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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, July 03, 2008
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    Collateral Damage

    Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges spent a year interviewing veterans of the Iraq War. What he uncovered was how much Iraqi civilians have suffered at the hands of American troops. Also, two Army veterans speak out against the Iraq War. And legendary artist Gary Panter. Plus, Underreported looks at what America's nurse shortage means for the future of health care.

The Hearts and Minds of Iraqi Civilians

Pulitzer Prize-winner Chris Hedges spent a year interviewing over fifty veterans of the Iraq War to uncover how Iraqi civilians have suffered at the hands of American troops. Collateral Damage: America’s War Against Iraqi Civilians details how civilians are routinely shot to death at checkpoints, run over by military convoys, and terrorized by late-night detentions.

Two Army Veterans Speak Out Against the Iraq War

Two Army veterans discuss their public opposition to the Iraq War. Sergeant Matthis Chiroux served in the Army for over four years until he received an honorable discharge last summer. He was recently stop-lossed, but has publicly refused to deploy to Iraq. Captain Luis Carlos Montalván, served in the Army for 17 years, and witnessed first-hand the enormous extent of corruption in Iraq.

Legendary Artist Gary Panter

Gary Panter has been one of the most influential figures in visual art since the mid-1970s. Gary Panter is the definitive volume on his work: from his record covers for Frank Zappa to his production design on “Pee-wee’s Playhouse.”

Slideshow of images from Gary Panter

Underreported: Nurse-Patient Ratios and the Future of Health Care

By 2020, it’s estimated that the US will be short 1 million nurses! On Underreported, Suzanne Gordon, of the University of Maryland and UCSF Schools of Nursing, and John Buchanan, Director of the Workplace Research Group at the University of Sydney, discuss how nurse-patient ratios are partly responsible for the nurse shortage, and how that ratio needs to change in order to attract and retain more nurses. They are co-authors of Safety in Numbers: Nurse-to-patient Ratios and the Future of Health Care.

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.