Is it Time for a Commutation? In 1987, a 20-year-old Marine, Thomas Koonce, was home on leave where he found himself in a tough situation trying to flee a mob in New Bedford. He ended up firing a warning shot unintentionally killing a bystander. He rejected a deal for manslaughter and was then convicted of first-degree murder, resulting in a mandatory sentence of life without parole. Even the prosecutor subsequently said the murder conviction was inappropriate. After 28 years in prison, Thomas Koonce has now been granted the first commutation hearing in the Commonwealth in six years. His attorney, Tim Foley, joins Dan to discuss the case.
The Black National Anthem. The NFL season started last night with the "Black National Anthem" Lift Every Voice sung by Alicia Keyes before the Star-Spangled Banner was played. Your reaction to the NFL’s opening ceremony during this very different NFL season?
Chicken Soup for the Soul. Editor, author, and publisher Amy Newmark, of Chicken Soup for the Soul, joins Dan to discuss the books, movies, and streaming services designed to give us all sustenance during these times of pandemic lockdowns and civil unrest.
The Anniversary of 9/11. Nineteen years ago today our world was changed forever when terrorists flew commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center Towers in New York, the Pentagon in Washington D.C. and a field in Shanksville, PA. What are your remembrances of that day?
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