Public Radio Presents

It is alleged that the practice of gerrymandering -- dividing election districts into units to favor a particular group -- subverts democracy by making congressional districts “safe” for one party or the other. As a result, only those voting in primaries are in effect choosing our representatives.

Join us for two consecutive weekends in January for the best of the 2016 Third Coast Festival on WRVO. 

Back with their "Best of the Best" broadcast, Third Coast features winners of the annual documentary competition. From more than 500 entries, 10 were chosen as winners. Meticulously crafted and lovingly produced, these stories will intrigue, inform and insire.

This year's program features powerful, important stories dealing with issues that might not be suitable for young listeners.

This New Year's Day, celebrate our country by helping the Capitol Steps make fun of it. You don't need to win the Electoral College to proclaim laughter is exactly what 2017 needs. Tune in for the Year in Review from "The Capitol Steps" this Sunday, January 1 at 7 p.m. on WRVO.

Let's not let the election divide us any further -- unite in laughter!

Listen online anytime.

The unexpected, unusual, often positive, even life-changing events of our past year... surounded by the voices and music we may have heard, or never heard before.

Tune in Sunday, December 25 at 7 p.m. on WRVO for a summary of the unusual events in 2016 daily life, business, transportation, science, outer space, show business, the outdoors and unique things not classified as "Breaking News."

Loaded with pop, movie, TV, and Broadway music of today and yesterday -- including The Eagles, Bob Dylan, "Hamilton," David Bowie, Taylor Swift and more.

A special from NPR News, "College Choice: The Value of It All" follows nine college seniors. NPR's Robert Siegel spent more than a year checking in with the students, talking with them about their choice of school and how things turned out.

This Sunday, join WRVO for a special one-hour edition of the NPR Politics Podcast, on-air. We'll wrap up the week's events and talk about where things go from here.

The central questions: "What just happened?" and "Now what?"

Political reporter Sam Sanders will be joined by senior editor and correspondent Ron Elving, political editor Domenico Montenaro, White House correspondent Scott Horsley and Tamara Keith, along with political reporters Sarah McCammon, Scott Detrow, Asma Khalid and more.

Just in time for Halloween, taking a few pages out of the political book, is "The Devil You Know" from The Truth. This is a special hour of horror stories (entirely fictional) that take place within the world of electoral politics.

Join us for stories of a canvasser that gets the donation she needs, which comes at a price; an independent candidate running for Congress who finally gets some attention -- from a serial killer; and an imagining of how Edgar Allen Poe may have died.

Join us this Sunday for a comparison piece, "Campaign '68" from American Public Media.

Many see similarities between the presidential election campaign of 2016 and one almost half a century earlier. The 1968 presidential campaign was one of the most dramatic and significant contests for the White House in the 20th century. It was a close, bitterly-fought campaign in a raucous, bloody year.

Tune in for the latest in the Intelligence Squared U.S. series, this time examining the "Trump phenomenon" and the forthcoming election.

The elites of both parties have expressed contempt for Donald Trump, and Trump has succeeded in part by channeling his voters' contempt for the elites. Does support for Trump reflect an uninformed populism and misplaced anger by a large swatch of the American electorate? Or have the elites failed to empathize with their struggles, and failed to craft effective policies to help them cope?

Coming up this Sunday, the Political Junkie returns! Join Ken Rudin for a review of many great moments from the history of televised presidential debates, with commentary from several journalists and historians on how those moments may have helped pave the way for the winner to reach the White House.

Join us for the last in our special series on education from American RadioWorks. "Rewriting the Sentence: College Behind Bars" explores how providing education to inmates can reduce recidivism.

For decades, the United States' prison population has grown exponentially and today, more than two million Americans are incarcerated. But most people who enter prison eventually come out, and every year about 700,000 prisoners return to society. About half of those released will be back behind bars within three years.

The latest in our series on education, "What it Takes: Chasing Graduation at High Poverty High Schools," examines the reason why nearly 20 percent of students don't finish high school.

There is virtually no way to make a legal living these days without at least a high school diploma. Still, this 20 percent exists. Why?

