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Hot Button Issues
A majority of Americans think that the Republican Party is better than the Democratic Party at keeping the US safe. But Samantha Power discusses how Senator Barack Obama and his Democratic colleagues can convince voters that they're better on national security. Also, Bruce M. Beehler on his three decades of studying tropical rainforests. And how the American Mafia owned Cuba and then lost it to the revolution. Plus, a look at the science of fear.
Samantha Power on the Democrats & National Security
Since the Vietnam War, the Republican Party has developed a reputation for having a superior approach to national security. But Samantha Power believes that their policies have actually failed to keep us safe. In her recent article from the New York Review of Books, called "The Democrats & National Security", the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and former foreign policy advisor to Senator Barack Obama discusses how Democrats can wrest ownership of this issue away from Republicans.
Adventures in the Tropical Rainforest
Few scientists have worked in as many rain forests across the world as Bruce M. Beehler. In Lost Worlds: Adventures in the Rainforest, he describes his three decades of studying the birds, tropical ecology, and indigenous peoples of the tropical forest.
When the Mob Owned Cuba
Decades before the 1959 revolution, the “Havana Mob” of American gangsters, led by financier Meyer Lansky, controlled Cuba. T.J. English writes of this bygone era in Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba and Then Lost It to the Revolution.
The Science of Fear
Why are we sometimes afraid of things that we know we shouldn’t be? Using academic research and everyday experience, Daniel Gardner answers this question in The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn’t – and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger.
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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
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
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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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