Lenin used to characterized the news media during the communist takeover of the former Soviet Union. Reporters who were so named were often imprisoned to silence their voices.

Under the subsequent Joseph Stalin regime, alleged “dissident” reporters were often killed.

Alexander notes that as anger increases against reporters covering the President, that many are now being provided, for their protection, with private security guards by their news organizations. Some also have gone through special training on how to handle themselves in violent situations. This is not normal.

Alexander and other veteran reporters who have covered numerous Presidents have never seen the danger level against reporters to be this high. However, daily Pres. Trump stokes the fires of his base by the endless repetition of the phrases: “Fake News” and “Enemies of the People.”

Two factors make these attacks different than in the past, according to Alexander. One is the use of social media for Trump to talk with and to enflame his constituents directly and the second is the delineation of cable news into ideological segments: FOX News on the right and MSNBC on the left. This segmentation often leads to echo chambers and intolerance for other perspectives.

In addition to domestic turmoil, Alexander says that the President’s continued hostility against the American news media gives license to dictators and despots around the globe to crack-down on their reporters. President Trump is setting the example of how to demonize reporters, Alexander noted.
38 min
August 22, 2018 Bloomberg’s White House Correspondent Says Fact-Checking is Important
While White House reporters often are given releases and official statements by the President or his staff, it is more important than ever to vet the facts and go through a rather thorough fact checking process before publishing the material, says Toluse Olorunnipa, one of Bloomberg News’ six White House correspondents.

In the competitive White House journalism environment, Olorunnipa says it is important to be first with a story and beat other news organizations but it is more important to be accurate.

Bloomberg often will quote what the President says and then also note the facts as determined from other official sources.

Many of his media colleagues often quote unidentified sources or anonymous sources as a result of leaks. However, at Bloomberg, Olorunnipa is not permitted to quote an unidentified source.

Therefore, all of his material that is quoted must be “on the record” comments from officials. A similar policy is in place at the Associated Press but not so at the Washington Post or the New York Times.

In addition to regular reporting from the West Wing, Bloomberg correspondents have the additional responsibility to be one of three permanent members of the press pool that covers all of the President’s activities. They join Reuters and the Associated Press and provide extensive pool coverage of all the President’s moves and comments.

Olorunnipa believes that the news media would have greater credibility if the public actually knew how the news process operates and the myriad of checks, balances, and ethical considerations reporters and editors go through to produce the news.

In short, he is an advocate for more transparency in the news process.

In addition to his regular reporting duties, Olorunnipa also says it is part of his responsibility to appear on various television, cable and radio news programs to discuss the news of the day or a particular story. He says Bloomberg News expects its reporters to participate in those other media options.

Olorunnipa has covered the White House for Bloomberg since 2015 under both President Barack Obama and President Trump. Before that he was stationed in Florida covering breaking news in the South for Bloomberg.
39 min

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Spectrum features conversations with an eclectic group of fascinating people, some are famous and some are not, but they all have captivating stories.