This Day in Esoteric Political History
667 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★★ - 913 ratingsWe’re living in unprecedented times. Maybe. In this show, Jody Avirgan (538, 30for30, TED) and historians Nicole Hemmer (Vanderbilt) and Kellie Carter Jackson (Wellesley) take one moment, big or small, from that day in U.S. political history and explore how it might inform our present –– all in about fifteen minutes.
New episodes release Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Sign up for the newsletter and more at ThisDayPod.com. We’re also posting about moments from the past @thisdaypod on Threads and Instagram. If you have a suggestion for a topic, get in touch.
This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of the Radiotopia podcast network from PRX.
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Episodes
An Explosion Rocks The Capitol (1983)
November 07, 2023 09:30 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBIt’s November 7th. This day in 1983, a bomb placed under a bench on the second floor of the Capitol building’s North Wing goes off, minutes after the Senate switchboard received a cryptic message claiming credit. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the little-known group that carried out the bombing, why they turned to violence in this moment — and what exactly they were protesting. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. ...
Elected While In A Coma (1980)
November 05, 2023 09:30 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MBIt’s November 5th. This day in 1980, voters in the Maryland 5th Congressional District have just re-elected Gladys Noon Spellman — despite the fact that she is in a coma from which she would never recover. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the twists and turns of the election, how Congress reacted, and how this moment led to the political career of one of the most prominent Democrats in the House. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended ...
The Unmarked Grave (2019) w/ Joe Richman
November 02, 2023 11:39 - 21 minutes - 20 MBIt’s November 2nd. This day in 2019, New York City began a process of opening up Hart Island to the public, after centuries of using the space to bury its unnamed dead. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Joe Richman of “Radio Diaries” to discuss the history of Hart Island and the ongoing tension between public space and private cemetery. Radio Diaries has a new series called “The Unmarked Grave: Stories from Hart Island.” Listen to it now! Check out the Radio Diaries live event ...
The Americans Fighting In Spain (1938) w/ Adam Hochschild
October 31, 2023 08:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIt’s October 31st. This day in 1938, hundreds of thousands gather in Barcelona, Spain, to say thanks and bid farewell to the thousands of foreign volunteers who had come to join the fight in the Spanish Civil War. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by author Adam Hochschild to discuss why so many Americans were drawn to the battle in Spain, and how the anti-fascist fight there set the stage for WWII. Adam is the author of many brilliant books, including “American Midnight,” “King L...
The Donora Killer Smog (1948)
October 29, 2023 13:37 - 14 minutes - 13.7 MBIt’s October 29th. This day in 1948, a heavy, pollutant-laden fog is sitting over the Pennsylvania town of Donora. Over the course of five days, dozens of people would die and half the town’s population would get sick. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why the town of Donora was so vulnerable to the US Steel plant’s pollution, and how the company fought back against regulation over the course of decades. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recom...
NOW is Next (1966)
October 26, 2023 08:30 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBIt’s October 25th. This day in 1966, a group gathers for the first conference of the National Organization for Women, aka NOW. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why the group felt the need for a new activist organization — and how NOW navigated both the political and social spheres of the feminist movement. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is...
Colin + Obama (2008) w/ Leah Wright Rigueur
October 24, 2023 13:22 - 24 minutes - 22.1 MBIt’s October 24th. This day in 2008, former secretary of state Colin Powell goes on Meet the Press and endorses Barack Obama for president — over his longtime friend, and fellow Republican, John McCain. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Leah Wrigth Rigueur to talk about why Colin rebuked his own party, what Obama represented, and what it says about the crossroads he found himself in that moment. Leah is a professor at Johns Hopkins and the author of The Loneliness of the Black ...
"The Jazz Singer" and Hollywood Empire (1927) w/ Walt Hickey
October 22, 2023 08:30 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBIt’s October 22nd. This day in 1927, Americans are flocking to the theaters to watch “The Jazz Singer,” the first major “talkie” film. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Walt Hickey to discuss how Hollywood became a major economic and political force in the aftermath of WWI, and how it the soft power of American entertainment started to shape the world. Walt’s new book is “You Are What You Watch” — preorder it now and get a free poster! Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be send...
Trump Shows Up In New Hampshire (1987) w/ Robert Fleegler
October 19, 2023 10:38 - 23 minutes - 21.9 MBIt’s October 19th. This day in 1987, real estate mogul Donald Trump was invited to New Hampshire to give a speech to a local GOP group. He bragged about his accomplishments, drew a big crowd and — of course — teased a possible presidential run. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Robert Fleegler of the University Of Mississippi to discuss why Trump showed up in the early stages of the 1988 primary, and how his message then was almost exactly the same as his message now. Robert’s ...
