PA gubernatorial candidate: Dan Onorato (D) September 30
Hour 1 DAN ONORATO is the Democratic candidate running to be Pennsylvania's next governor. The Allegheny County executive is touting his economic record, claiming some credit for the turnaround in Pittsburgh that convinced President Obama to choose the [...]

Novelist Gary Shteyngart's Super Near Future September 30
Hour 2 Novelist GARY SHTEYNGART was already a critically acclaimed writer before he was featured in The New Yorker’s “20 Under 40” this summer for his debut novel, “The Russian Debutante’s Handbook,” published in 2003. Radio Times invites [...]

The role of satire in our political discourse September 29
Hour 1 Comedian Stephen Colbert’s testimony on Capitol Hill was met with mixed response.  Questions were raised about the appropriateness of the comedian’s appearance based on his limited experience as an advocate of immigration reform.   Have the lines [...]

A True-Life Story Of and About Conviction September 29
Hour 2 BETTY ANNE WATERS rescued her brother from a life of prison after he served nearly twenty years after a wrongful murder and armed robbery conviction. Actor SAM ROCKWELL is portraying Kenneth Waters in the new film, [...]

The Shale Game, with WHYY's Susan Phillips & Kerry Grens September 28
Hour 1 All week, WHYY is broadcasting The Shale Game, an in-depth look at the debate and the development of the natural gas industry in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale. WHYY reporters KERRY GRENS and SUSAN PHILLIPS investigated several aspects [...]

Jeff Sharlet on Piety and Corruption in American Politics September 28
Hour 2 Senators John Ensign, Jim DeMint, and Sam Brownback have been residents. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was a resident when he was a U.S. Congressman.  133 C St. S.E. is a tidy, red brick Washington D.C. rowhouse  [...]

The New Health Care Law September 27
Hour 1 Last Thursday, certain measures of the new health care law – The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – went into effect.  We’ll look at how the changes may affect you.  Also, why is there still [...]

Why are girls entering puberty so early? September 27
Hour 2 A new study shows that girls in the United States are reaching puberty earlier — some girls starting breast development as early as seven years old.  Obesity, environmental chemicals, and even absent fathers, may play a role [...]

National political roundup, with Jay Nordlinger & Jill Lawrence September 24
Hour 1 This week's national political roundup has Marty interviewing JAY NORDLINGER, a senior editor of National Review who writes the Impromptus column for the National Review Online, and JILL LAWRENCE, columnist for AOL's Politics Daily. They'll talk [...]

Actress Amy Ryan's in "the office" and here with Marty September 24
Hour 2 Actress AMY RYAN is in The Office (ours and NBCs).  She joins Marty in the studio this morning to talk about her new film Jack Goes Boating directed by and starring Philip Seymour Hoffman; Ryan has [...]

SugarHouse casino opens: How did PA get here? September 23
Hour 1 SugarHouse casino opens today, Philadelphia's first casino in city limits, after a long and often contentious process that brought legalized gambling to Pennsylvania and now Philly. Joining us to talk about that process and the impact [...]

Meet the New Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, DIRK BROSSE September 23
Hour 2 Meet the new music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Belgium-born DIRK BROSSE. He begins his first season leading the 33-member ensemble this fall season, after conducting many Belgian and European orchestras. Brosse is also a [...]

Ending global poverty by 2015 — how are we doing? September 22
Hour 1 On Wednesday, the United Nation's will conclude its Summit on the Millennium Development Goals for 2015 established ten years ago to reduce global poverty.  The Summit concludes with a speech by President Obama.  In this hour [...]

Kwame Anthony Appiah on 'The Honor Code' in global politics September 22
Hour 2 In his new book, The Honor Code, philosopher KWAME ANTHONY APPIAH explores how "honor" has influenced and brought about moral revolutions like footbinding in China and the end of the American slave trade.  He contends that [...]

Dr. Manan Trivedi, candidate for PA's 6th congressional district September 21
Hour 1 Pennsylvania's suburban 6th Congressional District has been held by four-term incumbent Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach. He is being challenged this November by Democratic nominee Dr. MANAN TRIVEDI, a surgeon and Iraq war veteran. Marty will interview [...]

