Our Founding Mothers, Don Was and more....

It's the 3rd of July. And since tomorrow's actual holiday falls on a Saturday, many of us have today off. Tonight's show on Air America radio will be a "best of" ... but the good news is that I'll be back again all next week for more Nic @ Night!

But last night's show had so much going on that I wanted to share it with you.

I started the program with some personal comments. A friend of mine -- actually a very, very dear friend of my boyfriend's-- passed away yesterday. We've learned of a number of famous people who've died recently, but it's much more difficult to deal with when it's someone close to, and even worse when it could have been prevented. If only the health care system in this country actually worked.
Hear my comments on Charlie's death by clicking here.

When we hear about the birth of our nation, the stories we're told are about the "founding fathers." Very little is written in the history books about our Founding Mothers. So, last night I invited my friend Amy Simon back to the show to talk about her research into the women that were quite active, but still relatively unknown today! Listen to our interview here.

Scroll down to see a wonderful video of the old Ben E. King classic "Stand by Me" as performed by Iranian superstar Andy Madadian, Jon Bon Jovi and others, including producer Don Was, who put the whole thing together. Don joined me on the air last night to talk about this video, along with his music, and his Wasmopolitan Cavalcade of Recorded Music on MyDamnChannel.com.

Hear my interview with Don Was by clicking here!

And we got an update on a story we've been following all week. A boat carrying relief supplies for residents of Gaza was boarded by the Israeli Navy, and the 21 volunteers on board, including former US Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney, were captured and imprisoned by the Israeli government. Last night, we connected with Free Gaza's Greta Berlin in Cypress, and got an update on the situation. Listen to our phone call here.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday! Please remember to join me Monday night, July 6 on Air America radio from 8-10pm PT/ 11pm-1am ET. You can listen live online at www.airamerica.com/listen. My special guest will be former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura!