On May 14th. 1948, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion publicly pronounced the new nation of Israel. The country has had a history of tremendous success but also conflict, border disputes and war. We’ll talk with a roundtable of Israeli-born Granite Staters, hear their stories of their home country, get their comments on the sixty year journey of Israel and their thoughts on the state of the state of Israel today.

Guests

• Ruth Harris, music teacher living in Hollis who was born in Palestine and then lived in Richon Letzion after Israel’s independence; she moved to Amsterdam and then to the United States in 1973
• Moshe Shpindler, resident of Nashua and owner of Caesario’s Pizza in Manchester. He was also born in Richon Letzion in 1950 and lived there until he moved to the United States in 1983
• Amalia Flaisher, graphic designer living in Litchfield; Amalia was born in Romania but moved to Ashkelon and later to Netanya in Israel before moving to the US ten years ago

We'll also hear from

• Isaiah Artsy, computer consultant living in Nashua; he was born in Poland, emigrated to Israel in 1957 and then to the US in 1982, and has spent the last week with family in Israel for the anniversary celebrations

Is it time for another green revolution? When the world faced the possibility of famine in the mid-20th century, scientists and farmers averted global disaster by finding new ways to grow staple crops. New techniques, new breeds, and lots of new chemicals were used to bolster dwindling food supplies. The new methods were successful, but also did environmental damage that continues today.

Now the world once again faces international food shortages. The price of rice has nearly tripled this year, causing riots in some countries, as people struggle to keep their families nourished.

With major advances in agricultural science over the past half-century, some believe we are ready for another green revolution – possibly a more sustainable one. Or, as one scientist put it, an "evergreen revolution."

Joining Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott to talk about advances in agriculture is Subhash Minocha, professor of plant biology and genetics at the University of New Hampshire.

(Photo by Kristupa Saragih)

"A tap on the head, and anything can go wrong." That's how our guest Michael Paul Mason describes the seemingly random nature of brain injury. Just a tap, and suddenly we forget how to swallow, or become unable to recognize our own face in the mirror, or lose our sense of time or place. It seems like a remote possibility, but the numbers suggest otherwise: 5.3 million Americans are permanently disabled due to brain injury. That's 2 percent of the population.

Explorations of our brains' fragility fill the pages of Mason's book, "Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injury and Its Aftermath." Mason, a brain injury case manager in Tulsa, Oklahoma, speaks with Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott about the efforts made to help those permanently disabled by brain injury.

We also speak with Lee Harvey, a prominent Seacoast architect who suffered a stroke four years ago while on a Caribbean cruise with his wife. He tells the story of his ongoing recovery at local schools and rehabilitation programs through The Krempels Brain Injury Foundation's SteppingStones program.

Listen to the NHPR StoryCorps interview with David Krempels of the Krempels Brain Injury Foundation

(Photo by Kenny Stoltz)

Fifteen years ago, President Clinton signed a law giving unpaid leave and job protection to employees having a baby, suffering from an illness or dealing with a family emergency. Yet some businesses say the law’s been abused, sparking an effort to make some serious reforms. We’ll look at the history of the Family and Medical Leave Act, its impact and the proposed reforms.

Guests

• Andrea Chatfield, attorney at the McLane Law Firm who has done extensive work with FMLA
• Marc Freedman, director of Labor Law Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Vicky Lovell, director of Employment and Work Life Programs at the Institute For Women’s Policy Research

It's been a tough few years for northern New Hampshire, leading many to look for new keys to economic vitality. A new prison’s already there; a new biomass plant is right around the corner. But other plans, like high-tech corporations, arts houses and more tourism, could be years away for a region many say needs a boost now. We’ll look at the state of the North Country’s economy and what could come next.

Guests

• Peter Riviere, executive director of the Coos Economic Development Corporation
• Charles Jordan, editor of the Colebrook Chronicle

We'll also hear from

• Charles Bass, former Congressman and Senior Advisor to the CEO of Laidlaw Energy Group, which has acquired part of the former Fraser Paper Mill in Berlin to construct a new biomass-energy power plant
• Pat Corso, President and CEO of the Mount Washington Resort
• Katie Paine, president and CEO of K.D. Paine and Partners, a market research company based in Berlin