May 6 – The Increasingly Crowded Republican Presidential Field; Alarming NOAA Report on Unprecedented Levels of CO2; The Second War in Syria After Assad Falls

Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the entry of former Arkansas governor and Baptist preacher Mike Huckabee into the 2016 Republican primary race adding a combination of Christian fundamentalism and rural populism to the increasingly crowded field of presidential hopefuls. James Morone, a Professor of Political Science and Urban Studies at Brown University and author of “Hellfire Nation: The Politics of Sin in American History” joins us to discuss the extent to which the latest dead-on-arrival candidates are either running to revive their flagging careers in the media and lecture circuit, put their friends and family on the campaign payroll, audition for cabinet posts or are running for Vice President.

Part 2

Then with a new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warning the earth has passed an unprecedented milestone with global levels of CO2 above 400 parts per million through all of March 2015, we speak with Dr. Brenda Ekwursel a climate scientist who leads the Union of Concerned Scientist’s climate science education work.  She joins us to discuss why in spite of last year being the hottest in 135 years of record keeping that public opinion about the dangers of climate change lag behind the science.

Part 3

Then finally, as the various rebel groups close in on the embattled Assad regime, we look into the portent of a second war in Syria after Assad falls between most of the opposition forces and the self-declared Islamic State. David Lesch, a professor of Middle East History at Trinity University and the author of “Syria: The Fall of the House of Assad” joins us to discuss the escalation of brutality and barbarity as the regime crumbles and the even greater bloodletting that will likely ensue.