In his column this morning, David Brooks, of The New York Times took a provocative stance: "What we need in this situation is authority," he wrote. "Not heavy-handed government regulation, but the steady and powerful hand of some public institutions that can guard against the corrupting influences of sloppy money and then prevent destructive contagions when the credit dries up." That statement won't carry favor with many Republicans, no doubt. What about the free market? It's the beau ideal of the conservative movement, isn't it?

Or is it?

Peter Goodman, who covers the national economy for The New York Times will join us, to talk about the free market. What is it? Has it existed? Could it? Does anyone want it to?

Forget that last question. Of course there are people who want an economy devoid of regulation. Devin Foley, who works at the Center of the American Experiment, is one of them. He'll tell us how Americans would benefit from a free market, and why regulation isn't the solution to this crisis.

Dean Baker, who was supposed to be on our program yesterday (we ran out of time!), runs the Center for Economic and Policy Research, a think tank here, in Washington, and he is no fan of free-market economics.

What do you think? In this financial crisis -- or, if you're more optimistic, economic turmoil --, do you think more regulation would help us? Or hurt us?

The Congressional plan was nobody's darling, but it was an effort to assert some authority. It was an effort to alter the psychology of the markets.

Some places are out of grades... too bad for your fancy rides.

Source: xampl9

Remember when "pain at the pump" was a reference to how much gasoline cost? If you're in the Southeast, it might be more about how long it takes to get it. After a stormy couple of weeks, a gas shortage is its toll -- the worst lines are in Atlanta, Georgia, parts of the Carolinas, and Alabama. It's particularly frustrating when gas prices are slightly down in most parts of the country. We've heard tales of two hour lines -- our own David Gura heard that his dad was stuck in a gas line in Chapel Hill yesterday. Well, now it's your turn; tell us your tales from the shortage. What are you doing while you're in line? Catching up on a good book? Commiserating with other drivers?

Faced with a family history of ovarian cancer and breast cancer, Joanna Rudnick got tested for a mutation in the BRCA genes, the so-called breast cancer genes. She tested positive, a diagnosis indicative of an incredibly increased risk of developing breast cancer (85-90% chance over her lifetime) and ovarian cancer (50-60% lifetime chance). She was only 27 when she got this result, and it changed her life. She decided to make a documentary about women like her, called In the Family.

Right now, the best chance for women with the mutation to avoid breast and ovarian cancers is to have their breasts and ovaries removed, and soon, as the risk increases with age. It's an almost unimaginable decision -- radical mastectomy of currently healthy breasts, and oophorectomy, forever prohibiting the woman from becoming pregnant -- but when? If you're not ready to have kids yet, do you push the surgeries back and hope for the right time to get pregnant, and soon? If you're ready for kids, do you have them... And risk passing on the mutation? And if you already have kids, and you're through, how will the loss of such critical elements of womanhood affect your relationships? Staggering. If you've been through the testing, like the women in her film, tell us your story. Whether you carry the mutation or not, what was it like to get tested, and how are you dealing with your results?

Lalala! I can't hear you...

Source: striatic

Governor Palin did not ban books from the public library as mayor of Wasilla, and Senator Obama was not sworn into the Senate with his hand placed on the Koran. And yet, such misinformation persists, and plenty of voters believe one myth or the other, but not both. Why? The answer's simple, and once again Psych 101 rears its (ugly?) head: confirmation bias. Today, we'll talk to Bill Bishop, author of The Big Sort, about how, in politics, voters seek to confirm their beliefs by hearing what they want to hear, and ignoring what they don't.

Yes or no: Have you ever gone out of your way not to hear facts that might upset your existing political beliefs? All the liberals, say, "Haaay!" Did you skip George Bush's State of the Union? All the conservatives, say, "Haaay!" Did you skip Bill Clinton's State of the Union? Come on, be honest.

You've probably heard by now that the $700 billion bailout bill was rejected in the House yesterday. While politicians blame each other over the failure of the bailout, some are saying if the bill had passed, it would have signaled the end of the "free market" structure in the United States. In our first hour, we'll talk with an economist, a supporter of free markets and a critic about what the bailout failure could mean for government regulation and free market economics. Then, we'll talk about the hurricane-induced gasoline shortage that has affected the southeastern region of the United States. And we'll read some of your comments on our past show topics.

When filmmaker Joanna Rudnick tested positive for the breast cancer gene, she faced an excruciating decision: either remove her breasts and ovaries, ending the chance of her ever becoming pregnant, or risk developing cancer. Rudnick documents her deeply emotional journey through treatments and life-and-death decision-making in her new film In The Family. In our second hour, Rudnick will join us, along with a doctor who will explain the mutations of the BRCA (breast cancer) gene. Following that, we'll go back inside the political sphere with author and blogger Bill Bishop. He will explain why, when it comes to politics, voters only hear what they want to hear, and seem to ignore the rest.

Okay, so remember all those times that you left a comment on our blog, and then became instantly sore about the length of time it took for said comment to be posted? We totally heard your pleas -- and now, thanks to the magic of new commenting software -- you will no longer be instantly inflamed, you will be instantly posted. What new internet enchantment has taken hold of NPR.org, you might ask? It's Pluck -- and it's filled with delicious new features that will enable y'all to know each other better (within reason -- nobody wants to know your social security number).

You will notice at the top of THIS VERY PAGE a tempting little button marked Login. Go to it BOTN'ers, and get thee a profile -- a special NPR profile that can include as much or as little about yourself as you like. You must have a profile to comment on the site -- but once you have one, it's a key that can unlock your opinion all over NPR. You can comment on blogs and stories now, you can recommend stuff you like, and best of all, if you have something super clever to say that other NPRophiles appreciate, you can recommend it as a featured comment, and others can recommend you as well. Who knows, your comment might even be featured on the home page. And let's say you want to know a little more about your favorite NPR personalities -- go ahead and friend them -- you can see what stories they've done recently, and whether or not they're fans of Mad Men or Buffy, too!

But, with great power -- yes, that's right -- y'all have to take some responsibility here. Keep it civil, keep it smart, keep it going. If someone is being abusive or creepy -- it's up to you guys to report it. This is a self-moderated community; so let's keep it provocative, but not painful, okay? (If you need a primer about what we consider civil, here's a refresher.)

I bet you have questions! Cool. We've got answers. Our fearless online leader Dick Meyer has posted a far more eloquent explainer on all these changes, and you can also go right ahead to the NPR community explainers.

Best part? Coming soon -- the Blog of the Nation is going to become enlarged with delicious extra content. We think you'll like it. And people, please, please, please let us know what you'd dearly like to see on the BOTN. We want you to love it -- and most of all, we want you to be a part of it. So go forth and register! And stay tuned for even more BOTN changes...

After much wrangling, and loads of headache, the House of Representatives will finally vote on the Bush/Paulson bailout bill today. The Senate votes on the $700 million bill on Wednesday. So today, we present to you, for your listening pleasure, an op-ed roundup on the bailout. We'll hear differing opinions, from the right and left, about what's wrong and right with this bill. Leave us your comments. And in the meantime, check out our four guests, and what they have to say:

Robert Kuttner, co-founder and co-editor of The American Prospect magazine, and author of the book, Obama's Challenge: America's Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency. Wrote an op-ed called, "Should Congress Pass the Paulson-Pelosi Package?"

Dean Baker, economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, who wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post called, "Why Bail? The Banks Have a Gun Pointed at Their Head and Are Threatening to Pull the Trigger."

Nicole Gelinus from the Manhattan Institute, who wrote a piece for City Journal called, "Five Questions about the Bailout."

Lawrence Summers, professor at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government who served as Treasury Secretary from 1999 to 2001. He wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post called, "A Bailout Is Just a Start."

When Kathleen Parker began her latest column, she assumed it would be received like any other. She was wrong. When many of her conservative fans read her argument that Sarah Palin is not ready to be Vice President, and should step aside for the good of her party, they openly rebelled. She's under siege, she says, and feels like she hit a raw nerve; putting voice to an opinion many have, but won't dare say out loud. Weeks ago, Parker was among Palin's biggest fans:

When Palin first emerged as John McCain's running mate, I confess I was delighted. She was the antithesis and nemesis of the hirsute, Birkenstock-wearing sisterhood - a refreshing feminist of a different order who personified the modern successful working mother.

"It was fun while it lasted," she wrote:

Palin's recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League.

If you are or were a fan of Sarah Palin's pick to be VP, what do you think now?

Ever heard of something called the "Pulpit Initiative?" If you spent part of your Sunday with your buns glued to a pew, you just might have. Let's back up. A group of ministers have come together to challenge the IRS regulation that prohibits pastors from making political endorsements from the pulpit* (it's actually a much broader rule the bans tax-exempt organizations, like churches but including a variety of others, from involvement in political campaigns). So yesterday, more than 30 ministers took partisan messages to their congregants in a flagrant violation of -- and challenge to -- the IRS rule, in the hopes of generating a legal battle. So, did politics seep into the sermon you heard yesterday -- or at any point during the course of this campaign season? Do you look to your spiritual head -- of whatever faith, on whatever day you worship -- for that sort of guidance, or do you see religion as a necessary respite from politics?

*This blog post brought to you by the letter P.

Originally, the presidential debate last Friday was supposed to center on foreign policy issues. To be sure, there were some questions about Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and other international hot spots, but a significant portion of the 90-minute debate was devoted to the economy. (Over the weekend, if you picked up a newspaper, turned on the television, or listened to the radio, you were probably inundated with news about the bailout.)

Ted Koppel will join us, as he does most Mondays, to give us his insights into the news. We'll use the debate as a springboard to talk about the markets and foreign affairs. What questions do you have for him?

If you've been following the news, you know all about the 700-billion dollar bailout plan for Wall Street. You may even understand what got us into this financial crisis. If not, in our first hour, we'll bring you up to speed a little bit, talk to economists about the Bush-Paulson bailout bill and what could happen once this or any bill gets signed. Then, we'll talk to syndiated columnist Kathleen Parker about why she thinks Sarah Palin should throw in the towel before this Thursday's vice-presidential debate.

Dozens of pastors brought politics to the pulpits yesterday by endorsing a presidential candidate and urging their congregants to vote the same way. Their endorsements deliberately challenge the Internal Revenue Service, which prohibits tax-exempt organizations from engaging in partisan politics. In our second hour, we'll talk with pastors on both sides of the issue. And we'd like to hear what you think. Is it the role of your spiritual leader to endorse a candidate and urge you vote for him, too? Following that, Ted Koppel will talk about what the candidates said (and didn't say) in the foreign policy portion of last week's presidential debate.

Bailouts, investments, securities, oh my. There's so much drama in the economic story these days that it's hard to keep up. One way that people are working on the econo-drama is through the help of the interweb -- I posted a few of my personal faves the other day -- and while we're in Phoenix, a town famous for it's tech, we've invited author Bill Tancer to our show, to explain how the economy relates to his book, Click: What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why it Matters. Here's a primer. What are you searching for when it comes to the economy? Sympathy? Explanations? A ticket out?