Carter Restores Jefferson Davis's Citizenship (1978)
October 17, 2023 08:30 - 17 minutes - 16 MBIt’s October 17th. This day in 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a resolution that passed Congress to restore the citizenship of Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why there was a push to re-imagine Davis’s legacy — and whether Jefferson Davis would have even wanted this. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Politica...
"Operation Clark County" Totally Backfires (2004)
October 15, 2023 12:41 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBIt’s October 15th. This day in 2004, voters in the swing region of Clark County, Ohio are receiving letters encouraging them to vote for John Kerry — letters written by readers of the left-leaning British newspaper “The Guardian.” Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why “The Guardian” had launched their letter writing campaign, what it says about the gamification of politics — and how the folks who got the letters responded. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all...
The Real Free State of Jones (1863)
October 12, 2023 11:46 - 13 minutes - 12.8 MBIt’s October 12th. This day in 1863, fighting is breaking out in Jones County, Mississippi, as a group of southern farmers starts to rebel against the Confederacy. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why this group felt compelled to rebel, what their fight was really about — and what the 2016 movie starring Matthew McConoughey got right and wrong about the incident. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at...
The Scrub Bull Trials (1919)
October 10, 2023 08:30 - 19 minutes - 18.4 MBIt’s October 9th. In 1919, the US Department of Agriculture began a nationwide campaign to promote better breeding among livestock — and stamp out so-called “scrub bulls.” Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how this effort took on absurd dimensions, but also reflected a deeper and darker cultural obsession with breeding and fitness. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esot...
The Poisoned Tylenol Panic (1982)
October 08, 2023 08:30 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MBIt’s October 5th. This day in 1982, a massive recall is underway for Tylenol, in the wake of a series of random poisonings and deaths in the Chicago era. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the crisis, Johnson & Johnson’s relatively effective response — and the very strange ransom letter sent in the middle of it all. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political Hi...
Italy Invades Ethiopia, World Freaks Out (1935) w/ Isaac-Davy Aronson
October 05, 2023 08:30 - 24 minutes - 22.6 MBIt’s October 3rd. This day in 1935, Italian leader Benito Mussolini invades Ethiopia, one of the only independent Black states in the world. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by MSNBC’s Isaac-Davy Aronson to discuss what Italy’s aggression did to the very fragile world order — and how the move reverberated around the Black diaspora. Be sure to check out “Deja News,” which did an episode about this moment. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we ...
The Hiroshima Maidens (1955) w/ Josh Levin
October 03, 2023 13:52 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBIt’s October 3rd. This day in 1956, a group of 25 Japanese women are heading back to Japan after spending a year in the United States receiving medical and cosmetic surgery. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Slate’s Josh Levin to talk about the “Hiroshima Maidens,” who came to this country and showed Americans the horrific consequences of nuclear attack. Josh tells the story of the maidens in a new episode of his series “One Year: 1955.” Check it out now wherever you get your p...
Yeltsin Refuses To Leave The Plane (1994)
October 01, 2023 08:30 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MBIt’s October 1st. In 1994, Russian President Boris Yeltsin is set to stop off for a diplomatic visit in Ireland. But when his plane lands on the tarmac at Shannon Airport, Yeltsin refuses to get off. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss Yeltsin’s reputation for heavy drinking and boorish behavior, how that played into this incident, and what may have really happened on that plane. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Fi...
"Actually, You Forgot Poland" (2004)
September 28, 2023 11:28 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIt’s September 30th. This day in 2004, George W. Bush and John Kerry take the stage for the first presidential debate of the 2004 election. In response to Kerry saying that very few countries supported the United State’s invasion of Iraq, Bush responded that. “actually, you forgot Poland.” Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss what that comeback landed so poorly, and became an early internet meme — and the larger context of the “coalition of the willing” the Bush administration was using ...
Big Dig Energy (1983) w/ Ian Coss
September 26, 2023 08:30 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBIt’s September 26th. This day in 1983, Massachusetts genator Michael Dukakis held a press conference to announce an enormous and ambitious infrastructure project to take a roadway that cut through the center of Boston and move it underground. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by reporter Ian Coss to discuss the initial plans for what would come to be known as “The Big Dig,” and why the project ended up taking decades, and billions of dollars, more than expected — and what it says a...
