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The Leonard Lopate Show

Thursday, November 20, 2008
  • At the Last Minute

    Find out about the changes in environmental policy being rushed through during the final weeks of the Bush administration. Also, former SNL writer Alan Zweibel on his funny new book, Clothing Optional. Stewart O’Nan on his latest novel. Plus, Jonathan Alter, editor and columnist for Newsweek magazine, on being witness to some of the biggest news events in the last 25 years!

Jonathan Alter: 25 Years of American Politics

Newsweek senior editor and columnist Jonathan Alter looks back at covering 25 years of the most important political events in American history. His new book Between the Lines.

Clothing Optional

Former SNL writer and Thurber Prize winner Alan Zweibel’s new collection of stories and essays, Clothing Optional, finds the humor in awkward moments at a nudist resort, being beaten in a marathon by a polar bear, and confrontations with fans.

Songs for the Missing

Stewart O’Nan’s new novel, Songs for the Missing, revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a popular 18-year-old in a small town in Ohio.

Events:
Stewart O'Nan will be speaking and signing books
Fri. Dec. 5 at 7:00 PM
RJ Julia
768 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT

Stewart O'Nan will be speaking and signing books
Sat. Dec. 6 at 2:00 PM
Borders 378
500 Bushy Hill Road
Simsbury, CT

Underreported: Bush’s Last-Minute Environmental Policy Changes

The Bush administration is working to rush through some environmental policy changes before leaving power in January - including relaxing regulations protecting endangered species. John Kostyack is Executive Director of Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming at the National Wildlife Federation.

Underreported: Opening Public Land for Drilling in Utah

On Election Day, the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced a Dec. 19 auction of over 50,000 acres of oil and gas parcels right next to national parks in Utah. Steve Bloch, attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, explains why Utah’s Park Service and national conservation groups are concerned.

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.