This has been a whirlwind election season. It's a unique moment in history, peppered with firsts, and it means different things to different people. Ever since the Democratic and Republican conventions, we've been asking politicians, artists, writers, scientists, thinkers, and theologians to take a step back and put this election, and campaign season, in context. It's part of our on-going series, "This American Moment."

Today, Raul Yzaguirre joins us. He is a civil rights leader, and the former president of the National Council of La Raza. We'll ask him what's at stake in this election, and whether he thinks the candidates have done enough to get the attention of Latino voters.

And, as always, we want to hear from you, too. What does this American moment mean to you?

Joe Garagiola waves to the fans.

Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

People ask him what it was like to play with Babe Ruth. Are you kidding? Without taking offense, Joe Garagiola reminds his young fans that the Babe was long before his time. Garagiola broke into baseball as a catcher for the St.Louis Cardinals in 1946. He was 20. (Babe Ruth retired in the mid-1930s -- do the math.) The problem is that thousands of baseball fans feel as if Garagiola has been with us for a loooong time. In his book, Just Play Ball, he doesn't want to sound like some old fogey, recalling "the good old days" -- and he doesn't. Passengers on a certain flight to Phoenix on Wednesday might have heard me laughing out loud at his memories. He seems to have known every player in baseball. Groin injuries, demigod players and victims of "gotcha" pranks. Example: a trainer advising a young pitcher named Tommy Lasorda on his sore arm: "Go find a toilet bowl, put your arm in it, then flush it three times and pretend it's a whirlpool." Highly nuanced with sharp wit, the over-30 crowd might remember him announcing games on NBC Sports, but the Hall of Famer also made several appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and the Today Show. Today, Garagiola gives us the play-by-play on baseball memories and how the game's changed.

In Phoenix, foreclosures are a big problem. (In the last year, more than 25,000 houses have been foreclosed.) As we'll hear at the end of the second hour today, Arizona has implemented several initiatives to help struggling homeowners and homeless families. We'll use Phoenix as a microcosm, to find out more about the problem nation-wide. If you live in a place where the real estate market is crumbling, where homeowners have become former homeowners, we want to hear from you. How has it affected your community? Have your lawmakers, at the local or state levels, tried to help?

Comedienne Kathy Griffin, at the Emmy Awards.

Source: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

In case you missed it, D-Lister Kathy Griffin has done it again: Last weekend, she took home her second Emmy for her Bravo TV show, My Life on the D-List.

I have a couple of questions. One, how many shiny little statues is it going to take to get her off the D-List? And two, BOTNers, it's time to come clean. Who among you will step up and admit to being a fan of hers? I'll go first. I flipping love Kathy. I thought I couldn't stand her, till I surreptitiously, and somewhat guiltily, started watching her show. What started out as a way to learn more about a woman I found incredibly annoying quickly morphed into total fandom. She's an absolute stitch with a heart as golden as the Emmys she's accumulating, and tonight I get to go see her here in Washington. So, come on: Who's a closet Kathy fan?

Politics and economics go hand-in-hand this week, as lawmakers continue to debate the government's $700 billion bailout plan. Leaders from around the world are in New York, for the United Nations General Assembly. And the first presidential debate, between Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL), is this week.

Ken Rudin, NPR's political editor -- and our Political Junkie, will join us, as he does every Wednesday, to take us through the latest news. (Because Neal is in transit to Phoenix, from where we'll broadcast tomorrow, Lynn Neary, a correspondent in NPR's Arts and Information Unit, will host.) "Will Ken still have a trivia question, even though there is a substitute host?" Yes.

If you have questions about the debates, leave 'em here. How do you think it will go?

A couple months ago, the Washington Post's Joel Achenbach asked a question that's been swirling around our brains ever since: What does a president really do all day? We know elements of his job description -- Commander in Chief, for instance -- and nicknames that get tossed around, like "Leader of the free world." But what does that really mean, day-to-day? What does his schedule look like? I imagine something like, "9AM: Economy. 10AM: Iraq. 11AM: Domestic Policy" etc, but of course, it's probably a lot more detailed, a lot more varied from day to day, and a LOT more complicated. Achenbach dug in, and found quick decision-making, an early bedtime, exercise, and a lot of help keep the President on track. He joins us, and we'll also have John S. Gardner, former deputy Staff Secretary during both Bush presidencies (H.W. and W., that is), for an insider's point of view.

Muhammad Ali triumphs over Sonny Liston.

Source: Howard Bingham

That's what professional photographer Howard Bingham calls himself, because, in his words, he keeps "popping up as history is being made." Bingham, who is self-taught and learned his craft on the job, is most famous for his photos of Muhammad Ali, aka Cassius Clay. He even wrote a book about him called, Muhammad Ali: A 30-Year Journey. Over the course of his long career, Bingham has created lasting images of everyone from Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X to Sydney Poitier and Bill Cosby. He is in Washington, D.C., to be honored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 12th Annual Celebration of Leadership in the Fine Arts. And he joins us today to answer your questions about his photographs and his relationship with Muhammad Ali.

Northwestern University. Check out that ivy!

Source: rendomthoughts

Every year, deciding what colleges to apply to, and which one to finally attend, causes headaches (ulcers) for high school students, and their parents, across the country. The pressure (competition) is staggering these days -- SAT scores (merit scholar), GPA (valedictorian), athletic achievements (Olympian), community service (rescue worker). And we don't get the benefit of a gap year like our European counterparts. It's a decision we're forced to make at 17, and it affects the rest of our lives.

When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to go on a college road trip with my dad. We visited 18 campuses in 4 days. In the end, my decision on where to apply boiled down to aesthetics: whichever ones had Gothic architecture and the most ivy. No joke, that was it. My future literally hinged on a few slabs of concrete and pretty vines. Since then, I'd like to say that my decision-making abilities have improved, but the verdict's still out.

So to better aid this year's crop of high school seniors, here are two unique college guides that may prove helpful:

Radar's worsts list, which includes categories for the ugliest campus, most degenerate student body, and most ironically-named Christian college.

Unigo, a "place for high school students to find out what life is really like at America's colleges, and to make friends to help them find the school that's right for them."

What colleges will you apply to? How did you make your decision? And if you're looking for distraction from your applications, check out what's going on with Title IX, the SATs, college tuition, and pets in dorms.

Wall Street's architecture has changed.

Source: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

This hour, we're looking at the third of the deadly sins -- greed -- and what role it has played in the financial meltdown currently leaking all over the news and our pocketbooks. However, we know that you guys have burning questions (not to mention fear), and don't just want to confess your house flipping sins. So, for your learning, calming, reading pleasure -- here is a collection of the best explanations out and around the web:

Why a $700 billion dollar bailout? Where does the money come from?

How does the bailout affect the role of the Treasury Secretary?

What are all those weird financial instruments? Credit default swaps? Collateralized Debt Obligations?

What is short selling anyway, and why is it "naked?"

What's the difference between an investment bank and a holding company?

How bad is the subprime crisis in my neck of the woods (sorry, Willard)?

Wait, what just happened?

As I troll the web, it occurs to me how much information is out there. Not all of it's perfect-- and of course, I'm partial to the Econonaut's coverage most of all -- but the Internet is a wealth of explainers. (At least there's wealth somewhere.)

Continue reading "Bailout Roundup" >

After the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Cold War ended, we heard questions about the mission of Nato... What's the point of a military alliance against an enemy that no longer exists? After Russian troops crossed into Georgia last month, many of those questions disappeared. Instead, some were asking what it means to be a member of NATO, how far would member countries go to protect each other. Georgia, of course, is not a member of NATO, but the Bush administrations has stressed repeatedly in recent weeks that they'd like the country to be admitted soon. For it's part, Russia blames NATO for provoking the fighting, and has cut military ties with the alliance. At the same time, the war in Afghanistan is growing more violent, and the US general in charge of forces there says he doesn't have enough troops. All of this falls on the plate of Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, NATO's Secretary General in Brussels. He joins us on the show today to talk about the plans to deal with these problems, and others that face his organization. This is your chance to ask the head of NATO a question... What do you want to know?

Are you susceptible to hacking?

Source: kmevans

 

These days, most of us live our lives online: we pay our bills, juggle our checking and savings, email incessantly, shop for knickknacks on eBay, blog about our daily activities, and offer up personal information -- hometown, email address, pet's name, favorite author, etc. -- on social networking sites. These conveniences save us time, and make it easier to connect with others, but sometimes at a cost -- email hacking has become a real threat (ahem, Sarah Palin), and it can lead to credit card theft, or even worst, identity theft.

Most of us don't think twice about how much of our personal information is out there. We're not scrupulous about protecting ourselves because maybe we think, "Why would a hacker want to hack me?" But hackers can be crafty -- they mine for personal data in all sorts of places -- online public records, your daughter's blog, your MySpace profile page. You can never be too careful.

Today, we'll talk to Herbert Thompson, chief security strategist for People Security, who recently wrote an article for Scientific American magazine called, "How I Stole Someone's Identity." He'll walk us through the anatomy of an email hack, and give us helpful tips on how to maintain our Internet hygiene and reduce our vulnerability to attack online. We'll also get the latest on how Sarah Palin's hackers got into her personal email account from Wired News reporter Kim Zetter.

If you've ever hacked someone's email, or been hacked, tell us your story.

In the end, his enemies respected him -- and his friends loved him. With his Machiavellian approach to politics, Lee Atwater, the former head of the Republican National Committee, reshaped the party unlike any other figure in modern politics.

Director Stefan Forbes captures the life of Atwater in the Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story. Forbes interviews a long list of insiders who either worked with Atwater or became his prey, including former Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis. During the 1988 presidential election, Atwater was accused of using dirty, negative campaign tactics. This ad became infamous:

The ad propelled a media storm in which Atwater vehemently denied involvement. Boogie Man presents Atwater as a complex character. Although he was mischievous and cut-throat, in the end, even some his staunchest enemies mourned his passing, when he died of cancer in 1991.

Greed. It's one of the deadly sins, and, to some, it's also one of the reasons we're neck-deep in a financial crisis. It is safe to say lenders, investment banks and corporations were major players in blowing -- and bursting -- the economic bubble. But could they have done it without us? When we reached out and took what seemed like free money, were we being greedy? Or simply grabbing an opportunity while it was there? Tell us what you think. Is the financial crisis a result of greed? At the end of the hour, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will join us to explain how the United States and NATO should respond to Russia's decision to invade Georgia.

For as many times as we enter our personal information online, there are probably as many hackers ready to steal it and take our identity along with it. In our second hour, a security strategist tells us how hackers break into online accounts, and we'll get tips on how we can reduce our vulnerability to an online attack. At the end of the hour, we'll talk about the checkered reputation of Lee Atwater with Stefan Forbes, the director of a new documentary called Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story.

"What are we looking at?"

