A pen-sketched portrait of Bryan Cranston's character, Walt White, appears in an eerie temple on AMC's "Breaking Bad."

Two grown men slowly crawl on their bellies through a desert village. Soon, others join them, as they painfully progress, inch by inch, towards a make-shift, Latin American temple. Inside, next to a scarecrow goddess, hangs a small, pen-sketched portrait of another ominous figure – Heisenberg. So begins the season three opener of AMC’s critically acclaimed series, “Breaking Bad.”"

The series follows the tragic fall from grace of Walter White (a.k.a. Heisenberg), an upstanding chemistry teacher turned morally bankrupt drug dealer. Bryan Cranston has won two best actor Emmys for his portrayal of Walt, who first decides to cook crystal meth after he’s diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. His plan is to stash away enough money to financially support his pregnant wife and teenage son with cerebral palsy. It’s a noble plan. But then in season two, Walt is unexpectedly cured, and any remnants of nobility have long since evaporated.

The third season’s opening scene is a harbinger of more bad things to come. Cranston told Here & Now’s Robin Young that the men crawling on the ground are worshippers of Santa Muerte, a dark off-shoot of Catholicism. “The Santa Muerte is a deity that does not discriminate on what your prayers or wishes are,” Cranston said. “You could wish for someone to get well or you can wish for someone to die.”

A macabre statue of Bryan Cranston's character, Walt White, represents his moral decay.

Cranston hints that the men might be involved in a drug cartel that’s unhappy with Walt’s encroachment on their business. The men never speak a word in the season opener, but the audience gets an undeniable sense that they’re coming for Walt.

They might also be coming for Walt’s partner in crime, and former student, Jesse Pinkman. Aaron Paul has garnered an Emmy nomination for his role as the burned-out drug dealer, and he told Robin Young that he researched the role by watching another pop culture phenomenon, A&E’s reality series, “Intervention.”

“You just see how the drug completely has controlled them,” Paul said. “And in the beginning they kind of have a choice, but by the end, it’s not even their fault any more. At the end of the day, the drug has control of them, it’s hard to fight.”

Cranston said he had expected criticism of the show, because it deals with crystal meth. But he said the show handles the topic deftly. “I think that’s a testament to the show that people realize it’s not about drug use or manufacturing. It’s not glorifying that,” Cranston noted. “It’s about this good man, who makes a bad decision and how that’s compounded and it starts this downward spiral.”

Walt’s grim journey has taken him down rabbit holes he scarcely knew existed. And with each moral line Walt crosses, he takes one step closer to the man he is destined to become.

“He will become a drug kingpin by the end of this series,” Cranston said. “What makes a man do that? What elements could change someone from one type of a person to another. And my character is currently in that transition. In this third season, he is going to make another several leaps. He is down a path that he can’t return on.”

The third season of “Breaking Bad” premieres on AMC Sunday at 10 pm.

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President Barack Obama delivers remarks on health insurance reform during his event at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., Friday, March 19, 2010. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Even as Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C. are inching closer to passage of the president’s health care reform plan, reaction from opponents is taking shape in states like Idaho, which just passed a law against federally-mandated health care. Gail Chaddock, Capitol Hill correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor, tells us how votes are stacking up. Jill Kuraitis, Idaho editor for NewWest.net, reports on opposition in Idaho. Catherine Candisky of the Columbia Dispatch in Ohio has reaction there. And  Julian Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University gives us an historical perspective.

Ordinary Citizens Are Honored For Extraordinary Acts

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Twenty-six year old Chilan Ta and her partner, 29 year old Michelle Kleisath of Seattle, share one of 20 nominations for the Citizen Service Above Self Award for rescuing a disabled woman who had fallen onto the Washington D.C. Metro tracks. The Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, which usually honors military personnel, will announce the winners on Monday. We speak with the couple about their experience.

London Finches Play Guitar

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A new exhibit at the Barbican Arts Centre in London is wildly popular. Word has spread via You Tube and Twitter about the exhibit featuring 40 finches who fly through a space in the center and perch on electric guitars. We’ll get a listen from the BBC’s Vincent Dowd.

Post-partum Depression Story Draws Strong Listener Response

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Our story on proposals to require all new moms to undergo post-partum depression screening triggered strong reactions from many listeners. We’ll hear from those in favor and opposed to mandatory screening. Also, our story about the growth of niche managzines led listeners to send comments about some of their favorite publications.

