The Exchange

For centuries, that transition between teen-hood and adulthood has been accompanied with a newfound independence, where young men and women leave the roost, go to college, buy a house and raise a family.  But according to author Katherine Newman, high unemployment rates, the rise of short-term employment, longer life expectancies and the high cost of living have forced many a young adult back home to live with mom and dad.  They are called 'Accordion Families' and depending on the culture, they're met with a variety of acceptance.  Today we look closer into this new phenomenon called Accordion families.

Guests

We talk with Pulitzer Prize winning author Edward Humes about his new book, Garbology: Our Dirty Love Affair with Trash. Americans are at the top of the heap for producing waste: over 100 tons per person in a lifetime.

Humes explores why we make so much garbage,  the environmental and economic impact of trash…and why he believes this is a problem ordinary people can fix.

As schools continue to mainstream children with disabilities, students with emotional and behavioral disabilities  may be the toughest to include.  They’re less likely to graduate and more likely to get arrested.  And there are questions about how to approach these kids – whether it’s a matter of more discipline or alternative methods.  We look at this issue and discuss a new documentary that takes a look at the topic through the life of a high school student coping with these disabilities.  

Guests:

We look at the challenges at balancing public safety with the rights of sex offenders.

We talk with experts on head trauma in youth sports.

The International Baccalaureate program has come under fire in NH recently. We discuss what makes this such a controversial topic.

We look at the challenges facing the nursing field, especially a concerted effort to attract more nurses with advanced degrees.

Kaitlin Bell Barnett joins us to talk about her new book, "Dosed: The Medication Generation Grows Up"