Love them, hate them, eat them: exploring the human-animal relationship September 21
Hour 2 Human beings have a complicated relationship with animals.  Some we take into our houses as pets, while others we serve up for dinner.  What is behind our paradoxical relationship with animals?  Psychologist HAL HERZOG has written [...]

Sports and Brain Trauma September 20
Hour 1 The recent suicide of University of Pennsylvania football player Owen Thomas has brought new attention to the issue of concussions in football after an autopsy showed that Thomas had trauma-induced brain disease at the age of [...]

The Science of Suffering September 17
Hour 2 Although 70 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, we know surprisingly little about it.  Writer MELANIE THERNSTROM says it is one of the most misdiagnosed and under-treated diseases.   In her search for a cure for her [...]

National politics roundup, with Chris Hayes & Reihan Salam September 17
Hour 1 This week’s primaries were just the latest evidence that the nation’s continued economic struggles and dissatisfaction with policies and responses put forth by President Obama and congressional Democrats portend a promising November 2nd election for Republicans. [...]

An Early Battle for Racial Equality in Philadelphia September 17
Hour 2       Former Philadelphia Inquirer writer MURRAY DUBIN and Philadelphia Inquirer editor and Pulitzer Prize winner DANIEL BIDDLE tell the story of Octavius Valentine Catto, a 19th century, southern-born, ‘free’ black man who moved north. In Philadelphia, [...]

Atlantic City in the Prohibition era September 16
This Sunday, HBO premiere’s its new series Boardwalk Empire, set in Atlantic City in the 1920 during the year of prohibition.  It’s central character—Nucky Thompson – is based on the real-life Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the political boss who [...]

Ah-Choo!: The Uncommon Life of Your Common Cold September 16
Hour 2 Get out tissues and stock up on antihistamines, cold season is starting.  But while most of us try to avoid catching colds, science writer JENNIFER ACKERMAN volunteered to be infected with a cold virus while researching [...]

Delaware Republican primary wrap-up September 15
Delaware's Republican primary for the Senate seat vacated by Vice President Joe Biden has attracted national attention.  Long-term republican congressman MIKE CASTLE was challenged by CHRISTINE O'DONNELL, who was endorsed by The Tea Party Express. We'll talk about [...]

An update on Michael Vick's dogs with writer Jim Gorant September 15
Hour 2 Animal lovers and sports fans were shocked when the story broke that Michael Vick was running a brutal dog fighting operation involving fifty-one pit bulls.  Forty-seven of the dogs were rescued and became family pets and [...]

PA Senate candidate: Rep. Joe Sestak (D-7th) September 14
Hour 1 Democratic Congressman and retired Navy Admiral JOE SESTAK stunned the political establishment by ousting incumbent Senator Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary in May, and is now the Democratic nominee for Pennsylvania's open seat in the [...]

Marcellus Shale's play in PA: Politics, economics & environment September 14
Hour 2 A 3-part update on Pennsylvania's burgeoning Marcellus Shale natural gas drillling industry: WHYY's Harrisburg reporter SCOTT DETROW will update Marty on the role its playing in political campaigns, especially the race to replace Ed Rendell as [...]

Passing Strange's Stew Passes Through Radio Times' Studio September 13
Hour 2 Meet Stew, composer and star of the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical “Passing Strange,” and subject of a Spike Lee documentary of the same name. Passing Strange is a semi-autobiographical, coming-of-age journey of the musician Stew, from [...]

How a fringe pastor garnered worldwide attention and what it all says about freedom of religion and speech in America September 11
Hour 1 The plans of Florida pastor Terry Jones to burn a copy of the Koran has garnered worldwide attention and has stirred much debate about the role of the media and our rights to free speech.  We'll talk with New [...]

Mark Danner & Victor Davis Hanson on the political legacy of 9/11 September 10
Hour 1 Nine years ago tomorrow, al Qaeda terrorists turned hijacked airplanes into missiles that destroyed the Twin Towers in New York and punctured the Pentagon in Washington DC. The attacks that have become known simply as “9/11” [...]

Pre-empted by President Obama's news conference September 10
This second hour of Radio Times won't be heard at its usual time due to NPR's coverage of President Obama's news conference.

