CUNY TV's Conversations with Jim Zirin

Journalist Dahlia Lithwick writes a best-selling book profiling 8 women lawyers who fought for equal rights during the Trump era. Her account begins in 2016 and ends with the Dobbs abortion decision this year.

Venture capitalist Alan Patricof never stops. At age 88, he completed the NYC Marathon, started a new fund with a 10-year horizon, made new friends, and never ceased to enjoy his life. He shares his secrets of his longevity.

Film Producer Harvey Weinstein Was A Master of Hollywood, Winning 81 Oscars in Two Decades. But, His Appetite For Sex Brought Him Down. He is Serving A Life Sentence For Sexual Misconduct. Author Ken Auletta Talks About The Legal Case​.

Author Scott Anderson new book “The Quiet Americans” is about four American spies who functioned in the cold war era in Europe and Asia. All four acted out of patriotism, a sense of adventure, and a need to be near the action.

Seasoned lawyer Martin London reviews the indictable crimes of which Donald Trump may be accused. As a top litigator, he addresses the tactics of where DOJ will want to bring its case, when Marrick Garland will spring, and whether Trump will be indicted.

Richard Haass, President of Council on Foreign Relations discusses world affairs, Ukraine, Russia, China, covid and climate change. He says he's worried that the fragility of our democracy and political division undermines our credibility in the world.

Harvard Professor and Author Miles Rapoport, makes the case for mandatory voting in U.SA. There's a slim hope of passage, but he argues the advantages of a procedure that has worked in Australia and other democratic countries.

Bill Browder, author of “Freezing Order, fought Putin's corruption, and paid a price. His lawyer was murdered, he was charged with fraud in Russia, and subpoenaed to reveal the identity of Russian dissidents. He won and shares his story.

Jeffrey Frank has written about Harry Truman's presidency. With his “buck stops here” attitude, Truman accomplished the rebuilding of Europe with the Marshall Plan, the formation of NATO, the recognition of the State of Israel, deterring China's aggression in Korea

During Sabbath services, an armed terrorist desecrated Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in TX and held hostages for 11 hours. Anna Salton Eisen, a founding member of the synagogue, and the daughter of Holocaust survivors shares what happened that day.

Legal issues making headlines with Ketanji Jackson, Clarence Thomas, and Merrick Garland; Plus Bill Barr's memoir and will Merrick Garland indict anyone over January 6? Legal analyst Elie Honig surveys the legal landscape and Barr's account January 6.

CNN legal analyst Laura Coates was a top prosecutor in Washington, D.C. She tells Jim Zirin of the conflicted feelings of a black female lawyer having a duty to prosecute members of her own community in a criminal justice system perceived as racist.

Harvard constitutional scholar Professor Noah Feldman testified at Trump's first impeachment. In his new book, “The Broken Constitution,” he argues Lincoln broke a“compromise constitution” that approved slavery to replace it with a “moral constitution."

Shannon O'Neil of the Council on Foreign Relations, acknowledges that covid has resulted in dislocation throughout the supply chain with consequent rising prices and rampant inflation. But, there, are other factors, and she takes us through all of them.

War Correspondent Janine di Giovanni spent decades covering the Mid-East conflict. Her new book “The Vanishing” recounts the dwindling Christian populations of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and even Gaza. She talks about the power of faith during challenging times.

Peter Duchin, the premier society bandleader and pianist of our time, led a charmed life and dated Audrey Hepburn and Kim Novak. Then came a devastating stroke, leaving his left hand paralyzed and a bout with COVID which put him in hospital for 47 days.

Jennifer Morton, immigrated from Peru, attended Princeton, and became a philosophy professor at the University of Pennsylvania. She talks about the ethical trade-offs confronting a striving college student between educational fulfillment and family.

Jennifer Morton, an immigrant from Peru, who went to Princeton University, and later became an outstanding philosophy professor at the University of Pennsylvania, tells Jim Zirin about the ethical trade-offs confronting a striving college student nowadays between educational fulfillment and family, and community responsibilities.

Lawyer and strategist Gary Ginsberg best-selling book “First Friends,” explains the special relationships between 9 presidents and the unelected persons who were influential in their lives. He shares how these relationships were of national interest.

David Rubenstein, philanthropist, investor, and talk show host, has written “The American Experiment” in which he presents 31 interviews with leading Americans. He tells Jim Zirin that despite our differences, we can still achieve the American dream.

President Biden's foreign policy appears to channel Trump's in many significant respects (Cuba, Iran, China, Middle East). Diplomat Frank Wisner says Biden is headed towards a new foreign policy strategy once he gets his domestic issues behind him.

