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BN: Kira Anne West, Defense Attorney Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

It has been 3 years since the January 6th events at the U.S. Capitol occurred. Since that time close to 300 individuals have been charged with a crime by the U.S. Justice Department. Because of the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and subsequent Supreme Court decisions, defendants have a right to an attorney, paid for by the taxpayers if necessary. Kira (KEER-uh) Anne West, our guest this week, has been one of the defense attorneys involved in the January 6th trials in the United States District Court of the District of Columbia. She's a graduate of Drake University Law School in Des Moines, Iowa.

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AW: Rachel Slade, "Making It in America" Jan 13, 2024

Show notes

Journalist Rachel Slade looked at the challenges of manufacturing goods in the United States through the lens of a sweatshirt company in Maine. She was interviewed by author and New York Times editorial board member Farah Stockman.

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BN: Amrita Chakrabarti Myers, "The Vice President's Black Wife" Jan 09, 2024

Show notes

The name of the book is "The Vice President's Black Wife." The author is Amrita Chakrabarti Myers. Prof. Myers teaches history at Indiana University. She explains best what is between the covers of her book in the first paragraph of the introduction: "This is the story of an American family. Set in Great Crossing, Kentucky, in the early nineteenth century, it’s a tale that seems typical at first glance: a plantation owner was sexually involved with an enslaved woman and had children with her. The union of Julia Ann Chinn and Richard Mentor Johnson, a congressman from Kentucky who became vice president of the United States in 1837 under Martin Van Buren is, however, anything but standard."

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Q&A: Cassandra Good, "First Family" Jan 08, 2024

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Historian Cassandra Good talks about the lives and complicated legacies of George Washington's heirs. George and Martha Washington never had children together, but they raised Martha's children, and later grandchildren, as their own. Together they made up America's first "first family." This program originally aired in June 2023.

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AW: Peter Biskind, "Pandora's Box - How Guts, Guile, and Greed Upended TV" Jan 07, 2024

Show notes

Cultural critic and film historian Peter Biskind looked at the changes in television over the past 40 years from the networks to cable to streaming. He was interviewed by Wall Street Journal media and entertainment bureau chief Amol Sharma.

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AB: John Sargent, "Turning Pages" Jan 05, 2024

Show notes

Former Macmillan CEO John Sargent discussed his memoir about his four decades in the publishing industry. About Books also reported on the latest publishing industry news and current non-fiction books.

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BN: Ross Perot on His Life & Career Jan 02, 2024

Show notes

With less than a year to go before the 2024 presidential election, there continues to be a lot of chatter about the possible impact of a candidate on the ballot who is not a Republican or a Democrat. Over the years, third party candidates have made a difference in several elections. The third party candidate to get the largest percentage of votes was Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, at 27 percent. Next was Ross Perot at 19 percent in 1992. His campaign didn't start until the same year of the election. Here he is, from March 1992, talking about his life and politics.

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Q&A: Craig Fehrman, "Author in Chief" Jan 01, 2024

Show notes

Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman analyzes American presidents through the lens of the books they've written. This program originally aired in February of 2020.

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BONUS EPISODE: Convo w/ New Q&A Host Peter Slen Dec 27, 2023

Show notes

This week a conversation with the new host of Q&A, Peter Slen. We discuss the mission of the program, what to expect, and the best parts of hosting a one-hour conversation with interesting individuals.

All new episodes of Q&A begin on January 28th, 2024.

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BN: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., "How Do We Get Out of Here?" Dec 26, 2023

Show notes

On the cover of R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s memoir is a photo of him holding a 3-olive martini. It was obviously his choice and part of a message he chooses to send his readers about his life after 79 years. Mr. Tyrrell founded the American Spectator magazine in 1967. In the author's bio in the back of the book it says: "He has never had another job, though he came terrifyingly close in the late 1960s when the Vice President asked him to join his staff. After strenuous negotiations, the Vice President settled for Tyrrell as a consultant. After that the Vice President resigned." The Vice President was Spiro Agnew.

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