Government & Politics

Frank Saunders worked as the chauffeur for Joseph and Rose Kennedy from 1961 until after Joseph Kennedy's death. He lived in a cottage on their Hyannisport estate, and performed many duties for them beyond his title. He's written a book about his time with the Kennedys, "Torn Lace Curtain."

Civil liberties lawyer Alan Dershowitz is known as a defender of free speech and an advocate for the right to a passionate defense. Dershowitz has defended many controversial figures and is currently involved in the Claus von Bulow and Jack Henry Abbott cases. He has been a professor at Harvard Law School since the age of twenty-eight. His new book is "The Best Defense."

Jules Feiffer is a cartoonist known for satirizing the middle class, politicians, and sexual attitudes in his comic strip "Feiffer.". He began his career at The Village Voice and is now syndicated nationally. Feiffer has also written several screenplays, including "Little Murders." A new collection of his work "Jules Feiffer's America: From Eisenhower to Reagan."

Eldridge Cleaver was active in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and early 1970s. He fled the country after his involvement in a shootout with Oakland Police and returned in 1975. Cleaver served 9 months in jail before being released, and he finishes his last day of parole today. He joins the show to discuss what has happened since his return, including his political involvement (which has become more conservative) and return to Christianity.

Paul Zimmerman is the screenwriter of the upcoming film "The King of Comedy," directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert DeNiro and Jerry Lee Lewis. Zimmerman was previously the movies editor for Newsweek and has written several books. ZImmerman is based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and has become active in the Bucks Alliance for Nuclear Disarmament (B.A.N.D.). The group has invited Helen Caldicott of Physicians for Social Responsibility to speak at a local event.

Hans Bethe won the 1967 Nobel Prize for Physics for determining the nuclear processes that power the sun and stars. Bethe was also involved in the creation of the atom and hydrogen bombs at the Los Alamos project during World War II. Bethe is now an activist for a nuclear freeze, and co-authored a New York Times op-ed on the topic. He joins the show to discuss the development and future of nuclear arms.

Juan Gonzalez has just returned to the Philadelphia Daily News after taking a year's leave to found and serve as the first president of the National Congress of Puerto Rican Rights. Enrique Arroyo is the director of the Puerto Rican Congress of New Jersey. They join the show to discuss Latino issues in the Delaware Valley.

Gail Pressberg is the director of the Middle East desk of the American Friends Service Committee. The AFSC is a peace organization that conducts studies and promotes communications between feuding parties. Pressberg is the co-author of the AFSC report "A Compassionate Peace: A Future for the Middle East." Pressberg joins the show to discuss the current war in Lebanon, the background of Arab-Israeli relations, and the recent history of the Palestinian people. Pressberg will also respond to listener calls. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)

New York Times architecture critic Paul Goldberger uses the history of the skyscraper to frame a conversation about urban planning, gentrification, and the shifting balance between public and private financing of development in American cities.

Matthew Lesko specializes in helping individuals and businesses find specialized information and financial assistance programs from the government. He contributes to the NPR program Morning Edition and writes a column for Good Housekeeping.

Because of her anti-racist actions against the South African government, Adelaide Tambo left her home country and now lives in England with her husband. She believes it is crucial to fight racism in local communities across the world, particularly for the sake of black women, who face particularly severe oppression.

Covert Action, a report by Danny Miller, begins with an interview with Kenneth Lawrence, a regular contributor to the Covert Action Information Bulletin, a magazine published around five times a year in Washington, D. C., which covers the actions of the C. I. A. The publication is known for its "Naming Names" feature which reveals the name of C. I. A. agents. Covert Action claims that the information in the column is unclassified or of agents who are no longer working. However, they have suspended the column due to pending legislation.

Covert Action, a report by Danny Miller, continues with an interview with Stephen Rosenfeld, an editorial writer for the Washington Post. He joins the show to offer another perspective on the situation, and gives his opinion on both the actions of the Covert Action Information Bulletin and the legislation proposed to end them, the Intelligence Identities Protection Act. (INTERVIEW BY DANNY MILLER)

Randy Shilts has a new biography about Harvey Milk, the openly-gay mayor of San Francisco who was assassinated at the age of 48. Shilts details Milk's coming out later in life and his adroitness as a unity-building politician.

British-born economist Hazel Henderson sees an economy based on renewable energy and environmentally-sound industry as the best path forward for the United States. She argues that tax cuts and subsidies associated with Reaganomics are hindering such efforts.

The editor of The Nation has a new book about the blacklisting of Hollywood actors during the McCarthy era. He talks about how the issue of nuclear proliferation is affecting the political right and left, and the difficulties journalists face when navigating copyright issues.

Connie Francis took a seven-year hiatus from singing after surviving a rape, dealing with the murder of her brother, and battling several health problems. After so many tragedies, she feels like her old self again, and has begun performing once more.

Dr. Jane Hodgson, an abortion rights activist, and Dr. Ed Sullivan, a practicing obstetrician in Media, Pennsylvania, join Fresh Air to discuss their opposing views on abortion. Listeners call in with their questions and comments.

Lawrence Weschler examines Poland's labor movement in his new book, Solidarity. He reflects on how the Solidarity organization's actions call into question the virtues of Western capitalism.