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In his latest biography, “Mark Twain,” Ron Chernow brings to life the man known as the father of American literature, Mark Twain. Chernow peels back the layers of this complex figure, showing us the man behind classics like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Innocents Abroad.”

(Airs 07/17/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York, about legislation that authorizes the state to join ERIC, the Electronic Registration Information Center, ethics reform proposals, ranked choice voting, and much more.

(Airs 07/10/25 @ 3 p.m.) WAMC’s David Guistina in conversation with Dan Clark, Times Union Capitol Bureau reporter and author of Capitol Confidential about how federal cuts to Medicaid will impact the state legislature and the coming governor’s race in New York, whether Governor Hochul will sign medical aid in dying legislation, and much more.

Playlist for Saturday, July 12th, 2025

Twelve years ago, NASA's Curiosity rover journeyed to Mars with instruments that measured space radiation for the first time en route. The findings were sobering: astronauts would face radiation doses equivalent to a full-body CT scan every few days—raising cancer risks by 3–4% on the trip alone. Most of this came from galactic cosmic rays, which spacecraft walls can’t block. And this didn’t even include the added threat of solar storms. To send humans safely to Mars, solving the radiation challenge is essential.

On this week’s 51%, we speak with UC Davis law professor Mary Ziegler about her new book, Personhood, and what she sees as the future of the abortion rights debate.

Special correspondent for BBC Studios Katty Kay, a regular contributor to MSNBC, and co-host, with Anthony Scaramucci, of the podcast The Rest Is Politics, talks to us about a Welbourne farm, her Swiss passport and her mother. “People call journalists curious; I think it’s just nosiness.”

(Airs 07/18/25 @ 10 p.m.) The Legislative Gazette is a weekly program about New York State Government and politics. On this week’s Gazette: The top Democrat in the State Senate denounces funding cuts from Congress, the first National Semiconductor Technology Center open its doors in Albany, and local leaders from around the North Country gather to learn more about nuclear energy.

(Airs 07/18/25 @ 3 p.m. & 07/20/25 @ 6 p.m.) The Media Project is an inside look at media coverage of current events with former Times Union Editor, current Upstate American, Substack columnist Rex Smith, Judy Patrick, former Editor of the Daily Gazette and former Vice President for Editorial Development for the New York Press Association, Barbara Lombardo, Adjunct Professor at the University at Albany and former Editor of the Saratogian, and Daily Freeman Publisher Emeritus Ira Fusfeld. On this week’s Media Project, Rex, Judy, Barbara and Ira talk about how the impact of funding cuts to public media, whether objectivity is worth pursuing as a journalistic norm, reporters asking double barreled questions, and much more.

Set your alarm early this week and look east between 5:00 and 5:30 a.m. to catch a stunning celestial display. Brilliant Venus, the Morning Star, shines high with the bright orange star Aldebaran glowing below. Aldebaran, part of the V-shaped Hyades cluster in Taurus, has a rich astronomical legacy—its position once helped confirm Einstein’s theory of General Relativity. Nearby, you’ll also spot the shimmering Pleiades cluster. Together, these stars create a breathtaking, layered view of the cosmos worth waking up for.