Stanislav Petrov Prevents Armageddon (1983)
September 24, 2023 08:30 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBIt’s September 26th. This day in 1983, a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces determined that an alert about an incoming nuclear attack was, in fact, a computer glitch, likely preventing a series of retaliations by the USSR and the USA. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss how Petrov made his decision, what could have gone wrong, and why the policy of “mutually assured destruction” invited such perilous scenarios. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to ...
'The West Wing' Premieres (1999) w/ Hrishikesh Hirway
September 21, 2023 08:30 - 23 minutes - 21.4 MBIt’s September 22nd. This day in 1999, Aaron Sorkin’s podcast “The West Wing” premiered on NBC. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by fellow Radiotopian Hrishikesh Hirway to talk about the political influence and legacy of the show. Check out The West Wing Weekly and all of Hrishi’s podcasts on his website! Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History...
The First Anti-Amalgamation Law (1664)
September 19, 2023 12:37 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBIt’s September 19th. This day, in 1664, Marlyand passed the first “anti-amalgamation” law in the colonies, outlawing the marriage between Black men and English women. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how these anti-miscegenation laws were first written, and how they were altered, evolved, and tested over the course of two centuries. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Es...
What YOU Learned On Your Summer Travels
September 17, 2023 08:30 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBA few episodes ago, we discussed what we’d learned on our summer travels, and asked for your stories. Today, we go through some tidbits, stories, and fascinating facts. Thanks to everyone who wrote it! Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do...
The Case For Capitalism (1970) w/ Noel King
September 14, 2023 08:30 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBIt’s September 14th. This day in 1970, economist Milton Friedman pens an op-ed in The New York Times making the case that a corporation’s primary goal is to increase shareholder value and profits. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Noel King of “Today, Explained” to discuss how Friedman’s “shareholder theory” pushed back against existing ideas of corporate responsibility, and signaled a new vision for capitalism — and how the last forty years have reflected those values. Noel is...
The Reagan's Prime-Time Drug Address (1986) w/ Donovan X Ramsey
September 12, 2023 08:30 - 22 minutes - 21.1 MBIt’s September 14th. This day in 1986, President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan gave a prime-time television address about drugs, drug policy, and crack cocaine. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by journalist Donovan X Ramsey to talk about why both Reagans took part in the address, the media-savvy narratives that emerged in the “Just Say No” era, and the real victims of drug abuse who were left behind. Donovan’s new book is When Crack Was King — buy it now, or check ou...
The First Food Nutrition Labels (1971) w/ Xaq Frohlich
September 10, 2023 08:30 - 20 minutes - 19.2 MBIt’s September 8th. This day in 1971, a consumer advocate Esther Peterson worked with the supermarket chain GIANT to come up with the first nutrition labels. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by Auburn professor Xaq Frolich to talk about Peterson’s advocacy, what labels looked like before this initiative — and whether labels do actually help empower consumers to make better choices. Frolich’s forthcoming book is “From Label to Table” — pre-order it now!
Upton Sinclair's Epic Run For Governor (1933)
September 07, 2023 08:30 - 16 minutes - 15.6 MBIt’s September 7th. This day in 1933, journalist Upton Sinclair launches a campaign for California governor. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Sinclair turned to politics after enormous success and influence as a muckraking journalist — and how his radical progressive campaign found a large audience. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History is a ...
What We Learned On Our Summer Travels
September 05, 2023 08:30 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBIt’s the end of summer, and today we’re doing a special episode where we talk about some of the most interesting stories from history we discovered on our various summer travels. And we want to hear from you! If there was something you learned that has stuck with you, let us know and we’ll do a follow-up episode shortly. Email [email protected] or find us on twitter or instagram. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In Esoteric Political History...
Adam Mckay is Morris The Cat (1992) [[Archive Episode]]
August 31, 2023 08:30 - 25 minutes - 23 MBAs we wrap up summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll see you after Labor Day! /// It’s July 28th. This day in 1992, “Morris The Cat,” the feline spokesperson for Nine Lives cat food, is in the heart of a stunt presidential campaign. Jody and Niki are joined by director and writer Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up, Vice, Anchorman) to talk about the campaign and how Adam’s career changed as a result. Sign up for our newsletter! Find out more at ...
The Man Who Killed The Man Who Killed Lincoln (1894) [[Archive Episode]]
August 29, 2023 08:30 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBAs we wrap up summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll see you after Labor Day! /// It’s August 30th. This day in 1894, a man by the name of Thomas H “Boston” Corbett is presumed dead in a fire in Minnesota. Boston Corbett led a troubled life, particularly over the previous thirty years, during which he was best known as the man who killed John Wilkes Booth — the man who killed Abraham Lincoln. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the circumstan...
