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Tell Me More brings fresh voices and perspectives to public radio. It’s where you will hear meaningful conversations on topics you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
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Soundcheck

  • Mon–Fri 2 p.m.–3 p.m.
  • Mon–Thu 10 p.m.–11 p.m.

Soundcheck, hosted by John Schaefer, is your only daily talk show about music.
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All Things Considered

  • Monday–Friday 4 p.m.–6 p.m.
  • Monday–Friday 6:30 p.m.–7 p.m.

NPR’s All Things Considered is determined to give you the day's big stories on the air, bringing them alive through contextual reporting and analysis. All Things Considered hosts Robert Siegel, Michele Norris and Melissa Block present the program's trademark mix of news, interviews, commentaries, reviews and offbeat features

(photo credits: Stephen Voss, Steve Barrett)

  • Feb 22

    Is A Lie Just Free Speech, Or Is It A Crime?

    The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday over the constitutionality of a law that makes it a crime to lie about having received a military medal. But the questions posed by the justices ranged far beyond that from deceptive advertising to lying on a date.
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  • Feb 22

    Supreme Court Considers Case On Military Honors

    The Supreme Court engaged in a lively debate Wednesday when it heard oral arguments in a case testing whether the 2006 Stolen Valor Act is constitutional. The law makes it a crime to lie about military honors.
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  • Feb 22

    Climate Scientist Admits To Lying, Leaking Documents

    Peter Gleick is an outspoken proponent of scientific evidence that humans are responsible for climate change. This week, the MacArthur "genius" grant recipient shocked the scientific community by admitting to lying to obtain internal documents from the Heartland Institute, a group skeptical of climate change.
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  • Feb 22

    Diet Drug Qnexa Gets Thumbs-Up From FDA Panel

    In a reversal, a panel of experts is advising the Food and Drug Administration to approve Qnexa, a weight-loss pill, that was rejected in 2010. The potential benefits for overweight people exceed the risks, such as birth defects and increased heart rates, the panel determined.
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  • Feb 22

    'We Crush The Cars': Inside The Monster Truck Arena

    The sport — yes, sport — of monster truck driving has come a long way. What started in the late '70s as intermission entertainment for tractor-pulling competitions is now a multimillion-dollar industry that tours the world. "We are a show," says veteran Rod Schmidt, "but yet we're racers."
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  • Feb 22

    Panda Express Takes Sweet And Sour Beyond The Food Court

    Food court mainstay Panda Express is now in the midst of a major transformation. It's adding premium products like Angus steak and portobello mushrooms, and new flavors to keep pace with an increasingly sophisticated American palate. But that fiendishly tasty orange chicken isn't going anywhere.
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  • Feb 22

    A Pirate's Perspective In 'Fishing Without Nets'

    Writer-director Cutter Hodierne, whose short feature film on Somali pirates recently won a jury prize at Sundance, talks with Melissa Block about shooting his film in East Africa and telling his story from the perspective of the pirates.
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  • Feb 22

    On Tibetan Plateau, A Sense Of Constant Surveillance

    These days, visiting Tibetan areas is a risky venture for journalists trying to cover the protest movement against Chinese rule, including a rash of self-immolations. But the dangers are far greater for those who talk to them. NPR's Louisa Lim recently traveled there and describes the challenges.
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  • Feb 22

    Letters: Stolen Tubas, Uninsured Unemployed

    Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read emails from listeners on stolen tubas and the uninsured unemployed.
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  • Feb 22

    Justice Department Drops Foreign Bribery Case

    The Justice Department has abandoned its high profile foreign bribery case against businessmen in the military equipment industry after a string of mistrials and acquittals. Prosecutors have spent increasing resources to bring companies to justice under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, but their record recently has been very uneven.
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  • Feb 22

    Portuguese Wary Of German Drive For Austerity

    Many Portuguese are angered by the German-led drive for austerity. Backlash is mounting in Portugal where some people fear compliance with rigorous EU policies could weaken their democracy.
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  • Feb 22

