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(CptCapacitor/flickr)Hot Dog
New Yorkers eat more hot dogs than people in any other city! On today's Please Explain, find out all about the history of hot dogs and how they're made. Also, actress Laura Dern talks about her latest role in "Recount" as former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. A look at a new film about the real-life rescue of 60 orphaned Chinese children in the 1930s. States of the Union is all about South Dakota. Plus: author and screenwriter David Benioff.
Laura Dern in “Recount”
The new HBO movie, "Recount," is about the drama of the 2000 presidential election. Laura Dern plays former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris. It premieres Sunday, May 25 at 9pm on HBO.
Children of Huang Shi
Roger Spottiswoode is director of the new film, “The Children of Huang Shi.” It looks into the real-life rescue of 60 orphaned Chinese children in the 1930s. It's playing at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema (143 East Houston Street) and the Paris Theater (4 West 58th Street).
States of the Union: South Dakota
South Dakota’s June 3 primary is one of the last in the nomination process. Find out which issues will matter in the primary, the reaction to the farm bill recently passed by Congress, and how the state has become part of the debate surrounding abortion. Denise Ross is former reporter and editor for the Rapid City Journal, she now writes Hoghouse Blog, a look at South Dakota politics.
States of the Union fact of the week: South Dakota is home to Jewel Cave, the second longest cave in the world.
Surviving the Siege of Leningrad
Author and screenwriter David Benioff’s new novel is City of Thieves. It’s about two young men trying to survive the siege of Leningrad.
Please Explain: Hot Dogs
During Hot Dog Season – from Memorial Day to Labor Day – Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs. That’s 818 hot dogs consumed every second during that period! And New Yorkers consume more hot dogs than people in any other city. Find out about the history of hot dogs, how they’re made, and the many different varieties.
Bob Bly is the author of All-American Frank: A History of the Hot Dog. Bruce Kraig is founding President of Culinary Historians of Chicago and Professor Emeritus at Roosevelt University, Chicago.
Weigh in: What’s your favorite place in New York to get a hot dog? What's the most interesting hot dog variation you've eaten?
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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
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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.
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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.
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