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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, April 18, 2008
  • Cokie Roberts
    (Photo by Zack Seckler/Getty Images)

    Liberty Ladies

    Cokie Roberts talks about America's founding mothers - women like Abigail Adams and Sacagawea who helped shape this country in its early years. Also: States of the Union is all about the issues Pennsylvania's voters care about as they head into their primary. Ernest Hemingway's 1937 play, "The Fifth Column." And Please Explain is all about plastics.

Cokie Roberts on the Ladies of Liberty

ABC and NPR’s Cokie Roberts talks about America’s founding mothers – women like Abigail Adams and Sacagawea, who helped shape the country in its earliest years. Her new book is Ladies of Liberty.

States of the Union: Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has become a toss-up state in presidential politics. On this week’s States of the Union, a look at whether the Keystone State will continue that tradition in November 2008. Pennsylvania’s Democrats have said that the economy, the war in Iraq and health care are their most pressing concerns. We find out what role these issues could play in the state’s April 22 primary. Thomas Fitzgerald writes about state, local, and national politics for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Tom Barnes of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has covered Pittsburgh city hall and now reports from Harrisburg on the governor and state legislature.

States of the Union fact of the week: Pennsylvania leads the country in the production of mushrooms. (No, not that kind.)

Ernest Hemingway’s “The Fifth Column”

Ernest Hemingway wrote the play “The Fifth Column” in 1937 while working in Madrid as a correspondent covering the Spanish Civil War. It’s now premiering at the Mint Theatre Company (311 West 43rd Street, Suite 307). Actor Kelly AuCoin stars; Jonathan Bank is the Mint’s artistic director. For tickets, call (212) 315-0231 or go here.

Please Explain: Plastic

It’s virtually impossible to get through the day without using plastic, but it’s only been widely available to consumers for about 100 years. We find out what plastic is, why it’s so useful, and whether we should be concerned about its widespread use. Dr. Mark Michalovic is Educational Consultant with the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Robert Malloy of UMass Lowell is a researcher in the areas of plastics product design, polymer processing, recycling of thermoplastics.

Patrick Swayze

The Leonard Lopate Show

Patrick Swayze mixed grace with athleticism in his movies – and rose to stardom with roles in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.” He died just recently after a battle with pancreatic cancer. And you can hear his interview with Leonard Lopate from July 16, 2002, when he came by to discuss appearing in the film, “Green Dragon.”

The Silver Anniversary of the Silver Palate

The Leonard Lopate Show

Sheila Lukins was one half of a partnership that helped popularize gourmet cooking throughout America – first, through their gourmet food shop in New York City and then with the cookbook, The Silver Palate, which remains one of the top-selling cookbooks of all time. She collaborated on 2 other cookbooks that simplified gourmet cooking for the home cook. She died recently from brain cancer at the age of 66, and you can listen to her 2007 conversation with Leonard Lopate and her business partner Julee Rosso about the 25th Anniversary of the publication of The Silver Palate.

Dominick Dunne

The Leonard Lopate Show

Dominick Dunne was a famous novelist and Hollywood producer. But he may be best remembered for covering trials of the rich and famous – from Claus von Bulow to O. J. Simpson. He died just recently at the age of 83. But you can still hear his interview with Leonard from November 23, 2001, when he was discussing crimes, trials, and punishments.

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.

Guest Picks

The Leonard Lopate Show

Find out surprising facts about some recent guests on the Leonard Lopate Show. Check out our Guest Picks section! Did you know that football star Herschel Walker loves Judge Judy, Laurie Anderson is a big fan of agility training for dogs, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi likes Johnny Depp?