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Robert Spitzer on guns and the Constitution.

George Hawley on how the Alt-Right fits within American conservatism.

Professor Joshua Douglas on Trump's Voter Fraud Witch-hunt

Dave Levitan on how politicians butcher science.

Sir Lawrence Freedman on 125 years of trying--and failing--to predict what the next major conflict will look like.

Carol Anderson on institutional racism in America from the Civil War to the present.

Author Tom Shachtman on the French role in the American Revolution.

An interview with Safwan Masri on the unique success of Tunisia in the wake of the Arab Spring.

An organization of academics seeks viewpoint diversity to offset the perceived liberal slant in America's universities.

An interview with Lauren Ell, president of the newly-formed Republican Atheists.

I interview David Baron about his new book American Eclipse, which tells the story of the Eclipse of 1878 and the rush by Americans--some famous, some not so famous--to collect as much scientific data as possible and win international prestige as a result. We also discuss the upcoming total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, which will pass along an arc from Portland, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. A total eclipse is unlike any other astronomic event you will ever see--be ready! At the top of the show: Actor David Costabile as Breaking Bad's Gale Boetticher reciting Walt Whitman's poem "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, someone will be selected at random to receive the book. The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon).  Contact and Support: Website: snideshow.com Email: snider@snideshow.com Twitter: @snideshow Facebook: facebook.com/snideshow Please leave comments or positive feedback on

I interview Kate Moore, author of The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women, which details the struggles and triumphs of the painters of glow-in-the-dark dials, who suffered horrific injuries from radiation poisoning, and who subsequently struggled for justice, including better workplace protections and accountability of corporations and government agencies. ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, someone will be selected at random to receive the book. The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon).  Contact and Support: Website: snideshow.com Email: snider@snideshow.com Twitter: @snideshow Facebook: facebook.com/snideshow Please leave comments or positive feedback on iTunes, Stitcher,

I interview David Silverman, president of American Atheists, about the dangers posed by the Donald Trump administration to the separation of church and state. David is also the author of Fighting God: An Atheist Manifesto for a Religious World. Mentioned during the podcast: The Johnson Amendment, which prohibits 501(c)(3) organizations from endorsing or opposing political candidates. From 2015, Donald Trump cast doubt on the validity of Ben Carson's adherence to Seventh Day Adventism. Betsy DeVos, the ultra-religious, ultra-wealthy activist poised to damage America's public school system in her capacity as Secretary of Education. Donald Trump's anti-Muslim travel bans. Neil Gorsuch and the possibility that the Supreme Court might soon be dominated by conservative justices. Bill O'Reilly telling David Silverman that the tides are an unexplainable mystery (they're a long-understood phenomenon caused by the interaction of the earth, the moon and the sun). The Most Hated Woman in America, the Netflix drama based on the latter days of American Atheists founder Madalyn Murray O'Hair. ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter

There are fewer democracies in the world today than there were at the turn of the century, and in several Western countries--including the United States--the embrace of liberal ideals has been steadily eroding. To discuss why this is happening, and what might be done to reverse the trend, I talk with Edward Luce, author of The Retreat of Western Liberalism. Plus: On June 11, 2017, Puerto Ricans go to the polls to decide if their island will remain a territory of the United States, join as a fully-fledged State, or seek some sort of independence.  On June 20, 2017, voters will decide, in a special election runoff, whether Trump-friendly Republican Karen Handel or insurgent Democrat Jon Ossoff will represent Georgia's traditionally red Sixth Congressional District. This nationally monitored race is widely seen as a referendum on Donald Trump and a bellwether of Democratic chances to take back the House of Representatives in 2018. ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, someone will be selected at random to receive the book. The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon). If you'll be in St. Louis, Missouri on July 1st, 2017, you have a rare opportunity to hear Body Found performing live at Cicero's. Contact and Support: Website:

