To advance his war against Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has politicized and weaponized homophobia using harassment, humiliation, sexual violence against gay POWs. Journalist J. Lester Feder writes about these abuses and severe campaigns against the LGBTQ community and civil society.

One of the most significant and traumatic developments in New York City's history was the fiscal crisis that erupted in the mid-1970's, and made unforgettable - by the Daily News' headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead." Co-directors of a documentary of the era, Peter Yost and Michael Rohatyn, discusses the crisis leading to the nation's movement away …

"Veselka" rainbow in Ukrainian is the name of a beloved restaurant in New York's East Village. Opened in 1954, as a newsstand, its current owners, Tom and his son Jason Birchard, tell us how Veselka evolved into a cornerstone of its community and, has now become a beacon of hope for staff and customers tragically affected by the war.…

Scott Richman, ADL's Regional Director, discusses the dramatic surge of antisemitism. especially in New York and in New Jersey, following horrific events in Israel, including unprovoked physical attacks and killings at religious institutions, students threatened, bomb scares, and at public demonstrations - hateful anti-Jewish rhetoric. Richman says…

Politics! weird politics, a fractured political process, the concern that committed voters may be reconsidering their crucial vote in 2024, court's "chipping away" at the Voting Rights Act effecting civil liberties and American democracy - are issues discussed with Fordham University Professor and Moynihan Public Scholar at City College, Christina …

"Into the Bright Sunshine," Samuel Freedman's cultural biography of Hubert Humphrey, a "ruthless foe of anti-semitism and champion of civil rights," reminds us of lynchings, racism, segregation and more that existed in this country prior to the 1964 Civil Rights Act and of one of the "true acts of courage in American politics..." Humphrey's speech …

Barry LePatner commends research, advances in science, medicine, technology that allow 80 year olds to be the NEW 60's and in the United States - almost 90,000 centenarians to celebrate their birthdays. Mr. LePatner highlights the need for exercise and for social relationships - friends, family - to enjoy our "golden" years.…

Jeffrey Toobin discusses Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who in 1995 bombed the Murrah Federal Building, in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children. Toobin sites historic events: the government’s assault on Waco, racism, the Assault Weapons Ban as dynamics leading to the heinous crime. Linking the 90’s right-wing ideology to tod…

In Part 2, Bob Herbert and guest, Dave Zirin, author of “Jim Brown: Last Man Standing,” sports editor of The Nation, and podcast host focus on Jim Brown’s incredible nine-year career as a fullback with the Cleveland Browns, his long, remarkable career after football and his sometimes troubled life.

Many agree that Jim Brown was one of the greatest players to ever step onto a field. A lacrosse hall of famer, a star in numerous sports, the reality behind this legendary hero is complicated. In this two-part conversation, Bob Herbert and author, sports editor Dave Zirin, explore the extraordinary life and career of Jim Brown.…

Reviewing events: January 7, "hang Pence," book burning, mass shootings, white supremacy, Eric Alterman, distinguished professor of English and Journalism at Brooklyn College, and Bob Herbert comment that we're living in a "new" country, with a radical and sometimes fascist major party. Naming forms of fascism in recent history, Alterman comments t…

Miles Rapoport, co-author with E.J. Dionne of "100% Democracy: The Case for Universal Voting" discusses compulsory voting in Australia where 91.9% of the electorate voted in 2019 compared with the 60.1% turn out in America's presidential election in 2016. Bob Herbert asks - is compulsory voting possible in the U.S. and would it be good for America?…

Sam Roberts writes, "people profiled in this book are among the most remarkable and noteworthy New Yorkers you've every heard of." Except, you may never have heard about them except in his book "The New Yorkers." Consider Andrew H. Green, the Father of Greater New York, who, consolidating the five boroughs, created greater New York, or, Philip A Pa…

In her compelling new book, Linda Villarosa notes "African Americans live sicker and die quicker" than other Americans. Educator, journalist and author of "Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation," weaves the lives of real people - among them - the Relf sisters, and the medical profession's policy…

Bob delves into the motives behind most mass shootings in this country, and the work that is being done to prevent such violence, with guest David M. Kennedy, one of America’s most knowledgeable experts on crime and violence, and violence prevention. He’s a professor of criminal justice at CUNY's John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the directo…

