Utopian societies popped up all over the United States in the 1840's and for one Ozarker, Columbia-based novelist Steve Wiegenstein, it was a chance for him to combine his love for an area of Missouri in which his family goes back 5 generations with his fascination for these 19th century egalitarian communities. He talks about his Daybreak series of novels with Diana Moxon and how the history of a legendary and terrifying guerilla fighter intersects with his own ancestors. And in Act Two of the show, Diana chats with metal sculptor, butch Murphy, who went from a career in the sanitized world of medicine to a retirement of rust, oil and the grime of scrapyards. Opening and closing musical credits with thanks to guitarist Yasmin Williams (www.yasminwilliamsmusic.com).

Is it time for journalists to get off Twitter? One of the nation’s leading newspapers has made a presence on the social platform optional. We’ll talk about why, and what effects this could have on the quality of reporting and the safety of reporters. Also, Warner Bros. Discovery’s takeover of CNN and HBO, the collapse of Black News Channel and the USA Today’s innovative use of comic journalism. From Missouri School of Journalism professors Amy Simons, Earnest Perry and Kathy Kiely: Views of the News.

There are many reasons that friends drift apart. What does it take to reconnect?

We've got a crossposted episode for you this week: Mike recently joined The Cato Daily Podcast with Caleb O. Brown for a discussion about the "hacking" fiasco in Missouri and the state's treatment of the journalists who exposed its...

A few days after Gov. Mike Parson accused a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter of hacking a state website, hundreds of Sinclair Broadcast Group television stations fell victim to a ransomware attack. One of these was a cyberattack, one was reporting. We’ll distinguish between the two. And, is the other shoe about to drop on Facebook? We’ll talk about how the company’s communications team is responding to another set of leaked documents. From Missouri School of Journalism professors Amy Simons, Earnest Perry and Kathy Kiely: Views of the News.