‘Breaking Bad’ Falls Deeper Into Drug Underworld

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The critically acclaimed program, “Breaking Bad” on AMC, returns for its third season on Sunday. The show follows the exploits of chemistry teacher turned crystal meth manufacturer, Walt White.  The show has garnered two Emmy awards for Bryan Cranston, who plays Walt,  and one Emmy nomination for co-star Aaron Paul, who plays Cranston partner in crime.  The pair join us for a look at the new season.

• Read more about “Breaking Bad’s” third season

Music From The Show

• Peter Dixon, “Nagog Woods”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
• Charles Mingus, “Pedal Point Blues”
• Fred Hersch, “Desafinado”
• Fernest Areneaux, “Zydeco Stomp”
• Pantera, “Cemetary Gates”
• Dave Porter, “Breaking Bad Theme”
• Calexico, “Banderilla”

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Democratic leaders are picking up key votes for the president’s health care reform package. But with a vote expected on Sunday, the arm-twisting is getting intense. Rick Klein, senior political correspondent for ABC News and author of the network’s blog, The Note, tells us, this vote is expected to come down to the wire.

Whale Tale Reveals How Pollution Disrupts Reproduction

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A humpback whale calf breaching in the Silver Banks Marine Sanctuary off the coast of the Dominican Republic. (Kike Calvo via AP Images)

A new novel, “The Eye of the Whale,” tells the story of a marine biologist who studies the songs of humpback whales. Her research leads to a breakthrough discovery of how pollution is harming them and humans. While the story is fiction, the science is not. We’re joined by Douglas Carlton Abrams, the book’s author, and Theo Colborn, who co-wrote the groundbreaking, “Our Stolen Future,” which details how endocrine disrupting chemicals are harming reproduction in whales and humans.

• See author Douglas Carlton Abrams’ whale video

Thousands Of Haitian Criminals Roam Free

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The earthquake that hit Haiti in January brought down the walls of the country’s jails and the biggest prison escape in modern history put thousands of dangerous criminals back on the streets. Only a few hundred have been recaptured, and as the BBC’s Mark Doyle reports from Port Au Prince, the country’s main prison has few resources left to adequately house them.

Congress Aims To Reign In Credit Rating Agencies

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When the markets crashed back in 2008, 80 percent of the mortgage backed securities that failed had the highest credit rating possible – AAA. How could that happen? And will anything change at the three big government-approved credit rating agencies to prevent another market crash? Binyamin Appelbaum, financial reporter for the Washington Post, tells us how Congress is looking to increase accountability and transparency for the agencies.

• Hear our conversation about the history of credit rating agencies with NY Times reporter Gretchen Morgenson

‘Silence of the Lambs’ Director Films Real Lives

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Oscar-winning filmmaker Jonathan Demme’s new concert documentary, “Neil Young Trunk Show,” opens tomorrow. He’s also planning a new documentary on Haiti, a country he’s long loved. We spoke to Jonathan Demme about Haiti and his long film career when he was recently honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Boston.

Music From The Show

• Kar-Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
• Herbie Hancock, “Watermelon Man”
• The Wee Trio, “Flint”
• Radiohead, “There, There”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
• Neil Young, “Promise of a Man”
• Neil Young, “Cowgirl in the Sand”
• Talking Heads, “Once in a Lifetime”

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Secretary of Education Arne Duncan testifies before Congress today to pitch Pres. Obama’s plan to re-write the No Child Left Behind law. Out is the demand that students be proficient in math and reading by 2012. Instead, the president’s goal is to have all students graduate high school and be ready for college by 2020. Critics say there’s still too much emphasis on testing and too much responsibility placed on teachers. Diane Ravitch of New York University tells us why she went from testing advocate under the first President Bush to NCLB critic.  

• Read Pres. Obama’s “Blueprint for Reform” in education (pdf)

Political Fortunes May Shift In Iraqi Vote Count

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Jabbar Swaiyed, 72, and his wife look over a ballot before casting their vote in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city on March 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)

Anti-American cleric Moktada al-Sadr is blamed for some of the worst sectarian violence in Iraq. Now his followers have emerged as one of the most powerful Shiite blocs after Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary elections. We look at the resurgence of al-Sadr and other election results with the BBC’s Andrew North in Iraq.  

