Audio Archive

Mother Jones Radio is a fun, fast, and substantive hour of reporting and commentary inspired by stories from Mother Jones magazine. Award-winning host Angie Coiro brings together reporters and experts with telling facts and insider insights, creating a potent mix super-charged with razor-sharp commentary and political humor from some of the best in the business.

Mother Jones Radio picks up where corporate news leaves off. Our reporters ask what others don't, say what others won't, and bring to Air America important stories you just won't hear anywhere else. At Mother Jones Radio, our listeners find out first.

Below, an archive of our past broadcasts.

Year-End Roundup with Robert Dreyfuss, James Ridgeway, Julia Whitty, and Others

Robert Dreyfuss, Mother Jones correspondent
P L U S :
David Enders, Middle East correspondent
Jim Ridgeway, Washington bureau chief
Julia Whitty, author and filmmaker
Will Durst, political satirist
Aired December 31, 2006

Why Do We Love to Hate Hillary?; The New Face of Al Jazeera; Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer

Jack Hitt, "This American Life" contributor
P L U S :
Eric Boehlert of Media Matters
Josh Rushing of Al Jazeera English
Brian Schweitzer, Montana governor
Chris Grumm of the Women's Funding Network
Aired December 24, 2006

Privatizing America's Highways; Bill McKibben on Greening Corporations; Afghanistan's Return to Warlordism

Sarah Chayes on Afghanistan
P L U S :
Bill McKibben on corporate environmental responsibility
Dan Schulman, Mother Jones reporter
Todd Spencer, trucker advocate
Hector Salgado, Pinochet torture victim
Aired December 17, 2006

James Cromwell on "King Leopold's Ghost"; Affirmative Action at the Supreme Court; New Defense Secretary

Mel Goodman on Robert Gates
P L U S :
Anurima Bhargava on the affirmative action trial
James Cromwell on acting in "King Leopold's Ghost"
Ali Selim on directing "Sweet Land"
Aired December 10, 2006

Global Warming and the Supreme Court; CNN's Lou Dobbs vs. CEOs; Innocent Man Convicted of Murder Goes Free

David Doniger on global warming
P L U S :
Sridhar Pappu on Lou Dobbs
Sara Shipley Hiles and Marina Walker Guevara on outsourcing pollution
Dennis Fritz on being freed by DNA
Aired December 3, 2006

Middle East Update; Conservativism's "Funding Father"; Pacifica Radio Archives

Stephen Zunes on Lebanon
P L U S :
Erin Meezan on eco-friendly carpet-maker Interface
Richard Viguerie on "Conservatives Betrayed"
Brian DeShazor on the Pacifica Radio Archives
Aired November 26, 2006

Is Europe "Breeding Bin Ladens?"; Class and the Military; Former Ambassador Swanee Hunt

Swanee Hunt, former ambassador
P L U S :
Brian Palmer on training U.S. soliders for Iraq
Zachary Shore on why Europe is breeding terrorists
Frank Schaeffer, "AWOL" author
Aired November 19, 2006

Paula Poundstone; Congressional Turnover; Global Warming "Tipping Points"

Julia Whitty on climate change
P L U S :
Peter Stone on Capitol Hill corruption
Nomi Prins, "Jacked" author
Paula Poundstone, comedian
Aired November 12, 2006

Midterm Elections; A New Threat to the U.S. in Iraq?; "Push Polls"

Robert Borosage Institute for America's Future president
P L U S :
Page Gardner of Women's Voices. Women Vote.
Robert Dreyfuss, Mother Jones contributor
Daniel Schulman, Mother Jones investigative fellow
Aired November 5, 2006

Iraq Report Card; Hacking Democracy; The War on The Middle Class

Brian Katulis on Iraq
P L U S :
Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org
Ion Sancho, Florida county elections supervisor
Thom Hartmann, "Screwed" author
Laura Rozen on Iranian exile Amir Abbas Fakhravar
Aired October 29, 2006

Michael Franti; Capitalism 3.0; Bush's "Unauthorized Autobiography"

Michael Franti, Spearhead frontman
P L U S :
Peter Barnes, "Capitalism 3.0" author
Sidney Blumenthal, "How Bush Rules" author
Peter Hilleren and Scott Dikkers, Bush biographers
Aired October 22, 2006

Can Hastert Survive as Speaker?; Barry Lynn on the Christian Right; Is Google Evil?

