Radio Times: Recent Episodes
WHYY
Radio Times is an intelligent talk show dealing with issues of the Delaware Valley, as well as issues of national and global concern. Radio Times is produced by WHYY in Philadelphia.
It’s easy to feel as if the world is falling apart. My new show, The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane, features wide-ranging conversations about the bonds that hold us together, the forces that drive us apart, the conflicts that keep us from exploring life’s possibilities and the qualities that make us unique and human. Listen to the trailer now and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts.
On "Radio Times" final hour, WHYY's Dave Davies talks with Marty about her start in radio, her 35 years hosting, and her new show, "The Connection."
Gas-powered leaf blowers are noisy, polluting and harmful to habitat. We'll discuss efforts to ban them in our region and why leaf litter is so important for the ecosystem.
A look at the negotiations and possible global action coming out of the UN climate summit and a leading climatologist on tackling climate change with optimism and agency.
Russian troops withdrew from Kherson last week, a major victory for Ukraine. We'll talk about what it signals about Russia's military and strategy and where the war is headed.
Action News' Jim Gardner joins us to talk about his decades on the air. Also, the CDC has updated guidelines for opioid prescription. And, innovation at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Ask Polly advice columnist Heather Havrilesky's book 'Foreverland,' an honest and savagely funny examination of modern marriage.
Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank discusses the election results and his new book, "The Destructionists," about how the Republican Party set the stage for Trump's rise.
Rebecca Soffer wished she had a handbook on how to grieve after losing her parents, so she wrote one. She joins us to share insights, exercises and tools for surviving loss.
We'll talk about the election results and the races still being tallied and what they tell us about the voters, the issues and where the country is headed.
Historian Andrew Diemer on William Still, a Philadelphia abolitionist who led hundreds of enslaved people to freedom. His new biography is "Vigilance."
Former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman talks about the moderate Forward Party. We say goodbye to the Phillies and Union this year. And, we rounded up the best of arts and culture.
A week into Musk's Twitter takeover and things are looking pretty chaotic. Musk assured people that it wouldn't become a "hellscape" but is that where it's headed?
Tensions are high as we near election day with dangerous political rhetoric and conspiracy theories swirling. Can our election system withstand the pressure?
Some teens admit to being addicted to their screens...but for this generation, phones and tablets are critical to daily life. The authors of a new book, Behind Their Screens.
Sports superstitions...do you have one? We also talk about restaurant reviews with Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan. And, has the pandemic changed our hand washing habits?
In this bonus episode, we talk about the social lives of old trees in the forest and research that has changed our understanding of trees and forest ecology.
Bram Stoker's tale of Count Dracula turns 125 this year. A look at the famous literature, its author, and the vampire panic in the 19th century spurred by deadly Tuberculosis.
We talk about the Phillies -- their National League championship, their path to the World Series, and their upcoming fight against the Astros.
We dissect Tuesday night's debate between John Fetterman and Mehmet Oz for the hotly contested Pennsylvania U.S. Senate seat.
Investigative journalist Rina Raphael on her new book, "The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop and the False Promise of Self-Care."
Proud Boys founder will visit Penn State. It's the last day to register to vote in PA's upcoming crucial midterms. And, artist Tanda Francis will sculpt Marian Anderson.
From the archives, our interview with Lindsey Fitzharris, author of 'The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I.'
Almost half of Americans struggle with sleep. We'll talk about the importance of sleep, why so many struggle with insomnia, and how to ensure you get a restful night.
An audit of the Philadelphia Police Department by the city controller details staffing shortages, slow 911 response times, outdated practices and benefit abuse.
Jake Tapper and his dad, pediatrician Dr. Theodore Tapper, question the conviction of C.J. Rice, a Philadelphia teen who went to prison in 2013 for attempted murder.
Greg Melville talks about his new book, "Over My Dead Body" on America's cemeteries, our changing burial practices and what they reveal about our history and who we are.
PMA organizers ratify a contract after three years of bargaining. Plus, Philly sports fanatics are amped up. And, Philadelphia Bee Company's Don Shump on lanternfly honey.
From the archives, Marty's interview with Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, for the 50th anniversary of her groundbreaking book.
The Jan. 6 committee voted to subpoena former President Trump. We'll discuss what we've learned from yesterday's hearing and the case against Donald Trump.
Journalist Mike Rothschild on his book, "How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and the Conspiracy Theory of Everything" and how QAnon has moved into the Republican mainstream.
Thousands of people with possession convictions will be pardoned, Biden announced Thursday. Some states push back, others have already made progress with decriminalization.
'Breathless' tells the story of the worldwide scientific quest to understand and trace the origins of Covid-19 and develop treatments to fight the deadly virus.
The city's ban on gun at rec centers and playgrounds is blocked by a judge. Also, the apology for the Holmesburg Prison experiments. And, time management guru Laura Vanderkam.
In this week's bonus hour of Radio Times, Marty speaks feminist activist, speaker and writer Gloria Steinem about her life, history, feminism and abortion access in the U.S.
In her new book, dog researcher Alexandra Horowitz 'keeps a lens on the puppy’s point of view, how they see and smell the world, make meaning of it, and become independent.'
With just a month away from the midterms, we discuss Pennsylvania's consequential U.S. Senate and Governor races -- the campaigns, polls, money, ads, and issues.
We discuss the women-led protests in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while detained by the "morality police" and the violent crackdown.
A treatment for Alzheimer’s may be on the horizon. And, the monarch butterfly's migration through South Jersey. Chief Kevin Bethel discusses the Roxborough HS shooting.
From the archive, Marty’s conversation with Sally Field where she discussed her life, career, memoirs and why acting was such a successful tool for overcoming trauma.
From the archive, Marty’s conversation with Sally Field where she discussed her life, career, memoirs and why acting was such a successful tool for overcoming trauma.
From the archive, Marty’s conversation with Sally Field where she discussed her life, career, memoirs and why acting was such a successful tool for overcoming trauma.
The tide appears to be turning against Putin in the war as Russian forces retreat. What will he do next?
The tide appears to be turning against Putin in the war as Russian forces retreat. What will he do next?
The tide appears to be turning against Putin in the war as Russian forces retreat. What will he do next?
We'll talk about President Biden's plan to end hunger by 2030 and discuss the high rates food insecurity in Philadelphia,
We'll talk about President Biden's plan to end hunger by 2030 and discuss the high rates food insecurity in Philadelphia,
We'll talk about President Biden's plan to end hunger by 2030 and discuss the high rates food insecurity in Philadelphia,
Slate's Dahlia Lithwick on "Lady Justice," about the heroic women lawyers who fought for the rule of law during the Trump era and on the new Supreme Court term.
Slate's Dahlia Lithwick on "Lady Justice," about the heroic women lawyers who fought for the rule of law during the Trump era and on the new Supreme Court term.
Slate's Dahlia Lithwick on "Lady Justice," about the heroic women lawyers who fought for the rule of law during the Trump era and on the new Supreme Court term.
Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James on their new book, "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing)."
Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James on their new book, "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing)."
Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James on their new book, "Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (And Adults Are Missing)."
The latest on your gut microbiome and how to keep it healthy. Plus, climate change efforts underway in New Jersey with the DEP commissioner, and ROCKY: The Musical is here!
The latest on your gut microbiome and how to keep it healthy. Plus, climate change efforts underway in New Jersey with the DEP commissioner, and ROCKY: The Musical is here!
The latest on your gut microbiome and how to keep it healthy. Plus, climate change efforts underway in New Jersey with the DEP commissioner, and ROCKY: The Musical is here!
From the Radio Times archive, our interview with polo star Kareem Rosser. He's hosting the first polo tournament in Fairmount Park today, the Philadelphia Polo Classic.
From the Radio Times archive, our interview with polo star Kareem Rosser. He's hosting the first polo tournament in Fairmount Park today, the Philadelphia Polo Classic.
From the Radio Times archive, our interview with polo star Kareem Rosser. He's hosting the first polo tournament in Fairmount Park today, the Philadelphia Polo Classic.
Record numbers of migrants are arriving at the southern border. Republican lawmakers are relocating some to Democratic states. Today - the politics of immigration.
Record numbers of migrants are arriving at the southern border. Republican lawmakers are relocating some to Democratic states. Today - the politics of immigration.
Record numbers of migrants are arriving at the southern border. Republican lawmakers are relocating some to Democratic states. Today - the politics of immigration.
Parenting changes once kids reach adulthood, but it's hard to figure out what a parent's role should be. Today, raising resilient adults and the risks of overparenting.
Parenting changes once kids reach adulthood, but it's hard to figure out what a parent's role should be. Today, raising resilient adults and the risks of overparenting.
Parenting changes once kids reach adulthood, but it's hard to figure out what a parent's role should be. Today, raising resilient adults and the risks of overparenting.
There's a lot of excitement around using psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment. This hour, the potential, risks and hype around psychedelics and mental health care.
There's a lot of excitement around using psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment. This hour, the potential, risks and hype around psychedelics and mental health care.
There's a lot of excitement around using psychedelic drugs for mental health treatment. This hour, the potential, risks and hype around psychedelics and mental health care.
Neil deGrasse Tyson writes, "Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion."
Neil deGrasse Tyson writes, "Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion."
Neil deGrasse Tyson writes, "Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion."
We'll talk about efforts to possibly impeach D.A. Krasner, a new play titled "Mushroom" premiering at People's Light, and Banned Books Week turns 40.
We'll talk about efforts to possibly impeach D.A. Krasner, a new play titled "Mushroom" premiering at People's Light, and Banned Books Week turns 40.
We'll talk about efforts to possibly impeach D.A. Krasner, a new play titled "Mushroom" premiering at People's Light, and Banned Books Week turns 40.
Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir, Shout, is a vulnerable and powerful reflection on our society failing victims, and a love letter to survivors of sexual assault.
Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir, Shout, is a vulnerable and powerful reflection on our society failing victims, and a love letter to survivors of sexual assault.
Laurie Halse Anderson's memoir, Shout, is a vulnerable and powerful reflection on our society failing victims, and a love letter to survivors of sexual assault.
Fall TV used to be a big deal with all the network premiers but streaming platforms changed that. This hour, how we watch television and what to watch.
Fall TV used to be a big deal with all the network premiers but streaming platforms changed that. This hour, how we watch television and what to watch.
Fall TV used to be a big deal with all the network premiers but streaming platforms changed that. This hour, how we watch television and what to watch.
The pandemic set off a rise in speeding that hasn't stopped. This hour, we discuss incidents of road rage and dangerous reckless driving posing a threat to commuters.
Gun violence in Philadelphia is at record levels. Residents are scared and angry. This hour, gun violence prevention - what works and what doesn't.
Gun violence in Philadelphia is at record levels. Residents are scared and angry. This hour, gun violence prevention - what works and what doesn't.
Gun violence in Philadelphia is at record levels. Residents are scared and angry. This hour, gun violence prevention - what works and what doesn't.
NY Times theater critic Jesse Green talks about the life, talent, accomplishments and authentic conversations with Mary Rodgers captured in her new memoir, 'Shy.'
NY Times theater critic Jesse Green talks about the life, talent, accomplishments and authentic conversations with Mary Rodgers captured in her new memoir, 'Shy.'
NY Times theater critic Jesse Green talks about the life, talent, accomplishments and authentic conversations with Mary Rodgers captured in her new memoir, 'Shy.'
New research shows microplastics throughout the Delaware River. Pandemic-born babies reach their toddler years. And, Penn Museum digs deeper into magical incantation bowls.
New research shows microplastics throughout the Delaware River. Pandemic-born babies reach their toddler years. And, Penn Museum digs deeper into magical incantation bowls.
New research shows microplastics throughout the Delaware River. Pandemic-born babies reach their toddler years. And, Penn Museum digs deeper into magical incantation bowls.
From the Radio Times archive, we visit our interview about Atlantic City's Steel Pier, dangerous animal stunts and the last diving horse in America.
From the Radio Times archive, we visit our interview about Atlantic City's Steel Pier, dangerous animal stunts and the last diving horse in America.
From the Radio Times archive, we visit our interview about Atlantic City's Steel Pier, dangerous animal stunts and the last diving horse in America.
Education reporter Anya Kamenetz on "The Stolen Year" about how we failed kids during the pandemic and the toll school closures had on their lives.
