WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Kojo Nnamdi Show Podcast

FARMING, GENETIC PATENTING AND THE SUPREME COURT: The Supreme Court on Monday ruled unanimously that farmers need to pay agriculture and biotech company Monsanto each time they plant crops using its patented technology for genetically modified soybeans. It's a case that triggered complicated questions about proprietary rights, technology and the future of our food system. Kojo explores the outcome and what it could mean for other battles over intellectual property rights. (19 min.) "Z: A NOVEL OF ZELDA FITZGERALD": F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's complicated relationship captivated their contemporaries and continues to intrigue today. The writers fed off of each other's work and found both inspiration and ruin in the excesses of the Jazz Age they personify. Zelda in particular has become a divisive, much mythologized figure. We talk to author Therese Anne Fowler about her fictional take on the woman, muse and icon who continues to fascinate. (32 min.)

SENATE OPENS DEBATE ON IMMIGRATION BILL: Border fences, visas for gay partners and immigrants' IQs are just some of the issues swirling around the debate over a bipartisan immigration bill. The measure would beef up border security, shift the mix of visas allotted and create a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants already in the country. We explore the measure the Senate Judiciary Committee is debating. (24 min.) UNDERSTANDING HUNGER STRIKES: FROM BOBBY SANDS TO GUANTANAMO: Hunger strikes can result in long-term physical or mental damage, if not death. Yet prisoners continually resort to the harmful form of protest. We explore the power of hunger strikes across history, from "the Troubles" of Northern Ireland to today's prisoners in Guantanamo. (26 min.)

UNPLUGGED: OVERCOMING OUR DIGITAL OBSESSION: A growing number of people are contemplating "digital suicide" — disconnecting from Facebook and social media to get a break from all-consuming devices. Tech writer Paul Miller tried it: he gave up his smartphone and the Internet for a year to see if it would make him a better person. We hear what it was like, and how you can take meaningful but less drastic steps to dial back your digital obsession. (52 min.)

NEWS LITERACY FOR TEENS: We're flooded with information from a range of sources, and the lines between news and opinion are blurring. Young people in particular navigate everything from viral emails to Internet rumors, and often have trouble sorting fact from fiction. We speak with an organization that aims to give middle and high school students the tools to become more critical news consumers. (52 min.)

IRS TARGETS CONSERVATIVE NONPROFITS: News reports this week confirmed what conservative nonprofits had long suspected: for years, the Internal Revenue Service has been reviewing their applications for tax-free status with extra scrutiny. An internal audit reveals that IRS officers in Cincinnati targeted nonprofits with terms like "tea party" and "patriot" in their names for more intense reviews. We get an update on the story. (22 min.) A LITERARY GLIMPSE INTO CHECHNYA: Chechnya is a war-torn, hotly disputed region that is both a part of and apart from Russia. Its history and current fragile peace are not well understood by Westerners, but one author is hoping to shine a spotlight on Chechens by penning a novel set in the region. The story weaves together stories of longtime neighbors and those brought together by chance as they navigate the uncertainties of war. We talk with Anthony Marra about his debut novel, "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena," and how it might further our understanding of the region. (27 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR: Casino operators launch a high-stakes bidding war over a proposed project in Prince Georges County, Md. Virginia's gubernatorial candidates up the ante as they roll out more specific parts of their platforms. And pro-gun protesters plot to force the hands of D.C. law enforcement with an "open carry" march on the Fourth of July. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)

UNVEILING WIDE GAPS IN MEDICAL CARE COSTS: For the first time, the government has released data confirming what health care consumers have long suspected: from joint replacements to treatment for chest pain, hospitals charge shockingly different fees for the same medical services. Kojo finds out what's behind these fee discrepancies and what this data means for consumers as they face new decisions about health plans and medical care under provisions of the Affordable Care Act. (23 min.) "BORN ON A MOUNTAINTOP:" THE LEGEND OF DAVY CROCKETT: As legend has it, he was born on a mountaintop in Tennessee, killed a bear when he was only 3 and then fought to his death protecting the Alamo. Since Davy Crockett joined Congress in 1826, his outsized, near mythical persona has rarely matched reality. We explore how legend transformed the "King of the Wild Frontier" into a pop culture icon, from the plays and folklore of his time to Disney's "Crockett craze" in the 1950s and beyond. (26 min.)