Obama's New Economic Proposals September 9
Hour 1 This week, President Obama announced a number of initiatives to stimulate the ailing economy – $50 billion in infrastructure spending on roads, rail and airports and a series of tax breaks for businesses.  But are they [...]

What makes a good boss "good" and a bad boss "bad" September 9
Hour 2 According to organizational psychologist ROBERT SUTTON a good boss is someone who “promotes both performance and humanity, and strikes a healthy balance between the two when trade-offs are necessary."  In his new book, Good Boss, Bad [...]

How Safe Is Our Food? September 8
Hour 1 A government report on the two Iowa farms linked to the salmonella outbreak in eggs describes filthy conditions in and around the henhouses – rats, maggots, and manure piled 8 feet high.  A half a billion [...]

The Electronic Tether: Are parents too connected to their kids? September 8
Hour 2 College students today communicate with their parents almost twice a day through cell phones, email, social networking sites, or webcams. A few decades ago, parents were lucky to hear from their son or daughter once a [...]

Back to school: Education issues in the Delaware Valley September 7
Hour 1 Today is back-to-school day in much of the Delaware Valley, so we’ll take the opportunity to check in on what’s happening in our public schools, and in the state capitols that influence what’s happening in the [...]

One Man’s Journey through Weight Loss September 7
Hour 2 Edward Ugel was 36 years old and weighed 236 pounds when his doctor ordered him to lose 50 pounds “or risk dropping dead while standing in line at Popeye’s.”  His new book, I’m With Fatty, documents [...]

Four Fish (salmon, cod, bass and tuna): The Future of the Last Wild Food September 6
Hour 1 Large scale commercial fishing, extensive farm fishing and questionable environmental standards have stressed our oceans' ecosystems to the point that many wild fish species are on the brink of extinction.  For his new book, Four Fish, [...]

Author Jennifer Weiner on her recent book, 'Fly Away Home' September 6
Hour 2 Best-selling author and Philadelphian JENNIFER WEINER's recent book, Fly Away Home, tackles a timely subject: a cheating politician and the betrayed wife.  It follows a Senator’s wife and two daughters after an extramarital affair makes national headlines. [...]

National political roundup: Dick Polman & Kathryn Jean Lopez September 3
Hour 1 This week on our weekly political roundup, we'll be looking back on the whole summer, including President Obama’s speech announcing the end of “combat operations” in Iraq, Beck rally last weekend, plenty of post-primary/pre-election analysis, economic [...]

The fascinating world of art theft with former FBI investigator Robert Wittman September 3
Hour 2 In his twenty years of service as the FBI’s top art theft investigator, Robert Wittman recovered one of the original copies of the Bill of Rights, a Rembrandt self-portrait, five Norman Rockwell paintings and Geranimo's eagle feather war bonnet. That’s $225 million worth of stolen art and historical artifacts. He recently retired and has written a book about his life and work. It's called "Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures." Wittman joins Marty in the studio in this hour of "Radio Times."

The Stieg Larsson Phenomenon September 2
Hour 1 If you’ve been on bus or sat on a beach this summer, chances are you’ve noticed numerous people reading one of deceased writer Stieg Larsson’s bestselling trilogy –  The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl [...]

Anna Quindlen on her novel "Every Last One" September 2
Hour 2 Something horrible happens in Anna Quindlen's new book, "Every Last One." The novel, Quindlen's sixth, is the story of a mother, father, a family, and the explosive, violent consequences of what seem like inconsequential actions. She joins Marty to talk about this book, her career and her take on a range of contemporary issues.

Andrew J. Bacevich: How 'Washington Rules' September 1
Hour 1 Last night, President Obama, who ran for office as a critic of the Iraq war, spoke to the nation on the occasion of what he called “the end of combat operations in Iraq.” But our guest [...]

The Touchable History of Al Capone September 1
Hour 2 Journalist JONATHAN EIG tells us almost everything we know about legendary Chicago gangster Al Capone is wrong. Eliot Ness wasn't the man who brought down Capone; and newly discovered FBI records add more credence to Capone's denial of responsibility of the Valentine's Day Massacre. Through handwritten letters, wiretap transcripts and recently discovered government documents, Eig reconstructs this American lore in "Get Capone."