Education reporter Anya Kamenetz on "The Stolen Year" about how we failed kids during the pandemic and the toll school closures had on their lives.
Education reporter Anya Kamenetz on "The Stolen Year" about how we failed kids during the pandemic and the toll school closures had on their lives.
What you need to know about the new vaccines and when to get them. Also, how the Covid pandemic has impacted life expectancy in the United States.
What you need to know about the new vaccines and when to get them. Also, how the Covid pandemic has impacted life expectancy in the United States.
What you need to know about the new vaccines and when to get them. Also, how the Covid pandemic has impacted life expectancy in the United States.
How will the appointment of a "special master" impact the DOJ investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents?
How will the appointment of a "special master" impact the DOJ investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents?
How will the appointment of a "special master" impact the DOJ investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents?
This week, we revisit our 2014 interview with international tennis legend and champion for gender equality, Billie Jean King.
President Biden speaks from the birthplace of independence Thursday about the soul and future of American democracy - but who's he talking to, and did the message land?
Tennis icon Serena Williams faced an uphill battle with her sister, Venus, when she entered the game more than two decades ago. We look at her obstacles and many victories.
President Biden's plan to provide relief to borrowers of federal student loans has been met with celebration and condemnation. Too far, too little, overreaching and unfair?
A new book is written from the witty, sharp, sometimes self-indulgent perspective of our Milky Way galaxy, detailing what it's like to look down on tiny planet Earth.
A new garden opens in memory of victims of opioid overdose. Plus, Michael Nutter on what Philadelphians should expect from the city's next mayor. And, Eagles season kicks off.
In his 2017 book, Dan Rather asks, “when did we accept a can’t-do spirit from so many of our national leaders?” We revisit our interview from the Radio Times archive.
The war in Ukraine rages on, but the country's people are showing resiliency and fighting back in a way unpredicted by some. We discuss the past 6 months of Russia's invasion.
Philadelphia has a new school leader for the first time in a decade. Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington on the challenges facing kids and teachers in the district this year.
More companies are using surveillance software to track employees' work in the office and at home, monitoring keystrokes, mouse clicks and utilizing the webcam.
Major Thomas Schuman on his book, "Always Faithful: A Story of the War in Afghanistan, the Fall of Kabul, and the Unshakable Bond Between a Marine and an Interpreter."
Reimagining the infamously dangerous Roosevelt Boulevard. Plus, what's going on with hurricane season? And, we start with an update on the shake ups in city council.
Albert Woodfox died this month at the age of 75. In 2019, we talked about solitary confinement in US prisons and the mental and physical effects on incarcerated people.
As public school educators in the region get ready for another school year, we talk about learning loss, funding disparities, keeping students safe, and hopes for this year.
Former President Trump's legal problems are growing with the investigation into his mishandling of classified documents. We'll get latest on the Trump probes.
After the horrific attack on Salman Rushdie, we discuss the continued threats to free expression and why it's worth defending.
In her book, author Monica Guzman writes that we need to ask more questions of each other, to get fearlessly curious and reach the enlightening moment of understanding.
The latest on electric vehicles in the Inflation Reduction Act; dispelling myths about organ donation; and keeping your garden healthy and beautiful in extreme temperatures.
Listen back to our interview with Philadelphia's poet laureate, Airea D. Matthews, who was recently awarded $50,000 by the Academy of American Poets.
With Democrats poised to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, we look at what's in it, what got dumped and why, and how it may impact the economy, healthcare and climate change.
Journalist and author Mark Leibovich talks about his new book, "Thank You For Your Servitude," about the sycophants who enabled Donald Trump.
Some Philadelphia neighborhoods with few trees can be 15 to 20 degrees hotter than more leafy zip codes. As climate change heats up cities, how can we cool them down?
A historic shortage of judges holds up thousands of cases in New Jersey. A rare Revolutionary War discovery. Lesley Van Arsdall and NFL's Brian Westbrook's children's book.
NBA great Bill Russell died Sunday at the age of 88. He is remembered for being a leader on and off the court, fighting for social change. We revisit our 2001 interview.
John Fetterman is trolling Mehmet Oz on Twitter; PA Supreme Court upholds mail-in voting law; Doug Mastriano hasn't yet tried to appeal to the general electorate
From QAnon to Covid misinformation, people believe all kinds of bizarre conspiracy theories. But far from harmless, these beliefs can have serious real-world consequences.
Monkeypox cases in the U.S. tripled in July. We'll discuss the public health response, if it's enough and talk about the surge in Covid infections.
Kathy Kleiman on her new book about the ENIAC programmers, "Proving Ground: The Untold Story of the Six Women Who Programmed the World’s First Modern Computer"
We'll talk about the controversial book review policy passed by Central Bucks' school board Tuesday. And, a proposal for a 76ers arena is met with mixed reaction by neighbors.
From the archives: Norman Lear, who turned 100 this week, joined us in 2014 to discuss his early life, influences and his memoir, Even This I Get to Experience.
Jody Rosen, author of "Two Wheels Good," on the history of the bicycle and how it shaped the world - Victorian suffragettes, Bangladeshi rickshaw drivers, and urban yuppies.
We'll talk about the ever-changing, impossible body image standards for men and women of all ages, and how we can feel more confident about ourselves and the way we look.
Journalists Douglas Frantz and Catherine Collins expose the danger open-net salmon farming poses to fish, the environment and human health in "Salmon Wars.'
We talk with Dr. Paul Offit about the increase in Covid-19 cases and the debate over more boosters. Plus, beating the extreme heat: tips from a Temple Health physician.
From the Radio Times archive, we revisit Marty Moss-Coane's interview with Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner on her musical talent and memoir, Crying in H Mart.
We discuss Thursday night's Jan. 6 hearing and the evidence of Trump's 'dereliction of duty' during the 187 minutes the rioters stormed the Capitol.
As heat waves and wildfires threaten the U.S and Europe and climate action in stalls in Congress, President Biden takes executive actions on climate. But is it enough?
Pa's Republican-controlled legislature is already clearing hurdles in the abortion battle. We'll discuss the political avenues being tested and the emerging legal conflicts.
Susan Cain discusses her new book, "Bittersweet," about the power of the overlocked emotion that allows us to feel sad and happy simultaneously.
Actor Richard Thomas stars as Atticus Finch To Kill A Mockingbird. Plus, we talk about sunscreen safety and the fight for abortion rights in PA politics.
Malcolm Nance warns of the rise in violent extremism and the threat it poses to American democracy. And we talk about his experience fighting for Ukraine against Russia.
The Webb Telescope is allowing us to look back further into our past than ever before and revealing distant galaxies. exoplanets, cosmic cliffs, dying stars and much more.
The seventh Jan. 6 hearing alleged that in a last ditch effort to hold on to power, former President Trump summoned a mob of right-wing extremists.
In "Why We Did It", Tim Miller gives an honest reflection his own past work for the Republican Party and the actions of his former peers in the GOP establishment.
Everything you need to know about Monkeypox right now. Also, the struggles facing NJ produce farmers, and we talk about a Library Company mental health exhibition.
How is our personal data tracked, collected, used and sold? How might law enforcement and abortion opponents use it post-Roe?
Gun violence researchers discuss how effective new federal gun legislation is and NJ Acting Attorney General Platkin talks about the state's new firearm safety package.
Decreasing energy supply and increasing global demand have led to record high energy prices. Can we meet our energy needs without accelerating climate change?
Sweating is a weird biological function. Journalist Sarah Everts walks us through her taboo-busting book about the shame, stink, and strange science of sweating.
With the end the Supreme Court's controversial term, we look at decisions overshadowed by the abortion ruling and where the Court's conservative majority is heading.
In the immediate aftermath of overturning Roe v. Wade, a look at the abortion debate, access to reproductive healthcare and the challenges for pregnant people turned away.
We discuss former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson's explosive testimony before the select committee about the former president's knowledge and actions on Jan. 6.
The ramifications of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on reproductive health and the legal and political battles it has ignited around abortion.
SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade; Valerie Biden Owens on her new memoir about her political career and sibling relationship with President Biden; busy week for Philadelphia sports
We discuss Thursday's Jan. 6 hearing about former President Trump's efforts to use the DOJ to help him overturn the election results.
Looking at the cultural and legislative shifts surrounding the visibility and representation of queer and trans folks and all LGBTQIA+ people in America today.
Tuesday's Jan. 6 hearing showed the extreme pressure that Trump and his cronies launched against state election officials and workers to try to overturn the results.
In The Secret Life of Secrets, Michael Slepian reveals how secrets impact our minds, relationships and more, and gives strategies to make them easier to carry around with us.
A new mental health hotline expected to roll out; carriage horse protesters back on the street; we remember Dr. Fred Simeone who passed away at the age of 86.
As the anniversary of the Watergate scandal falls between two Jan 6 committee hearings, we look back at history, American perception of the presidency and what's changed.
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates a surprising .75% to try to tame record high inflation. Is it too little, too late? And will slowing inflation trigger a recession?
Some employers are demanding remote workers return to the office but a majority want to stay at home. Lessons from remote and in-person work this hour.
The second Jan. 6 hearing showed former President Trump was told repeatedly there was no election fraud but still pushed 'the big lie' in an attempt to overturn the election
What did we learn from last night's Jan. 6 select committee hearing about the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, the attack on the Capitol and who is culpable?
Lindsey Fitzharris on the work of Harold Gillies, whose innovative plastic surgery techniques mended the maimed and broken faces of WWI soldiers.
After Saturday's mass shooting in Philadelphia, Police Commissioner Outlaw and three anti-gun violence advocates talk about how to make Philly streets safe.
Sociologist and author Elijah Anderson joins us to discuss his new book, 'Black in White Space: The Enduring Impact of Color in Everyday Life.'
A mass shooting on South Street; McCormick concedes the GOP primary race for the Senate; WHYY's latest podcast, "March On: The Fight for Pride"; gambling addiction rises in PA
Rebecca Soffer, co-founder of the Modern Loss website and community, shares tools, exercises, thoughts and practical advice for grieving in "The Modern Loss Handbook."
America is awash with guns but unable to pass policies that make citizens safer. How are beliefs about guns and the Second Amendment derailing the gun safety conversation?
Airline and rental cancellations, hotel prices spiking-- as the world still grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic. What to know about summer travel and preparing for the worst.
College enrollment is declining and tuitions are rising. More young people are questioning the value of college and the broken admissions process.
On this Memorial Day episode of Radio Times: Legendary sports broadcaster Ray Didinger and Sheryl Lee Ralph's iconic performance in Abbott Elementary.
Ecologist Douglas Tallamy says should turn our lawns into wild oases for native plants and animals. Also, protecting urban gardens and turning vacant lots into greens spaces.
A Texas elementary school, a Buffalo supermarket. many Americans feel resigned to mass shootings. But "Trigger Points" author Mark Follman says we need to focus on prevention
How do we come to terms with the threat of Covid? Can we return to normal life? Also, what you need to know about the monkeypox outbreak?
Washington Post reporters Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa on their book, "His Name Is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice."
Chef Peter Serpico on his new cookbook, Learning Korean. WHYY's Sophia Schmidt on benzene levels at the PES refinery site. And, a Jefferson expert on the future of telehealth.
Author Haroon Moghul explores the history and future of Islam, his relationship to it and his vision for a more modern Muslim faith.
The suspected gunman that killed 10 Black Americans in Buffalo was inspired by white supremacist and racist ideology. How do we counter violent far-right extremism?
A look at Tuesday's primary election in Pennsylvania: what do we know so far? Any surprises? What do the results mean as the 2022 general election looms?
Families are facing higher prices on food, gas, goods and services. It's become the top concern for Americans. So what can be done to rein in inflation?
We talk with health equity hero Ala Stanford; a new exhibit at Winterthur showcases Jackie O.'s White House TV tour; heated PA primary elections are on Tuesday
Author Jude Stewart on smell, the least understood of our five senses. And, what we know so far about Covid-19 and loss of scent...some people aren't bouncing back.
Talking about scores of anti-LGBTQ legislation. Think: Florida's so-called "don't say gay" law and Alabama's ban on gender-affirming health care.
Want to be more creative? NYT journalist Matt Richtel, author of the new book, "Inspired," explains creativity is in our DNA --- and the best ways to nurture it.
