American Red Cross declares nationwide crisis, Northeast Ohio calls for donors

Welcome to the Sound of Ideas from Ideastream Public Media. I'm Stephanie Haney. Thank you for being with us. The American Red Cross has declared a national blood crisis, only the second time in its history since it's taken that step. That first time was in January of 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This time, blood donations have fallen to a four-year summer low, as demand remains high. The shortage is especially urgent for type O blood as supplies of O positive fell below a one-day supply in late July. Today, we'll look at what's driving this shortage, how it's affecting hospitals and patients, and how you can help rebuild the nation's blood supply. Joining me in Studio Day to talk through this, we have Christina Peters, Communications Director of the American Red Cross Northern Ohio region. Hi, Christy. Hi, thank you for having me. I appreciate you being here. Maybe you're a regular blood donor, or maybe you have questions about donor eligibility. If you do, let us know, you can join this conversation. You can give us a call at 866578-0903, or you can send us an email at SOI at ideastream.org or message us on Instagram at The Sound of Ideas. Now, Christy, about this current blood supply situation, why is this so significant? Why are we in a crisis? Unfortunately, this summer, we've just seen a higher demand for blood and less people coming to give. And of course, in the summer months, we usually do see a decline. People get busy with vacation. They're out of their normal routines. And so that often means they're not donating blood. But what we've seen this summer is a higher demand from hospitals. So we're sending more blood out, and we're not seeing as many people come in to give. And that's creating a gap in the blood supply that led to this crisis. Okay. Now, in this moment, is there a specific... of blood you need most? We mentioned O positive a moment ago. All blood types are important because, of course, there's many different patients who need different types of blood. Type O negative is the universal blood type, which means during an emergency like a car accident. Doctors can transfuse type O negative blood until they have time to type a patient's blood and determine what their type is. But O positive is also the most common blood type, so it's in high demand as well. So those two types are significant, but of course, All blood types are needed. Also, platelets, which are a component of blood that you donate when you give a pint of blood, which are part of the clotting component in your blood. They only have a five-day shelf life. It's a very fragile product, so there's a need for those as well. Okay. So when you say that doctors and medical professionals can give O negative to anyone, that's the universal donor, right? Is that the language we use for that? Correct. Yes. Okay. Is O positive the universal recipient? It is not. It's O-positive is just... the type that is most common in the population. So there's a high demand for it just because more people are that blood type. Got it. And again, many people think that to donate, they need to know their blood type, which they don't. So we want to let people know that. That's always a question that comes up. And we want to make it clear you can come and give, even if you don't know your blood type. Okay.

Will you get the information about what your blood type is if you do donate? Absolutely. The Red Cross will follow up with you in a few weeks after your donation and give you all of that information. That's one of those things that just doesn't stick in my brain, my blood type. Recently it has. I know that I've been B-negative now, but I have gone a decade if someone would ask me what my blood type is and I just don't know what it is. I don't think that that's uncommon. I think most of us don't have really a reason to know unless we're regular blood donors. Sure. What are the general eligibility requirements for donating blood? To give blood, you have to be at least 17. years old. Here in Ohio, you can give at 16 with parental consent. You just have to meet certain height and weight requirements and be feeling well on the day of your donation. So if you're fighting a cold or just not feeling 100%, please wait until you're feeling better to come and give. Okay. What are some common reasons someone might be temporarily or even permanently unable to donate blood? This is probably the question I get most. A lot of people want to know I'm taking a certain medication or I've traveled to a certain place, can I give? I will say that most deferrals from the American Red Cross are temporary. So that would mean you're taking an antibiotic for something. You can't donate on an antibiotic. Or you traveled on vacation, on a cruise somewhere, and you went to an area that maybe had a high risk for malaria. So you might be deferred for a temporary amount of time. Sometimes people fight. iron issues. So perhaps their iron isn't high enough to give blood. All of those things could impact your ability to give, but I do encourage people, even if you've come in and tried to donate and you weren't able to give for some reason, please consider coming back. Oftentimes, as I said, those are temporary. They're not permanent deferrals. There are some medications that might make someone unable to give, such as blood thinners, things like that. But again, it's very specific. If you visit our website, which is red, cross, blue, There's an entire list of medications. There's also all kinds of topics around eligibility. I think people would be surprised to know how many people can give who think they can. We did get a specific question from Wendy in Bath, Ohio, about travel. I don't know if you'll be able to answer this, but if not, we'll point Wendy to the website. Wendy says, I visited Vietnam and Cambodia in December and into January. Can I donate blood now? Is that something you're able to answer, Christy? That is not something I am able to answer, but I would encourage her to visit the website because there is a list of specific areas. And again, it's very specific to where you were and how long you were there. And that's why we encourage people. If you can't visit the website, you can always call 1-800 Red Cross and speak to someone over the phone about your questions. Okay. You mentioned antibiotics. I'll ask you about this question. If I was on an antibiotic and I finished my course of medication yesterday, can I donate today? Or do I have to wait a little bit for it to get out of my system? No. Once you're finished with your course, you can donate. Okay. Very good to know. Are there some common misconceptions that? people might have about blood donation maybe what the process is like or anything like that you'd like to help us clear up I think people think we have an unending supply of blood it's not something that we think about thankfully most of us don't necessarily need it but you know blood is

