wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, May 25, 2004
  • Secretary Rumsfeld outside the dining facility of the Abu Ghraib Detention Center (Dept of Defense)
    Secretary Rumsfeld outside the dining facility of the Abu Ghraib Detention Center (Dept of Defense)

    News from Abu Ghraib

    The troubled U.S. involvement in Iraq isn’t going to be made any easier by recent revelations of torture in Abu Ghraib prison. Mark Bowden talks about the Bush administration’s response to the scandal, and what led American soldiers to commit the abuses. Journalist and anthropologist Wendy Orent explains why the plague, a.k.a. Black Death, can never be completely eradicated. Then, a discussion with David Robb on how the Pentagon shapes Hollywood – the Defense Department helps movie producers with locations, technical advice, and equipment in exchange for positive portrayals of the U.S. military. And Wendy Aibel-Weiss and Stephen Hindy talk about the history of the Brooklyn beer-brewing industry.

Mark Bowden

Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down, has an article in the July/August issue of The Atlantic Monthly called "Lessons of Abu Ghraib."

Music: Meet Joe Black Soundtrack composer Thomas Newman

Wendy Orent

Even though the plague is caused by a single agent, the bacterium Yersinia pestis, it can manifest itself in many different ways ranging from the benign to the extremely deadly. Wendy Orent’s new book is called Plague: The Mysterious Past and Terrifying Future of the World's Most Dangerous Disease.

» More info about the plague from the CDC
» More about the book

Music: Kiss The Girls Soundtrack composer Mark Isham

David Robb

According to David Robb, the Pentagon helps filmmakers as long as the movie in question helps the military’s image. Robb is co-author with Jonathan Turley of Operation Hollywood: How the Pentagon Shapes and Censors the Movies.

» Read more about the book and authors

Music: Golden Eye Soundtrack composer Eric Serra
The General’s Daughter Soundtrack composer Carter Burwell

Wendy Aibel-Weiss and Stephen Hindy

100 Bottles of Beer Brooklyn was an important center of beer production from 1870 until the 1970s, and now it’s making a comeback. There’s an exhibit about beer brewing in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Historical Society from May 14 to October 15, 2004. Wendy Aibel-Weiss is project developer for the Brooklyn Historical Society, and Stephen Hindy is president of The Brooklyn Brewery.

» View a slideshow of images from "100 Bottles of Beer in the Wall" exhibit
» More about the exhibit at the BHS
» Visit The Brooklyn Brewery’s website

Music: Mr. Jerry Hadley Golden Days “The Streets of New York”

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

Let’s Go Swimming!

The Leonard Lopate Show

According to the Centers for Disease Control, bacterial, viral, and parasitic organisms found in recreational water in the United States sicken thousands of people every year, and even result in deaths. We’ll speak with chemist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol about the protozoa, amoebas and other things that love to go swimming with us. Monona is also founder and President of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety.

Frank McCourt

The Leonard Lopate Show

Frank McCourt has been a guest many times on this show over the years, starting in 1996 for the memoir, Angela’s Ashes, that would earn him a Pulitzer Prize. Fame came to him late in life, after he’d retired at the age of 65 from teaching English and creative writing at public schools here in New York. He was a sweet, eloquent man who spoke with grace and humility; he just died at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer. You can hear him speaking with Leonard Lopate for his Survival Kit in 2000, and in 2005, for his memoir, Teacher Man.

Science and Faith

The Leonard Lopate Show

Earlier this week, Pres. Obama announced that he plans to nominate geneticist Dr. Francis Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health. You can listen to Leonard’s 2006 conversation with Dr. Collins about how he reconciles his personal faith with his professional scientific knowledge.

FDA to Regulate Tobacco?

The Leonard Lopate Show

May 14, 2009
Congress is getting ready to a vote on whether to make tobacco subject to FDA regulation. You can listen to a segment we did in May about the bill and what it would mean for the cigarette companies.

Our 3-ingredient Challenge wins a James Beard Award

The Leonard Lopate Show

On May 3, the Lopate Show won its third James Beard Award for our 3-ingredient challenge. In August, we asked our listeners to call in and name 3 ingredients and then challenged New York chef and 3-ingredient expert Rozanne Gold to whip up a recipe! You can listen to the 3-ingredient challenge and get some inspiration for simple, delicious, and unexpected dishes.

Leonard is on Facebook

Now Leonard is on Facebook! We’re posting photos, status updates, links to notable interviews, and lots more. Check it out.

Barack Obama, Circa 2004

The Leonard Lopate Show

Listen to President-Elect Barack Obama on the Leonard Lopate Show in November 2004. He had recently won a seat in the U.S. Senate, and only a few months before, his rousing speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention catapulted him into the national spotlight.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?