Best Lopate Podcasts (2026)

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First Things First Hip-Hop Ladies Who Changed the Game 54:26

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1+ y ago54:26

54:26

FIRST THINGS FIRST, hip-hop is not just the music, and women have played a big role in shaping the way it looks today. FIRST THINGS FIRST takes readers on a journey through some notable firsts by women in hip-hop history and their importance. Factual firsts like Queen Latifah becoming the first rapper to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, La…

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Laura Pappano on School Moms 54:44

2y ago54:44

54:44

Laura Pappano is a veteran journalist who has covered the heated disagreements that surround K-12 education for over thirty years. Yet, today's high stakes battle is unlike anything she's seen before. "It isn't rooted in a passion for the success of all children," she writes. "Rather, it's about the hijacking of public education by a far-right Chri…

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Investigative Journalist Robert Hennelly 54:36

2y ago54:36

54:36

According to Award-winning journalist and Regular Contributor Robert Hennelly, most of the labor activists that are reviving the American union movement were not on the planet when Martin Luther King Jr walked the earth. But the torch has been passed and the “dream” endures when ever there’s collective non-violent action that moves US forward.Henne…

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'The Band's Visit' Musicians Perform Live! 34:28

7+ y ago34:28

34:28

Musicians from the Tony-nominated Broadway musical “The Band’s Visit” perform live in studio and speak with guest host and creator, three-time Tony Award nominee and Drama Desk Award-winner David Yazbek. “The Band’s Visit” tells the story of an Egyptian Police Band that arrives in Israel to play a concert, but ends up in a remote village in the mid…

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Director Michael Grandage Brings Disney's 'Frozen' to Broadway 21:25

7+ y ago21:25

21:25

Disney's "Frozen" broke records at the box office for highest-grossing animated film. Five years later, it became a Broadway musical. Tony and Olivier Award-winning director Michael Grandage discusses creating and directing the hit "Frozen" on Broadway. He also talks about returning to London for West End revivals of Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple o…

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Mark Rylance and Claire Van Kampen on 'Farinelli and the King' 30:15

7+ y ago30:15

30:15

Mark Rylance and Claire Van Kampen discuss the Shakespeare’s Globe production of "Farinelli and the King, a new play by written and scored by Van Kampen. King Philippe V of Spain (Rylance), plagued by insomnia, lies awake in his chamber. The Queen, desperate for a cure, hears of Farinelli, a castrato with a voice so divine it has the power to capti…

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Harry Hadden-Paton & Lauren Ambrose Star in 'My Fair Lady' 22:35

7+ y ago22:35

22:35

Harry Hadden-Paton and Lauren Ambrose talk about starring in the Broadway revival of "My Fair Lady" at Lincoln Center Theater. It tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” "My Fair Lady" received 10 Tony nominatio…

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How To Sniff Like A Dog 31:19

8y ago31:19

31:19

For this week’s Please Explain, we’re following dogs as they sniff their way through the world with their incredible sense of smell. Alexandra Horowitz, who teaches canine cognition and creative nonfiction at Barnard College and runs the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab, explores the abilities of a dog’s nose, how it’s evolved, how it’s being put to use …

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What's Your Cat Really Thinking? 30:05

8y ago30:05

30:05

How did cats get domesticated? Why are they so popular on the internet? Are they good or evil? If you have wanted to know the answers to these questions, and more, tune in to our latest Please Explain, which is all about cats. We're joined by Abigail Tucker, correspondent for Smithsonian Magazine, and author of The Lion in the Living Room: How Hous…

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We Get Fired Up Over Peppers 30:35

8y ago30:35

30:35

There are over 200 varieties of peppers, ranging from shishitos to habaneros. For our latest Please Explain, we dig into the world (and health benefits) of peppers with three-time James Beard Award-winning chef, culinary historian and author Maricel Presilla. She’s the author of Peppers of the Americas: The Remarkable Capsicums That Forever Changed…

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Why Vinegar Deserves More Credit As An Ingredient 25:14

