This hour on Focus, we listen back to a conversation we had with Illinois Department of Veteran's Affairs Director Erica Borggren and a local veteran about the transition back to civilian life after serving in the armed forces.
Even though the ban on women serving in combat was only officially lifted earlier this year, women were already serving on the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan. This hour on Focus, we'll listen back to a conversation Craig Cohen had with Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Erica Borggren about the ban being lifted and about her experiences serving in Iraq.
Then, during the second half of the hour, we'll listen back to a conversation with Elizabeth Ambros, a 26 year old veteran Navy corpsman. She’ll tell us about what it was like to serve as a young woman overseas and about the challenges she’s faced as a veteran transitioning to civilian life. Nicholas Osborne, Assistant Dean of Students in the Office of Veteran Student Affairs at the UIUC and a veteran member of the US Coast Guard also joins us.
Next week on Focus, we’ll remember Uncle Joe Cannon, one of the most influential Speaker’s of the House of Representatives and will investigate the so-called problems with the new Diagnostics and Statistics Manual which is used to diagnose mental disease. We’ll also talk about “Millenial” generation, will check in with former WILL Meteorologist Ed Kieser and more!
Have you ever been bitten by a dog or another animal? This hour on Focus, we talk about preventing aggressive pet behavior.
Each year in the US, more than 4 million people are bitten by a dog, and one in five of those people require medical attention. This week is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and this hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Sally Foote, a small animal vet from Tuscola who specializes in dog and cat behavior about aggressive pets and how to prevent children from getting bit on accident. We’ll also talk about ticks and fleas as the heat of summer is almost here. We welcome your questions no matter what breed you love and care for!
Read more and find a video about dogs, why they bite and how to avoid getting bit.
Ryan Chalmers is attempting to push himself across the country from Los Angeles to New York in 71 days…in a wheelchair. This hour on Focus, we talk with Chalmers about why he’s doing it and how it’s going.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign grad, PADI divemaster and US Paralympian Ryan Chalmers has pushed himself more than 2,000 miles in the last few weeks, journeying the length of three to four full length marathons every day. He’s trying to cross the US in his racing wheelchair in 71 days, a distance of nearly 3,000 miles. He arrived in Champaign around 3:00 on Wednesday, and this hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with Ryan about his trek and what inspired him to do it. We'll also talk with Ryan about his career as a wheelchair athlete - at the UIUC, in marathons around the country and the 2012 Paralympic games in London.
Illinois law currently bans employers from asking employees and prospective employees for their social media passwords, but there is a bill in the Illinois House that would change that. This hour on Focus, we'll talk about the bill and larger issues it raises when it comes to digital privacy.
House Bill 1047, currently under consideration in the Illinois House of Representatives, would make it legal for employers to ask employees for their personal social media passwords. Under legislation that took effect July 1, 2012, it’s currently against the law to do so. According to some, it’s a severe violation of privacy for employers to be able to ask for social media account information, but State Representative Jim Durkin defends the bill saying that employers need to have agency to protect themselves against threats and theft. He also says that as the bill is written, employers can’t take action against employees who refuse to share their information.
This hour on Focus, we’ll talk about the intersection of digital privacy and the workplace. Statehouse Reporter Amanda Vinicky will give us an update about the status of the legislation and then Law Professor Lori Andrews joins us. She’s written a social media constitution and is author of the book “I Know Who You Are, I Saw What You Did: Social Networks and the Death of Privacy.” Representative Durkin, who is from Western Springs, also joins the conversation.
Would you be concerned if your employer could legally ask for your social media passwords? Are you a manager and think you should be able to ask? We want to hear from you this hour on Focus!
Brendan Harley was first diagnosed with cancer when he was in high school. At the age of 17 he underwent a bone marrow transplant to save his life. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk with Harley about how the experience and how it propelled him to pursue a career in cancer research.
Last year in Illinois, nearly 200 cancer patient’s lives were saved after having bone marrow transplants, but there are still more than 300 people waiting for a match and need a transplant from someone who isn’t in their family. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk about bone marrow transplants and the need for donors. Shelley Baker, who is with the Be the Match National Marrow Donor Registry will be here. We’ll also talk with Brendan Harley, an Urbana resident who has twice defeated cancer, once thanks to a bone marrow transplant. Host Jim Meadows will also talk with Harley about how the experience and how it propelled him to pursue a career in cancer research.
This hour on Focus, guest host Kimberlie Kranich talks with Suzanne Trupin about women’s health. We welcome your questions!
Angelina Jolie’s announcement that she had a preventative double mastectomy because of her high risk for developing breast cancer has been all over the news, but when is the testing she went through appropriate? This hour on Focus, guest host Kimberlie Kranich talks with Suzanne Trupin, a board certified and obstetrician and gynecologist, about the BRCA1 gene that led Jolie to make her decision. We’ll also talk about everything from menses to menopause and how and when to talk about sex with you doctor and with your children and family.
Surviving Cancer, Social Media Privacy, Ryan Chalmers and More!
Next week on Focus, we’ll talk with an Urbana man who has survived two bouts of cancer thanks in part to a bone marrow transplant, a University of Illinois grad who is pushing himself across the country in his racing wheelchair and much more.
Today on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with Kevin Waspi, a certified financial advisor and lecturer at the UIUC College of Business. We welcome your calls and questions this hour!
This hour on Focus, we talk with personal finance expert Kevin Waspi about some good tricks to save money for things like a new car or a summer vacation. We'll also talk about when it's right to continue to save and when it's time to try and borrow money. Do you have questions about your personal finances?We also welcome your questions for Kevin whether you are just starting out and looking for advice on investing, thinking about buying a home or sending your children to college.
Do you have any money saving tricks that you recommend? We want to hear them!
We all need health care, but we don’t “consume” health care in the same way we consume anything else. How does that affect how much we pay for it? This hour on Focus, we talk about hospitals, health insurers and who decides how much to charge.
Last week the US Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a price list for services at hospitals across the country. In East Central Illinois, the data showed that prices for the same procedures vary widely depending on which hospital you’re at in the area. This hour on Focus, host Jim Meadows talks with two health care finance experts about why this could be and who determines the cost for health care.
John Katsinas is a broker with the Barham Benefit Group in Champaign and works with Champaign County Health Consumers. He'll be here to talk with us about local insurance markets and how that influences the cost of services at local hospitals. Jim Unland, President of the Health Capital Group and editor of the Journal of Health Care Finance also joins us. He says the variance in price has to do with a "cat and mouse game" between insurers and care providers.
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