Hour 1
In his Nobel Peace Prize speech, President Obama spoke of a “just war” and a "just peace." This speech was nine days after he announced sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. This hour, we talk about what it means to wage a "just war" in the modern age with University of Notre Dame peace studies professor DAVID CORTRIGHT and US Naval War College military ethicist MARTIN COOK.

Filed under: military, politics, world |

Hour 2
To give or not to give — that is the question when it comes to holiday gifts. Our guest, JOEL WALDFOGEL of Penn's Wharton School says that holiday shopping does the economy no good. On the other hand, says Harvard psychology professor, giving is good for our souls. They both join Marty to talk about it.

Filed under: economy, health |

Hour 1
A Philadelphia Inquirer investigative series published last week reported that only one in five of Philadelphia violent-crime prosecutions results in a felony conviction, the nation's lowest rate for a major urban area. We talk with journalists CRAIG McCOY and DYLAN PURCELL about their four-part series.

Filed under: crime, criminal justice |

Hour 2
A new study says that loneliness, like a virus, can be contagious — lonely people can pass on their loneliness to others. Researchers have also found that loneliness is bad for your health and may be as dangerous as high blood pressure, obesity or smoking. University of Chicago Neuroscientist JOHN CACIOPPO explains his surprising findings on loneliness and what it means for a society in which many people report feeling increasingly socially isolated.

Filed under: health |

Hour 1
More Bonusgate indictments, stalemate on table games, threats of more layoffs, and a look at the upcoming gubernatorial and senate races. We'll catch up on what's been going on in Harrisburg with WHYY’s SCOTT DETROW and JOHN MICEK of the Allentown Morning Call.

Filed under: politics |

Hour 2
Climate change talks in Copenhagen ended on Friday. What if anything was accomplished? We post that question to two environmentalists who have been on the front line of the movement to combat global warming – TED NORDHAUS of the Breakthrough Institute and University of Pennsylvania professor DAN JANZEN.

Filed under: environment, science |

Hour 1
It’s been a busy week for congress and the Obama administration. More hurdles to health care legislation, the global climate summit, movement on transferring Guantanamo Bay prisoners, and increasing criticism of the administration. We talk politics with political scientist ROSS BAKER and the Inquirer’s DICK POLMAN.

Filed under: politics |

Hour 2
How are Americans exploring faith? A new study by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life reveals many people are mixing Eastern and Western disciplines with experiences of supernatural phenomena and spiritual energy, are in touch with the dead and use astrology as a guide in their belief system. We talk with the senior researcher of this Pew Forum study, GREGORY SMITH and STEPHEN PROTHERO, Professor of Religion at Boston University.

Filed under: religion |

Hour 1
President Obama announced in a speech at West Point that that he is sending 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan. He also set a date to begin troop withdrawal – July, 2001. According to polls, about half of Americans say they support the escalation in Afghanistan. But others believe we are fighting an unwinnable war and it is time to get out. This hour, a conversation with two critics of Obama’s Afghanistan policy. ANDREW BACEVICH is a retired colonel and a professor of history and international relations at Boston University. HILLARY MANN LEVERETT is the CEO of STRATEGA , a political risk consultancy.

Filed under: politics, world |

Hour 2
The job crisis is hitting young people hard and some experts say it will hard for them to recover. We’ll talk about the personal and professional challenges of young adults trying to make it in these difficult economic times. Our guests are PETER COY of BusinessWeek, ANDREW SUM of Northeastern University and CHARLES IRWIN of the University of California at San Francisco.

Filed under: economy |