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The Leonard Lopate Show

Friday, July 11, 2008
  • Free Marty

    Life After Prison

    Guest host Jeffrey Toobin talks to Marty Tankleff about how he survived 17 years of wrongful imprisonment, what got him out of prison, and how's adjusting to life beyond bars. Also: States of the Union is all about Washington. We hear why accidents may not be all that accidental after all. Plus, Please Explain is all about hamburgers!

Marty Tankleff: 17 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment

In December 2007, Marty Tankleff was released from prison, where he had been locked up for 17 years for the 1988 Long Island murder of his parents, Arlene and Seymour Tankleff. The state attorney general’s office recently announced that it would not retry Tankleff for the murder. Now he’s studying at Hofstra to become a defense attorney. He joins us along with us lawyer, Bruce Barket, to talk about surviving so many years of wrongful imprisonment, how he’s adapting to post-prison life, and whether he and his legal team plan to seek justice from Suffolk County's law enforcement agencies -- or from the men they believe committed the crimes, Seymour Tankleff's former business associates.

States of the Union: Washington

Find out how Washington state, which is home to Boeing’s headquarters, has been affected by the troubled airline industry. Also: hear about the major issues in this year’s race for governor, and why the state has had three different primary election systems in the last ten years. Chris Grygiel is Politics Editor for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

States of the Union fact of the week: Named after George Washington, the Evergreen State is the only one to be named after a president.

For more on Washington politics, read Strange Bedfellows, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's political blog

Why Accidents are Rarely Accidental

Accidents may not be all that accidental after all, according to Marc Gerstein, author of the new book Flirting with Disaster. He says that disasters like Chernobyl, Hurricane Katrina, and the Challenger explosion weren't accidents, but could have been avoided if preemptive action had been taken.

Please Explain: Hamburgers

Please Explain is all about America's favorite sandwich - the hamburger! Find out how German hamburg steak became a classic meal all over the world. We'll also hear about the best burgers available, from fast food versions to grass-fed beef on brioche buns. George Motz has been called America's foremost hamburger expert; his 2005 documentary film is "Hamburger America"; he's also written a book called Hamburger America: One Man's Cross-Country Odyssey to Find the Best Burgers in the Nation. Josh Ozersky is the author of The Hamburger: A History.

Weigh in: Tell us about your ideal hamburger. What kind of bun, meat, and toppings do you love?

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?