Radio Times

Guests: Brad Gooch, Tony Campolo, Bart Campolo, Yuyin Li

On today’s edition of Radio Times in Review; we explore relationships. We’ll hear about the Sufi poet Rumi, whose prose covered the topics of relationships and love.  We were joined by BRAD GOOCH, author of Rumi’s Secret. We’ll also hear Marty’s conversation with father and son TONY CAMPOLO and BART CAMPOLO.  Bart was raised Christian by his renowned pastor father, but as an adult stopped believing in God.  The two joined us to talk about the effect this had on their relationship, which they wrote about in their book Why I Left, Why I Stayed.  And, we’ll hear from author YUYIN LI, who wrote a memoir of sorts called Dear Friend, From My Life I Write to You in Your Life. It’s about her childhood in Communist China and her suicidal depression.  She explores the role her relationship with her mother played in shaping her views on the world.

GUEST: MOHSIN HAMID

When we hear stories of refugees fleeing their home countries, they’re generally traveling by sea, land or air. But MOHSIN HAMID’s new novel, Exit West, imagines refugees escaping through a magical passageway to safer countries.  In this hour, Marty talks with Hamid about his new book, migrant escapes, and how refugees and natives coexist.

Reading List

American Booksellers Association: Mohsin Hamid on Exit West, the #1 Indie Next List Pick for March

Time: Land Of The Free Home Of The Brave

Newsday: ‘Exit West’ review: Mohsin Hamid’s dark fairy tale of refugees in love

Guests: Robert Field, Timothy Jost

House Republicans tried more than 60 times to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature healthcare legislation, while he was in office. Now with Donald Trump in the White House, House Republicans have unveiled their replacement for the ACA called the American Health Care Act. While it keeps some benefits like the pre-existing conditions policy, it gets rid of the mandate and replaces subsidies with tax credits. This new bill has a long way to go before it gets to the president’s desk and there questions and concerns about its implementation. Today on the show, we’re joined by ROBERT FIELD, Professor of Law and Professor of Health Management and Policy at Drexel University Kline School of Law and Dornsife School of Public Health.  We’ll also be joined by TIMOTHY JOST, an Emeritus Professor at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and contributing editor at Health Affairs.

Guests: Philip Yun, Karoun Demirjian

North Korea fired four ballistic missiles on Monday. Three fell into the sea near Japan. Last month, North Korea tested a nuclear-capable rocket that it claimed could reach the United States. Marty starts the hour discussing the North Korean provocations and how we should respond with PHILIP YUN, executive director of the Ploughshares Fund.  Then, with weekly leaks and reports into the alleged collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign, we asked The Washington Post’s KAROUN DEMIRJIAN to walk us through exactly what we know for certain, what investigations are happening and what questions remain.

 

Reading List

The New York Times: North Korea Launch Could Be Test of New Attack Strategy, Japan Analysts Say

The Washington Post: China suspends North Korean coal imports, striking at regime’s financial lifeline

The Guardian: The Guardian view on North Korea: Pyongyang’s advantage

Ploughshares Fund: Hard Choices on North Korea

Guests: John Brabender, Chris Coons

From allegations of a Trump-Russia connection, to the scramble to repeal Obamacare, to Trump’s first Congressional address – there’s been a lot of news from the White House and Capitol Hill.  This hour, we’re getting two perspectives on some what’s been happening in Washington. We’ll hear from Republican strategist JOHN BRABENDER about how Republicans are reacting to the Russia story and how the GOP is getting along with White House. Then, U.S. Senator CHRIS COONS, a Democrat from Delaware, comes in to talk about the Democrats strategy for handling the Trump presidency, the investigations into Russian election meddling, the upcoming vote on Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, and what’s next for Obamacare.

 

Reading List

Huffington Post: White House Spokeswoman Walks Back Trump Wiretapping Claims

The Washington Post: How hard is it to get an intelligence wiretap? Pretty hard.

