There’s a little-known truth: public health saved your life today and you probably don't even know it. Public health makes our lives safer and helps us live longer, but its many successes largely go unrecognized. No small wonder it’s called “the invisibleshield” in a PBS documentary that aired last month. Former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Amy Acton, M.D., discusses the important role Public Health plays in our lives. But underfunding and lack of public awareness are constant challenges. With Dr. Acton’s foresight, Ohio got through the Covid-19 pandemic, while politicians wanted to deny what science called for, which heightened the dangers brought by the disease. The question is, will we be ready for the next challenge?

Should the minimum wage pay enough so that workers can be self-sufficient? If not, why not? Large employers, like Walmart and Kroger, pay wages that exceed Ohio’s minimum wage but yet barely keep a person above the federal poverty level. Isn’t there a conflict between capitalism and society’s obligation to protect the most vulnerable workers? Listen to our conversation with Bill LaFayette, owner of local consulting firm, Regionomics.

The terms “evangelical” and “Christian” have been co-opted by conservatives to push their political agenda. For this group, Christianity is less a means for spiritual enrichment and more a means to steer an ideology, as evidenced by the  Seven Mountain Mandate, which urges Christians to take control of seven components of society. Instead of promoting social justice, respecting the dignity of every human being and seeing Christ in all people, the evangelicals use Christianity—and what they espouse as Christianity is far afield from the New Testament—in a coercive way to get what they want. Listen to our conversation with Rev. Vicki Zust, rector of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Upper Arlington, Ohio.

Why is it we see a wave of people demanding that certain books to be banned? Are these folks voicing their own personal objections based on their own reading, or are they voicing a philosophical bent based on what they’re heard about books? And how is that parents who object to a certain book for their children want the book to be banned for all children? Since when do parents get to decide what’s best for someone else’s children?Donna M. Zuiderweg, chief community engagement officer for the Columbus Metropolitan Library, explains the process libraries use to select books and decide where to shelve them and how challenges can be made. She reminds us just how valuable a resource our library system is and how important it is to maintain it.

When your options are limited, selling drugs is the answer. Our guest, Buddy, grew up in a low income, high crime Cincinnati neighborhood, with four siblings and a single mom who earned a modest wage. Selling drugs was the answer to getting what he needed—clothes, cash, security. Buddy started out by counting cash for established dealers and by 16 was running his own enterprise. And then at age 21, it came to an end. A competing drug seller told the police what was needed to send Buddy to prison for 30 years. After thinking about life for the first 20 years, Buddy obtained a GED, studied technical courses, and aligned himself with Kindway, a prison ministry that helps inmates transition to life outside the walls. Released in 2023, Buddy says with joy, “I paid for my sins” and is gainfully employed. Buddy may earn less than he did back in the day, but he’s at peace.

Why is it that elected officials can’t draw fair legislative election maps? Despite state constitutional amendments for redistricting reform approved by Ohio voters in 2015 and 2018, Ohio remains heavily gerrymandered because politicians disregarded the mandate they were given. Former Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court Maureen O’Connor struck down as unconstitutional multiple proposed maps. Now as part of Citizens Not Politicians, O’Connor is leading the effort to place a constitutional amendment on this year’s ballot. If the amendment is approved, a commission of 15 citizens—not politicians or anyone politically connected—will be created to handle the matter of drawing legislative districts.O’Connor explains why the 2024 proposed amendment will be the most important issue on the ballot for Ohioans, perhaps even more than who becomes president.

In theory, juvenile detention centers are places where kids who have committed felonies are helped with their criminal tendencies and behavioral needs, but we’re hearing more about violence than anything else. These are high need kids. Many have suffered trauma—family members murdered, abuse, neglect. Plus, they’re kids; their brains aren’t fully developed. Adding to the problem, Ohio’s Department of Youth Services can’t fill all the openings it has for correctional officers, behavioral specialists and teachers. The system isn’t working. Listen to what award-winning journalist Laura Bischoff learned from her investigation.

What makes journalists risk their lives in war zones or imprisonment by autocratic governments? Award-winning psychiatrist Anthony Feinstein offers his expert perspective on the moral courage investigative journalists exhibit and the post-traumatic stress they suffer. Listen to what Dr. Feinstein, author of Moral Courage: 19 Profiles of Investigative Journalists, has learned from treating journalists and studying their trauma.

You might think being a good dad is something that comes naturally, but you would be wrong. Fatherhood has to be learned, and too many men from low-income neighborhoods, where crime rates are high and stable marriages are few, never learn how to be dads. Many kids grow up without the stability of a caring family and good role models; all some kids learn is survival. David Fluellen tells us what his non-profit, Dads2B, does to teach men the kind of things they never learned, like getting involved in their partners’ prenatal care and listening to their partners’ needs, and then helps these men find meaningful work so they can support their children. Listen to the conversation.

