Serene Careaga

Scheduled on Spotlight for January 14 at 8:00 p.m.

National Weather Service has issued a cold weather statement for the Puget Sound region. KUOW has compiled a guide of tips to prepare for inclement weather and resources that can help you stay safe during emergency weather situations.

Portland's Pink Martini released "Joy To The World" in November 2010. It's a collection of nondenominational holiday music from various countries. Among the traditional holiday tunes that we can all sing along to, the album features works in Chinese, Japanese, Hebrew, Spanish -- the list goes on. It's a joyful celebration of culture.

Tragic and unexplainable acts of violence are often attributed to mental illness. In the aftermath of terrible tragedies, like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, anecdotal and unconfirmed stories of mental illness begin to circulate.

Dr. Jennifer Stuber from UW’s School of Social Work visited Weekday to discuss the link between violence and mental illness and particularly how the media plays a part in the dissemination of misinformation. Below are highlights from her interview.

New Hampshire Public Radio's Word of Mouth asks the serious holiday questions like is "Die Hard" a classic Christmas film? Also, they explore the science of giving and uncover the shocking history of Monopoly.

Tragedies like the school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, can be difficult to discuss with children of all ages. KUOW has assembled advice from health care professionals and child advocates on how to manage the many emotions that may arise.

The assault on the American Consulate in Benghazi, Libya shocked the American public. African extremist groups like Ansar Dine, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, and Boko Haram threaten to further destabilize a fragile continent. America Abroad will take listeners to Mali, Nigeria, and Kenya's Swahili Coast to learn about these groups, the threat they present, and how African countries are — or aren't — combating them.

Jacksonville, Florida is a lot of things: a military town. A church town. A beach town. And it can be all those things because Jacksonville is the largest city in the whole country: 841 square miles of sprawl, highways and strip malls dotted with tiny, unique neighborhoods. How does a place this huge and diverse lurch forward to keep pace with the rest of the country? The quick answer: often, it doesn’t. But once in a while, in small surprising ways, this place can be an incubator for innovation. In host Al Letson’s hometown episode, State of the Re:Union asks: is Jacksonville is moving backward, stuck in neutral, or shifting towards progress?

Medical marijuana is available in 18 states, and the vote on November 6 legalized the possession of pot in Colorado and Washington. With the highest incarceration rate in the world, and more than $2 trillion dedicated to fighting the "war on drugs," we continue to fill our prisons with drug offenders. Is it worth it? From the series Intelligence Squared U.S., the motion is Legalize Drugs.

Panelists:

Paul Butler, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center