BARTON SEAVER: KITCHEN TABLE ENVIRONMENTALISM & PUBLIC HEALTH: Barton Seaver's path to becoming an environmental advocate cut through the kitchens of Washington's restaurants. As a chef, he pioneered programs to prepare food in sustainable ways - and challenged eaters to learn more about where their meals come from. These days, Seaver's path goes through academia, where he's working through the Harvard School of Public Health to help people understand these issues in human terms. He joins us in the studio to explore the relationship between food, public health and the environment - and all the things we can learn every time we grill out in the backyard. (51 min.)

JAILHOUSE RACKETEERING: WHO CONTROLS OUR PRISONS?: Thirteen female jail guards allegedly helped a national gang deal drugs and launder money from inside the Baltimore city jail. Experts say it happens across the country, especially at urban jails where inmates and guards come from the same community, budget cuts mean fewer guards to support each other and black markets for contraband items thrive. Kojo explores the prevalence of gangs and racketeering inside our prisons, and asks who is responsible. (52 min.)

SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY: A Department of Defense report released Tuesday shows a 35 percent increase in military sexual assaults since 2010. It has prompted stern warnings from President Barack Obama and outrage among lawmakers. They point to the weekend arrest of the officer in charge of sexual assault prevention for the Air Force on sexual battery charges as the latest example of a widespread failure in training and prevention. We explore the report and what's being done to address the issue. (24 min.) TRADE SECRETS & THE COOKIE BUSINESS: THE STORY OF 'SALTY OATS' : One of Washington's best-kept secrets is the recipe of an iconic cookie: the Salty Oats cookie. Terri Horn was already a successful pastry chef before she went into business with her quirky oatmeal treats. Now she's the protector of a recipe that's inspired imitators throughout the region and a parlor game to decipher a culinary secret that's flummoxed professional and amateur chefs alike for years. Horn joins Kojo to chat about baking, launching a small business and protecting your culinary secrets. (26 min.)

FBI'S 'MOST WANTED TERRORIST' LIST: ASSATA SHAKUR: In 1977, a black militant named Assata Shakur was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper in a shootout on the New Jersey turnpike. She escaped from prison two years later and fled to Cuba, claiming political asylum. Last week, the FBI added her to their "Most Wanted Terrorist" list, sparking questions about why a 40-year-old case is again making headlines. (22 min.) 'THE BOOK OF WOE': In 1952, the American Psychiatric Association released the first edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, known as the DSM, and it quickly became the primary reference for mental health practitioners. But it's been controversial from the start, given that diagnoses affect everything from health insurance coverage to special needs support. We talk with an author and practicing psychotherapist about the history of the manual and the newly revised fifth edition coming out later this month. (28 min.)

COMPUTER GUYS & GAL: Your Facebook friends may be bots and your Twitter followers could be fake. The Computer Guys and Gal are here to help you figure out what's real and what's not in the world of technology. They'll also explore why tablet sales are up and PC shipments are down, and why a year of abstinence from the Internet didn't change much in one writer's life. (52 min.)

AFRICAN AMERICAN SERVICE IN THE CIVIL WAR (REBROADCAST): Of the 3 million men who fought in the Civil War, 200,000 were African American. Some were free men, some escaped slaves or slaves released by owners so they could contribute to the war effort. Civil War scholar Ron Coddington has compiled a collection of portraits of these men and used the images as a jumping off point for telling their stories. He joins Kojo to help us understand the Civil War as they experienced it. (52 min.)

CLIMATE CHANGE IN OUR NATIONAL PARKS (REBROADCAST): Imagine Joshua Tree National Park with no Joshua trees, or Glacier National Park minus the glaciers. The director of the National Park Service says climate change is the biggest threat the agency has faced in its nearly 100-year history — and it could make both scenarios a reality. He joins Kojo to talk about how the Park Service is re-thinking its stewardship mission and what lies ahead for the nation's natural treasures. (52 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR: D.C. cabs get a new color scheme. An FBI investigation leaves Virginia's governor black and blue. And Maryland's Republican lawmakers choose a new leader, with hopes to keep more seats red next year. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)