8y ago25:14

25:14

Vinegar often plays an essential role in the food we eat. We use it in everything from baking to braising to pickling. But, author Michael Harlan Turkell writes that vinegar is "underappreciated and little understood." For his new book Acid Trip: Travels in the World of Vinegar: With Recipes from Leading Chefs, Insights from Top Producers, and Step…

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The Secrets Behind Succulent Sauces 32:14

8y ago32:14

32:14

For this week’s Please Explain, James Peterson stops by to talk sauces. He’s an award-winning food writer, cookbook author, photographer and cooking teacher who started his career as a restaurant cook in Paris in the 1970s. His book, Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, has just been released in its fourth edition. James will answer all…

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The Secrets Behind Succulent Sauces 32:10

8y ago32:10

32:10

For this week’s Please Explain, James Peterson stops by to talk sauces. He’s an award-winning food writer, cookbook author, photographer and cooking teacher who started his career as a restaurant cook in Paris in the 1970s. His book, Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making, has just been released in its fourth edition. James will answer all…

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How To Go Vegan 30:47

8y ago30:47

30:47

Our first Food Fridays Please Explain kicks off with vegan cooking! Ronen Seri and Pamela Elizabeth are the co-founders behind the vegan restaurant franchise Blossom and the authors of The Blossom Cookbook: Classic Favorites from the Restaurant That Pioneered a New Vegan Cuisine. They’ll debunk some myths about vegan food/cooking, offer tips for ho…

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How To Succeed Even If You're An Introvert 36:03

8y ago36:03

36:03

For our latest Please Explain, we explore what it means to be an introvert and what pressures they face when advancing their careers. We're joined by Morra Aarons-Mele, an internet marketer who has launched online campaigns for President Obama, Malala Yousafzai, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundations, and others. She’s also the author of Hiding in …

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How Addiction Works 31:17

8y ago31:17

31:17

For this week's Please Explain, we explore how science is giving us a better understanding of how addiction works, and what that means for how we think about and treat it. We're joined by Fran Smith, author of "The Science of Addiction," National Geographic Magazine's September cover story. We're also joined by expert Dr. Rita Goldstein, a professo…

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How The First Amendment Works 31:39

8+ y ago31:39

31:39

In a time when the president is openly attacking the press for negative stories and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville are claiming freedom of speech while protesting the removal of Confederate monuments, this week’s Please Explain is all about the First Amendment. Our guest is Floyd Abrams, author of The Soul of the First Amendment and a senior partner …

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How The First Amendment Works 31:35

8+ y ago31:35

31:35

In a time when the president is openly attacking the press for negative stories and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville are claiming freedom of speech while protesting the removal of Confederate monuments, this week’s Please Explain is all about the First Amendment. Our guest is Floyd Abrams, author of The Soul of the First Amendment and a senior partner …

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What Happens When We Sleep? 30:02

8+ y ago30:02

30:02

People spend about one-third of their lives asleep, but what actually happens when we close our eyes and begin to dream? For this week’s Please Explain we are joined by Wallace Mendelson to better help us understand. Mendelson is the former director of the Sleep Research Laboratory at the University of Chicago and author of the new book The Science…

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What Happens When A Dog Drinks Water? 33:27

8+ y ago33:27

33:27

Matin Durrani and Liz Kalaugher join us to talk about their book Furry Logic: The Physics of Animal Life for our latest Please Explain about how our pets use science to survive. We explore the physics behind everything from how dogs lap up water to how ants use polarized light to navigate.

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What's The Future Of DACA? 32:43

8+ y ago32:43

32:43

For this week's Please Explain, we’re discussing DACA with Hasan Shafiqullah, Attorney-In-Charge of the Immigration Law Unit at The Legal Aid Society. We're also joined by Pamela Resendiz, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico City, Mexico, and a community organizer who advocates for workers and immigrants’ rights in Colorado as the Deputy Director…

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How Legal Pot Could Be Monopolized 32:35

8+ y ago32:35

32:35

Cities and states across the country are either decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana. As the cultural shift toward accepting pot progresses, we chat with journalist Amanda Chicago Lewis for our latest Please Explain about what this means for consumers, and how the industry could become big business for some companies. Chicago Lewis has written s…

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Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft 34:21

