Underreported from WNYC's The Leonard Lopate Show

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Underreported: Reunification for Cyprus? Mar 06, 2008

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The island of Cyprus has been split between its Greek and Turkish populations for more than 30 years. Now with the recent election of a Marxist president, Demetris Christofias, in the Republic of Cyprus (the Greek half of the island) – the island may be a few steps closer to reunification. Dr. James Ker-Lindsay is a Cyprus expert and Senior Research Fellow at Kingston University London.

Underreported: Unfair Crack and Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines Feb 28, 2008

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According to current federal sentencing guidelines, convictions for the sale of 500 grams of powder cocaine – and only 5 grams of crack cocaine – both result in a 5-year mandatory minimum sentence. Jesselyn McCurdy, legislative counsel for the ACLU, explains why this sentencing disparity is unfair and fails to address the larger problem of the drug trade. Karen Garrison is the mother of 2 sons who are each serving long sentences in federal prison for non-violent crack cocaine offenses.

Underreported: Iron Ladies of Liberia Feb 21, 2008

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Since becoming President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has appointed women to key positions throughout the government. These women call themselves "Iron Ladies of Liberia." On today’s Underreported, we’ll find out more about these powerful women, and what they’re doing to help Liberia recover from its brutal civil war. Jonathan Stack is producer of the documentary film "Iron Ladies of Liberia"; he also set up a film collective in Liberia.

"Iron Ladies of Liberia" is showing at BAM on Sun. Feb 24 at 2pm and Thurs. Feb 28 at 4:30pm as part of the African Diaspora Film Festival. It will also air on PBS on March 18 at 10:00 pm as part of the Independent Lens series.

Underreported: Algeria Feb 14, 2008

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Algeria is adding 15,000 extra police officers each year over the next few years as the North African country deals with terrorism and a growing Al-Qaeda presence. Martin Evans is a historian at the University of Portsmouth and co-author (with John Phillips) of Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed.

Underreported: Future of Bananas Feb 14, 2008

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Americans eat more bananas than any other kind of fruit; in some parts of the world, bananas help keep millions of people alive. But the future of bananas may be in danger. Most bananas are genetically identical, and a disease has been ravaging banana plantations around the world. We look into the uncertain future of bananas with Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.

Underreported: Tiger Corridor from Bhutan to Malaysia Feb 07, 2008

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Dr. Alan Rabinowitz of the Wildlife Conservation Society is helping to create a multi-national tiger conservation effort stretching from Bhutan to Malaysia. It’s a very complex undertaking, requiring the cooperation of businesses, NGOs, and governments – including the repressive military regime of Myanmar. Dr. Rabinowitz’s recent book is Life in the Valley of Death: The Fight to Save Tigers in a Land of Guns, Gold, and Greed.

Event: Dr. Alan Rabinowitz will be in conversation with Robert Krulwich Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8:15 pm 92nd Street Y Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street Tickets and info here or call (212) 415-5500

Underreported: Dawn Probe Jan 31, 2008

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NASA's Dawn probe is giving scientists a closer look at two of the most overlooked objects in the solar system: asteroids Vesta and Ceres. Find out why Vesta and Ceres can teach us about the origins of the solar system. Dr. Thomas Prettyman is a member of the Dawn science team and a planetary scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in NM; Dr. Tom McCord is also a member of the Dawn team and is a planetary scientist with Bear Fight Institute in Washington.

Underreported: NASA’s Investigations of its Scientists Jan 31, 2008

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Scientists at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are suing NASA over the Bush administration’s attempts to investigate the scientists’ personal lives. Attorney Dan Stormer is representing the scientists.

Underreported: Congo’s Ongoing Crisis Jan 24, 2008

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War in the Democratic Republic of Congo officially ended five years ago, but an estimated 45,000 people still die there every month. Dr. Richard J. Brennan is Health Director of the International Rescue Committee; Alyoscia D’Onofrio, regional director of the DRC for the IRC, joins us from Bukavu in eastern Congo, close to the border with Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda.

Underreported: Ocean Iron Fertilization to Slow Global Warming? Jan 17, 2008

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A controversial scientific theory holds that fertilizing the ocean with massive amounts of iron would reduce greenhouse gases - and thus slow global warming. But critics says that large-scale environmental tampering is too risky. Dr. Scott Doney, Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, explains more about the pros and cons of ocean iron fertilization.

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Underreported from WNYC’s The Leonard Lopate Show

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