The leaked draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade has shaken confidence in the Supreme Court. We'll look at falling public trust, secrecy, and politicization in the court.
PA senate and gubernatorial candidate reactions to the SCOTUS abortion draft leak; Philadelphia police officer faces murder charges; the rise in gardening during the pandemic
Journalist Nicholas Confessore discusses his three part series about conservative media 'icon' Tucker Carlson's rise to cable television supremacy.
Elon Musk wants to put his free speech absolutism to the test on Twitter. What will that look like in practice when all the rules and content moderation are removed?
In a leaked draft opinion, the Supreme Court conservative majority vote to overturn Roe v. Wade. If The finalized, what will this mean for reproductive rights?
Stewardesses 60s and 70s could only be single, childless, and attractive women. Nell McShane Wulfhart talks about how stewardesses organized to change these sexist policies.
A damaging new report on child welfare in Philly; opening up our closed primary election system to over a million voters; NJ works to preserve the Atlantic white cedar tree
Marie Yovanovitch on Russia's war in Ukraine, her memoir "Lessons from the Edge," and the Trump-Ukraine scandal that embroiled her.
Microplastic particles are in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breath. What risk do the chemicals in plastic pose to human health?
Anthea Butler examines the racist roots and beliefs of the American evangelical movement in her new book, ‘White Evangelical Racism’
"Free returns" policies have made online shopping too good to resist, but an estimated 25% of merchandise never makes it back to the shelf, often ending up in landfills.
Gun violence increases in Philadelphia, recreational cannabis is legal in New Jersey, a story of resistance to the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII
Are you a reality TV fan or too embarrassed to admit it? Sociologist Danielle Lindemann celebrates reality TV and says it provides a window into who we are as Americans.
Russia says it's entering a new phase of war, focused on capturing Ukraine's Donbas. We look at the military forces, strategies, tactics, weapons and where the war is headed.
Philly reinstated an indoor mask mandate, a federal judge struck down the mask mandate on planes, trains, and public transportation, and COVID infections are climbing.
We discuss the public shaming on social media, where one tweet or post can make you the subject of humiliation by millions of people and end your career in an instant.
The controversial mask mandate begins Monday; a powerful tranquilizer making drugs more dangerous for those with substance use disorder; save Atlantic Sturgeon in the Delaware
Reckless driving, like super-speeding, zooming through red lights, and riding highway shoulders is on the rise – and incidents of road rage appear to be increasing, too. Vehicle accidents, especially fatal ones, have actually declined over the past several decades, but in the last two years, the Covid-19 pandemic has made things worse again. As so many employees in the U.S. resume their usual commutes to work, and the warmer months bring more pedestrians and cyclists to the streets, what can we do about uncontrollable drivers? We’ll discuss exactly why the pandemic was so bad for traffic safety and talk about how to make roads safer for everyone.
Guests Nichole Morris, Director of the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota
Jake Nelson, Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy & Research for AAA
In his latest book, Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist, Frans de Waal dives head-first into the topic of gender and challenges traditional assumptions about why and how men and women are different. Drawing on decades of observation and study of human and animal behavior, he uses chimpanzees, a male dominant species, and bonobos, a female-led pacific society, to explore the traits many of us recognize as uniquely ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’. In doing so, he asserts that biology doesn’t necessarily support the roles we assign to each and raises fundamental questions about humanity. He joins us to talk about his book and research, and what we can learn about sexuality, friendship, cultural gender roles and nurturance.
Frans de Waal is Professor Emeritus of Primate Behavior at Emory University, former director of Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and the author of many books
Pennsylvanians will head to the polls May 17th for what is being called one of the most consequential primary elections in the country. Senator Pat Toomey’s retirement after more than a decade is leaving an open seat that could ultimately determine which party wins majority in the Senate next year. In the race for governor, Democrats across the Keystone State are hoping to keep their party in office with the election of lone candidate Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. On the GOP side, it’s a crowded field of candidates and no clear frontrunner, with recent polls showing almost half of registered Republican voters as undecided. On this episode of Radio Times, we’ll talk Pennsylvania politics and the primary election: the candidates, the endorsements, the fundraising and where they land when it comes to the issues most important to their Democratic and Republican voters.
Guests: John Baer, Columnist for Patriot News/Pennlive
Chris Borick, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion
Katie Meyer, political reporter for WHYY News
Recent CDC studies found the pandemic has significantly harmed adolescent mental health. In one survey, 4 in 10 teens reported feeling “persistently sad and hopeless” and in another, 55% reported suffering emotional abuse and 11% physical abuse at home. Even before COVID, mental health problems were rising among young people, with increasing rates of depression, suicidality, alienation, and anxiety.
This hour, we discuss the factors behind the teen mental health crisis and how to help youth cope and heal.
Guests Dr. Kathleen Ethier, Director of the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health (@ethierka) (@CDCgov)
Dr. Emily Becker-Haimes, Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and Clinical Director of the Pediatric Anxiety Treatment Center at Hall Mercer (PATCH) program (@PennCMH)
Dr. Rhonda Boyd, psychologist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (@RhondaBoydPhD) (@ChildrensPhila)
We Recommend The New York Times: Many Teens Report Emotional and Physical Abuse by Parents During Lockdown “These data really confirm that we are in a severe crisis in terms of mental health among young people, particularly among female students and students who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.”
NBC News: Teens faced emotional abuse at home during the pandemic, CDC finds “These data echo a cry for help…The COVID-19 pandemic has created traumatic stressors that have the potential to further erode students’ mental wellbeing.”
NPR: Two years ago schools shut down around the world. These are the biggest impacts “Schools provide food, safety, relationships, stability and hope for most children around the world…school closures tend to take place in the context of massive social upheaval. The pandemic was no exception.”
For the seventh time in two years, the Biden administration is allowing student loan borrowers to freeze their payments until August 31, 2022. Student debt activists say the extension doesn’t go far enough. Instead, they’re calling on the administration to institute an overall student loan forgiveness program that would cancel over $1.6 trillion in loans and restore those who have defaulted to good standing. We get reaction to the announcement from Villanova University assistant professor JALIL BISHOP who studies college affordability for Black students.
Then, a team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania investigated ways to treat inflammation with hormone testing on obese mice but got a big surprise when the rodents lost tons of body fat – rapidly – by ‘sweating’ it out. We’ll talk about the research that led to these shiny-coated mice and what it could mean for the future of treatment for obesity-related illnesses and more with RUTH CHOA and TAKU KAMBAYASHI. And, we revisit our interview with MIN JIN LEE, author of the New York Times bestseller Pachinko, which tells the story of a Korean immigrant family as they experience the troubled history of legal and social discrimination in Japan. The book inspired a popular new drama series by the same name, now streaming.
FRAN LEBOWITZ has been called many things: satirist, misanthrope, pop-culture icon, iconoclast, humorist. She was profiled recently in Martin Scorsese’s HBO documentary, Pretend It’s a City,where she opines about absolutely everything. In March, Marty sat down for an interview with Fran Lebowitz before a sold-out crowd at Merriam Theater in Philadelphia. On Friday’s show, tune in for that conversation when Fran shares her thoughts about bookstores, Vladimir Putin, rats, NATO, being old and her friendship with Toni Morrison.
And Thursday afternoon in a 53-47 vote, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the Supreme Court, becoming the first Black woman to serve as a justice on the high court. University of Pennsylvania law students, CHAYLA SHERROD and SIMONE HUNTER-HOBSON join us to share their thoughts about what Judge Jackson’s historic confirmation means to them.
Philadelphia has a huge illegal dumping problem, with piles of trash, construction waste, and furniture covering vacant lots and even hiding in wooded areas, and residents say the city is not keeping up with the constant daily influx of garbage. The problem has existed for decades, especially in Black and Latino communities and areas with high rates of crime and poverty.
A new street sweeping initiative aimed at clearing litter off local roads and out of gutters is about to roll out, but will it be enough to address the blight of waste in the streets? And, if the city can afford it, will more cameras, harsher fines and a bigger effort to target high-impact zones be strong enough to stop illegal dumpers?
Guests Terrill Haigler (aka ‘Ya Fav Trashman’), Former Philadelphia sanitation worker, founder of the nonprofit Trash 2 Treasure and environmental advocate
Kyle Lewis, Recycling Program Director & Chair of the Cleaner Public Spaces Enforcement Committee of the City of Philadelphia
Meir Rinde, freelance journalist who reports for WHYY and Billy Penn
We Recommend Billy Penn “Philly’s big illegal dumping problem: Residents are furious as the city picks up more trash, catches fewer perpetrators”
WHYY “They don’t care enough about my kid’: Philly parents disgusted by rampant schoolyard trash“
On this special edition of the Radio Times podcast, we revisit Marty Moss-Coane’s 2016 conversation with Bobby Rydell. He was a part of the crop of young rock stars who emerged from South Philadelphia in the 1950s, and joined us to talk about his life, his music, and his hair. The teen idol was known for his hits ‘Wildwood Days,’ ‘Volare,’ ‘Swinging School,’ among many others, and appeared in the movie ‘Bye, Bye, Birdie’ with Dick Van Dyke and Ann Margret in 1963. Rydell passed away yesterday at the age of 79.
More horrific photographs and footage are emerging from Ukraine, including many images from the town of Bucha after the recent Russian withdrawal. Ukraine authorities say the bodies of 400 civilians have been found, some in mass graves, others killed on streets and in backyards, many with their hands bound behind their backs. Evidence of Russian war crimes like the killing and torture of the Ukrainian people is mounting. President Biden called Putin a “war criminal” and said these atrocities should be prosecuted. But Russia has denied the allegations, even suggesting that the images coming out of Ukraine are “staged performances.”
This hour, we discuss the role of graphic photos and videos in documenting the reality of the war and alleged war crimes. And we look at how to hold Putin and other leaders accountable for this depravity? We talk with a former war crimes prosecutor who tried former Liberian President Charles Taylor, about what constitutes a war crime, how to build a case, and how to hold a leader criminally responsible
Guests Lynsey Addario, Photojournalist who has been covering the war in Ukraine for the New York Times. She’s the author of It’s What I Do and Of Love and War. @lynseyaddario
Barbie Zelizer, Raymond Williams Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for Media at Risk at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. @bzelizer
David Crane, Founding Chief Prosecutor for UN Special Court for Sierra Leone (which tried former Liberian President Charles Taylor) and a Distinguished Scholar in Residence, Syracuse University College of Law; and the Founder of Global Accountability Network.
Read more The New York Times, Photographing the Reality of War -“I often focus on civilians and women and children because for me, those are the victims of war because they’re not participating in the fight, they’re just the innocent victims…”
NBC News, Horrifying images from Ukraine spark renewed calls for war crime investigations -Ukrainian officials have compared the scenes in Bucha and nearby towns to historic atrocities committed during World War II and in Bosnia in the 1990s.
PBS/AP, How Would Those Accused of Ukraine War Crimes Be Prosecuted? – “The bottom line is this is medieval warfare in the Ukraine. It’s precisely the sort of warfare that the laws of armed conflict were designed to prevent,” said David Crane, a veteran of numerous international war crime investigations.
Filmmaker KEN BURNS’ new two-part series, Benjamin Franklin, premieres this week on WHYY and PBS. Ahead of the docuseries release, Marty spoke with Burns, alongside WALTER ISAACSON, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, and ERICA DUNBAR, professor of history at Rutgers University. Today, we listen to their conversation about Franklin, his influence on the American Revolution, including his diplomacy and his insertion of “self-evident” into the Declaration of Independence, his relationship to slavery and his family. We’ll hear clips from the film that were aired during this virtual event last week.
President Biden on Wednesday received his second booster shot after the FDA authorized a fourth coronavirus vaccine dose for Americans older than 50. But much of the medical community remains divided on the research behind the necessity, the purpose of another shot, how it could impact the immune system and the potential risks. We’ll talk with PAUL OFFIT, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and member of the FDA’s COVID Vaccine advisory panel.
And, a Villanova University scientist has discovered a fascinating lizard fossilized in amber dating back more than 110 million years. The “Lizard King”, AARON BAUER, has identified more reptiles than any other living scientist, and joins us to discuss the incredibly rare find.
