Programs

On the show this week, I feature the latest album from the fingerstyle guitarist Austin Weyand, as well as the new collection of essential songs from Claudia Schmidt. I’ll also play songs from new albums by Ronny Cox, Ellen Cherry, and Al Rose, to name just a few. Join me this Saturday for Fresh Folk on Utah Public Radio.

We've been hearing about the death of Twinkies. The closure of the company Hostess has the public fearing the treats such as Twinkies and Ho-Hos, and has shined a spotlight on unions. 

A recent headline from Fox Business reads: "Death of Twinkies a Union Contract Hit." Others have differing opinions, and a headline from Salon.com reads: "Vulture Capitalism-not unions- killed Twinkies." 

Utah's laws underwent extensive reform a few years ago, and now Sen. John Valentine is creating a bill that would create a "master license" for hotels, which would free up licenses currently required for the restaurants, catering services and bars inside the hotels.  

The control of alcohol is a vexing problem from state to state, and Utah has an interest in controlling alcohol for public safety reasons. That's asserted by many citizens, but if state laws are seen as too restrictive, it may harm the economy. 

 The last of the Sisters of Saint Benedict are leaving Ogden, headed back to their home in Minnesota. The women are leaving a legacy, including a hospital they built. There's a new book out about Catholic sisters much like the St. Benedict sisters, who first traveled to America's west to provide social services, education and medicine. 

In  "Across God's Frontiers" Anne Butler writes about the ways sisters challenged the ideas of women, work and religion in the west, and says religious life was a vehicle to give women power and agency. 

One mother  talks about the gap between when her son is seen as "normal", and when he's seen as "not normal."  She's talking about his invisible disability - a disability which at first glance isn't readily apparent, and includes intellectual impairments such as autism and other disorders. 

We're talking immigration on Access Utah, specifically illegal immigration. There are an estimated 110,000 illegal immigrants in Utah according to the Pew Center, and more may arrive. The Republican Party's stance on immigration seems to be softening after the election, although not in Utah. Some legislators are suggest pushing back the controversial guest worker act. 

We talk to Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and others about immigration for the hour. 

The Splendid Table’s Turkey Confidential  
November 22: 9:00 -  11:00 a.m.

Today on the program Sheri Quinn talks to paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Carpenter about recent advances in the study of dinosaurs and why Utah is one of the best places on earth to study them.  

At 9:30 science questions explores the era after the extinction of the dinosaurs, the Eocene, where mammals ruled the planet.

It’s a night of new releases in bluegrass music this week, with featured artists Bill Evans and the duo Madison Violet. I’ll also play songs from new albums by Richard D Henry, Leftover Salmon, and the Puddle Mountain Ramblers, among other talented artists. Tune in and listen this Saturday at 8pm to Fresh Folk on Utah Public Radio.

 With the expansion of mobile computing, we are all more or less living in the "cloud." We are either having services or storing our music, movies documents and pictures on someone else's server. The advantages are lower cost and accessibility. Some of the concerns: changing definitions of ownership. 

Today on Access Utah we explore the cloud, the good and the bad and ask you for your input. What is it about the "cloud" that has you either utilizing it or abstaining from it?