Bidding on Iraqi Oil

Iraqi officials are throwing open the country’s oil fields, the world’s third-largest, to international bidding today. We speak with Dean Yates, Baghdad Bureau Chief for Reuters.

Author Mark Kurlanksy

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Cod, cannoli, and Cape Ann. In his new book “The Last Fish Tale,” Mark Kurlansky chronicles the storied past of Gloucester, Massachusetts, which he calls “America’s oldest fishing port and most original town.” Gloucester, once a haven for writers and artists like T.S. Elliot, Winslow Homer, and Charles Olson, can now barely support a part-time fishing fleet due to overfishing, ground trawling, and government regulations. Kurlansky says that Gloucester now risks becoming what so many other old fishing ports have already become: a tourist trap. Winslow Homer’s Gloucester work is now on display at the National Gallery of Art.

McCain to Woo Evangelicals

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John McCain travels to Colombia and Mexico this week following his weekend meeting with the Rev. Billy Graham and his son, Rev. Franklin Graham. McCain is still working to earn the support of evangelicals who are skeptical about his conservative credentials. We speak to Peter Wallsten of the Los Angeles Times, who has been covering McCain’s campaign to find out if McCain’s efforts are paying off.

The Fastest Man in the World?

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Tyson Gay staked his claim to being the world’s fastest human yesterday, running the men’s 100 meters in 9.68 seconds at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in Eugene Oregon. Because of a strong tailwind, it was not considered a world record, but it does make him an athlete to watch in Beijing. We speak with Shira Springer, sports reporter for the Boston Globe.

Anne with an ‘E’

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This month marks the 100th anniversary of Canadian Author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic, Anne of Green Gables. On Canada’s Prince Edward Island, where the book is set, there have been Anne parades, an Anne country fair and newly released Anne Shirley postal stamps. But the book is also celebrated across the world. In Japan, you can buy a house of green gables, and in Poland there’s a traditional picnic with carrot juice in honor of Anne’s red hair. We speak with Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, author of Imagining Anne: the Island Scrapbooks of L.M. Montgomery, she’s also founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island.