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The Fate of the Banana
Americans eat more bananas than apples and oranges combined. But thanks to a spreading blight, bananas may be on a fast track to extinction. On Underreported, we find out what can be done to save the banana. Also: an update on Algeria. But first, we celebrate Valentine's Day by asking you, our listeners, what you’ve learned in life from being dumped!

Things I've Learned From Being Dumped
What have you learned by being dumped? Tell us about your pains and gains from failed relationships by leaving a comment below. Also, Ben Karlin of "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" is editor of the new book Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me; David Wain and Sam Lipsyte are two of the contributors.
Events: Things I've Learned From Women Who've Dumped Me...LIVE!
Thursday, February 21 at 7:30 & Thursday, February 28 at 7:30 pm
Upright Citizens Brigade
307 West 26th Street
To learn more and purchase tickets, go here.
Underreported: Future of Bananas
Americans eat more bananas than any other kind of fruit; in some parts of the world, bananas help keep millions of people alive. But the future of bananas may be in danger. Most bananas are genetically identical, and a disease has been ravaging banana plantations around the world. We look into the uncertain future of bananas with Dan Koeppel, author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit That Changed the World.
Website for Dan Koeppel's book Banana
Listen to Leonard's April 2007 interview about Chiquita Brands' anti-union violence
Underreported: Algeria
Algeria is adding 15,000 extra police officers each year over the next few years as the North African country deals with terrorism and a growing Al-Qaeda presence. Martin Evans is a historian at the University of Portsmouth and co-author (with John Phillips) of Algeria: Anger of the Dispossessed.
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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.
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]
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.
- Comments [14]
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.