    Two Western Journalists Among Dead In Syria

    Marie Colvin, an American who was the Sunday Times of London's chief war correspondent for a quarter of a century, was killed Wednesday. Colvin was in the embattled Syrian city of Homs and died alongside a French photojournalist and one of Syria's best known citizen journalists. All three died in a district of Homs which has been under bombardment by Syrian government forces since early this month.
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  • Feb 22

    FDA Recommends Approval For New Obesity Drug

    Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration have recommended approval of a new obesity drug called Qnexa. The advisory panel had rejected the drug two years ago due to concerns about possible birth defects and heart problems. But new studies presented by the drug's maker convinced the panel that the benefits of the drug outweighed its risks. The panel did recommend, however, the company that makes the drug conduct a follow-up study to better assess the drug's risk to the heart. The FDA usually follows the advice of its advisers.
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  • Feb 22

    Mubarak's Trial Ends, Sentencing Set For June

    Hosni Mubarak's seven month trial ended Wednesday. If convicted in the deaths of protesters who rose against him, he could receive the death penalty. But many Egyptians are doubtful the secretive and long trial will bring justice. The verdict and sentencing are set for June.
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  • Feb 22

    Obama Calls For Corporate Tax Reduction

    The Obama administration outlined a plan on Wednesday to reduce the corporate tax rate to 28 percent. It would also close many loopholes and impose a minimum tax on businesses. The proposal has little chance on Capitol Hill, but it's a starting point for a political debate this election season.
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  • Feb 22

    Arizona Debate A Key Platform Before Primaries

    The four remaining Republican candidates debate Wednesday night in Mesa, Ariz. Host Audie Cornish talks with Ted Robbins, who is in Arizona in advance of the state's Republican primary next Tuesday.
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  • Feb 22

    Publishing Pioneer Barney Rosset Dies At 89

    Barney Rosset gave American readers their first taste of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, as well as uncensored classics by Henry Miller and D.H. Lawrence. To do that, Rosset fought literally hundreds of court cases and was largely responsible for breaking down U.S. obscenity laws in the 1950s and '60s.
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  • Feb 22

    Obama Takes New Approach To Black Voters For 2012

    While President Obama would have spoken at the groundbreaking for the new National Museum of African American History and Culture no matter when it happened, his appearance Wednesday highlighted a shift in his outreach to African-American voters.
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  • Feb 22

    Architect On New Black History Museum Design

    The way Americans learn about African American history is largely shaped by architect Philip Freelon. He's designed most of the country's major African American history and culture museums — from the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in Greensboro, NC, to the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco. And Wednesday there was a groundbreaking ceremony on the National Mall for his highest profile project to date — the new Smithsonian devoted to African American history and culture. Freelon stopped by after the ceremony to talk with Melissa Block about the museum and his design philosophy.
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  • Feb 22

    Oil Prices Historically Important In Elections

    Audie Cornish speaks with Jim Tankersley, Economics Correspondent for the National Journal, about how oil prices have affected the outcomes of elections in the past.
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  • Feb 21

    Yemen Election: One Person, One Vote, One Candidate

    Millions of Yemenis voted Tuesday in an unusual presidential election in which the only candidate was the vice president. That was the result of a power-transfer deal with President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who agreed to step down after 33 years. Boycotts and violence affected the polls in some places.
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  • Feb 21

    The Big Squeeze: Calif. Weight Loss Clinics Under Investigation

    The 1-800-GET-THIN marketing campaign and its affiliated surgical centers, which implant the Lap-Band for weight-loss, are being investigated by local, state and federal authorities. At least three wrongful death lawsuits have been filed and the Department of Insurance has launched an investigation into allegations of insurance fraud.
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  • Feb 21

    From Waterfall To Lavafall: Yosemite's Fleeting Phenomenon

    If you head to Yosemite National Park this time of year and stop by Horsetail Fall at just the right time, you might see something awesome: As the sun sets, the waterfall glows with streaks of gold and yellow — and it looks just like molten lava.
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  • Feb 21

