WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Kojo Nnamdi Show Podcast

MICHAEL POLLAN: "COOKED" (REBROADCAST): For decades, the convenience of fast foods kept many Americans out of the kitchen, but a slow food movement is bringing them back. Michael Pollan helped spur that movement by guiding readers through the food chain and examining why and how we eat. Now Pollan is taking to the kitchen in an effort to reclaim cooking as an enjoyable and important part of daily life. He joins Kojo to talk about his culinary adventures. (52 min.)

"VAMPIRES IN THE LEMON GROVE" (REBROADCAST): Author Karen Russell's work defies easy categorization, blending elements of fantasy, horror and realism. Russell's new short story collection ventures away from her native Florida where her earlier books were set, and takes readers to richly-drawn worlds from Italy to Minnesota. Russell joins Kojo in the studio to talk about her work. (25 min.) TIME FOR THREE (REBROADCAST): They've been described as a classically trained trio with a garage band mentality. With two violins and a double bass, they bend genres, incorporating jazz, pop and bluegrass into their music. We hear from Time for Three, young musicians who aim to introduce their distinctive classical sound to new audiences. (25 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR: Virginia Republicans set their official roster of candidates in this fall's races. Another D.C. Council member goes all in for next year's race for mayor. And Maryland opens a casino it hopes will breathe new life into the Western part of the state. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)

SUMMER READING: Memorial Day and the unofficial start of summer are around the corner, which makes now the perfect time to compile your summer reading list. Whether you're eagerly awaiting new novels from favorite authors, looking for something entirely new or want to explore history through a biography, we've got a roundup of page-turners to see you through the season. (52 min.)

SHAPING THE CITY: WITHSTANDING THE FORCE OF NATURE: The devastating tornado in Oklahoma has people wondering how their own homes would withstand nature's extremes. The D.C. region doesn't get many tornadoes, hurricanes or floods. But in the last two years, a derecho and an earthquake have hit unexpectedly. Architect Roger Lewis explains what the law requires and what homeowners can do to ensure structural integrity when natural disasters hit. (52 min.)

FOOD HUBS: FROM FARM TO TABLE: Demand for locally grown food is skyrocketing here and around the country. Along with individual customers, many grocery stores, restaurants and schools would like more local products, but farmer's markets alone can't meet that demand. Enter food hubs: bringing farm fresh products from multiple farmers to central locations in nearby cities for pickup and distribution. We discuss new thinking on getting fresh food to cities. (52 min.)

DEALS FOR DEVELOPERS IN DC: A WAMU INVESTIGATIVE REPORT: The D.C. Council has approved $1.7 billion in tax breaks and other subsidies to developers over the past decade — with more than one-third of the subsidies going to 10 developers who donated the most to council members' campaigns. Kojo talks with WAMU reporters Patrick Madden and Julie Patel about their investigative series detailing the influence of money in D.C. politics and public policy. (52 min.)

THOMAS DRAKE: THE CASE OF A WHISTLE-BLOWER: Thomas Drake was a senior official at the National Security Agency before he got ensnared in a whistle-blower case that became a flashpoint in debates about the freedom of information and national security. Drake eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but the case came with a high price: he gave up his job and now works at an Apple Store in suburban Maryland. Drake joins Kojo in the studio to chat about his experience, the Obama administration's approach to whistle-blowers and the balance between security and freedom. (23 min.) 'WE STEAL SECRETS: THE STORY OF WIKILEAKS': Whistle-blower website Wikileaks facilitated the largest security breach in the history of the United States. Bradley Manning, the Army private charged with leaking an ocean of classified material to the site, will soon be tried in court. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney recently set out to explore Manning's story, as well as the story behind Wikileaks itself. He joins Kojo to explore the impact of Wikileaks on politics, national security and on the men and women involved with the leaks. (28 min.)

FREE SPEECH AND THE INTERNET: Online platforms like Facebook and Twitter gave people a place to connect and share ideas. And because they reach global audiences, the private companies that run them are at the center of an international debate over competing conceptions of free speech. Kojo looks at how these tech companies are shaping their content policies, and what those policies mean for interpretations of free speech around the globe. (52 min.)

CROSS-CULTURAL (MIS)UNDERSTANDING: Bill Gates recently greeted South Korea's president with a one-handed shake, the other was tucked into his pocket, setting off an international etiquette firestorm. Similar gaffes are increasingly common in a global society where people interact with colleagues and cultures around the world. From hospital bedsides to corporate boardrooms, the demand for a culturally competent workforce has ballooned, and the required skills now go way beyond simple "dos and don'ts." Kojo and diversity consultant Howard Ross explore the nuances of cross-cultural competency in the workplace and beyond. (52 min.)

THE FUTURE OF U.S. FOREIGN AID: The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, provides foreign assistance in a variety of forms. The agency is in the midst of efforts to modernize and rethink its mission and how it delivers aid. One new proposal would change the way U.S. food aid abroad is distributed for the first time since the Eisenhower administration. We talk to USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah about the agency's priorities and where it fits into a complex web of public and private organizations providing development aid abroad. (52 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR: D.C. ponders the cost of digging underground power lines. Virginia Republicans prepare for a nominating convention in Richmond. And Maryland plays host to the Preakness Stakes, as the jockeying for next year's gubernatorial race begins in earnest. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)

YOUR TURN: The Obama administration has spent the week in damage control mode after revelations that the IRS was targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny, the Justice Department was snooping through Associated Press phone records in search of a leak and new allegations about what actually happened in Bengazi, Libya. It's your turn to discuss the week's headlines. (52 min.)

WOLF TRAP'S NEW PRESIDENT: Arvind Manocha spent more than a decade growing the audiences for the L.A. Philharmonic and Hollywood Bowl, two of the West Coast's most iconic music venues. He's now leading Wolf Trap, the country's only national park for the performing arts. He shares plans for the future of the historic venue and its national education program. (25 min.) HARD ART: DC'S PUNK SCENE 1979: Early in his career, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Lucian Perkins stumbled into a hardcore show featuring the Bad Brains. He found himself documenting an underground music scene at a moment when bands like Trenchmouth and Teen Idle were coming on the scene. The photos sat in boxes for years, and are now featured in a new book with essays by musician Alec MacKaye, who attended many of the same shows. We speak with Perkins and MacKaye about DC's unique music history. (25 min.)

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SEIZES JOURNALIST PHONE RECORDS: The U.S. Justice Department is facing harsh criticism for allegedly collecting phone records of journalists to ferret out a leaker. The Associated Press says the department gathered two months' worth of phone logs that list outgoing calls made by writers and editors. The move is reportedly part of an ongoing investigation into leaks of classified information. We examine the fallout and implications for the media and the government. (15 min.) GROWING GARDENS THROUGH SUMMER HEAT: For many gardeners, spring planting is well under way and summer vegetables will soon follow. Recent years have proven hard on local greenery, with prolonged heat waves and damaging storms. But there are steps you can take to ensure a healthy garden, from choosing local plants to well-timed watering. Whether you're tending a backyard vegetable patch, a community garden plot, or just a few potted flowers, we've got tips for getting the most from the land. (35 min.)