Source: Getty Images

I probably shouldn't even file this under Unintentional Hilarity; I'm sure there are those of you who are like, "So what? It's golf." No matter. To me, this pic encompasses all that makes golf utterly incomprehensible to me as a sport. First of all, this is a snapshot of the Gulf Air International Pro Captains Challenge Irish Regional Qualifier at Knightsbrook Golf Club. Seriously. Doesn't run off the tongue, does it? Secondly, doesn't it seem odd that you can literally sit down and think during this sport?

John Taylor of the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America mentioned these links on today's program:

Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America: www.naca.com

To find a local housing counselor:
www.hud.gov
www.homefreeusa.org

Even since the beginning of the housing crisis (back when it was referred to as "the housing slump") we have been bombarded by foreclosure statistics (405,000 households lost their home in 2007, the year before it was 268,532)

Over the weekend Senator Chris Dodd, among others, claimed that the current crisis on Wall Street can be traced all the way back to the housing crisis.

But beyond the numbers, the big picture pronouncements and the endless B roll of for sale signs, what do we really know about what happens when you are foreclosed on?
Today we are going to address just that subject: Life after foreclosure.

We'll speak to someone on the front lines of foreclosure: John Taylor is the President and CEO of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, an NGO that works to prevent foreclosures.
Paul Reyes also joins us. He wrote "Bleak Houses: Digging through the Ruins of the Mortgage Crisis" which you can check out in the October Issue of Harper's magazine.

But really this show is more about our listeners than it is about the guests. If you have lived through a foreclosure tell us what it was like, what were the repercussions, how long did it take for life to get back to normal?

In the last few days I've seen more than a dozen opinions on the planned federal bailout of Wall Street banks. Most come in against the plan, but few offer alternatives. In an op-ed that ran in Sunday's Washington Post, Sebastian Mallaby says that, just a week ago, nobody was talking about spending up to $700 billion of taxpayer money on bad debt, and suddenly it seems inevitable. He argues that this is dangerous, and that there is a cheaper way:

Within hours of the Treasury announcement Friday, economists had proposed preferable alternatives. Their core insight is that it is better to boost the banking system by increasing its capital than by reducing its loans. Given a fatter capital cushion, banks would have time to dispose of the bad loans in an orderly fashion. Taxpayers would be spared the experience of wandering into a bad-loan bazaar and being ripped off by every merchant.

Basically, Mallaby argues for buying equity stakes in banks as an investment, rather than spot-picking bad loans to buy.

Keeping in mind that this $700 billion is YOUR taxpayer money, what do you think the government should get in return for this investment?

The house the Hemingses built.

Source: afagen

 

Annette Gordon-Reed's book, The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, would be remarkable even if it weren't so incredibly readable. It's a weighty tome -- but every word makes Virginia, Monticello, and the Hemings family leap off the page. What is so fascinating -- albeit bizarrely horrible -- is the incredible complexity of the lies that slaveowners had to buy into in order to perpetuate the institution. Just one example: Sally Hemings, the slave with whom Thomas Jefferson conceived seven children, came to Monticello by way of his wife Martha. Sally's mother, Elizabeth, had a longstanding sexual relationship with Martha's father -- who fathered six of her children, the youngest of whom, was Sally. Sally became the property of her half-sister, Martha, upon the death of their father, and went with Martha to her new home, with Jefferson. So -- consider the insanity of an institution that allowed Sally to be owned by Martha, and then father children with Martha's husband after her death. That's just one of the revelations that Gordon-Reed uncovers in her book -- it's a portrait of the Hemings family, but it's also a portrait of slavery in Virginia before, during, and after the revolution. She'll be talking with us today -- about the web of relationships that bound the Jeffersons and the Hemingses together, and the shameful institution that made it so.

Every so often TOTN will talk to "big gets" -- artists, writers, politicians, philosophers, theologians, and thinkers who have packed schedules and are hard to book -- about what this election means to them, the country, the world, and history. It's part of our ongoing series called, "This American Moment." Today, Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy will give us his perspective. An expert on race and a Rhodes scholar, Kennedy served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. He's penned several books including, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word, and most recently, Sellout: The Politics of Racial Betrayal. And he recently wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post called, "The Big 'What If'," about the potential fallout if Senator Obama loses in November. Should make for a spicy discussion.

So tell us, BOTNers, what does this American moment mean to you? And has your opinion changed since the primaries?

On Saturday, I traveled to New York City, to see -- and hear -- pianist Yefim Bronfman perform Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 30, with the New York Philharmonic. (In the video above, Bronfman plays the concerto with the Vienna Philharmonic, in Suntory Hall.)

Although I'd listened to the piece many times, I'd never seen it performed live. In my humble estimation, Bronfman did a masterful job. (During the intermission, an officious old man in front of me, waiting for the bathroom, announced that the pianist had made two mistakes.) Less humbly, I'll point out that Anthony Tommasini, the chief music critic for The New York Times, agreed with me:

[...] this score has seldom sounded as wildly episodic as it did in this impetuous, fearless performance. Mr. Bronfman, with the complicity of Mr. Maazel, who followed the pianist with a masterly touch, made the most of each episode. He played the opening theme with elegiac restraint, then tore into the rippling passagework that begins the piano's elaboration of the music as the orchestra takes up that theme, and so on. Each outburst, episode and shifting turn was milked for its character and quirkiness.

Technically, he conquered the piano part's daunting challenges. Arm-blurring repeated chords? Nothing to it. Double-octave outbursts? A snap. His piano tone was often steely; his tempos were sometimes breathless. In places he played with wondrous delicacy, and I wish he had done that more. Though impressive, his performance was not exactly to my taste. Still, I was on my feet along with the rest of the audience during the frenzied ovation.

The concerto is a workout. At the end of the performance, Bronfman looked like a man who had just finished a marathon. His hair: tussled. His shirt: sweaty. (If you want a contrast, watch this video, of the great Vladimir Horowitz, playing the same piece. He looks cool as a cucumber.) As the Times critic said, at the end of Bronfman's performance, most members of the audience stood immediately. (I'll assume that the officious old man stayed seated.) Bronfman walked from the piano to the wings no fewer than five times.

I imagine it's up there on the list of every parent's worst nightmares: you come home from work one day, only to hear your teenager say, "Mom, Dad, I'm pregnant." You've always looked forward to grandchildren, but not necessarily while your child is still in high school. On earlier shows, we've spoken with teenage mothers about how their babies changed their lives. And, by now, we're all familiar with Bristol Palin's story, and the movie Juno. So, today, we'd like to take a different approach. We want to hear from the parents of teenage parents: How has your child's child changed your life? Syndicated columnist Amy Dickinson, who writes the "Ask Amy" column for the Chicago Tribune, joins us help navigate this familial minefield.

"This American Moment," our series of interviews with influential politicians, artists, writers, scientists, thinkers, and theologians, continues today. Ralph Reed, the first executive director of the Christian Coalition, now a Republican political strategist -- who has taken some heat over his involvement with lobbyist Jack Abramoff -- joins us, to talk about what the election and campaign mean to him, and about what influenced his political beliefs.

We want to know what this American moment means to you, too. Looking at this race, and at these two candidates, what matters most to you?

Many American families are doing a balancing act -- with no net.

Source: Krypto

It's no secret that the economy, right here, right now, is in crisis. Banks failing, homes foreclosed, food and gas prices rising. But there's another creeping problem that makes all of these crises even worse -- and that's the gradual eroding of corporate and social safety nets. The end result of this: we're just one crisis away from ruin. An unforeseen illness, job loss, or divorce, can wipe us out completely. Peter Gosselin's book High Wire: The Precarious Lives of American Families delves into the shifting financial sands, by telling the sometimes wrenching stories of families (some even quite affluent) who found themselves in disastrous circumstances. Laissez faire has become -- not so faire after all. Has this happened to you?

Flight attendants on the job.

Source: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Here at TOTN, we're about to rack up some serious frequent flier miles because of remote broadcasts in Phoenix, Columbus and Athens, and St. Louis. And though we're all generally shining examples of glowing positivity around here, odds are, at least a few of us will come away from the tarmac with horror stories and complaints. Imagine, for a minute, the flight attendants on these flights. The ones who must manage the complaints from middle-seaters, "water" the drunk and demanding gentleman in 4B, deny food to the famished, and jam their overworked behinds into tiny little jumpseats, all for around $34,000 a year. Travel writer Michelle Higgins wondered how "air rage" affects the most frequent of fliers, so she spent two days in their shoes (flight attendants prefer Dansko clogs, thanks). If you're a flight attendant, we want to know: how does flying's bad rep affect what you do and how you do it?

Napa vineyard.

Source: NPR/Ashley Grashaw

Weddings are often a mixed bag. I've seen best men give roasts instead of toasts, priests who forgot the name of the bride during the ceremony, and inebriated groomsmen that wrestled their way into the wedding cake. But for all the potential disaster, weddings can be some of the best parties around. Last weekend, a close family friend got married in Napa to his high school sweetheart. Highlights: the ever-flowing vino, Beaulieu Garden, and dancing with the director of Step Up 2: The Streets. Lowlights: that it had to end. I've never really been a sentimental person, but this wedding managed to get me. Maybe it was the fact that they'd been dating for the better part of a decade. They practically grew up together: what started out as after-school play dates consisting of 7-Eleven Slurpees and Mario Kart morphed into this really sweet and meaningful love for each other. I couldn't help but tear up. James Marsden's character in 27 Dresses was right -- the best part of the ceremony is the look on the groom's face when his bride first walks down the aisle. Check it out next time.

Have you been to a wedding recently? What were the highlights and lowlights? And while you're thinking about it, check out my very favorite wedding blog: Snippet & Ink.

What happens to a family when a teenage child gets pregnant? In today's first hour, syndicated Chicago Tribune columnist Amy Dickinson will join us to talk about how families' lives are changed when a teenager becomes pregnant, and will give some advice on how parents can offer their support. At the end of the hour, we'll continue our series "This American Moment" and talk with Ralph Reed, Republican political strategist and former executive director of the Christian Coalition, about what this moment in political history means for him.

Author Peter Gosselin will be the guest in our second hour. His new book, High Wire, examines the financial lives of American families in our volatile economic environment and how people of all income levels are feeling less secure about taking financial risks without a safety net. Tell us your story. Have you lost everything to the economic crunch? What happened, and how are you coping with it? Then, New York Times travel reporter Michelle Higgins explains why flight attendants must embody the skills of "teacher, pastor, counselor and mediator." Higgins writes about her stint as an American Airlines flight attendant in an article called "The Curriculum Is Emergencies" (and the bigger article: "Flying the Unfriendly Skies").

Closer than either candidate might like.

Source: Mario Tama/Getty Images

 

It's amazing to watch these polls go back and forth... Obama's up... McCain's up... no wait, they're tied. And at this point, the candidates seem to have little control over any of it. The news of the day drives many of these swings. Namely: the economy, hurricanes, even the announcement of Sarah Palin as John McCain's running mate. So, what's a candidate to do? With 7 weeks left before we all head to the polls, what's it going to take to win this election?

My new roomie.

