Government & Politics

In the wake of Xena: Warrior Princess's success, TV critic David Bianculli reviews three new TV shows: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Daria, and Spy Game. He says they're all fun to watch.

The Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center was Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation with the Department of Health and Human Services. He resigned last September because of his disapproval of President Clinton's welfare-reform bill. Edelman criticizes the bill as not promoting job obtainment and as damaging to the lives of poor children and legal immigrants.

Pulitzer-Prize winning writer Garry Wills has published books on Nixon, Reagan and Kennedy, as well as a critical profile of Ross Perot. His latest book is a look at the relationship between politics and popular culture via celebrity, "John Wayne's America: the Politics of Celebrity."

TV critic David Bianculli previews two new TV shows that are popping up in this post-sweep period: "The Practice" on ABC and a revamped "EZ Streets" on CBS. He says both are worth watching.

Film critic John Powers reviews the new film, "Donnie Brasco" about an FBI agent who goes undercover to infiltrate the mob. It stars Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.

One of the most popular writers of the legal thriller genre, John Grishim. The prolific writer has seven novels to his credit. His eighth and newest is "The Partner." He recently returned to practicing law.

Saul Friedlander is the author of "Nazi Germany and the Jews, Vol. 1: The Years of Persecution 1933-1939." He examines the period looking at how Hitler's "murderous rage" and ideologies, converged with internal political pressures, and attitudes of German and European societies to create the Holocaust. Friedlander was born in Prague and was seven when his parents hid him in a Catholic seminary in France where he took on a new identity. His parents died in the Holocaust. Friedland now teaches at Tel Aviv University and at UCLA.

Daniel Jonah Goldhagen is the author of the controversial book "Hitler's Willing Executioners: Ordinary Germans and the Holocaust." He offers evidence that ordinary Germans knowingly cooperated in the Holocaust, that they were motivated by anti-Semitism, not by economic hardship, coercion, or psychological pressures, as usually put forth by historians. Goldhagen is Associate Professor of Government and Social Studies at Harvard University.

Journalist Stan Sesser is a former staff writer for the New Yorker and the senior fellow of the Human Rights Center at the University of California at Berkeley. He's been following the imminent takeover of the British-ruled Hong Kong by the Chinese government. He says while Hong Kong will most likely preserve its economic freedom, the July 1 takeover calls into question the future of its democratic government and civil-liberties laws.

Film critic John Powers reviews the new David Lynch film, "Lost Highway." Powers says it's a lesser Lynch film -- but still better than almost any other movie out now.

Fred & Kim Goldman, father and and sister of the late Ron Goldman, who was murdered in June 1994. They were present throughout the criminal trial against O.J. Simpson, who was charged with the crime, and recently won their case against him at the civil trial. In a new book "His Name is Ron: Our Search for Justice," the family recounts their experiences at the criminal trial and shares their memories of Ron Goldman.

Film critic John Powers reviews the new Clint Eastwood film about murder and political corruption.

Korn writes about health and medical issues for "Self," "the Chicago Tribune Magazine," and other publications. He has a new book "Lovejoy: A Year in the Life of an Abortion Clinic," which tells of the protests and controversy surrounding the Lovejoy Surgicenter, an abortion clinic in Portland, Oregon.

Reporter for the Village Voice, Jennifer Gonnerman. In 1994 Planned Parenthood won a judgement against Operation Rescue, which had to sell off its office equipment to satisfy the judgement. A pro-choice activist bought many of those items in a public auction, including six computers. In one of the computers was a journal kept by one of Operation Rescue activists.

Filmmaker Ken Burns is the director of "The Civil War" and "Baseball," the hit documentaries on PBS. The former was the network's highest rated series. Burns' newest project is the three-hour documentary, "Thomas Jefferson" about our third president, narrated by Ossie Davis.

Journalist, novelist, and playwright Susan Berman. Her childhood is rooted in the infamous, fast-paced, Vegas lifestyle of a mafia family. Her latest book, "Lady Las Vegas" tells the story of her experience as the daughter of Davie Berman, mafia partner to Bugsy Siegel. She is also the author of four other books, including her acclaimed memoir "Easy Street."

E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., is a research psychiatrist at the Neuroscience Center of the National Institute of Mental Health. He has come out with a new book, "Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis." Torrey examines the dangers of neglecting the mentally ill and provides political and economic approaches necessary for change. Torrey is the author of 12 books in all, including the best-selling book "Surviving Schizophrenia."

Tsongas died Saturday at the age of 55 from complications of lymph cancer. He ran his presidential campaign in 1992 on the issue of the economy, offering tough solutions to the nation's economic problems. During the campaign his cancer (which was in remission) was an issue. His book "Heading Home" was about his fight with cancer. He also wrote the book "Economic Call to Arms" which was published by his presidential campaign. (REBROADCAST from 6/19/92)

Poet and professor Miller Williams. He teaches at the University of Arkansas. He's been asked to read at Clinton's Inauguration. He's also President Carter's poetry mentor. Miller is best known for his narrative, dramatic, poems of everyday people. He's had a number of collection of poems published. His latest is "The Ways We Touch." (University of Illinois Press) which was originally scheduled for a Fall 1997 release, but moved up because of the inauguration.

Higginbotham served in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He's an expert on race and the legal process and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His new book is "Shades of Freedom: Racial Politics and Presumptions of the American Legal Process"