Radio Times

Guests: David Cole, Ron Elving, John Stanton

Donald Trump tweeted earlier this week that there should be consequences for people who burn the American flag, such as being jailed or having their citizenship revoked.  But the Supreme Court ruled that flag burning is protected as free speech.  We start this hour discussing the First Amendment, flag burning and other comments Trump has made that challenge the Constitution.  DAVID COLE, professor of constitutional law at Georgetown University Law Center is our guest.  Then, Trump has named a number of cabinet picks.  We’ll take a look at his nominations and what they may reveal about his presidency with guests RON ELVING, senior editor and correspondent at NPR, and JOHN STANTON, Washington, D.C. bureau chief for BuzzFeed News.

Guests: Damien Cave, Richard Feinberg, Carlos Eire

What does the death of Fidel Castro and the rise of Donald trump mean for America’s relationship with Cuba?  President Obama’s executive action pursuing normalization signaled big changes ahead in America’s attitude towards Cuba. But Trump has claimed that he wants to undue Obama’s decision. In this hour of Radio Times, we’ll discuss the current state of openness between our countries, and how President-elect Trump might change that relationship.  We’ll begin by talking with The New York Times’ DAMIEN CAVE, who’s been following Trump’s claims that he will terminate the Cuba deal.  Then, we’ll be joined by RICHARD FEINBERG, to talk about the growing economic ties between the two countries.  And lastly, we’ll be joined by Cuban refugee, Castro critic, and Yale history professor CARLOS EIRE to get his perspective.

Guests: Carmel Martin, Kaitlin Sweeney and Angela Couloumbis

With defeats on the Presidential ticket and in both houses of Congress, the Democrats are looking to the future. Will they embrace the faction of the party that was energized by Senator Bernie Sanders or stick with the more traditional Democratic politicians like Rep. Nancy Pelosi. We’ll discuss the future of the Democratic Party this hour with CARMEL MARTIN, the Executive Vice President for Policy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund who has advised Hillary Clinton on education and child care issues, and and KAITLIN SWEENEY, Press Secretary for the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. But first, we’ll hear about the voting recount suit in Pa. filed by the Jill Stein campaign.  ANGELA COULOUMBIS, state government reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer joins us to give us the update on the effort.

Guests: Adam Gazzaley, Larry Rosen

The average person checks their phone almost 50 times a day. We do it while we’re talking with a friend, at work, and even while driving. We like to believe we can multi-task -- that we can follow the conversation or the road while reading a quick text or checking a Facebook update but research proves we can’t. In their new book The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World, ADAM GAZZALEY and LARRY ROSEN —a neuroscientist and a psychologist—explain why our brains aren’t equipped to do two things at once, Gazzaley and Rosen join us to talk about their findings and to offer advice on better ways to live with our modern technology.

Guest: Jan Ting and Peter Spiro

President-elect Donald Trump threatened to withhold federal funds from communities that serve as “sanctuary cities,” where authorities refuse to cooperate with federal immigration officials by prolonging the detention of undocumented immigrants in custody for criminal activity. Yet from California to New York, politicians are stating their determination to protect immigrants. Mayor Jim Kenney too has announced Philadelphia’s status as a “Fourth Amendment city,” asserting that immigration status doesn't affect how long a person can be held against their will without a court warrant signed by a judge. Our guests JAN TING and PETER SPIRO, both professors at Temple University Beasley School of Law, will debate the legality of “sanctuary city” policies, and the role local officials play in refusing to comply with federal immigration orders that could lead to deportation.

Guests: Janet Haas, Mike DiBerardinis and Nicole Westerman

Philadelphia’s parks, libraries, and rec centers are getting a big boost: in the form of a recently announced $100 million dollar grant  from the William Penn Foundation. We’ll find out the logic behind giving the largest grant in in the foundation's history from JANET HAAS, chair of the Board of the William Penn Foundation. And we’ll discuss how the city plans to spend the money with Philadelphia’s Managing Director MIKE DIBERARDINIS, and NICOLE WESTERMAN, Executive Director of Rebuild, a city initiative that aims to invest $500 million over a seven-year period in Philadelphia's aging public places.

Guests: Tina Rosenberg, Will Bunch

Since the election of Donald Trump, the news media and public have raised many questions about the coverage of the campaign.  Legacy media outlets have been accused of bias, bad reporting, untruthfulness, false equivalencies, and heightening divisions among Americans. There has also been a rise in flat-out fabricated news that's been repeated as fact.  Today on the show, we’ll talk about the accusations against media outlets, and some of the suggestions for improvements that can be implemented to better serve the public. We’re joined by TINA ROSENBERG, who contributes to The New York Times’ column “Fixes,” and by WILL BUNCH, columnist for Philly.com.

Image: dgjones

Guests: Lori Tharps

While racism has long been the central focus of race relations in America, there is a less apparent conversation going on within minority communities.  It’s been dubbed “colorism,” which is the gradient skin tone scale – and studies show that those with lighter skin tend to have societal advantages.  Associate professor of journalism at Temple University  LORI L. THARPS’ new book Same Family, Different Colors explores the perceptions that one’s skin color can engender, and how this affects families of different skin tones.  She joins Mary Cummings-Jordan this hour to discuss her book and the stories of the families she profiled.

GUESTS:MARIANA CHILTON, DONNELL JONES-CRAVEN, ALTENOR VAVAL

In this hour, Mary talks with MARIANA CHILTON, founding director of the Center for Hunger-Free Communities of Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, about poverty, hunger and food insecurity. Also joining the conversation are local chefs who focus on putting dignity on their menus.  DONNELL JONES-CRAVEN, culinary director/executive chef of the EAT CAFE, and ALTENOR VAVAL, director of Face-to-Face Germantown, discuss choosing healthy ingredients, incorporating cultural traditions and serving thousands of meals each year.

Guests: Kelley Yemen and Greg Krykewycz

Whether you’re a driver, a cyclist or a pedestrian, you’ve likely been frustrated by the behavior of others who share the streets and sidewalks. In this hour, we’ll learn the best way to cooperate with your fellow travelers. We’ll be joined in studio by KELLEY YEMEN, the city’s new and first director of the Office of Complete Streets, to discuss what’s going well on Philadelphia’s streets, what she hopes to change, and why she decided to leave her job as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for Hennepin County, Minnesota, a region that’s considered one of the most bike-friendly in the country. And for a design perspective, we’ll talk with GREG KRYKEWYCZ, the Associate Director for Transportation at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, where he manages the agency’s transit, bicycle, and pedestrian planning work.