All the world’s a global stage. And we all know it’s a lot more complicated than just having McDonald’s Golden Arches firmly planted in Paris and the introduction of the Euro.
Legendary investor Jim Rogers decided the only way to really understand what’s going on in this global galaxy, was to see it first-hand. [...]

A look at the ineptitude of sons of dictators.
Guests:
Franklin Foer, associate editor at The New Republic

Sam Phillips, the man who brought Elvis Presley to the world, died yesterday at age 80. Phillips crossed the color line in the segregated South of the 1950’s with recordings of blues and rockabilly artists.
Guests:
Nick Spitzer, producer and host of the public radio series “American Roots,” Professor of Folklore at the University of New Orleans

The war to oust Saddam and his alleged weapons of mass destruction employed fewer soldiers than the first gulf war but pacifying the Iraqi resistance may require additional troops. Is the American military stretched too thin?
If conflict flared in North Korea or elsewhere ,would the U.S. have the ability to respond? Questions about preparedness are [...]

The latest developments from Iraq.
Guests:
Ann Scott Tyson, The Chrstian Science Monitor

Rebels advance toward Monrovia as indicted President Charles Taylor hides out in his seaside mansion. President Bush won’t commit to a large U.S. military presence. The fighting seems far away for most of us. But for the large Liberian communities here, in places like Providence, Rhode Island, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Houston, [...]

When Sean O’Malley is installed today as the archbishop of Boston, beleaguered Roman Catholics are watching with equal parts hope and skepticism. It’s been a long, bad run for Catholics in the U.S. Are they still able to keep the faith?
Guests:
Fred Thys, WBUR News
James Post, President, Voice of the Faithful and Professor of Management at [...]

The Saudi Government met with Washington today. Riyadh wants to declassify the redacted sections of Congress’s 9-11 report. But why? Is it time to save or sever U.S. relations with the world’s number one oil producing nation?
Guests:
Victor Davis Hanson, author of “Our Enemies, the Saudis” in Commentary Magazine
Thomas Lippman, adjunct scholar at the Middle East [...]

Kobe Bryant, the L.A. Lakers all-star, was charged with sexual assault this month. The name of his accuser, in accordance with journalistic precepts, was not released by mainstream media. Yet an L.A. radio talk show host named the alleged victim on the air in his drive time program, prompting outrage among victims’ rights advocates and [...]

The romance of Empire. In the saga on the battle against Iraq and the war on terror, a distinct storyline has started to emerge. Of good and evil. Of Bush the Bold versus Saddam the Bad. Is this a Hollywood epic or the new reality of the 21st century? And [...]

The hunt for Saddam Hussein intensifies. USA Today Pentagon corespondent John Diamond has the latest information.
Guests:
John Diamond, Pentagon correspondent with USA Today

President Bush spoke today to the National Urban League about how the US economy is improving. The President spoke about the various policies that he supports such as tax cuts and how he plans to aid schools in need.
Guests:

Bob Hope died yesterday, almost two months after turning 100. A working-class lad from England, Bob Hope’s career is a map of 20th century superstardom. He made it big on Vaudeville, Broadway, radio, film, and television. His work onstage during the 47 USO tours made him a legendary, all-American comedian. The life, laughs and legacy [...]

Tough going in Iraq. An economy in the dumps. Unemployment woes. There’s still over a year to go, but are these the first chinks in President Bush’s seemingly impenetrable armor?
Guests:
David Broder, columnist, The Washington Post
Ruy Teixeira, senior fellow, The Century Foundation
Mona Charon, syndicated columnist, CNN commentator, and author of “Useful Idiots: How Liberals [...]

When no job is safe. Mighty IBM, and many more American corporations, prepare to ship even white-collar jobs abroad. Is it helping or hurting American business?
Guests:
Jim Zarroli, business reporter, NPR
Marcus Courtney, president, Washington Alliance of Technology Workers
Ravi Kumar, professor of information and operations management, University of Southern California
Pete Engardio, senior international news editor, Business [...]

The much anticipated congressional report on the failures of intelligence agencies pre-September 11th was released today but what was left out of the report might be more interesting than what was in it.
The Senate Select committee on Intelligence has been wrangling with just about every tentacle of the federal government for the past seven months [...]

If you want to see a wild battle royale in American politics and courtrooms today, take a look under the dry heading of “tort reform.” For decades, American trial lawyers have been taking multi-million, even billion-dollar corporate scalps on behalf of citizens suing for all kinds of injuries.
It’s worked for the attorneys, their clients and [...]

Ambassador L. Paul Bremer presents a plan to restore order in Iraq in a speech to the National Press Club on July 23, 2003.
Guests:

State colleges and universities are set to impose the steepest tuition and fee increases in a decade. Knee-deep in budget pressures, governors and legislatures are cutting aid to state schools, which means students will have to foot more of the tuition bill — 21 percent more in Maryland and almost 30 percent in Virginia.
Click the [...]

What good are feelings? Neuroscientist Antionio Damasio will tell you that they are behind human self-preservation. From joy to sorrow, feelings are the cornerstone of our survival and well-being. An exploration of the feeling brain–and why this may be a 21st century revolution in understanding what makes us who we are.
Guests:
Antonio Damasio, [...]