Don and John speak with author John Timpane (in a dual role) about his new book, Poetry For Dummies. John also talks with poets Mark Danowsky, Lynn Levin and Ernest Hilbert about their contributions to the book and about the current state of poetry.

As we celebrate America's 250th birthday, the nation still finds itself sharply divided along political, racial and cultural lines. Dr. Catherine Meeks, who's spent a lifetime working on racial healing, talks about what it will take to make America whole again.

Amanda Geftner is one of our favorite science writers, as well as a favorite guest! Her latest essay for NAUTILUS Magazine pinpoints September 1, 1939 as the most precarious day in history. Did we survive? Listen and find out! https://nautil.us/the-most-precarious-day-in-the-universe-1280956

News has come to you in many forms - newspapers, radio, TV, and now the internet and social media. Mostly, it was the facts; but sometimes those facts were twisted to sell more papers or get higher ratings. With social media, opinions can become facts. We talk with people who reported the news for their opinions on the facts.

Everyone's Favorite Podcast has reached 200 episodes! And so has the Musical Innertube! Pull up an ear and listen to past guests of the podcast reminisce about their appearances and about what the podcast means to them. Plus, a surprise from John at the end! (BEFORE the credits! We're not Marvel!)

Growing up in the late 60s/early 70s, our minds were shaped by the Beatles and Motown and Pink Floyd and TV and the Firesign Theater - not necessarily in that order. Firesign was four guys who presented mind-blowing comedy on nine record albums, registered in book form by Jeremy Braddock.

We don't mean to scare you, but a polar vortex is coming! Or maybe we DO mean to scare you. When TV says we're experiencing an atmospheric river or that a major El Nino is on its way, it sounds scary. Penn State meteorologist Jon Nese says sometimes it's serious, sometimes it's just regular weather with a fancy name.

CBS is ending its radio news service next month. Media expert Robert Thompson says news providers are changing faster than ever - and he wonders about how we'll get accurate facts in the future.