But first, New Jersey’s single-use plastic bag ban goes into effect in just a month, with some extensions given to food pantries and small grocers in low-income areas. Is the bag ban a necessary step toward a new culture of sustainability? We’ll talk with ANJULI RAMOS, New Jersey State Director for The Sierra Club.
While our eyes are turned to the ongoing devastation in Ukraine, it’s easy to forget another crisis – climate change. President Biden released his budget proposal this week, and in it was $44.9 billion directed at the climate crisis, at home and abroad. Clean energy was a big focus, with rising fuel costs and the war in Ukraine making energy independence and renewable energy more salient. While Congress gets the final word on which items get funded, the administration made clear that tackling climate change remains a priority.
We start this hour with discussing what’s in the budget for climate, and what may or may not make the final cut. Then, we’ll get an update on the latest science, Americans’ views on the issue of climate change and the challenge of motivating people to act.
Guests Coral Davenport, The New York Times’ energy and environment reporter @coralmdavenport
Jennifer Francis, acting deputy director and senior scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center @jFrancisClimate
Naomi Oreskes, professor of the History of Science and Earth and Planetary sciences at Harvard University @naomioreskes
Read more The New York Times, Here’s what Biden’s budget would do, and not do, for climate change – In its $5.8 trillion budget request for fiscal year 2023, made public on Monday, it includes nearly $45 billion for several federal agencies to tackle climate change.
BBC, IPCC report warns of ‘irreversible’ impacts of global warming – Over 40% of the world’s population are “highly vulnerable” to climate, the sombre study finds. But there’s hope that if the rise in temperatures is kept below 1.5C, it would reduce projected losses.
Scientific American, IPCC, You’ve Made Your Point: Humans Are a Primary Cause of Climate Change – It’s time to redirect your major focus to how we deal with the problem
Text messages between Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows came to light last week. Following the 2020 election, Thomas sent 29 texts urging Meadows and aides to not let former President Trump concede the election and referenced many ‘Stop the Steal’ conspiracy theories. Thomas has also acknowledged attending the January 6th rally that preceded the Capitol attack. These revelations about the direct communication between Thomas and the White House about efforts to overturn the 2020 election have raised serious questions about Justice Thomas’ failure to recuse himself from election related cases.
CBS News’ ROBERT COSTA, who first reported on Thomas’ messages, joins us to talk about what the texts reveal and the ethical issues they raise. And, we’ll ask him about another story he broke this week: over seven hours of former President Trump’s phone call log on January 6, 2021 are missing.
Then, we’ll turn to the issue of judicial ethics and look at why there aren’t firmer rules about recusal for Supreme Court Justices. New York University Law School’s STEPHEN GILLERS joins us.
Read more The Washington Post, Jan. 6 White House logs given to House show 7-hour gap in Trump calls – The House select committee is now investigating whether it has the full record and whether Trump communicated that day through back channels, phones of aides or personal disposable phones, according to people familiar with the probe
The Washington Post, Virginia Thomas urged White House chief to pursue unrelenting efforts to overturn the 2020 election, texts show – In messages to Chief of Staff Mark Meadows in the weeks after Election Day, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas called Biden’s victory ‘the greatest Heist of our History’ and told him that President Donald Trump should not concede
The New Yorker – Legal Scholars Are Shocked By Ginni Thomas’s “Stop the Steal” texts – In an e-mail reacting to the texts, Gillers concluded, “Clarence Thomas cannot sit on any matter involving the election, the invasion of the Capitol, or the work of the January 6 Committee.”
A recent study says symptoms of hoarding disorder significantly worsened over the last two years, mainly because of the stress the pandemic had on our daily lives, and the extra time spent at home. Maybe you started a new collection as a distraction or feel like you can’t part with sentimental items because of the uncertainty caused by Covid-19. What keeps us holding onto clutter, why do so many Americans feel overwhelmed by the amount of disorganized “stuff” bursting from their closets and junk drawers, and how can we learn to comfortably downsize?
Are you ready to let go of your clutter – for good?
Our guest is Matt Paxton, downsizing & cleaning expert, featured cleaner on A&E’s Hoarders, host of the Emmy-nominated PBS series Legacy List, and author of, most recently, Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff: Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life (@iammattpaxton)
He joins guest host Malcolm Burnley to talk about letting go of the material things that keep us bogged down, so that we can live happier, healthier, and more productive lives, free of the messes that often take up so much room in our brains.
We Recommend Philadelphia Inquirer Hoarding increased during the pandemic. Stress, isolation, and lack of visitors could be why. “For those with hoarding disorder — a clinical diagnosis that includes an extreme reluctance to part with items and a level of accrual that renders living spaces unusable — the pandemic was a perfect storm.”
The Washington Post How downsizing expert Matt Paxton helps Americans sort through their stuff “[Paxton] has sorted through a collection of 1,000 dolls and dealt with 300 cats. He has cleared paths through rooms with horrible stenches and picked through mold, dead rodents and worse.”
Legacy List with Matt Paxton is a compelling one hour series about our homes, the hidden treasures, heirlooms and the precious memories attached to those items. As millions of Baby Boomers downsize their own homes or settle the estates of family members, they will discover the most important museum in the world is in their family home. WHYY-TV viewers can find it on the PBS app.
Pulitzer-prize winning playwright QUIARA ALEGRIA HUDES grew up in West Philadelphia in a Puerto Rican and Jewish family. At home and in her neighborhood, she juggled three languages – Spanish, English and Spanglish – and her Latino and white identities. In her memoir, My Broken Language, she talks about finding her voice in the sea of languages, the powerful women in her family that inspired her and her path to writing.
We talked with Hudes about her collaboration with Lin Manuel Miranda on the Tony-winning musical “In the Heights,” brought to life as a feature film in 2021. [This episode originally broadcast May 18, 2021]
On today’s Regional Roundup, we’ll talk with WHYY PlanPhilly reporter AARON MOSELLE (@awmosell) about developments in the corruption trial of Philadelphia City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson, who’s accused of accepting bribes from a real estate developer, allegedly concealed as payments to his wife’s consulting firm.
We’ll also hear from New Jersey Congressman ANDY KIM (@AndyKimNJ), who formerly served at the U.S. State Department and White House National Security Council. He joins us to discuss the latest in Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the recent confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Justice nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
And, March Madness is heating up, with Villanova University moving to the Elite Eight – and the surprising story of the St. Peter’s Peacocks. We’re joined by Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist MIKE SIELSKI (@mikesielski)
NATO allies, EU leaders and G7 representatives met in Brussels on Thursday for emergency summits on Russia’s war with Ukraine. Nations agreed on more sanctions against Russia, and more military aid to Ukraine, increasing NATO presence in some Eastern European countries and humanitarian help. Biden announced that the United States will accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. At the post-NATO meeting press conference, President Biden explained that Putin was “banking on NATO being divided,” but the alliances are stronger than ever.
This hour, we’ll discuss the meetings in Brussels, where the war stands, and if there is anyway to constrain Putin. And we’ll talk about the difficult choices that lie ahead, including how NATO would respond if Putin uses chemical or nuclear weapons.
Guests Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a U.S. Republican Representative serving Pennsylvania’s 1st district. He co-chairs the Congressional Ukraine Caucus, recently visited the Ukraine border and spent time in Ukraine when he was an FBI agent. @Repbrianfitz
Michael Kimmage, professor at Catholic University and fellow at the German Marshall Fund. He is a former State Department policy planner who held the US-Russia portfolio. @mkimmage
Andrea Kendall-Taylor, director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security and a former senior intelligence officer. @akendalltaylor
Read more The Washington Post, Leaders add sanctions on Russia, warn against chemical weapons – Biden also announced that the U.S. would take in up to 100,000 refugees from Ukraine, while also calling for Moscow to be expelled from the G-20.
Bucks County Courier Times, Fitzpatrick faults ‘risks of inaction’ at BCCC forum on Ukraine –Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick called for more American and European action to help the besieged Ukrainians protect their homeland before it becomes too little too late.
Foreign Affairs, What If Russia Makes a Deal? – How to End a War That No One Is Likely to Win
Foreign Policy, Why Putin Probably Won’t Give Up Anytime Soon – History—and Putin’s penchant for risk—suggest he’s likely to dig in his heels.
On this special edition of the Radio Times podcast, we revisit our interview with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who died Wednesday at the age of 84. Albright joined Marty in January 2008 to discuss her memoir, Madam Secretary: A Memoir and The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs, and talked about improving US relations abroad.
She previously authored Memo to the President Elect: How We Can Restore America’s Reputation and Leadership. Prior to her cabinet post, Albright was the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. She was the first woman to hold the position of U.S. Secretary of State.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson finished three days of confirmation hearings on Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman and the first former public defender to serve on the nation’s highest court. Republican members pressed Jackson about her judicial philosophy and views on critical race theory, and some attacked her sentencing record in child pornography cases, attempting to portray her as lenient on crime.
This hour, we’ll discuss Judge Jackson’s testimony, the questions and issues raised by Senators, the underlying politics involved and how Judge Jackson could ultimately impact the Supreme Court.
Guests Kimberly Mutcherson, Co-Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School in Camden. @professormutch
Dahlia Lithwick, writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus. @dahlialithwick
Read more Slate, Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Biggest Strength and Greatest Weakness – Confronted time and again with tired and outdated questions about whether she is a “judicial activist” or “living constitutionalist,” she pivots to explain that she doesn’t so much have a judicial philosophy as a judicial “methodology.”
The New York Times, As a Public Defender, Supreme Court Nominee Helped Clients Others Avoided -Ambitious lawyers usually become prosecutors. Ketanji Brown Jackson worked on behalf of criminal defendants and Guantánamo detainees.
The Washington Post, How Ketanji Brown Jackson’s path to the Supreme Court differs from the current justices
Calling people out on social media for bad behavior, offensive speech, or views or opinions that you don’t share has become commonplace. This public shaming can lead to what some refer to as “cancel culture.” But scholar and activist LORETTA ROSS says it isn’t an effective way to open minds, address injustices or hold people accountable. She advocates for calling people in instead of calling them out, which means having honest and often uncomfortable conversations.
Loretta Ross is an associate professor at Smith College and is author of the forthcoming book, Calling In the Calling Out Culture.
Robert E. Lee: A Life is a new biography that examines one of the most well-known and controversial Civil War figures. Author ALLEN C. GUELZO, professor and historian at Princeton University, covers Lee’s life starting with his traumatic childhood that involved the disappearance of his father, to the ultimate betrayal of his country. When General Lee violated his oath to the US Army and commanded Confederate soldiers, his treason was accompanied by praise and admiration, and while he claimed to believe slavery was immoral, he vigorously and strategically fought to defend it. This hour, as our nation grapples with removing statues of confederate leaders and changing school buildings that bear Lee’s name, Guelzo joins us to share his character study of a complicated figure.
New Jerseyans don’t pump gas, but with a labor shortage and spiking oil prices only getting worse, the Garden State may be closer than ever to allowing drivers to fill their own tanks. We’ll talk with POLITICO New Jersey reporter MATT FRIEDMAN.
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday calling for year-round daylight saving time. It’s headed to the House, where representatives will decide whether Americans should change their clocks twice a year. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s atmosphere journalist ANTHONY WOOD will join us to discuss the history of daylight saving, the impact on our health, the likelihood this could go into effect and why some people aren’t so pleased with the legislation.
The Fresh Prince reboot Bel-Air on Peacock is getting a lot of attention, especially for the performance of JABARI BANKS in the role of main character. Banks, a University of the Arts graduate with Philly connections, takes us behind the scenes of the show and talks about his road to filling Will Smith’s shoes.
The war in Ukraine is in its 23rd day and, by all accounts, has not been going as smoothly as Putin planned. Russian forces have suffered significant loses and been surprised by the strength of Ukrainian nationalism and their armed forces. As an easy Russian victory becomes more remote, what will a frustrated, angry President Putin do?
He’s already hinted at the prospect of deploying nuclear weapons, saying countries that interfere in this war will face consequences “greater than any you have faced in history,” and analysts warn of the danger of a cornered Putin.
We start our hour discussing whether the threat of nuclear war is real and what this means for Ukraine and global security. Then, we’ll talk about who’s winning the information war and the tactics President Zelensky and President Putin use to spread their starkly different messages.
