State of the RE:Union

Airs Monday, November 5 at 8:00 p.m.  In this episode we explore a community where when evil rears its head, someone finds a way to set things right, even if they have to make sacrifices and defy the laws of our universe to do it. In this hour we tell the stories of real-life battles between good and evil in the world of comic books, where underdogs often come out on top and fantasy merges with reality. From creators and whistle blowers to real-life superheroes who've brought comics to life, putting on their own capes and costumes to fight for justice in their cities. The episode kicks off with host Al Letson talking about his secret ‘nerdy’ side. Then, a passionate Superman fan gets taken advantage of, and the comics community pitches in to help. Comics Alliance editor Laura Hudson causes an uproar in the comics community over an editorial about the portrayal of women in comics. Then, Cowabunga Dude! We visit the town that birthed the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

A letter from an unlikely comic book fan. We learn about Cosplay, then meet a man who transformed himself into a superhero. Finally, an emotional story about a boy’s wish to become a superhero.

Airs Monday, November 19 at 8:00 p.m. Description: The Ozarks have long been an isolated part of the country. Steep mountains break up the landscape into hills and hollows, making each little town into its own microcosm in this place some call the "State of the Ozarks;" the state line between Missouri and Arkansas meaning little to them. Here, families have stayed in the same hollows for generations with little influence from the outside world. Everyone knows everyone else, and their parents, and their grandparents. Which means that daily life here is steeped in the past, for better or for worse. In this episode, we go deep into the lives of people who live with the ghosts of their past: a family living with the legacy of a murder, young fiddlers learning songs passed down for centuries, and a married couple overcoming a history of domestic violence, together. 

Airs Monday, October 15 at 8:00 p.m.  Baltimore is a city of many neighborhoods, of intense divides--racial, class, and otherwise--not easily overcome. It's a city bogged down by a reputation for crime, poverty and dysfunction--a reputation not entirely undeserved. But all of that overshadows the passion and dedication many Baltimoreans have for their city, and for taking on what's wrong with it in ways small and large. In this episode, we tell stories of people who are working from outside the system to take on Baltimore's problems and shepherd its promises into fruition.

Airs Monday, November  at 8:00 p.m. Quaint storefronts along Main streets, covered bridges over clear streams, cows from dairy farms dotting green valleys: across the state, these are the iconic images of Vermont. But beyond its pastoral beauty, this is a place that prides itself on its independent spirit. This is truly a place where individual communities are self determining, where geographic isolation has forced people to get creative, and take their town's destiny into their own hands. In this hour, we'll hear a range of stories of the way Vermont's 'small town state' identity manifests.

Airs Monday, October 29 at 8:00 p.m.  The Tri-Cities are Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, 3 cities clustered near one another in the vast plains and deserts of Washington state, to the east of the Cascade Mountains. It's a region that seems like it would have little to attract newcomers; it's largely remote, prone to dust storms, not close to any major city. But, over the decades, this area has drawn people from the world over, and, in this episode, we'll explore how and why. These are stories of people drawn to an unlikely place for myriad reasons,what drew them here and what communities they've built here.