Source: Mark Mainz/Getty Images

Lately, I've been coming home to Chris Matthews. This disturbs me, as I did not accept a proposal of marriage from Mr. Matthews, nor does he know how to use our grill (not a euphemism), something that is very important to me. Yet, there he is, shouting, interrupting, and grunting, and reassuring me that he will be back after just a short break. The truly disturbing part is that the gentleman from whom I did accept a proposal of marriage, and often uses his grilling genius to great advantage, is there too, gesturing wildly at the screen, and carrying on a complex conversation with Mr. Matthews, and is only vaguely aware that I've entered the room. It is, as you might imagine, difficult to get a word in edgewise between the two of them. And therein lies the special conundrum of this election season: my darling partner -- he of the perfectly rare steak and beautifully balanced gin and tonics -- has been replaced by a snorting, ranting, poll-spewing, election-obsessed barbarian. I get my fill of politics at work; I have to be begged to talk election outside of this building, so this strange conversion is somewhat upsetting. I can only imagine that relationships across the country have been besieged by this brand of adultery, and that I'm not the only woman to come home to the head, shoulders, and racket of non-stop cable tv election news. Meghan Daum has noticed the phenomenon, and we can all use a little help sometimes. If you are one of the -- ahem -- junkies, or if you've lost a loved one to that damn CNN election map, I suggest we all get together and have a little chat about appropriate home behavior. And, um, sweetie-pie? I need a refill at the next commercial -- and crushed ice, if you please.

Bob Woodward will join us today, at the Newseum, to talk about his new book, The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006 - 2008. This, the fourth installment in his series of books about the Bush administration, focuses on recent military decisions and political developments in Iraq.

If you have questions for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, perhaps best-known for his coverage of the Watergate burglary (see below -- I couldn't resist), leave 'em here.

We're at the Newseum today, with our Political Junkie Ken Rudin. In our first hour, we'll talk about the presidential candidates' reactions to economic news from Wall Street and the scandal surrounding Congressman Charles Rangel, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. And we'll examine new political ads, and the candidates' fundraising numbers. We'll also talk to a Democratic pollster and a Republican strategist about what tactics the candidates need to use to win this election. And if you've dreaming about the electoral map at night and hitting the 'refresh' button on random political websites by day, you could be suffering from campaign fatigue. But when does it become an obsession? At the end of the first hour, Meghan Daum of The Los Angeles Times will offer a 12-step program to help you through what may be a growing addiction to politics.

Journalist and author Bob Woodward will be our guest for the entire second hour. He has just released a book entitled The War Within: A Secret White House History that takes an inside look at the Bush administration's military and political strategy for the war in Iraq and the decisions that were made during the war.

Cat burglar chic.

Source: Sandra Mu/Getty Images

It's Fashion Week! In New Zealand. Take a look at the model showcasing a design by Stolen Girlfriends Club. That's not a joke -- you can see more designs here. I guess when they say "stolen," they mean that literally. How do you think they size the headgear?

Supporters of Republican vice presidential candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wear toy red lips on September 10, 2008, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Source: sloomis08

There have been few elections that are more fun to cover than this one -- it is historic in almost every way, and it has put feminism back on the table (kitchen, dinner, and pub) the most I've seen in a long time. Sen. Hillary Clinton's candidacy -- and now Gov. Sarah Palin's -- have proven at least that women are not a block -- we are no monolith -- so any politician that makes a cynical choice may find that it backfires. We've talked at length about both the animosity and the support that Clinton received from women -- and today we're going to ask women to consider Palin. (Here's a little required reading for you all, most of which was written by guests we'll speak with today.) I hope you'll weigh in too -- does Palin thrill, disturb, and/or perplex you? Are the "Mommy Wars" back? What are you talking about when you talk about Palin with your friends?

"Earth to Planet Money! Earth to Planet Money! Do you copy?!"

The Econonaut, Adam Davidson, NPR's international business and economics correspondent, orbiting 'round the third rock from the Sun, will join us, as he does most Tuesdays, to tell us what the hell is happening on Wall Street to take your questions about the economy.

An aside: A few minutes ago, I was watching CNBC. Seven -- count 'em: seven -- talking heads were on the screen at the same time, offering their two -- collectively fourteen -- cents about the markets. It was mesmerizing. Really. Between them, the two scrolling tickers at the bottom of the screen, the other scrolling ticker above their heads, and the crude oil Chiron, I got lost. What is happening?

What questions do you have for the Econonaut? If we don't get to them during the show, he's going to field more during his podcast. You can pose them -- and post them -- here, too.

There are few American icons with as much cultural baggage as Sammy Davis Jr. It's like Elvis; he's been so maligned in death that it's easy to forget the magnitude of his talent. Well, stop. And watch this.

That's right -- Sammy Davis Jr. was a complex character -- he was accused of many things in his life and career, but above all, he was a consummate showman. That clear, sweet voice, imbued with humor and oodles of personality -- there's nothing like it.

Today, we're talking with Matt Birkbeck -- he's written a new book called Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob. It's essentially a mystery tale, a piece of investigative journalism that unravels what happened to Davis' estate, and in the process reveals more about the man that we knew. Birkbeck spoke to people that have never spoken before -- and the portrait of Sammy that emerges is difficult, demanding, and ultimately tragic. His legacy was besmirched by people that took advantage of him -- but the truest legacy is the one above -- his remarkable talent. Tell us how you saw Sammy Davis Jr. -- entertainer? Civil rights campaigner? Mobster? Parent?

Sharpen your pencil. And get to work!

Source: Casey Serin

I went to a university with a big Greek population. I found the whole rush process bewildering and kept a safe distance, but I had a couple friends on my hall who saw through the maze. They told me a number of titillating stories about Greek life, but none left as much of an impression on me as the rumor that quite a few of the houses had test banks -- filing cabinets filled with copies of exams given by professors and returned to the students, who then donated them to the banks for future brothers and sisters to "study." I couldn't believe it was true, but you know what? It probably was, and now a former student, who, like me, didn't pledge, has created a more "diplomatic" test bank -- a web site called PostYourTest.com, where students and faculty can post exams from classes around the world for free. So, is this the democratization of the test bank, a way for students who don't join sororities and fraternities to get the same leg up? Or is it cheating, just like paying for an essay?

Here's a quick look at what's coming up on the show today:

Pollsters are saying that women hold the key to this presidential election and it looks like Republican John McCain got a boost with that vote since picking Sarah Palin as his running mate. In our first hour, we'll talk with three women, each with a different perspective, about the 'politics of Palin.' And we want to hear from you... and from women listeners in particular. What does Sarah Palin's candidacy mean to you? And after our big picture look at the news on Wall Street on our show yesterday, at the end of the first hour our own econonaut Adam Davidson will answer your questions about what the current financial crisis could mean for your money.

Sammy Davis, Jr. earned more than fifty million dollars as an actor, singer, dancer, comedian and member of the Rat Pack. But he died broke and owing the IRS seven million dollars. Biographer Matt Birkbeck will join us in our second hour to talk about Davis' life, how he lost everything he worked for, and attempts by those close to Davis to restore his legacy. Birkbeck's book is called Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob. Following that, we'll read some of your email and blog comments on past shows. Then, the founder of postyourtest.com and the Director of the Center for Academic Integrity at Clemson University debate whether or not test sharing websites are simply another form of cheating.

And laptop makes four.

Source: brixton

I don't know who it is, but someone in this building has been known to sit in one of the stalls in the men's room and click-click-click on his Blackberry while - er - doing his business. How far does this behavior go? Reports on this new survey (it's really marketing for a large hotel chain, but still good fodder) give us some idea:

The study of 6,500 traveling executives says 35 percent of them would choose their PDA over their spouse.... And apparently that attitude is being seen in the sack. Of those polled, 87 percent said they bring their devices into the bedroom. Another 84 percent check their e-mails just before they go to sleep. Another 80 percent check them in the morning as soon as they get up.

I don't know that I'd call it an addiction (they do in the article), but certainly packing your 'Berry in your PJs is a sign that you might want to question your romance strategy. And this is so much bigger than the Blackberry... laptops, PSPs, cell phones, portable DVD players, iPods, all tend to make their way into the covers. What's under your sheets (and keep it clean, please)?

Cleaning out the Lehman offices...

Source: Chris Hondros/Getty Images

 

In 1862, Emanuel Lehman, one of three brothers who founded the cotton trading firm Lehman Brothers, wrote a letter to his British in-laws, saying, "Everything is over." The problem was cataclysmic: the Civil War had cut off communications between Montgomery, Alabama, where Lehman Brothers was founded, and New York, where much of its business was done. As it turned out, everything was far from over; the firm moved to New York after the war, and created a formidable investment institution that survived almost everything, even the Great Depression in 1929. Today, however, everything is over. The hundred fifty eight year old Lehman Brothers did not manage to survive the credit crunch stalking Wall Street, and this morning, it filed for bankruptcy protection. Another badly injured -- but still limping -- player, Merrill Lynch, was bought by Bank of America, and fear of a domino affect has Wall Street mixing it's coffee with bourbon this morning. Of course, the demise of Lehman doesn't mean the world is ending -- and we've got answers for all your anxiety -- or at least a good guess about where to stand so the sky doesn't fall on you.

Pyongyang skyline.

Source: Pricey

In a game of rapid response word association, when presented with "North Korea," two things, and two things only, come to mind: nuclear weapons, and dictatorship. Well, now, maybe four things -- Kim Jong Il and cerebral hemorrhage. But that's about the extent of my knowledge of the Asian country. Last month, Yale collegiate Jerry Guo traveled to Pyongyang "with a group of Chinese tourists who had come to witness the kitschy architecture, personality worship and over-the-top propaganda machine first-hand." But what he discovered was quite unexpected -- yes, travel there is limited and tourists are carefully watched by the state police; but, to his surprise, he also found pockets of capitalism in the capital city that made it seem like "Anytown, USA." He wrote about his experiences in a piece called, "My Excellent North Korean Adventure" for Sunday's Washington Post, and he joins us today to share. If you've visited North Korea, what did you find there? Any surprises?

Can your doctor tell you no?

Source: trp0

Recently, there's been a lot of action on the so-called "right to refuse" front. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has a strongly-held belief in "the legal right medical practitioners have to practice according to their conscience," meaning, if a doctor has a moral opposition to something like abortion, he or she should not be legally compelled to perform one. To that end, the Bush administration has promised to implement a rule designed to protect healthcare workers from having to perform procedures to which they object. But in California, the state supreme court ruled against two doctors who refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian, due to their own religious beliefs against homosexuality. Justice Joyce Kennard ruled the Christian fertility doctors were protected neither by free speech nor religious exemption. So where do you draw the line between the right of the doctor and the right of the patient? Is it fair to force a doctor to perform a procedure to which he or she morally objects? Conversely, is it fair to deny a legal procedure to a patient who needs or wants it?

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, seated in a police van in 1953 in New York shortly before their execution for espionage.