not something we can stockpile. It is only available from volunteer donors. So despite medical advancements, we can't create blood in a lab. So this really is something where the community steps up to help other community members. And that really is so important. We need people to give on a regular basis, not only to keep our local blood supply strong now, but to be prepared. You know, emergencies can happen at any time. And that blood needs to be on the shelf ready to go so a hospital can have it and use it for patients. If you're just joining us here on The Sound of Ideas, we are talking about the fact that there is a national blood shortage crisis. This is a designation that the Red Cross has only put in place one other time. That was back in 2022 related to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you have a comment or a question about blood donation, you can call us at 866-578-0903. You can also email us at S-O-I-atideastream.org. Or you can find us on Instagram. We're at the Sound of Ideas. We're also on Facebook at the Sound. of ideas. We have an email now in from Scott. This is related to a particular infection that Scott had at one point. And again, if we don't have the access to this information, we'll point you to the website to find the answer. But Scott says, I was told I could donate, I could not donate blood rather in the past due to an Epstein-Barr virus infection that led to hospitalization and inflamed liver many years ago. I was told I would never be able to donate. Is that still the case? Are you aware if that's still a distinction? That is not something that I have heard of. So again, I would refer people to our 1-800 number or to the website. Unfortunately, again, just because it is so specific, eligibility is very much tied to you as an individual. So it's really important to get the most accurate information from the website or from our 1-800 number. And I would imagine things do change. Can you give us that website and the number again? so we can make sure people have it. So if you visit red crossblood.org, there is a tab all about eligibility. You can also always call 1,800 Red Cross. You can also always stop in at a blood drive and speak to one of our staff members. They're incredibly knowledgeable and they can access information to find out for sure. And again, I would just encourage people to get the information. Don't just assume you can't. Many times, as you said, those deferrals change and they're temporary. Exactly. Things change. Medical advancements change for certainly over time. This is something connected to a segment that we'll be talking about next. We'll be talking about HIV and AIDS. We know there's been some advancement related to HIV and AIDS. Do you know if someone has HIV, for example, and it's undetectable in their blood? Is that person able to donate blood? So there have been some changes around that deferral. And again, I can't speak to the specifics, but I do know that there are some instances where you can give. And again, this would be something. where you would want to come talk to one of our health historians or visit the website to get more information. So say someone is aware that they definitely can donate or think that they might be able to donate and they want to check that out. How can people schedule an appointment to do that? We absolutely encourage appointments, especially right now, because we've seen so many people step up to give, which is wonderful. You can visit red crossblood.org and search by your zip code to find a blood drive near you. Here in northern Ohio, we run about 20 blood drives every single day. So there's a good chance there's one happening nearby. You can also...

visit, you can also call 1-800 Red Cross. And the Red Cross actually has a free blood donor app that you can download to your phone. It allows you to search for blood drives. You can make your appointment directly on your phone. You can actually put your donation card on your phone. So all you need is your phone when you go to give. Again, we do encourage appointments so that we can plan accordingly. But of course, if you just happen to be driving by and you see our sign, please consider stopping in and making a donation. About the Red Cross app. It's my understanding you can actually track your blood donation journey. Tell us about that, Christy. So I think the blood donation journey is the coolest part of the app. So you can actually watch in real time. You'll see your donation being processed actually here, right here in Cleveland at our main headquarters. It'll go through testing. It'll go through storage. At the end, you'll see it head out and you'll actually get a note saying, thank you. Your donation went to Cleveland Clinic to help a patient in need. Wow. That's very interesting. It's very cool. really nice, real-time reminder of the difference that you're making, that there really is a patient out there who is going to use that product and it's going to help them fight whatever they're facing. Sure. Are you able to tell us, Christy, you might not have the answer for this, but how quickly someone will go from donating to that blood being put to use to help save a life? So normally, it's a pretty quick turnaround, especially right now in this crisis. It takes about three days from the time you give to process that blood and prepare it for a hospital, but it's very... very rare that it's in on our shelves longer than that. So about three days from the time you give until it's headed out. Okay. We have a call now from Iva in Garethville. Iva, welcome to the sound of ideas. Please go ahead. I'm a regular donor. And I have been at it for, I think I'm at my 25th gallon or something like that. But I just want to urge anybody to stop it. It's not hard. It's not hard. And part of the problem is that the greatest generation, the World War II folks, who really were the backbone of the whole donation thing, they're dying off. There hardly any of them left. And somebody needs to step up and take their place. Thank you for sharing that with us, Iva. And congratulations on 25 gallons. Wonderful. I don't know off the top of my head how many gallons of blood we have in our body, but that sounds like a lot. That's amazing. So we have about, the average human body has about 16 pints. And so when you donate, you're giving one pint. So it's not a lot. And, you know, I agree. I think there are a lot of people who gave on a regular basis who maybe aren't able to give anymore. We do continue to see involvement from younger people. About 20% of what we collect comes from high schools and college students. Of course, that's what... usually hurts us in the summer is when they're not in school and they're not donating. But yes, this would be a great time. If you haven't given in a long time or you've never given, now is the perfect time to start the routine. And the Red Cross does offer incentives for people to donate, particularly in a time of crisis like this. Can you tell us about anything that might be happening right now? So we realize people are busy and we just want to say thank you for their assistance. When you come to give now through August 31st, you get a $20 Amazon E gift card in your email. Again, just a small thank you from the Red Cross for...