8+ y ago34:21

34:21

For this week’s Please Explain, we explore a crime that affects millions of Americans each year: Identity theft. We're joined by Axton Betz-Hamilton, an assistant professor of consumer affairs at South Dakota State University, to discuss how easy it is for thieves to get a hold of your information and ruin your credit. Betz-Hamilton will also share…

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Harvard Review Salon Series: Phillip Lopate and Lily King 24:40

8+ y ago24:40

24:40

Did you know that Houghton Library is also the publisher of Harvard Review, a major American literary journal? In this episode of Houghton75, editor Christina Thompson talks to two contributors to Harvard Review's 50th issue: renowned essayist Phillip Lopate and award-winning novelist Lily King. The conversation, part of the Houghton 75th celebrati…

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Why We Love To Run 34:10

8+ y ago34:10

34:10

For our next Please Explain, Vybarr Cregan-Reid jogs us through the basics of running. Cregan-Reid, who authored the book Footnotes: How Running Makes Us Human, reveals how running reconnects us to our bodies and helps us cleanse our minds. He explores the world’s most advanced running laboratories and research centers, and draws on literature, phi…

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All The Light We Cannot See 17:10

8+ y ago17:10

17:10

Our latest Please Explain is about invisible currents that exist all around us with Bob Berman, author of the book Zapped: From Infrared to X-Rays, the Curious History of Invisible Light. Do you have questions about x-rays or microwaves? Wondering about the upcoming solar eclipse on August 21? Write to us in the comments section below, or send us a…

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Why Coral Is Dying Around The World 32:12

8+ y ago32:12

32:12

For this week’s Please Explain we explore the critical role coral reefs play in marine life and how they’re threatened by “coral bleaching," which is a sign of mass coral death. We’ll be joined by Jeff Orlowski, director of the new Netflix documentary “Chasing Coral," along with Ruth Gates, a scientist who appears in the film and is the director of…

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Become A Food Preserving Pro! 32:20

8+ y ago32:20

32:20

In a pickle over how to make the best preserves? Don't worry! Our latest Please Explain is all about preserving with Emily Paster, author of The Joys of Jewish Preserving: Modern Recipes with Traditional Roots, for Jams, Pickles, Fruit Butters, and More--for Holidays and Every Day. Melissa Clark guest hosted this segment of "The Leonard Lopate Show…

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Become A Food Preserving Pro! 32:16

8+ y ago32:16

32:16

In a pickle over how to make the best preserves? Don't worry! Our latest Please Explain is all about preserving with Emily Paster, author of The Joys of Jewish Preserving: Modern Recipes with Traditional Roots, for Jams, Pickles, Fruit Butters, and More--for Holidays and Every Day. Melissa Clark guest hosted this segment of "The Leonard Lopate Show…

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Don't Bug Out! The Secret World Of Insects 32:31

8+ y ago32:31

32:31

For this week’s Please Explain! we explore the creepy-crawly world of insects with journalist David MacNeal. His latest book Bugged: The Insects Who Rule the World and the People Obsessed with Them looks at the critical role insects play in nature and in our culture. We discuss how conservationists are protecting threatened species, and how bugs ar…

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How To Cut The Clutter And Get Organized 31:07

8+ y ago31:07

31:07

If your desk is a total mess, today’s Please Explain is meant for YOU! We tackle the crucial, yet all-so-difficult task, of getting organized, with Amanda Sullivan, author of Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist's Guide to Getting -- and Staying -- Organized.By WNYC

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What's Your Cat Thinking About? 31:49

8+ y ago31:49

31:49

Our latest Please Explain is all about the psychology and social evolution of cats with Thomas McNamee, author of The Inner Life of Cats: The Science and Secrets of Our Mysterious Feline Companions. Do you have questions about your cat's behavior? Write to us on Twitter, Facebook or post in the comments section below!…

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What's Your Cat Thinking About? 31:53

8+ y ago31:53

31:53

Our latest Please Explain is all about the psychology and social evolution of cats with Thomas McNamee, author of The Inner Life of Cats: The Science and Secrets of Our Mysterious Feline Companions. Do you have questions about your cat's behavior? Write to us on Twitter, Facebook or post in the comments section below!…