    Rent-A-Crowds May Be Boosting Pro-Putin Campaign

    Since opposition protesters began taking to the streets in December, Russian authorities have been mounting pro-Kremlin rallies. But organizers of the pro-Putin events have been accused of padding their numbers by pressing government workers to attend, and even paying for hired extras.
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  • Feb 21

    Twitter Diplomacy: State Department 2.0

    Diplomacy in the age of social media is transforming the way ambassadors do their jobs. From tweets to Facebook posts, the State Department is encouraging ambassadors to get their messages out in new and different ways.
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  • Feb 21

    Supreme Court Wades Into Affirmative Action Issue

    By agreeing to hear a case on admissions at the University of Texas, the newly energized conservative majority on the high court signaled it may be willing to severely cut back on the use of racial preferences.
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  • Feb 21

    Israel Agrees To Free Palestinian Hunger Striker

    Palestinians have long complained about the Israeli practice of detention without trial. One such prisoner went on a hunger strike for more than two months, and Israel has now agreed to free him.
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  • Feb 21

    Even When Employed, Health Care A Challenge

    A little more than a year ago, NPR launched the Road Back to Work series, following six people in St. Louis who started 2011 unemployed and were searching for work. Like so many Americans, the people we followed have had difficulty getting health coverage, even after returning to work.
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  • Feb 21

    A 'Giant Anthology' Of Profile Records, Rap's Early Champion

    Profile Records never meant to get into the rap game, but the label launched the careers of groups like Run-D.M.C.
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  • Feb 21

    Galactic: A Funky Day In The Life Of Mardi Gras

    The New Orleans funk band's latest album takes listeners from Fat Tuesday to Ash Wednesday.
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  • Feb 21

    Russian Scientists Clone Ancient Arctic Plant

    Audie Cornish speaks with Grant Zazula, a paleontologist for the government of Yukon, about the cloning of an ancient Arctic plant by Russian scientists. He says he was skeptical at first, but is confident the experiment has been a success.
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  • Feb 21

    US And UN Debate Intervention In Syria

    Melissa Block talks with Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy Planning at the US State Department, about the escalating violence in Syria and Russian resistance to a UN resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down. Sullivan also responds to Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham, who have urged the US to provide arms to the rebel forces.
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  • Feb 21

    Buoyed By Greek Bailout, DOW Hits Milestone

    The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 13,000 mark for the first time in nearly four years on Tuesday. The market has been rallying on a spate of good news about the economy and the absence of anything really bad.
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  • Feb 21

    Some Greeks Wary Of Bailout Deal, Dread Austerity

    European leaders saved Greece from a messy default — and a possible exit from the Eurozone — by finalizing a second bailout, with loans amounting to around $170 million. Greek politicians are celebrating for now, but most Greeks are filled with dread. They fear the new austerity measures will drag out the recession — which is in its fifth year — and continue to push up unemployment, which is already more than 21 percent overall.
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  • Feb 21

    Will Life After 'Lin' Change NBA Recruiting?

    The New York Knicks lost to New Jersey Monday night, but sudden NBA sensation Jeremy Lin had another strong game with 21 points. Lin has been racking up big numbers since exploding on the scene a few weeks ago. The Knicks have won all but two games during that stretch. Did scouts miss a diamond in the rough, did Lin take full advantage of a unique situation — or was it both? And will his performance hasten the emergence of other "Jeremy Lin"s in the league?
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  • Feb 21

    Who Bankrolls Romney? Big Donors, Not Small Ones

    Analysis of Mitt Romney's fundraising shows he gets two-thirds of his contributions from maxed-out donors — more than anyone else who has run for president since 2003. At the other end of the spectrum, Romney lags behind all the other candidates in the race in the share of cash raised from small donors.
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  • Feb 21

    Harvard Grad, Cello Player: The 'Other' Jeremy Lin

    We hear from a non-basketball-playing Harvard grad named Jeremy Lin, who has to deal with the fact that a classmate with the same name is now an NBA star.
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  • Feb 20

    A Depressive Diarist Chronicles His Descent

    How much do we read into ourselves when we write a diary? Author Patrick DeWitt recommends the dark, deep journal of a man suffering from a nervous breakdown.
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  • Feb 20

    Tech Pioneer Channels Hard Lessons Into Silicon Valley Success

    Jen-Hsun Huang's education in the rough environment of eastern Kentucky helped make him a tough player in the tech industry. Now Nvidia, the company he co-founded, makes powerful graphics chips that bring realistic games and movie effects to screens small and large.
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  • Feb 20

    Our Media, Ourselves: Are We Headed For A Matrix?