Guests Joe Cirincione, Distinguished Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute and a national security analyst. He’s the author a number of books including Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World before It Is Too Late and Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons. He served previously as president of Ploughshares Fund. @cirincione
Jane Lytvynenko, senior fellow in the Technology and Social Change Project at Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. @janelytv
Read more Washington Post, Why Putin’s nuclear threat could be more than bluster – The risk is higher than the West might think, some experts say.
The Atlantic, I Can’t Stop Watching a Livestream of Kyiv – “My home is in danger, and I’m thousands of miles away. This small, strange window is helping me cope.’
Have high prices at the pump made you wish you were driving an electric car? Good luck finding one to buy. Interest in EV’s has grown exponentially in recent years and despite dozens of new models and companies making them, there are still long waitlists. But for some people, price, range anxiety, and the still limited electric infrastructure remain major roadblocks.
We start off our hour on electric cars, investigating the true cost of manufacturing these vehicles with New York Times’ ERIC LIPTON, who has looked at the damage done by mining the rare minerals, like lithium and cobalt, needed to power EVs.
Then, we’ll talk about some of the newest electric models and companies, the latest battery technology, and where our electric infrastructure stands with two automotive journalists, JOHN VOELCKER, contributing editor for Car and Driver and NIKKI GORDON-BLOOMFIELD, with Transport Evolve.
Read More New York Times, Carmakers Race to Control Next-Generation Battery Technology – “The prize: batteries that would be cheaper, faster to charge and less vulnerable to raw material shortages. Whoever gets there first will have a major advantage.”
Car and Driver, Month by Month in 2021, the Electric-Car Future Came into Focus – The days of Tesla having the EV market largely to itself are over.
NBC News, U.S. to provide $5 billion to help states build network of EV charging stations – “These are taxpayer dollars, so it can’t just be a blank check,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
How will Ukraine’s children survive the trauma of this war? Many of them are witnessing horrific violence, have or will lose loved ones, are watching their homes and cities destroyed. So far a million have been forced to flee and resettle in unfamiliar places with different language and culture. Forty percent of the world’s refugees are children and many children also still live in conflict zones, unable to escape.
This hour, how children are scarred by war. We’ll discuss the impact on young people’s minds and bodies and if there are ways to increase children’s resiliency. And we’ll ask why the suffering from other armed conflicts, such as Yemen or Eritrea, draws far less attention from the world. We’re joined by two researchers who have worked with people traumatized by war and refugees from many parts of the world.
Guests Theresa Betancourt, Salem Professor in Global Practice at the Boston College School of Social Work and Director of the Research Program on Children and Adversity at Boston College @tsbetancourt
Adeyinka Akinsulure-Smith, Senior supervising psychologist for the Bellevue Program for Survivors of Torture and a professor of psychology at the CUNY.
Read more ABC News, Mental health effects of Ukraine war zone on children
Washington Post, Ukrainian children are fleeing. World War II’s child evacuations inflicted terrible trauma.
Christian Science Monitor, Why do some child soldiers heal and not others? What one scholar found
In her new book, “Ask Polly” advice columnist Heather Havrilesky shares the details of her relationship with her husband while illuminating what ‘modern marriage’ really looks like. She’s not afraid to talk about the aggravations, conflicts and harsh compromises that often result from marriage, and she’s recently gotten some heat for calling her husband a “smelly heap of laundry”, among other nicknames. But, throughout all the stumbles and tough times, Havrilesky still insists marriage can be glorious. And, if we can learn to overlook the small stuff, we’re not so crazy to dedicate our entire lives to one person. She joins us to discuss her new book, Foreverland: On the Divine Tedium of Marriage.
We Recommend NY Times: Marriage Requires Amnesia “A spouse is a blessing and a curse wrapped into one. How could it be otherwise? How is hatred not the natural outcome of sleeping so close to another human for years?”
The New Yorker: Heather Havrilesky’s Guide to Enduring Married Life “Unlike the many memoirs that double as thinly veiled advertisements for their authors, “Foreverland” ventures occasionally unflattering honesty, not just about Bill but also about its author.”
InStyle: Hating Your Spouse Isn’t the Red Flag You Think It Is “Marriage is designed to break you. You will forget everything you knew before. You will tremble under the weight of your own shortcomings.”
On today’s Regional Roundup, U.S. Senator from Delaware Chris Coons will join us to talk about Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, just one week before her Supreme Court confirmation hearing begins. We’ll also discuss how the Biden administration has responded to the war in Ukraine so far and crucial bipartisan legislation being passed to address inflation.
Plus, an inspiring and moving memoir of a South Jersey animal sanctuary founder tells the story of a turbulent childhood that resulted in a collection of hundreds of rescue animals. We’ll talk with author Laurie Zaleski, whose new book is Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals.
But first, we’re watching a devastating war unfold in Ukraine through images of civilian casualties, wrecked hospitals and innocent people hiding in bomb shelters. How do we talk about it with young people witnessing it in real time – and quite graphically – on social media? Our guests are Jessica Kendorski, School Psychology chair at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and Vikki Katz, associate professor of communications at Rutgers University and editor of the Journal of Children and Media.
The war in Ukraine is entering its third week and civilian deaths are mounting. This week, we saw the photograph of a Ukrainian family killed by mortar fire as they attempted to flee and watched Russian soldiers continue to bludgeon the city of Mariupol. We’re seeing the aftermath of a strike on a maternity hospital, Ukrainians burying their dead in mass graves and the faces of terrified refugees. But what are the Russian people seeing?
The Kremlin has always tightly controlled information with censorship and its own propaganda. Since the invasion, Putin has cracked down even more on war coverage, passing a new law that prohibits the spreading of “false information” about the war. Instead, Russia is spreading misinformation about neo-Nazis controlling Ukrainian, blaming Ukraine nationalists for civilian casualties and crisis actors for some of the horrific images.
This hour, Ukraine-born journalist and disinformation scholar PETER POMERANTSEV joins us to discuss Putin’s obsession with Ukraine and the propaganda he has used to hoodwink the Russian people and justify his war.
Read more Time, What Putin’s Nazi Talk Reveals About His Plans for Ukraine – Vladimir Putin is an old man scared of death trying to turn back time. Ukraine and Ukrainians are as his blood sacrifice. His invasion of their country is his attempt to forestall his personal, inevitable demise.
Vanity Fair, “We’re Underestimating What Mr. Putin Is Up To”: Sizing Up Media Coverage of Russia’s Attack on Ukraine – “We’re sort of framing this as a plucky country slaying a dictatorship,” says author Peter Pomerantsev. “But Putin is this mad stalker trying to get revenge.”
Atlantic, I Watched Russian TV So You Don’t Have To – According to Russian state TV, Putin is the good guy. Many Russians believe it.
Everyone has experienced that gnawing feeling of regret – an awkward interaction, a bad decision, a personal failing. And yet, we are often told to move on, that looking back at our past mistakes or missed opportunities is unhealthy. Author DANIEL PINK disagrees. He argues in his new book, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward, that regret is an essential and unique aspect of being human and paying attention to it can lead to personal growth, better choices and relationships, and happier lives. Pink joins us to talk about the science and psychology of regret, what his World Regret Survey of 17,000 people has revealed, and how to make the best use of life’s disappointments.
Read more BBC, How to live with your regrets – ” It also highlights which kind of regret bites deepest – and suggests many ways for us to make peace with our own disappointments and mistakes.”
Business Insider, Create a failure résumé to feel more satisfied about your career, says an author who researches regret – “Overall, more people regret being risk-averse and playing it safe compared to those who took a risk, Pink said.”
GQ, How to Use Your Regrets for Good – “I like regret circles. You get five or six people together and you go around, everybody talks about their regret”
President Biden banned Russian oil and natural gas imports Tuesday, calling the step a “powerful blow to Putin’s war machine.” Global oil prices have been surging in recent weeks, and the cost at the pump in the U.S. now exceeds $4 a gallon. While Russia provides around 3% of the crude oil used in the U.S., Europe is far more dependent for their energy needs, and Putin has threatened to cut them off. This hour, can the West survive without Russian energy, and what impact will this ban have on Putin’s war, the U.S. and the global economy?
Guests Nikos Tsafos, James R. Schlesinger Chair in Energy and Geopolitics with the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies @ntsafos
Meghan O’Sullivan, Director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard University’s Kennedy School @osullivanmeghan
Recommended reading Associated Press, EXPLAINER: What does a US ban on Russian oil accomplish?
Washington Post, Opinion: $4 gas is here. Facing down Putin is worth the price.
Book bans have reached record levels in the United States. The effort to censor and suppress ideas and literature is something that writer and scholar AZAR NAFISI knows all too well. Nafisi watched books get banned and authors jailed, even killed, during the Islamic Revolution when she taught English literature in Iran. She wrote about her experience reading banned western books in the bestselling memoir, Reading Lolita in Tehran.
In her timely new book, Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times, Nafisi reminds readers of the power of fiction to challenge tyranny, fight injustice and open minds. Through letters to her late father, she writes about the transformative effect of reading great books by Plato, Zora Neale Hurston, Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, James Baldwin and many others.
Recommended reading Washington Post, Opinion: Book bans signal the dangerous direction society is moving – “But totalitarian tendencies are unquestionably on the rise within segments of this country. We see this in the attempts to curtail women’s rights, in the rise in racism and antisemitism, and in the assault on ideas and imagination best exemplified in the banning of books.”
Eight people were killed – and more than 200 injured, when an Amtrak train crashed in Philadelphia in 2015. Brandon Bostian, the engineer at the time of the derailment, underwent a trial this week and was just acquitted on all counts. We’ll talk with a WHYY reporter who followed the case from the courthouse.
Guest: Laura Benshoff, reporter for WHYY (@LEBenshoff)
The U.S. House of Representatives just passed a bill that would help veterans exposed to toxic burn pits. Our guests are Chad Baer, Army National Guard veteran who was exposed to burn pits and local advocate for fellow vets & their families, and Kelly Kennedy, managing editor at The War Horse, author and combat veteran who first broke the story about the toxicity of military burn pits in 2008.
The recovery of the once endangered bald eagle is a huge success story, but a recent New Jersey state report found they’re facing another challenge: lead poisoning. We’ll talk about what’s causing lead-related illnesses for the birds.
Kathleen Clark, supervising biologist for the Endangered and Non-Game Species Program at the NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife
We Recommend WHYY: Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian found not guilty in 2015 deadly train derailment “We’ve said from the beginning that this was a terrible accident,” said defense counsel Brian McMonagle. “A couple hundred people were forever changed by it, and a good man has been living the ordeal of being asked to pay for a crime he didn’t commit.”
The Washington Post: House passes bill to expand health care for veterans exposed to toxins; 174 Republicans vote against “The bill would expand health-care eligibility for veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins; it must now be reconciled with the Senate’s version of the legislation”
A week ago, Russian forces invaded Ukraine, and the toll of the war has already been devastating. One million people have fled to neighboring countries, and the UN estimates that close to 10 million will soon be displaced, leading to an even greater humanitarian crisis.
Putin’s assault on the country has also increased in recent days with attacks on the country’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, and the siege of two seaports. And there appears to be more indiscriminate bombing and targeting of civilians, with hundreds killed, including children.
Putin has turned down multiple opportunities to negotiate a peace and appears single-minded in capturing Kyiv. How does this war end, and is there anything the rest of the world can do besides watch it unfold from the sidelines?
Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczekwska, freelance journalist who is in Poland covering the refugee crisis for Al Jazeera. @aga_pik
Tom Nichols, professor at the U.S. Naval War College and an adjunct at the U.S. Air Force School of Strategic Force Studies. He’s also a contributing writer at The Atlantic. @radiofreetom
Malcolm Nance, Counterterrorism expert and former military intelligence analyst. He’s the author of the forthcoming, They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency. @malcolmnance
Recommended reading Al Jazeera, ‘It was hell’: Long lines of Ukrainian refugees at Poland border –
The Atlantic, Stay Calm, America – Putin’s violence may still get worse. But Americans shouldn’t root for a dangerous escalation of hostilities.
The New York Times – How Russia’s war in Ukraine came back to bite Putin at home – “Everyone is scared. We don’t know what’s going to happen,” one Moscow resident said.
The spread of Covid-19 in Philadelphia has slowed enough for the city’s health department to issue an All Clear response level, which immediately puts an end to public mask mandates, with some exceptions, and ceases the requirement for restaurants to obtain proof of vaccination and enforce masking.
