WAMU 88.5FM American University Radio

Nursing Shortage

Later this afternoon, two women will walk across the stage together at the Mariner Arena up in Baltimore to receive their nursing degrees from the University of Maryland. Karen Buchanan and daughter Bridgette Burnette are an energetic duo, entering the field at a time when the country is experiencing a serious shortage of nurses that experts say is likely to get worse. With Baby Boomers heading into their 50s and 60s, the need for nurses is growing. But the nursing population is aging too - only ten percent are under the age of 30. WAMU's Sidsel Overgaard spoke with mother and daughter to find out why they decided to leap in and what they're expecting from the future.

Bruce Beehler's Lost World

His December 2005 trip to an incredibly remote mountain range in western New Guinea gave scientist Bruce Beehler a taste of what it must have felt like to be Charles Darwin. During the expedition, Beehler's group discovered over 40 species and attracted news coverage around the world. As an added bonus, he's even getting to name a bird he discovered after his wife. It was a long journey for a man who grew up watching nature around Baltimore. Bruce Beehler is a Vice President with Conservation International these days. We caught up with him in his DC office as he was planning his next trip.

Commentary by Fred Fiske - Bush's Immigration

WAMU Senior Commentator Fred Fiske thinks that Bush's recent speech on immigration can be titled "Mission...Obfuscated," and predicts a long road ahead for the president's latest plans.

The Rupperts of 7th Street

From the world-famous Kennedy Center to the smallest community theater, there's an incredibly diverse collection of arts venues around town. One of the most active spaces is the family-run cluster on 7th street Northwest, comprising the Warehouse Theater, Warehouse Nextdoor and Warehouse Café, where 430 theater performances were produced and 530 bands played last year alone. They're owned by a Washington family whose roots in the neighborhood go back well over a century. In the 1890's, the strip looked a little different. Instead of catching the latest punk band at the Warehouse Nextdoor, you might have been buying seeds at Ruppert's Hardware Store. WAMU's Gail Wein explains how this traditional family business morphed into an alternative arts district.

"Wonders Never Cease"

Ever wonder what your childhood would have been like if the stuff you ordered from the ads in the back of comic books actually worked? That's the premise of a new play, "Wonders Never Cease," produced by Charter Theater. At the center of this one-man show is Wheaton-bred professional magician, Barry Wood, who is still clearly fascinated with the notions of hypnotizing total strangers, having x-ray vision, and ruling an undersea kingdom of sea monkeys. WAMU's Stephanie Kaye spoke with Wood during rehearsals, and with co-writers Mario Baldessari and Jim Helein. The group worked together for years in the sketch comedy group Dropping The Cow. And - full disclosure here - Jim Helein is a regular commentator on Metro Connection.

Charter Theater's "Wonders Never Cease" runs at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts through June 4th.

Mondo DC - the Big Chair

The big chair is back. Yes, the famous "Big Chair" of Anacostia, located at the intersection of V Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, Southeast. A neighborhood presence since the late 1950s, the OLD big chair was removed last year after rotting wood rendered the structure a hazard. Last month, a shiny, aluminum, weather-resistant replica of the big chair, was rededicated in the same spot. To some, the big chair is the ultimate, must-visit attraction for those looking to experience DC landmarks you won't find on the Mall. To others...it's just a big chair.

We met our connoisseur of all things kitchy, Jeff Bagato, at the big chair. He's the author of "Mondo DC: An Insider's Guide to Washington, DC's Most Unusual Tourist Attractions." When we arrived, he was already transfixed by the splendor.

Commentary by Reuben Jackson

And finally today...writer Reuben Jackson wonders what happens when something which has been an incredible influence in one's life becomes the source of controversy, derision, and anger - namely, being a Muslim.