This week we’ll be talking with Charleston author James M. Scott, author of Empire of Ashes: Truman, Hirohito, and the Descent into Total War (2026, W.W. Norton & Company). With startling immediacy, Empire of Ashes illuminates the moral dilemma at the center of America’s decision to inflict total war upon Japan.

This week we will be talking with Carl P. Borick, author of Backcountry Resistance: South Carolina's Militia and the Fight for American Independence (2026, USC Press).As the title indicates, Carl’s book focuses on rank-and-file militiamen of the backcountry and explores how these ordinary men were recruited, armed, fed, and motivated.Drawing on underused pension records and state claims, he reconstructs their everyday realities and their battlefield experiences. He also examines the war's devastating effects on civilians, including enslaved people and women, who played crucial roles in the struggle.

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for August 18, 2026: we are in the sprint to the August 25th U.S. Senate Republican special primary runoff between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman; we have more analysis of the race from USC's Dr. Kirk Randazzo; Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy was in town stumping for State Sen. Wes Climer, who was running for the 5th Congressional District; and more!

On this episode of the South Carolina Lede for August 15, 2026: we are heading to the August 25 special U.S. Senate Republican primary runoff between Sen. Darline Graham and Rep. Ralph Norman; we hear from the two of them on election night; we also get analysis and a look ahead with political communications strategist Rob Godfrey; and more!

This week, Bobbi Conner talks with MUSC's Dr. Joshua Neal about healthy home cooking, customized for individuals with chronic conditions.

This week, Bobbi Conner talks with MUSC's Dr. Gerard Silvestri about research indicating that many advanced lung cancer patients never receive treatment.

In 2025, South Carolina implemented a statewide ban on cellphone use in classrooms. Nationwide, early results are mixed. Some schools report fewer disruptions, more engagement, and small gains in academic performance, and teachers describe calmer classrooms and more attention.

Each summer, when school lets out, children fall behind in reading. Research shows that students lose one to two months of reading proficiency over the summer. For struggling readers or children with learning disabilities, the losses can be even greater.

You better not be throwing away your shot, because it's Broadway week here on Who What When.

This week, we’re firing up the Who What When time machine and heading back to the 1930s.