Hour 1 When we went to the movies this year we saw 3D animation, an assortment of child actors, some very good documentaries and lots of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Michael Fassbinder. It’s become a tradition here at Radio Times to spend the last day of the year talking about one of [...]

Filed under: culture, entertainment, music |

Hour Two [REBROADCAST] Where do convicted sex offenders live after they’re paroled? Laws vary within the United States and the states themselves, and Miami-Dade County made news the last several years as its ordinance banned registered sex offenders at least 2,500 feet from children, pre-empting the Florida law of 1,000 feet. In 2007 news of [...]

Filed under: author, crime, criminal justice, culture |

Hour 1 2011 was a momentous news year around the world, and around the Delaware Valley. On today’s final news roundup of 2011, we’ll survey the year’s big stories in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey with three men who have been closely following the news in each state. In Delaware, our guest is WHYY reporter [...]

Filed under: Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, politics |

Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] AMOS OZ is one of Israel's most acclaimed authors.  He is the author of thirteen novels and collections of short fiction and numerous works of non-fiction that have been published in book form and in commentary.   His most recent book, Scenes from Village Life ,which he calls a novel in stories, is [...]

Filed under: arts, author, culture, world |

Hour 1 A new poll published in the National Journal found that Americans over 50, when compared to today's retirees, are more stressed about their current financial circumstances and expect that they will have to work five years longer than those already retired.  Recent Federal Reserve data confirms their concerns — the typical retirement-age household [...]

Filed under: business, economy, family issues, work |

Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] A 15th Century ‘book hunter’ ordered an ancient, forgotten poem, lost in a monastery, to be copied – this work was considered dangerous at the time, as it questioned the role of religion in society. Our guest, STEPHEN GREENBLATT, writes the long-term effects of the circulation of Lucretius’ “On the Nature of [...]

Filed under: author, culture, history |

Hour 1 In Washington, lawmakers spent weeks battling over the extension of the payroll tax cut.  Democrats didn't budge and, under pressure, Republicans conceded.  Meanwhile, the President came up the winner in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, which found that while Americans are still disappointed with his handling of the economy and unemployment, they [...]

Filed under: economy, journalism, military, politics, world |

Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] Why are we so fascinated with the bad guys and why do they make such compelling characters on the big screen?  In their new book, The Ultimate Guide to Gangster Movies, Philadelphia Inquirer crime reporter George Anastasia and sports radio host Glen Macnow count down their list of the 100 greatest gangster [...]

Filed under: author, crime, history, media |

Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] Work is hard to find in the United States right now. The unemployment rate is at 9% and we’ve lost some 8.5 million jobs since economic downturn began. Will these jobs ever come back? Technological advances and cost savings have led more companies to replace workers with machines and according to two [...]

Filed under: author, business, economy, transportation, work, world |

Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] The ability to recognize oneself in the mirror is considered a sign of high intelligence and is relatively rare in the animal world.  Humans can do it and so can great apes.  But DR. DIANA REISS has shown that dolphins can do it too.  Reiss, a professor of psychology at Hunter College [...]

Filed under: animals, author, environment, science |