    We're streaming our video, downloading our books and doing away with the hard copies that used to help communicate our personalities to one another. Bob Mondello points to a surprisingly early vision of that kind of digital future — and asks what's behind the worry it expresses.
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  • Feb 20

    With Business Up, Owners Say Banks Lending Again

    A big reason for the slow recovery has been that the nation's battered banks haven't been able or willing to lend. There are signs that's changing and that bank lending is helping to support stronger growth.
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  • Feb 20

    Report: Ariz. Sheriff Threatened To Deport Boyfriend

    Conservative Arizona sheriff Paul Babeu resigned over the weekend as chair of Mitt Romney's Arizona campaign. After announcing his run for Congress, the Phoenix New Times reported that he's gay and had previously threatened a Mexican boyfriend with deportation.
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  • Feb 20

    Lawsuits Flying Over Florida's Redistricting

    Florida's legislature has released its new legislative and congressional maps as part of the once-every-decade redistricting process, and the lawsuits are already flying. Democrats and watchdog groups say the new maps violate constitutional amendments that require districts to be drawn without regard to political parties or incumbents. The process is likely to be tied up in the courts for months, but the proposed maps are already having an impact — including forcing Tea Party favorite, Congressman Allen West, to leave his old district for one that's friendlier to Republicans.
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  • Feb 20

    John Glenn On 50 Years Since His First Orbit

    Monday marks the 50th anniversary of astronaut John Glenn's orbiting of Earth. Glenn — who was one of NASA's original Mercury Seven — was the first American to achieve the feat. He flew the mission in just under five hours, circling the globe three times in a capsule named Friendship 7. Glenn, who says he recalls the mission as if it were just last week, tells Audie Cornish he doesn't want the US to lose sight of the future and America's role in outer space.
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  • Feb 20

    Science Behind Avalanche 'Air Bag' Saves Skier

    Three skiers died in an avalanche over the weekend in Washington state. A fourth skier was caught in the snow slide, but survived thanks to an airbag she deployed from her backpack. Audie Cornish speaks with Doug Abromeit, former director of and now consultant for the US Forest Service National Avalanche Center, about how the air bag works.
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  • Feb 20

    'Clinton' Doc Turns Lens On Former President

    Host Audie Cornish talks with writer and director Barak Goodman about his latest project, Clinton, part of the American Experience: Presidents series. The first of two installments airs Monday night on PBS.
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  • Feb 20

    Candidates Hit Ground For Contests In Mich., Ariz.

    Host Audie Cornish talks with Don Gonyea about the week ahead in politics, including the contests in Michigan and Arizona.
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  • Feb 20

    Researcher Decodes Workplace Rank From Emails

    Eric Gilbert, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech, tells Audie Cornish about his latest study on work emails. He looked at how certain words or phrases used in work correspondence can reveal if the message is being sent by someone higher up or further below you on the corporate food chain.
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  • Feb 20

    'Hugo' Author Explores His Inspiration Up Close

    When Brian O. Selznick wrote The Invention of Hugo Cabaret — a graphic novel about an orphan in 1930s Paris — he imagined the secret spaces of a Paris train station. For inspiration, he visited Grand Central Terminal in New York City. But the scenes in the book — hidden tunnels, secret rooms, the giant clock tower — were all drawn from Selznick's imagination and later turned into the movie Hugo by Martin Scorcese, which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards. Selznick recently got to explore Grand Central's secrets for the first time and it turns out that life imitated art in shockingly faithful ways.
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  • Feb 20