Source: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

The case of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg had it all: lies, nuclear secrets, family betrayal. And as of last Thursday, you can read almost all of the previously secret grand jury testimony from the case. A federal judge ordered the government to release the testimony of all but three of the witnesses, more than 900 pages in all. I haven't had the time (or the inclination) to read through all of it, but it raises questions about what role Ethel Rosenberg played in her husbands spy ring. There are also questions about what testimony was not released... and why... as well as what this case says about the American justice system during a time of war. David Vladeck argued the case on behalf of the several historians and archive organizations, and will tell us what the documents say. And John Earl Haynes will join us, to remind us what a big deal this was when the Rosenberg's were convicted, and then executed in 1953.

Sign of the times.

Source: timetrax23

For as long as I can remember, whenever I'm trying to explain that someone works for a big investment firm, I say, "You know, he's an analyst at Lehman, or Morgan Stanley... one of those." I'll have to think twice before I speak so dismissively -- Lehman Brothers, one of the most storied firms on Wall Street (158 years old!), filed for bankruptcy protection today. I've known friends and family that have worked at Lehman; along with Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, it virtually symbolized Wall Street to me. Certainly, the structure of the financial systems I've grown up with are changing. It made me think, though, about all the other well-known companies that have disappeared -- Paine Webber, RCA, Compaq, TWA. Let's observe a moment for those ventures that tried, succeeded, only to fail flagrantly after that success.

Most of us heard some portion of the president's 2002 speech outlining the doctrine of pre-emption. It was a huge shift in U.S. policy, and kicked up an enormous debate. But for the graduating class of West Point that year, it changed their lives. President Bush delivered that speech at the United States Military Academy, and every new officer listening was sure to prepare for war. Bill Murphy, Jr., went back and talked with many of the members of the class of 2002, and their friends and families. He tells their stories in a new book, In A Time of War. On the 7th anniversary of 9/11, we'll talk with Bill, and a member of the class of 2002. As well as the widow of another member whose story is told in the book. If you are -- or were -- in the military, how did 9/11 change your life?

Cindy McCain, on the fourth night of the Republican National Convention.

Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Addiction. Wealth. Secrecy. Orphan babies. This is the stuff soap operas, err, presidential campaigns are made of. At least in the case of Cindy McCain. We've seen her on the campaign trail for over a year now, standing proudly by her husband Sen. John McCain's side, waving to the crowds, donning an expensive wardrobe in bold colors.* She's given speeches with anecdotes about surprising John with an orphan from Bangladesh, and about her charity work abroad. But what do we really know about Cindy McCain, the person? In an article for The New Yorker, author and journalist Ariel Levy takes us inside the McCain camp, and gives us a glimpse at Cindy McCain's privileged background, self-reliant personality, history of addiction, and relationship with her husband and children. If you have questions about Cindy McCain -- about her background or style of campaigning -- leave them here.

* Most notably, an Oscar de la Renta number, with diamonds and pearls, that totaled $300,000.

Co-conductor and cellist Karim Wasfi with the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra in Baghdad in May.

Chris Hondros/Getty Images

 

I was the number one fan of cultural relativism when I took Intro to Human Rights and Ethics and International Development.
That was my sophomore year of University. I had gone to junior high and high school in Jerusalem so I thought I knew what I was talking about when it came to being an American in a foreign country. I dressed conservatively when I was in East Jerusalem (where I lived) and the West Bank*. But all of my supposed expertise was thrown into question when I ended up living in much more conservative Amman, Jordan for the spring semester of my junior year at University. Even in black pants and a muted top I stood out while walking across Jordan University campus to class. I tried tweaking more and more of my wardrobe to blend into the background. But I was never successful -- I just ended up looking like an American without a sense of style. Eventually I gave up trying to blend in. It was an impossible task to begin with. But I didn't don tube tops and mini skirts either. I tried to find a happy medium: maintain a sense of style, and identity, but avoid insult.

I know this is a seemingly small and silly story (and its about fashion!), but its my brush with cultural relativism, and for that matter, cultural imperialism. It's an experience that I think about a lot when I'm trying to figure out how I feel about sharing or exporting American culture (and yes American culture includes how we dress!).
Today we are talking to Melik Kaylan, culture contributor to the Wall Street Journal, and Karim Wasfi, co-conductor and director of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra, about culture in Iraq and just how much of American culture we should share with Iraqis. Have you ever had to make a decision about how much of your culture you brought to the table? How did it make you think differently about sharing culture? Tell us your story!

*If you ever need a tip on how to dress coolly -- and I mean that in both the fashion and temperature sense -- while keeping your arms and legs covered I've got solutions.

New Yorkers remember the victims of 9/11.

Photo by Spencer Platt-Pool/Getty Images

 

Today is the 7th anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. For some, this day is a time to remember lost loved ones. For others, it's become a day rife with superstition, mostly for people flying in and out of big cities with high profile landmarks.* Yet still for others, it's a day they would like to file away and never think about again. And I wouldn't be surprised if there was an indifferent contingent out there that thinks, "Enough already! I can't hear anymore about 9/11!" But it's an anniversary that is almost inescapable -- you can't turn on the news without hearing mention, and there are stories on the front page of every newspaper. 9/11 looks different depending on who, and where you are... and on who, and where you were.

So tell us, what does this day mean to you?

* Ahem, that would be me, tonight, at 5 pm. Fingers crossed.

Today, marks the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9/11. We'll have a conversation about the 2002 graduating class of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and how their lives changed on September 11th. In our first hour, we'll talk author Bill Murphy, Jr. about the lives of some of West Point's class of 2002. Later in that hour, author and journalist Ariel Levy will join us to talk about Cindy McCain. The public knows her as the wife of Republican presidential candidate John McCain. But who IS Cindy McCain? In an article for The New Yorker entitled "The Lonesome Trail", Levy writes about Cindy McCain's upbringing, how she learned how to fly, and her nontraditional campaign.

In our second hour, we'll talk about Iraqi culture with Wall Street Journal reporter Melik Kaylan who recently returned from Iraq. We'll also be joined by Karim Wasfi, the conductor of the Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra who will talk about the challenges and triumphs his orchestra has experienced in Iraq, and why they played on despite the bombings and chaos. At the end of the hour, we want to hear from you. On the anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, what does this day mean to you? Do you remember where you were when the planes hit the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Seven years later, is this day significant for you? Call in or send us your email or blog comments.

Wait till you see the oyster crackers.

Photo by Omar Salem/AFP/Getty Images

 

From Getty:

Chefs prepare the largest Quaker soup in an attempt to enter the Guinness Book of Records in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah late September 3, 2008. Three Saudi chefs and 16 assistants made 7,500 litters of Quaker soup and succeeded in setting a record.

If you'd like to make a somewhat smaller tureen for yourself, you can find the recipe here. By the way, I'd love a giant vat of hummus.

Voter registration form.

Source: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Let the campaigns begin! The attack ads are in full force now. I've seen door-to-door volunteers recruiting and fund raising. Both candidates are scooping up money from donors (either for their own campaign wallets or for party organizations that will support them). We've heard talk of Obama's "50-state strategy" and McCain's strong push for women voters and independents. In the end, this is not a national election... With the electoral college we have 50 individual state elections, plus the District of Columbia. Which makes the fight for the purple swing states more important than ever. It's all a big climb to that magic mark: 270 electoral votes. The big question, then, is what do you think it will take to win this election?

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno and Gen. David Petraeus in May.

Source: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

General David Petraeus spent almost two years as the commander of U.S. and allied forces in Iraq, and in that time, the situation on the ground changed dramatically. Senior Writer for U.S. News & World Report Linda Robinson made 11 trips to Iraq to interview the General and his team, and she's got a new book detailing the military strategy and local strife, plus ideas about the challenges awaiting the next president.

New York Times correspondent Dexter Filkins is in Baghdad now, and he'll report from there about Iraqis assuming responsibility for security in Anbar, plus the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan... Two more countries that will fall under Petraeus's command as the new chief of U.S. Central Command, headquarted in Tampa.

Junot Diaz.

Photo by Ricardo Hernandez/AFP/Getty Images

 

Before the Democratic and Republican conventions in Denver and St. Paul, respectively, we had a big brainstorming session. This was the starter question: "If you could talk to anyone about what this election means -- to him or her, the country, the world, and history -- what person would you choose?"

We filled a big dry-erase board with names. For better or worse, the conventions lasted [only] two weeks, which left us with [only] eight spots to fill, eight interviews to do.

By continuing the series, we hope to talk to some of our dream guests, the artists, writers, politicians, philosophers, theologians and thinkers who have really busy schedules and are hard to get. Junot Diaz is one of them. Ever since he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, he has been a busy man, traveling widely -- and picking up accolades everywhere he goes.

Diaz is in town today. (A paperback version of his book has been published, and he's embarking on another book tour.) He'll join us in the Newseum, to tell us what "This American Moment" means to him. If you haven't chimed in yet, what does it mean to you?

Here's a quick look at what's coming up on the show today:

We're back in the Newseum and Ken Rudin is back from the presidential conventions and there is still so much to talk about. Sarah Palin, swing states, Sarah Palin, more attack ads, Sarah Palin, Kilpatrick's resignation... and did I mention Sarah Palin? In our first hour, Ken Rudin will talk about all that and much more and he'll have a brand new trivia question for you. Plus, two political reporters, Mark Naymik of the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Mike Mishak of the Las Vegas Sun will explain what each presidential candidate will need to do to win in their states.

Author Linda Robinson specializes in military and national security issues and conducted extensive interviews with General David Petraeus that are documented in her new book, Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way Out of Iraq. Robinson joins us to talk about General Petraeus, Iraq, and Afghanistan in our second hour. And as our "This American Moment" continues, author Junot Diaz talks about what this moment in American politics means to him.

Enjoy folks!

Thanks to the return of Gossip Girl and Top Model (and thanks to the fact that I live with a TV addict -- seriously! I used to not have cable and every movie I watched was either in black and white or had subtitles), my quest to justify all the TV I am now watching has been kicked into high gear. I already downsized my Netflix subscription from four to three after I committed myself to Mad Men and Project Runway (thank GOD I'm not a 90210 fan, or else I'd have to cancel my Netflix subscription all together). Up until Monday, I had been sticking to the argument that watching TV is actually a social exercise (it was getting kind of stale). Thanks to this blog that my roommate passed my way, I can now say with the utmost confidence that at least one of the shows I watch (Mad Men) is a lens with which to view... everything? Yeah, sure, why not? The blog "This Recording" takes every episode of Mad Men and uses it to... I'd like to say dissect the current social and political landscape, but in truth "This Recording" uses Mad Men as more of launch pad for a feminist rant (or two or three).

So what do you think? To all the TV junkies out there, how do you justify your watching? Got any blogs to share?

Wall Street got a bump yesterday, after news over the weekend that the federal government is taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant US mortgage companies. Both of them were judged too big to fail... their folding would create such havoc in the US economy, many argued, that they must be propped up with government support (aka: taxpayer money). So, what does this move mean for you? And what questions does it raise about the US economy? Adam Davidson, our econonaut, is back to explain.

