FRESH AIR
In July 2003, newspaper columnist Robert Novak published the name of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame — shortly
after Plame’s husband, former ambassador Joseph Wilson, wrote an op-ed piece contradicting President Bush’s contention that Saddam Hussein had tried to procure yellowcake uranium from the West African nation of Niger.
A special prosecutor was appointed to investigate the leak, and eventually I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby — chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney — was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice in connection with the inquiry. Upon his conviction, Libby was sentenced to 30 months in jail, though the president commuted that sentence.
Plame and Wilson are still pursuing a case in civil court in an attempt to uncover who started the leak. And the former spy has published a memoir: Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House.
RADIO TIMES
Hour 1
Doubts on Bush case against Al Qaeda in Iraq. We’ll talk with journalist ANDREW TILGHMAN who says the Bush Administration has overstated the threat AQI presents to Coalition forces. He lays out his arguments in the latest edition of The Washington Monthly magazine. Tilghman served as Iraq correspondent in 2005-2006 for Stars and Stripes.
Hour 2
Update on public corruption cases in Philadelphia. The former President of the Independence Seaport Museum faces sentencing for defrauding the organization of nearly 1.5 million dollars. We’ll hear how he pulled this off and a few other high profile public corruption cases with CRAIG MCCOY, investigative reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and JOHN SHIFFMAN who covers the Federal Courts for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
THE WORLD CAFE
Frequently (and justifiably) compared to a cross between Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake, English singer/songwriter Scott Matthews crafts an endlessly listenable blend of folk, rock and blues. Influenced by the likes of Drake, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles and Bob Dylan, Matthews began writing music with his older brother Darren and playing in bands around his native Wolverhampton. In 2002, Matthews began writing the songs that would eventually comprise his debut album, and played his first solo gig a year later. A copy of his demo eventually landed him a label deal, and he entered the studio in the summer of 2005. By March, Matthews was all over the radio in Britain, with singles such as “Elusive” and “Passing Stranger” earning him widespread popularity there. Passing Stranger has received several U.K. reissues — the latest is a double-disc set — and finally surfaced in the U.S. last month.
SCOTT MATTHEWS: Elusive Video