Butte, Mt. Celebrates Luck Of The Irish

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In 1881, an Irishman first discovered the massive copper ore in Butte, Montana. And with the help of investors with names like Hearst and Rockefeller, he created one of the world’s largest mining operations. Word reached Ireland that Butte needed workers, and in 1900, Butte had more Irish per capita than any place in America, including Boston. Today there are still hundreds of Sullivan’s, Shea’s, and O’Neill’s in the phone book, making Butte Ireland’s fifth province.  We speak to John Shea, whose father came to Butte from County Cork a hundred years ago.  

Northern Ireland Is Still A Land Divided

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A dozen years ago, the Good Friday agreement put an end to decades of civil war in Northern Ireland. So why are there more walls dividing Belfast neighborhoods than there were in 1998. Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe columnist and long-time observer of Northern Ireland, takes stock.  

Psychologist Says Evolution Isn’t Always Good For Us

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Harvard evolutionary psychologist Deidre Barrett says that the instincts humans developed hundreds of years ago to survive still govern today. But nowadays those instincts cause overindulgence in things like salt and sugar, as well as behaviors such as watching television at the expense of human relationships. We talk to her about her book “Supernormal Stimuli: How Primal Urges Overran Their Evolutionary Purpose.” 

Music From The Show

• The Pixies, “Havelina”
• Mike Mills, “Air”
• Dublin Gulch, “My Darling Asleep”
• Maserati, “Wires Were Towers”
• Adam Niewood “Stimuli”

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Karen Tumulty of Time magazine joins us to discuss the arm-twisting and more on Capitol Hill over health care reform.

Health Care Benefits Squeeze Cities

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Cities and towns across the country are trying to figure out how to pay for the health care plans they offer their employees. The Boston Globe reviewed six months of municipal health plans in Massachusetts. The newspaper found that costs doubled from 2001 to 2008, adding one billion dollars to municipalities’ budgets. Sean Murphy of the Boston Globe joins us. We’ll also speak with Neil Bomberg, who lobbies Congress for the National League of Cities.

• Read a National League of Cities survey on how the recession and health care costs are affecting city budgets (PDF)

Who Owns Kafka

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The BBC’s Katya Adler reports from Jerusalem on an international legal battle over the contents of safety deposit boxes once owned by 20th century author Franz Kafka; who owns them now, and what’s in the boxes?

A Scientologist Speaks Out On Church Abuse

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Christie Collbran has been a Scientologist since the day she was born. Now, at the age of 33 and after the lengthy and costly process of leaving the organization, she says the leaders of the Church of Scientology are greedy and abusive tyrants who have perverted the original teachings of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. Completely cut off from her family and starting anew, Christie tells her story.

The States That Didn’t Make The Cut

Map of Translyvania (Michael Trinklein)

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America’s fifty states seem fixed now, but as Michael Trinklein points out, over the years there have been movements to create new states such as Texlahoma and Shasta. We talk to Michael about the wanna-bes, which he writes about in his new book “Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States that Never Made It.”

• Slideshow: See maps of proposed states

Music From The Show

• Calexico, “Crumble”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Paul Simon, “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover”
• The Wee Trio, “Flint”
• Christian McBride, “Brother Mister”
• David Goodrich, “Susquehanna Waltz”

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Today is shaping up to be the biggest Washington news day of the year so far. Democrats are maneuvering health care reform to a high-stakes vote this week; President Obama is unveiling his education reform plan; and Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) is unveiling his long-awaited financial reform proposal. We speak with Gail Chaddock, congressional correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. 

Tim Geithner Helped Save Economy, But Can He Fix It?

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Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner is vilified by both sides of the political spectrum. To the left, he’s a lapdog of Wall Street. To the right, he’s an agent of socialism. Joshua Green profiles Geithner in the April issue of The Atlantic and joins us to talk about the man who may have saved the economy, but according to Green, is not the right man to fix Wall Street.

March Madness Fans Make Their Bracket Picks

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A Kentucky fan watches the championship game between Kentucky and Mississippi State at the NCAA college basketball Southeastern Conference tournament on Sunday, March 14, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

The contests are set. Now comes the hard part – filling out the brackets for all those NCAA basketball office pools. We talk to Bob Ryan, Boston Globe sports writer, about who’s in, who’s out and what he sees as the best match-ups. He also tells us why he’s hoping for a Kansas University – University of Kentucky championship showdown. 

Israel-US Tensions Escalate

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The Israeli ambassador to the U.S. says current relations between the countries has reached a crisis level not seen in decades. Last week’s announcement that Israel plans to build 1600 new housing units in East Jerusalem set off a series of tense exchanges, jeopardizing the planned brokered talks between Israel and Palestinian leaders scheduled to begin this week. We speak to the BBC’s Middle East correspondent Paul Wood. 

PBS Film Examines How Make-up Mavens Empowered Women

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Makeup artist David Nicholas prepares model Courtney Craft for a scene in "The Powder and the Glory." (Courtesy Liane Brandon)

Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein built business empires in the cosmetic industry at a time when women were still struggling to get the vote. The two women not only influenced how women looked, but how they lived their lives for five decades. We speak to filmmakers Ann Carol Grossman and Arnie Reisman who tell the story of Arden and Rubinstein in the documentary, “The Powder and the Glory,” which is being shown on PBS stations this month. 

• Find out where “The Powder and the Glory” is airing in your area

Music From The Show

• Kar-Kar Madison, “Boubacar Traore”
• Christian McBride, “Brother Mister”
• Art Blakey, “C.O.R.E.”
• The Wee Trio, “About a Girl”
• Dntel, “Last Songs”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Little Sunflower”
• Mozart “String Quartet #14 in G, K 387 ‘Spring’-2 Menuetto” performed by The Juilliard Quartet

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President Obama is delaying his trip to Indonesia next week as the deadline he set for passage of health care reform looms. Today, House democrats are meeting again to try to iron out the problems that could derail the president’s effort. Rick Klein, senior political reporter for ABC News and author of The Note for abcnews.com, joins us with the latest. 

Walmart Goes For Local Food

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In this Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 photo, shopper Ann Murphy of Brooklawn N.J. gathers produce at a WalMart, in Deptford N.J. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

The world’s largest retailer is buying food and produce that comes from farms located within a day’s drive of a Walmart distribution center. With Walmart’s massive buying power, it could give a huge boost to local farms. But how sustainable is the program? And how does Walmart food taste, compared to products from organic food giant, Whole Foods? Corby Kummer covered the story in the current issue of The Atlantic Magazine. 

DIY-ers Hang Hydroponic Gardens At Home

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DIY-ers create hydroponic farms in their homes. (Courtesy photo)

From hydroponic gardens to swimming pools made from garbage dumpsters to bicycles made of bamboo, the Do-It-Yourself movement is taking off. We talk to Manhattan radio producer and DIY enthusiast Jon Kalish about what people are building in their basements.  To try out some projects on your own, visit these websites:  Instructables, ReadyMade, Like A Hacker.

• Slideshow: See more DIY projects

South Pole Explorer’s Diaries Reveal Agony of Defeat

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In March 1912, British explorer Robert Scott and his team died on their return trip from Antarctica. They had failed in their attempt to be the first to visit the South Pole, beaten by a team from Norway. Despite the failure, Scott has gone down in British history as a hero, largely because of what he wrote in his diaries. The BBC’s Alan Johnston looks back on this history. 

Violin Virtuoso Rocks Films, Orchestras And Folk

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Violinist Hilary Hahn plays with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. (Courtesy: Marlee McDonald)

Grammy-winning violinist Hilary Hahn is multi-faceted: She has performed concerts with folk-rocker Josh Ritter, played on the soundtrack to M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” and this week she performs Prokofiev with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. We speak to Hahn about her eclectic career.

Music From The Show

• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• The Lickets, “Meat City”
• Christian McBride, “Brother Mister”
• Talking Heads, “This Must Be the Place”
• Jean Sibelius “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D minor, op.47 Allegro moderato” performed by Hilary Hahn
• James Newton Howard “The Gravel Road” performed by Hilary Hahn
• Josh Ritter “Bone of Song” with Hilary Hahn
• J.S. Bach “St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Erbarme dich” performed by Hilary Hahn and Christine Schafer
• Josh Ritter “Girl in the War” with Hilary Hahn
• Arnold Schoenberg “Concerto for Violin and Orchestra op. 36 Finale: Allegro”

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The governor of Illinois is proposing that his state join the growing line of states that are increasing personal income taxes in order to fill a huge budget hole and prevent widespread cuts in education. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities this week reported that since the recession started 33 states have increased taxes, 13 of them by upping the personal income tax. We speak with Ray Long, who covers politics for the Chicago Tribune.

• Read the report on state tax increases

Lawmakers Weigh Mandatory Depression Screening For New Moms

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Proposed bills at the federal and state level aim to prevent postpartum depression in new mothers. We’ll speak with Jeanne Watson Driscoll, who specializes in adult mental health; she’s co-author of the book “Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders: A Guide.”  A bill in Massachusetts would require that every new mother be screened for depression and be referred to treatment if needed. A federal proposal would make grants available for programs that address postpartum depression.

• Read about the signs of postpartum depression

Siberia Breeds The World’s Best Hackers

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Russian hackers have earned themselves the dubious reputation of being some of best criminal minds in cyberspace. The first big computer hack out of the region came in 1999 when the computer system of Bloomberg news service was penetrated. The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford traveled to Siberia to find out what makes Russians such good hackers.

Ken Starr Denounces ‘Al-Qaida 7′ Ad

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Why is Ken Starr sparring with fellow conservatives? The former independent counsel who investigated then-President Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky is now lashing out at fellow conservatives, who are criticizing Justice Department lawyers for once defending terrorism suspects in court. Liz Cheney’s group, Keep America Safe, has launched an internet ad questioning the values of those lawyers. Ken Starr tells us why he thinks the group is dead wrong in its attacks.

Listener Letters: Home Texting, Daniel Ellsberg

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We share listener letters about our interviews: parents and teens texting each other at home instead of talking and Daniel Ellsberg, who made the top-secret Pentagon Papers public.

The Guy Behind The ‘Wimpy Kid’

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The best selling children’s book “The Diary of A Wimpy Kid” comes to the big screen this month. We revisit our conversation with Jeff Kinney, the creator of the “Wimpy Kid” series about the latest book, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days.”

Music From The Show

• Mike Mills, “Air”
• Christian McBride, “Brother Mister”
• Paul Simon, “50 Way to Leave Your Lover”
• The Lickets, “Meat City”
• Christian McBride, “Theme for Kareem”
• The Rolling Stones, “Miss You”
• Vince Guaraldi Trio, “Oh, Good Grief!”

Colleen LaRose, the self-described "Jihad Jane," faces terrorism charges in Pennsylvania (AP/SITE Intelligence Group)

Jihad Jane Under Scrutiny

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Neighbors are calling her the “weird, weird lady who lived across the hall” but they say they never thought she was dangerous; Colleen LaRose, the white suburban Philadelphia Muslim convert who called herself “Jihad Jane” online, is suspected of recruiting Muslim extremists abroad and traveling to Sweden last year to try to kill a cartoonist who had depicted the Prophet Mohammad with the body of a dog. We speak with Carrie Johnson, who covers the Justice Department for the Washington Post.

Inside The Magazine Industry With “Mr. Magazine”

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For years, Samir Husni has been collecting the first editions of new magazines. He says he can go to a newsstand, look at the magazines for sale, and figure out who’s living nearby and what they’re interested in. He’s now a professor at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism; he’s also director of the school’s Magazine Innovation Center. We speak with “Mr. Magazine” about which magazines are dying and which are thriving.

School Closings In Kansas City?

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The school board in Kansas City is meeting today to consider closing as many as half of the city’s public schools. The system is running out of cash and students. A court order in 1985 ruled that the largely minority district was under-served and it was ordered to come up with a desegregation plan. The district tried, but failed, to attract white kids from the suburbs by making schools that were state of the art. Sylvia Maria Gross of KCUR-FM joins us.

The Latest From Israel

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Vice President Joe Biden is condemning Israel’s plans to build 1,600 new homes in Arab East Jerusalem. The news came during Biden’s trip to the region, as he tries to restart stalled peace talks. Meanwhile, in Israel today, an American family is beginning its court case against the Israeli government for the 2003 death of their daughter. Rachel Corrie, was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer while she was trying to stop the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Now her family wants Israel to pay. The BBC’s Paul Wood has the story.

Ella Fitzgerald At “The Crescendo”

Ella Fitzgerald, in 1991 (AP)

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Fans of jazz great Ella Fitzgerald can revel in “Twelve Nights in Hollywood,” a boxed set of recordings of Ella at the Los Angeles jazz club “The Crescendo.” We speak with Richard Seidel, former head of Verve Records who produced the boxed set and sample some our favorite Ella songs.

