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Happy Mother's Day!

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Homegrown terrorism, gun violence, Zika - there's plenty of real stuff to get freaked out about. So can America be 100% safe?  No, says a security analyst and mom, and your kids know it's not - but that's ok. Today, a former homeland security big wig refuses to be ruled by paranoia and offers tips on how to prepare your family for the unknown without becoming a prepper.

Then, we'll catch up with the growing movement to get over the shame and secrecy and acknowledge that women menstruate...including a look into why tampons and pads are taxed as luxury goods in 40 states. 

Listen to the full show. 

Security Mom

What would make America safe? Donald Trump and Ted Cruz propose to close borders and carpet bomb ISIS strongholds. Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders say that would make the homeland more vulnerable to retaliation. Fighting terrorism in the Middle East is one thing, but the fear of homegrown, self-radicalized individuals operating undetected and striking on American soil bumps up the level of dread. And then there's the risk of gun violence, which far outpaces the 1 in 20 million chance of being killed in a terrorist attack. Still if that one in 20 million is your child, the threat feels real. So, is America safe? Not 100% says, security expert Juliette Kayyem- and that is a good thing.

Kayyem is former Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security and author of ?Security Mom: an Unclassified Guide to Protecting Our Homeland and Your Home.  She recently wrote an op-ed on the upside of vulnerability for theWashington Post.

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America Isn't 100% Safe - And That's Fine

What I Love About My Mother

Mother's Day is coming up this weekend, and while many of us love and appreciate our mothers dearly, knowing how to show it or what to say can still be difficult - especially for high school students. So, we wanted to play a short piece by producers "A" and Vaughn, from City High School - who asked their peers to share what they loved about their moms.  

You can listen to this story again at PRX.org.   

Put an End to Period Shaming

When you think of luxury items you probably think of products like jewelry, cosmetics, cologne. These items are often subject to a luxury sales tax because they are not considered a necessity.  In most states, tampons and pads are also taxed, because they're not necessities either.

Surprised? You're not alone. In January of this year, twenty-four year old YouTube star Ingrid Nilsen asked President Obama about the tax during an interview.

Abigail Jonesis senior writer at Newsweek, where we found her cover story"The Fight to End Period Shaming is Going Mainstream."

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Put an End to Period Shaming

"Peeing In My Pants"

It's not an easy topic to discuss, but some studies suggest that one out of every ten women in their 30s suffer from urinary incontinence. Others say those numbers could be much higher, which makes sense, because wetting your pants as an adult is...embarassing, and few people want to talk about it. Producer Lauren Whaleydecided it was time to open up about this growing problem and look into the treatments and technologies that are designed to help.

You can listen to this story again at PRX.org

Public Shaming

What was once a slip-up or scandal whispered among townsfolk can now be spread across the world with lightning speed. Cultural anthropologists regard shame and the attendant threat of ostracism as tools societies use for indoctrinating children and maintaining order.  But who needs the stockade or public shunning when we have Twitter?

Jon Ronsonprofiles victims, perpetrators, and researchers of humiliation in his book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed and we spoke to him last year when the book first came out. It is now out in paperback.  

Listen to this story again and see more related content: The Shame Show

 

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