Making sense of Michigan & Arizona's GOP primary results February 29
Hour 1 We'll talk about last night's victories by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in the Republican primaries in his home state of Michigan and Arizona. What do they mean for the GOP race and November's general election [...]

Mad Women: Madison Avenue advertising in the '60s February 29
Hour 2 As soon as people hear that JANE MAAS worked in a 1960s ad agency, they can’t help but ask if the television show "Mad Men" gets it right — the booze, the sex, the sexism?  Jane [...]

Update and debate on Syria February 28
Hour 1 Officials from the United States and Arab and European countries, under the umbrella of the Friends of Syria, met in Tunisia last week to back a proposal for an immediate ceasefire to allow humanitarian assistance to [...]

Cosmologist Lawrence Krauss: 'A Universe from Nothing' February 28
Hour 2 How did the Universe arise from nothing? And what was there before?  Those are the kinds of questions that for most of us set our heads spinning — not so for renowned cosmologist LAWRENCE KRAUSS.  Krauss [...]

Why are gas prices so high? February 27
Hour 1 Gas prices are soaring again and could bite into consumer spending and the recovering economy. High prices at the pump could also hurt President Obama’s chances at re-election. Experts think that prices, now averaging around $3.58 [...]

Liz Moore on her novel 'Heft' February 27
Hour 2 The narrator in LIZ MOORE’s new novel,"Heft," is not your typical protagonist. Arthur Opp describes himself as being “colossally fat,” as he weighs over 500 lbs and hasn’t left his house in years. "Heft" tells the [...]

The Delaware Valley's fiber heritage & future of fabrics February 24
Hour 1 The Delaware Valley has a deep influence in the history and in the future of synthetic fiber and design. Our guest, REGINA LEE BLASZCZYK, has researched the Philadelphia region’s heritage in developing the chemicals that created [...]

The divorce generation with author Susan Gregory Thomas February 24
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] SUSAN GREGORY THOMAS says that the defining question of her generation, those born between 1965-1980, is "when did your parents divorce?"  Statistics back up her claim.  Almost half of Generation X's childhoods were marked by [...]

Is Rick Santorum electable? February 23
Hour 1 Widely considered an underdog in the early days of the Republican presidential campaign, Rick Santorum is surging in the national polls and is expected to pose a real threat to Mitt Romney in Romney's home state [...]

The Academy Awards & controversy surrounding 'The Help' February 23
Hour 2 It wouldn’t be Oscar season without a little controversy and this year it comes courtesy of "The Help." Set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1963, the film centers on a young white Southerner who convinces a group [...]

Updating America's voting registration & a history of voting rights February 22
Hour 1 When you’ve moved from one state to another and re-registered to vote, do you assume your former state knows you’re no longer showing up at the polls? If you don’t notify your former state, you’re one [...]

Friendship's evolution, in us & our animal friends February 22
Hour 2 Friendship is something often associated with the human species. Most of us make dozens of friendships in our lives and gain a great deal from them – we get love, support, even, as we now know, [...]

Pennsylvania gun laws: The state vs. local governments February 21
Hour 1 Pennsylvania state law forbids local governments from making their own gun ordinances, but in an effort to control gun violence, cities, towns and counties across the Commonwealth, including Philadelphia, have enacted laws mandating the reporting of [...]

Is 60 the new 40? A conversation about middle age February 21
Hour 2 Is 60 really the new 40?  It all depends on how you define the middle years of life, says author PATRICIA COHEN.  According to Cohen, traditionally, society has viewed the age of 40 as the entry [...]

Midnight Rising: John Brown & the Raid that Sparked the Civil War February 20
Hour 1 [REBROADCAST] Abolitionist John Brown is best known for his foiled attempt to seize the federal armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia, on October 16th 1859. Three years after he and his sons raided and viciously [...]

Adventuring in the Modern Age February 20
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] What does it take to summit a mountain, traverse the poles or dive into the deepest cave?  In the past it took physical prowess, good logistical skills and an intrepid spirit.  Today though, technology plays [...]

Problem-solving as education: Philadelphia's Sustainability Workshop February 17
Hour 1 Twenty-eight Philadelphia public high school seniors, who have proven their strengths in math, science and engineering, have been participating in a new alternative project on the edge of the Navy Yard. This pilot program, the Sustainability [...]

Going Solo: The Appeal of Living Alone February 17
Hour 2 There’s a new demographic trend in this country toward living alone. Thirty-one million people – roughly one out of every seven adults — is choosing to live by themselves – no roommate, no spouse, no kids [...]

College cuts: Pennsylvania's higher ed on the chopping block February 16
Hour 1 Last week, for the second year in a row, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett announced that his budget for 2012-2013 would include steep cuts in higher education funding.  The state-related universities Penn State, Temple and Pitt would [...]

Internet piracy & how to stop it February 16
Hour 2 From the download of that song stuck in your head to the episode of that TV show viewed on a foreign website, it's easier than ever to get your favorite media for free on the internet. [...]

The President's 2013 Budget: The Politics, the Military, & Tax Increases February 15
Hour 1 In his 2013 budget proposal unveiled on Monday, President Obama called for hundreds of  billions of dollars in new spending to restore the economy through expansions in transportation and education programs,  significant cuts in military spending [...]