Matthew Barzun was a political fundraiser for Obama, and ambassador to Sweden and England. In his new book “The Power of Giving Away Power,” he argues that what gets results in life is not top down power, but bringing many people into the organization.

Jane Harman served in the House of Representatives for 17 years. She has written a sobering new book titled, “Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard Problems Makes Us Less Safe.” She goes over two decades of national mistakes.

Dr. Ian Lipkin is a world-class virus hunter. He has ridden the lethal storm of Covid 19, and updates us on the variants. He tells Jim Zirin to wear a mask indoors, and get his booster shot as soon as it becomes available.

Author and former Southern District prosecutor Elie Honig new best-selling book describes how Attorney General Bill Barr corrupted the justice department. Barr, in his zeal to do Trump's bidding violated every norm of prosecutorial integrity.

Caroline Hirsh founded comedy club “Carolines On Broadway,” which featured stand-up comedians Jay Leno, Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. Hirsch broke new ground opening the doors to female comics. She tells Jim Zirin how her club survived the pandemic.

Harvard Professor Stephen Greenblatt wrote a book about political tyrants in Shakespeare from Macbeth to Coriolanus. He draws a parallel between tyrants in Shakespeare and in our time. They bully, threaten and lie to the people to maintain their power.

Bob Zoellick was Deputy Secretary of State and President of the World Bank. He discusses American foreign policy, applauds the influential diplomats who succeeded, criticizes those who didn't, and says we must follow bi-partisan traditions.

Covid has claimed the lives of nearly 600,000 Americans. How many of these lives could have been saved? Nina Burleigh, author of “Virus, Vaccinations, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America's Response to the Pandemic,” tells Jim Zirin what went wrong.

The Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians were achieved in 1992. Tony Award-winning director Bart Sher tells JIm Zirin how he filmed the HBO movie based on the very human Oslo story.

In 2015, the U.S. concluded a nuclear deal with Iran, and Trump withdrew from the Join Comprehensive Plan of Action. Diplomat Frank Wisner hopes to put the deal back on track before the summer when Iranians hold their elections.

Harvard Law Professor Larry Tribe has considered all civil suits, and potential federal and state criminal charges targeting Donald Trump. He tells Jim Zirin that Trump has better defenses in the possible criminal cases, but he must be held accountable.

Council on Foreign Relations President, Richard Haass tells Jim Zirin why he changed his voter registration to non-affiliated, and says that America under Trump has lost the respect of other nations, and must work hard to recover its place in the world.

Leon Panetta was White House Chief of Staff for Clinton, CIA Director and Secretary of Defense for Obama. He tells Conversations With Jim Zirin that America lost ground internationally under Trump and it must restore its place in the world.

Biden wants to help people with a $1.9 trillion covid relief plan, but will it be inflationary? MSNBC Economic Contributor Steven Rattner joins Conversations With Jin Zirin to share the pitfalls, and argues that we must spur economy recovery fast.

Trump is out of office and off Twitter for a while. The mob that savaged the Capitol has gone home. Or have they? DHS has warned of potential violence agitated by Biden’s electoral victory. Will our democracy survive? Distinguished law professor Samuel Isaacharoff, an expert on the law and the political process tells Jim Zirin that the far-right is underground, but sure to come back in some form.

CNN host and journalist Fareed Zakaria writes about 10 lessons learned in a post pandemic world. He tells "Conversations with Jim Zirin" the link between the covid crisis and the January 6th assault on democracy as Trump departs office.

Trump’s America First policies have left us bereft of allies and multilateral arrangements. Former NATO Ambassador Nick Burns tells Jim Zirin that it'll be a challenge for Joe Biden to repair the U.S.

Trump lost the election, but won’t admit it. Former New York Governor George Pataki disagrees. He tells "Conversations With Jim Zirin" Republicans must cooperate with Biden on issues of vital interest to all Americans.

Anne Applebaum, Author of "Twilight of Democracy" joins "Conversations With Jim Zirin" to discuss authoritarianism in Eastern Europe, Turkey and even the U.S. She says free elections are no guaranty that progress can be maintained.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) served 3 terms, and sits at a desk in the senate chamber, that's formerly occupied by 8 progressive senators. He talks about his experiences in his new book "Desk 88" on Conversations With Jim Zirin.

Author David Rubenstein of "How To Lead" joins "Conversations With Jim Zirin" to discuss his new book. He interviews 31 outstanding leaders of our time, and shares the secret of leadership is to have a strategy that gets their follower's attention.