wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

The Leonard Lopate Show

Wednesday, February 06, 2008
  • Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn (wallyg/flickr)
    Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn (wallyg/flickr)

    New Faces

    In the 1960s, the Republican party won over a key demographic: white male voters. We find out whether the Democrats have begun to win back some of that demographic. Also, on States of the Union: yesterday’s Super Tuesday results in Georgia. Then, how science can lead to exciting culinary advances. Also: plans to redesign Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza!

Neglected Voters: White Men

In the 1960s, the Republican party won a key demographic: white male voters. Now David Paul Kuhn of The Politico says that the Democratic party is luring many of those voters back. His new book is The Neglected Voter: White Men and the Democratic Dilemma.

More about David Paul Kuhn
The Politico

States of the Union: Georgia

Almost 42,000 Georgians signed up to vote in this year’s Super Tuesday primary. We find out what the results of yesterday’s vote could mean to the candidates in the coming weeks. Also: a look at the most pressing issues in the Peach State, including the ongoing drought and the possibility of a state tax break. Tom Baxter is editor of the Southern Political Report.

Southern Political Report
Insider Advantage Georgia (affiliated with Southern Political Report)

Experimental Cuisine Collective

New York’s Experimental Cuisine Collective is dedicated to the idea that science creates exciting new advances in food and cooking. Collective founders include Kent Kirschenbaum and Anne McBride of the chemistry and food departments at NYU; and Will Goldfarb, chef-owner of Room 4 Dessert.

Experimental Cuisine Collective website

GAP aerial photo of Grand Army Plaza (Claudia Brandenburg, Language Arts)

Reinventing Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza

Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza is the main entrance to Prospect Park, and it’s been called New York City's answer to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. However, the space as it is used today is difficult to walk around, drive around, and is generally not very user-friendly.

The Design Trust for Public Space is launching a new project to redesign Grand Army Plaza. Tupper Thomas of Prospect Park and Deborah Marton of the Design Trust for Public Space talk about how GAP could be improved - and they want to hear your ideas on making it more user-friendly!

Weigh in: What do you like and dislike about the way Grand Army Plaza is currently used? What would you like to see changed?

More about the Design Trust’s project “Reinventing Grand Army Plaza”
More about the history of Grand Army Plaza
See the Design Trust's Flickr page of photos of GAP
SLIDESHOW: GAP Grand Army Plaza

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.