Radio Times

Demonstrations in Venezuela against President Nicholas Maduro this week have left three people dead. Opposition leaders accuse the President of creating a dictatorship and have called for more marches in Caracas. We start this hour getting an update on the anti-government protests from BRIAN ELLSWORTH, Reuters correspondent based in Caracas.  Then, SCOTT SHANE, reporter for The New York Times, discusses his recent story about how a trip to Moscow last year by former Trump aide, Carter Page, prompted the FBI’s investigation into Russia/Trump campaign ties. In our final segment, we look at the future of the Iran Nuclear Deal and the White House announcement this week that it will be reviewing it. Marty talks with ROBIN WRIGHT, a journalist, author, and joint fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Woodrow Wilson International Center.

Guests: Emily Dreyfuss, Mary Anne Franks Facebook Live is intended to provide a way to send video of your life and experiences to friends in real time.  But recently, we saw how this fun way to communicate with others could take a dark turn, with murder, rape, and torture being live-streamed. This is the latest challenge presented to social media companies, which have also taken heat for being the venue for widely-shared fake news stories, as well as pervasive online harassment. Today, we’ll talk about the ways that Facebook and other social media platforms can mitigate harmful activity. We’ll be joined by WIRED senior staff writer, EMILY DREYFUSS, and by University of Miami Law professor, MARY ANNE FRANKS.

Guests: Phillip Mead, Scott Stephenson, Jenny Town

George Washington’s executive tent, a piece of the bridge from the battle at Concord, photos of people who lived 200 years ago– these are some of the highlights of The Museum of The American Revolution which opens  its doors to the general public today. Marty was given a private tour of the museum by the Vice President of Collections, Exhibitions and Programming, SCOTT STEPHENSON, and by Chief Historian, PHILLIP MEAD.  They guided her through the facility and explained their process of bringing the Revolution back to life, as well as their hopes that visitors will consider the importance of the ideas that sparked American independence.  Then, we’ll get an update on the escalating rhetoric and actions between the United States and North Korea from JENNY TOWN, assistant director of the US-Korea Institute at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

If you've seen her pictures on your social media feed, you know that JESSAMYN STANLEY is not ashamed of her full figure. As a feminist, body-positive activist and yoga instructor, she encourages everyone--regardless of size, color, gender, and sexual orientation-- to get on a yoga mat. In this hour, Marty talks with Stanley about her new book Every Body Yoga: Let Go of Fear, Get on the Mat, Love Your Body and her body-positive movement.

 

Reading List

Black Girls Guide to Weight Loss: Take an At-Home Yoga Class With Jessamyn, the Internet's Favorite Yogi

Self: Jessamyn Stanley Says She's Still Learning How to Silence Self-Hate

People: Jessamyn Stanley Found Body Acceptance Through Yoga and Can Help You Do the Same

Indyweek: Durham's Jessamyn Stanley, Author of Every Body Yoga, on Conquering Self-Hate to Become a National Yoga-for-All Advocate

Guests: Colum McCann, Edwin Battistella

 In Letters to a Young Writer, COLUM McCANN says “don’t write what you know. Write toward what you want to know.” The Dublin-born author has won much acclaim for his ten books, including a National Book Award for his novel, Let the Great World Spin.  But Letters draws more on his work as a teacher, seeking to inspire young authors to conjure a passion for writing and for living an unconventional life.  He joins Marty this hour to discuss some of the lessons that he lays out, and how he learned them throughout his career.  Then, we talk to linguist EDWIN BATTISTELLA about public apologies – which have been a bit in vogue lately following high-profile gaffes from Pepsi, United Airlines, and the White House Press Secretary.

Guests: James Hansen, Robert Young

Scientists, researchers, and lobbyists are planning a March for Science on April 22nd, calling it “the first step of a global movement to defend the vital role science plays in our health, safety, economies, and governments”  The march, which many see as a response to the election of President Trump, has sparked a debate about the appropriateness of scientists engaging in political activism. Today, we’ll be joined by climate scientist and Columbia University professor, JAMES HANSEN, who believes that part of the science community’s role is to engage in political activity, including combating Trump’s recent environmental protection rollback. Then, we’ll hear from ROBERT YOUNG, a geologist from Western Carolina University, who believes that politicizing science will not help the cause of creating better, science-based, policy.

Guests: Angus Deaton, Anne Case, David Folkenflik

For most western countries, mortality rates have been in decline. But among white working class Americans there has been an increase in mortality rates, and not all of it can be explained by the opioid epidemic. Princeton professors, ANGUS DEATON and ANNE CASE first noticed this trend a few years ago and wrote a paper on it in 2015.  They’ve since dug deeper into the underlying factors behind the increases mortality which they call “deaths of despair” and include things like the lack of jobs, marriage breakups, family dysfunction, social isolation, and obesity.  They join Marty to talk about their research. Then, we’ll talk with NPR’s DAVID FOLKENFLIK about the recent fallout at FOX following an exodus of advertisers from “The O’Reilly Factor” following sexual harassment settlements that were recently made public.

GUEST: DR. WILLIE PARKER

After hearing a sermon from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., DR. WILLIE PARKER realized that in order to be true to his Christian faith, he must show compassion for all women. So, he stopped his obstetrician practice to focus on providing safe abortions for women—often women living in poverty and women of color. In this hour, Marty talks to Parker about his new book Life’s Work: A moral argument for choice and how he balances his spiritual beliefs as a doctor.

Across the country, there’s an increase in the number of people with serious mental illnesses who are behind bars making prisons and jails modern day mental institutions. In Philadelphia, 40 percent of inmates are taking psychotropic medications. The state Department of Corrections announced a plan to introduce the “Stepping Up Initiative”—a national initiative to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses who are incarcerated. In this hour, Marty talks with FRED OSHER, director of health systems and services policy at the Council of State Governments Justice Center about Stepping Up and its objectives. JOHN WETZEL, Pennsylvania Secretary of Corrections, joins the discussion to address the potential impact of this plan on PA state prisons. BRUCE HERDMAN, chief medical director for the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, discusses the care needed for these inmates.

Guest: Andrew Bacevich, James Kitfield

Recent global events are giving the Trump administration their first real test of foreign policy acumen.  On Friday, President Trump ordered a missile strike on an airbase in Syria in response to President Assad’s sarin gas attack on civilians. Complicating this situation is Russia’s backing of Assad in the midst of U.S. investigations into Russian election meddling and potential collusion with the Trump transition team. In addition, North Korea is growing increasingly confrontational with their military displays. And, President Trump recently met with Chinese president Xi Jinping, who is a North Korean ally.  Marty dissects the issues facing the United States with her guests ANDREW BACEVICH, an emeritus professor of international relations and history at Boston University and JAMES KITFIELD, senior fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress and author of Twilight Warriors.