Charlotte Talks on WFAE

When someone gets sick, doctors are, for the most part, concerned with curing illness or disease. But in recent years, there has been increased attention on treating the "whole" person - body, mind and spirit. Sometimes a "cure" isn't likely, but there is a possibility of "healing" when treating the whole person. We'll be joined by a panel of doctors, a hospice worker and a person of faith to talk about healing versus curing and the importance of each, when Charlotte Talks.

Part One: Queen City Theatre Co.'s Me and Jezebel. We've all had a houseguest who overstayed their welcome. Most do so for a matter of minutes or hours. Hollywood superstar overstayed her welcome by 32 days! Author Elizabeth Fuller met Bette Davis in 1985 and offered to let Ms. Davis stay in her home while there was a hotel strike raging in New York City. Over a month later, Davis finally left but her legacy continued as Ms. Fuller wrote a popular book about the experience. That book is now a play and Queen City Theatre is presenting it. We'll learn more when Charlotte Talks.

A few years ago a Charlotte bartender named Doc Hendley spent his nights dispensing wine and spirits and his days wondering what more he could do with his life. Hendley stumbled across information detailing an epic water crisis in many third world countries and it changed him forever. In 2007 Hendley founded Wine to Water, an organization that digs wells and helps provide infrastructure so that poor villages can have a clean, stable supply of water. Doc Hendley joined us early on in his endeavor and he has just written a book on his experiences. He is back for another visit to share his remarkable life and work. Originally Aired 1/6/2012

The world’s thirst for more energy has led us down the path to climate change. Some politicians have said that alternatives to fossil fuels may help us reverse that, but the problem is that alternative forms of energy aren't ready on the scale we need. And recently scientists at UNC Charlotte came to an even more alarming conclusion, that the problem is unsolvable. Two of the people working on that project talk about their troubling conclusion, when Charlotte Talks.

After months of negotiations by a bipartisan group of US Senators dubbed the "Gang of Eight," a new 800-page immigration package has been unveiled. This push for comprehensive immigration reform has been called a "good first step" by some with others voicing concern about certain parts of the bill. The architects of the bill, including South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, are urging Congress to move faster to make a decision about the bill in light of the Boston Marathon tragedy and the immigrants who allegedly carried out the bombings there. We'll dive into the bill to talk about what it covers, who would be affected and talk to a Charlotte immigrant to find out how this would change their immigration status and more, when Charlotte Talks.

Harriet Brown's daughter was diagnosed with anorexia at age 14 and nearly died because of it. At 4-foot-11 and weighing 71 pounds, she saw herself as fat. She was starving herself, exercising obsessively, her relationship with food was complex - she was terrified by a slice of cake. "Faced with a plate of food, the demon inside my daughter bargained, cried, lashed out." Brown talks about that demon that tormented their family in her memoir Brave Girl Eating, a story of pain, frustration, hospitalization, treatment, relapse and recovery. While she's in Charlotte for an event with Teen Health Connection, she joins us, along with medical experts, to share her story, discuss the causes, prevention and treatments of eating disorders as well as some of the myths and stereotypes and the importance of family-based treatment.

In recent years public sentiment toward the justice system, both at home and nationwide was quite skeptical and negative. In response, Justice Department officials began a series of reforms including Justice Reinvestment. Proponents say that reforms are working but challenges remain. We'll hear from officials on the front lines of the justice system, learn more about Justice Reinvestment, what reforms are working and what is left to be done to achieve smart justice, when Charlotte Talks.

The world is at war and you want to help fight it. So you board a train to a secret town in Tennessee that doesn't appear on any map, to work on a project that you will never truly know about. And, yet, this project will end the war. That was the fascinating story for the thousands of woman who toiled to help build a bomb without really knowing that's what they were doing. Frequent guest Denise Kiernan chronicles this mystery in her latest book, The Girls of Atomic City. Kiernan uses exhaustive research and interviews with living war veterans to uncover how the Army managed to keep the project secret from its own workers and she highlights the stories of some of the women who worked there. She'll share her story with us when Charlotte Talks.

Is Mayor Foxx headed to Washington as the new Secretary of Transportation? His nomination may mean new leadership for the city. Who might fill his position here and what will Foxx face during his confirmation hearings. A panel of journalists and a political scientist share their thoughts on that and on the possible change in ownership of Douglas airport, Panther stadium funding and more when Charlotte Talks.

Owning a business is an ambitious venture for anyone. But as a female business owner, there are particular challenges that one might face. In the late 1980s, women owned only ten percent of U.S. business. Now, women own forty percent of all privately-held firms. This considerable rise of women leaders has helped shift the business landscape and has opened up a wealth of opportunities for aspiring female entrepreneurs and small business owners. Two female Charlotteans started the company, Towne and Reese, and continue their rapid rise of success. A conversation about being a women and owning a business, when Charlotte Talks.