Fred Korematsu's Internment (1942) [[Archive Episode]]
August 27, 2023 08:30 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s August 31st. This day in 1942, a judge upholds the arrest of a Japanese-American man named Fred Korematsu. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Korematsu tried to resist the detention of Japanese-Americans in the wake of Pearl Harbor, and the legal battles that broke out after the Roosevelt administration mov...
Missouri's Early Emancipation Proclamation (1861)
August 24, 2023 08:30 - 12 minutes - 11.2 MBIt’s August 24th. This day in 1861, a Union general in Missouri issued an edict freeing all enslaved people in the territory — this some sixteen months before Lincoln would issue the formal Emancipation Proclamation. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Missouri went rogue, the way in which frontier and border states lived in a sort of limbo during the Civil War — and what kind of fallout there was from the edict. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stu...
The Bridge To Nowhere (2005)
August 22, 2023 08:30 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBIt’s August 22nd. In the summer of 2005, a proposed bridge in rural Alaska was becoming a hot-button controversy, as conservatives assailed its half-billion dollar price tag as emblematic of government overspending and pork-barrel politics. Jody, NIki, and Kellie look back at the “Bridget to Nowhere” controversy, what it says about how local and national politics intersect — and whether the bridge really was way too expensive after all. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sendin...
Nat Turner's Community (1831) w/ Vanessa Holden [[Archive Episode]]
August 20, 2023 08:30 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s August 22nd. This day in 1831, Nathaniel “Nat” Turner is leading a rebellion in Southampton, Virginia — what would become perhaps the most famous slave revolt in the Antebellum South. But there’s a hidden story. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Vanessa Holden of the University of Kentucky to discuss how...
The Steam Tunnel Incident and the D&D Panic (1979)
August 17, 2023 08:30 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBIt’s August 17th. This day in 1979, a young college student by the name of James Dallas Egber III disappeared into a steam tunnel below his university, intending to commit suicide. But the story of his disappearance became a media - and moral - panic because of his affinity for the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what we know and don’t know about Egber’s troubled life, and why the D&D narrative was so pervasive. Sign up for our newslett...
The Smithsonian, Great Idea (1846)
August 15, 2023 08:30 - 21 minutes - 20 MBIt’s August 15th. This day (actually Aug 10th) in 1846, President Polk signed into law a bill establishing the Smithsonian Institution, after almost a decade of squabbling about how the United States would use the money donated to it by Englishman James Smithson. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss the various ways in which the Smithsonian money could have been spent, why it was used the way it was — and whether the currrent institution honors Smithson’s original vision. Sign up for ou...
"Macaca" (2006) w/ Peter Hamby [[Archive Episode]]
August 13, 2023 08:30 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s August 10th. This day in 2006, Virginia Senator George Allen is caught on tape referring to S.R. Sidarth, a young man filming his event, as “macaca.” This video became an early viral moment and helped lead to Allen’s defeat later that fall — showing how viral video could transform politics. Jody, Niki, and ...
Budd Trips Decker at the '84 Olympics (1984)
August 10, 2023 08:30 - 17 minutes - 16.5 MBIt’s August 10th. In 1984, at the LA Olympics, South African Zola Budd and American Mary Decker are facing off in the incredibly hyped-up 3000m final. But neither would finish, as Budd tripped Decker with just a couple laps to go. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why this was such a dramatic moment — not just on the track, but geopolitically. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This...
Clinton Finds Life On Mars (1996)
August 08, 2023 08:30 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MBIt’s August 8th. This day in 1996, President Bill Clinton gives a startling announcement about a rock — ALH84001 — that seems to indicate the presence of life on Mars. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the larger political and cultural context for why Clinton made this big announcement, and what we really know about the rock’s origins. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.com This Day In ...
The Roots of "Roots" (1976) [[Archive Episode]]
August 06, 2023 08:30 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s August 18th. This day in 1976, Alex Haley’s sprawling epic Roots hits the bookshelves. It quickly caused a sensation — and controversy. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss how Haley’s work came together, the enormous impact it had, and the mix of fact and fiction that somewhat clouded the work. Check out Recons...
Clean Up After Your Dog! (1978)
August 03, 2023 08:30 - 18 minutes - 17.5 MBIt’s August 3rd. This day in 1978, dog owners in NYC are dealing with a whole new reality — they are now responsible for cleaning up after their pet’s waste. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what life was like on NYC’s streets before the so-called “pooper scooper” law, and how these sorts of laws are more about shifting norms than actual enforcement. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Find out more at thisdaypod.c...