    Thousands Of Homeless An Election Issue For Chavez

    Oil-rich Venezuela is awash in hundreds of thousands of homeless. Many find places to live where they can — in half-finished shopping malls or under the grandstand at a race track. The huge number of homeless has become an election issue for President Hugo Chavez, who is seeking his fourth, six-year term.
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  • Feb 20

    Eurozone Ministers Close To Greek Bailout Deal

    Host Audie Cornish talks with Eric Westervelt about the decision on whether to grant Greece another bailout, this time worth $171 billion.
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  • Feb 20

    Book Review: 'The Darlings'

    Bernie Madoff's investment scandal inspired financial analyst Christina Alger to write a novel based on the personal and financial turmoil created by the collapse. It's called The Darlings, and Alan Cheuse — writing professor at George Mason University — has a review.
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  • Feb 20

    Critics: Bad Oscar Rules Have Ruined 'Best Song'

    This year there are only two nominees for the Oscar's Best Original Song category — "Man or Muppet" from The Muppets and "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio. Audie Cornish talks to Steve Pond, Academy Awards columnist for TheWrap.com, about the controversy.
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  • Feb 20

    Letters: On The Vice Presidents

    Audie Cornish reads emails from listeners about a story on the vice presidents.
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  • Feb 20

    Yemen The Next Arab Nation In Line To Oust Dictator

    Voters in Yemen go to the polls on Tuesday in a one-candidate presidential election many hope will lead to a resolution of the nearly year-long crisis there. While most Yemenis support the peaceful transfer of power from former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to his deputy, many are frustrated that Saleh has immunity for all the protester deaths last year and that his sons and nephews still control the country.
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  • Feb 20

    Portugal Plays By The Rules, But Economy Slumps

    The eurozone crisis has focused attention on debt-burdened Greece. Meanwhile, Portugal is seen as the international creditors' poster-child for obediently slashing spending and welfare benefits. But Portugal's national debt continues to grow, and it's mired in recession and unemployment.
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  • Feb 20

    People in Oakland County Weigh in on the Republican Candidates

    by: Laura Herberg

    WDET went to Oakland county to hear potential voters' thoughts on the Republican candidates running in the presidential primary. Only two people knew who they were going to vote for... but that doesn't mean that only two people had an opinion on the candidates.

    Comments
  • Feb 20

    Screen Time: 3 Books That Haven't Seen The Reel

    The 2012 Academy Awards are almost upon us, and among this year's nominations for best picture, five were based on books. But for author Tessa Harris, that number isn't high enough. She recommends three of her favorite literary works that would have made terrific films.
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  • Feb 20

    The Role Of Political Spouses: Decoding An Image

    One of the most talked about personalities on the Republican presidential campaign trail, Callista Gingrich, rarely says a word. That hasn't kept her out of the spotlight, though. From their hair to their home life, potential first ladies get attention on the campaign trail.
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  • Feb 19

    Woman Candidate Battles Machismo In Mexico

    On the campaign trail, Josefina Vazquez Mota avoids marketing herself as a presidential candidate candidate specifically for women. One expert says the nomination shows change, but that's not Vazquez Mota's only challenge.
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  • Feb 19

    What's The Cure In The Race Against Breast Cancer?

    The number of deaths from breast cancer has gone down, but the rate of new cases remains about the same. One family has had three generations of women survive the disease. A two-time survivor in that family sometimes hears, "There's so much money that's given all the time, why can't they find a cure?"
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  • Feb 19

    Medics In Training: Treating Soldiers In Transit

    Among the thousands of U.S. military men and women still fighting in Afghanistan, many will have their missions cut short by serious injury. Quickly airlifting them out of the war zone requires teams of specially trained medical personnel. Cheri Lawson of WNKU spent the day at a Cincinnati, Ohio, hospital where the rigorous training takes place.
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  • Feb 19

