Global Health – Every minute twenty-three children die somewhere in the world due malnutrition and preventable diseases. Some of the diseases, such as malaria and tuberculosis, have been preventable or treatable for a long time, but the medical advances enjoyed in the developed world have still not reached most developing countries. CARE, a non partisan organization dedicated to fighting poverty, is trying to change those statistics. Peter Bell, President of CARE USA, stands down next year after a decade at the helm of the large Atlanta-based relief organization. He joins us to review the state of the developing world, recent successes and failures and the challenges that lie ahead.

The State of Public Education – According to award winning author and veteran teacher, Jonathan Kozol, apartheid is alive and well in our public education system. Kozol bases his claims on observations he has made during the past five years as he has visited some sixty, mostly inner-city schools in thirty different school districts in eleven states. Kozol joins us to discuss his harshest book yet, The Shame of the Nation, in which he details his findings and ,for the first time, offers solutions to fix problems he says are inherent in our educational system.

Next week – The ethical and legal challenges of modern medicine – Designer babies? When to end life? Genetic research and medical advances are posing new and difficult questions. Charity Scott, Director of Georgia State Law School's Center for Law, Health and Society and Roberta Berry, Director of Georgia Tech's Law, Science and Technology Program will join us to discuss the issues. Also, what did and didn't change in the South during the last century? Is the South still a distinct region? A new book just published by UGA Press, The American South in the 20th Century presents a comprehensive review of the issues. Joining us will be one of the book's editors, Andy Ambrose, Senior Vice President of the Atlanta History Center, and one of the book's contributors, Dana White, Professor of Liberal Arts at Emory University.