Steven Jan Vander Ark, a huge fan of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, thought it might merit a sort of reference book -- a lexicon -- for fans like him and new readers, to help them sort through the twists and turns of the magical tale. He spent seven years working on it, and Rowling sued him for its -- some might say inevitable, even necessary -- resemblance to the original books. Judge Robert P. Patterson Jr. of the Federal District Court in Manhattan agreed with Rowling, called it plagiarism, and sent Vander Ark and his lexicon packing. It's tricky. While a guide is something Vander Ark's fans (he has a website, the Harry Potter Lexicon) expressed a great need for, it's true, it wouldn't be successful without extensive borrowing from the series itself, in which words, locations, and much much more are straight from the mind of the author, Rowling, and as such, her intellectual property. In the end, the judge decided this passionate fan (who bears no ill-will to Rowling, calling it a legal dispute he "would rather... wasn't personal") is on the wrong side of the law. Which camp are you in?

The other day, I noticed a news article on the website for Williams College, where my brother is a student: "Artes Liberales: Only a select 8 percent of U.S. college students have chosen a liberal arts program. What does it mean?"

"Aside from a brief surge after World War II, the proportion of undergraduate degrees awarded each year in the liberal arts has been declining for 100 years," the piece begins. "By 1994, of the 3,941 institutions of higher education in the United States, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classified only 202, or about 8 percent, as liberal arts colleges -- that is, institutions awarding at least half their degrees in the liberal arts."

In our second hour today, Stanley Fish, Distinguished University Professor at Florida International University, joins us to talk about his newest book, Save the World On Your Own Time. In it, he argues that undergraduate institutions are not supposed to be engines of social progress. The job of professors, Fish writes, is "to advance bodies of knowledge and to equip students for doing the same."

In your opinion, what is the purpose of a liberal arts education?

Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman perform at the Concert for Diana in London in 2007.

Source: Dave Hogan/Getty Images

Growing up, my parents exposed my brother and me to all sorts of musical gems -- Beethoven and Debussy, Webber and Hammerstein, Elvis and The Beatles. I knew who Sarah Brightman was long before I was even vaguely familiar with New Kids on the Block. I can remember dressing up like an opera singer and crooning "Memories," with maudlin passion, from our upstairs balcony. And I was moved to tears on more than one occasion during performances of Phantom, Les Mis, West Side, Sound of Music, Evita, you name it. My parents had a direct impact on my appreciation of music -- and all things cultural, actually. In essence, they gave me taste.

Justin Davidson is the classical music critic for New York magazine. He hoped he could teach his son, Milo, good taste, too. Milo is ten, and already loves Bobby McFerrin. So far, so good.

Have you tried to teach your children to have musical, cultural or artistic taste? How did it go?

In our first hour today, we're going to discuss the government take over of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that has been the buzz of the nation, but we're going to broaden that conversation out a bit. What exactly does this bail out mean to US taxpayers? And now that it has been stated that there is no option but to nationalize the mortgage companies, what does that mean for overseas investors? Our econonaut Adam Davidson will help answer those questions, and also whether or not other companies, for instance the airline industry, are simply too big to fail. At the end of the hour, an attorney will explain the nuances of copyright infringement laws in light of a recent court ban on the publication of a Harry Potter encyclopedia.... and for our weekly letters segment.

Author Stanley Fish is our guest in the second hour. In his new book, Fish argues that universities should be under no obligation to promote good moral character and professors need to leave world-changing agendas out of the classroom. His new book is entitled Save the World On Your Own Time. Do you agree? Then, we'll talk with Justin Davidson, a classical music critic, about whether you can teach your kids taste.

In Boston, these are dark days.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

 

My colleague Susan Lund, on vacation in Massachusetts, sent us an email this morning:

"Tom Brady out for season," she wrote. "Is most definitely the Talk of Boston, if not the nation."

Four-fifths of The Boston Globe's front page is devoted to the Patriots quarterback. "DOWN AND OUT" is the headline. "Patriots fans glum as star Brady is lost for the season." There are, by my count, six stories about his knee injury in the edition: "Minimal stressing of knee may mean faster recovery," "Patriots vow to move on from QB's surgery," "In realm of fantasy football, losing Brady hits hard," to name a few.

In his column for The Globe today (byline: Foxborough), Dan Shaughnessy welcomes his readers to "Day 2 of Life Without Tom."

It's not a wonderful life. Food doesn't taste good. Sleep doesn't come easily, and the air is polluted. New England sports fans are lost boys and lost girls. They have lost their leaders and their mojo. They have lost their way.

Susan will keep us posted on the atmosphere in Boston, no doubt. But help her out, will you? If you're a Patriots fan, how are you faring? Will the season go on? Have you kept your resolve?

Two weeks ago, we had a conversation with Greg Craig, a foreign policy and national security adviser to the Obama/Biden campaign, about how the Democratic nominee sees America's role in the world. (You can listen to that program here, or read a transcript of it here.)

On today's show, we'll ask his counterpart on the McCain/Palin campaign, Randy Scheunemann, to give us his candidate's vision. Like last time, Ted Koppel will join us.

We want to know what you think a McCain/Palin administration's top priority in foreign policy ought to be.

When you were in elementary school, did you see many male teachers? I could've counted the Mr.'s at my elementary school before I even started kindergarten -- 1, 2 (hi, Mr. Barnett and Mr. Heck*!). Turns out, according to the National Education Association, merely 9 percent of elementary school teachers are men. Boston Globe columnist Derrick Z. Jackson sees those few male faces, and sees a problem. He had male teachers in the 3rd and 5th grades, and saw in them some differences in instruction style that he'd hate to have grown up without. Did you have any male teachers in elementary school? Did you learn differently from them?

*Note to Mr. Heck: You'd be so proud of me. Remember how you used to always dump my messy desk? I can't say I learned anything from that weekly routine -- you should see my desk now!

Hurricane season has been relentless this year -- it's been one storm after another, with very little respite in between. First up was Hurricane Gustav, which hit west of New Orleans a week ago today. We'll check in with a news editor in Houma, Louisiana, who's still living in the newsroom. Then, this weekend, we heard from Hurricane Hanna, which drenched much of the East Coast. And now there's Ike -- the most powerful storm of the year to date. We'll talk to reporters in Cuba and Haiti, both hit hard, and we'll hear from a resident of Grand Turk Island, which was pummeled over the weekend. Lastly, we'll check in with a meteorologist from NOAA's National Weather Service who will tell us if Hurricane Ike is expected to gather new strength, and where it is likely to hit next.

If you have family in the Caribbean, if you've evacuated ahead of the storm, or if you're still cleaning up from Hanna or Gustav, tell us your story.

If you spend any substantial amount of time on the Internet, I'm willing to bet some portion of that time you're Googling. I know I am -- fact-checking, finding cool links for blog posts, looking up restaurants for tonight's reservations... and then switching over to Google Maps to figure out how to get there, then back to the image search to figure out what attire might be appropriate, and finish things up with a quick Gchat to confirm my plans with my friends. This isn't meant to be an ad for Google -- it's just so darn useful, that I tend to think of it as more of a utility, like water and electricity, than a commercial product... Which, I'm sure, is exactly what they want! Anyway, I'm not alone, not by a long shot. Google turned 10 yesterday, and to celebrate, Colbert Report writer Rob Dubbin, who can hardly imagine life without Google ("When I am at work, trying to find the Inuit word for "hat," and Google tells me the answer is "Nasak," I accept this as "likely true" and move on with my life; ten years ago, I don't know what I would have done. Probably married an Inuit."), decides to take a day off, cold-turkey. His chronicle of that day is hilarious, and a little gross, and he joins us today to regale us. Could you take a day off of Google?

Today we'll continue our "America in the World" series in our first hour, and talk again with our Talk of the Nation news analyst Ted Koppel. We'll also be joined by Randy Scheunemann, the director of foreign policy and national security for the McCain/Palin campaign.

Both Koppel and Scheuemann will take a look what America's place in the world might look like under a McCain administration, and how their foreign policy in Iraq could differ from that of the current administration. And on the opinion page at the end of the hour, Boston Globe columnist Derrick Jackson talks about his article, "The Value of the Male Schoolteacher".

Last week, Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Hannah caused death and major destruction in Haiti and Cuba. Now meterologists are keeping a close watch on Hurricane Ike, which has caused more damage and flooding in Haiti and across central Cuba and the Turks and Caicos. In our second hour, we'll speak with reporters in Havana, Cuba, and Haiti, about the current conditions in those regions, and we'll check in with our own foreign correspondent Jason Beaubien, to hear about ongoing aid operations from the United States to Haiti. Stay tuned for the ender topic for hour two.

So, as you may have noticed, TOTN's on Twitter now, and we're slowly winding up our presence there. We aren't totally fluid with it yet -- we forget to post in the heat of the booking battle, for example, and haven't totally incorporated it into our daily communications -- but we're getting there, and we're already getting some really cool stuff from the Twitterverse. Example A -- and I'm not sure this can ever be topped -- came during our "This American Moment" segment with Jimmy Carter two weeks ago.* I sent a simple Twitter to our followers, something like "Got a question for Jimmy Carter about 'This American Moment'? Send it now!" We got a few interesting questions, and something I never could have anticipated. Turns out one of our followers, Kevin Makice, has a son named Carter. According to Kevin, "Carter was named for Jimmy Carter back in 2000, and we've frequently had talks about our favorite President and the life he's led after office." He saw our tweet, and forwarded it to his wife, Amy, to find out what little Carter would ask the former President if he could. Excerpted below, Carter and his brother Archie take a break from playing in the backyard to pose the big questions...

Carter: What is the favorite pet he ever had?

Archie: Does he have a question for me?

Carter: Does he play Packrat?

Archie: Has he ever met George Washington?

Carter: Is he excited about Spore?

Archie: Does he even play Spore?

You can read their full line of questioning here... Thanks, Makice family!

* Darn convention mania -- I really wanted to get to this sooner! Sorry, Carters.

The United States suspects Osama bin Laden is hiding in the mountainous tribal regions of Pakistan.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

 

American special ops forces reportedly crossed into Pakistan's tribal regions along the Afghan border yesterday. It's the first time a U.S. official has confirmed, though anonymously, any operations inside Pakistan, and reports today indicate it may not be the last. Needless to say, Pakistan is furious. And while we have no idea who or what was targeted in the raid, some guess that it must have been big to justify alienating an ally in the the war on terror.

Could it be a lead on Osama bin Laden? Will it help cut down on attacks on U.S. and NATO troops? Or hurt Al-Qaida? Will it do anything to help stabilize Afghanistan, or destabilize Pakistan? Who knows. Now seven years after 9/11, do you think finding bin Laden is still priority #1? Should it be?

Today, we conclude "This American Moment: The Conventions Edition." John Fund, a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, will join us from our headquarters at the Republican National Convention in Saint Paul. We'll talk with him about energy policy, which he thinks is particularly important. If energy issues matter to you -- at this American moment, tell us why.

