Hollywood, Smart Power and Public Diplomacy Americans are about to celebrate the Fourth of July at a time when America's international reputation has been in decline. A country that sees itself as free, prosperous and generous is identified with the war in Iraq, Abu Ghraib and the defense of torture. Since Americans don't know much about the rest of the world, restoring the country's image will be a two-way street. Can Hollywood be an agent of public diplomacy, explaining the US to other people, at the same time it educates Americans about the rest of the world?

Fears, Hopes and Predictions for 2009 An election that turned conventional political wisdom upside down and an economy that turned everything upside down; 2008 was a year of some of the most profound changes Americans have experienced in decades. How will those changes play out in the year to come? Can Barack Obama capitalize on a new political landscape? Will the economy stabilize? What's happened to the American dream? From the economy to politics, from personal values to consumer lifestyles, we take advantage of one of those once a year moments – New Year's Eve -- to think about what was and what will be. Note: You can learn more about any of the topics discussed in today's show by searching the KCRW archives.

Another Round of Presidential Debates You could be forgiven for thinking the presidential election is just around the corner, instead of late next year. Debate season is well underway.   Last night, New Hampshire was the site of the third Republican debate so far. Earlier in the week, it was host to the second debate by the Democrats. Democrats elbowed each other, Republicans went after the Democrats, and pretty much everybody criticized President Bush. With a flock of contenders in both fields , what effect do early debates have on the long-term race?   Eighteen months before the election, what campaign strategies are emerging? Do debates have any effect on public opinion so early in the season? Will immigration and Iraq define the election next year?

Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate in South Carolina Last night, on the campus of a historically black institution, South Carolina State University , all the Democratic candidates met for the first time.  Results of the debate in this very Republican state, whose primary will be held fourth in next year's election process, could be a bell weather, especially for the voting patterns of African American Democrats.  Each of the eight candidates got 11 minutes in total during an hour and a half of one-minute answers to questions on complex issues. For the most part, they were nice to each other, tough on President Bush and really angry about the war in Iraq.  Are Clinton , Obama and Edwards still the top three?  Did any "second tier" candidates distinguish themselves?  We hear from across the Democratic political spectrum.

Terrorist Suspects and the November Election Yesterday, the House passed new rules for detaining, interrogating and prosecuting suspected terrorists . They are key to President Bush's national security agenda, which Republicans plan to showcase during the mid-term election campaigns. Today, Bush went to Capitol Hill, urging Senate approval of the bill . While even some Republicans say the measure might be thrown out by the courts, most Democrats are lying low to avoid being called "weak" on security. Are the Democrats sacrificing principles or are they really tougher than Republicans want to admit? Has preoccupation with the November elections made this a do-nothing Congress? What's the likely impact on voters?