Government & Politics

Tucker wrote Brown's memoir, The Godfather of Soul, which was recently reprinted. He joins Fresh Air to talk about Brown's rise as a soul singer, the evolution of his stage persona, and his recent conviction and imprisonment, a punishment which Tucker believes is too severe based on the charges.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Tim Weiner reports on national security issues. In 1988, he won a Pulitzer Prize for a series of articles on secret Pentagon spending on advanced weaponry and defense technology. Weiner argues that the lack of transparency is unconstitutional -- a point he argues in his new book, "Blank Check: The Pentagon's Black Budget."

Cohen founded the organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR). Contrary to the popular belief in a liberal media, Cohen's analysis of recent journalism reveals a conservative bias, especially in the selection of guests on television news programs.

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Stephan Salisbury discusses the internal reforms that are redefining the mission of the National Endowment for the Arts, including an elimination of smaller grants and a reconsiderations of what topics and images are acceptable. In the long term, such changes may influence facts Congressional action.

Scientist Zhores Mevedvev was the first scientist in the West to determine that the Soviet Union suffered a nuclear accident in 1957, three decades before Chernobyl. He has a new book called "The Legacy of Chernobyl," about the latter disaster -- which contributed to the Soviet Union's glasnost and perestroika reforms. Medvedev's father was exiled from Russia; Medvedev himself faced persecution for his research and activism.

New York Times journalist Timothy West says that cities in the region like Seattle strike a successful balance between urban centers and the natural world. His new book about his travels throughout the Pacific Northwest is called The Good Rain.

Chestnut earned his law degree at Washington D.C.'s Howard University, but soon returned to his hometown of Selma, Alabama, where he opened a law office -- before legal protections like the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act were passed. His new memoir is called Black in Selma.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer joins Fresh Air to talk about the scientific and cultural history of the Red Planet. He advocates for robotic and human exploration of Mars -- an endeavor that would lead to greater technological innovations and international cooperation.

Performance artists Karen Finley and Holly Hughes, whose work is often sexual and political in nature, recently had their NEA grants vetoed, despite a recommendation by the organization's peer review board. Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Stephan Salisbury speaks to Fresh Air about the controversy.

Historian William Taubman edited and translated a biography of the last years of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, as told by Nikita's son, Sergei. The book, titled Khrushchev on Khrushchev, gives new insights into the elder Khrushchev's fall from power after repudiating Stalinism, and his final days as a virtual pariah in the Soviet Union.

The French government will officially simplify the spelling of several dozen words, claiming the change will make their national language more accessible and appealing to foreigners. Linguist Geoff Nunberg questions the efficacy of the initiative, and considers how countries define themselves through culture and legislation.

Mubarak Awad grew up in the Occupied Territories; he later became a U.S. citizen, but returned to Palestine to advocate for civil disobedience as the best way to resist Israeli rule and discrimination. He joins Fresh Air to give his perspective on the intifada and Palestinian organizations like PLO, whose violent actions Awat sees as acts of resistance, not terrorism.

Director Alan J. Pakula's adaptation of the bestselling novel lacks the complexity and humor of the book, says film critic Stephen Schiff. The story concerns the murder of a woman lawyer and the difficult, sexually-charged investigation that follows.

The film actor enjoyed working with the puppets and puppeteers for the new movie, Gremlins 2. Glover's character is based on Donald Trump; he frequently portrays sleazy villains, like in his earlier movie, 52 Pick-Up.

Frank Friel was the co-director and chief investigator of the Philadelphia Police/FBI Organized Crime Task Force, which dismantled the Nicodemo Scarfo-led mafia in the 1980s. The gang's violent acts terrorized the Philadelphia area; they also infiltrated Atlantic City's casinos. Friel has a new book about that time, called Breaking the Mob.

Critic Owen Gleiberman reviews The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, which stars comedian Andrew Dice Clay as a rock and roll detective. Gleiberman calls the movie monotonous; Clay's performance, like his standup, is crass, but not without charisma.

Former NYPD officer Vincent Murano worked in the Internal Affairs Division, and went undercover to investigate crooked cops. His new book details his methods and some of his more memorable cases.

Book critic John Leonard reviews the memoirs of Andrei Sakharav, a Russian scientist and political dissident who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. Leonard says the book is more than autobiography -- it's a guide for global citizenship.

Commentator Leslie Savan says that American corporations have a vested interest in breaking into Soviet Bloc markets -- and they're spreading their capitalist message through TV ads.

Film critic Owen Gleiberman says the original Die Hard succeed in part because it was tightly plotted and plausible -- for an action movie. But it's hard to imagine Bruce Willis's John McClane fighting terrorists throughout the sprawl of Washington, D.C.