WNYC New York Public Radio Most Emailed of the Week

The Looting of America (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Les Leopold, director of the Labor Institute and the Public Health Institute, seeks to correct the myths that blame the financial meltdown on low-income home buyers who got in over their heads, people who ran up too much credit-card debt, and government interference with free markets. In The Looting of America: How Wall Street’s Game of Fantasy Finance Destroyed Our Jobs, Pensions, and Prosperity—and What We Can Do About It, he looks into how Wall Street undermined the economy by turning to highly lucrative but extremely risky financial approaches.

Sisters of Sinai (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 25 November 2009)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Janet Soskice describes a quintessentially Victorian adventure with of Agnes and Margaret Smith, identical twin sisters from Scotland who made one of one of most important scriptural discoveries of modern times. The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels is an account of how two ladies in middle age and without university degrees uncovered and translated this text, bringing a great biblical treasure to world attention.

The Orchid Hypothesis (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 23 November 2009)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:10 GMT

A new theory of genetics asserts that mankind's most troublesome genes may be vital to our adaptability, if given the right kind of nurturing. David Dobbs, contributor to The Atlantic, writes about the orchid hypothesis in this month's issue and discusses his findings.

Concert Photos: The Pros Weigh In (Soundcheck: Wednesday, 25 November 2009)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:37 GMT

Fans are revolutionizing music photography with digital cameras, iPhones and social networking sites. But has the art of the image suffered? Today: two photographers from different generations, Bob Gruen and Elizabeth Weinberg, explain how they have responded to this revolution. This is a repeat edition of Soundcheck.

Blog: John Schaefer on concert photography

Orchid Hypothesis (The Brian Lehrer Show: Monday, 23 November 2009)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

People get passionate about their handheld devices. WNYC staffers Jim Colgan, a producer for The Takeaway, and Mark Phillips, a producer with On the Media, debate the virtues of their machines. Atlantic Magazine contributor David Dobbs talks about the orchid hypothesis and why genetic vulnerabilities might actually be genetic benefits with the right kind of nurturing. Plus a call-in for everyone making the Hajj.

Ad Hoc at Home (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 23 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:50 GMT

Chef Thomas Keller, whose restaurants The French Laundry in Yountville, California, and Per Se in New York have revolutionized American haute cuisine, turns his attention to simple food for the home cook. His cookbook Ad Hoc at Home is inspired by the menu of his casual restaurant, Ad Hoc in Yountville. It includes more than 200 recipes for family-style meals, such as flaky biscuits, chicken pot pies, New England clam bakes, and cherry pies.

Risk and the Road (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:28 GMT

We’ll look into Wall Street’s love affair with risk, how that helped lead to the economic crisis, and what can be done to keep the same thing from happening again. Then, director Richard Linklater talks about his latest film, “Me and Orson Welles.” Also, Viggo Mortensen discusses the challenges of starring in the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road.” Plus, we look into why many young people are abandoning the small towns they grew up in for big cities, and how that’s effecting rural America.

Exploding Debt (The Brian Lehrer Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Joshua Gordon policy director at The Concord Coalition and Bob Kuttner co-founder of The American Prospect magazine discuss the ballooning national debt and its impact on stimulus efforts.

525 Clinton: From Construction Fatality to Stalled Development

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:39 GMT

In November 2008, WNYC aired a two-part report called "The Cost of Doing Business." It was an in-depth look at a construction accident that took the life of Mexican immigrant Jose Palacios. Palacio....

The Vanishing Youth Nutrient (The Leonard Lopate Show: Thursday, 26 November 2009)

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Susan Allport, author of The Queen of Fats: Why Omega-3s Were Removed from the Western Diet and What We Can Do to Replace Them, looks into why the disappearance of omega-3s from our diet may be responsible for the high rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer. Her article "The Vanishing Youth Nutrient" appears in the September issue of Prevention Magazine.

Evolving Developments (The Brian Lehrer Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

A court decision in favor of tenants at Stuyvesant Town/ Peter Cooper Village could have major implications for other landlords who get government benefits. Housing Preservation and Development Commissioner Rafael Cestero talks about the city’s housing policy and weighs in on halted development. Plus, today is the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species.

Warren Moon Reflects (The Brian Lehrer Show: Thursday, 26 November 2009)

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

The first and only African-American quarterback to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Warren Moon, has written a new autobiography Never Give Up on Your Dream: My Journey. He talks about his life as a football star.

