History Talk, the history podcast from Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective

The world has been electrified these past weeks by the explosive events in Ukraine: a dramatic political revolution in Kyiv's Independence Square, the surprise annexation of Crimea into Russia, and rising tensions between Russia and the United States/European Union that are reminiscent of the darkest of Cold War days. Join hosts Leticia Wiggins and Patrick Potyondy as they talk with Myroslava Mudrak, Sergei Zhuk, and Origins editor Nick Breyfogle about Crimea's rich and varied history, how Crimea was absorbed into Russia, and what the future holds for Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. (April 2014)

An in-text version of this episode can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/fate-crimea-future-ukraine-part-i

Given all the furor about the role of academics in public life—a debate taking place in The Atlantic, Politico, and The New York Times among other places—History Talk naturally wanted to dive headfirst into the topic. We tracked four well-regarded academics who might be labeled “public intellectuals” to get their thoughts on the issue. This episode of History Talk features Professors Stanley Fish, Thomas Sugrue, Peter Mansoor, and Jessica Adler. Each interview segment provides an important piece of the larger puzzle to understanding the public intellectual in today’s world. (March 2014)

An in-text version of this article can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/reaching-beyond-ivory-tower

Co-hosts Leticia Wiggins and Patrick Potyondy interview guests Ayse Baltacioglu-Brammer and Patrick Scharfe on the the civil war in Syria, which continues to dominate headlines across the globe. As negotiations and fighting continue, Leticia and Patrick spoke with the two historians of the Middle East to explore the nation’s diversity, the role of women in the Arab Spring, intervention, and the way forward. (Interview January 2014)

An in-text version of this episode can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/syrian-civil-war-alawites-womens-rights-and-arab-spring

In a nationally-televised speech on January 17, 2014, President Obama announced reforms to the National Security Agency (NSA). Co-hosts Patrick Potyondy and Leticia Wiggins sat down with OSU historian David Hadley and Origins editors Nicholas Breyfogle and Steven Conn to discuss the NSA's history in the current national and global environment. (January 2014)

An in-text version of this article can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/america-s-big-brother

Join your usual History Talk co-hosts Leticia and Patrick along with this month's expert guests Sandra Tanenbaum, Steven Conn, and Tamara Mann as they discuss the contentious history of healthcare policy in the United States—specifically the Affordable Care Act, also known pejoratively and positively as "Obamacare." Is the label "socialist" a kiss of death? Does the ACA move away from the "public charge" model? Is Obamacare about cost-effective healthcare or is it more about health coverage for all? How long has it taken policymakers in the past to craft effective programs? (February 2014)

An in-text version of this article can be found at: https://origins.osu.edu/historytalk/contentious-aca