This Month on "Story in the Public Square" - August 2026
"Story in the Public Square" is a national broadcast that unpacks narratives with outside impact on public understanding and public policy. Hosted by Jim Ludes, the show can be seen each week on public television stations across the United States and seeks to study, celebrate and tell stories that matter.
Mary Afsari: August 3-9, 2026
The data says that more than half of the country’s population is made up of women. But women’s healthcare has grown increasingly politicized. Dr. Mary Fariba Afsari is on the front lines of care, offering healthcare from a mobile clinic that meets patients where they are.
Amy Hanauer: August 10-16, 2026
It’s been said that the only things certain in life are death and taxes. But Amy Hanauer of the Institute on Tax Policy and Economic Policy says that for some, taxes might not be on that list anymore—with societal implications for us all.
Sean O’Callaghan: August 17-23, 2026
The Vatican has long concerned itself with the practical interaction of theology with the world in which its followers live. Scholar Sean O’Callaghan says that the recent message from Pope Leo XIV on Artificial Intelligence follows in that tradition and offers profound insights for believers and non-believers alike.
Nicholas Reynolds & Katie S. Sanders: August 24-30, 2026
Historian Nicholas Reynolds and award-winning journalist Katie S. Sanders tell the story of a combat-veteran of the French Foreign Legion who ultimately distinguished himself for valor as a U.S. Marine fighting in Europe during the Second World War.
Cheryl Willman: August 31-September 6, 2026
Dr. Cheryl L. Willman, Director of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses cancer’s toll as the second leading cause of death throughout the world and the research aimed at improving outcomes and bettering lives.
In Rhode Island and southeastern New England, the show is broadcast on Rhode Island PBS on Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and is rebroadcast on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Check your local public television listings for air times near you!
An audio version of the program airs Saturdays at 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET, Sundays at 2:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Mondays at 4:30 a.m. ET on SiriusXM’s popular P.O.T.U.S. (Politics of the United States), channel 124.