Radio Times

Guests: Chris Rabb, John Taylor

The Pennsylvania legislature has a lot on the docket for 2018. Among the issues being addressed will be redistricting reform, the opioid epidemic, and fracking. We’ve asked two statehouse representatives from Philadelphia to join us on the show today to talk about what is coming before the general assembly this year, but also discuss the culture of Harrisburg and about their very different experiences within state government. CHRIS RABB has served one year as Democratic Representative of Pennsylvania’s  200th District in northwest Pennsylvania. JOHN TAYLOR is Republican Representative who recently announced his retirement after representing northeast Pa.’s 177th District for 33 years.

Guests: Ryan Hutchins, Brent Johnson

On Tuesday, New Jersey has a new Governor, Phil Murphy, putting the state’s government entirely in Democratic hands. Today on the show, we’re going to talk about the significance of the transition from the Chris Christie-era government, and we’ll hear about the new lawmakers in the state legislature, and the impact of the federal government’s policies on the Garden State. Joining us will be RYAN HUTCHINS, New Jersey bureau chief  for POLITICO, and BRENT JOHNSON, Statehouse reporter for NJ Advance Media.

Guest: Michael Wolff, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Journalist MICHAEL WOLFF has said his book, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, is going to bring down the president. It details his administrations transition into the White House and the first nine months of Trump’s presidency. The central claim of the book is that 100% of the people surrounding the President question his mental stability, but the scintillating writing style and questionable reporting methods have caused a backlash. In this hour, Marty talks with Wolff about his access into the White House, Trump’s relationship with former chief strategist Steve Bannon, Bannon’s ouster, and Trump’s controversial decision to fire FBI Director, James Comey. Then, we get reaction to the Wolff book and Trump’s behavior over the last few weeks from EDDIE GLAUDE JR, a professor of religion and African-American studies at Princeton University.

Guests: Tracy K. Smith, Jonathan Rieder, Michael Eric Dyson

For today’s Martin Luther King Holiday, we’re going to revisit some of the best interviews from Radio Times past. First, we’ll listen to America’s newest poet laureate, TRACY K. SMITH, who joined us on the show to talk about how she first became interested in poetry, and to read some of her work. Her upcoming collection of poetry is called Wade in the Water. We’ll also honor the legacy of Dr. King when we hear from King scholar JONATHAN RIEDER. He joined us to talk about Dr. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which some argue is a more accurate portrayal of King’s politics than his more famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Rieder wrote about the letter in his book Gospel of Freedom. And, we’ll hear from Georgetown University professor of sociology and author, MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, who joined us to talk about his book Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America, which discusses the nature of American race relations that have long-caused the African-American community grief, rage, and frustration.

Guests: Olivia Vasquez, Alan Gomez, Sarah Stillman

A lot happened around immigration policy this week. Congressional Republicans and Democrats met with President Trump to hammer out an immigration deal around DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and border security. Meanwhile, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from ending the DACA program.  And on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security announced that it was ending “temporary protected status” for Salvadoran refugees and would begin deportations. We’ll start this hour talking with Dreamer and community organizer OLIVIA VASQUEZ. Then, we turn to the immigration negotiations and the decision end TPS for Salvadorans. We’ll also learn about the horrors that await some refugees when they are forced to return to countries from which they fled.  Marty’s guests are ALAN GOMEZ, immigration reporter for USA Today and SARAH STILLMAN, staff writer for The New Yorker and director of the Global Migration Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Guests: Stephanie Coontz, Dahlia Lithwick

It has been widely acknowledged that the outrage and activism that has accompanied the #MeToo movement is long overdue. Holding men in power to account for sexual assault and harassment, and giving voice to their victims could be a watershed moment in the effort to achieve gender equality. But, given the varying degrees of sexual misconduct, serious concerns have arisen about how, and if, we can differentiate such behaviors.  Also, how should the legal system respond and how do we actually create lasting cultural change?  We’ll tackle these complicated questions with Evergreen State College professor STEPHANIE COONTZ and DAHLIA LITHWICK who writes about the courts and the law for Slate.

Guest: Ray Didinger and Mike Sielski

Philadelphia Eagles fans everywhere are anxious as the team is just days away from its playoff game with the No. 6 seed Atlanta Falcons. On Saturday, the top-seeded Eagles face-off to the Falcons—who have the leagues’s top-scoring offense—without quarterback Carson Wentz. Even with home field advantage, will the team clinch a victory? Mary Cummings-Jordan talks with NBC Sports Philadelphia football analyst RAY DIDINGER and Philadelphia Inquirer sports columnist MIKE SIELSKI about the Eagles’ playoff game, the Sixers in London to play the Boston Celtics and the Flyers’ season.

Guests: John Hudak, James Higdon, Robert Mikos

Attorney Jeff Sessions announced last week that the Justice Department will be reversing the previous administration’s approach to marijuana. The Obama DOJ unofficially allowed states to determine their own approach to marijuana policy, but Sessions plans on enforcing the federal law that classifies cannabis as a ‘schedule one’ drug alongside heroin. JAMES HIGDON who writes about drug policy for POLITICO, and ROBERT MIKOS, constitutional law scholar from Vanderbilt University, join us to discuss the ins-and-outs of Sessions’ plans, and what happens when federal and state laws conflict. But first, we’ll talk with JOHN HUDAK of Brookings about how the roll-out of recreational marijuana has looked like in the states that have voted to approve such measures.

Guests: Michael Mann, Jennifer Francis, Jennifer Dlouhy

The frigid temperatures around the nation made President Trump question global warming on Twitter, but as scientists keep explaining, there’s a difference between weather and climate. As the East Coast digs out of the “bomb cyclone” and much of the nation copes with freezing temperatures, we’ll look at the connection between cold snaps and climate change. And we’ll discuss what last year’s extreme weather events–hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and floods–tell us about what 2018 may bring. Marty’s guests are Penn State’s MICHAEL MANN and Rutgers University’s JENNIFER FRANCIS. Then, Bloomberg energy and environment reporter JENNIFER DLOUHY tells us about the Trump administration’s proposal to open most U.S. coastal waters to offshore oil and gas drilling.

Guests: KATHERINE MILKMAN, NYREE DARDARIAN & JAYEL LEWIS

As with every New Year, many of us have resolutions to drop some weight, eat better, get more sleep and finally finish that laundry list of tasks. So what’s holding us back? In this hour, KATHERINE MILKMAN, associate professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, will discuss how we can keep track and achieve our goals this year. But first, NYREE DARDARIAN, assistant clinical professor and director of Center for Nutrition and Performance at Drexel University, will give us tips on improving our diet with probiotics, online grocery shopping and fiber powder. And JAYEL LEWIS, personal trainer and fitness consultant who has worked with the United States Air Force, will share her approach to fitness which targets both physical and mental health.