Radio Times

Guests: Neil Oxman, Gary Thompson

2018 is winding down, which means it’s time to take a look at the best movies of the year. We’re joined once again by Radio Times resident movie nerd NEIL OXMAN and Philadelphia Inquirer film critic GARY THOMPSON for a discussion of some of their favorites, and some of Marty’s. On the docket: Green Book, Won’t You Be My Neighbor, Isle of Dogs, and more.

Guests: Mauro Guillén, Judy Dempsey

Political crises are roiling much of Europe. Brexit is a big mess, with Britain’s planned exit from the EU less than a 100 days away. Violent anti-government Yellow Vest protests have rocked the power of President Macron. And Angela Merkel’s impending exit has thrown Germany’s future into question. On top of all that, nationalism continues to grow in places like Hungry, Poland, and Italy. This hour, we’re going to look at what’s behind the turmoil in Europe and what it means for the world and for the United States. We’ll talk with MAURO GUILLÉN, a professor of international management at The Wharton School of University of Pennsylvania, and with JUDY DEMPSEY, a nonresident senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and editor in chief of Strategic Europe.

Guests: Tom Nichols, Mona Yacoubian, Samer Abboud, Peter Overby

We’ll begin today’s show discussing the surprise resignation announcement of President Trump’s Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. TOM NICHOLS of the U.S. Naval War college joins us. Then; Trump announced on Wednesday that he was withdrawing the 2000 U.S. troops from Syria, tweeting that we had “defeated ISIS.” This news came as a surprise to even some his top advisors and many experts are calling it a strategic mistake. We’ll talk about the decision to pull out of Syria with MONA YACOUBIAN, senior advisor for Syria at the United States Institute of Peace, and SAMER ABBOUD, associate professor of global interdisciplinary studies at Villanova University.  We’ll also hear from NPR’s PETER OVERBY about the closure of The Trump Foundation that is under investigation by the New York Attorney General because of a “shocking pattern of illegality.”

Guests: Payton Guion, Marcel Bonn-Miller, Max Tuttleman

Perhaps you’ve noticed a mysterious substance called C.B.D. being sold in your local mall or displayed in storefronts popping up in your neighborhood. The non-psychoactive cannabis oil is said to have medical and psychological benefits for all kinds of conditions – pain, seizures, addiction, anxiety, and more. But the extract’s manufacture and sale is unregulated, leading to phony products, uneven quality, and lack of oversight. And, many in the medical community are concerned that C.B.D. has not been thoroughly researched enough to make sure it’s safe and works as advertised. Today, we’ll talk with MARCEL BONN-MILLER, who teaches at The University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School and researches cannabis, as well as MAX TUTTLEMAN, a proponent and vendor of C.B.D. who claims the substance was instrumental in treating his opioid addiction. But first, we’ll get the latest on the push for marijuana legalization in New Jersey with NJ Advance Media’s PAYTON GUION.

Guests: Larry Krasner, Mark Gonzalez

Today, Marty will spend the hour with Philadelphia District Attorney, LARRY KRASNER. It’s been almost a year since he was sworn in, promising an ambitious agenda and generating national headlines as an unconventional DA and reformer. They’ll discuss some of the changes he’s made, and the ones he still plans on making. We’ll also get his thoughts on the cash bail system, mass incarceration and recidivism as well as the problems that still plague the city, such as rising gun violence and the persistent opioid crisis. And, we’ll check in with another unconventional District Attorney,  MARK GONZALEZ, who is taking steps to reform the criminal justice system in a small Texas county.

Guests: Sarah Schnitker, Jason Farman

Our patience can be tested in the holiday season– we’re dashing to work, to stores, to holiday parties. And we’re doing a lot of waiting – lines, traffic, and being put on hold. At the same time, technology has speed things up and we expect immediate responses to our texts and emails and for packages to arrive in a day. (Back in 1700s America, letters took 40 days to arrive). So have we become a more impatient society? And if so, at what cost? This hour, we talk about the virtue of patience and its benefits, which include better health and more thoughtful decision-making. And we’ll discuss ways to cultivate it. Our guests are SARAH SCHNITKER, associate professor of psychology at Baylor University, and JASON FARMAN, an associate professor at the University of Maryland and author of Delayed Response: The Art of Waiting from the Ancient to the Instant World.

Guest: Kathleen Hall Jamieson

The U.S. Intelligence agencies have concluded that, without question, the Russians tried to influence the 2016 Presidential election. But did their meddling have any impact on the outcome?  KATHLEEN HALL JAMIESON, communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center, has done an in-depth analysis of the data – intelligence reports, indictments, media accounts, and scholarly research—and concludes that it is very likely that Donald Trump’s win was because of Russian involvement. Jamieson lays out her case in a new book, Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President: What We Don’t, Can’t, and Do Know.

Guests: Tamara Keith, Trevor Potter, Dana Milbank

We’re going to be covering some of the top stories of the week in this hour of Radio Times. First, we’ll talk about the looming government shut down over funding for the border wall that led to a highly contentious meeting among President Trump, Sen. Minority Leader Schumer, and Speaker Pelosi on Tuesday. NPR’s TAMARA KEITH will lay out the stalemate and give us the latest. Then, TREVOR POTTER, president of the Campaign Legal Center will join us to discuss the latest revelations about Trump’s hush money payment to Stormy Daniels and if their agreement violates campaign finance law. Finally, we’ll talk to DANA MILBANK of the Washington Post about the President’s search for a new Chief of Staff following the announcement of John Kelly’s departure from that position.

Guests: David Wagner, Thor Hanson

Populations of insects are plummeting around the globe. Bugs are in such steep decline that some scientists have called it an insect Armageddon. Today we will discuss what’s behind the worldwide die-offs of bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, and many other species and what impact the losses will have on ecosystems. DAVID WAGNER, an ecologist at the University of Connecticut is our guest. Then, conservation biologist THOR HANSON talks about the evolution of bees, why they’ve been particularly hard hit in recent years, and the critical role they play in natural and human worlds. Hanson is the author of Buzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees.

Guests: Inga Saffron, Mark Kuhn, Brendan Boyle, Mark Mazzetti

Say goodbye to 30th Street Station’s iconic flip board sign. According to Amtrak, the clickity-clacking display board that advises travelers as to arrivals and departures, has become obsolete and a new easier-to-read digital screen will better meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But, the news that Amtrak will replace the board this year has created a wave of nostalgia for the good old days of “analog” signs. Those lamenting the change also point to the board’s distinctive sound that travelers have come to depend for updated travel information. We’ll start off the hour talking about the tug between the 30th Street sign, technology and aesthetics with Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic INGA SAFFRON, and MARK KUHN, CEO of Oat Foundry, a Philadelphia firm that manufactures similar boards. We’ll also hear from Congressman BRENDAN BOYLE, who spoke with Amtrak’s CEO about the removal of the sign. Then, New York Times investigative correspondent MARK MAZZETTI joins us to talk about Jared Kushner and his connections to the Saudi government.