John Laesch, Dennis Hastert's Democratic opponent
P L U S :
Josh Harkinson on whether Hastert will resign
Barry Lynn, "Piety and Politics" author
Adam Penenberg on Google
Aired October 15, 2006

David Gergen on the Dems' Election Prospects; "Talking Right"; Golden Gate Bridge Suicides

David Gergen on the Democrats
P L U S :
James Rucker on secretaries of state
Geoffrey Nunberg on "Talking Right"
Eric Steel on his film "The Bridge"
Aired October 8, 2006

Gore Vidal; "Jesus Camp"; "The Best War Ever"

Gore Vidal on World Can't Wait
P L U S :
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady on "Jesus Camp"
John Stauber on "The Best War Ever"
Elizabeth Gettelman on student activism
Jacob Reitan on the Soulforce Equality Ride
Nathan Walker on student loans
Aired October 1, 2006

The Future of the Republican Party; Vets For Iraq Withdrawal

Joanne Mariner of Human Rights Watch
P L U S :
Tim Goodrich of Iraq Veterans for Peace
Dick Russell, Mother Jones contributor
Pete McClosky on the Republican party
Aired September 24, 2006

America in Afghanistan; "Republican War on Science"; Iran Conflict

Sonali Kolhatkar on Afghanistan
P L U S :
Fathali Moghaddam on Iran
Chris Mooney, "Republican War on Science" author
Alyssa Katz on real estate scams
Aired September 17, 2006

9/11 Anniversary; Military Contractors; A is for Afro

Matt Brzezinski, "Fortress America" author
P L U S :
Jason Mark, Union of Concerned Scientists
Nick Bicanic, "Shadow Company" director
Sara Catania, Mother Jones writer
Aired September 10, 2006

Timeline of Bush Lies; One Guantanamo Detainee's Story; Hurricane Katrina Update

Tim Dickinson and Jonathan Stein
P L U S :
McKenzie Funk on Guantanamo
Chris Kromm Institute for Southern Studies
Tracie Washington, Gulf Coast Advocacy Center
Aired September 3, 2006

Worst Places to Vote; Eco-Friendly Cars and Homes; Spanish-Language Radio Host Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo

Sasha Abramsky on America's 11 worst places to vote
P L U S :
Piolín, Univision radio host
Tom Hamburger, "One Party Country" author
Robert Plarr on sustainable homes
Mike Harrigan of Tesla Motors
Aired August 27, 2006

US-Mexico Border; New Editors; Middle East Update

James Ridgeway, Washington bureau chief
P L U S :
David Enders, Middle East correspondent
Charles Bowden on the US-Mexico border
Clara Jeffery and Monika Bauerlein, editors-in-chief
Aired August 20, 2006

Neocons and Iran; Ocean "Dead Zones"; Top 50 Progressive Songs

Joe Cirincione on Iran
P L U S :
Suellen Miller on third-world childbirth
Jane Lubchenco on ocean dead zones
Molly Moon Neitzel of Music for America
Geologic of hip hop group Blue Scholars
Aired August 13, 2006

Lebanon Update; Faulty Iran Intelligence; Emergency Contraception

Dahr Jamail on Lebanon
P L U S :
Laura Rozen on Iran
Ross Gelbspan on global warming
Ann Friedman on Plan B
Aired August 6, 2006

John Dean; "Back-Door" Tax Cuts for the Rich; Should Everyone Have the Right to Have Kids?

John Dean, "Conservatives Without Conscience"
P L U S :
David Cay Johnston on the IRS auditor layoffs
Elizabeth Weil on who has the right to kids
Andrew Beaujon on Christian rock
Robert Dreyfuss on Israel [Web extra!]
Aired July 30, 2006

George Lakoff; the FAA's Relaxed Safety Regulations; "Who Killed the Electric Car?"

George Lakoff, "Whose Freedom?" author
P L U S :
Harlan Ullman on the Middle East
Frank Koughan on the FAA's relaxed rules
Chris Paine, "Electric Car" filmmaker
Aired July 23, 2006

Guantanamo Ruling; Gary Hart on God; "The Motherhood Manifesto"

Joseph Margulies, attorney for Guantanamo detainees
P L U S :
Gary Hart, former U.S. senator
John de Graaf, "Motherhood Manifesto" director
Joan Blades, "Motherhood Manifesto" author
Jacques Leslie on anti-dam activism
Aired July 16, 2006

Soliders Against the Iraq War; America's "Embryo Glut"; Grover Norquist Meets the Liberal Media

Peter Laufer, "Mission Rejected" author
P L U S :
James Ridgeway, Washington bureau chief
Liza Mundy on the "embryo glut"
Robert Fuller on "rankism"
Aired July 9, 2006

