Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York

(8/13/21) In her new book Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story, journalist Julie K. Brown recounts her uncompromising and risky investigation of Jeffrey Epstein's underage sex trafficking operation. Join us for a deep dive on the explosive reporting Julie did for the Miami Herald that finally brought Jeffrey Epstein to justice while exposing the powerful people and broken system that protected him in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(8/9/21)“Climate change is a hoax—and so is coronavirus.” “Vaccines are bad for you.” These days, many of our fellow citizens reject scientific expertise and prefer ideology to facts. They are not merely uninformed—they are misinformed. They cite cherry-picked evidence, rely on fake experts, and believe conspiracy theories. How can we convince such people otherwise? How can we get them to change their minds and accept the facts when they don't believe in facts? In his new book The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything, author Lee McIntyre shows that anyone can fight back against science deniers and argues that it's important to do so. Join us for a look at the defining issue of our time in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(7/29/21) Quarantine is our most powerful response to uncertainty—it means waiting to see if something hidden inside us will be revealed. In quarantine, we are considered infectious until proven safe. Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley’s new book Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine tracks the history and future of quarantine around the globe. Join us for a bit of context for what most of us have been dealing with for the past 18 months in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(7/28/21)Chemist, artist and industrial hygienist Monona Rossol is the founder of Arts, Crafts and Theater Safety, Inc. The not-for-profit corporation is dedicated to providing health and safety services to the arts. She is also the Health and Safety Director for the Local 829 union of the United Scenic Artists International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Monona discusses what you can do to protect yourself as the Delta variant causes new cases of SARS-CoV-2 to skyrocket in New York and across the country.

(7/26/21) “Denialism has moved from the fringes to the center of public discourse, helped in part by new technology. As information becomes freer to access online…so the opportunities for countering accepted truths multiply,” wrote sociologist and regular contributor to The Guardian Keith Kahn-Harris back in 2018 in his book Denial: The Unspeakable Truth. Join us for a look at the forces behind the rise in mass denial of years of scientific evidence for everything from vaccinology to climate change from someone who was studying this phenomenon long before the pandemic hit in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(7/22/21) You know the name Alvin Ailey, but how much do you know about the man behind the iconic modern dance company? Peabody Award-winning director Jamila Wignot’s new documentary Ailey, which makes it’s theatrical debut on July 23 before eventually airing as part of PBS’s American Masters series, grants artful access to the elusive visionary behind the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Join us for a look at the enduring power of Mr. Ailey’s vision in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(7/21/21) Regular listeners probably know investigative journalist Bob Hennelly from his cutting political analysis segments on this show and others informed by his own hard-nosed reporting. But in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, Bob joins us to discuss his new book Stuck Nation: Can the United States Change Course on Our History of Choosing Profits Over People?

(7/20/21) As New York and much of the country starts to emerge from the pandemic, has the way we talk to each other changed? In this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI, sibling language experts Kathryn and Ross Petras, authors of You're Saying It Wrong: A Pronunciation Guide to the 150 Most Commonly Mispronounced Words—and Their Tangled Histories of Misuse, consider the question.

(7/15/21) Everyone knows that democracy is in trouble, but do we know what democracy actually is? In his new book Democracy Rules, German political philosopher and Princeton University professor Jan-Werner Müller takes us back to basics. Join us for a consideration of why democracy is founded not just on liberty and equality but also on uncertainty in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.

(7/14/21) With the summer in full swing, our resident gardening expert Pete Muroski of Native Landscapes in Pawling, NY joins us again to help you get the most out of the warmer months. Pete also takes your calls on any plant-related issue great or small in this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI.