Today's Segments
Venezuela and the “Big Stick”: Cullinane on Trump’s Test
Historian and presidential scholar Michael Patrick Cullinane of Dickinson State University joins Main Street to place breaking news from Venezuela in historical and constitutional context. From war powers and “law enforcement” framing to echoes of gunboat diplomacy—and renewed U.S. rhetoric about Greenland—Cullinane examines what history can tell us about presidential power, global norms, and the precedents being set today.
Frozen Charlotte: A Folk Song, a Storm, and a Wink from the Past
A sudden winter storm sends historian Dr. Tom Isern back to an old ballad about a young woman frozen on her way to a New Year’s dance. In this Plains Folk essay, a grim folk song, a fabricated newspaper tale, and a tiny porcelain party favor come together—reminding us that not every old story was meant as a warning; some were meant to be sung with a knowing wink. You can listen to Plains Folk here.
Hemp’s Comeback Faces a Federal Crossroads
After years of decline, hemp farming is surging again - driven largely by demand for hemp-derived THC products legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill. But a proposed federal ban could wipe out the industry’s most profitable markets almost overnight. Harvest Public Media’s Molly Ashford explores what the potential shift could mean for farmers, processors, and the future of hemp in the U.S.
Listening to the Past: How Okinawan Songs Carry Climate Knowledge
Traditional Okinawan (Ryukyuan) music is more than art, it’s a living archive of environmental knowledge. In this Our Living Lands conversation, Justin Higa of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa explains how centuries-old songs encode insights about climate, ocean systems, and geology, revealing how people once understood, and adapted to, the natural world around them.