Bush and Iran; Electronic Voting Fraud; Net Neutrality

Robert Dreyfuss on Iran
P L U S :
Tim Dickinson on Bush and gay marriage
Josh Silver on net neutrality
Elizabeth Grossman, "High-Tech Trash" author
Bev Harris of BlackBoxVoting.org
Aired July 2, 2006

Rep. John Conyers, "The War Tapes"; "Hotel Rwanda" Subject's New Book

John Conyers, congressman
P L U S :
Paul Rusesabagina of "Hotel Rwanda" fame
Deborah Scranton, "War Tapes" director
Zack Bazzi, "War Tapes" filmmaker
Gary Younge, "Stranger..." author
Aired June 25, 2006

Live from the Take Back America Conference

Gloria Totten of Progressive Majority
P L U S :
Ellen Miller of the Sunlight Foundation
Beth Shulman, "Betrayal of Work" author
Tamara Draut of Demos
Rudy Lopez of Wellstone Action
Aired June 18, 2006

Is New Orleans Ready for the Next Hurricane?; Greg Palast; Kids in Mexican Border Jails

Sue Sturgis, Institute for Southern Studies
P L U S :
Greg Palast, "Armed Madhouse" author
Ben Barnes, Texas Democrat
Penny De Los Santos, photojournalist
Aired June 11, 2006

Blogs and Politics; "How Would a Patriot Act?"

Jay Rosen of PressThink.org
P L U S :
Ned Lamont, Senate candidate from Connecticut
Glenn Greenwald, "Patriot" author
Jane Hamsher of Firedoglake.com
Aired June 4, 2006

"Big Coal"; Juan Cole on the Middle East; Gold Mining in Alaska

Jeff Goodell, "Big Coal" author
P L U S :
James Ridgeway, Washington bureau chief
Ken Miller on Alaska's Pebble Mine
Juan Cole on the Middle East
Aired May 28, 2006

A Veteran's Critical Look at the War; Corporations' "Hostile Takeover" of the Government; "Medical Racism?"

Paul Reickhoff, Iraq war vet
P L U S :
Michael Newman, activist educator
David Sirota, "Hostile Takeover" author
Kai Wright on African American health
Aired May 21, 2006

Tracking Down Chile's Torturers; the Ethics of Food; Art vs. War

Hector Salgado on confronting his torturers
P L U S :
Merry Conway of Mouths Wide Open
Peter Singer, "The Way We Eat" author
Katy Mamen on sustainable food policies
Aired May 14, 2006

Jane Goodall; Michael Pollan on Eating Locally; Contractors in Iraq

Michael Pollan, "Omnivore's Dilemma" author
P L U S :
Joel Salatin, organic farmer
Jane Goodall
Gerald Schumacher on military contractors
Aired May 7, 2006

Rising Gas Prices; 200 Years of Human Rights; Chemical Weapons Disposal

Paul Roberts, "End of Oil" author
P L U S :
Craig Williams, weapons disposal activist
Adam Hochschild, "Bury the Chains" author
Deepak Bhargava of the Center for Community Change
Aired April 30, 2006

"American Theocracy"; Rumsfeld and Guantanamo; Yahoo! vs. Democracy

Kevin Phillips, "American Theocracy" author
P L U S :
Nick Cron-De Vico, "Report It Now" winner
Michael Scherer on Rumsfeld
Lucie Morillon on Yahoo.com and China
Aired April 23, 2006

A Nuclear Iran?; Sectarian Violence in Iraq; "Pirate" Fishing in Africa

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran's deposed shah
P L U S :
Marcy Winograd, anti-war Congressional candidate
Sara Holden of Greenpeace on illegal fishing
David Enders, Middle East correspondent
Aired April 16, 2006

Daily Kos; Immigration; Do Liberals Dominate Higher Ed?

Markos Moulitasa Zuniga, of Daily Kos
P L U S :
David Horowitz, "The Professors" author
Mark LeVine, dangerous professor
Peter Laufer, "Wetback Nation" author
Mark Manning, filmmaker, on Fallujah
Aired April 9, 2006

Hurricane Katrina Recovery: Stories of Hope

Malik Rahim, health clinic founder
P L U S :
Tim Shorrock , Mother Jones writer
Connie Moran, mayor of Ocean Springs, MS
Chris Kromm of Institute for Southern Studies
Stephen Bradberry of New Orleans ACORN
Aired April 2, 2006

Iran; Did Pro-Choicers Save America?; Intellectual Property; Sex Trafficking

Robert Dreyfuss, investigative journalist
P L U S :
Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones editor
Christina Page, author
Scott Carrier on sex trafficking
Aired March 26, 2006

