Radio Times

The million plus people who marched on Saturday in cities throughout the country have returned to their homes, schools and jobs. After an impressive show of protest against the Trump administration, what comes next? How do organizers of the Women’s March on Washington turn dissent into meaningful political and social change. We’ll begin our conversation about the way forward with EMILY COOPER MORSE who organized the Philadelphia march. Then we’ll turn to BECKY BOND who was an architect of Bernie Sanders volunteer-driven grassroots campaign and KEEANGA-YAMAHTTA TAYLOR, an assistant professor of African American Studies at Princeton who writes about race, social movement and black politics.

Guests: MELISSA FLEMING and STEPHANIE GROMEK

There are five million Syrian refugees who have fled their homes because of the violent civil war. In this hour, Marty talks with MELISSA FLEMING, chief spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, about one refugee who risked everything for a better life. Her book, about a young woman named Doaa Al Zamel, is titled A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea: One Refugee's Incredible Story of Love, Loss, and Survival. Also joining the conversation is STEPHANIE GROMEK, Community Resource Coordinator at Church World Service in Lancaster, PA that has been working to welcome and settle refugees in their city.

Guests: Edward-Issac Dovere, Ross Baker, Jim Zarroli

Donald Trump has been President for a mere few days, but he’s already signed a slew of executive orders. These include withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, banning funding for abortions abroad, and freezing federal hires.  Today, Chief Washington correspondent for POLITICO, EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE, breaks down what Trump has done thus far as commander-in-chief.  We’ll also be joined by ROSS BAKER, professor of political science at Rutgers University, to discuss how Trump’s actions will play out in congress. Then, we’ll talk with NPR’s JIM ZARROLI about the actions Trump has, and hasn't, made in eliminating his conflicts of interest.

Guests: ANITA FOEMAN, BESSIE LAWTON and ALONDRA NELSON

Genetic ancestry testing has given many people clues to their biological make up - to a specific country, region or tribe. Yet, many scholars argue that DNA ancestry tests are limited because DNA tests can be vague and the quality may vary. Some of the results can call into question how we define ourselves, racially or ethnically? In this hour, Mary talks with ANITA FOEMAN and BESSIE LAWTON, professors at West Chester University who teach a course called Intercultural Communication where students have recently read their genetic tests and talked about the personal, social and emotional meanings. Also joining the conversation, ALONDRA NELSON, Dean of Social Science at Columbia University and author of “The Social Life of DNA” will discuss how we can use the DNA test results to tell rich stories about our lives.

Guests: Steven Johnson

In his new book, Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World, STEVEN JOHNSON argues that fun and leisure have led to the innovations that have shaped our current age.  He uses examples throughout history, from medieval times to the 19th century, to illustrate just how technological advancements in entertainment were instrumental in the direction the world has gone, and how paying attention to these areas will help predict our future. Johnson is the host and co-creator of the PBS series How We Got to Now, and he joins Marty this hour to discuss his work, his research, and his new book.

Guest: Suzanne O'Sullivan

Your co-worker says she feels sick. “It might be the flu,” she wonders aloud.  Suddenly your stomach starts to turn, you feel achy and you get the chills. Most of us have experienced moments like this, when our mind briefly tricks us into feeling sick. But for some, the power of psychosomatic illness is far more debilitating.  The patients that neurologist SUZANNE O’SULLIVAN has seen over the years suffer from seizures, paralysis, severe pain, and blindness, with no medically explained cause.  O’Sullivan explores these cases and the little understood disorder in her book Is It All in Your Head?  True Stories of Imaginary Illness.

Guests: Joseph Turow

Most of us have probably noticed the how corporations track our consumer behavior online – just look at the targeted ads on your Google screen that use a word or two that you just included in a recent email.  But are we also being tracked when we go to an old-fashioned brick-and-mortar store?  In his new book, The Aisles Have Eyes, University of Pennsylvania communications professor JOSEPH TUROW outlines the measures that corporate executives go to track your buying habits at WalMart, Target, Macy’s and grocery stores. This hour, Turow tells us why companies are so invested in what you’re buying. But first, we'll hear from KAREN TUMULTY of The Washington Post about White House press secretary Sean Spicer's untruthful first press conference.

Guests: Mark Harris, Suzanne Kelly, Katrina Spade

Green burials are increasingly popular in the United States.  Concerns with the ecological impacts of regular burials, plus the shortage of land, and high costs, have turned many Americans toward a more natural way to rest in peace. You can be buried in a cloth shroud or a simple straw casket, have your ashes mixed with concrete to create a coral reef, or have your body mulched and turned back into soil your loved one’s can use.  This hour, we discuss the changing rituals around death and dying, including DIY home funerals and Death Cafes.  And, we’ll look at the growing interest in eco-friendly burial practices.  Our guests are MARK HARRIS, an environmental writer and the author of Grave Matters, and SUZANNE KELLY author of Greening Death.  We’ll also talk with KATRINA SPADE, founder and director of the Urban Death Project

GUESTS: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN, TODD GITLIN, THOMAS WRIGHT

Is marching an effective way to express dissatisfaction? What about tweeting? As many Americans are concerned over the legitimacy of President-elect Donald Trump’s victory, voters and politicians alike are using different tactics of protest to voice their discontent. Many elected officials have decided not to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Friday, and the following day, the Women’s March on Washington is expected to attract 200,000 protestors. In this hour, Marty talks with U.S. Representative BONNIE WATSON COLEMAN about why she won’t attend and about her alternative plans. Then, TODD GITLIN, professor of journalism and sociology and chair of the Ph. D. program in Communications at Columbia University, breaks down the ways in which people protest, how effective are protests and how they’ve changed over the years. Also joining, THOMAS WRIGHT, professor Strategic Communication at Temple University, who is teaching students to become more active in civic life.

Guests: Dan Ozzi, Joe Concha, David James Jackson

Presidential inaugurations have a long tradition of bringing some of the entertainment industry’s top talents to celebrate the swearing in of a new president.  And despite his claims that he is not interested in having A-listers perform at the event, Trump’s inaugural committee has been working hard to find top-tier talent to perform – and to little avail.  Today on the show, we’ll talk about Hollywood’s relationship with the new president.  And, we’ll look at how celebrity endorsements effect politics, as Hillary Clinton’s star-studded Democratic National Convention proved ineffective in getting her elected President. We’re joined by VICE’s DAN OZZI and JOE CONCHA from The Hill.  And, we’ll hear from DAVID JAMES JACKSON, professor of political science at Bowling Green State University who studies celebrity political endorsements. But first, President Obama commuted Chelsea Manning’s prison sentence this week.  The former Army intelligence analyst was convicted of leaking classified material to WikiLeaks.  Marty talks with JOSH GERSTEIN, White House reporter for Politico about Obama’s decision.