taking the time out to help and overcome this national crisis. Okay. We've got final question here in from Stephen. Stephen wants to know from walk in to walk out. How long does the donation process usually take? Christy? Usually takes about an hour from start to finish. You can save about 15 minutes by doing what we call our rapid pass, which is a way to answer your health history questions on the day of your donation before you come in. You can do that through the app that we talked about or also on our website. And again, more information at red crossblood.org. or the 1-800 Red Cross number. Okay, thank you very much. Christy Peters, Communications Director for the American Red Cross Northern Ohio region. We appreciate the time. Thank you. We're going to take a quick break now, and when we come back, we'll discuss advancements in HIV and AIDS treatment happening both internationally and here at home in the midst of U.S. cuts to funding. This is the sound of ideas. I'm Stephanie Haney. We'll be right back. You're with the sound of ideas from ideas stream public media. I'm Stephanie Haney. Thank you for staying with us. In 2019, during his State of the Union address, President Donald Trump called for the elimination of HIV transmission in the U.S. by 2030. Two years later, the United Nations adopted a similar declaration globally. But in 2026, those goals are facing significant challenges. In March of 2025, the Trump administration terminated a federal advisory committee on HIV prevention and treatment. By the end of the year, global government, HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment funding to low and middle income countries fell 25% as compared to 2024. That's according to KFF, a nonprofit organization dedicated to health policy research and health journalism. This February, the Trump administration rescinded $600 million in Center for Disease Control grants supporting HIV prevention and surveillance programs. Then in April, Trump announced plans to remove all members of the HIV-AIDS Presidential Advisory Council. Those changes came shortly after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services laid off more than 10,000 federal health employees. That's including staff working on infectious disease and HIV and AIDS. The U.S. set out to reduce new HIV infections by 75% by 2025, which would have brought the number of new cases down to about 9,300 annually. But the latest CDC data from 2024 puts the number of cases closer to 39,000 per year. So is the 2030 goal line still within reach? We'll look at that possibility today as we talk about the global impact of U.S. policy changes, funding, and advances in research and treatment. To help us with that, our guest is Asia Russell, Executive Director of Health Gap, the Global Access Project. Hello, Asia. Welcome to the Sound of Ideas. Hi, such a pleasure to be with you today. We appreciate it. If you would like to join this conversation, you can call us at 866-578-0903. You can also email us at S-O-I at ideastream.org or message us on Instagram at The Sound of Ideas. Now, Asia, tell us what is health gap and what your mission is in the fight against HIV-N-AIDS.

Health Gap is a global treatment and prevention advocacy organization dedicated to eliminating inequities in HIV and fighting for health justice for all people, no matter where they live. We actually got started back in 1999 before. powerful life-saving triple combination HIV treatment that was saving lives in the United States was even available in sub-Saharan Africa, even though that's where the vast majority of the pandemic was located. So we were founded then in order to struggle to deliver treatment to everyone in affordable forms. And we're still around today because the fight's not over. And in fact, as you mentioned, the second Trump administration is making things gravely worse for no reason other than political and policy choices. And the contradiction is this is coming at just the moment when science has delivered powerful new prevention tools, truly explosive innovations that should be transforming the response at home and abroad. But these series of cruel moves on the part of the Trump administration are throwing up hurdles just at the moment where we should be accelerating toward the finish line. Asia, we talked about several policy changes and several agency and program changes that have happened in the second Trump administration, which are directly in conflict with. The president's 2019 stated goal of eliminating HIV transmission in the U.S. by 2030. Another thing that has seen changes is the president's emergency plan for AIDS relief. This is known as PEPFAR. Can you tell us why that was established and its role over the past two decades leading up to this moment? PEPFAR was established in 2003 by the George W. Bush administration in response to pressure from activists in my organization and many other. organizations of people living with HIV from around the world, from South Africa, Brazil, Thailand, who are demanding that the wealthiest countries in the world take action in response to what we call then medical apartheid, the denial of access to affordable generic forms of HIV, triple combination therapy around the world. And to his credit, the Bush administration responded with not just a half measure, but the biggest response to any pandemic. the world had ever seen. And since that time, more than two decades ago, Pepfar has been

