Terry Gross

Former Black Panther Elaine Brown. Her new book, A Taste of Power, tells the story of her rise to the head of the Black Panther Party in the mid-70s and her later break with the Party.

AIDS researcher and pioneer Dr. Jerome Groopman. He is chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at the New England Deaconess Hospital, and director of an innovative AIDS program that combines clinical research and medical services to approximately 1000 HIV-infected people. As a cancer specialist, Groopman has been at the forefront of the battle against AIDS since the early 80s.

Loach was a member of the British "Free Cinema Movement" of the '50s -- which was committed to dealing with issues of the working class and lower-class of British society -- and he was a pioneer of the doc-drama of the '60s. His film "Cathy Come Home," about a homeless mother, aired on the BBC, created a scandal, and forced a public debate about the homeless in London. His latest film "Riff-Raff," about construction workers, is his first comedy.

Creator and CEO of the Cable Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN), Brian Lamb. He launched the network in 1979 to broadcast Congressional hearings and political events from beginning to end, so that audiences could get a full picture of what transpired. The channel provides hours of footage without commentary, editing, or government or corporate funding.

Baxter has a new novel, "Shadow Play," about a Faustian contract a man makes with a former classmate. Baxter has written several volumes of short stories. One reviewer writes, "Baxter is a master at creating loopy, poetic, and meaningfully unhinged psyches."

The L.A. based musician and performance artist fronted the punk-rock group, Black Flag. He's also the current leader of the Henry Rollins Band. His spoken word performances go back and forth between comedy and serious commentary. He has a new album of these performances, "Boxed Life," and a video, "Talking from the Box."

Chancellor of the New York City school system, Joseph Fernandez. He's been a controversial figure: he's made condoms available in the public schools, and approved a multicultural curriculum, called "Children of the Rainbow," that teaches respect for gays and lesbians. Fernandez is Puerto Rican and grew up in Spanish Harlem. He was a gang member and a heroin addict. Late,r he joined the Air Force, where he kicked the habit, and attended college on the G.I. bill.

Stiller is the son of the comedy team of Jerry Stiller & Anne Meara. He's acted in the Lincoln Center's revival of "House of Blue Leaves," and appeared in the films, "Fresh Horses," "Stella," and "Empire of the Son." He's got a new comedy show "The Ben Stiller Show," which grew out of his work as a writer-performer with "Saturday Night Live."

Terry talks to activists on both sides of the abortion debate:

1) Pro-choice activist Kathryn "Kitty" Kolbert. She is an attorney who argued against Pennsylvania's restrictive abortion law in the Supreme Court last year. This summer, she founded the Center for Reproductive Law And Policy to focus on reproductive rights world wide.

Two interviews in this segment:

1) Jean Hunt gives a grassroots perspective on abortion rights and accessiblity. Hunt is a registered nurse who has been an activist in the women's health movement since the late 60's .From 1988-1992 she was director of the Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center for Women in Philadelphia. She says that even if the federal government ensures the right to an abortion, local politics, health care economics and physician shortages make it difficult for women to get abortions.