Guest: Dr. Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia Health Commissioner
And, for millions of Americans who’ve been infected with coronavirus over the last two years, a different kind of “all clear” is out of reach, as they deal with Long Covid: a variety of symptoms experienced after the acute virus, that range in severity and have perplexed doctors since the start of the pandemic. ‘Long haulers’ have spent months suffering with brain fog, vertigo, depression and anxiety as a result of contracting Covid-19, and some studies now show that long-term effects can impact the cardiovascular system and even lead to suicide. We’ll talk about what we know so far, the research we need and the importance of making it happen quickly.
Guests:
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, Long Covid researcher and Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine at Yale School of Medicine
Morgan Stephens, Freelance journalist and production assistant for CNN’s Erin Burnett OutFront, working on a forthcoming book about Long Covid
We Recommend CNN Opinion: Eight months of long Covid brought me to the brink “The tremors and vertigo had intensified. It’d been a week without sleep. And, with no medical treatment, I was essentially charged thousands for an emergency room visit and given a prescription for Anderson Cooper.”
The Washington Post: What is long covid? Current understanding about risks, symptoms and recovery. “The majority of people who got acutely infected felt totally normal before they had their infection, and now they don’t feel normal. That’s jarring.”
President Biden delivers his first State of the Union address tonight at a time of crisis, with Russia waging an increasingly bloody war against Ukraine. State of the Union speeches are usually an opportunity for presidents to tout their accomplishments, but this is a challenging time for Americans, who are anxious about rising inflation and exhausted after two years of the pandemic. President Biden is also facing historically low approval ratings at around 37%, and the country is politically and culturally divided.
But there are some bright spots to point out, including his historic Supreme Court nominee pick, Ketanji Brown Jackson, an infrastructure bill and a strong economy, if the Russia-Ukraine war doesn’t derail it. This hour, we get reactions to Biden’s address, the tenor he struck, and if it will help him reset this presidency from a trio of guests.
Guests LaFleur Stephens-Dougan, political science professor at Princeton University and the author of Race To The Bottom: How Racial Appeals Work in American Politics. @LaFleurPhD
Will Bunch, Philadelphia Inquirer columnist @will_bunch
Christopher Nicholas, GOP political consultant with Eagle Consulting Group @Eagle63
The Russian war against Ukraine is intensifying. On Monday, Russian rockets hit a neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, where it was reported that many civilians were killed. The invasion, though, appears to be going slower than President Putin anticipated as it faces strong Ukrainian resistance.
The ceasefire talks between Ukraine and Russian officials in Belarus ended yesterday without an agreement — except to talk again. And the severe economic sanctions levied against Russia by the U.S. and other nations have not yet deterred Putin from his goal of capturing Kyiv.
This hour, we look at how the invasion is unfolding, Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s military forces, the impact of the sanctions Moscow and its oligarchs, and how to stop Putin’s war.
Guests Olena Mishchuk, a local Ukrainian activist with family in Ukraine and an assistant professor of biology at Temple University.
Alexandra Vacroux, executive director of the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. @DCRES_Harvard
James Goldgeier, visiting scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. @jimgoldgeier
Recommended reading WHYY, Ukrainians in Philadelphia rally to show support and condemn the Russian invasion -“We want them in Ukraine to see that we are standing, that we are speaking for them, that we are demonstrating for them. That’s what they want,” Mazurkevich said. “And then we’re going to go to Washington and demand more.”
The New York Times, After a Fumbled Start, Russian Forces Hit Harder in Ukraine – “after five days of war, what appears to be unfolding is a Russian miscalculation about their own tactics and about how hard the Ukrainians would fight.”
Politico, The West finally throws a punch in its face-off with Russia – A rash of weekend moves on sanctions, airspace, military aid and more showed that the United States and its allies aren’t afraid to escalate when it comes to helping Ukraine.
We’re joined by Sheryl Lee Ralph, actor, singer and activist who stars as a veteran kindergarten teacher in the hit ABC sitcom, Abbott Elementary, set in the underfunded and struggling Philadelphia School District. She discusses her acclaimed career spanning more than four decades, from Dreamgirls to Abbott, and her political connections to Philly.
Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court has finally selected a new congressional map that shifts some district lines and has a few wins for both major political parties. We’ll find out what the new districting means for voters in the Keystone State.
Guest: Sam Dunklau, WITF Capitol Bureau Chief (@SamDunklau)
We also talk about the latest in sports, including MLB lockout negotiations and James Harden’s arrival to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Guest: Marcus Hayes, Sports columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer (@inkstainedretch)
City officials were met with harsh backlash this month when they announced that Washington Avenue, one of Philadelphia’s statistically most dangerous roads, would not be put on the “road diet” promised after years of planning and engagement. When the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS) released a final plan in 2020 to reduce the high-injury road from 5 lanes to 3, many residents and commuters who use the thoroughfare were satisfied that the new design would result in a safer neighborhood and decreased fatalities. But other neighbors had been raising concerns about rapid gentrification of the area, parking, emergency vehicles and potential harm to long-established businesses, so the city pivoted, and is now considering new designs, calling it “a matter of equity.”
Guests Michael Carroll, Deputy Managing Director of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability
Daniel Pearson, Point Breeze resident and opinion writer for The Philadelphia Inquirer
Albert Littlepage, President of the Point Breeze Community Development Coalition
Gabriel Pechacek, Founder of the Washington Avenue Association of Businesses and Residents
We Recommend WHYY Plan Philly: City, facing criticism, says Washington Ave. pivot was a ‘matter of equity’
WHYY Plan Philly: ‘It’s called respect’: Washington Avenue drama plays out amid the tensions of a gentrifying neighborhood
WHYY Opinion: Scrapping the original city plan for Washington Ave. compromises safety
Note The city plans to hold a public open house on March 1 at 6 p.m for those interested in seeing the finalized plans before construction.
Special thanks to WHYY reporter Sophia Schmidt for her extensive coverage of this important community issue.
Cryptocurrency, once a fringe platform used by tech-savvy investors — and favored by cybercriminals — appears to be moving into the mainstream, with thousands of digital currencies available, like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Tether. New York City Mayor Eric Adams, athlete Aaron Rogers and other notable figures are asking for crypto paychecks. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, of art, videos and code are selling for record amounts. The flurry of crypto ads that aired during the Super Bowl this month left many of us feeling like we’d better get in on the action before it’s too late.
Cryptocurrency has a lot of vocal proponents, with big financial stakes, but there are also many critics who warn that it’s all a scam. This hour, we’ll try to make sense of where the crypto truth lies. New York Times technology columnist KEVIN ROOSE guides us through the crypto frontier with a primer on virtual currencies, blockchains and NFTS, their potential risks, and how and where they could work.
Recommended reading The New York Times, Maybe There’s a Use for Crypto After All – “One of the most frequent questions asked by crypto skeptics is: What can you actually do with crypto, besides financial speculation and crimes?”
The Atlantic, The Crypto Backlash Is Booming – “The anger at Web3 carries echoes of the fury over the subprime-mortgage meltdown almost 15 years ago.”
Mother Jones, Bitcoin Miners Revived a Dying Montana Coal Plant—and Emissions Soared – Such thirst for power is common in crypto—globally, bitcoin mining consumes more electricity than Norway, a country of 5.3 million people.
President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into two pro-Russia regions in eastern Ukraine Monday. At a press conference Tuesday, President Biden said this military incursion marked the “the beginning of a Russian invasion” and ordered new sanctions against Russia’s financial institutions. Also in response, Germany halted the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that would have delivered natural gas to Europe. This hour, we examine the Ukraine crisis. Is a full-fledged Russian invasion inevitable? How should Ukraine, NATO and the U.S. respond? And, if Russia does gain control of Ukraine, what will that mean for Europe and global security?
Guests Trudy Rubin, Philadelphia Inquirer Worldview columnist. @trudyrubin
Kathryn Stoner, senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and professor at Stanford University and author of, Russia Resurrected: Its Power and Purpose in a New Global Order. @kath_stoner
Brian Taylor, professor of political science at Syracuse University and the author of three books on Russian politics, most recently The Code of Putinism. @bdtaylor_SU
Recommended reading The Philadelphia Inquirer, Why Putin’s Ukraine aggression will change the world: An explainer on how we got here | Trudy Rubin – “So the basic reason for this crisis is that Putin wants to restore what he believes is Moscow’s rightful control over the territory of Ukraine. He appears willing to use force to do so, no matter the cost.”
The New York Times, Piece by Piece, Russia’s Rationale for a Ukraine Invasion Is Put in Place – “From the occupied territory of Ukraine to the halls of the Kremlin, the rationale for a possible invasion was put into place, piece by piece, and presented to the Russian public in an unrelenting push on state television.”
The Atlantic, Vladimir Putin’s Hall of Mirrors – “Provocation can become a necessary condition to action. Putin has massed Russian forces at the Ukrainian border, but he has no story (yet) for the Russian people as to why he would invade.”
Authors Christine Pride and Jo Piazza join us to talk about their new novel, We Are Not Like Them, which tells the story of two women of different races who find themselves on opposite sides of a tragedy in Philadelphia. A police shooting of an unarmed Black teenager divides their community and tests their decades of close friendship. Pride, who is Black, and Piazza, who is white, discuss their new book, the complicated issues it raises about race and how the story came from honest conversations the two close friends had in real life.
We Recommend The Washington Post: ‘We Are Not Like Them’ continues an important conversation. We shouldn’t look away. “The heartbreak of the prologue was all too familiar: an unarmed Black teen, shot dead by a White police officer. And that is only the beginning of this emotional literary roller coaster.”
Bustle: Is There A Better Way To Write About Interracial Friendship? “How are [Riley and Jen] going to be really good friends if they’re not talking about race? Why do they think they’re such good friends if they’re not talking about race?”
People Magazine: Authors Say Writing Novel Inspired by Their Own Interracial Friendship Felt ‘Impossible’ at Times “Writing a novel is hard. Writing a novel with another person is fraught. Writing a novel about race with a person of another race is both of those things and often feels impossible.”
History has often disregarded the large number of Black soldiers who fought for our country’s independence during the American Revolutionary War. One of those soldiers, Private Oliver Cromwell, was a Burlington, NJ native who crossed the Delaware River with George Washington – and he’s finally getting official recognition. On this Presidents’ Day episode, we’ll talk with one of his descendants, JANE FOX LONG, and DEB HVIZDOS, state historian for New Jersey’s DAR.
We’ll also hear from University of Pennsylvania professor SIGAL BEN-PORATH about a recent uproar on Penn’s campus after a controversial Ecuadorian political figure was invited to Penn as a visiting scholar. Ben-Porath is the author of Free Speech on Campus and joins us to talk about what happens when students push back on contentious speakers at universities across the US. [originally broadcast 12/13/21]
And, when you think about fashion waste, you might picture piles of shirts and pants in a landfill. But everything leading up to garment production, like fabric testing and sourcing, contributes to climate change, and one organization is working to change the cycle. We talk with CAMILLE TAGLE, co-founder and creative director of FABSCRAP. [originally broadcast 1/10/22]
The Beijing Olympics concludes this Sunday after two weeks of incredible competition, athleticism, and heart wrenching defeats. Among the U.S. athletes, we’ve watched Nathan Chen’s gold-winning performance, the struggles of star alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, and Shaun White’s tearful goodbye after he narrowly missed the podium. The games have also been marred by the doping scandal surrounding 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva, but overshadowing it all has been China’s record of human rights abuses, especially the targeting of Uyghur Muslims and crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. While athletes have been warned about speaking out against the Olympics’ host country, activists have been vocal. This hour, we’ll reflect on the games, revelations about the authoritarian state of China and the country’s persecution of the Uyghur people.
GUESTS Robert Samuels, national political enterprise reporter and figure skating analyst for The Washington Post, who also covers figure skating @newsbysamuels
Allysa Roenigk, senior writer for ESPN @alyroe
Jewher Ilham, Uyghur advocate and author @jewherilham
Sophie Richardson, China director for Human Rights Watch @sophieHRW
Recommended reading The Washington Post, The drama surrounding Kamila Valieva exposes a sport that has lost its way – “An isolated champion, a crestfallen favorite with a positive drug test and a disgruntled silver medalist — all within feet of one another. What has become of this sport?”
