TWO REPORTERS

Shekar Krishnan just got re-elected to the New York City Council with three times as many votes as the runner-up. And so far, he's showing how politics and government can actually make people's lives better. Shekar fights for immigrant taxi drivers, the LGBTQ community, and minorities who need good low-income housing; he went briefly to jail and got smeared by the Proud Boys, along the way. Oh - and he's doing the usual political things like getting potholes fixed.

As the horrific war between Israel and Hamas continues, US and Iranian officials are sending each other warnings, just as they have for decades: Back off. When you hear this episode, it will help remind you one reason why Iran's government learned to hate the US long ago: The US and Britain secretly ran the plot to topple its leader in the 1950s. Why? For Iran's oil. Filmmakers Taghi Amirani and Walter Murch discuss their riveting documentary, Coup 53 - which shows step by step how the CIA and MI6 carried it out.

As we publish this, Congressional Republicans have just elected their new Speaker - a right-wing extremist who led the fight, which many consider seditious, to overthrow Joseph Biden’s 2020 democratic election. So it’s more astonishing than ever to revisit the presidency of Republican Dwight D. "Ike" Eisenhower. His granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, describes some of Ike's visionary and controversial policies - which many if not most Republicans would likely oppose today.

Railroad supervisors ignore safety problems. Railroad executives lay off thousands of workers and see accident rates soar. Railroad corporations make record profits while their customers complain about lousy freight service. Marilee Taylor and Ron Kaminkow, veteran train engineers and labor organizers, have encountered those problems just about every day they've climbed aboard a locomotive - and they describe them in vivid detail. Still, they get a thrill from driving trains, if things go well. As Marilee says, sometimes she'd fire up the massive engine, and "I'm, like, yes." But they're stunned that America seems to stand by as its crucial railroad industry deteriorates. 

The freight railroad industry is crucial, but companies have slashed tens of thousands of workers in recent years while trains have become less reliable and derailments have threatened entire towns. Meanwhile, railroad companies have reported record and near-record profits. Historian Peter Rachleff and train engineer Ron Kaminkow, who’s also a labor leader, guide us through the colorful, brutal history of America’s railroads - built by “oligarchs” on the backs of Black convicts, slaves and Chinese laborers. Once you know that saga, you’ll understand the industry’s current problems better. And you might not get so nostalgic when you hear a train whistle and watch two miles of freight cars clacking by.

Boris Bondarev says he wanted to quit his job as a Russian diplomat long ago, to protest Putin's policies, but it took years to gather courage to take that life-changing step. Putin's war in Ukraine pushed him to act - and now he and his wife are living under protection in Switzerland (with their cat; more about that in our episode). In Part 2 of this introspective conversation, Boris explains why resigning was a moral act of “redemption” after a career serving policies that he gradually decided were unworthy of his country.  Is Boris right that the war against Ukraine won’t strengthen Putin but destroy him? 

Boris Bondarev represented Russia as a diplomat for more than 20 years. But after Russia invaded Ukraine, he took a rare and potentially dangerous step: he resigned, to protest the horrors of Vladimir Putin's "fascist state." In Part 1 of this candid chat, Boris explains why he overlooked Putin's crimes for years - and why the invasion of Ukraine propelled him to act. His actions have turned his own family's life upside down.

Darrin Bell won the Pulitzer Prize for doing exactly that - depicting Trump as a shrieking infant, a naked tyrant, and as a god giving life to racists instead of to Adam. Darrin explains how his own encounters with racism pushed him to draw, as an emotional escape. And he tells why his cartoons attack not only Trump but sometimes leaders he likes. HINT: young people should hear this interview to learn how perseverance can pay off!

Darrin Bell's white, wealthy classmates bullied him because he had big lips, and store clerks automatically assumed he was shoplifting. Today, Darrin has transformed his struggles into a brilliant and acclaimed graphic memoir, "The Talk" - named for the conversation that parents of color often have with their children to explain why the world likely won't treat them the same as whites. 

Republicans and their allies are banning books, courses and even brief classroom chats about "divisive topics" - and passing laws to punish teachers who disobey. They're also spending big money to elect school boards that embrace their extremist visions. Jonathan Friedman of PEN America describes some of the most threatening developments across the country.