Please, Go On with James Hohmann

Latest Episodes:

Lessons from a writer who spent 15 years pretending to be a White guy Oct 15, 2021

Show notes

Until quite recently, Annabelle Tometich wrote all her restaurant reviews under the pseudonym Jean Le Boeuf. She spoke with James about what that double life taught her about White privilege and her own racial identity.

Read or listen to Annabelle Tometich's op-ed here.

Our constitutional crisis is here Oct 08, 2021

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Robert Kagan warns that the United States faces its greatest political and constitutional crisis since the Civil War.

Read Kagan's essay here.

How to stop the coming crisis with North Korea Oct 01, 2021

Show notes

North Korea is testing new missiles. Victor Cha — a hardliner — encourages U.S. diplomacy in response. A foreign policy advisor to George W. Bush, Cha advocates for humanitarian assistance.

Read Victor Cha's op-ed.

'Compassion fatigue.' A doctor is tired of Southerners making excuses to not get vaccinated. Sep 24, 2021

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Mississippi has one of the lowest vaccination rates and highest death rates from covid-19. A palliative care doctor pleads with fellow Southerners to get vaccinated before it's too late.

Read Rick Boyte's op-ed.

The secret to a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan? Educated girls. Sep 17, 2021

Show notes

Shabana Basij-Rasikh co-founded the only boarding school for girls in Afghanistan. Now, as the school year begins, she reflects on the power of educated women.

Read Shabana's latest op-ed.

Read Shabana's piece about educating Afghan girls.

It's been 20 years since 9/11. Are we safer now? Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

In a special 9/11 anniversary edition, a counterterrorism expert argues that the threat of foreign terrorists attacking the United States at home has vastly diminished. Plus, a writer who lost her father on Sept. 11, 2001 shares her pain after two decades.

Read Michael Leiter's op-ed.

Read Kimberly Rex's op-ed.

John Grisham wants to keep innocent people out of prison Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

The best-selling crime novelist sits on the board of the Innocence Project, and believes our country should be doing more to prevent wrongful convictions.

Read Grisham's op-ed.

John Bolton wants U.S. to get tough on Pakistan after fall of Afghanistan Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Trump's former national security adviser says the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan presents an opportunity for the United States to confront Pakistan over its ties to the Taliban and nuclear stockpile.

Read John Bolton's op-ed.

Read Josh Rogin's interview with Pakistan's national security adviser.

An Afghan journalist's escape from Kabul Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

Nasrin Nawa, an Afghan journalist, narrowly escaped the Taliban's takeover of Kabul. But leaving her home country also meant leaving her parents — and sister — to an uncertain future.

Read Nawa's op-ed here.

And here are four related op-eds:

Your questions about the delta variant answered, with Dr. Leana Wen Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

In a bonus episode, Post readers and listeners ask public health expert Dr. Leana Wen about the delta variant, vaccine hesitancy and how we protect kids as they return to school.
Subscribe to Dr. Wen's newsletter here: https://wapo.st/checkup