The big issues on the ballot in Ohio this November 7 are Issues 1 and 2. Both will likely make the national news.Jack and Gonzo discuss the proposed constitutional amendment protecting a woman’s right to have an abortion, and the citizen initiative proposing a statue to legalize recreational marijuana. Why are these issues on the ballot, and what are the pros and cons being advanced by special interest groups? Listen to the conversation

Rachel Muha did what few of us could ever do: she forgave the two men who murdered her son, Brian, in 1999. After she was alerted by the police that Brian was missing, Rachel started to pray and decided that she had to muster up the strength to forgive the men who had abducted Brian. It wasn’t until days later that Brian’s body was recovered, and even after learning that Brian had been murdered, Rachel extended forgiveness to his killers.Rachel explains that forgiveness is a refusal to harbor ill will, anger and bitterness. It is an act of will that requires determination and the only way to achieve inner peace. For Rachel, justice is not a matter of exacting vengeance. Yes, the killers had to be held accountable, but justice for Rachel means trying to bring back the goodness that was lost when Brian’s life was taken, and she does that by helping inner-city children get the attention and love and support that Brian’s killers never had. And so Rachel started the Brian Muha Foundation, based in Columbus, Ohio.Listen to the conversation between Rachel.

Is columnist David Rothfopf right—Trump losing in court won't be enough to save democracy? There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of the future of democracy—gerrymandering, election finance, voter suppression, and politicians who will change the rules to achieve their goals. The recent campaign to amend Ohio’s constitution, Issue 1, is an example of politicians doing just that. Maybe people don’t want to live in a democracy. They want what they want and don’t care how they get it. Manipulating the system to achieve a goal is an acceptable strategy—do anything necessary to defeat the majority view. The proponents behind Issue 1—those who favor gerrymandering, gun right zealots and the anti-abortion groups—were willing change the rules to get what they want.Listen to the conversation between Jack and Gonzo.

What’s the purpose of our criminal justice system? Retribution or restoration? When we examine the system, we see racial disparities in sentencing and little effort to understand what caused an offender to engage in criminal activity. Being “tough on crime” is a popular slogan with politicians. Sentencing is conducted with little concern for the backstory of the offender. The system fails miserably when it comes to rehabilitation. Listen to our conversation with Sean Wilson, the Organizing Director of Dream.Org, who has 17 years of lived experience and direct involvement with the criminal legal system.

We continue our conversation with activist Jon Melrod about his efforts in opposing racism, organizing rallies against the Vietnam War and activism in favor of unions.

How often does a veteran white revolutionary author a book in which he describes a lifetime committed to waging war on white supremacy and misogyny? These two political struggles have  been the focus of Jon Melrod’s organizing efforts since the 1960s. In his recently released book, Fighting Times: Organizing on the Front Lines of the Class War, Jon traces in a lively and humorous fashion his often dangerous life of political activism and the brutal realities of sexism and racism in the American workplace. Listen to our conversation with Jon.

We continue our conversation with Paul Sparks about the keys for success in transitioning from prison life to life outside the walls. Even then, there are risks—getting into relationships too soon, drug and alcohol abuse, and financial issues—that can lead to a return to prison. Paul explains why Embark minimizes the chances of that happening.

Transitioning from prison life to life outside the walls takes work. Columbus-based Kindway provides a path—the Embark program—for motivated men and women inmates to start the transition process well before they are released from prison. Paul Sparks, the men’s transition manager for Kindway, knows a thing or two about transitioning. He was incarcerated four times years and spent 13 years inside the walls. Getting connected with Embark is what made the difference for him. Listen to our conversation with Paul.

In a special election set for this August, Republicans in the Ohio statehouse and three special interest groups are advocating a change to the state constitution that can only be considered anti-democratic: future amendments will require a 60 percent vote. This amendment is all about suppressing the power of citizens who are pro-choice, against gerrymandering and in favor of gun control.  Never concerned about hypocrisy, the Republican-controlled Ohio statehouse earlier this year banned August special elections because of the expense and low turnout. Now, all of sudden, an August special election is a good idea. Why? Because the proposed amendment will supposedly make it harder for special interest groups to get constitutional amendments passed. But the Ohio constitution was amended in 2015 to take care of that problem.

Is the recent wave of legislation concerning trans children focused on preventing harms or a way for politicians to prove their conservative bona fides? Take a look at these bills, and you’ll see it’s the latter. What’s stunning is that these bills—Ohio House Bill 8, House Bill 68 and House Bill 183—concern a small percentage of the population. Even more stunning is that these bills are supposedly designed to protect straight students but actually put LGBTQ children at risk. Listen to our conversation with Mallory Golski and Lalitha Pamidigantam.

Is the Ohio constitutional mandate that government provide for “a thorough and efficient system of common schools” at risk because of the EdChoice voucher system? When it was started, EdChoice, which is funded by state revenue, was available only to students who attended lower performing public schools. Now the program is tied to income. Any family earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level ($75,000 for a family of four) is eligible, and there is a proposal to make EdChoice available for families earning up to 450% of the federal poverty level ($130,000 for a family of four), and another that proposes to eliminate any income limits. Is public education at risk? Listen to our conversation with Mark Weiker.