On Demand
The Leonard Lopate Show
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Flying Close to the Sun: My Life and Times As a Weatherman by Cathy WilkersonCon Men and Weathermen
The centerpiece of the Bush Administration’s case for war was based on the faulty intelligence of a source named Curveball. Los Angeles Times correspondent Bob Drogin believes the CIA and White House deliberately overlooked Curveball’s mental instability and dubious reportage. Also, a member of the 1960s Radical Left group, the Weather Underground, defines her brand of social activism. Plus, a guide that explains everything a girl needs to know. And: why the favorite singer of George Gershwin and Cole Porter virtually disappeared in the 1950s.
The Leonard Lopate Show is hosting a new Thanksgiving cartoon contest, Cartoon Cornucopia! Check it out and be sure to submit your original cartoon by Wednesday, November 14 at noon.
The Con Man Who Caused the Iraq War
In 1999, an Iraqi refugee code-named Curveball told German intelligence agents that Saddam Hussein had produced mobile biological weapons factories. Even though Curveball’s information seemed dubious, it became the centerpiece in the Bush administration’s case for war. Los Angeles Times correspondent Bob Drogin argues that the White House and the CIA didn’t care if the source was credible or not, because they had already made up their minds to go to war. His book is Curveball.
Listen to Leonard's interview with Tyler Drumheller, former CIA division chief, about Curveball and other prewar intelligence breakdowns from November 14, 2006.
Curveball is available for purchase at amazon.com
A Manual for Everything a Girl Needs to Know
Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Kowitz have written The Daring Book for Girls, a guide to everything a girl needs to know. It’s a book for tomboys, girly-girls, or a little of both. And it covers everything from doing the perfect cartwheel to making friendship bracelets.
Weigh in: What’s one thing you think every girl should know?
Events: Andrea Buchanan and Miriam Kowitz will be speaking and signing books
Thursday, November 1 at 7pm
Barnes & Noble at Astor Place
The Daring Book for Girls is available for purchase at amazon.com
Lee Wiley: Acclaimed But Unknown Singer
Lee Wiley was a favorite singer of George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Her sophisticated style influenced the most iconic recording artists of the 20th century. But she virtually disappeared in the 1950s and has remained largely unknown since. Award-winning performers Lois Walden and Barry Kleinbort discuss “Why Lee?: A Musical Scrapbook about Lee Wiley.”
Events: "Why Lee?" will be performed Thursday, November 1 - Monday, November 5
The performance schedule is Thursday - Saturday at 7:30pm, Sunday at 7pm, and Monday at 7:30pm
The Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
Tickets can be reserved by calling (212) 206-0440
Former Weather Underground Member Examines 1960s Activism
The Weather Underground was a Radical Left group that splintered off of Students for a Democratic Society in 1969; their mission was the violent overthrow of the US government. Weather Underground member Cathy Wilkerson escaped unharmed from the group’s accidental explosion of a Greenwich Village safe house in 1970. She discusses the group’s legacy and her own activism since the 1960s in Flying Close to the Sun.
Flying Close to the Sun is available for purchase at amazon.com
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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.
Video Pick: David Chang on Momofuku
The Leonard Lopate Show
Recent Videos:
- Arthur Schwartz on The Southern Italian Table
- David Plouffe on The Audacity to Win: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama’s Historic Victory
- Ken Auletta on Googled: The End of the World as We Know It
- Paul Shaffer on We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives: A Swingin' Show-Biz Saga
- George Steel on the New York City Opera’s new season
- Gail Collins on When Everything Changed: The Amazing Journey of Women from 1960 to the Present
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [33]
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.
- Comments [1]
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.
- Comments [9]
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.
- Comments [4]