The perils of Farmville: A look into the social gaming phenomenon February 15
Hour 2 Zynga, a social games company that has created hits like Farmville and Words With Friends, made headlines recently after Facebook released data indicating that Zynga is responsible for about 12 percent of its annual revenue. Social [...]

Covering the story of Philly's daily newspapers up for sale, again February 14
Hour 1 It's been just about 18 months since the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Daily News were sold to a group of hedge funds known as Philadelphia Media Network, and by all accounts, the newspapers are back on [...]

Loving v. Virginia & the Right to Marry February 14
Hour 2 Mildred and Richard Loving grew up together in Central Virginia's Caroline County and began dating when they were teenagers.  She was of African American and Native American descent, and he was white.  In June of 1958, [...]

Bruce Bartlett on tax reform: Why and how to do it February 13
Hour 1 In this year’s Republican primary, tax reform is all the rage. Every candidate has mentioned it and to most Americans it sounds like a great idea. But what does a tax system overhaul really mean and [...]

A fee with impact: Pennsylvania's shale gas tax February 13
Hour 2 The Pennsylvania legislature has passed a bill that allows a tax on natural gas drilling.  It enables municipalities to levy an impact fee on the gas industry and Governor Corbett is expected to sign it. Proponents [...]

Israeli activist Gershon Baskin on release of Gilad Shalit, peace prospects February 10
Hour 1 A few days after Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was abducted in 2005, GERSHON BASKIN got a phone call from a Palestinian professor and colleague asking for his help in negotiating the soldier's release.  Gershon was put [...]

Quiet: The Power of Introverts February 10
Hour 2 In a world that celebrates the loudest, most outlandish, extroverted personalities, a new book makes the case for quieter types – those who shy away from the limelight and who like to spend time alone. Writer [...]

Contraception, the Catholic Church, the President and Politics February 9
Hour 1 The Obama administration announced last month that it would require religious hospitals, colleges and other institutions, like those affiliated with the Catholic Church, to provide health care coverage for contraception.  The decision has ignited a passionate [...]

Mapping the Mind: Sebastian Seung on the Connectome February 9
Hour 2 Many people think that our genes tell the story of who we are. But a group of researchers believe that the wiring in our brain may be even more revealing and they’ve set out to make [...]

Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett's 2012-2013 budget deconstructed February 8
Hour 1 In a much-anticipated address before a joint session of the Pennsylvania House and Senate yesterday, Governor Tom Corbett outlined his budget plans for the  2012-2013 fiscal year.  The proposed $27.1 billion budget closes an expected $700 [...]

Poet Philip Schultz: My Dyslexia February 8
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] PHILIP SCHULTZ is a famous poet and writer.  This poetry collection Failure won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize.  He founded and directs The Writers Studio in New York and has been teaching creative writing for years.  [...]

The proposed merger of Rutgers-Camden & Rowan University February 7
Hour 1 New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is pushing an advisory committee’s proposal to improve higher-education in the Garden State. The panel recommended consolidating a number of the state’s public universities to create larger and more competitive institutions. [...]

2011 National Book Award winner Stephen Greenblatt on 'The Swerve: How the World Became Modern' February 7
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. [...]

Reversing Philadelphia's high school dropout crisis February 6
Hour 1 In Philadelphia, over half of all students drop out from high school.  In the U.S., only seven of 10 ninth graders will get high school diplomas. Locally, Mayor Michael Nutter has made raising the number of [...]

International politics and… zombies! with Daniel Drezner February 6
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] When an international conflict such as Kosovo, Iraq or Afghanistan arises, political pundits and theorists wrestle with how various political theories and worldviews differ in their responses. But how would geopolitical stances such as neoconservatism, [...]

Are the Big 3 really making a comeback? Plus hits & misses of the Philadelphia Auto Show February 3
Just three years after the near-collapse of the U.S. auto industry, Detroit's Big Three automakers are in the middle of a resurgence.  They are regaining some of the market share they lost to Japanese manufacturers and GM has [...]

Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro February 3
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] If the word “ukulele” conjures visions of slow, sleepy Hawaiian music, that’s just where virtuoso JAKE SHIMABUKURO wants you at the start of a show: He thrives upending the low expectations people have of his [...]

The Supreme Court's blockbuster term February 2
Hour 1 By all accounts, the Supreme Court's current term has been filled with decisions on important and historic cases, influencing criminal procedure, privacy, and decency on the airwaves, with decisions still to come that will influence politics [...]

Poet Nikky Finney February 2
Hour 2 [REBROADCAST] National Book Award-winning poet NIKKY FINNEY says if you have a good sense of yourself, you’ll have a good sense of your work. She should know – she’s been teaching writing for over 25 years. [...]

Should same-sex marriage in New Jersey be put to a vote? February 1
Hour 1 Last week, Governor Chris Christie called for the voters of New Jersey to have the final say in the fight to legalize same-sex marriage rather than having the Legislature decide. He proposed that the issue be [...]

The Race to the South Pole: Roald Amundsen vs. Robert Falcon Scott February 1
Hour 2 Just over a hundred years ago, Roald Amundsen and four companions were the first human beings to stand at the South Pole. Using skis and dog sleds they beat Robert Falcon Scott’s British expedition by just [...]