    The Man Who Revolutionized Pinball Dies At 100

    Sunday the world lost a man who elevated a simple arcade game into an American obsession. Steve Kordek was Mr. Pinball. National Pinball Museum founder David Silverman talks to guest host Mary Louise Kelly Kordek and his legacy.
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  • Feb 18

    Houston Fan: 'We Got Tears Outside The Perimeters'

    Celebrities joined Whitney Houston's family Saturday at a private funeral service for the pop superstar at her hometown church in Newark, N.J. On the streets outside, hundreds of fans gathered to pay their respects, but police barricades kept them several blocks away from the church.
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  • Feb 18

    'On The Table': Options For Ending The Iran Standoff

    The U.S. is determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, saying ominously that "all options are on the table." But just what are those options? Are any of them up to the task of stopping Iran from getting the bomb?
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  • Feb 18

    Murder, Corruption And Cover-Ups In 'Bloodland'

    The seemingly accidental death of a troubled starlet is the catalyst for events in a new thriller that takes the reader from Dublin to New York to the Congo. "It's an exploration ... of the power dynamics that go on" between executive boardrooms and warlords, author Alan Glynn says.
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  • Feb 18

    The Role Of Political Spouses: Decoding An Image

    One of the most talked about personalities on the Republican presidential campaign trail, Callista Gingrich, rarely says a word. That hasn't kept her out of the spotlight, though. From their hair to their home life, potential first ladies get attention on the campaign trail.
    Read full post

  • Feb 18

    Week In News: Payroll Tax Cut, China VP Visit

    In a victory for the White House, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed an extension of the payroll tax cut on Friday after weeks of refusal. Host Mary Louise Kelly speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about the political reasoning behind the vote.
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  • Feb 18

    The Future Of Children's Books

    The market for children's books is huge: Consumers buy $3.1 billion children's books annually. Now, with e-books and apps taking off, there are new opportunities to turn traditional story books into interactive experiences. Guest host Mary Louise Kelly talks with Dan Poynter, consultant and publisher at Para Publishing, and Roxie Munro, an author and illustrator of more than 30 children's books, about where children's books are headed.
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  • Feb 18

    Through RecordSetter, Everyone Can Be World Champ

    If a feat is "quantifiable and breakable" and there is media proof of it, RecordSetter's co-founder says, the website will recognize it as a world record. The website accepts submissions for just about anything.
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  • Feb 17

    Gretchen Peters: Personal Pain As Universal Truth

    The Country Music Award winner channeled the events of a tumultuous year into a revealing new album called Hello Cruel World.
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  • Feb 19

    The New Running Game Where 'Zombies' Chase You

    There are many running apps out there but none are quite like the new iPhone app "Zombies, RUN!" In addition to escaping hungry zombies, the app challenges the runner to collect supplies and accomplish objectives, all in a post-apocalyptic world.
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  • Feb 16

    Santorum Blasts Bailouts, Romney In Detroit

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum told a crowd of business leaders in Detroit he has a plan that will revitalize the nation’s manufacturing base.

    Comments
  • Feb 15

    Three Poetic Traditions Inspire A Mideast Symphony

    Mohammed Fairouz, a 26-year-old American composer, has just debuted his third symphony, Poems and Prayers — featuring text in Arabic, Hebrew and Aramaic.
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  • Feb 15

    'Plotto': An Algebra Book For Fiction Writing

    You'll never suffer from writer's block as long as you've got a copy of Plotto: The Master Book of All Plots. Prolific pulp novelist William Wallace Cook turned his fiction production methods into a wacky manual for aspiring writers. Originally published in 1928, it has just been reissued.
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  • Feb 14

    Signal Return - STAR

    Every two weeks, WDET's Support the Arts program features a regional arts an cultural institution that deserves further attention. This time, It's the letterpress print house Signal-Return.

    Comments
  • Feb 11

    With Contraceptive Coverage Plan 2.0, Obama Pleases Allies, But Not Everyone

    Supporters who split with the White House over the original health care initiative are coming back to the fold now that the president has changed strategy. But some Catholics and Capitol Hill Republicans are still fuming.
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  • Feb 10

    With Death Toll Soaring, What's Next In Aid To Syria?