wildly successful. It's saved more than 26 million lives. And it's been one of the few things that's deeply and broadly supported, not just by taxpayers, but by Republicans and Democrats from across the political spectrum, which is why it's so astonishing that the second Trump administration is in direct contradiction with the first Trump administration and really engaging in. deadly sabotage of the life-saving prevention and treatment efforts that PEPFAR has been delivering steadily and surely. And we're so tantalizingly close to being able to defeat this pandemic in our lifetimes. That's why it's so important we draw attention to what the administration is doing, and we challenge everyone who cares about health security in the U.S. and around the world to really call on him to stop. It's pretty extraordinary. Republicans in Congress don't want the administration to be doing this, but they're not actually standing up and using their power of the purse to push back. You mentioned impoundment. So the withholding of PEPFAR funding as one of the weapons that the administration is deploying. And that's what's so astounding about this crisis that we're in. There are actually billions of dollars in unspent PEPFAR funds appropriated by this Congress. But Marco Rubio and Donald Trump are actually preventing them from being spent on time and in full. And these aren't just numbers. There are human consequences. There are people waiting in line for testing, for diagnosis, for prevention, and for treatment if they're HIV positive. And I'll give you just one example of what the human costs have been since the... stop work orders and the funding freezes of 2025 up till today, more than 77,000 children with HIV have lost their treatment. That's a shrinkage of the cohort of kids on antiretroviral treatment by 15%, one, five percent. Half of all of those kids, they're continuously denied treatment, will be dead before their second birthday. That's how quickly HIV moves through the body of a young person. And that's not all. Life-saving prevention programs have shrunk by 42%. Diagnosis has shrunk. initiation of new adults on treatment has also gone down severely. And these are the State Department's own data. So they know the human harms that they're carrying out. And what they're failing to do is to respond to our demands for simple common sense corrective actions. So we can continue in the bipartisan effort to defeat HIV in our lifetime.

Asia, you took part in a protest that was at the International AIDS Conference. That was recently during U.S. Global AIDS, during that U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Jeff Graham was speaking. That's when the protest happened. What message were you hoping to send at that moment? We led a protest of Jeff Graham, the head of PEPFAR and the U.S. delegation to the biennial International AIDS Conference, which was just held in Rio, because the U.S. government has been. more than any other actor responsible for unprecedented backsliding in the HIV response. And it's incumbent on us as advocates, but also as Americans, to challenge what's being done in our name. So we interrupted his address to delegates, and we chanted, we took over the stage, and we called out. what it is the administration is doing, and we demanded remediation. And I'll tell you, the response was overwhelming. Scientists stood up and applauded. They nodded their heads in agreement. They were thankful that activists and committed allies were actually telling the truth about the harms from the decisions that the State Department have been making. This protest, it wasn't only Americans, South Africans, Haitians, other directly impacted People from directly impacted countries were standing shoulder to shoulder with me. And I'll tell you, this administration is very vindictive when it comes to ordinary people willing to stand up and speak out and the bravery and the commitment. of people living with HIV is really something that needs to be held up and supported as a model. Because we know these kinds of attacks and this sort of pressure, it's unprecedented with HIV, but it's also taking place in other health areas and in other areas, like the attack on science. We can see that it's connected and we have to continue to push back. Asia, you had mentioned a moment ago that we are tantalizingly close to eliminating transmission of HIV. Can you tell us about some of the current advances in treatment and what has you hopeful right now as long as people can get access to those things? That's where the AIDS conference in Rio that was just held. had a stark contradiction on display. The scientific tools like a new twice-yearly injection called Lena Capovir, which is long-acting prevention called pre-exposure prophylaxis. So you take it.

before you are HIV positive or exposed. And Lena Capavir is so powerful as a long-acting medication that it's virtually 100% protective against acquisition of HIV, which is breathtaking to imagine if this tool could be deployed at scale to every vulnerable community who's in need. So that's giving so many people, so much hope. But that's in sharp contrast with the policy decisions that are holding back accelerated deployment. of this product. To give you a concrete example, the US is only permitting a small ration of Lena Capavir to be deployed in only a handful of countries, almost as if it were just for show, rather than deployed to the many millions of people, you know, 20 million people actually need this product. And that need could not be more acute because... the Trump administration's attacks on HIV programs particularly have affected prevention. So there's a lot of catching up to do. So that's where we are right now. We have tools that have never given people more reason to hope, whereas the preventable policy sabotage is standing in the way of deployment at scale. I mean, I'm still extremely hopeful. We know we can get out of this nightmare. It's astonishing and should be outrageous to all of your listeners, however, that we find ourselves. put in the situation because of the decisions of the Trump administration. There was that stated 2030 goal of ending HIV transmission in the U.S., effectively eliminating it. Asia, do you think it's still possible for that to happen at this point? And what would you like to see in order for this access to be given to the people who need it the most? The science shows us that... realizing the goal of ending AIDS in our lifetime as a public health threat is absolutely possible. remains up in the air is the timeline, the cadence, because we've never seen such a rapid retrogression. This is truly uncharted territory, that 25% reduction in available funding, not because of a cut, because again, that money is there. It's our money. It's been appropriated for this purpose. The administration is refusing to release it. So I think these are goals that are not...

high in the sky. They're imminently achievable. What is needed urgently is for the administration to stop its unfounded attacks on service provision, on science, on human rights, and to get back to the work, the bipartisan work of... fully obligating PEPFAR funds and saving lives all around the world, because that's what's morally, right? It also keeps Americans safer at home. So the good news is, These mistakes are correctable. The bad news is they never had to be made in the first place. But I still have hope. That's why I protested in Rio. If I didn't have hope, I wouldn't have bothered. We have hope because we know that the more that people understand that these decisions can be reversed and that they're not grounded in anything other than a... kind of cruel and unmoored politics, that people can increase pressure, protect PEPFAR, and rebuild and reconstruct the global HIV response. Asia, where can people go to find out more about the work of Health Gap, the Global Access Project? Right at our website, healthgap.org, that's h-e-a-l-t-h-gap.org. And there's so much for concerned advocates to do to save PEPFAR and to reconstruct life-saving global health program. So we welcome more hands to make light work of this generation defining crisis. Thank you for the time. Asia Russell, executive director of Health Gap Global Access Project. We appreciate it. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day. You as well. We're going to take a quick break now. And when we come back, we'll hear from Ideas Dreams, 2026 summer interns. As a new school year, quickly approaches for many of them. They'll reflect on their experiences and share the lessons. They'll carry with them into the next chapter. This is the sound of ideas. I'm Stephanie Haney. We'll be right back.

You're with the sound of ideas from Ideas Stream Public Media. I'm Stephanie Haney. Thank you for staying with us. Last week, we said goodbye to our summer 2026 cohort of interns here at Ideas Stream Public Media. Throughout the past three months, our nine interns honed their skills throughout our multiple departments, including news and marketing across digital radio and television. To learn more about our interns, what they accomplished here, their career aspirations, and what they took away from this experience, we brought them on the show. We heard from four interns last week, and today we'll hear from the remaining five. This conversation was pre-taped, so we can't take your calls right now, but we do welcome your questions and thoughts. You can email us at SOI at ideostream.org or message us on Instagram at The Sound of Ideas. Now here's our conversation. Joining me now, we have a cohort with us from our summer 2026 class of interns at Ideastream Public Media. I'll introduce you now. Grace Clackson, news intern and recent graduate at Ken State University. Hi, Grace. Hi, thank you for having me. Thanks for being here. Ben Geeson, WCLV intern, our classical station at Ideastream Public Media, recent graduate from Oberlin College. Hi, Ben. Hi there. We've also got Keira McGuire with us, our Sound of Ideas intern, a familiar face to us here on this team and rising senior at College of Worcester. Hi, Kiara. Hi, Stephanie. We've also got Sonia's story with us, digital content intern and recent graduate at Ken State University. Hi, Sonia. Hi, Stephanie. And T.J. Thomas, who spent some time with us on the Sound of Ideas as well from University School. That is a private all-boys college preparatory school. Hi, DJ. Hi, I'm happy to be here. very happy to have you here grace start us off by telling us a little bit about what you've worked on as a news intern here So one of my first projects was actually writing about Blimp Day in Akron. So that was really exciting because that's a new holiday in Akron. And I also covered the soapbox derby in Akron as well. So I got to ride in one of the box cars. That was really exciting. On the job experience. Exactly. Very vital. And I've definitely learned so much about the area. And it was really exciting to do man on the street interviews as well. kind of go out of my depth in that way. I'm typically behind the computer, not behind the camera, so that was exciting to learn. And we have a clip of one of your experiences with some of that on the street reporting. Let's see that now. You remember where you can go to work? Yeah, I'll walk into work. And my boss was there. He was watching his office. I wasn't closed him up. Tyree hits at three, and I hugged my boss. And that's very awkward at the moment. If I look back at that, I'm like, that was just such a genuine moment. Now, Grace, you talked about being behind the camera and behind the computer, but you had an experience there where you were actually on the camera talking with people. What was that like? It was a little nerve-wracking at first. It was also 90 degrees outside, so it was very warm.

It was really exciting to see people so passionate about Cleveland and to hear what they enjoyed about winning the Cavs Championship and coming up on the 10-year anniversary. Just seeing the passion of everyone in Northeast Ohio and seeing how much they love their community. I think that was one of the most exciting things and learning from that. And your particular news internship focused more on digital reporting. being out in the field rather than being in a studio necessarily. So can you tell us a little bit about what it meant to you to have that digital focus? Yeah, at first I was really nervous, I guess, to go out of my depth in terms of I'm very much used to digital focus, but... Yeah, it's definitely solidified my skills in terms of writing and reporting, and it's made me a much more comfortable reporter and journalist. And learning about the area, like I said, has been really helpful to that too, because I'm also not from Cleveland or from Northeast Ohio. So getting to know an area that's not totally mine is, it's made me a better reporter, I'd say. and yeah, strengthen my digital skills. And where are you from, Grace? I'm from just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Okay, well, we're glad that we were able to snag you for the summer of 2026. All right, let's learn a little bit more about your experience, Ben, with the classical music team. How did your love for the genre grow or transform potentially while interning for IDS dream? Good question. While working here, my main responsibility was conducting an update to their music library, so a very large database with all of the music that is both on rotation and not on rotation at WCLV. And while doing that, I not only gained experience as a technologist, an IT professional, but I also got to learn about the variety of repertoire that was actually in the database and how that you know, how that's used in programming. Did it introduce you to things that maybe you weren't familiar with before? I mean, just as far as my knowledge of classical repertoire, I feel like I've learned a ton. Almost every day I'll come across an entry in the database where I'll be like, oh, I've heard of this composer, but I haven't really listened to them. And that has inspired me to become more familiar with the genre. I have to mention my supervisor, John Mills, who has been a really great mentor, letting me sit in the booth with him almost every day and see firsthand how WCLV organizes their content, provides... quality classical music programming to Northeast Ohio. It's a big job. A lot of people rely on it. So thank you for your help with it, Ben. Of course. Now, Kiera, you worked for this show, The Sound of Ideas. We are so happy to have had your help this summer. Tell us about some of the segments that you've worked on. Sure. So I worked on around like six or seven.

segments in total and a lot of them were just about like things in like the greater Cleveland area like I worked on a segment for Juneteenth celebrations in Cleveland I worked on a segment about like nicotine use in young people And that was actually the first segment ever did. So it was like really, really cool to see like how everything works like behind the scenes for a show. I'd never done anything with like audio or broadcasting before. So to be able to learn how to script write and interview and all the behind the scenes with like audio. And like, you know, like visuals and things like that. I think that was really cool. Well, we've appreciated your help, as I mentioned, very much with the producing. Now, I hear you'll be the president of the student-run paper entering your senior year, the Worcester Voice. Is there anything particular that you think you've experienced here or learned here that you might take back to that role with you? Yeah, for sure. I think it's interesting because it's all, it's student run. It's all like print journalism. And we have a website, but there's no like audio components. There's not a whole lot of like images, I would say. So how to make and conduct a good interview, I think was so like monumental to that. We look forward to seeing more of your reporting there at the Worcester Voice. Sonia, you were part of the digital team. Tell us about the projects that you worked on this summer. So I worked on a couple of lists this summer. I did the food truck list, and then I did fun things to do around Northeast Ohio, and then I did some videography with a couple of other news interns, and then a bunch of videography for a bunch of the reporters here too. I did also take some photos for the Jazz Fest. That was my first time there, too. Okay, that's a big event that happens here right in the Playhouse Square area, right next door. Our neighbors at the Idea Center. So you mentioned you were out in the field. You were capturing footage of news events. Did any of that experience shape what you're looking toward for the future? Yeah, so I think... I've been very focused on photography for the majority of my college experience. So I think broadening it to, like, videography has, like, been a very, like, big impact, too, so. In motion versus instill. Yeah. Okay. Good to hear that. We're glad that you took something away from that, certainly. TJ, as the university school's intern, you worked with many departments in IdeaStream. Tell us a bit about what you got to do this summer and what you learned at the various departments. Yeah, absolutely. So the first two weeks I was here, I was with the Sound of Ideas team. I had the pleasure to work with them. And I got to work on a segment about burial alternatives that people can use. So I did a lot of research about them. I helped book some of the guests, and that came with doing pre-interviews and creating questions that they would potentially be asked on air.