Hollowing Out the Middle (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

Recent articles and books have celebrated the migration of highly productive and creative workers to key cities. Sociologists Patrick J. Carr describes what happens to the towns that they desert, and to the people who are left behind. In Hollowing Out the Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What It Means for America, written with Maria J. Kefalas, they describe what they learned by moving to a small Iowa town whose young people are leaving in droves.

Risk and the Road (The Leonard Lopate Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:28 GMT

Coming Out Swinging (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 23 November 2009)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

On today’s show, New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter explains why so many Americans have come to mistrust science and major institutions. Then, biographer Wil Haygood describes the life of the great boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. And Thomas Keller the chef/owner of Per Se and The French Laundry, talks about his latest cookbook Ad Hoc at Home. Plus, Frontline correspondent Lowell Bergman discusses his new documentary "The Card Game," about the future of the consumer loan industry.

Please Explain: Strokes (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 20 November 2009)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:44 GMT

On today’s Please Explain, we take a close look at strokes—the causes, effects, and therapeutic and medical advances that help people recover. We're joined by Dr. Randolph S. Marshall, chief of the Division of Stroke, Columbia University Medical Center, and Dr. Jay P. Mohr, Daniel Sciarra Professor of Clinical Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center.

Musical Language (Radiolab: Friday, 21 April 2006)

Wed, 09 May 2007 20:09 GMT

What is music? How does it work? Why does it move us? Why are some people better at it than others? In this hour, we examine the line between language and music, how the brain processes sound, and we meet a composer who uses computers to capture the musical DNA of dead composers in order to create new work. We also re-imagine the disastrous 1913 debut of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring…through the lens of modern neurology.

NRA Fights Back Against Bloomberg's Gun Control Coalition

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:57 GMT

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a known gun control advocate, and has built a national platform to stem the flow of illegal guns into cities and towns. The group he co-founded in 2006, Mayors Against Ille....

Denialism (The Leonard Lopate Show: Monday, 23 November 2009)

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

New Yorker staff writer Michael Specter examines how and why Americans have come to mistrust institutions, especially the institution of science. For centuries, the general view of science was that it is neither good nor bad, but it merely supplies information. In Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives, he looks into why science has come to be viewed as a political constituency that’s not always in our best interest.

Advocating for New Jerseyans (The Brian Lehrer Show: Wednesday, 25 November 2009)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:53 GMT

Ronald K. Chen, New Jersey Public Advocate, discusses foreclosures, gay marriage and other issues important to the people of the state.

Bridging the Digital Gap (The Brian Lehrer Show: Wednesday, 25 November 2009)

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:41 GMT

Ethan Zuckerman, co-founder of Global Voices and research fellow at the Berkman Center, joins us weekly in November to talk about the global impact of social media. This week: a look at how Africa portrays itself on the website Africa Knows and the debate over foreign aid.

Differences of Opinion (The Leonard Lopate Show: Wednesday, 11 February 2009)

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 05:00 GMT

On today's show: A former investment banker talks about the contagion that ruined our economy and how it might change our lives in unexpected ways. Plus, rethinking Booker T. Washington. Then, a Belgian novelist talks about her love life in Japan. And, Al and Larry Ubell, the gurus of how-to, field your home repair questions.

A Less Open Internet? (The Brian Lehrer Show: Tuesday, 24 November 2009)

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:38 GMT

Two news stories today may mean that the internet is getting a little less open. Julia Angwin wrote in the Wall St. Journal today about how the number of volunteer editors on Wikipedia has dropped precipitously over the past year. Then, Jeff Jarvis of Buzzmachine.com discusses reports that Rupert Murdoch is in negotiations with Microsoft to provide content exclusively to Bing, and not Google.

Go with the Flow (The Leonard Lopate Show: Friday, 20 November 2009)

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00 GMT

First, we look into the safety of our nation’s water supply with New York Times reporter Charles Duhigg. Then, Werner Herzog discusses his latest film “Bad Lieutenant.” Pulitzer Prize-winner Rita Dove, former U.S. Poet Laureate, talks about her new book-length poem. Plus, out latest Please Explain is all about strokes.

New Normal? (Radiolab: Friday, 02 October 2009)

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 05:00 GMT

How do you tell the difference between a sea change and a ripple in the water? Is a peacenik baboon, a man in a dress, or a cuddly fox a sign of things to come? Or just a flukey outlier from the norm? Is there ever really even a norm? In this hour we examine three stories that reframe our sense of normalcy.