With tornado season approaching, severe weather preparedness is on many minds, even as central Oklahoma continues to recover from deadly storms almost a year ago. KGOU's special reporting project funded by CPB, Ahead of the Storm: The Oklahoma Tornado Project is planning a public forum on Wednesday, March 12.

Scheduled panelists include Rick Smith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Norman Forecast Office, and Harold Brooks, a researcher at NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory. We'll have more details on the time and place soon, but save that date and plan to join us for an informative exploration of storm safety.

 

While coverage of the Olympic games has given us stories of the athletes or the facilities in Sochi, Science Friday has been focused on the science behind the sports. SciFri reporters have told us the high tech secrets to creating the best curling stones and the fastest skating ice, using wind tunnels to train for ski jumping, and more olympic topics. Tune in tomorrow from 1 - 3 p.m. for Science Friday, now distributed by Public Radio International.

 

With the disastrous launch of the HealthCare.gov website, critics of the Affordable Care Act were given more fuel for the fire. Is this political hot potato's survival once again at stake? And is the medical community really on board with the law, or resisting (rewriting?) it from the sidelines? It's all up for debate on Intelligence Squared U.S., Feb. 23 at 12 noon on the Sunday Radio Matinee.

 

We've noticed a few recent news reports on our website that have gained lots of readers over the past week: StateImpact Oklahoma's coverage of the reported link between earthquakes and oil and gas activity has gained attention. And Governor Mary Fallin's proposal to cut income taxes and reactions to it have also topped the most-viewed list. Be sure to check out our archives for news reports you might have missed.

 

What's more American than apple pie? Anything with bananas. The U.S. Census Bureau says Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit, resulting in an image problem -- they've become so plentiful we take them for granted. NPR's Kitchen Window gives the ubiquitous banana its due with recipes featuring this delicious and nutritious tropical import.

 

The Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel is touring the United States for the first time ever and will come to Edmond's Armstrong Auditorium with Israel's premier violist, Avshalom Sarid. The orchestra will play classical favorites and a viola concerto by one of Israel's brightest contemporary composers on Feb. 27. Enter KGOU's drawing for a chance to win a pair of tickets.