On this week’s 51%, we speak with Claudia Coenen, a certified grief counselor and thanatologist, about how to cope with grief during the holiday season. We also hear from the executive director of No Kid Hungry New York about the state of food insecurity in the U.S. Guests: Claudia Coenen, licensed counselor with The Karuna Project; Rachel Sabella, director of No Kid Hungry New York 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we hear from comedian, writer, and TV host Samantha Bee about her latest standup tour “Your Favorite Woman: The Joy of Sex Education.” Bee is best known for her previous roles as correspondent on “The Daily Show,” and host of the satirical late-night program “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,” which ran for seven seasons on TBS. We also sit down with Erin Harkes, a rising comedian in New York’s Capital Region, about her new special and album “Uncle Ernie,” and how she workshops new material. Guests: Samantha Bee; Erin Harkes 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On the latest 51%, we speak with biologist and wildlife photographer Kirsten Hines about her new book Wild Florida: An Animal Odyssey, documenting the state’s diverse population of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects. We also stop by a conference celebrating women in STEM at the headquarters of GlobalFoundries in New York’s Capital Region, and our associate producer Jody Cowan sits down with the battery experts at Qnovo for a look at the future of electric vehicles.  Guest: Kirsten Hines, author of Wild Florida; Dania Ghantous, Co-founder and VP of Technology at Qnovo; Tracy Mack-Askew, Chief Engineer, Chassis and Vocational Engineering at Daimler Truck North America; Denise Gray, former President of LG Energy Solution Michigan Inc. Tech Center 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Amy Brittain of The Washington Post about the paper’s recent analysis of infant mortality in home births across the U.S., and how the country’s varying regulations for midwives can make it difficult for expectant mothers to know what they’re getting. We also stop by a virtual town hall on the proposed closure of Burdett Birth Center in Troy, New York. Guest: Amy Brittain, reporter at The Washington Post 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with psychiatrist and human rights advocate Dr. Robert Okin about the state of homelessness in the U.S., and the many obstacles faced by unhoused women and families. Dr. Okin spent two years interviewing and photographing unhoused individuals struggling with mental illness in San Francisco. The second edition of his 2014 book Silent Voices: People with Mental Disorders on the Street came out earlier this year. We also look back at some of the biggest lawsuits brought on by the Adult Survivors Act, and stop by a vigil for the Transgender Day of Remembrance. Guest: Dr. Robert Okin, author of Silent Voices: People with Mental Disorders on the Street 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week's 51%, we speak with Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley about the impacts of social media on teens and young adults. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 percent of teens reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021, and one in five reported serious thoughts of suicide. Dr. Choukas-Bradley, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the University at Pittsburgh, breaks down how social media can be particularly harmful for teenage girls, and how parents can protect their children without isolating them from their peers. Guest: Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, founder of the Teen and Young Adult Lab 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with estate attorney Megan Harris-Pero about why having an estate plan is particularly important for women, and what they should keep in mind when putting a plan together. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with award-winning international reporter Amanda Sperber to learn how news outlets and foreign correspondents can better serve the communities they cover. We also sit down with the leader of one organization that’s putting that message into practice: Global Press, founded by Cristi Hegranes, has been training women in countries around the world how to report on their communities since 2006.  Guests: Amanda Sperber, multi-award winning foreign correspondent and investigative journalist with work in a range of publications, including Al Jazeera, the Atlantic, and NBC; Cristi Hegranes, journalist and founder of the Global Press Institute 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with artists who have found healing through creativity. Author Brittany Means comes to terms with her childhood growing up on the road in her new memoir Hell if We Don’t Change Our Ways, and pianist and composer Robin Spielberg meditates on resilience for her new symphonic record, By Way of the Wind. WAMC’s Josh Landes also speaks with the organizer of a Pittsfield, Massachusetts art show highlighting the work of breast cancer survivors. Guests: Brittany Means, author of Hell if We Don't Change Our Ways; Robin Spielberg, pianist and composer; Francesca Olsen, artist 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with Dr. Elizabeth Lucal about how women can reduce their risk of cervical cancer, and why we still know so little about ovarian cancer. Dr. Lucal is an OB-GYN and the vice chair of women’s health services at Nuvance Health in the Hudson Valley and western Connecticut. Our associate producer, Jody Cowan, also speaks with the founders of JBA Concierge Medicine, about how patients can get the most out of their doctor’s appointments.  Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Lucal, OB-GYN with Nuvance Health; Alison Joseph and John Brown, founders of JBA Concerige Medicine 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio in Albany, New York. Jesse King is our producer and host. Our associate producer is Jody Cowan, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue.