FRESH AIR
The New Yorker‘s chief political correspondent, Ryan Lizza, explains Joe Biden’s relationship with Barack Obama 
— and why taking on less often means doing more as vice president. Lizza’s article “Biden’s Brief,” about the Democratic vice presidential candidate, appears in the Oct. 16 issue of The New Yorker. ALSO, Emmy-winning director and producer Larry Charles has a penchant for the ridiculous — witness his credits, which include Borat, Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Now, Charles wants to turn his latest film, Religulous, into an HBO series.
RADIO TIMES
Hour 1
Analysis of last night’s third and final presidential debate. Our guests are CHRISTOPHER HAYES, Washington Editor for The Nation magazine and REIHAN SALAM, Associate Editor at the Atlantic Monthly. He is author of “Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream.” They are both fellows at the New America Foundation. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
Hour 2
Our guest MARK BLUMENTHAL analyzes election polls and says that in this election cycle pollsters are faced with three measurement challenges – how to factor in cell phone only voters, how racial prejudices of voters influence their survey responses and how a higher than predicted voter turnout could reshape the outcome. Listen to this show via Real Audio | mp3
THE WORLD CAFE
Friday, October 17, 2008
Calexico
World Cafe host David Dye gets a visit from Calexico for music and conversation drawn from their new album, Carried to Dust. Calexico not only takes its name from the border region between California and Mexico, but also takes the American Southwest as primary inspiration for their indie rock sound. Committed to testing the limits of their musical fabric, they invited guest performers like Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam and Pieta Brown to take the mic and direct the songs on Carried to Dust. In talking with David, they explain their travels to South America and John Fante’s book, Ask The Dust, which reveal themselves in the themes of the new record.
CALEXICO: Alone Again Or