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On Demand

The Leonard Lopate Show

Monday, June 05, 2006
  • (Flickr/MatthewBradley)
    (Flickr/MatthewBradley)

    Minding the Business

    America spends twice as much on health care as other developed nations. On today’s show, a financial journalist argues we should be getting more for our money. Then, on Backstory, a look at how Starbucks went from being a small Seattle coffeehouse to having a store on every block. And Eliot Weinberger tells us about a new anthology of some of the world’s most important poets. Plus: a look at the challenges faced by three generations of Arab Christian women in one family.

Money and Medicine

In Money Driven Medicine, financial journalist Maggie Mahar investigates the soaring costs of medical care, and explains why the laws of supply and demand don't seem to apply to America’s $2 trillion health care industry.

Backstory: Starbucks

On this week’s Backstory, Mark Pendergrast (the author of Uncommon Grounds) explains how Starbucks went from a Seattle coffeehouse to a cultural symbol.

International Poetry Now

Eliot Weinberger joins us with World Beat, a survey of what’s going on in international poetry today.

Three Generations of Arab Women

In Teta, Mother, and Me, Jean Said Makdisi explores what it has meant to be an Arab Christian woman to three different generations of her family.

Events: Jean Said Makdisi will be reading and signing books
Tuesday, June 6 at 6:30 pm
Alwan for the Arts
16 Beaver Street, 4th Floor

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.

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.