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The Dismantling of the U. S.'s Middle Class.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele. For the past 9 days, the Inquirer has run a series of scathing front page articles by Barlett and Steele titled "America: What Went Wrong?" In it, they examine how government policies as diverse as changes in the bankruptcy laws and the sanctioning of political action committees have worked to make the rich richer and the poor poorer.

22:25
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Other segments from the episode on October 28, 1991

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, October 28, 1991: Interview with Donald Barlett and James Steele; Obituary for Bill Graham; Review of Martin Amis's novel "Time's Arrow."
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16:45

Remembering Bill Graham.

We remember rock impresario Bill Graham, who died this weekend in a helicopter crash. Terry Gross talked with Graham on May 17 of 1989. We'll play back part of that interview.

Obituary
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03:49

A Short, Brilliant Novel.

Book critic John Leonard reviews Martin Amis' new novel, "Time's Arrow." It's the story of a former Nazi doctor who looks back on the horror he committed during the Holocaust.

Review

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38:44

The Big Business of Health Care

Investigative reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele's new book is Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business, and Bad Medicine. Bartlett and Steel have worked together for 30 years, winning two Pulitzer Prizes. They are currently editors-at-large at Time magazine

Interview
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21:55

Journalists Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele

The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporters have written together since the 1970s for several major newspapers and magazines. Their latest piece covers Native American-owned casinos and appears in this month's Time magazine. This September, they also published The Great American Tax Dodge: How Spiraling Fraud and Avoidance Are Killing Fairness, Destroying the Income Tax, and Costing You.

Interview
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14:46

How Tax Policies Places a Burden on the Middle Class

Philadelphia Inquirer investigative reporters Donald Barlett and James Steele. The two talk with Terry Gross about why campaign promises related to taxes should be carefully scrutinized. They say if you want to know how a 15 percent tax cut would help you, you need to look at how it would impact all of the taxes you pay. They say that often the highest tax rates are found at the state or local level.

Interview

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08:07

Everyone expected more from the evening 'Invite,' audience included

In the new comedy "The Invite," Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde play a San Francisco couple who spend an evening getting to know their upstairs neighbors, played by Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. It's Wilde's third directorial effort after her earlier films, "Booksmart," and "Don't Worry Darling." "The Invite" opens in theaters this week. Our film critic Justin Chang has this review.

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