Another broadcast in our series on education this month, we bring you "Spare the Rod: Reforming School Discipline" this Sunday.

Kids who are suspended or expelled from school are more likely to drop out and more likely to wind up in prison than kids with similar behaviors who are not kicked out. Kids of color are more likely to be suspended or expelled than white kids are. Schools are struggling to reduce suspensions and to find other ways to make sure classrooms are calm and safe.

From American RadioWorks and American Public Media, join us this Sunday for "Stuck at Square One: The Remedial Education Trap."

When students go to college, they expect to be in college classes. But in fact, 4 in 10 students end up in basic math and English, re-learning what they were supposed to learn in high school. The vast majority of them never get a college degree. What's going on? Most people point to failures in the nation's K-12 education system, but this documentary probes deeper, exploring how students are placed into these classes, what skills people really need to be successful in college, and how best to learn those skills.

Join us this Sunday for Intelligence Squared U.S. -- the debate program you here occasionally on WRVO. This time the question at hand is "Do hunters conserve wildlife?"

Whether in America’s state game lands or the African bush, hunting has become one of the most hotly debated issues in the media and online. Internationally, the killing of Cecil the lion triggered a firestorm of criticism over trophy hunting rules and regulations.

Obama's Years is a two-part radio documentary that explores how life has changed for Americans over the last eight years.

In the second hour of this special coverage, Steve Inskeep will sit down with President Obama at the White House and ask the president how he thinks the country has changed during his presidency. Inskeep will also talk to the President about the thoughts, ideas and lives of the people he met during the reporting for this documentary.

Join us this Sunday, July 24 at 7 p.m. on WRVO.

Obama's Years is a two-part radio documentary that explores how life has changed for Americans over the last eight years.

Andrew Forsthoefel set out at age 23 to walk across America, East to West, 4000 miles, with a sign on him that said, "Walking to Listen". This hour, co-produced with Jay Allison, tracks his epic journey. It's a coming of age story, and a portrait of this country -- big-hearted, wild, innocent, and wise.

Join us this Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. for "Walking Across America," or listen online if you missed the broadcast.

From Andrew Forsthoefel:

"Obama's Years" is a two-part radio documentary that explores how life has changed for Americans over the last eight years.

Scientists say most people on Earth will first experience climate change in terms of water -- either too much or too little. This documentary, from American RadioWorks, explores some of the most salient problems and solutions regarding water by visiting two countries where water issues are critical: India and Israel.

A vast and ecologically diverse country, India suffers from water problems found across the globe: flooding, drought, pollution and lack of access by the poor.

Join us this Sunday for another "Intelligence Squared U.S." debate.

The auto industry, agriculture, the energy sector -- what do they have in common? These industries benefit from government subsidies in the form of loans, tax breaks, regulation and other preferences. Critics from the left and right say that not only do these subsidies transfer wealth from taxpayers to corporations, they distort the markets and our economy.

Advocates for kids are pushing for a new approach to combating underage prostitution: treating young people caught up in sex trafficking as victims, not delinquents. This documentary looks at how police and lawmakers are increasingly turning to a public health approach to help vulnerable young people break free of sex trafficking.

This hour, we explore efforts to stop traffickers and buyers by embedding in a police sting, visiting a horse ranch for young victims of trafficking in Minnesota, and speaking with sex-buyers trying to change their ways.

We're airing the third season of Re:sound in May. You can join us each Sunday at 7 p.m. and you won't miss an episode! Re:sound presents unforgettable audio stories curated from all over the world. Each episode explores a new theme through a variety of lenses, a refreshing mix of storytelling styles and joyful use of sound.

Sunday, May 1 at 7 p.m. | The Cathy FitzGerald Show

Join us this Sunday at 7 p.m. for funny, poignant and thought-provoking stories and conversations that touch on the plagues, on slavery, on food, on the act of storytelling and more -- meant to apeall to people of all religious (and non-religious) backgrounds.

Hosted by Sara Ivry and Jonathan Goldstein.

Tune in Sunday, April 24 at 7 p.m. for Public Radio Presents, or listen online.