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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, June 29, 2006
  • Map of Afghanistan

    Taking Stock

    On today’s Underreported, former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes calls in with an update on Afghanistan. Later on: a live performance from singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn. And Wall Street icon Jim Lebenthal will be here. Plus, a journalist shares his investigation of the diamond trade.

Underreported: Sarah Chayes on Afghanistan

On today’s Underreported, former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes calls in from Kandahar with an update on Afghanistan. Sarah Chayes is the founder of Arghand, which sells hand-crafted products from Kandahar.

Bruce Cockburn Performs Live

Singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn performs songs from his new album, Life Short Call Now, live in our studio.

Available for purchase at amazon.com


Events: Bruce Cockburn will be performing
Saturday, September 16 at 8 pm
The Concert Hall
2 West 64th Street
For tickets, call 212-307-7171 or visit ticketmaster.com
For more information, visit www.theconcerthall.org

Confessions of a Municipal Bond Salesman

Jim Lebenthal shares his adventures as perhaps the most famous of all bond salesmen. His new book is Confessions of a Municipal Bond Salesman.

Available for purchase at amazon.com

The Rougher Side of Diamonds

Diamonds are mined in about 25 countries…on every continent except Europe and Antarctica. In The Heartless Stone, Tom Zoellner examines the rougher side of the diamond trade—from smuggling to human rights abuses.

Available for purchase at amazon.com


Events: Tom Zoellner will be reading and signing books
Thursday, June 29 at 7 pm
Borders Books and Music
The Time-Warner Center at Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle

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.