The New York Times: Trump, Offering No Evidence, Says Obama Tapped His Phones

Guests: Nancy Baron-Baer, Tarek El-Messidi, Josh Shapiro

Bomb threats, cemetery desecration and swastika graffiti targeting the Jewish community have been increasing recently in Pennsylvania. Nationwide statistics also show this hate-crime epidemic is widespread, with four mosque arsons and 100 bomb threats to Jewish organizations. While law enforcement continues to seek out the perpetrators of these crimes, the affected faiths are trying to pick up the pieces and are working to fight hate. Pennsylvania Attorney General JOSH SHAPIRO joins us to talk about the rise in racist activity, and about President Trump’s eyebrow-raising response to Shapiro’s question about the recent anti-Semitic attacks. Then, we’ll be joined by NANCY BARON-BAER, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, and by TAREK EL-MESSIDI, a local Muslim and founder of Celebrate Mercy who contributed to the cleanup of the vandalized Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia.

Reading list:

"Why Attacks on Jewish Cemeteries Provoke Particular Fear" - Emma Green (The Atlantic)

"Josh Shapiro: Donald Trump told AGs anti-Semitic threats sometimes designed to 'make others look bad'" - Wallace McKelvey (PennLive)

"Thousands attend 'Stand Against Hate' rally against Jewish cemetery vandalism" - Valerie Russ (Philly.com)

GUESTS: GREG VITALI & YIYUN LI

The natural-gas industry has spent $60 million lobbying Pennsylvania politicians over the last decade, according to a recent report from Common Cause of Pennsylvania and the Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania. In this hour, Marty talks with State Representative GREG VITALI, former Democratic Chairman of the state House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee, about the report’s findings and what this means for regulation and taxation. Then, we’ll talk with writer, YIYUN LI, about her new book Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life which was written over two years while she battled suicidal depression. Marty talks with Li about how books have saved her life and why she never writes or thinks in Mandarin anymore.

 

Reading List

Philly.com: Commentary: Marcellus money and the Pa. legislature

Publisher's Weekly: Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life

NPR: 'Dear Friend' Is A Fraught And Unusual Memoir

Guests: Ron Elving, Brad Gooch

President Trump addressed the nation and Congress last night in his first prime-time speech since becoming President.  He laid out his policies on health care, tax reform and the budget. We start out this hour getting reaction to Trump’s address and his legislative agenda from NPR senior editor and correspondent RON ELVING.  Then, we shift gears to talk about the thirteenth-century Persian poet Rumi who is still a bestseller hundreds of years later.  Poet and author BRAD GOOCH has written a new biography of the Sufi mystic’s life and of the powerful friendship that transformed Rumi’s work. Marty talks to Gooch about his book, Rumi’s Secret: The Life of the Sufi Poet of Love.

Guests: SOFIYA BALLIN, JAMES PETERSON, ARIELL JOHNSON & KAMEELAH RASHAD 

“Black History Untold: Black Joy" is a storytelling project created by SOFIYA BALLIN, staff writer of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The collection of personal narratives is told by several African Americans of Philadelphia who share their moment of Black joy—a term Ballin describes as a celebration of black people and black culture. In this hour, Marty talks with the project’s creator, JAMES PETERSON, director of Africana Studies and associate professor of English at Lehigh University, ARIELL JOHNSON, owner of Amalgam Comic & Coffeehouse, KAMEELAH RASHAD, founder of Muslim Wellness Foundation.

Reading List

Philadelphia Inquirer: Finding joy in faith and culture

Philadelphia Inquirer: Year-old Kensington comic book store and coffeehouse getting attention

Guests: Joe Hernandez, Eric Jensen, Hillary Busis

First up on today’s show: New Jersey green-lit a natural gas pipeline through the pinelands on Friday after a years long approval process. WHYY’s JOE HERNANDEZ joins us to talk about the pipeline, the protests, and how it will get built.  Then: astronomers have discovered seven planets orbiting the dwarf star in nearby solar system.  At least three of the Earth-sized planets are within the habitable zone and could possibly support water or even life.   Swarthmore College astronomer ERIC JENSEN comes in to tell Marty about the excitement around this new discovery. And lastly, we’ll talk about the winners and losers at last night’s Academy Awards with HILLARY BUSIS, Hollywood editor for Vanity Fair.

Reading List

NewsWorks: New Jersey officials OK natural gas pipeline through the Pinelands

The Guardian: Exoplanet discovery: seven Earth-sized planets found orbiting nearby star

New York Times: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Trappist