    As the death toll mounts in Syria, the U.S. and its partners are seeking new diplomatic initiatives to persuade Syrian President Bashar Assad to silence his army's guns and give up power. Turkey's foreign minister says it's crucial for the world to send a signal to Syrians that they are not alone.
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  • Feb 10

    As Gray Wolves Return, So Does Debate Over Hunting

    Back from near-extinction, the gray wolf will soon be removed from the endangered species list. Now, Wyoming has struck a deal with the federal government to allow trophy hunting of the predator in certain parts of the state. But the move has drawn the ire of environmentalists.
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  • Feb 10

    On The Trail, Romney Avoids His French Connection

    Mitt Romney was a Mormon missionary in France for two years, but it's not something he brings up on the campaign trail. He had life-changing experiences abroad, but Romney now disparages Europe. For those who knew the charming young man from Michigan, Romney's euro-trashing is a little painful.
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  • Feb 10

    Angel Investors And Startups Mingle In Milwaukee

    In this post-recession era, angel investor groups have stepped in to finance startup companies that banks and venture capitalists deem too risky. Twenty of those groups are in Wisconsin, including one that meets at a Milwaukee social club where local money is finding its way to local startups.
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  • Feb 10

    Catholics Split On Obama's Birth Control Decision

    Some Catholics believe the president's new rule on contraceptive coverage resolves religious liberty concerns. But others, including key bishops, say it is smoke and mirrors.
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  • Feb 10

    With Vatican's Backing, Catholics Address Sex Abuse

    This week, a Vatican-backed symposium in Rome tackled the painful subject of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Some victims' advocates decried the meeting as "cheap window dressing." But others say it may signal the the Vatican is moving toward reformers and away from deniers of the abuse.
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  • Feb 10

    Saved From Extinction, Darwin's Crocs Are Now King

    Australia's Northern Territory is home to the cunning, powerful and deadly saltwater crocodile — the world's largest. And in the territory's capital, Darwin, the crocodile is both feared and beloved.
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  • Feb 10

    New Policy Makes Insurers Pay For Birth Control

    The Obama administration revised its policy on providing cost-free birth control as part of the new health law on Friday. Institutions such as universities and hospitals that are run by religious groups will not be required to provide contraceptive coverage to employees. Rather, the insurance companies offering the plan will pay.
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  • Feb 10

    'Political Intelligence' Congress' Topic Of The Week

    The House ethics bill has stirred up conversation on Capitol Hill about how closely regulated the "political intelligence" industry should be. Robert Siegel talks with Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Brody Mullins about what the political intelligence industry does and why Senator Chuck Grassley and others feel strongly that it should be regulated.
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  • Feb 10

    White House Revises Birth Control Coverage Policy

    On Friday, President Obama offered an accommodation to critics of his policy requiring employers to provide health insurance coverage that includes prescription contraceptives.
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  • Feb 10

    A Candy-Coated Life: Lemonheads, Fireballs And Song

    Nello Ferrara, the creator of the candies Lemonheads and Atomic Fireballs, died Feb. 3. Audie Cornish talks to his son, Salvatore Ferrara II, about his father's legacy.
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  • Feb 10

    College Basketball Season Heats Up

    The college basketball season is heating up. Audie Cornish talks with sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about the season's excitement so far, including a buzzer-beating win by Duke.
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  • Feb 10

    Republican Contenders Make Pitches At CPAC

    The annual Conservative Political Action Conference is being held in Washington, D.C., and several presidential candidates were among Friday's speakers. Host Audie Cornish talks with Ari Shapiro, who was there.
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  • Feb 10

    Former Ambassador On US Strategies In Syria, Iran

    Robert Siegel speaks with Thomas Pickering, former ambassador and trustee of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, about US strategies for Syria and Iran. Pickering served as US ambassador to Russia, Jordan, Israel, and the UN — and was undersecretary of state for political affairs from 1997 to 2001.
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  • Feb 10

