In 1981, Fernando Valenzuela became a starting pitcher for the L.A. Dodgers. As Nick Roman tells us, he went on to have a terrific career - and a huge effect on the city and the ballclub as well.

It's Turkey Day! But have you ever tried Peiking Duck?  Or brisket? If you'd prefer the usual turkey & fixin's, here's chef Joy Stocke and Don and John with some delicious holiday recipes!

We've received word that Mykhaylo, an American Special Forces medic working in Ukraine, a friend who talked with us several times on the podcast, died this month in an auto accident in Kiev.

JFK Jr running HHS? Matt Gaetz as AG? Political columnist Dick Polman breaks down how Trump won the election -- and how Harris lost it -- but, more importantly, what we can expect for the next four years.

What do you do when someone says, "I don't care what your facts are, I believe what I believe." Or any one of a thousand variations of that. Journalist and professor Bob Jensen has some ideas.

First and foremost, get out today and vote! Here's a little something to listen to while you're in line to vote: John, Don, and political commentator Dick Polman reflecting on the presidential candidates.

Planning a Halloween get-together?  Chef Joy Stocke says you can knock 'em dead by burying them with birria, slaying them with souffles, and bloodying them with brownies! All the recipes are right here! Bone appetit!

From October 25, 2022, comes folklorist Cory Hutcheson to tell us about the witches that live among us today! (To be fully prepared, grab a bottle of Pine Sol and head for the crossroads!) 

Remember "piling into a car?" Remember "soccer moms" driving minivans? Remember when every other car wasn't a black SUV shaped like a shoe? Writer Ian Bogost talks about the latest changes in cars, and attitudes.

Once again, here's three guys talking baseball.  Nick Roman's Dodgers are in the playoffs, as are John's and Don's Phillies, and they're happy. But there are a lot of other dangerous teams in the mix as well!

Fran Metzman writes about the Cha-Cha Babes, "boomer" women who have found freedom later in life. They find that freedom can be fun, but can also lead to dangerous situations.

The atomic bomb was developed in secret. That's the backdrop for Galina Vromen's novel Hill of Secrets, where she explores what secrets might have been kept by the families living in the shadow of the bomb.

Living with a guide dog requires trust, courage, and love - things we could all use a bit more of in our own lives. Mike and Keri's book shows this by using Mike's dogs as examples.

Mike Hingson survived the terrorist attack on World Trade Center Tower 1 on September 11, 2001. We're presenting his story again as a reminder and tribute, to Mike and to those who lost their lives that day.

Bill Trousdale's back with a look at the Pennsylvania talent that gave birth to rock 'n' roll! Names you've heard of, like Bill Haley, and names you probably haven't, like Sister Rosetta Tharp.

We talk again with Mykhaylo, an American now living mostly in Ukraine, who is in the U.S. collecting medical supplies to take back to the battlefield. You can help by donating to https://houseofukraine.org/tactical-rescue-medicine-and-hypothermia-equipment/

Katherine returns to the podcast to talk about her latest Nutcrackers book, Dead Handed. Annie Hunter's grandfather is dying, so she heads to New England to face family secrets, a haunted village and possible suicides.

To mark Henry Mancini's 100th birthday, music expert JonBurlingame takes us back to where the composer's prolific career really took off - the 1960s TV show Peter Gunn.

As a child, George Lee studied ballet with Russian tutors in Shanghai. As a teenager, he danced in The Nutcracker and Flower Drum Song in New York. Filmmaker Jennifer Lin tells his story in Ten Times Better.

First, "Twister." Now, "Twisters." Movies about tornado chasers and scientists trying to understand tornadoes. How much do we know about tornadoes, and how accurate are the movies? The Weather Channel's Carl Parker explains.

Overnight, the 2024 presidential race has changed with the candidacy of Vice-President Kamala Harris. Political commentator Dick Polman sets up the field and the stakes in the three months left before the election.

Just three old friends - and baseball fans - sitting around talking about what they like and don't like about the 2024 season at the All-Star break. And about the best and worst baseball parks.

Bioethicist Art Caplan says there are a lot of health challenges at the Olympics, starting with swimming in the sewer that is the Seine River. Also, are we all ready for retirement?

Lee Upton, author of "Tabitha, Get Up!", talks about creating her comic novel about a biographer who takes on two clients and, through a series of misadventures, writes about neither one of them.

