This episode explores the effect of widespread vaccination programs on global economics and health.  In addition, we highlight the critical UN Summit on Non-Communicable Diseases held in New York City on 9/19/2011.

Join Mike McGrath, host of You Bet Your Garden for a live webchat on September 21 at noon. Mike can walk you through growing garlic, fall greens, pansies and more. Click here for more.

Parents used to think that once their kids were out of elementary school, they were done with vaccines. But the rules are changing.

In California, middle schoolers and high schoolers now have to prove that they're immunized against pertussis, or whooping cough, in order to attend school. It's one of dozens of states that have recently passed laws requiring vaccines for teens and tweens.

In 1948, President Truman endorsed the creation of an Israeli state. Nearly three decades later, before finalizing the Camp David accords, Jimmy Carter became the first U.S. president to call for the creation of a Palestinian "homeland." Presidents have put their own spins on that effort ever since. Here's a sampling:

March 16, 1977 — Carter, at a town hall meeting in Massachusetts, said that after Palestinians recognize Israel's right to exist, "There has to be a homeland provided for the Palestinian refugees who have suffered for many, many years."

AMC's Mad Men is one of the big favorites at Sunday night's Emmy Awards — and this past season's most memorable character may have been Don Draper's new secretary, Miss Ida Blankenship.

Played by Randee Heller, Miss Blankenship was a departure from the attractive, attentive young girls that usually wait on Draper. She stole every scene she was in, even in death. Her passing was both shocking and comical and became one of the most talked-about moments of the TV season.

Former President Jimmy Carter urges the United States to not veto the Security Council vote for Palestinian statehood anticipated to take place next week.

"If I were president, I'd be very glad to see the Palestinians have a nation recognized by the United Nations," Carter tells Guy Raz, host of weekends on All Things Considered. "There's no downside to it."

Carter admits that for President Obama, failure to veto "would have some adverse effects perhaps on his political future."

The Big 12, an athletic conference composed of 10 colleges from the Central U.S., may soon need to rebrand itself as the Big 8. The possible departure of two of its members — Texas A&M and the University of Oklahoma — may destabilize not only the Big 12, but also the college football landscape.

The sixth annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival starts next Friday, September 23rd . And this is the only time many of these films will be screened in Ohio. Festival founder and director Jonathan McNeal sat down with WYSO Community Voices Producer Liz Cambron – to talk about some of his personal favorites.

The September 2011 installment of SOCHE TALKS featuring Jeff Firestone, from the University of Dayton on Flyer Enterprise.

The SOCHE Talks are a collaboration with the Southwest Ohio Council for Higher Education. In this monthly series we’ll hear from faculty and staff from areas colleges and universities on a wide variety of subjects. It's an effort to bring Miami Valley research and thinking into the public arena – a way to enlighten the world with local knowledge.

The Republican presidential hopefuls will meet in Orlando on Thursday for their next debate. It's an additional opportunity for the candidates to try to set themselves apart in a crowded field. It's also a chance to take stock of the debate moderators.

NPR's media correspondent David Folkenflik has this tip for the moderators: Don't get distracted.

He tells Weekend Edition host Audie Cornish that the "theatricality" of some debates can make people forget their purpose.