I also learned how to call a screen. So in the morning, while the show was on, if a guest called in with a question or comment, I'd answer the phone and help make sure that they could speak their mind and their voice was heard. So then for the next two weeks, I was with the news team. And while I was with them, I learned what a reader is. And the best description I could give of that is a brief summary of what a news story is about with the intended purpose of hooking the audience's attention and hopefully making them. want to learn more. And then on a day-to-day basis, I was pretty much just surfing through reliable news sources and looking for interesting stories that we possibly want to report on. The week after that, I was with events and engagement. And while I was there, I got an awesome firsthand look at what goes into the event planning and the marketing team here at Ideastream. And just the way that they operate, I was also able to partake in the listening gauge boat project that we're working on here. I was able to go to the Strongsville branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library and talked to a lot of different people, explain to them what it is, and encourage them to participate. And now for the past two weeks, I've been with NewsDeb the show here for students at Ideastream. So I've been working on a segment about what to do when you find a straight pet and steps that you can take. So that's been really fun. I've been doing a lot of video and audio editing for that. I'm hoping to wrap that up here soon. And outside of that, I've also been able to work with some of the equipment. So learning how to use the teleprompter, the green screen, and seeing how to work some of the effects that appear in the show. So that's been fun. And I've even been able to travel a little bit. I went to Niles yesterday to help conduct an interview with the museum director of the William McKinley Presidential Library Museum. So I was behind the camera helping with the audio, making sure that was smoothly while she walked around and gave us a tour. So it's been a lot of work, but I've been having a lot of fun, and I've been able to work with so many great people in the process. You have been certainly very busy from the sounds of things hitting the ground running. One of the things you mentioned there are listen, listen, engage, vote initiative. I want to just mention for people if they may not be aware. That's where IDEA Stream Public Media has been going out to the public libraries around the area to literally listen to what our audience members want us to cover leading up to the midterm election that's coming up in November. So thank you for your help with me. at DJ. Grace, I'd like to ask you if your background working as an editor at the Kent Stater as you were at Kent State University, if you think that helps you with your time here at Ideostream. I absolutely think it helped. Not only did it hone my journalism skills and my reporting skills, but it made me very familiar with a lot of the technology that we use here and how to input stories for the web page and what to expect in terms of what is going to read best online and how to make your story read well. So I think that having that editor's perspective in terms of helping other people make their writing better was able to help me.

make the best writing that i could hear and also be very open to any critiques or advice that i got from people here as well being able to take constructive feedback is an important skill to have and i do think that this group of summer 2026 interns was able to do that and run with it and make the best of the situation from this side of the perspective grace you were also involved in the listen engage vote project can you tell us a little bit about what that was like for you that was really interesting i I did not anticipate people being so passionate about talking to Ideastream, and so many people that passed us were so familiar with Ideastream, even if they weren't familiar with the Listen Engaged Vote Project, they were willing to talk with us simply because they appreciated everything that we do for the area and our coverage. And I really enjoyed hearing what people are looking for from us and how to hone our reporting so that we can serve them the best. That was just really amazing to see people's passion. Ben, has this internship influenced what you want to do next now that you're a recent graduate of Oberlin? Definitely. So to begin with, this was my first and only experience in media, and I have to say, every part of it has been very enjoyable. Beyond that, it's been really great to stay close to music, the performing arts. Even though I don't have something in specific lined up after I finish IdeaStream, I will try my very best to stay involved with some kind of organization that supports the arts. Thankfully in Cleveland, there is really no shortage of organizations like that. I'm optimistic about what the future holds. And you hope to stay here in the Cleveland area. Is that your goal? That is the goal. Okay, good to know that. Kira, what do your future goals look like now that you've spent some time with us here on The Sound of Ideas? I think I never imagined myself going into a type of like radio programming or anything with broadcast before. But now that I've had all this experience, I really want to go into that, maybe more so than newspaper stuff. So I think I still have a couple options for the future. I don't know what's like where I'm going to go, like where I'm going to take on like my next adventures. But I think now I know so much about different types of journalism. So I think all this experience has been really helpful with figuring out what exactly I want to go into. Okay. Sonia for you, I know you already told us that you are maybe looking at video in a different way now that you've spent some time here. Anything else that you think you're taking away from the experience this summer? Definitely like a lot of. post-production. I really enjoyed doing a bunch of work on Premiere Pro and Photoshop this summer. And yeah. I went to journalism school to learn Premiere Pro, and it was incredibly valuable. So you're speaking to me with that one, Sonia. I'm glad that you were able to have the opportunity to do that. TJ, in what ways was this internship valuable to you as a high school student? so many, but if I could pick one in particular that stands out to me, it would be that I've learned a lot about clear and effective communication. You know, I mentioned the pre-interviews and doing the call screenings a little bit before. And being able to do those, I learned how to ask interesting questions, ask good follow-up questions. And with the call screenings, I mean, they weren't always the most pleasant. And I had a decent role in...