Music historian Bill Trousdale says the "Northern Soul" music played by regional bands in Central Pennsylvania in the 60s and 70s had a ripple effect on music trends across the country and around the world

French author Marcel Proust wrote only one novel in his career, In Search of Lost Time. This seven-volume tome is regarded by some - including Princeton professor emeritus Michael Wood - to be one of the best novels ever written.

He's a professer emeritus of English and comparative literature at Princeton. But Michael Wood is also a fan of the cinema, especially the films of Alfred Hitchcock, and that's because, with Hitch, truth can be elusive.

Another wild-weather summer is on tap, featuring hurricanes, tornadoes, extreme heat, and wildfires. Meteorologist Carl Parker of the Weather Channel says anything is possible - but it's also possible to tackle climate change in your own backyard.

What wine should you have with dinner? What wine's good for just relaxing at the end of the day? Eric Jorgensen of WineBusiness.com says wines aren't really confusing if you keep a few simple facts in mind.

In less than a month, MeTV Toons will premiere! Cartoon historian Jerry Beck is putting it all  together, and he talked exclusively on the Innertube about his plans to feature cartoons from all phases of animation history.

Chef and author Joy Stocke is back! John tells Joy how her Russian Potato Salad was the hit of a party! Joy reveals her recipe for home-made Rice-A-Roni! And everyone marvels at the versatility of pickle relish!

Our old pal Mat Kaplan of the Planetary Society has just returned from the 2024 Humans to Mars Summit, and he's happy to tell us exactly how close we are to colonizing the Red Planet. 

April 24th was International Guide Dog Day.  Our old pal Mike Hingson talks about his life with guide dogs, and about the special relationship a blind person has with his or her guide dog.

Facts are facts. But with social media, how can you tell fake news from real?  Christina Veiga says the News Literacy Project has the answer: give you the fact-finding skills of a true journalist.

Chef and author Joy Stocke speaks to us from her kitchen in New Jersey, telling stories about learning to cook at her grandmother's side, and how to use her favorite pantry items.

He's a filmmaker.  And he's a film fan.  Listen as Justin Timpane gives his take on how studios can make good films on decent budgets.

Baseball 2024 is underway! Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Nick Roman of KPCC Radio preview the season and make their predictions on winners, losers, and how gambling will affect the game.

Back in 1177 BC, civilization in the eastern Mediterranean collapsed. After a few decades, civilization in the area rose again. Eric Cline has books about both events - and one of them is a graphic novel!

Most of us are defined by our jobs: "and what do you do?" And it seems employers have always had the upper hand. Philosopher and economist Elizabeth Anderson says workers deserve better.

Mykhylo is an American who lives most of the year in Ukraine, training field medics in the war against Russia. We last talked with him in 2022. He's back with an update.

Film critic Sam Adams says 2023 was a banner year for film, and the 2024 Oscars will be proof! Sam talks good and bad about candidates for Best Picture, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actor, writing, music, documentaries and lots more.

Forward into the past!  Clay Routledge has studied nostalgia for years, and says our tendency to think about the "good old days" can actually help us deal with the present and look to the future.

Barcodes - the little stripes on everything you buy that make the register beep at the checkout counter. Ever wonder how they got there? Jordan Firth did, and his book reveals a weird and wonderful history.

In February 1965 there was a televised debate on "the American dream is at the expense of the American Negro." Author Nicholas Buccola tells why that debate still affects us today.

Have you checked out politics lately? We're definitely in the midst of strange political times. Thank goodness political columnist Dick Polman is here to help us sort things out.  As much as he can.....

Journalist and documentarian Jennifer Lin is premiering her latest film this week. "Ten Times Better" is the remarkable story of George Lee, a dancer the film describes as a "prodigy, refugee and pioneer."

Exploring the mind of a writer!  Poet and essayist Ross Gay talks about what inspires his writing, how he gets his ideas on paper, and how he shapes them into his poems and essays.

What's it like to be a contestant on a TV game show? Heather Zell won cash and a trip on Wheel of Fortune, and she's here to share behind-the-scenes stories about the show (and Pat and Vanna)!

How do we tackle the problem of immigration? John C. Austin, a fellow at the Brookings Institute, has co-authored a plan featuring logical, common-sense steps we can take to fix a broken system.