Music From The Show

• Charles Mingus, “Boogie Stop Shuffle”
• Art Blakey, “C.O.R.E.”
• Marcus Roberts, “The Truth is Spoken Here”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Take the A train”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Mack the Knife”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Saint Louis Blues”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Lover Come Back”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “A Tisket A Tasket”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “But Not For Me”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Accentuate The Positive”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Fever”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Blue Moon”
• Ella Fitzgerald, “Deep Purple”

Eric Massa on the campaign trial in 2008 (AP)

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Democrat Eric Massa of New York resigned his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives last night amid an ethics investigation, but he says Democratic leaders forced him out, because he voted against President Obama’s health care plan. Massa admitted to making inappropriate comments to a male staffer at a New Year’s Eve wedding, but he claims the ethics investigation came because he wouldn’t support health care reform. Massa is now making a media tour, while the White House does damage control. Rick Klein, senior political writer for ABC News and author of the blog “The Note” joins us.

Hear selections from Eric Massa’s weekly radio show on WPKQ Power 105

The Jobs Picture

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As the U.S. Senate debates a bill that would extend benefits for unemployed workers, we look at the employment picture from the view of two business owners in Massachusetts. John Stowe of Lutco Inc. says his machine-parts company was going full force in 2008; then he had to cut back. Now he’s waiting to see more of a recovery before bringing back a second shift at his firm. Kate Putnam’s firm, Package Machinery Co., manufactures cellophane and foil that wraps teabags and candy. She says she cannot keep up with competition from overseas. Jeffrey Rosensweig, a professor of finance and international business at Emory University, says that Washington hasn’t done enough to entice small businesses to thrive.    

• Hear our recent conversation with the chairman of Revere Copper Products, on the “value-added” tax he supports 

Dirtbag Day & Ball

The 2009 Dirtbag King and Queen are crowned (Buck's T-4)

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If you’re in Big Sky, Montana this weekend you might want to check out Dirtbag Day, which honors the ski bums who live to ski. It’s a daylong annual event, complete with a parade on skis and a ski competition, which culminates in a wild costume ball where a Dirtbag King and Queen are coronated, and retro and drag are in. We speak with James Frisque, longtime veteran of the Big Sky Resort ski patrol, which runs Dirtbag Day.    

Can A “Bunch Of Professors” Help The U.S. Fight Islamic Fundamentalism?

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Yes, says our guest David Engerman. Just like a bunch of professors created the field of Sovietology, and helped shape policies to face the Soviet threat, the U.S. needs a new field, Jihadology, to help understand and counter the threat from jihadism. David C. Engerman is associate professor of history at Brandeis University and the author of “Know Your Enemy: The Rise and Fall of America’s Soviet Experts.”    

• Read Professor Engerman’s article “Jihadology” in Foreign Affairs magazine

After The Headlines Fade

Paula Butturini and John Tagliabue in Rome in the mid-1980s, shortly after they met (P. Butturini)

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Foreign correspondents Paula Butturini and her soon-to-be husband, John Tagliabue, were both injured on the job: Paula was beaten in Czechoslovakia while covering the “Velvet Revolution” and John was shot by a sniper in Romania following the fall of dictator Nicholae Ceausescu. Those injuries and subsequent events caused John to fall into a severe depression which the couple sought to alleviate with a move to Rome. Paula writes about that time in her new book “Keeping the Feast: One Couple’s Story of Love, Food, and Healing in Italy.”    

• See more of Paula Butturini’s photos

Music From The Show

• Steve Earle, “Transcendental Blues”
• Freddie Hubbard, “Gibraltar”
• Charles Mingus, “Pedal Point Blues”
• Steely Dan, “Glamour Profession”
• The Wee Trio, “About a Girl”
• Steve Reich, “Music for Mallets”
• Ahmad Jamal, “Patterns”
• Nino Rota, “Rocco e i suoi fratelli-Canzone Barese (‘Paese Mio’)” performed by Ricardo Muti and La Scala Philharmonic Orchestra

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Virginia is poised this week to become the first state to make it illegal to require individuals to purchase health insurance, an idea which is a central part of Democrats’ health care reform plans in Washington. We speak with Rosalind Helderman of the Washington Post.

Regulating The Financial Industry

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A new poll shows that two-thirds of Americans have an unfavorable view of major banks and financial institutions. We speak to Rep. Barney Frank, (D-MA) and chair of the House Financial Services Committee, about the need to create regulations that are transparent.

Paul Farmer On Haiti

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Paul Farmer is the co-founder of Partners in Health and a United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti. We speak to him about rebuilding Haiti after January’s massive earthquake, as Haitian President Rene Preval visits the US.

Iraq Elections

Supporters of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr celebrate on the streets of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq today (AP)

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We talk with the BBC’s Dan Damon about yesterday’s parliamentary election in Iraq. Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s “State of Law” coalition appears to have won the most seats, but not enough to form a government without some coalition building among rival factions.

