The Wide Open
4 February 2025 - 1 hour 1 minLast week, we delved into story of how the Tennessee Valley Authority, which started out as a public institution, ended up acting like a private for-profit company, and the lawsuit that attempted to finally bring the TVA to its heel. Today, Montana Public Radio’s podcast The Wide Open tells the story of a different lawsuit against the TVA that had even bigger consequences. In the 1970s, the fight to save a tiny fish called the snail darter turned the Endangered Species Act from a minor bit of federal law into the most powerful and controversial piece of environmental legislation of the past 50 years.
The Wide Open
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Series Episodes
Service Request #5: Dude, Where's My Car?
A missing car reveals the confusing rules, murky fees, and private actors behind modern towing.
32 mins
7 April Finished
Service Request #4: How Does the Grid in Phoenix Work?
In a place where losing power can turn deadly, keeping the lights on is a high-stakes balancing act.
33 mins
3 April Finished
Service Request #3: Why Is There So Much Litter in San Francisco?
Why did it take nearly a decade to redesign a city trash can, and why haven't more bins made the streets cleaner?
28 mins
31 March Finished
Constitution Breakdown #8: Jill Lepore
Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article V, which lays out the process to amend the Constitution. Jill Lepore is our guest.
1 hour 6 mins
27 March Finished
Service Request #2: Why Is This Red Light So Damn Long?
What the world's most advanced traffic system can—and can't—do for the city that invented gridlock.
28 mins
24 March Finished
Service Request #1: What Happens When I Call 311?
The surprising power of a simple phone number to connect a community.
34 mins
17 March Finished