We are now learning that one of the longest-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is its impact on education. The latest results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, known as the nation’s report card, showed that math scores for fourth and eighth graders plunged, and reading scores weren’t much better. Gail Buffalo, an assistant p…

The Anti-Defamation League began tracking reports of harassment, vandalism and violence against Jews in 1979. The number of reports last year were the highest on record. Joining Bob to talk about all of this, and what can be done about, it is Scott Richman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of New York and New Jersey.…

Americans spend more money on lottery tickets every year than they spend on streaming services, concert tickets, books and movie tickets combined. But what’s the truth about lotteries? Are the odds of winning a Powerball or Mega-Millions jackpot so big that you have basically no chance at all? Do the lotteries raise the huge sums for education or o…

It’s no secret that abortion rights are under attack across America. Bob talks about this crisis, and what can be done about it, with guest Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, the executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Network at the NYU School of Law.

“Fiscal crisis” is a term that can send chills through New Yorkers' spines. As the city faces some enormous economic challenges, Bob talks about them, and what the city can do about them, with guest James Parrott, the director of economic and fiscal policies at the New School’s Center for New York City Affairs.…

After a period of relative prosperity, declining crime, and a real boost in the city’s spirits, New York is once again struggling. The mayor during most of that prior, more or less benign, period was Michael Bloomberg. Bob takes a look back at his administration – the highs, the lows and the in-betweens – with Lynne Weikart, a retired associate pro…

Bob talks with Richard Aborn, a lawyer, and the president of the Citizens Crime Commission of New York City. The discussion centers on how a recent Supreme Court ruling, which struck down part of New York’s 109-year-old concealed carry law, is forcing some big changes in NYC, and what that will mean for the safety of the everyday New Yorker.…

Bob is joined once again by veteran sports chronicler, Kostya Kennedy, for part two of their discussion about Kennedy's book “TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson.” They pick up the story in the mid-1950s, when the lights are already dimming on Robinson’s amazing career.

Award-winning sports chronicler, Kostya Kennedy, joins Bob Herbert to discuss his new book “TRUE: The Four Seasons of Jackie Robinson." TRUE touches on four transformative years of the baseball great and civil rights trailblazer's life. In part 1 of this two part interview, we learn about Jackie Robinson's time playing for the Montreal Royals, a fa…

What kind of democracy, or more accurately, a democratic republic, are we living in when presidents get elected without winning the popular vote, or when voters favor stronger gun control measures, easier access to legal abortions, and a higher minimum wage, but they have been unable to achieve these measures no matter how often they go to the poll…

With gun violence in America only going up during the pandemic, more than fifteen hundred boys and girls below the age of 18 were killed in homicides, suicides and accidental shootings in 2021. Bob talks with guest Erica Atwood, senior director of Philadelphia’s Office of Policy and Strategic Initiatives for Criminal Justice and Public Safety, abou…

Bob talks with David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine editor-at-large, about his recent cover story, "The Guilty and the Damned." The piece explains how the countries least responsible for climate change are being impacted the most.

Bob talks about the good, the bad, and the troubles he’s seen over his half century in the news business with an old friend and colleague – Sam Roberts – once the city editor of the Daily News, where Bob spent 17 years, and now the urban affairs correspondent at The New York Times, where Bob spent 18 years. Sam is also the host of The New York Time…

If ever a problem seemed intractable, it’s homelessness. After many decades of trying to find solutions, there are still tens of thousands of homeless men, women and children here in New York City. But there are also many dedicated people who work day and night to bring shelter and badly-needed services to many thousands of homeless people who othe…

Critical race theory, a respected intellectual framework that has been around since the 1970s and is taught mostly in law schools, is freaking out a lot of people. Bob tries to bring some clarity and honesty to this situation by speaking with Vincent Southerland, an assistant professor of clinical law at the NYU School of Law, and the co-editor of …

Ads for websites like Draft Kings and FanDuel are seemingly everywhere. What does this inundation of gambling opportunities mean for the problem gambler? Are there ways to protect those who are vulnerable to this dangerous, sometimes heart-breaking addiction? Bob explores this subject with Ashley Owen, a team leader with the New York City Problem G…

Haiti can seem like a country that is cursed. It’s the poorest nation in our hemisphere and has long been beset by political instability, natural disasters, and stunning outbreaks of violence. Haitians fleeing their home country for one reason or another have contributed to a surge of migration into the United States, and that has created a politic…

