The Red Scare, though focussed on Communists, also targeted gay government employees, who were fired by the thousands. A TV series based on the Thomas Mallon novel tells their story.
Nov 21
Senator Chris Van Hollen on the Epstein Files, and the Leadership Crisis in Washington
<p>Both major parties are experiencing a crisis of leadership in Washington. President Trump’s flip-flopping on the Epstein files acknowledges that, on this issue, at least, he has lost control of MAGA. For the Democrats, the collapse of their consensus on the government shutdown ... Show More
27m 18s
Mar 2025
The Red Scare & America's Conspiratorial Politics
Writer Clay Risen describes a political movement which destroyed the careers of thousands of teachers, civil servants and artists whose beliefs or associations were deemed un-American. His book, Red Scare, is about post-World War II America, but he says there's a throughline conn ... Show More
44m 18s
Aug 13
Jason Mott’s new novel ‘People Like Us’ is metafiction that was almost memoir
In 2021, Jason Mott won the National Book Award for Hell of a Book. Now, he’s out with a new novel called People Like Us, in which two Black writers navigate life in the United States in an era of gun violence. Mott says the book is loosely based on himself – and leans into the a ... Show More
9m 26s
Sep 2024
McCarthy & the Second Red Scare
<p>Who was Joe McCarthy? How did this Republican Senator come to lead a nationwide campaign against communism? And how did he bring about his own downfall?</p><br><p>For this episode, Don is joined by the authors of ‘Witch Hunt: The Cold War, Joe McCarthy, and the Red Scare’, Dr. ... Show More
51m 32s