Cincinnati Edition

NPR listeners will no doubt recognize the name Andrea Seabrook. She was the congressional correspondent for many years, until her frustration with what she calls “broken Washington” finally led her to leave the network and begin her own project. That project is called DecodeDC and it’s a podcast and blog where she tries to dig through the jargon and double-speak to determine what’s really going on in and around Capitol Hill. Mark Perzel talks with Andrea Seabrook about her decision to leave NPR and to begin anew in the online world of podcasts and blogs.

ArtsWave (formerly the Fine Arts Fund) is preparing to kick off their 2013 fundraising campaign, and that also means the start of this year’s three Saturdays of the Macy’s Arts Sampler. The Sampler is just that, a chance for people and families to get a taste of a wide variety of arts groups that call the Greater Cincinnati area home. Rebecca Bromels, the communications director for ArtWave, joins Mark Perzel in studio to talk about the Sampler events (the first Saturday of activities is February 9), this year’s campaign kick-off on Fountain Square on Friday, February 8, and the mission of ArtsWave in supporting arts organizations in our area.

Ceiridwen Terrill is an associate professor of science writing and environmental journalism at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon and several years ago adopted a wolfdog (part husky, part grey wolf) to be her protector and fellow traveler. Have a pet that is torn between being a domestic pet and a wild animal made for a fascinating journey, which she has vividly captured in her book Part Wild: One Woman's Journey with a Creature Caught Between the Worlds of Wolves and Dogs. She talks with Thane Maynard about this experience and her advice for others who are considering adopting a wolfdog.

Writer-director David O. Russell has a great touch when it comes to working with words and actors. He is best known for Three Kings, the Persian Gulf War film starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, and The Fighter, also starring Wahlberg, in which Russell directed virtual unknown Melissa Leo to an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Studies have shown how critical the early years are to the mental, emotional and social development of a child. How and what a child learns before entering kindergarten can determine his or her future successes.  Maryanne Zeleznik speaks with 4C for Children President, Sallie Westheimer about how for the past 40 years 4C for Children has been helping our community with early childhood care and development.