Saving Energy

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Last week, President Obama announced a $6B program that would give people incentives to make their homes more energy efficient. He also hopes the program will create jobs. We speak to Richard Burbank of Evergreen Home Performance in Rockland Maine.

Kathryn Bigelow

Kathryn Bigelow with the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture (AP)

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Bigelow is the first woman in the Academy Award’s 82-year history to win the Best Director award. We revisit our conversation with her when “The Hurt Locker,” which also received the Best Picture award, first came out.

Music From The Show

• Galactic, “Kid Kenner”
• Talia Zedek Band, “We Don’t Go”
• Radiohead, “Nude”
• Formigia, “No Twist”
• Den Fule, “Legless Lizard”
• Joy Division, “Candidate”
• The Bad Plus, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” Nirvana
• Squarepusher, “My Sound”
• Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, “The Way I Am”

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Advisers to President Obama are reportedly close to recommending that self-proclaimed 9-11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed be prosecuted in a military tribunal, not the criminal trial that Attorney General Eric Holder has proposed. Under pressure the administration has already backed away from trying “KSM,” as he’s known, in court in New York City. If Obama decides to try him in a military court, the American Civil Liberties Union says it will be a “death blow” to the Obama Justice Department. We speak with Anne Kornblut, White House correspondent for the Washington Post.

The Dollmaker

The doll that Masha Leon made for Helen Panopalis when they were children, and a photo of Masha and Helen in the 1990s

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The mother of one of our colleagues Stef Kotsonis died late last year at age 77. In eulogizing his mom, Helen Panopalis Kotsonis, Stef remarked on one thread of her life that involved a woman named Masha Leon, and led us to a remarkable story that begins with the Holocaust and ends with a gift Masha Leon made for Helen when they were children. We talk with Masha about her long friendship with Helen Kotsonis and about that gift and the lifetime’s worth of memories that came flowing back when it was returned to Masha after Helen’s death. See more photos…

What’s Wrong With New York?

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The governor is facing two criminal inquiries, including improper conduct in a case of alleged domestic violence involving an aide. Congressman Charlie Rangel is under an ethics investigation. And a state senator was recently expelled after being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. We speak with Michael Tomasky, long-time reporter on New York politics. He’s also American editor-at-large for The Guardian, and editor of the Washington-based journal, “Democracy.”

Fired Teachers Could Get Jobs Back

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The teachers at Central Falls High School in Rhode Island who were fired last week could have a chance at getting their jobs back. The school superintendent, Fran Gallo, said she is willing to re-open talks with teachers after the union agreed to meet many of her demands, including longer school days, more rigorous teacher evaluations, and summer training programs. We hear from Central Falls High guidance counselor, George McLaughlin, about his hopes for getting his job back.

Poets For Haiti

Haitian-American writer Patrick Sylvain (photo: Michelle DeBakey)

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When unimaginable disaster strikes, can poetry help? At a benefit event called “Poets for Haiti,” Here and Now’s George Hicks introduces us three Haitian-American writers who use poetry to come to terms with Haiti’s devastation after the earthquake.  See more photos and hear some poems…

Music From The Show

Beastie Boys, “Groove Holmes”
Squarepusher, “My Sound”
Tristeza, “Golden Hill”
Stanton Moore Trio, “Super Strength”
Broken Social, “Guilty Cubicles”
The Walkmen, “We’ve Been Had”

The photos below show Masha at school, Masha and Helen at school and in later years, and the doll which Masha gave Helen.

When unimaginable disaster strikes, can poetry help? At a benefit event called “Poets For Haiti,” Here and Now’s George Hicks introduces us three Haitian-American writers who use poetry to come to terms with Haiti’s devastation after the earthquake.

Patrick Sylvain

Hear Patrick Sylvain read his poem “Boulevard Jean Jacques Dessalines”

Hear Patrick Sylvain read his poem “Ports of Sorrow”

Hear Patrick Sylvain read his poem “Catacomb”

• Read some of Patrick Sylvain’s poems (PDF)

Fabienne Casseus is a senior at Boston's Another Course To College high school. (photo: Michelle DeBakey)

Marilene Phipps-Kettlewell won the 2010 Iowa Short Fiction Award for her collection, "The Company of Heaven: Stories From Haiti" (photo: Michelle DeBakey)

Fabienne Cassius, Robert Pinsky and Rosanna Warren listening at "Poets For Haiti" (photo: Michelle DeBakey)

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President Obama has called on Congress to finally pass health care reform by the end of March.  Republicans are furious and fighting it every step of the way, but House Democrats could pose a bigger problem. The House has to pass the Senate version of the bill, but Michigan Rep. Bart Stupak says a dozen Democrats won’t vote for the bill because of language about abortion funding. What are the chances for health care reform? We ask Karen Tumulty of Time magazine.