deciding whether or not they may be able to go on air. So being able to make those quick decisions was very effective for me to learn, and I know that's a skill that I can take out in the real world as I continue to get older. Do you think any part of what you've experienced here will have an impact on planning for potential college applications or where you might look to for that? Absolutely, yes. So I've always known that I wanted to go into media. Being able to be an intern here definitely has solidified that. So I know as I go into this college process and through this college search, that I'll definitely target schools that have programs that have multimedia journalism and broadcasting. And I know that'll make it so much easier. Okay. Well, this is the part where I ask each of you to give us a few words of advice that you might want to share with a future intern here at ID Stream Public Media. Grace, what would you like to say? I would say to not box yourself in based on what you think that you would most enjoy or what your experience would lend you to. Because when I put myself out of my comfort zone and tried to learn new skills, I found that I enjoyed them much more than I anticipated I would. I always imagined I would want to be someone behind the screens or editing or writing, but I've also enjoyed helping make videos for this and other digital content and broadcast content as well. put yourself out of your comfort zone and be willing to learn from the people around you. Right. Ben, what do you think? I think what Grace said was great. I want to echo that. I also want to say that if you are a high school student and college student who doesn't necessarily have one single trajectory as far as an area of study or an interest, I would encourage you to... follow multiple if that is what best suits you. Because more often than not in the professional world, it does not hurt to be a jack of all trades. And I believe that that is something that has positively impacted my experience here. Kira, advice for future interns. I like what Ben said. I kind of want to go off of that. I think, you know, I was really worried when I first came here because I didn't know. like so many things about journalism and like interviewing and like social media, things like that. And I learned that it's okay to not know everything at first in the beginning. And then like asking good questions and getting all that like shadowing experience was super helpful. So don't be afraid to like say you don't know something. We don't know what we don't know until we find out what we don't know. And then it comes to what you do next. Great advice there, Kira. Sonia, how about for you? I would say just be open to trying new things. I did a lot of different things that I would not have expected that I would have done, like, videography, and then I'm making my own, like, real tomorrow. So that's very exciting. So just be open. Okay. And TJ, for you. Yeah, mine is very similar to Sonia. It's going into this internship. There were a lot of things that I've now done that I had never thought that I would do or done before. So I'd say coming in here with that open mind and a perspective of I'm going to try as much as I can, I think helps make the experience so much more fun and enjoyable. And once you're done with it, you're going to be very satisfied with everything that you've accomplished. Well, we are very grateful for the help that we've had this summer from this cohort of interns. And know many of you off to exciting new adventures being recent graduates.

you have a little bit more of your story to write in the college sphere but no matter what you've touched ideas dream and we do appreciate what you've done here and it will make a difference moving forward thank you for your time grace claxon news intern and recent graduate of kent state university thanks for having me me thank you ben geese and wcelv intern and recent graduate at overland college thanks for having me on thanks to you kiera maguire a sound of ideas intern and rising senior at the college of lister thank you so much Very much thanks to you, Sonia Surrey, digital content intern and recent graduate at Kent State University. Thank you for having me. And also a thank you to you, T.J. Thomas, intern from university school, the private all-boys college preparatory school in the area. We appreciate it, T.J. Thank you. One more time on behalf of everyone here at IdeaStream Public Media, I would like to say a huge thank you to our 2026 class of summer interns for all of the help. If you want to check out some of their work, you can find their capstone video project where they created a guide for guests visiting the Idea Center. I got to make a cameo in that. That's on our website at ideastream.org slash about. slash directions to the idea center. And there are dashes between all of those words after that last slash there. If you missed any part of today's show, you can hear a rebroadcast tonight at 9 on 897 WKSU. You can also find every episode of The Sound of Ideas wherever you get your podcasts and on the idea stream public media YouTube page. To get the last word on today's topics, you can email us at S-O-I-Atideastream.org, and you can find us on Instagram. We're at The Sound of Ideas. Yesterday, we talked to endurance athlete Katie Spots, who aims to become the first American woman to row so low across the Pacific Ocean in hopes of bringing clean water to 100,000 people with the people who donate along her journey. David B. in Cleveland Heights wrote in, it's always great to hear from Katie Spots. One word that describes her is inspirational, both her physical ability and her commitment and message to issues of water access. I wish you a Pacific voyage, Katie. Thank you for those thoughts, David. We also wish Katie, tremendous luck on her voyage. We'll be checking in with her before she launches from Peru. If you want to keep up with her journey, you can go to her website, Katie spots with a z.com. Katie spots.com. That's spelled with a Z. Tomorrow on The Sound of Ideas, Ohio is a major recipient of fracking wastewater from oil and gas operations, particularly from states like Pennsylvania. Tomorrow, we'll talk about what this means and the environmental impact on Ohio's public lands. I'm Stephanie Haney. Thank you for keeping the conversation going. We'll see you tomorrow here on The Sound of Ideas. Support for WKSU is provided by the Cleveland Orchestra.

The music of John Williams. This Labor Day weekend, September 4th through the 6th at Blossom. Cleveland Orchestra, Doctor.