Is the United States really a democracy? What will the EU look like in 50 years? What should 2020 candidates be doing to demonstrate civility? Those are just a few of the questions we received from Democracy Works listeners around the country and around the world. This week, the Democracy Works team answers some of those questions about democracy and the topics we've covered on the show.

Evergreen park in Kane has 19 acres of lush greenery and, as the name suggests, tall pine trees.  This is where the artists gather each year to sell their wares at the annual Art in the Wilds juried art show.

“We have 40 artists, all in their own white tents,” says Marilyn Blackmore.  She grew up in Kane, and is executive director of Art in the Wilds. 

I believe in high heels.

I can still remember prancing around the living room of my childhood apartment in my mother’s white satin stiletto sling backs. They were a gift from my father and she wore them for special occasions. When my mother took an afternoon nap, I quietly removed the shoes from their box, slid them over my small feet and stepped out across the parquet floor. I felt great. I couldn’t wait to grow up and wear heels every single day.

There aren’t many students in Penn State’s HUB-Robeson Student Union this time of year, but the community members and students who are there have mixed thoughts about the abortion laws passed by almost a dozen states in recent months.

Aman Kaur from State College said women should be able to make their own decisions when it comes to ending a pregnancy.

Loud cheering is typical for a Tuesday evening at the Ruth and Dennis Heindl Memorial field in DuBois. The field hosts the Challenger League on Tuesday and Thursday nights – a league meant specifically for mentally and physically disabled athletes – but according to League Commissioner Bill Cuba the league started ten years ago on a dirt softball field with only two teams.

We tend to think about congressional oversight in very academic terms — checks and balances, the Framers, etc. But what does it actually look like on the ground in Congress? To find out, we're talking this week with Charlie Dent, who served Congress for more than a decade until his retirement in 2018. He argues that amid all the talk about subpoenas, impeachment, and what Congress is not able to do, we're losing sight of the things they can do to hold the executive branch accountable.

An archive recording of the WPSU Blues show as aired on June 15, 2019 and hosted by Max Spiegel.

In the first hour, hear tracks from Conor Oberst, Merle Travis, R.L. Burnside, Etta James, The Black Keys, Robert Johnson, Chris Smither, John Lee Hooker, Greg Brown, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Frank Zappa, and more.

In the second hour, hear Dave Spenser & Barkerville Smith, Albert King, Corky Siegel, Larry Gamer, Eric Bibb, David Honeyboy Edwards, Big Time Sarah, Cephas & Wiggins, B.B. King, and more.

A writer and native of central Pennsylvania, Charles Fergus is best known for his books and articles about nature and wildlife. But, his latest book is a mystery novel and period piece.

Set in Pennsylvania in the 1830s, “A Stranger Here Below” is the story of Sheriff Gideon Stoltz trying to understand what would lead the local judge to kill himself. The book draws on Fergus’s expertise as a nature writer and his personal experience with murder. 

An archive recording for the WPSU Jazz show as aired on June 14, 2019 and hosted by Rana Glick. 

In the first part, hear tracks from Steve Rudolph, Tomasz Stanko Quintet, Betty Carter, Phillip Glass, Eric Reed, and more.

In the second hour, hear Chris Botti, Milt Jackson, Charlie Mingus, Miles Davis, Josephine Baker, Jacky Terrasson, Gary Burton, Joey D. Francesco, and more.

“Fallen Mountains” is Kimi Cunningham Grant’s first novel, but hopefully not her last. The book details life in the fictional town of Fallen Mountains, Pennsylvania. Grant grew up in Huntingdon, which lends to the small-town Central Pennsylvania feel when she describes the residents of this close-knit community. In fact, Grant lives here now and teaches in a local school district.