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A proposal to claw back funds for public media has already passed the House of Representatives. Montana Public Radio and stations across the country receive critical federal funds to strengthen our work. The Senate could vote on the proposal in the coming days. To add your voice in support of Montana Public Radio visit Protect My Public Media.

Periwinkle

Ever since people in tropical regions around the world began to grow Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) for its cheerful pink flowers, the plant has been known as a home remedy for diabetes. In the 1950s, when researchers began testing periwinkle for its anti-diabetic properties, they discovered several highly toxic alkaloids in the plant's tissues. Two of them led to key drugs for cancers of the blood: vinblastine and vincristine.

(Podcast: The Plant Detective, 8/9/14)

Beth Anne Austein has been spinning tunes on the air (The Folk Show, Dancing With Tradition, Freeforms), as well as recording, editing and mixing audio for Montana Public Radio and Montana PBS, since the Clinton Administration. She’s jockeyed faders or "fixed it in post” for The Plant Detective; Listeners Bookstall; Fieldnotes; Musicians Spotlight; The Write Question; Storycorps; Selected Shorts; Bill Raoul’s music series; orchestral and chamber concerts; lecture series; news interviews; and outside producers’ programs about topics ranging from philosophy to ticks.
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