A New Push To Regulate Wall Street

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New rules to limit the size of banks and an agency for consumer financial protection are the key elements being debated in Washington as Congress and the White House look for new momentum in the effort to overhaul rules for the finance industry.  A year after President Obama took office, where are we on regulating Wall Street?  We speak with Gretchen Morgenson, Business and Financial editor, and columnist at The New York Times.

High-Stakes Iraqi Elections

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More than 6,000 candidates are running for 325 seats in Iraq’s legislature. Leila Fadel of the Washington Post joins us from Baghdad.

Update From Earthquake-Stricken Chile

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The BBC’s Andy Gallacher reports from Concepcion, Chile, where food and water are finally getting to residents.

Ellsberg Looks Back, Beyond The Penatgon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg, 78, at a movie event in Sept. 2009 (AP)

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Henry Kissinger called Daniel Ellsberg “the most dangerous man in America” because Ellsberg was a Pentagon insider who turned against the war in Vietnam and knew the government’s lies about the run-up to the war.  Ellsberg eventually released the “Pentagon Papers,” a top-secret study on the war, to The New York Times, which helped end the war and the Nixon presidency.  He recalls the story in the Oscar-nominated documentary “The Most Dangerous Man in America.”

Music From The Show

• Calexico, “The Black Light”
• Vetiver, “You Maybe She”
• Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”
• Calexico & Red Wine, “Red Dust”
• The Cure, “A Forest”
• Soulfly, “Soulfly”
• Marvin Gaye, “Inner City Blues”

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The powerful New York congressman, Charles Rangel, today said he would temporarily step aside as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Rangel is facing a slew of ethics investigations, ranging from allegations that he didn’t pay taxes on vacation property in the Dominican Republic to improperly going on a corporate-sponsored junket to the Caribbean. Gail Chaddock of the Christian Science Monitor joins us for a look at what today’s news means for Democrats as they try to push their agenda through Congress.

• Read Congressman Rangel’s letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

The Godfather of Nonviolent Resistance?

Gene Sharp, founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, pictured in his East Boston office last year. (Mary Knox Merrill/The Christian Science Monitor)

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From his two room office in East Boston, Massachusetts, 81-year-old Gene Sharp runs the Albert Einstein Institution; Sharp has inspired opposition movements around the world. His slender book “From Dictatorship to Democracy” has been translated into more than 30 languages. In it, he lays out a framework to resist dictatorial governments. This past summer, 100 reformists in Iran were accused of attempting a coup with ‘the instruction of Gene Sharp.”

Texas & Tea Party Politics

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The Tea Party movement helped propel Gov. Rick Perry to victory in yesterday’s republican gubernatorial primary, but virtually no other candidate backed by the anti-Washington, anti-spending movement won in other statewide elections. A conservative who influenced the content of school textbooks nationwide lost his re-election bid to the Texas Board of Education. We speak with Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News.

Avatar’s Many Faces

Protesters with the Center for Orangutan Protection in Jakarta, Indonesia last month (AP)

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Palestinian protesters, libertarian think tanks and Bolivia’s president all believe that the Oscar-nominated film represents their beliefs. Joshua Keating of Foreign Policy tells us how groups are drawing wildly disparate political interpretations from the film. Some groups have gone so far as to paint themselves blue as a means of comparing their status with that of Avatar’s Na’vi aliens.

Hunting Dolphins in “The Cove”

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We revisit our conversation with former “Flipper” trainer turned dolphin activist Ric O’Barry. Ric is the focus of the Oscar nominated feature documentary “The Cove,” which uses high tech recording equipment to document the widespread collecting and killing of dolphins in Taiji, Japan.

Music From The Show

• Mission of Burma, “Revolver”
• Jack Johnson, “No Other Way”
• Air, “Napalm Love”
• The Walkmen, “We’ve Been Had”
• Joy Division, “Candidate”
• Xzhibit, “Paparazzi”
• J. Ralph, “The Cove”