Iraq Update; Consumer's Fish Guide; Stopping the Next Jack Abramoff

David Enders, Iraq correspondent
P L U S :
Chellie Pingree, Common Cause president
Zeke Grader, commercial fishermen's advocate
Paul Johnson, California fishmonger
Aired March 19, 2006

Special Oceans Coverage; FBI Whistleblower Runs for Congress; How to Be "Cosmopolitan"

Kwame Anthony Appiah, author of "Cosmopolitanism"
P L U S :
Coleen Rowley, FBI whistleblower
"Ocean Champions" David Wilmot and Jack Sterne
Bruce Franklin on the threatened Menhaden fish
Aired March 12, 2006

Port Security: Separating the Safety Issues from the Spin

Matthew Brzezinski, author of "Fortress America"
P L U S :
James Galbraith, Mother Jones columnist
Marla Cone, LA Times environmental writer
Jonathan Stein, Mother Jones senior fellow
Aired March 5, 2006

Last Days of the Ocean

Julia Whitty on the fate of the oceans
P L U S :
Paul Hackett on dropping his Senate campaign
Jack Fairweather on Chalabi's fake general
Aired February 26, 2006

The Roots of the Conflict Over the Danish Mohammed Cartoons

Leena El-Ali of Search for Common Ground
P L U S :
Nick Turse of TomDispatch.com
Gene Sperling, "Pro-Growth Progressive" author
Andrew Borene on Iraq war vet politicians
Aired February 19, 2006

A Diplomatic Solution to Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

David Albright, former UN weapons inspector
P L U S :
Lawrence Korb on the Pentagon's long-term plan
Linda Marsa on sleeping pill ads
Gar Aperovitz on why "another world is possible"
Aired February 12, 2006

How Will Hamas' Election Affect the Middle East?

Robert Dreyfuss and Mark LeVine
P L U S :
Terry O'Connor on New Orelans
Shaheen Chughtai on Pakistan
Kristin Henderson on military families
Aired February 5, 2006

Molly Ivins Challenges the Democratic Party to Find its Spine

Molly Ivins, syndicated columnist
P L U S :
Joe Cirincione, non-proliferation expert
Jonathan Turley on the NSA's wiretaps
Roger Hickey on Tom DeLay
Aired January 29, 2006

An "Economic Hit Man" Speaks Out

John Perkins, "economic hit man"
P L U S :
Ernie Chambers, future former legislator
Russ Rymer, Mother Jones editor
David Lat, new Wonkette.com co-editor
Aired January 22, 2006

Rising Violence in Iraq; the Progressive Islamic Movement in America

David Enders, Iraq correspondent
P L U S :
Asra Nomani, author of “Standing Alone in Mecca”
Souleiman Ghali, Islamic Society of San Francisco president
Aired January 15, 2006

Bush's "Warrantless Wiretaps": Why Did the Times Delay the Story's Publication?

David Brock of Media Matters
P L U S :
Robert Dreyfuss on anti-war Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)
Aired January 8, 2006

Mother Jones Radio's "Best of 2005"

Helen Thomas, "first lady of the press"
P L U S :
Chris Mooney on global warming
David Graham, FDA whistleblower
John Sugg on Christian reconstructionism
Aired January 1, 2006

A Mother Jones Christmas

Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping
P L U S :
Will Durst, political satirist
Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones editor
Lori Lipman Brown of the Secular Coalition for America
Betsy Taylor of Center for a New American Dream
Aired December 25, 2005

A Nation Under God: Did the Founders Want a Christian Nation?

Susan Jacoby on God and the Constitution
P L U S :
Sara Catania, on Catholics and the death penalty
Mark Reamer, North Carolina pastor
Stephen Dear, director of People of Faith Against the Death Penalty
Aired December 18, 2005

The Republican War on Science

Chris Mooney, author of "The Republican War on Science"
P L U S :
Diane Wilson, author of "An Unreasonable Woman"
Aired December 11, 2005

New Ways to Keep Big Bucks out of Politics

Nick Nyhart, director of Public Campaign
P L U S :
John Sugg on Christian Reconstructionism
Aired December 4, 2005

Iraq Update: The U.S. Military's Use of Chemical Weapons

David Enders, journalist
P L U S :
Robert Greenwald, filmmaker, on Wal-Mart
Leo Hindery, "It Takes a CEO" author
Aired November 27, 2005

Paul Hackett Fires Back

Paul Hackett, Ohio Democratic candidate for Senate
P L U S :
Mark Levine on the Paris riots
Vikram Amar on a federal privacy amendment
Aired November 20, 2005

Torture: Where Does the U.S. Government Stand?

