Impeachment and the Lessons of the Iraq War
Whether or not to impeach the president is going to be the over-riding question in American politics for the rest of Donald Trump’s time in office. This question is not going to flame out. It’s here to stay, and history will judge both Democrats and Republicans by how they handle this most serious question facing the republic. So far, Republicans in the Congress remain publicly united behind the president. Democrats … Read More
Human Caused Environmental Catastrophe with Elizabeth Kolbert
Air Dates: April 22-28, 2019 The fossil record of planet earth tells us that there have been five mass extinctions—the most famous being the fifth that destroyed the dinosaurs. Elizabeth Kolbert warns that we’re in the midst, now, of the sixth extinction and its cause is human activity. Kolbert’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Sixth Extinction, documents the risk to species across the planet. The threat is human activity. The fabric … Read More
Video Games with Kimberly Wallace
If you were to compare the revenues of the highest grossing feature film in history and the highest grossing video game in history—you might be surprised to learn that the video game earned substantially more—five times more, in fact, than the film. As Kimberly Wallace tells us, video games are big business and their societal impact still misunderstood. Wallace is the features editor for Game Informer, a magazine covering the … Read More
Mental Health Stories with Sarah Fawn Montgomery
Air Dates: April 8 – 14, 2019 Millions of Americans live with mental illness every day. Sarah Fawn Montgomery is a poet and author who explores the stigmas and biases associated with mental illness—both historically and today. Her book, Quite Mad: An American Pharma Memoir details Montgomery’s personal experience in coping with the challenges that come with mental illness. In her experience, care proved to be a trial and error … Read More
70 Years of NATO Makes us Stronger
I’m in Washington, DC, for the 70th anniversary of the Washington Treaty—the treaty that founded the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. I was a guest of Senator Whitehouse at the address by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to a joint session of Congress. The day resonated with me on multiple levels: as a historian—who is mindful that alliances take willpower to make work; and as a defense-geek who appreciates … Read More
Ludes and Miller Honored with “History Starts Here” Award
Join the Newport Historical Society on Thursday, June 20th, at 4:o0pm at the Colony House, Washington Square, Newport, RI to celebrate making history today in a new annual award program. This event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP on NewportHistory.org or by calling 401-846-0813 x110. The Newport Historical Society has initiated a new awards program which builds upon its interest in how historical perspectives help us think … Read More
Digital Media with Elisa Kreisinger
Air Dates: April 1-7, 2019 We live in a golden age of digital media content. From pod-casts to blogs and online programs, there’s never been so much competition for the information consumer’s attention. “Pop culture pirate,” Elisa Kreisinger brings humor and a mastery of pop culture to some of today’s most pressing issues. Kreisinger is a writer, producer, and podcaster who sees digital media as a wonderfully accessible if financially-trying … Read More
Technically True, but Spin
In 2005, the United States Department of Defense announced a list of excess military bases that it wanted to close as part of a cost-saving measure. Anyone who has lived near a closed base will appreciate that this is an incredibly disruptive thing for communities who lose an important employer, community members, both in uniform and their families, and a source of pride—an operational military unit in their home-town that … Read More
Healthcare Through a Doctor’s Eyes with Helen Ouyang, MD
Air Dates: March 25-31, 2019 Public understanding of healthcare is driven principally by our own personal experience—and that of our loved ones—with doctors, nurses, and hospitals—and for many, it can feel overwhelming. Dr. Helen Ouyang is an emergency room doctor at one of America’s best hospitals, but admits she found it difficult to access the healthcare system when she had her own health scare. Helen Ouyang, M.D., M.P.H., is an … Read More
Of Bull Elephants and Mentors
In the late 1990s, juvenile elephants were killing white rhinos in the game preserves in South Africa. Park rangers were mystified. As they grappled with what to do—including killing several of the offending elephants—the rangers stumbled on a thought: the juvenile elephants had been culled from their original herds and released into new parks without being socialized by older elephants. In effect, they hadn’t learned how to behave properly as elephants. So the … Read More