Advertise on podcast: CBS Audio Network Specials

Here is CBS News Radio's 2-hour longform coverage of the 2024 New Hampshire Primary. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

CBS News Radio's three-hour, long-form coverage of the 2024 Iowa caucuses. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Professor Bruce David Forbes, an ordained minister, wrote Christmas: A Candid History to chronicle the many transformations of the beloved holiday over 2,000 years. He speaks with host Gil Gross about the genesis of Christmas from its pre-Christian roots in winter holiday traditions, through the birth of Jesus, to its emergence as a global phenomenon of gift-giving and media extravaganzas. And, musicologist Joe Bennet explains the art and science behind why we are so enamored by Christmas music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Winter Holiday Season used to be the make-or-break month for holiday blockbusters and critically-acclaimed awards contenders. Washington Chief Film Critic Ann Hornaday joins host Gil Gross for a look at how Hollywood approaches the season as the industry copes in the post-pandemic world of video streaming and reviews some of the best movies of Christmastime. Gil does a deep dive into the origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed reindeer, an underdog who not only guided Santa’s sleigh but also dominated books, movies, television, and music. The Brandeis University Professor Jonathan Sarna chronicles the transformation of Hanukkah from obscure Jewish Holy Day to one of the most public and widely celebrated Hebrew holidays. And CBS Sunday Morning host Jane Pauley tells the story of the most famous Letter to the Editor ever written, which asks the question, “Is there a Santa Claus?” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the most beloved Christmas observances in the world is a 9-day re-enactment of Mary and Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem. Award-winning singer and actor Carlos Medina joins host Gil Gross to share the song-filled tradition of Las Posadas. Louis Bayard, New York Time Best Selling author of My Timothy, discusses the global popularity of the inspiration for his book, Charles Dickens’ beloved A Christmas Carol. Notre Dame’s Grant Mathews explains the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem combining his religious faith with his scientific training as an astrophysicist, and reveals the likely identity of the Three Wise Men. And while we are looking up at the sky, Astronomer Andrew Fraknoi, explains the cause of one of the oldest holidays in the world, The Winter Solstice. CBS News’ Mark Strassman details how an obscure plant from Mexico came to dominate holiday households across the United States in the legacy of the colorful and curiously-named Poinsettia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pilgrims and Puritans: Our Thanksgiving Day Story has mashed up these very different groups of founding mothers and fathers. Who were they and how were they different? Professor  Abram Van Engen from Washington University in St. Louis sorts this thorny Thanksgiving genealogy for us. Then, we hear from Paula Peters from the Wampanoag Nation and Nichelle Garcia from the Smithsonian Institution about the very important role Native Americans played in the story of the founding of our nation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The iconic vessel that carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower, also carried the rich history of the creation of our nation's favorite holiday. Celebrated historian and best selling author Nathaniel Philbrick shares his deep research in to the ship that brought to America the tradition of Thanksgiving. And, CBS News Travel Correspondent Peter Greenberg shares how you can save money, time and your sanity when traveling over the holiday season. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The most famous woman in America in the 1800's created the national holiday of Thanksgiving. But somehow we have lost our knowledge of her many contributions to American culture from Mary Had a Little Lamb to the Christmas Tree. Biographer Melani Kirkpatrick shares the story of Sarah Josepha Hale. And, you think you know of our Thanksgiving traditions but actually they have morphed over the decades. And what we hold most dear might actually be a recent innovation. Historian Matthew Dennis explains.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Outdoor grilling and tailgating hit high gear after Labor Day. In Hour 3 of the Labor Day Special from CBS News Radio, host Gil Gross interviews Daniel Gritzer from "Serious Eats" explains how you can elevate your grilling game when you understand the science of marinades. And author Dan Tynan returns to detail how artificial intelligence will forever alter the way we work. Finally, we teach you how to deal with "Jerks at Work", with professor and author Dr. Tessa West. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Hour 2 of the Labor Day Special from CBS News Radio, host Gil Gross interviews business journalist Dan Tynan who warns of the retirement tsunami that is looming on the horizon as more Americans age out of the workforce. Then, Gil speaks with MIT Sloan School of Business and the author of "Shaping the Future of Work" Tom Kochan about the seeming resurrection of organized labor in the United States. Looking for a high paying job with benefits where you get to wear a furry costume in front of millions of people? Professional sports mascots are pulling down six-figure incomes. Freakonomics' journalist Zachary Crockett gives us the inside scoop. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Hour 1 of the Labor Day Special from CBS News Radio, host Gil Gross interviews award-winning author Dan Moldea who tells the compelling story of the rise and fall of Jimmy Hoffa, whose career mirrored the trajectory of the Organized Labor Movement. And we also hear from SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, as the strike of Screen Actors,Television and Radio Artists against the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) enters its 9th week of work stoppage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Author Neil Kings returns to join host Gil Gross in the telling of of his remarkable journey by foot for one month traversing the historical landscape of America. Then, we know a lot about the founding fathers and the military heroes of The Revolutionary War, but what about the everyday people in the American colonies? Liz Covart, award-winning historian of early America, explains what life was like for them during the founding of our nation. And, British biographer Andrew Roberts upends the conventional wisdom about King George III, who was actually quite beloved by Americans at the start of the War of American Independence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.