Originally broadcast on KSFR's The Forum Plus, UMass historian Stephen R. Platt shares the untold story of Evans Carlson — a WWII Marine commander, secret confidant of FDR, and pioneer of U.S. special forces. Drawing on exclusive access to Carlson’s family letters, journals, and military archives, Platt reveals a hero celebrated for introducing “gung-ho” to America but later vilified during the McCarthy era for his admiration of China. This conversation explores Carlson’s daring intelligence work, his quiet influence on Roosevelt, and his vision for a better U.S.–China relationship that might have changed history.

We speak with Lois Lipman, director of the documentary First We Bombed New Mexico, and Tina Cordova, the film’s heart and co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium. Together, they discuss the film’s impact and their decades-long advocacy for those harmed by nuclear testing and uranium mining. A hopeful development: the recently signed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” enacted on July 4, 2025, includes a temporary extension and expansion of RECA (the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) to finally cover affected communities in New Mexico. The documentary is being updated to reflect this change, with a revised version expected later this year.

To bring the conversation into the present, we also speak with military strategist and Stimson Center senior fellow Christopher Preble. He offers insights into the state of nuclear deterrence today and whether the doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD) still holds. While acknowledging the need to modernize the U.S. arsenal, Preble questions whether the projected $1 trillion investment over the next 30 years is the wisest path forward. He also weighs in on the feasibility of “The Golden Dome,” a proposed missile defense system, arguing that given the geographic scale of the U.S. and other technical limitations, the concept remains impractical.

 Dr. Ian Kumekawa, an Anniversary Fellow at the Center for History and Economics at Harvard, is the author of "Empty Vessel." Through the lens of a single barge, and its travels from the Falklands, Germany, to NYC's East River, Kumekawa exposes the underbelly of offshoring and its impact on the global economy.

Journalist, author Adam Weymouth's latest book, "Lone Wolf" is a fascinating story how over the course of several months he followed the path of Slavc, a European grey wolf, who journeyed from Slovenia to the Italian Alps. Weymouth, through candid interviews with people he met along the way, raises important questions about immigration, climate change and the delicate balance we as humans have with animals. This podcast was originally recorded for The Forum Plus on KSFR-FM.

The last minutes are bonus content.

Originally broadcast on KSFR's "The Forum," guests Robert Holleyman, former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, and Edward (Ted) Alden, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discuss what has become the defining issue of Trump 2.0. To listen to other episodes of The Forum, go to KSFR.org

Recorded on May 6, Lawrence Wright discusses "The Human Scale," his recent novel set in the West Bank. Described as a political thriller, the book is  much more—as it goes deep into the troubled history of the region and reminds us of the human cost of "scale" of the conflict. During the conversation, Wright talks about how he landed in Cairo with just a few days advance notice, what continues to draw him to the region and his hopes for peace.

While USAID is being dismantled, four professionals with decades of experience give their views of why foreign aid is an integral part of U.S. foreign policy. Mark Asquino, former U.S. ambassador to Equatorial Guinea; Rebecca Black, former USAID mission director; Lisa Ellis, development and communications specialist; and, Kate Schecter, President & CEO of World Neighbors talk with Jim Falk and co-host Talitha Arnold. This program was produced and broadcast by KSFR on THE FORUM on February 10, 2025,

H.R. McMaster, who served as President Trump's 2nd National Security Advisor, takes us inside the Oval Office, sharing his perspective on the president's decision-making process and how his tendency to be disruptive can have unintended consequences, and, yet, often positive results. McMaster gives his thoughts on Panama, Ukraine and much more as he responds to questions from World Affairs Council members from across the country,. 

Author, journalist and high school teacher, Gregg Jones has written an extremely well documented and entertaining book about the forgotten Japanese American World War II war hero, Ben Kuroki. In our conversation, Gregg tells us how this Nebraska farm boy became the only Japanese-American to fly in combat missions over Japan. Following the war, he continued his mission to fight against racism and discrimination as a publisher and speaker. At a time when patriotism is sometimes hard to define, Ben reminds us what it means to be an American.