Was secession really about slavery?

Since 1865, many defenders of the Confederacy have maintained that secession was not about slavery, but southern independence. Their proof is the “Confederate emancipation proclamation.” Our guest this hour, Professor Bruce Levine of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is the author of “Confederate Emancipation: Southern Plans to Free and Arm Slaves During the Civil War (Oxford, 2006).

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American/Iranian Perspectives

What is the future of Iran/U.S. relations? How will our country’s activities in the Middle East influence that relationship and how do Iranians view our country? We’ll spend this hour with Dr. Mahmoud Sadri, Professor of Sociology at Texas Women’s University, and Jay LaMonica, producer of Ted Koppel’s documentary “Iran – Most Dangerous Nation.” Sadri and LaMonica will participate tomorrow in “INSIDE IRAN: American/Iranian Perspectives,” a Dallas panel discussion sponsored by The Pluralism Fund.

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The HPV Vaccine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV – the Human papillomavirus – currently infects approximately 20 million adults in the United States. HPV, a sexually-transmitted disease, has also been related to cervical cancer. The FDA has licensed a vaccine for use in girls/women between the ages of 9-26. We’ll discuss the vaccine and the challenge it poses for parents and doctors this hour with Dr. Dawn Johnson of U.T. Southwestern Medical Center.

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The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

What is the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and how is it evolving? Juan Williams, Senior Correspondent for NPR’s Morning Edition, will deliver the keynote address at this evening’s Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture event “I’ve Seen the Promised Land: The Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.” We’ll get a preview this hour.

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In the Womb: Multiples

Multiple pregnancies have been in the news the last few years. How does a multiple pregnancy differ in risk and how are twins and triplets different from individually-conceived children? National Geographic Channel will air the 2-hour special “In the Womb: Multiples” on Sunday, January 14th at 7pm CT. We’ll get a preview this hour with Dr. Thomas Pinckert, an expert in high definition ultra sound and high risk pregnancies and consultant to the program.

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Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Why are some ideas winners and others seem to struggle to survive? Chip Heath, a professor at Stanford Business School and his brother Dan Heath, a corporate education consultant at Duke, studied the design of ideas to find out why. They’ll join us this hour to discuss “MADE TO STICK” Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die” (Random House, 2007).

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The Secret Lives of Men and Women

Do you have a secret that you’ve been dying to share with someone? Frank Warren is ready to listen. Warren is the creator of the cultural phenomenon and website postsecret.com. He is also the author of three Post Secret books the latest of which, “The Secret Lives of Men and Women” (Harper Collins, 2007), is just out. Frank Warren will be our guest this hour.

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COAL HARD FACTS

You may have heard that the price of electricity is rising, but have you heard about TXU’s five-year plan to build eleven new coal-fired power plants? Texas Monthly Executive Editor, S.C. Gwynne talked to folks on both sides of the issue for his January article “COAL HARD FACTS.” We’ll spend the hour with S.C. Gwynne.

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An Ex-Liberal on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Other Immigrant Groups

Former Congressman Herman Badillo spent most of his career as a liberal Democrat. However, he has come to believe that the path to success for Hispanic Americans lies not through legislation, but self-reliance. Herman Badillo will join us this hour to discuss his ideas and new book “One Nation, One Standard: An Ex-Liberal on How Hispanics Can Succeed Just Like Other Immigrant Groups” (Sentinel, 2006).

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