Hot Potato Mash

PBS NOW: Justice Delayed - Thousands Of Rape Kits Go Untested

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3

Jobs for Jordan - The Unemployment Epidemic in the Middle East

From NOW on PBS:

An unemployment epidemic in the Middle East: what does it mean for America? 

NOW travels to Jordan to explore the implications of - and possible solutions to - having millions of young people out of work in the Middle East. Staggering unemployment rates among the region's massive youth population is fueling anger, frustration and resentment. 

To combat the problem, Jordan's Queen Rania has made job creation a top priority. “To me the Middle East is about young people. And if we fail to create opportunities for them then you're going to see a lot of frustrated hope,” she tells NOW. 

Another initiative comes from an unlikely source: a Brooklyn, New York businessman who has set up programs across the region to give young people the real world skills they desperately need to gain employment. Both have their work cut out for them: nearly 70 million jobs are needed in the Middle East by the year 2020, according to the World Bank. 

Can these training programs work to stem the tide or are they just a drop in the bucket?

Part 1 (8:53)
 

Part 2 (9:47)
 

Part 3 (4:51)

DISCLOSURE: The Producer of the segment is a relative.

Technorati Tags: Brenda Breslauer, jordan, middle east, Mona Iskander, PBS, Queen Rania, unemployment

PBS NOW: EDUCATION CITY

NOW on PBS explores how the oil rich nation of Qatar is importing top-notch American education at a cost of billions of dollars in a fascinating segment titled, “Education City”.

Part 1 (9:33)
 

Part 2 (9:48)
 

Part 3 (4:53)

DISCLOSURE: The producer of the segment is a relative.

Technorati Tags: Brenda Breslauer, David Brancaccio, Education, Georgetown, middle east, NOW, PBS, Mona Iskander

NOW on PBS: Fighting Over Forests

Will a Bush Administration effort open hundreds of thousands of acres of public land to private development? 

Part 1 (9:04)
 
Part 2 (8:24)

DISCLOSURE: Producer of the NOW segment is a relative.  Also check out an older mashup I made from an older Bill Moyers' piece on mining companies...

Have You Thanked A Mining Company Today (4:34)

NOW on PBS: Dirty Election Tricks In South Carolina

Part 1 (9:37)

Part 2 (8:24)

Part 3 (6:31)

Excellent piece on the legendary dirty election campaigning South Carolina is known for. The Republican primary in South Carolina is on January 19th while the Democratic primary is on January 26th.

DISCLOSURE: The producer of this NOW on PBS story is a relative.

VIDEO: The Cost Of War - A Soldier's Final Reunion With His Family

The Bush administration has worked tirelessly to depersonalize the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to the American people. Instead of worrying about the troops, Bush has encouraged American's to shop more.  And despite a military bent to the breaking point, Bush has vehemently opposed all calls for a military draft. Perhaps the most insidious tactic, however, is the Pentagon's ban on images of dead soldiers' homecomings in flag-draped coffins. Throw in the mainstream media's ever dwindling coverage of all things Iraq and the ruling elite have successfully created an environment where most Americans do not ever hear about our multiple wars, never mind contemplate the high cost we continue to pay in lost lives. 

It is in this context that I bring you the remarkable clip above (5:06) of a soldier's final homecoming with his young family. In the video, Sergeant First Class William Zaffe, 35, who was killed by a roadside bomb during his 3rd Tour in Iraq returns home to his wife and young children. Kudos to the brave Zaffe family for allowing the filming of this extremely personal and moving reunion and thus providing video footage rarely, if ever, seen in more than five years of war.

DISCLOSURE: The producer of the NOW on PBS special on Iraq where this video originally appeared is a relative.

BACK TO THE FRONT

How do spouses cope when one deploys to Iraq? This short NOW segment interviews three couples faced with this situation and it makes for some compelling TV.

As President Bush prepares to add to the U.S. military presence in Iraq, NOW asks: are we asking too much of our soldiers, many of whom are on their second and third tours of duty? NOW follows the troops from Georgia's Fort Stewart as they prepare to leave loved ones this month and head back into harm's way. Through their personal stories, we witness firsthand the strains both the war and our expectations are placing on America's military.

Michael Murphy is one of the Fort Stewart soldiers deploying to Iraq for a second tour. "I think my biggest hope for this next year is just for it to go quickly and smoothly. I don't want anything major to happen to any of my guys or the rest of the squad or platoon," Murphy tells NOW. "But my biggest concern also is just to make it home with ten fingers and toes."