Society & Sociology
Can Newspapers Survive?
Posted on February 18, 2026 by Liz Dederich
Is the old fashioned newspaper at risk of dying? Recently, after losses of $100 million, The Washington Post fired 1/3 of its staff. Is this future of all newspapers? What is hurting this institution? Is there a path to newspapers surviving? Dick’s guest, Paul Fanlund is Publisher and President of The Cap Times in Madison, […]
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Read MoreLessons About Dementia (Encore)
Posted on February 4, 2026 by Liz Dederich
Dr. Lee Hansen, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Author of Forgetting and Forgotten: Dementia and the Right to Die, shares with Dick his experiences and all he learned about dementia while taking care of his wife during her ten year battle with this all too common disease.
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Read MoreAmerica’s Response to Nazi Treatment of Jews
Posted on January 21, 2026 by Liz Dederich
In Germany in 1938, Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, was sanctioned by the Nazi government. Synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned, 91 Jews were murdered and 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and sent to concentration camps. By the end of World War II, six million Jews were exterminated in these camps. In these years, […]
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Read MoreLife Lessons: A Conversation with Retirement Community Chaplains
Posted on December 3, 2025 by Liz Dederich
A chaplain in a retirement community is part spiritual advisor, part counselor, part crisis responder and part sage on life’s tough subjects. Dick’s guests are Nicole Espe, who has served as a parish pastor as well as a hospital night chaplain and Jessica McCarty whose capstone project explored loneliness in the aging population and the […]
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Read MoreTeaching Disadvantaged Kids
Posted on November 19, 2025 by Liz Dederich
Half of students in public schools in the United States are low income. Also half are minorities. What are the challenges and what are the solutions to better educate these kids? Dick’s guest, Art Rainwater retired in 2008 after 10 years as Superintendent of Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, Wisconsin. He is currently Clinical […]
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Read MoreLessons From Prison
Posted on November 5, 2025 by Liz Dederich
Dick’s guest, Douglas Smith, was a social worker, a policy insider at the Texas capitol and a father when untreated mental illness and addiction led him to rob a bank and land in prison for nearly six years. He is now flourishing as a social worker helping people develop leadership skills. His recent book is […]
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Read MorePrison & Jail Reform
Posted on October 22, 2025 by Liz Dederich
There are currently about 2,000,000 people incarcerated in the United States. Some say this system of justice is thoroughly unjust, costly and needlessly punishes instead of rehabilitates. What can be done to improve or even fix this system? Dick’s guest, Diane Endres-Ballweg is a business owner, philanthropist and author who recently attended the Advanced Leadership […]
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Read MoreWorkplace Motivation
Posted on October 1, 2025 by Liz Dederich
A recent Gallup poll found that only 32% of American workers feel engaged in their jobs. How can employers best motivate their workers, particularly in the non-profit sector, to feel engaged and fulfilled? Dick’s guest, Dr. Melinda Weisberg holds a Doctorate in Management, Masters Degree in Education, (with an emphasis in adult education and organizational […]
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Read MoreMass Shootings (Encore)
Posted on September 11, 2025 by Liz Dederich
Since 2006, there have been over 600 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in more than 3,000 murders. Why these large numbers? Who are these mass shooters? How can we intelligently address this issue? Dick’s guest, Dr. Richard LaBrie is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in mass and individual trauma.
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Read MoreInside Immigration & Deportation Today
Posted on August 6, 2025 by Liz Dederich
There are currently somewhere between 11 and 18 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. These are people with no legal rights to be living in this country. Should they be expelled immediately? If so, how? Is the Trump administration executing these deportations within the law? Dick’s guest, Grant Sovern is an immigration attorney with […]
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Read MoreRetirement Communities: Lessons From & About
Posted on July 23, 2025 by Liz Dederich
The majority of Americans either have parents or are themselves aged 65 or older, making them candidates for retirement communities. Who is a good fit? What are the benefits and drawbacks? And what can we learn about life from retirement communities? Dick’s guests are Jan Hamilton-Crawford, President & CEO of Oakwood Village and Tim Conroy, […]
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Read MoreHospital Chaplains
Posted on June 11, 2025 by Liz Dederich
The hospital chaplain brings comfort to patients and their families in ways medical staff is not equipped to do. How impactful can hospital chaplains be and what do they need to bring to this role to be effective? Dick’s guest, Chaplain and Minister Andy Karlson is Manager of Spiritual Services for UW Health Hospital and […]
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Read MoreTalking to Political Opposites
Posted on May 28, 2025 by Liz Dederich
In our highly polarized country, most of us might avoid conversations with people who have opposing political views. How can you have a civil dialogue when these conversations might sometimes be unavoidable? Is there a way these conversations can even be productive? Dick’s guest, Jacob Winkler is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Group Psychotherapist […]
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Read MoreDiversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)
Posted on May 14, 2025 by Liz Dederich
What can be so objectionable about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? It is a framework used in schools and organizations to create environments in which all individuals feel valued, respected and supported regardless of race, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation. Can it actually be discriminatory as described by President Trump and the Supreme Court? […]
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Read MoreReducing Accidents & Fatalities in Your Community
Posted on April 16, 2025 by Liz Dederich
Every community has its share of accidents, tragedies and suffering. Imagine an agency that is tasked with looking after a whole community and all the responding agencies to help facilitate a reduction in accidents, hospitalizations and overdoses. Dick’s guest, Cheryl Wittke has spent the last 25 years as the Executive Director of Safe Communities.