ESPN, Eileen Gu wins gold in women’s ski halfpipe for third medal at Beijing Olympics – “But in her second run, she went even higher on her opening-hit 900 and added more spins and technicality, including back-to-back alley-oop flat spin 540s in her final two hits. She was awarded a nearly untouchable 95.25, a score that held for the remainder of the contest.”
The Guardian, Only an international effort can put an end to China’s crimes in Xinjiang – “As the daughter of a Uyghur economist imprisoned for life, I call on governments and the UN to act together.”
If you’re from the South, live there, have visited or even just skim headlines about the region, you probably have an opinion on this distinct area of the United States. In her new book, Princeton University African American studies professor IMANI PERRY argues understanding the complicated history and character of the South as the nation’s heartland is key to understanding America. In South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, she explores the varied land and much of its painful history as she searches for her enslaved ancestors. From Maryland to Texas, to her birthplace of Birmingham, Perry narrates her travels, the memories visited, and answers questions about how life in the South has shaped the culture of a nation.
We Recommend Time Magazine, I Searched for Answers About My Enslaved Ancestor. What I Found Was More Questions – Read an excerpt from Imani Perry’s new book, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation
New York Times, New Orleans Is a Place Where There Is Violence in the Sweetness, Horror in the Beauty – “This is, as Perry puts it, “not a preservation. This is intervention.” For too long, the South has been scapegoated and reduced to a backward land on the other side of some translucent, but impenetrable, barrier.”
Do shorter days and colder weather leave you feeling lethargic, unmotivated and less interested in the activities you usually enjoy? This time of year, many Americans experience “winter blues”, but others have more severe symptoms and might be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder. We discuss the symptoms and treatment of SAD and some easy remedies to ward off those blue winter feelings.
Guest: Dr. Stephanie Marcello, Chief Psychologist at Rutgers University Behavioral Health Care (@Rutgers_UBHC)
After a decade of treatment, researchers say two patients have been “cured” of leukemia, a massive medical breakthrough based on the work of a renowned University of Pennsylvania professor and cancer researcher, who joins us to talk about how his CAR T therapy research went from an experimental treatment to a possible cure.
Guest: Dr. Carl June, Principal investigator at June Lab and Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy at Perelman School of Medicine (@carlhjune)
The Free Library of Philadelphia has a new president and director. He’s a book enthusiast, changemaker and former police officer from Flint, MI. We’ll talk about how he went from criminal justice to card catalogs, why libraries are life-changing for so many communities, and his outlook as he steps into the new role in our city.
Guest: Kelly Richards, Director and President of the Free Library of Philadelphia (@FreeLibrary)
We Recommend Psychology Today: Feeling SAD? How to Identify and Treat Seasonal Affective Disorder “Because SAD is a form of depression, it causes the typical symptoms of the disorder. No matter when your SAD starts, you may feel tired, low on energy, restless, unable to focus, or as if you are moving in slow motion.”
The Guardian: First patients of pioneering CAR T-cell therapy ‘cured of cancer’ “Two of the first human patients to be treated with a revolutionary therapy that engineers immune cells to target specific types of cancer still possess cancer-killing cells a decade later with no sign of their illness returning.”
Billy Penn: Free Library picks a new director: Kelly Richards, a Black career librarian from Michigan “[Richards] was featured in “African American Librarians in the Far West: Pioneers and Trailblazers,” a book published in 2006 that highlighted Black librarians.”
There has been an increase in efforts to ban books from school libraries, classrooms and reading lists. Some conservative groups and individuals are pressing to remove books from shelves if they address certain issues of race, gender, sexuality, LGTBQ topics, social justice and history. The latest target is Maus, Art Spiegelman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust. Some of the most challenged books in recent years include The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, George by Alex Gino, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, I Am Jazz by Jessica Herthel and Jazz Jennings, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood.
This hour, we’ll discuss the rise in book challenges around the country, what’s motivating them and the books and themes that are being targeted. We’ll also talk about the power of books to change the way people see the world.
Emily Knox, associate professor in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and author of Book Banning in 21st Century America. @ejmknox
Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. @OIF
Carmen Maria Machado, author of the memoir In the Dream House, a book that is banned in some school district.
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas has become part of the debate over inclusion for trans athletes and fair competition. Thomas, who formerly swam for Penn’s men’s team, began transitioning in 2019 and has taken testosterone suppression treatment. She started swimming for the women’s team this season, breaking multiple school and league records.
But her circumstances, and those of other transgender athletes, raise a host of difficult questions about fairness in sports, inclusivity, rights for trans athletes to compete and what a “level playing field” looks like. While the science guiding these debates and policies is still evolving, some of the conversation has been weaponized as fuel for anti-trans rhetoric, discrimination, and legislation. This hour, we explore the complex issues and science around the question of transgender athletes and fair play.
Guests JOANNA HARPER, a visiting fellow for transgender athletic performance and Ph.D. student at Loughborough University. She’s also a transgender athlete and the co-author of the book, Sporting Gender:: The History, Science, and Stories of Transgender and Intersex Athletes. @fondofbeagles
SCHUYLER BAILAR, an author and activist and the first transgender athlete to compete on an NCAA Division 1 men’s team. His first novel is Obie is Man Enough. @sb_pinkmantaray
NANCY HOGSHEAD-MAKAR, CEO Champion Women, a civil rights lawyer, and a two-time Olympian, who won three-time gold medals and one silver in swimming. @hogshead4au
Hours before President Biden visited Pittsburgh to tout his bipartisan infrastructure law Friday, one of the city’s bridges collapsed over a ravine and injured ten people. The fall of Fern Hollow Bridge again made clear just how desperately Pennsylvania’s infrastructure needs repair. The Commonwealth has some of the oldest bridges in the country: over 3,200 are rated in poor condition. This hour, we’ll look at crumbling infrastructure in the Keystone State and around the nation, discuss where infrastructure spending should go and how long it will take to mend and upgrade our bridges and roads.
Guests: Margaret Krauss, Development & Transportation reporter for WESA (@MargaretKrauss)
Larry Shifflet, Deputy Secretary for Planning at PennDOT (@PennDOTNews)
Adie Tomer, Director of the Metropolitan Infrastructure Initiative at the Brookings Institution (@AdieTomer)
Recommended Reads: 90.5WESA: What Pittsburgh’s Fern Hollow Bridge collapse can tell us about Pennsylvania bridges “While the state has reduced the number of bridges that are structurally deficient, much of the funding that could have been used to address aging roads and bridges instead has been used to fund the State Police for much of the past decade.”
Politico: Infrastructure bonanza might not head off future bridge collapses “Biden…used Friday’s collapse to highlight the need to fund repairs. The fact that nobody was killed or seriously injured gave Democrats the freedom to talk policy while the scene was still being cleared.”
Last week, a Pennsylvania court struck down the two-year-old law that allows no-excuse, mail-in voting in the state. Governor Wolf said his administration will appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court, but this Republican challenge to voting demonstrates the strategies and ferocity of the battles that will be fought out ahead of midterms. In addition, Wolf has rejected the redistricting map from Republican lawmakers and fighting continues around a fair redrawing of the legislative lines.
Turning to the crowded Senate race, the Democratic State Committee failed to endorse a candidate, but leaned toward U.S. Representative Connor Lamb in a straw poll. From the Republican side, former hedge fund executive David McCormick appears to be rising to the top. This hour, we talk Pennsylvania politics with three political junkies.
Guests Jonathan Tamari, national political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer @jonathantamari
Katie Meyer WHYY’s political reporter @katieemeyer4
Stephen Medvic, Director of the Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College and the author of Gerrymandering: The Politics of Redistricting in the United States @stephenmedvic
Recommended reading WHYY, Split among 4 candidates, Pa. Democrats fail to endorse one for U.S. Senate – “Though Lamb gathered the most votes, followed by Fetterman, Kenyatta, and then Arkoosh, his lead wasn’t decisive enough to clinch the official endorsement.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer, HOW DIFFERENT CONGRESSIONAL MAPS WOULD REDISTRICT PENNSYLVANIA – “Pennsylvania needs a new congressional map, but partisan gridlock has gotten in the way.”
Pennsylvania Capital-Star, Jan. 6 committee subpoenas bogus pro-Trump electors from Pa., 6 more states – “We believe the individuals we have subpoenaed today have information about how these so-called alternate electors met and who was behind that scheme.”
The New York Times, Pennsylvania Court Says State’s Mail Voting Law Is Unconstitutional – “The majority opinion, written by Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt, a Republican, said that voting “requires the physical presence of the elector” and ruled that the legislature could not make changes to voting laws without amending the state Constitution.”
Plaintiffs in the landmark school funding lawsuit in Harrisburg officially wrapped up their case last week, making room for Republican legislative leaders to defend their position that per-pupil spending in the Keystone State is adequate. We discuss testimony from key players, like Philadelphia School District Superintendent William Hite, and talk about the defense strategy most likely to play out.
Guest: Mallory Falk, WHYY education reporter for Keystone Crossroads
Are attitudes changing over the right to medical aid in dying for the terminally ill? After almost 7 years of reintroduction, a Delaware House Bill has legislative support and may be picking up momentum. We’ll discuss the political and emotional debate, and how the pandemic may have impacted public perception.
Guest: Rep. Paul Baumbach, Representative for the 23rd District in the Delaware House of Representatives
With winter weather underway this weekend, we’ll talk about the mesmerizing science behind each flake and what make’s our region so unique when it comes to meteorology with the author of what’s been called the “first book to fully examine snow as a historical, cultural, and scientific phenomenon.”
Guest: Anthony Wood, atmosphere journalist and author of Snow: A History of the World’s Most Fascinating Flake
We Recommend Chalkbeat Philadelphia: Constant cutting is ‘heartbreaking,’ testifies Wilkes-Barre leader in Pennsylvania school funding case “…plaintiffs showed pictures of poor building conditions, including a room in which two students were wearing coats because of the cold.”
WHYY: Should Delaware allow terminally ill patients to be prescribed medication to end their life? “Baumbach points out that 10 other states, including New Jersey, now allow medical aid in dying, and that his bill is modeled on the law in Oregon, which has been in place for 25 years.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer: ‘We haven’t seen anything like this in years.’ A ‘bomb’ and a blizzard rock Philly and the Shore “As it got colder, the snow turned more powdery, but it was no pushover…”
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement this week, with plans to likely end his time on the bench by the end of the summer. The 83-year-old justice, appointed by former President Bill Clinton in 1994, is the oldest court member and one of its only three liberal justices. President Biden has promised to nominate a Black woman to the high court, a historic first, and is expected to have his choice confirmed, as SCOTUS nominees are exempt from filibuster and only require a simple majority vote.
Today, we’ll look at Breyer’s legacy, talk with a former Breyer law clerk, discuss President Biden’s possible nominees and the effect a new justice could have on the future of the court.
Guest: Theodore Ruger, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and Bernard G. Segal Professor of Law. He was a law clerk to Justice Breyer.
Lisa Tucker, associate professor at Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law.
Jeffrey Rosen, CEO and President of the National Constitution Center and a professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School. He’s the author of Conversations With RBG: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law. @rosenjeffrey
When was the last time you made a friend? Added someone to your social circle that you were excited to hang out with, could confide in, who cares about your wellbeing? Keeping up with our old friends during the pandemic has been hard enough – distance and stress have tested our closest relationships – but making new friends may be even harder. This hour, we’ll look at friendships: why they matter, the challenges of forming them in adulthood, and how to nurture the ones we have.
Guests Marisa Franco, author of the forthcoming book Platonic: The Surprising New Science of How to Make and Keep Friends as Adults and professor at the University of Maryland. @marisafranco
Jonathan Bowman, professor of communication studies at University of San Diego.
Katharine Smyth, a writer, she wrote the recent Atlantic article Why Making friends in midlife is so hard and is the the author of All the Lives We Ever Lived: Seeking Solace in Virginia Woolf.@katharinesmyth1
The standoff between Russia and Ukraine is intensifying. 100,000 Russian troops are positioned along the Ukrainian border, and as U.S. attempts to defuse the confrontation diplomatically fail, the Pentagon is considering putting U.S. troops on high alert for possible deployment to Europe.
Does President Vladimir Putin plan to invade Ukraine or is he using these military maneuvers to extract his demands, including limiting NATO expansion? This hour, we examine the conflict and motives behind Putin’s recent aggression and what, if anything, President Biden and NATO can do to deescalate the standoff.
