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The Leonard Lopate Show

Tuesday, January 03, 2006
  • Oscar Bluemner: A Passion for Color
    Azure, 1933 by Oscar Bluemner (Collection of Elaine and Henry Kaufman)

    On the Trail

    Russ Buettner and Rick Pienciak of the Daily News investigate where the billions of tax dollars allocated to 9/11 recovery really went. Then, we'll preview the Whitney's Oscar Bluemner retrospective, and talk to the 2004 U.S. Women’s Chess champion. Plus, a look at why increasing numbers of European women are converting to Islam...and why it's troubling antiterrorist authorities.

9/11 Billions

$21.4 billion dollars of federal aid were set aside to help New York recover after 9/11. Four years later, a team of investigators from the Daily News have investigated where the money went, and how it was used. Investigative reporter Russ Buettner and assistant managing editor Rick Pienciak, reveal what they describe as the "4-year scandal of the 9/11 billions".

Music: A Civil Action soundtrack – tracks 5, 1, 4, 2, and 6

A Passion for Color

Curator Barbara Haskell, curator of the Oscar Bluemner retrospective at the Whitney describes the German-born artist's contributions to modernism.

Music: Bicentennial Man soundtrack – tracks 2 and 1

chess

Chess Bitch

In chess, the most powerful piece on the board is the Queen. Yet the game is male-dominated, and women players have to overcome negative stereotypes to prove themselves. Jennifer Shahade, the 2004 U.S. Women’s Chess champion, puts the spotlight on some of the world's greatest female players in Chess Bitch.

Events: Jennifer Shahade will be playing chess with “all comers” on Saturday, January 14th from 2 to 5 pm The Noguchi Museum 9-01 33rd Road at Vernon Boulevard Long Island City, Queens

And she'll be reading and signing books on Monday, January 17th at 7 pm Barnes and Noble 106 Court Street, Brooklyn

Music: The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love Soundtrack – track 2

Turning to Islam

Antiterrorist authorities are concerned by the increasing number of European women converting to Islam…especially in the wake of Belgian convert Muriel Degauque's November suicide attack on US soldiers in Iraq. Peter Ford, Chief European correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, discusses his recent article “Why European women are turning to Islam.”

Music: The Constant Gardner soundtrack – track 1

National Book Award Winners

The Leonard Lopate Show

A number of this year’s National Book Award winners have appeared on The Leonard Lopate Show. Click here to see the list!

Tributes: Jeanne-Claude

The Leonard Lopate Show

Jeanne-Claude created environmental works of art with her husband and fellow-conspirator/collaborator Christo. Together, they wrapped the Reichstag in Berlin, the Pont-Neuf in Paris, and created The Gates, with billowy orange drapes, in Central Park. Jeanne-Claude just died at the age of 74. You can hear Leonard Lopate’s last interview with them both, from July 19, 1999.

Please Explain: Eco-Labels

The Leonard Lopate Show

Your broccoli, shampoo, and air conditioner might bear labels declaring them to be organic, cruelty-free, or energy efficient, but what do those labels mean and are they true? Dr. Urvashi Rangan, Project Director for Consumer Reports' GreenerChoices.org and Consumers Union’s Senior Scientist for Policy Initiatives, and Dara O'Rourke, founder and CEO of GoodGuide.com, took a look at what eco-labels indicate, how standards are set, and what they mean for consumers and manufacturers around the world.

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.