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Read MoreFatherless Kids
Posted on April 2, 2025 by Liz Dederich
There are far too many children in the U.S. who are raised without a father in their lives. This could lead to dropping out of school, struggling with mental health issues or getting caught up in the criminal justice system. Dick’s guest, Bruce Carter, has dedicated his life to helping this population. He was awarded […]
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Read MoreGender Differences in Investing
Posted on February 12, 2025 by Liz Dederich
There is a stereotype most people accept that men are smarter and more skilled at managing and investing money than women. Is this true? Dick’s guest, Grace Trewartha is a graduate of Stanford and Harvard Business School who worked in corporate finance for 25 years followed by a successful stint as a financial planner. Grace […]
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Read MorePsychological Effects of the Internet
Posted on January 15, 2025 by Liz Dederich
The internet is an integral part of our everyday lives. Yet the key question is how has the internet affected us psychologically both in positive and negative ways. Dick’s guest, Morton Ann Gernsbacher is Vilas Research Professor and the Sir Frederic C. Bartlett Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of […]
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Read MoreThe School Shooter (Encore)
Posted on December 18, 2024 by Liz Dederich
Is there a specific profile for a school shooter? Why do they do it? What can be done to diminish the likelihood of these school shooting massacres in the future? Dick’s guest, forensic psychologist, prolific author on predators and sex offenders and consultant to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Dr. Anna Salter, shares thoughts from […]
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Read MoreSexual Violence Reporting After #MeToo
Posted on October 23, 2024 by Liz Dederich
The #MeToo movement took off after the investigation and prosecution of Harvey Weinstein and with it the reaction to sexual violence and harassment changed dramatically. Dick’s guest, Dana Pellebon is the Director of RCC Sexual Violence Resource Center of Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Read MoreHiring The Previously Incarcerated
Posted on September 11, 2024 by Liz Dederich
Should you hire previously incarcerated people? Employers may be missing out on valued staff as there are over 2 million previously incarcerated Americans. Yet, there are reasons to be careful and cautious. Dick’s guest, Linda Ketcham is the Executive Director of Just Dane which helps individuals and families involved in the criminal justice system.
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Read MoreIntimacy Coordinator
Posted on July 31, 2024 by Liz Dederich
The newer career of intimacy coordinator was created to help ensure the well being of actors during sex scenes in theater, films and television. What does coordinating intimacy actually mean? How is it done? Dick’s guest, Simone LaPierre has a background in choreography, acting, directing and producing. She has recently become an intimacy coordinator on […]
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Read MoreMen’s Mental Health
Posted on July 17, 2024 by Liz Dederich
Is American men’s mental health worse than American women’s? Men commit suicide 3 1/2 times more frequently. Men are less likely to seek treatment for addiction or mental health disorders like depression. Do these things relate to the fact that life expectancy of men is 5.8 years less than women? Dick’s guest, Dr. Jim Hollis […]
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Read MoreMass Shootings
Posted on May 8, 2024 by Liz Dederich
Since 2006, there have been over 600 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in more than 3,000 murders. Why these large numbers? Who are these mass shooters? How can we intelligently address this issue? Dick’s guest, Dr. Richard LaBrie is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in mass and individual trauma.
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Read MoreThe Youth Mental Health Crisis
Posted on April 24, 2024 by Liz Dederich
In 2019, 13% of adolescents reported having a major depressive episode. That was an increase of 60% in just over a decade. For people 10 to 24, suicide rates increased that same percentage in the same period of time. What is going on with our youth? Is it easily explained by social media and smart […]
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Read MoreThe Major Economic & Social Changes Coming in the Next Decade
Posted on February 14, 2024 by Liz Dederich
Dick’s guest, Stephen P. Jarchow, co-author with Paul Zane Pilzer of the book The New Roaring Twenties: Prosper in Volatile Times discusses the six economic and six social changes that will affect our lives in the next ten years.
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Read MoreHelping Black Men Succeed
Posted on December 6, 2023 by Liz Dederich
26% of Black men live in poverty. 1 in 5 will be incarcerated at some point in their lives. Black men also experience twice the unemployment rate as white men. Dick’s guest, Corey Marrioneaux is Founder and President of Black Men Coalition of Dane County an agency in Madison, Wisconsin that helps primarily Black men […]
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Read MoreThe Effects of Incarceration
Posted on November 22, 2023 by Liz Dederich
There are nearly 2 million people behind bars in the United States. There are also over 6 million family members of the incarcerated additionally affected, creating a huge impact that needs to be addressed. Dick’s guest, Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia is a clinical psychologist and the former warden of the Cook County Jail in Chicago, […]
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Read MorePublic Defenders Today (Encore)
Posted on October 18, 2023 by Liz Dederich
Can low income defendants get a proper defense today using a public defender? What are the challenges public defenders face? Dick’s guest is State Public Defender Kelli Thompson for the State of Wisconsin.
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Read MoreThe Broken Criminal Justice System and How to Fix It
Posted on October 4, 2023 by Liz Dederich
Dick’s guest, Ed Wall was a long-serving police officer and former Director of the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Corrections. He shares his insights concerning the problems with our criminal justice system and what changes need to be made to fix them.
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