The latest news on the climate front has been ominous indeed. In addition to wildfires, historic flooding and life-threatening heat waves here and in other parts of the world, recent scientific reports are pointing to worse catastrophes to come. Lives are being lost and colossal levels of destruction are already under way. What can we do to mitigat…

New York City experienced a crimewave in the 1970s, and again during the crack epidemic of the 1980s and early 90s. Now violent crime – specifically, homicide – is surging again. Why? And what do we need to do to avoid a repeat of the terrible, tragic days of the past? Bob asks this of his guest, Zachary W. Carter, a former U.S. attorney and former…

Over one hundred eminent scholars recently signed a statement of concern that asserts, clearly and unequivocally, that “our entire democracy is now at risk.” One of these scholars joins Bob to explain this threat to the future of our nation. He is Jacob Hacker, a political science professor at Yale University and co-author of the book “LET THEM EAT…

Believe it or not, there’s one area of national policy on which Democrats and Republicans seem to agree, and that’s voluntary national service programs. These are programs in which men and women of all ages, but often young people, engage in activities that provide an endless variety of benefits to local communities.…

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tragically disproportionate effect on America’s black communities, and yet, some members of the African-American and other communities of color, have been among those initially reluctant to take the vaccines that have been developed to combat the pandemic. Why is that? And what’s being done to reverse that reluctance…

The general, almost universal feeling now, is that it was a good thing when Jackie Robinson broke the Major League color barrier in 1947. However, there were unintended consequences, which have been mostly lost in the unforgiving haze of history. Bob talks about those consequences with guest Andrea Williams, author of the new book, “Baseball’s Lead…

Genetic testing kits for the ordinary consumer are becoming more and more popular. People love learning about their family histories and their ethnic and genetic makeup. But there’s a cautionary tale here, as well. A venture through the mysteries of your DNA can turn up lots of surprises, and some may not be welcome. Bob talks about the highs and l…

In a potentially historic move, the city of New York has created a Racial Justice Commission. It will examine the systemic race-based injustices and inequities embedded in the operations of city government, and it will recommend remedies. The commission’s chair, Jennifer Jones Austin, joins Bob to discuss this major undertaking.…

Bob talks with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel to the democracy program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, about the attempts that the Republican Party is making to undermine the voting rights of millions of Americans – and especially black Americans, and what can be done to stop them.…

Barry LePatner, a lawyer and nationally-recognized authority on real estate and construction, joins Bob to discuss New York City’s path forward. How will the transportation and commercial real estate sectors fare?

As we emerge, hopefully, from this COVID-19 pandemic, New York is heading straight into a housing crisis. At some point the moratoriums on evictions and foreclosures will be lifted, and an awful lot of New Yorkers will not have the money to pay their back rent, or their mortgage arrears. What will this mean – not just for tenants, homeowners and la…

Bob talks with Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a woman who has worn many hats - consultant, writer, politician – you name it. She was the wife of the extraordinary congressman, Elijah Cummings, who died in October of 2019. The two discuss Rep. Cummings’s book, “We’re Better Than This: My Fight for the Future of Our Democracy,” which was released pos…

Bob Herbert talks with former Governor of New York, David A. Paterson, about his moving and very funny memoir, “Black, Blind, & In Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity."

Former New York Governor David Paterson joins Bob to discuss the life and legacy of David Dinkins, New York City's first black mayor, and member of the incredibly influential "Gang of 4."

The United States has just been through a traumatic presidential election, but dangerous threats to our system of elections – and thus to democracy itself – preceded the outlandish behavior of Donald Trump, and they are still abound. Bob talks about this with guest Eliza Sweren-Becker, counsel for the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Jus…

After two tumultuous presidential elections, public opinion pollsters have been left battered and bruised. So what did the polls get right? And what did they get wrong? Bob talks about this with an old friend and one of the best pollsters in the country, Dr. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, conventional wisdom says New Yorkers are abandoning the city in droves, setting up households in the suburbs, upstate, in the Hamptons – anywhere but here. Is that true? And if it’s true, is it permanent? And if it’s permanent, what are the implications? Bob asks these questions of his guest, Jason Haber, a writer …

Bob is joined by sports writer Dave Zirin, whose work brings extraordinary insight, and a deep understanding of the ways in which sports are linked to culture, politics and the economy. The two discuss how the politicalization of professional sports has evolved, and the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on both the youth and professional sports worlds. Da…