Guests ANGELA STENT, Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of Putin’s World , @AngelaStent
MELINDA HARING, Deputy Director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. @melindaharing
MARY KALYNA, a Ukrainian American activist with Euromaidan Philadelphia – Human Rights in Ukraine
Humans aren’t the only animals that use rituals to connect and bond. Elephant researcher CAITLIN O’CONNELL has spent 30 years studying wild elephants in Namibia, observing their complex behavior, and has seen many similarities to our own interactions.
In her new book, Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves, O’Connell explores rituals in the animal world around mating, greeting, grieving, and playing, highlighting examples from elephants, wolves, flamingos, whales and even tortoises. She joins us to talk about the important role rituals play in non-human animals and to remind us that, even during a pandemic, they remain essential to our social lives.
But first, we talk with Princeton University evolutionary biologist SHANE CAMPBELL-STATON about his research showing that pressure from Ivory poaching drove African elephants to be born tuskless and what it tells us about the influence of human activity on the speed of evolution.
Guests Shane Campbell-Staton, assistant professor in the ecology and evolutionary biology department at Princeton University who studies human-driven evolution.
Caitlin O’Connell, behavioral ecologist and elephant researcher. She is the author Wild Rituals: 10 Lessons Animals Can Teach Us About Connection, Community, and Ourselves and is on the faculty at the Eaton Peabody Lab at Harvard Medical School. @elephantskinny
Recommended reading Science, Ivory poaching and the rapid evolution of tusklessness in African elephants
Atlantic Monthly, African Elephants Evolved Tusklessness Amazingly Fast: but at what cost?
Scientific American, Play Is Serious Business for Elephants
The Washington Post, In the animal kingdom, rituals that connect, renew and heal
The “co-epidemics” impacting adolescents right now: Covid-19 and childhood obesity. We’ll discuss how the pandemic led to trends of significant weight gain for kids – in a remarkably short period of time – and what can be done to help them cope.
Guest: Dr. Vesta Salehi, Chief of the Department of Gastroenterology at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and Medical Director of “Healthy Kids Healthy Teens”
While using salt to make roads safer in the winter looks like a cheap and effective option, what’s the true cost? We’ll discuss the shockingly high level of chloride in our local freshwater streams and how it’s harming infrastructure, drinking water and marine life that should be thriving.
Guest: John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist at Stroud Water Research Center (@StroudCenter)
A new book penned by a local sports columnist, called The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality, gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the humble origins of the basketball star – before he rose to NBA fame.
Guest: Mike Sielski, sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer and author of THE RISE (@MikeSielski)
Are you a chronic dieter who’s tried everything from counting calories and points, cutting carbohydrates, buying shakes and pre-packaged meals, and following random advice after endlessly scrolling weight loss blogs? Science is increasingly suggesting that these diets simply don’t work. They’re unsustainable, frustrating “quick fixes” that can create unhealthy relationships with food and end up harming your physical and mental health in the long run.
Guests Laura Iu, Registered dietician and certified intuitive eating counselor, owner of Laura Iu Nutrition
Charlotte Markey, Psychology and health sciences professor at Rutgers University
We Recommend Book Riot: 10 Anti-Diet Books for the New Year “With an endless barrage of posts about becoming the dream version of yourself or sticking to a diet that promises unbelievable results in mere days, it’s an especially hard time for people who are trying to make peace with themselves and their relationships with food.”
The New York Times: Try Intuitive Eating to Break the Diet Cycle “Diets, because of their restrictive nature, impose an all-or-nothing mind-set that sets us up to fail. Breaking the rules of a diet typically leads to a new cycle of overeating, which in turn leads to yet another diet.”
More than 75,000 Afghans have fled from their country and left behind family, friends, jobs and so much more to come to the United States since U.S. troops withdrew from Afghanistan in September. Hundreds of them have been resettled in the Philadelphia region.
This hour, we’ll check on that effort and hear about some of their experiences leaving their country and trying to make a new life in America. Our guests are MARIAM STANEKZAI, an Afghan immigrant who was recently resettled outside Philadelphia, and FARWA AHMADI, a case manager with the Nationalities Service Center and former Afghan refugee.
Then, we turn to the humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan where 23 million people are facing life-threatening hunger. According to the UN’s World Food Program, only five percent of Afghans have sufficient food. Should the United States lift sanctions against the Taliban government and stop restricting their finances to try to aid the Afghan people?
We’ll talk about the dire situation, the policies that could help and the challenges that working with the new Taliban government present. SHELLEY THAKRAL, who is in Kabul for the World Food Program, and LAUREL MILLER, director of International Crisis Group’s Asia Program are our guests.
Guests Mariam Stanekzai, a recent Afghan immigrant and an engineer who is now living in the Philadelphia region with her husband and young daughter.
Farwa Ahmadi, a case manager at Nationalities Service Center and director of AOPxSola, which works to empower and mobilize the Afghan community in the city of Philadelphia.
Laurel Miller, Director of International Crisis Group’s Asia Program. She was the deputy and acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the U.S. Department of State from 2013 to mid-2017.
Shelley Thakral, World Food Program spokesperson for Afghanistan based in Kabul
Recommended reading WHYY, Philly nonprofit, N.J. masjid collect much-needed items for Afghan evacuees at Fort Dix
The Philadelphia Inquirer, New ‘Afghans of Philadelphia’ seeks to forge a vibrant community as hundreds of evacuees resettle here
The New York Times, Afghanistan Is in Meltdown, and the U.S. Is Helping to Speed It Up
The Washington Post, US announces $308 million in aid for Afghans as crisis grows
ABC News, WFP director for Afghanistan warns of “tsunami of hunger’
The attack on the Capitol, the attempted kidnapping of Michigan’s governor by a far-right militia, the former President and his allies denying the 2020 election results. Increasingly our democracy seems in peril. We are even being warned that the United States could be headed toward civil war. Is this hyperbole or is the alarm justified?
Professor BARBARA WALTER has studied civil wars around the world, in Northern Ireland, Syria, Ivory Coast, and Yugoslavia, and has seen how quickly citizens can turn against one another. Walter argues in a new book, How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them, that there are certain pre-conditions to national violence — weakened political institutions, once dominant groups resentful of losing power, politicians who exploit those resentments, and extremist groups willing to resort to violence. She explains that those conditions are now present in the United States. We’ll talk with Walter about the precursors to civil war, the current threat in America, and how we can counter it before it’s too late.
Guest Barbara Walter, Rohr Professor of International Relations at the School of Global Policy and Strategy at the University of California, San Diego. She’s a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and author of How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them. @bfwalter
Recommended reading The Guardian, How Civil Wars Start by Barbara F Walter review – sounding the alarm
The New York Times, Is Civil War Looming, or Should We Calm Down?
The Washington Post, Some say the U.S. is headed toward civil war. History suggests something else.
In 1971, FRANCES MOORE LAPPÉ started a food revolution by promoting plant-based eating in her book, Diet for a Small Planet. 50 years later, her book has been updated — and that revolution has become a way of life for millions. Marty spoke with Frances Moore Lappé last week for a virtual Radio Times event. They talked about how plant-centered eating can help restore our damaged ecology, address the climate crisis, move us toward a healthier planet… and taste good, too.
Guest Frances Moore Lappé, author and coauthor of more than 20 books including her first book, Diet for a Small Planet, The 50th anniversary edition is just out. She’s also cofounder of the Small Planet Institute. @fmlappé
Recommended reading Truthout, Trees and Crops Don’t Have to Compete. Climate Crisis Calls for Agroforestry – “Ultimately, their work protected and regenerated perhaps as many as 200 million trees, all of which sequester carbon, improve soil fertility and significantly increase crop yields, experts on the ground have explained to me.”
Earth Island Journal, Realizing Our Power: Farming and Eating for a Small Planet – “By a broader measure, one in three people on Earth lack access to adequate food, reports the UN’s food policy arm. This suffering continues even as the world produces plenty of calories and a fifth more calories per person than when I first wrote Diet for a Small Planet.”
The Washington Post, ‘Diet for a Small Planet’ helped spark a food revolution. 50 years later, it’s evolving – “I’m not an optimist — I’m a possible-ist,” she says. “Everything is possible, we just have to make it happen.”
Today, as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we are joined by KAREN ASPER JORDAN, President of the Cecil B. Moore Philadelphia Freedom Fighters. She was one of the original demonstrators to stand against the segregation of Girard College in 1965 and met Dr. King when he spoke at the Philadelphia protests that year. We’ll discuss the history of the school, Dr. King’s speech that day and the legacy of the Freedom Fighters in our city.
We’ll also revisit our segment with ETHAN DEMME, who wrote a letter denouncing his own Republican party to become the Pennsylvania chair of the Serve America Movement party, a group trying to get independent candidates elected to local office.
And, we take a look back at our discussion with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Psychiatrist-in-Chief DR. TAMI BENTON on the national shortage of inpatient facilities for at-risk children struggling with mental illness.
Goal-oriented Baby boomers, slacker Gen Xers, narcissistic Millennials, hyper-sensitive Gen Zers…naming and characterizing generations is a relatively new phenomenon. It started in the late 1800s, but since then, academics, marketers and the public seem to love coming up with names and character traits for large groups of people born between certain years. But is there any merit to thinking these groups of people share common traits because of the historical or social forces they lived through? This hour, should we dump generation labels? And how does history and culture shape our identity and our characteristics? Our guests are PHILIP COHEN, a professor of sociology at the University of Maryland and JEAN TWENGE, a psychologist and author of the book, iGen.
Guests Philip Cohen, professor of sociology and a demographer at the University of Maryland. He’s the author of the textbook, The Family: Diversity, Inequality, and Social Change. @familyunequal
Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University and the author of iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy–and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood–and What That Means for the Rest of Us. @jean_twenge
Recommended reading The Washington Post, Opinion: Generation labels mean nothing. It’s time to retire them.
The New Yorker, It’s Time to Stop Talking About “Generations” –
The San Diego Union-Tribune, Opinion: Why Gen Z — or iGen — is experiencing much higher rates of mental health issues
Omicron has swept across the country, with the variant now responsible for 95% of infections – over 700,000 new cases last week. While the Omicron variant appears to be less severe, hospitals are still likely to be overrun with this rapidly spreading infection. Two years into the pandemic — are we doing everything we can to protect ourselves, prepare for what may come next and adapt to living with Covid? Several leading health experts who think the Biden administration should be doing more recently wrote in JAMA that the White House needs a “national strategy for the New Normal.” We’ll talk with two of the authors, University of Pennsylvania physician and Vice Provost EZEKIEL EMANUEL and NYU School of Medicine’s CELINE GOUNDER, about what that Covid strategy should look like. Then, we’ll discuss the case before the Supreme Court challenging the President Biden’s authority to mandate vaccines and testing for workers at large companies. Slate’s MARK JOSEPH STERN joins us to discuss the legal arguments.
Guests Mark Joseph Stern, staff writer covering courts and the law for Slate Magazine. @mjs_DC
Celine Gounder, Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine & Infectious Diseases at New York University School of Medicine and Bellevue Hospital. She’s the CEO and Found of Just Human Productions. @celinegounder
Ezekiel Emanuel, oncologist and Vice Provost of Global Initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania. He was a member of Biden’s transition Covid-19 Advisory Board and Former Obama White House Health Policy Adviser. He’s the author of Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care? @ZekeEmanuel
Recommended reading JAMA, A National Strategy for the “New Normal” of Life With COVID, “”
Washington Post, Former Biden advisers call for ‘new’ covid strategy
Slate, COVID Is an Emergency. To SCOTUS’s Conservatives, It’s Also an Opportunity.
The Atlantic, Omicron Is Forcing Us to Rethink Mild COVID
Hell or High Seas tells the true story of sailors embarking on the adventure of a lifetime, as they brave the treacherous waters around Cape Horn, Chile. One of them is US Navy veteran who uses the expedition to share his own story, begin healing from his trauma and raise awareness about the millions of other veterans who need support returning to civilian life.
Guests Taylor Grieger, Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer veteran and Captain
Stephen O’Shea, Author, filmmaker, and First Mate
Glenn Holsten, Documentary storyteller and director of Hell or High Seas