Radio Times

WHYY’s KAREN SMYLES tells us the story behind her documentary, The Montiers: An American Story, which chronicles several generations of an African-American family of Philadelphia’s first mayor.

Guests: Margo Anderson, Ari Berman, Josh Shapiro

The Trump Administration has decided to include a question about citizenship in the 2020  census. The question was last asked in the 1950 census. Its inclusion in the 2020 survey could result in an under-counting of people residing in the United States, particularly immigrants, and might also influence congressional representation and how legislative districts are drawn. We’ll start off talking with MARGO ANDERSON, professor of history and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin, about the history of the census, its purpose, and what’s behind the debate over the citizen question.  Then we’re joined by Mother Jones senior reporter ARI BERMAN who will tell us about the reporting he’s done on the census question and how it will affect voting in 2020. We’ll also speak with Pennsylvania Attorney General JOSH SHAPIRO who is planning take legal action to ensure what he says is an accurate census account.

Guests: Matthew Kroenig, Mitchell Plitnick

President Trump has been shaking up his cabinet in recent weeks, and the most high-profile changes have been made to positions related to foreign policy. John Bolton will be Trump’s new National Security advisor, and he’s nominated C.I.A. Director Mike Pompeo for Secretary of State, and Gina Haspel to fill Pompeo’s current position. Today we’ll discuss what these changes will mean for American foreign policy and relations with North Korea, Iran, Russia, as well as our allies. Joining us is MATTHEW KROENIG, associate professor of Government and Foreign Service at Georgetown university, and by MITCHELL PLITNICK, writer and researcher for LobeLog and Right Web.

Guest: Leslie Odom Jr.

You may not have scored the tickets to see the original cast of “Hamilton”, but LESLIE ODOM JR. is stopping by Radio Times today to talk about his Tony award-winning role as Aaron Burr, his career since the Broadway smash, and his life growing up in Philadelphia. He has a new memoir that’s just come out, Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning.

Guests: Anupam Jena, Jonathan Reisman

The staggering rise of opioid-related deaths in America has reached critical mass, causing the public and politicians alike to figure out the causes, and solutions, of and increasingly dire situation. Since studies have shown that addiction often begins with a prescription, doctors and pharmaceutical companies are getting a lot of the blame for the epidemic. Today on the show, we’re going to talk about how, why, and when painkillers get prescribed. Joining us will be E.R. physician JONATHAN REISMAN, and by associate professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, ANUPAM JENA.

Guests: Max Kennerly, Frances  Stead Sellers

Sunday night’s 60 Minutes interview with Stormy Daniels continues to compound the legal woes of President Trump. The adult film star had an alleged affair with Trump over a decade ago, but the President’s troubles really lie with a non-disclosure agreement that his lawyer made with Daniels. Today on the show, we’re going to talk about what’s known about Trump’s affair with Daniels, all of the legal questions this scenario has raised, and what effects it could have on the presidency. We’re joined by Washington Post senior writer FRANCES STEAD SELLERS, and by Philadelphia-based lawyer MAX KENNERLY.

MIN JIN LEE’s new novel, PACHINKO, chronicles four generations of one Korean family who struggles to fight for control of their destinies as they experience the troubled history of legal and social discrimination against Koreans living in Japan. While writing the book, Lee lived in Tokyo with her own family and interviewed dozens of ethnic Koreans. In this hour, guest host Mary Cummings-Jordan talks with Lee about her new book, why she named the book after a popular adult Japanese pinball game and her family’s history.

Guest: Tiffany Li

The scandal surrounding digital campaign firm Cambridge Analytica has highlighted some of Facebook’s unnerving forms of selling user data to third parties. We talk with attorney and Resident Fellow at Yale Law School’s Information Society Project, TIFFANY LI, about the kinds of data Facebook collects, who it can sell it to, what purposes the data provides buyers, and what it all means for Facebook users.

Guest: Catherine Price

Just look around next time you’re in line at the grocery store, out to dinner, or at a playground. Most people’s heads will be down, looking at their phones – Facebook, games, news alerts, texts, Instagram, Tinder, twitter, and more drive people look at their phones up to hundreds of times a day. What is this constant distraction doing to our social lives, our work, our brains? This hour, we’ll talk to science writer CATHERINE PRICE about why this technology is so addictive and learn simple ways to reduce our dependence on it. Her new book is, How to Break Up with Your Phone.

Guests: Michio Kaku

Physicist and futurist MICHIO KAKU theorizes that humans living in outer space could eventually become a reality not just the stuff of science fiction.  Whether due to climate change or catastrophic cosmic events, it’s possible that our species might one day be forced to evacuate planet Earth and live among the stars.  In his new book The Future of Humanity, Kaku explores how developments in robotics, nanotechnology and biotechnology could enable us to someday build habitable cities on Mars.  He joins Marty for the hour to enlighten us about how humans might survive in the future. [This episode originally aired on 2/17/2018]