News Nerds

On this week’s episode I talk to Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist, Barry Blitt. He illustrates cartoons for the New Yorker and other publications. He has contributed over 100 covers to the New Yorker. He talks to me about his inspiration, what his son thinks of his work, his controversial 2008 cover depicting the Obamas fist bumping in the Oval Office, and more. Also, the listener challenge will be extended one week so that we can get more of your answers, and book nook is back. All this on this week’s episode of News Nerds!

Ezra

Hi Listeners,

On this week's episode I spend almost a full half hour talking to Canadian author, Alan Bradley. He is the author of the Flavia De Luce mystery series, a series of 10 books. He talks to me about writing the series and his life growing up in Canada. Also, the News Nerds listener challenge is back from it's little vacation! Read it here:⬇️

Take the name of a well known children’s author or the name that he or she goes by and rearrange the first 3 letters to make a word that can be found in one of this author’s book titles.

When you have the answer, go to our website, newsnerdspodcast.com and click the contact button to submit your answer. Another way to submit your answer is to send me a voice message. Tired of using your fingers to type? Want to hear yourself on News Nerds (if you win that is...)? Then a voice message is the right option for you. Send one in at anchor.fm/newsnerds/message. A correct answer will be selected at random next Wednesday. If you are the winner, your email or message will be read or played on next week's episode of News Nerds. You will be contacted if you are the winner and additional instructions will be included.

Also, News Nerds was just featured on public radio!!! MTPR or Montana Public Radio just released a great piece about me and how I created this show. Listen to that segment by clicking here!

Thanks for waiting for this episode. I was in Missoula, Montana rafting the rapids and hastily drove away without telling you.

Ezra

 On this week’s episode we listen back to my interview with Cindy Christin and Debbie from NY. Cindy's a librarian at the Bozeman Public Library. I talked to her at the beginning of the pandemic for one of my first episodes of News Nerds. She talked to me about the closure of the library, her advice for book lovers, and more. Debbie has talked to me for 3 interviews over my 50 episodes and the interview you’ll here today is my second with her. She talks to me about life in New York City. Also, a special look into how this show is created, recorded, edited, and produced. I’m replaying some of my earlier interviews this month while I schedule some great guests for season 6 of News Nerds. In the 6th season I’ll talk to some of my favorite authors, a cartoonist, and even more fascinating people not just in the US, but abroad. Later in the show, the geographical location challenge, and even more. All of this is on this special episode of News Nerds!

 On this weeks episode we listen back to my interview with journalist Bill Kurtis. He is currently the scorekeeper for NPR’s Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, a news quiz launched in 1998. He talks to me about how he started his journalistic career, his position as a CBS news anchor, his work at Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and more. Also, its my first week with a my new microphone which could not have been purchased without the help of you, our listeners. My mic, the Electro-voice RE20 is such an upgrade to my home studio. And, the geographical location challenge is back again with another new country.

Ezra

On this week’s episode I talk to John Swartzberg. He is the clinical professor at the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. He talks to me this week about the CDC’s guidance to allow vaccinated citizens to go mask-less, school districts decisions to remove their mask mandates for students and staff, the new FDA approval for a new drug to treat alzimers, and more. Also, the geographical location challenge where a new country joins the international leaderboard.

Thanks,

Ezra

 Hello listeners,

On this week’s episode we listen back to my interview with Alice Waters. Alice Waters is the founder of the Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. She helped create the farm to table movement in the United States and writes about sustainable food in her new book, We Are What We Eat: A Slow Food Manifesto. Also, the geographical location challenge where a new country is on the leaderboard!

Ezra

 Hi listeners,

On this week’s episode I talk to Jeremy Hobson. Jeremy was the host of NPR’s Here & Now and before that, the Marketplace Morning Report. He talks to me about his experience at Here & Now, why he left, his early career in radio when he contributed to a WILL show in Illinois called Treehouse Radio, what the LGBTQ movement means to him as a gay man, and more. Also, a mass shooting in San Jose has left 9 dead including the gunman after the gunman, An employee of the Valley Transportation Authority opened fire. We’ll cover that. And Eric Carle, the renowned children’s book illustrator has died at the age of 91.

Also, here is the link to the fund for VTA workers devastated by Wednesday's mass shooting.

Ezra

 On this week’s episode, we’ll be spending a whole half an hour with liberal political pundit Bill Press. Bill talks to me about current events in the US such as Biden’s presidency and the issues he faces, what Donald Trump could have done better to win the election in November, and Liz Cheney’s oust from her leadership positions in the Republican Party. He also was the cohost of political debate shows such as cross fire which aired on CNN.

See you next week!

Ezra

This week we talk to Lisa Napoli. We'll spend almost half an hour with her today. She's a former journalist who worked at the New York Times, CNN, Marketplace, and other prominent news organizations. After her career in journalism, Lisa became the author of four books, two of which we'll be talking about today. Her most recent book is Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie: The Extraordinary Story of the Founding Mothers of NPR. We're celebrating 50 years of NPR on this week's episode. 

Also, Republicans have voted to oust congresswoman Liz Cheney as the chair of the House Republican Conference after she voted to impeach Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial. We'll have a story on that.

All of this on episode 45 of News Nerds!

Also, this is our fourth "podcast broadcast" on KGVM, community radio for the Gallatin Valley. Hear us every Thursday from 5:30 - 6:00 PM.

Donations are still open, they always are! Head over to our Patreon page or our PayPal page.

Ezra

Hello listeners,

On this week's episode I talk with BJ Leiderman. If you're a public radio listener, you probably already know who he is. He is the composer behind many NPR themes including the former Morning Edition theme, the Car Talk stump the chumps theme, the Science Friday theme, and many more. We talk about his childhood inspiration, his one and only album, and of course, how he originally got to write the themes for many NPR shows. Also on this week's episode, Biden has voiced his support for removing cover-19 vaccine patents. This would mean that other countries could manufacture their own vaccines, but vaccine fraud would rise. Elsewhere I review the book, Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You). I read about one year after I started this podcast, but it was still entertaining and helpful to me. 

Also, this is our third "podcast broadcast" (I literally just made that up, thank you) on KGVM, community radio for the Gallatin Valley. Hear us every Thursday from 5:30 - 6:00 PM.

Donations are still open, they always are! Head over to our Patreon page or our PayPal page.

Ezra