We're aiming to continue this series of interviews. You probably won't hear it every day, but we'll keep our invitations to artists, writers, musicians, politicians, theologians, and thinkers open. Tell us who you'd like to hear from.

How do you describe your madness?

Source: Dawn Ashley

Lots of good stuff ran in David Lovelace's family -- originality, creativity, charm. But along with those traits came the terrifying mental illness known as bipolar disorder. It claimed every member of his family except for his sister -- father, brother, mother -- culminating in a year when all the members of his family were committed for the disease. His memoir -- Scattershot -- describes all the terrifying experiences, and a few gifts, that came with the illness. We'll talk with him today, but his descriptions of what that particular experience with madness is like are so specific that it got us wondering: if you've ever suffered from a disease such as depression, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia, how do you describe it to your friends?

Workers ready the stage for John McCain.

Source: Eric Thayer/Getty Images

The RNC wraps up tonight with a speech from the Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain. As a way of previewing the speech, we want to know what you're looking to hear from McCain. Do you want to hear him elaborate on his economic plan? Do you want him to attack Obama? Do you want him to explain his Palin pick? When we ask a question like "What do you want to hear from John McCain tonight," we often get a lot of shoot-from-the-hip, reactionary responses like "So-and-so's a liar, doesn't matter what he/she says, it's all lies," or "I hope he/she says everyone should vote for Obama." Well, OK. It's cool if that's how you really feel, but isn't there something deeper? If there's any way, I hope you can push yourself beyond a quick quip like that, and really think: Maybe you're a dyed-in-the-wool liberal on social issues, but you prefer less governmental involvement in daily life. So, maybe, you'd like to hear him speak to you on that topic. I'm not asking for what would make you change your vote, but rather, what would really catch your ear and make you think.

In our first hour, we will ask the question: Are we any closer to finding Osama bin Laden? We've asked Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistani author and journalist, and Peter Bergen, a journalist who has written extensively on Al-Qaida and Osama Bin Laden, about whether or not capturing Osama bin Laden is still a priority in U.S. foreign policy. Then, in our seventh installment of our "This American Moment" series, we'll go to the Republican National Convention and speak with John Fund of the Wall Street Journal about what this moment in American politics means to him.

In his new memoir, author David Lovelace talks candidly about seeing the effects bipolar disorder had on his family, and then learning to live with it himself. Lovelace will describe his journey and talk about his book entitled Scattershot: A Memoir of My Bipolar Family. We'll also speak with author Terri Cheney about her book Manic that describes how she has coped with bipolar disorder. Then at the end of the second hour, we want you to be our guest. Tonight is the final night of the Republican National convention and the big night for Republican presidential nominee John McCain. What are you hoping to hear tonight? Call us, or send in your email and blog comments. What will you be listening for in McCain's speech?

Continue reading "September 4th Show" >

Last night, Governor Sarah Palin spoke at the Republican National Convention. The reviews are mixed:

A. She worked the words effectively, and with charisma.
B. She connected with her audience, and brought the red meat.
C. She said little of substance, and almost sounded petty.
D. She sounded unpackaged, but failed to convince me of her qualifications.
E. Her youngest daughter, Piper, is adorable, and has the makings of a future hair stylist.
F. A & B
G. A & C
H. (yes, H) None of the above.

If you answered "E," look on.

That was 6-year-old Piper Palin grooming her brother Trig's hair. Gotta keep up appearances, right?

How did you receive Sarah Palin's big speech last night? Did she do what she needed to do, and did she say what you needed to hear?

Last week, when I was in Denver, I had a chance to see Ken Rudin, The Political Junkie, in his element, out on the trail, editing scripts, wielding a microphone. Inside the Pepsi Center, he wrangled guests like a champion. At INVESCO Field at Mile High, he ate popcorn like a champion. And all of my peanuts!

I digress.

Ken will join us, as he does every week. There's a lot on the agenda: Tropical Depression -- nee Hurricane -- Gustav; speeches from President Bush, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN); the media circus surrounding Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- and her highly-anticipated address to the Republican National Convention tonight; trivia; and this little gem:

Whoops!

If you are a Democrat, what did you make of Lieberman's speech last night? He wanted to convince you. Did he? Republicans, has your party made its case? What do its leaders need to do?

Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton speaking at the Herzliya Conference in January.

Source: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images

Today is the third day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, and we're continuing our series of conversations about "This American Moment." John Bolton, former Ambassador to the United Nations, will join us to put this campaign season in context, and talk about what this election means to him. We'll also ask him what he thinks is at stake in foreign policy.

We want to hear from you, too -- what does this campaign season mean to you? And if you have questions for John Bolton, leave them here.

Sarah and Piper Palin at a campaign stop.

Source: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Political campaigns often complain about media coverage of their candidates, though they usually do it behind the scenes. That wasn't the case for the McCain campaign this week. In his Washington Post column today, Howard Kurtz recounts an interview with Steve Schmidt, Sen. John McCain's top campaign strategist. He told the Post that the press is "on a mission to destroy" Sarah Palin.

In an extraordinary and emotional interview, Steve Schmidt said his campaign feels "under siege" by wave after wave of news inquiries that have questioned whether Palin is really the mother of a 4-month-old baby, whether her amniotic fluid had been tested and whether she would submit to a DNA test to establish the child's parentage. Arguing that the media queries are being fueled by "every rumor and smear" posted on left-wing Web sites, Schmidt said mainstream journalists are giving "closer scrutiny" to McCain's little-known running mate than to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Schmidt complained that some journalists had asked for details about Palin's last pregnancy, asked to see the birth certificate for her infant son, and inquired about her 17-year old daughter's pregnancy, among other questions about her family life. And an anonymous post on the Daily Kos, a liberal blog, questioned whether Gov. Palin was really the mother of her 4-month-old baby. That post resulted in a wave of questions from the mainstream media. All of which lead Schmidt to argue, "This is crazy."

The campaign also pulled McCain from an interview with Larry King on CNN, after what they called an unfair interview with a McCain spokesperson on the network. Campbell Brown, the CNN reporter who conducted the interview on the topic of Sarah Palin and her experience said she was persistent, but fair, and stands by her questions.

With all the media coverage of Sarah Palin since the announcement last Friday, what are you seeing in the press? Is it a pile-on Palin?

One more note: here is Campbell Brown's explosive interview with McCain spokesperson Tucker Bounds.

There is, I've found, no bad mood of mine that cannot be solved by watching this piece of hurricane coverage.

Just THINKING of this clip makes me belly laugh -- SNORT, even. But folks, this is not the only piece of weather reporting that can make your own gray clouds disappear. Hurricane Gustav -- which thankfully didn't match expectations -- afforded laughs aplenty.

So -- why does weather journalism have to happen outside? It seems like hypocrisy to have these people with nothing but their CNN windbreakers between them and disaster -- railing about how dangerous it is for viewers to venture outside. Paul Farhi commented on the irony in the Post's Style section yesterday -- and we've got a special guest (hint: he rhymes with that's AMORE) to tell us what's it like to stand up during a hurricane standup. All in all -- I love these reporters -- they blow nicely (so to speak).

It's Newseum time, it's Political Junkie time, and it's Republican convention time. There's lots to talk about with Ken Rudin (who is in St. Paul). We'll talk about Sarah Palin's big debut tonight at the GOP convention (we'll talk more about Sarah Palin in our second hour today), and the speeches given there last night by former presidential hopeful Fred Thompson and former Democrat Joe Lieberman. And of course, this week's trivia question. Then, we'll continue our "This American Moment" series with a conversation with John Bolton, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and find out what this moment in American history means to him.

Everyone is talking about Sarah Palin and they are talking about her so much, we decided this morning to move a pre-planned show to another day and focus our second hour's main topic on Palin. Since McCain's announcement that Palin would be his running mate, the media has had a field day covering the pregnancy of Palin's teenage daughter and the questionable thoroughness of the vetting process. But is it all too much? Is the press being too hard on her? Has the press crossed the line? And if there is no line... should there be one? We'll talk to our own media correspondent David Folkenflik and also to a senior writer at The Weekly Standard who says the media pile-on is unfair. Then, we'll talk about reporting on a hurricane from inside the eye of the storm. What's it like talking into a microphone or looking into a camera with a face-full of rain and a wind-blown poncho becoming a mini-parachute? And we want to hear from you. Is there that one "live on the scene" place in your area where your local weather anchors always report storms from?

Last Thursday, [some 80,000 people and] I had the hottest ticket in town: a credential for the last night of the Democratic National Convention, at INVESCO Field at Mile High, in Denver. Here is an abridged:

At 2:30 p.m., Ron Elving, NPR's senior Washington editor; Jordana Hochman and Nicole Beemsterboer, both of Morning Edition; and Sean Bowditch, a producer on NPR's national desk, headed over to the Pepsi Center, to catch a shuttle to the football stadium.

Sean Bowditch, Ron Elving, Nicole Beemsterboer, Jordana Hochman wait for the bus.

Source: David Gura/NPR

 

The security line was shorter than we expected (10 minutes). Once inside, I walked down to the floor, where television reporters and producers were a dime a dozen. Ted Koppel, who joins us from time to time, to talk about foreign policy, was there, chatting with his former colleague, Jeff Greenfield.

Jeff Greenfield and Ted Koppel.

Source: David Gura/NPR

 

(Trust me, the conversation was more lighthearted than that picture makes it seem.)

It took hours for the show to get underway. Doors opened at 1:00 p.m., and plenty of people showed up to stake claim to good seats. By 4:30 p.m., the place was almost full.

Crowded.

Source: David Gura/NPR

 

The crowd -- and the line-up -- were interspersed with celebrities -- from Hollywood and Washington. Will.I.Am, John Legend, and Sheryl Crow played on stage. From our seats, we saw Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson.

The Reverend

Source: David Gura/NPR

 

And Ashley Judd.

This reporter -- and a movie star.

Source: Amy Walters/NPR

 

As I told friends afterward, the afternoon and evening went by quickly. It was, as many political pundits said, amazing stagecraft. Music flowed seamlessly into videos into speeches. I can't describe the energy in that stadium when, once the biographical video about Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) ended, the candidate stepped onto the stage. As I looked around, everyone was on his feet, clapping, yelling, squinting to see him.

Bristol Palin, the 17-year old daughter of GOP veep candidate Sarah Palin, getting off the Straight Talk Express.

Source: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

Yesterday looked like it was going to be all about the the arrival of Hurricane Gustav -- but there was one other impending arrival that abruptly sucked up some news energy (and a little air at the GOP convention in St. Paul). GOP veep choice Governor Sarah Palin's 17-year old daughter, Bristol, is about to become a mom, and marry the teen father. Looking at the Republican ticket, it's a tough call on whether or not this hurt or helps the GOP. On one hand, she's making the decision to have the baby and make it legal -- pro-life, and pro-family. On the other, out-of-wedlock pregnancy isn't exactly the kind of baby mama drama the Republicans like. Many evangelicals have rushed to Governor Palin's defense, while some conservatives privately wonder if her shaky explosion onto the national stage has hurt the ticket. Beyond the pregnancy, there's an abuse of power scandal, a short resume, and rumors that she belonged to a party that supported Alaska's secession. Still -- she's got gun totin' middle class cred, and some women are overjoyed to see a gal on the Republican ticket. What do you think?

After a brief Gustav-related hiatus, "This American Moment," our series of interviews with different thinkers, from different disciplines, of different backgrounds, running throughout the Democratic and Republican conventions, continues today. We'll talk with Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam, of The Atlantic, authors of a new book, called Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream. They're also young.

If you're a young voter, Republican or Democratic, what does this election and campaign mean to you?

Wynton Marsalis in NYC last October.

Source: Scott Wintrow/Getty Images

Jazz music entered my life in three phases. That sound accompanies one of the earliest memories of time spent with my father when I was a little girl. He was an avid listener of jazz, and I used to listen to his records from his lap. I was too young to understand what was happening musically, but the sound of those instruments, of Nancy Wilson's voice, let me know that when I walked in, I was entering into a sacred space. It was my special time with my dad, a time to be still and to take it all in. Jazz taught me how to stay in the moment.

Billie Holiday crooned her way into my life when I was around 20. My sister bought me my first Billie Holiday record (actually it was a cassette) for Christmas instead of the latest LL Cool J and Kool Moe Dee albums I had specifically requested. The first time I heard Billie's voice, I was appalled. What was wrong with her? I played it in my college dorm for my friends. Lord, she must be drunk, they all said. But I kept listening. And one day Billie clicked for me. There's genius in the way she can make a standard sound brand new, and every flirty word or pain-filled phrase has her soul wrapped around it. Jazz taught me how to feel.

Jazz be-bopped into my life again in my mid-twenties. I had the lofty ambition of becoming a swinging bass player, all the while struggling through jazz theory and trying to play through the "changes." It's no easy feat. But somewhere in my frustration, I realized how intellectually sophisticated jazz is, and how its pureness can transport and transform you. Just put on Miles' Kind of Blue or Coltrane's A Love Supreme and you'll see what I mean. Jazz taught me reverence.

In his new book, Moving to Higher Ground, Wynton Marsalis says jazz can change your life and engage you in the world through its ideas, concepts, history and humanity. I believe that. Through jazz, it is possible to see the world from a higher ground.

Baton Rouge, LA after Gustav hit.

Source: Butterbean Man

Yesterday, Hurricane Gustav, which is now being called a "tropical depression," tore through the Gulf Coast. The levees in New Orleans were tested but survived, and residents can't return home until later in the week. Other cities, however, weren't as lucky. Today, we'll talk to a reporter from Baton Rouge, where, so far, the death toll is 2, and there's no electricity. In what many are calling "ground zero" of the storm, Houma, Louisiana, trees block major roads, power lines are down, and I have it on good authority that many reporters from the Houma Daily Courier are living, literally, in the newsroom. And, in Plaquemines Parish, levees overtopped from heavy rains, and flooding threatens homes.

We want to hear from Gulf Coast residents -- how did you weather the storm, and what kind of damage was done?

Around here, we can't stop talking about McCain's VP pick, Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska. When news broke Friday of his selection, the gears started grinding and I feel like I'm playing catch-up, learning about her political career (bridge to nowhere, maverick), her beliefs (abstinence, intelligent design), and her biography (busy mom, fisherwoman, NRA member). I think it's safe to say most of us were caught off-guard, so today we're bringing it to you -- what we know so far, and how conservatives feel about the pick. If you're a conservative, what do you think? Following that, our next installment of "This American Moment." I think Susan Lund's combing the RNC for the right guest right now, so stay tuned.

In our second hour, the incomparable Wynton Marsalis joins us to talk about his new book, Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life. I could listen to him talk about anything, and I'm especially looking forward to hearing about the lessons behind our American art form. Finally, we'll do a Hurricane Gustav update, and follow up in the hardest hit areas.

Water spills over the top of a levee on the Industrial Canal in New Orleans.

Source: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

As of this posting, Hurricane Gustav has made landfall on the Gulf Coast southwest of New Orleans, and he's hitting it hard. Not, at this point, in Katrina fashion, but it's still no joke. The levees are holding, but water is sloshing over the tops of them. Winds are snapping off tree limbs and doing enough damage to cause major power outages. What's definitely different, this time around, is the human response. According to the AP, the Louisiana Coast is "all-but-deserted," as officials stated early and often, in no uncertain terms, that everyone must evacuate. We'll take an hour to get a full update from the coast, and wrap with a quick update from Ken Rudin about how Gustav -- and Sarah Palin -- are playing at the RNC in St. Paul.

UPDATE: Click here to find the US Geological Survey's real-time map of water levels along the Gulf Coast.
And...
Click here for Andy Carvin's social media project on Gustav, chock-full of user-provided updates on the storm.

The details are a little fuzzy at this point, but when I was in high school our softball team was bad. In the interest of full disclosure, you should know I pitched for the JV team for a couple of years (and I was REALLY bad), but this is about the varsity team. For ages and ages (like I said, my memory's foggy on the details, and this isn't the sort of thing one can Google), they were winless, until one day they finally won a game. It made news state-wide. Seriously. Even still, for all those losing years, there were still enough girls willing to play for the worst team, and take those losses week after week. There really is something to losing, repeated in a million platitudes (try "it builds character" and "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" on for size). Recently, a story about Jericho Scott, a 9 year old with a 40 mph fastball caught Neal's eye -- not only because this kid is clearly exemplary, but because the league administrators banned him from the mound for being too good and killing the competition. Is this "everyone gets a trophy" "all kids are special treasures" gone crazy, or an out-of-the-ordinary example where an unusual ruling was necessary to level the playing field? Is losing bad for kids? What about Scott?

Cleaning up debris at Tulane after Katrina.

Source: Omar Torres/AFP/Getty Images

Constant communication was one of the lessons that Tulane University president Scott Cowen learned after Hurricane Katrina -- and he began to blog on the schools website, calling it "The Scott Report." His last dispatch to students and faculty at Tulane came last night from Nashville -- but on Saturday, he was in his Tulane office, reflecting on Katrina as Hurricane Gustav bore down.

It is August 29th, 2008 and we have now officially closed the university. For the moment, I am sitting in my office listening to music (Michael White's Blue Crescent) and writing, which I often do when I need to be at peace. Given today's date and the possibility of Gustav, it is hard not to reflect back to this day three years ago when Katrina made landfall. Since we are so painfully aware of the events of Katrina, I will not recount them again other than to say that it was a defining moment for those who went through it. The faculty, staff and students proved themselves to be true heroes and all Tulanians rallied to assist the university in whatever way they could. I am proud to say that three years later we are a stronger and better university, despite what happened to us. I can never adequately express my feelings to all Tulanians who came to our aid in the aftermath of Katrina but I consider myself blessed to be part of such a special community both at Tulane and in New Orleans. Fortunately, the core of this team is still in place--ready and willing to work together no matter what the challenge.

We'll talk with Scott Cowen today, about how the lessons of Katrina helped him this time around -- if you have questions, post 'em here.

The latest reports from those following the path of Hurricane Gustav say the hurricane has made landfall southwest of New Orleans. The levees there are holding but the system is still vulnerable in some spots. For our first hour today, we'll check in with people still in New Orleans about what is going on there and a weather blogger will explain the science behind hurricanes and the path Hurricane Gustav will take later on. We'll close with a quick update on how the hurricane -- and the news of Gov. Sarah Palin's teenage daughter's pregnancy -- are playing at the RNC in St. Paul.

In our second hour, we'll talk about the art of winning -- and losing -- through the eyes of a little league coach, plus a sports writer will explain why winning should not be the only goal. At the end of the hour, we'll talk more about Hurricane Gustav with Chris Bynum, staff writer for the New Orleans Times Picayune and with Scott Cowen, the president of Tulane University.

Charlie Brown and Snoopy, relaxing in St. Paul.

Source: ThunderChildtm

TOTN producer Susan Lund is in St. Paul, keeping an eye on the constantly changing GOP convention story as it flexes and responds to Gustav news. She's been there for a few days already, and has been sending impressions of a city where Pepsi is King, Charlie Brown lolls in the grass downtown, and where, after a chance encounter with an Iraq war vet, Susan realizes she's not in DC anymore...

I arrive at the Minneapolis airport early afternoon on Saturday. Walking to the baggage claim area I see a pizza place and decide to get a slice. "Do you want something to drink with that?" I'm asked. Coke, please. "We only have Pepsi." Hmmm, I'm one of those who really could take the Pepsi challenge and tell right away which is Coke, which Pepsi. No thanks, I say.

Check-in at the hotel. NPR has about 40 reporters, producers, editors, audio engineers, IT and logistics staff in St. Paul. Many have come straight from Denver. Some, like me, are joining the GOP leg. The hotel is decorated with American flags, red, white and blue bunting and bunches of colored balloons. I see a vending machine and go to get a Coke. Only Pepsi. I stop by the hotel restaurant hoping I can get a coke there. Nope, just Pepsi.

Four of us head into St. Paul for the media party. NPR's hotel is about 20 minutes from St. Paul in a place called Lake Elmo. We walk around downtown trying to find the place. I see a bronze sculpture thing ahead, it's close to the ground. Is it a statue? Public art? We get close. It's the Peanuts's character Schroeder. He's playing the piano -- and there's Lucy leaning on it and gazing into his eyes. Awww, that's cute. We walk some more. Wait, what's that? It's, it's Charlie Brown sitting on the grass at the base of a tree. We walk on.... Who's that? It's Linus, with his blanket, and next to him, Sally, Charlie Brown's sister. They all look exactly like Charles Schultz drew them. Adorable. They are small, at the height of children. Nice touch. We wonder, was Schultz from St. Paul? TOTN listeners, let us know. (By the way, at the media party I ask for Coke. "Is Pepsi okay?")

Not everyone has cars out here so we send out emails regularly asking for or offering rides to and from the NPR workplace. Reporter and host Linda Wertheimer, and Carol Klinger, an editor at All Things Considered, ride with me. Thanks to Linda's personal GPS we find the work site no problem. After getting oriented in our workplace at the spacious, and highly secure, studios of Minnesota Public Radio, Carol and I head to the Xcel Energy Center, site of the GOP convention. We find NPR's table on Radio Row -- right across from the food court -- noisy already and the thousands of delegates aren't even here. Today it's just journalists and members of the RNC. Hmmm, will we be able to do our live interviews from here? We'll have to check with NPR's crack audio engineers. We then go way, way up to the top of the Xcel Center to find NPR's broadcast booth. Three engineers are there getting everything ready. I walk straight to the edge of the booth... I'm looking straight down on the stage where John McCain will stand. It's an incredible view. NPR is smack in the center of the action. Off to the right, there's CNN's booth and the BBC's, among others. Over to the left, PBS and the Newshour with Jim Lehrer -- NPR is right in the middle high above the stage. Amazing location.

Susan meets an Iraqi war vet, after the jump.

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