History

David Greene: Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?

April 24, 2023 Tim 00:32:06 Comments Off

The Civil Liberties Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), David Greene, joins Tim to talk about current efforts to ban the social media app TikTok from American users. The EFF describes itself as the leading nonprofit organization defending civil liberties in the digital world. Founded in 1990, EFF says its “mission is to ensure that technology supports freedom, justice, and innovation for all people of the world.” In this episode, David talks about current legislation in the U.S. to ban the popular social media app called TikTok, but it has more far-reaching impacts than just TikTok.

John Perkins: The Dirty Work of an Economic Hit Man

April 3, 2023 Tim 01:02:06 Comments Off

Author and former “Economic Hit Man” John Perkins joins Tim to talk about his New York Times best-selling book that’s now become a classic. That book is, “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man: China’s EHM Strategy, Ways to Stop the Global Takeover.” He just released an updated version of the book that covers the tactics that China, the U.S. and other major powers have used to wage economic “warfare” in 2023.

Encore: How Free is Speech on the American College Campus?

March 27, 2023 Tim 00:47:45 Comments Off

Princeton professor and author Keith Whittington joins Tim to talk about the current state of free speech, or not-so-free-speech on the American college campus. Keith has a long resume of accomplishments, including the authoring of the award-winning book, “Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech.” But in this episode, we talk about Keith’s role in the formation of a new and already growing organization that champions freedom of speech called the Academic Freedom Alliance (AFA).

Encore: Walter Iooss, Jr. is Sports Photography’s GOAT

March 20, 2023 Tim 00:43:03 Comments Off

Legendary sports photographer Walter Iooss joins Tim to talk about his life and career that has spanned decades. His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and in many major media outlets and in unforgettable marketing campaigns. If you were to think of an iconic photo from any major American sport from over the past 50 years, there’s a decent chance Walter is the one who captured that image. Walter talks about his life behind the lens, a lens that has captured household names, helped make a few athletes become household names, and even at times when people in his photos were not famous, the image was still…iconic. This episode was first releases April 5, 2021.

Encore: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater

March 13, 2023 Tim 00:29:59 Comments Off

Long-time Director of Fallingwater Lynda S. Waggoner joins Tim to discuss the lasting impact Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece at Bear Run has had on how the nation continues to perceive house and home. This episode was originally released April 30, 2018.

Encore: The Story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

March 6, 2023 Tim 00:41:44 Comments Off

Gavin McIlvenna joins Tim on the Centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Gavin is president of the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He had a long and distinguished career in the U.S. Army, but one of the more unique experiences he’s had is the time he spent guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery. In this episode, Gavin tells the story behind the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the symbolic and real significance of one of the most hallowed places on American soil. This episode was first releases on June 14, 2021.

Encore: The American Front Porch

February 13, 2023 Tim 00:46:54 Comments Off

Author and journalist Michael Dolan joins Tim to tell the story of the American front porch. He’s the editor of American History magazine and the author of a book entitled, “The American Porch: An informal history of an informal place.” In this episode, he talks about how the front porch shaped life in America for well over 200 years. You could say that when it comes to our homes, the front porch was the original social media. This encore episode was originally released May 24, 2021.

Encore: She Pioneered Directed Evolution

January 30, 2023 Tim 00:26:16 Comments Off

Nobel Prize recipient Frances Arnold joins Tim to talk about winning a Nobel Prize honor for her pioneering work in “directed evolution,” which harnesses the power of evolution to enhance products throughout society – from biofuels and pharmaceuticals, to agriculture, chemicals, paper products and more. Directed evolution was in the news this week tied to Covid jab research. We talk with Frances about her journey and her work that is changing the world for the better. This episode was originally released November 5, 2018.

Jack Barsky: Undercover KGB Agent in America

January 23, 2023 Tim 01:44:44 Comments Off

Former Soviet KGB undercover spy Jack Barsky joins Tim to tell his story, and his long journey from Soviet Cold War operative to American citizen. Jack spent ten years in America as an undercover agent for the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War. He’s the author of a book called, “Deep Under Cover: My Secret Life & Tangled Allegiances as a KGB Spy in America.” And he’s the subject of the podcast called The Agent.

Encore: Nadine Strossen – Free Speech Over Censorship

January 9, 2023 Tim 00:57:51 Comments Off

Nadine Strossen joins Tim to talk about how to fight “hate speech” or harmful speech without censorship. She’s a best-selling author and a Professor of Constitutional Law at New York Law School. She’s also the first woman national President of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). In this episode, she talks about private company censorship, the challenges, some solutions and all of it as addressed in her book “Hate: Why we should resist it with free speech, not censorship. This episode was first released April 12, 2021.

The ‘Silk Road’ Story: Busting the Dark Web

January 2, 2023 Tim 01:04:32 Comments Off

Former FBI Cyber Special Agent Chris Tarbell joins Tim to talk about cyber crime and some of his most groundbreaking cases, including the Silk Road that centered on crypto currency and drug trafficking. And they talk about the take-down of the “Anonymous” hacktivist collective. Chris’s specialty is cyber investigations. He was the lead investigator on some of the more notorious cyber security crime cases in recent memory.

Seven Voices: Your Favorite Holiday Memories

December 19, 2022 Tim 00:34:16 Comments Off

This week is Hanukkah and Christmas. We’re in the peak of the American holiday season, which started at Thanksgiving. So, it is with this in mind that I thought I’d take to the streets of Pittsburgh once again and talk to people about their holiday memories. That’s what this special holiday edition of the Shaping Opinion podcast is about.

Encore: Remembering the Sears Wish Book

December 12, 2022 Tim 00:34:31 Comments Off

Writer, editor, producer and actor Jason Liebig joins Tim to talk about the Sears Wishbook. Jason is the creator of a website called WishbookWeb.com, which has archived complete, high-quality scans of Sears Wishbooks and other holiday catalogues going back to 1933. In this episode, we talk about a holiday tradition sure to bring a smile to your face. This episode was first released on December 10, 2018.

Martin Dugard: Taking Berlin

December 5, 2022 Tim 01:02:11 Comments Off

New York Times bestselling author Martin Dugard joins Tim to talk about his newest book called “Taking Berlin: The Bloody Race to Defeat the Third Reich.” It’s the story of the Allies’ campaign across Europe during World War II as seen through the eyes of five key figures. This book is part of the “Taking” trilogy on World War II, and follows Martin’s work with Bill O’Reilly on the popular “Killing” series of books.

Encore: The Story Behind Those Hallmark Keepsakes

November 28, 2022 Tim 00:34:16 Comments Off

Hallmark artist and creator Tammy Haddix joins Tim to talk about one of America’s more lasting holiday traditions, our holiday ornaments and decorating the Christmas tree. Tammy tells her own story as a member of the Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Studio, as a mother and a wife, and how all of that comes to play when she helps make the holidays that much more special for Americans across the country. This encore episode was originally released November 30, 2020.

David Greene: Should the U.S. Ban TikTok?

John Perkins: The Dirty Work of an Economic Hit Man

Encore: How Free is Speech on the American College Campus?

Encore: Walter Iooss, Jr. is Sports Photography’s GOAT

Encore: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater

Encore: The Story of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Encore: The American Front Porch

Encore: She Pioneered Directed Evolution

Jack Barsky: Undercover KGB Agent in America

Encore: Nadine Strossen – Free Speech Over Censorship

The ‘Silk Road’ Story: Busting the Dark Web

Seven Voices: Your Favorite Holiday Memories

Encore: Remembering the Sears Wish Book

Martin Dugard: Taking Berlin

Encore: The Story Behind Those Hallmark Keepsakes

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