WGTD's The Morning Show with Greg Berg

In the summer of 1995,  the city of Chicago was besieged by a horrific heat wave that saw temperatures of 106 degrees and a heat index of 126 degrees - and by the time it was done,  700 people were believed to have perished due to the heat.   NYU Sociology Professor Eric Klinenberg (who was born and raised in Chicago) wanted to know why so many people died- and why particular n...

We talk about the play "Boswell" with its playwright, Marie Kohler, and three people involved in the production of the play that is being performed at UW-Parkside this weekend before being taken to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland- one of the most important theatrical festivals in the world. 

Carthage College Associate Professor of Education Jackie Easley offers some intriguing ideas on how to keep children reading through the summer months. 

This memorable interview was done in the studios of WGTD back in 2000 when Sergei Khrushchev,  the son of Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev,  visited the campus of Carthage College.   Not long before his visit,  he had written a book about his father titled "Nikita Khrushchev and the Creation of a Super Power."   Sergei Khrushchev  had a hand in the Soviet sp...

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon - which occurred 50 years ago today -  we replay two interviews that were originally recorded in 2009 for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11.  Part One is Craig Nelson, author of "Rocket Man: The Epic Story of the First Men on the Moon."   Part Two is Andrew Chaikin, author of "Voices from the Moon: Apollo Astr...

On the eve of the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon,  Carthage College professor Dr. Art Cyr offers his reflections on the importance of Apollo 11 and the entire American space program, both then and now.   The interview begins with analysis of recent events in Great Britain, Turkey, and Hong Kong.    Dr. Cyr is Director of the Clausen Center and is Cl...

This is the monthly visit of Gateway Technical College president Bryan Albrecht.  His guest is Dr. Casey Sacks, Deputy Assistantship Secretary for Community Colleges in the Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education for the U.S. Department of Education.   The two of them were part of an American delegation that visited Switzerland to examine the ways in which they handle appren...

This 2011 conversation is with Patricia Bosworth,  author of "Jane Fonda: The Private Life of a Public Woman."   Ms. Fonda is going strong at the age of 80, co-starring in the popular series "Grace and Frankie" with Lily Tomlin.   She is among the most gifted, ambitious and controversial artists of her era. 

This is a conversation about comedic improvisation (think about the TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" or Comedy Sportz) - its joys and its challenges - with three participants in the Over Our Head Players' improv event that's coming up over the next two weekends at the Sixth Street Theater.   Kristen Altoff, who teaches improv, has organized the event- A.J. Laird and Malissa Zeien are t...

Allen Salkin is co-author of "The Method to the Madness:  Donald Trump's Ascent as told by those how were hired, fired, inspired- and inaugurated." This book chronicles the years 2000-2015, the fifteen years before Donald Trump officially declared himself a candidate for U.S. President- a period of time during which Mr. Trump repeatedly explored the possibility of pursuing the presidency. &nb...

This conversation is with Bert and John Jacobs, the co-founders of the apparel company Life Is Good .... and the co-authors of "Life is Good: The Book." 

Chris Ballard's book is titled "The Butterfly Hunter: Adventures of People who found their calling way off the beaten path."  

From the archives comes one of my all-time favorite interviews.  It's with sportswriter S. L. Price and his book "Heart of the Game:  Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America."   The book is about a much-admired minor league baseball player who was tragically killed when he was hit in the head by a line drive.  But beyond that, the book is also about the world of min...

For Nan Calvert's monthly environmental program, we talk about the Zero Waste Initiative in Racine - which is a proposal that goes before the Racine Common Council on Tuesday.  'Zero Waste' initiatives have sprung up in cities and communities across the country.  In this conversation, we explore the many ways in which we generate far more waste than we need to- the difficulties that comm...

Part one of today's program is a preview of the Four Seasons Garden Club's annual Secret Garden Walk - in which people can walk through seven local gardens that are normally private residential gardens.  This year's tour also includes the Chiwaukee Prairie.   Part two preview's the performances occurring this weekend and the following weekend by Fleeing Artists Theater of William Sh...

Alexander Garvin is the author of "The Heart of the City: Creating Vibrant Downtowns for the New Century."   His book examines some of the most impressive success stories with downtowns- such as New York City, Chicago, Houston, etc.- and also looks at downtowns such as Detroit and St. Louis that are struggling.    Garvin teaches at Yale.  

This interview explores the principle of Religious Liberty - the notion that people should be free to believe what they believe - and how Religious Liberty for Muslims is being challenged in Modern America.   Asma T. Uddin is a Muslim and an attorney who works on cases involving Religious Liberty.  Her new book is titled "When Islam is not a Religion: Inside America's Fight for Reli...

This interview from 2010 was recorded to commemorate an important anniversary for a beloved local educator and musician named Frank Germinaro - the 40th anniversary of his first kidney transplant.    Frank and his wife Janet came on the Morning Show to talk about their journey and about this extraordinary milestone.  

This interview is with John Sullivan, author of "7 Dirty Words: The Life and Crimes of George Carlin."  This 2010 biography chronicles the career and explores the extraordinary influence of one of the most innovative comedians of his time. 

Part One of today's podcast is an interview with Adam Waytz, author of "The Power of Human: How our Shared Humanity can Help us Create a Better World."   Waytz explores (among other things) how human beings can flourish in a world that is increasingly automated.  Part Two has Allen Shawn talking about his memoir "Wish I Could Be There:  Notes from a Phobic Life," in which the a...

Etiquette author Judith Martin (a.k.a. Miss Manners) discusses her book "Star Spangled Manners: In Which Miss Manners Defends American Etiquette (For a Change.)"  It is the contention of the author that American manners are often unfairly criticized, when in fact America deserves credit for its laudable innovations.  There is a small flaw in the audio file at the very end of the intervie...

This interview is a preview of a superb three-part documentary titled "Chasing the Moon" that airs next week (July 8, 9 and 10) on the PBS series American Experience to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 landing on the moon.    My guest is Robert Stone,  an Academy Award nominee, who both directed and produced the film.  Stone calls this the biggest undertaking...

Best-selling author's Peter Stark examines George Washington as a young adult in his illuminating book "Young Washington:  How Wilderness and War Forged America's Founding Father."   

David E. Drew's book is titled "Stem the Tide:  Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in America."  It is Professor Drew's contention that the United States is falling behind our global competitors when it comes to educating our young people in the so-called S.T.E.M. fields.  

This interview is with best-selling author Jon Meachem, talking about his book "Franklin and Winston," which explores the out-of-the-ordinary friendship between two of the most important figures of the mid-20th century:   U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.