The Subway Vigilante (1984) w/ Leon Neyfakh
August 01, 2023 08:30 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBIt’s August 1st. This day in 1996, a judge ruled that Bernie Goetz still owed his victims millions of dollars in damages as a result of the “Subway Vigilante” incident some twelve years earlier. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Leon Neyfakh to discuss the subway shooting, the media frenzy surrounding Goetz, and the long legal fallout that resulted from the incident. Leon’s latest season of FIASCO on the vigilante story is available now on Audible and you can find information o...
The Irish-American Gun-Runners (1973) w/ Nate Lavey [[Archive Episode]]
July 30, 2023 11:32 - 32 minutes - 30 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s August 11th. This day in 1973, a group of Irish-Americans known as “The Fort Worth Five” are caught up in the court system, accused of running guns to Ireland to aid the independence movement. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Nate Lavey to discuss how regular Irish-Americans got involved in the freedom ...
Thunderation! The Speaker Demands Bean Soup (1904)
July 27, 2023 13:40 - 10 minutes - 9.87 MBIt’s July 27th. This day in 1904, Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon (IL) goes to the Capitol dining room expecting to have a nice hot cup of his favorite, bean soup, and is met with an unfortunate surprise. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss why Cannon was so upset at not being served bean soup, and why the Senate has featured it on the menu every single day since — except for one. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week....
The Plot To Blow Up Hell Gate Bridge (1942) w/ Rebecca Seidel
July 25, 2023 08:30 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MBIt’s July 24th. This day in 1942, a trial is wrapping up in New York City centered on a Nazi plot to target a number of significant US economic sites, from factories to dams and bridges. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by podcast producer Rebecca Seidel to discuss what came to be known as Operation Pastorius. Be sure to check out Becca’s latest podcast series — Abridged! Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuff we recommended later this week. Fi...
The Beer Summit (2009) [[Archive Episode]]
July 23, 2023 08:30 - 19 minutes - 18.3 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s July 25th. This day (July 24th in fact) in 2009, President Obama extended an invitation to Henry Louis Gates, Jr and Sgt James Crowley to discuss an incident in which Crowley arrested Gates on his own doorstep. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the incident that sparked this attempt at reconciliation, and how ...
The Szilard Anti-Nuke Petition (1945)
July 20, 2023 17:23 - 15 minutes - 14.7 MBIt’s July 20th. This day in 1945, a petition signed by 70 scientists working on the development of nuclear weapons is circulating in Washington — a petition arguing against the plans to drop weapons on Japan. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss the Szilard Petition, how it reflected the deep moral wrestling taking place among the scientific community, and why it ultimately did not make it to President Truman’s desk. Sign up for our newsletter! We’ll be sending out links to all the stuf...
The Ft Ontario Holocaust Refugees (1944) w/ Sarah Botstein
July 18, 2023 13:55 - 22 minutes - 20.4 MBIt’s July 18th. This day in 1944, a group of almost one thousand refugees are headed to the United States, where they would eventually be housed at Ft Ontario, in New York. This was the only large group of Holocaust refugees permitted to enter the United States during World War II. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by filmmaker Sarah Botstein to discuss the Ft Ontario group and how the US thought about refugees in this era. Sarah was a co-director and producer, alongside Ken Burns...
The Lost Robert E. Lee Oath Theory (1975) w/ John Reeves [[Archive Episode]]
July 16, 2023 08:30 - 23 minutes - 22 MBOn Sundays this summer, we’re bringing you some of our favorite episodes from the archives. We’ll continue to do new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Happy summer! /// It’s July 22nd. This day in 1975, Congress voted to restore citizenship to Robert E. Lee, more than a hundred years after his death. Jody, NIki, and Kellie are joined by author John Reeves to talk about why this vote took place, how it tied into a false theory about a missing citizenship oath, and what the myth ...
Hubert Humphrey Takes Center Stage (1948) w/ Samuel G Freedman
July 13, 2023 08:30 - 25 minutes - 23.6 MBIt’s July 13th. Only July 14th, 1948, at the Democratic National Convention, a young Hubert Humphrey took the stage and implored his party to embrace the cause of civil rights. Jody, Niki, and Kellie are joined by Samuel G Freedman of Columbia University to discuss why Humphrey’s speech sent such a shockwave through the party — and ultimately convinced it to adopt a pro-civil rights plank heading into that election. Freedman’s new book about Humphrey is called Into The Bright Suns...