Christine Blasey Ford says the time leading up to her 2018 testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee – and its aftermath – is a lot like surfing, venturing out into unknown waters. Her new memoir, One Way Back, recounts her experience coming forward with an accusation that Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her in the 1980s. In today's episode, Blasey Ford speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about why she originally wanted to avoid being in the public spotlight, but why she felt it was her civic duty to inform the country about what she'd gone through.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Amanda Holmes reads Charles Simic’s “My Possessions.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.
Cutting across the state of Arizona is one of the wonders of the national world: The Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon draws attention not only for its overwhelming size and intricate and colorful landscape but also for the deep and exposed layers of Earth's history that are visible in its walls.
The history of the Grand Canyon is a fascinating combination of its geologic origins and its history of human use.
Learn more about the Grand Canyon, its origins, and its history with humans on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
2034, the first novel by Elliot Ackerman and Admiral James Stavridis, chronicled a nuclear conflict between China and the U.S. Now, their sequel 2054 takes a look at the country two decades later. The President is suddenly assassinated giving a speech, which sparks a flood of conspiracy theories, digitally-altered images and horrifying technological discoveries. In today's episode, the authors speak with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly about the relationship between technology and American institutions, and how destruction is sometimes an inevitable part of progress.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Jamie Bartlett travels to Minnesota to meet Abrham Meareg Amare.
The young academic is seeking asylum in the States following the murder of his father in Ethiopia in 2021.
In December 2022, Abrham became the lead complainant in a $2 billion lawsuit against Meta. Abrham believes that company is partly responsible for the death of his dad - a renowned chemistry professor - who was slandered and doxxed on Facebook, before being shot outside his home.
Abrham says he reported the posts multiple times but they were not taken down, until eight days after the killing.
Jamie meets the Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, who tells him that her decision to leak Meta's internal documents was driven by grave concerns about the way Meta operates in the Global South.
Producer: Caitlin Smith
Sound Design: Eloise Whitmore
Story Consultant: Kirsty Williams
Composer: Jeremy Warmsley
Senior Producer: Peter McManus
Commissioned by Dan Clarke for BBC Radio 4.
Archive: C:Span, October 2021
New episodes released on Mondays. If you’re in the UK, listen to the latest episodes of The Gatekeepers, first on BBC Sounds: bbc.in/3Ui661u
In 1860, the United States was as divided as it ever had been. The issue of slavery had been growing more and more contentious over the decades and by 1860, things were nearing a breaking point.
The presidential election of 1860 literally would determine the future of the country, or if there would continue to even be a country.
Learn more about the presidential election of 1860, the most important presidential election in American history, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.