Islamic terrorism is undoubtedly a problem, but if you look at the numbers, it kills far fewer Americans than almost anything you can name: cancer, heart disease--even falling out of bed. So why are Americans so obsessed with being killed by Muslims?  In his new book Islamophobia and Racism in America, sociologist Erik Love argues that "fear of Islam" is really nothing more than good, old-fashioned racism against non-Europeans--a problem with roots planted well before the events of 9/11. Mentioned on the podcast: Donald Trump says "Islam hates us." Donald Trump calls for a total ban on Muslims entering America. From the 2008 presidential campaign, an elderly woman questioning Senator John McCain conflates "Arab" with "Muslim." ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, someone will be selected at random to receive the book. The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon). If you'll be in St. Louis, Missouri on July 1st, 2017, you have a rare opportunity to hear Body Found performing live at Cicero's. Contact and Support: Website:

America is unique among Western nations in its preoccupation with religion in general, and the Ten Commandments in particular. Numerous federal court cases have been heard in recent years over the display of the Decalogue on government property. To make sense of this phenomenon, I talk with historian Jenna Weissman Joselit, author of Set in Stone: America's Embrace of the Ten Commandments. For more about Jenna and her work visit JennaJoselit.com. Mentioned during this podcast: "Keep God's Commandments" found painted in a historic courthouse in Virginia. Fraternal Order of Eagles, the civic organization that, in cooperation with legendary Hollywood director Cecil B. DeMille, was behind many of the Ten Commandments monuments now found on government property. Roy Moore, two-time Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, perennial Commandment booster, and now candidate for the US Senate. Mel Brooks as Moses in the classic comedy film History of the World, Part I. George Carlin boils the Ten Commandments down to Two, Plus One. ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, some

As we pass Day 100 of the disastrous Donald Trump administration, America is experiencing the biggest case of buyer’s remorse in the history of presidential politics. Everyone on the left, and a significant portion of those on the right, are asking themselves, how could this have happened? How could voters be so stupid? How could they be so ignorant, so short-sighted? And how could pollsters and pundits have been so wrong? To answer these questions--or at least get the conversation started--I talk with political scientist Arthur Lupia, author of Uninformed: Why People Seem to Know So Little about Politics and What We Can Do about It, in which he explores how much voters know (or don’t know), how much difference this makes in elections, how voters approach and absorb new information, and how those seeking to teach voters can provide them with information that they care about and in the right way. He approaches his subject matter with thoroughness, clarity, humor and compassion. For more about Arthur Lupia and his work, visit ArthurLupia.com. ANNOUNCEMENTS Win an autographed copy of Margaret Atwood's classic novel The Handmaid's Tale! Just follow me on Twitter @snideshow and retweet me at least once. When my following reaches 1,000, someone will be selected at random to receive the book. The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon). If you'll be in St. Louis, Missouri on July 1st, 2017, you have a rare opportunity to hear Body Fo

The SnideShow is an interview-driven podcast covering a wide variety of topics, including politics, science, history, current events, social issues--and the fact that the country is now run by a crazy person. Each episode will feature a conversation with an author, journalist, activist, scientist, public intellectual, political pundit, etc.--someone who's done his or her homework, and has something to say. I (your host, John C. Snider) bring to bear 17 years of experience in online publishing and podcasting. From 2000-2010, I published the online science fiction magazine SciFiDimensions. From 2007-2016, I co-hosted (with David Driscoll) 265 episodes of the American Freethought podcast. I have interviewed literally hundreds of people on dozens of topics. Bottom line: I believe that if I'm interested in it, you will be interested in it, too! The show's music is by Body Found, from their new album Desert Resurrection (Spotify, Amazon). If you'll be in St. Louis, Missouri on July 1st, 2017, you have a rare opportunity to hear Body Found performing live at Cicero's. Contact and Support: Website: snideshow.com Email: snider@snideshow.com Twitter: @snideshow Facebook: facebook.com/snideshow