Mel Goodman, former CIA analyst
P L U S :
Pierce O'Donnell, attorney
Emily Bazelon, Slate senior editor
Juan Méndez, UN genocide prevention adviser
Aired November 13, 2005

The Lie Factory: How Bush Fabricated the Case for War

Journalist Robert Dreyfuss
P L U S :
Author Mike Davis
Aired November 6, 2005

America's Least Wanted: Does the Government Want the Poor Back in New Orleans?

Sam Butler, New Orelans bishop
P L U S :
Roger Hickey of the Campaign for America's Future
Gary Greenberg, journalist
William Notcutt, medical marijuana researcher
Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project
Aired October 30, 2005

The Watched: How Electronic Surveillance Affects You

Lee Tein of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
P L U S :
Clara Jeffery, Mother Jones deputy editor
Holly Morris, "Adventure Divas" author
Jack Hitt on the "Diddly Awards"
Aired October 23, 2005

Flight Risk: Whistleblowers Say Boeing Jets are Unsafe

Sheila Kaplan, investigative editor
P L U S :
Paul Hackett, Iraq vet and Senate candidate
David Goodman on Hackett's campaign
Aired October 16, 2005

Justice DeLayed: Tom DeLay Finally Gets Nailed

Lou Dubose, author of "The Hammer"
P L U S :
Price Cobbs, author of "My American Life"
Aired October 9, 2005

A Few Bad Apples? Detainee Abuse in Iraq

Mark Garlasco of Human Rights Watch
P L U S :
Michael Kazin, Mother Jones contributor
Jamin Raskin, Supreme Court expert
Aired October 2, 2005

Guilty Man: A Priest Fights the Death Penalty, and His Own Demons

Bill Wiseman, Episcopal priest
P L U S :
Vince Beiser on the death penalty
Barry Yeoman on Jack Abramoff
Aired September 25, 2005

Helen Thomas on the Press; Student Leaders on Campus Activism

Helen Thomas, Hearst Newspapers columnist
P L U S :
Dave Gilson, Mother Jones' research editor
Student leaders from around the country
Aired September 18, 2005

Katrina's Lessons: How the Disaster Shook Up the Media and Political Establishments

Judd Legum of The Progress Report
P L U S :
Robert Jensen, author of "The Heart of Whiteness"
Robert Borosage of the Institute for America's Future
JoAnn Wypijewski, Mother Jones writer
Jim Murphy, veteran and high school administrator
Aired September 11, 2005

Hurricane Katrina: Why Was the Impact So Huge?

William Bunch on defunded anti-flooding projects
P L U S :
Mike Dunne on Louisiana's vulnerability to hurricanes
Ginger Ferguson of Coalition for the Hungry and Homeless
Lainey Poche, Louisiana National Guard sergeant
Harvey Kaye on Thomas Paine
Aired September 4, 2005

Testing the Power of the Courts

Michael Elkin, who helped take on the largest gun manufacturers
P L U S :
Julia Whitty, author of "Accounting Coup"
Elouise Cobell, who is suing the government for $176 million
Aired August 28, 2005

Iraq's Missing Nuclear Scientists

Dr. Mahdi Obeidi, former nuclear scientist for Saddam
P L U S :
David Albright, former U.N. weapons inspector
Kurt Pitzer, journalist covering Iraq's missing scientists
Aired August 21, 2005

Soldiers and Families Protest the War

Barbara Lee, California congresswoman
P L U S :
David Enders, Iraq correspondent
Nancy Lessin of Military Families Speak Out
Paul Rieckhoff of Operation Truth
Aired August 14, 2005

The Right-Wing BS Machine

Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist
P L U S :
Laura Penny, author of “Your Call is Important to Us”
Mark Fiore, political cartoonist
Aired August 8, 2005

Ry Cooder's "Chavez Ravine"

Ry Cooder on his new album
P L U S :
Robyn Mazur, author of "What Makes a Domestic Violence Court Work"
John Leventhal of the Brooklyn Domestic Violence Court
Aired July 31, 2005

Money and the Law

Ralph Neas, president of People For the American Way
P L U S :
Michael Scherer, Washington correspondent
Jordan Fogal, Texas grandmother-turned activist
John Cobarruvias, consumer advocate
Aired July 24, 2005

London Bombings and the U.S. Minutemen

Peter Bergen, terrorism expert
P L U S :
Michael Scherer on the anti-immigration Minutemen
Chris Simcox, Minutemen leader
Aired July 17, 2005

Can the Law Stop Domestic Violence?

Sara Catania on Mother Jones' domestic violence pa