    A Year After Revolution, Tensions Rising In Bahrain

    Tensions are growing in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. Protests by Shiites in outlying areas are growing ahead of next week's anniversary of the uprising. There are daily clashes between protesters and police and some fear that the violence will escalate as the anniversary approaches on Feb. 14, perhaps spreading to the streets of the capital, Manama.
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  • Feb 10

    Republican Contenders Make Pitches At CPAC

    The annual Conservative Political Action Conference is being held in Washington, D.C., this week and several presidential candidates were among Friday's speakers. Host Audie Cornish talks with Ari Shapiro, who was there.
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  • Feb 10

    How Will Banks Divide $25 Billion Settlement?

    Audie Cornish talks to Chris Arnold about how money from the robo-signing agreement will be spent. The settlement — worth about $25 billion — will bring a huge increase in loan modifications and provide small checks to people who lost their homes to foreclosure.
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  • Feb 10

    Rep. Bachus Investigated For Insider Trading

    The Office of Congressional Ethics is considering allegations that Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., now chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, profited from insider trading during the 2008 financial meltdown. The case could be referred to the House Ethics Committee at some future date. The story emerged the day Congress voted to restrict members' stock trades.
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  • Feb 10

    New Policy Makes Insurers Pay For Birth Control

    The Obama administration revised its policy on providing cost-free birth control as part of the new health law on Friday. Institutions such as universities and hospitals that are run by religious groups will not be required to provide contraceptive coverage to employees. Rather, the insurance companies offering the plan will pay.
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  • Feb 10

    Week in Politics: Birth Control And The Primaries

    Robert Siegel talks to our regular political commentators ?" E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times — about religious employers and birth control, and the Republican primaries.
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  • Feb 10

    'Political Intelligence' Congress' Topic Of The Week

    The House ethics bill has stirred up conversation on Capitol Hill about how closely regulated the "political intelligence" industry should be. Robert Siegel talks with Wall Street Journal investigative reporter Brody Mullins about what the political intelligence industry does and why Senator Chuck Grassley and others feel strongly that it should be regulated.
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  • Feb 10

    College Basketball Season Heats Up

    The college basketball season is heating up. Audie Cornish talks with sportswriter Stefan Fatsis about the season's excitement so far, including a buzzer-beating win by Duke.
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  • Feb 10

    White House Revises Birth Control Coverage Policy

    On Friday, President Obama offered an accommodation to critics of his policy requiring employers to provide health insurance coverage that includes prescription contraceptives.
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  • Feb 10

    Former Ambassador On US Strategies In Syria, Iran

    Robert Siegel talks with retired Ambassador Thomas Pickering about US strategies with Syria and Iran. Pickering served as US ambassador to Russia, Jordan, Israel, and the UN — and was undersecretary of state for political affairs from 1997 to 2001.
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  • Feb 10

    Lemonheads Creator Prosecuted Nazis, Loved Singing

    Nello Ferrara, the creator of the candies Lemonheads and Atomic Fireballs, died Feb. 3. Audie Cornish talks to his son, Salvatore Ferrara II, about his father's legacy.
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  • Feb 10

    A Year After Revolution, Tensions Rising In Bahrain

    Tensions are growing in the tiny Persian Gulf kingdom of Bahrain. Protests by Shiites in outlying areas are growing ahead of next week's anniversary of the uprising. There are daily clashes between protesters and police and some fear that the violence will escalate as the anniversary approaches on Feb. 14, perhaps spreading to the streets of the capital, Manama.
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  • Feb 10

    How Will Banks Divide $25 Billion Settlement?

    Audie Cornish talks to Chris Arnold about how money from the robo-signing agreement will be spent. The settlement — worth about $25 billion — will bring a huge increase in loan modifications and provide small checks to people who lost their homes to foreclosure.
    Read full post

  • Feb 10

    Week in Politics: Birth Control And The Primaries

    Robert Siegel talks to our regular political commentators — E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times — about religious employers and birth control, and the Republican primaries.
    Read full post

  • Feb 10

    Rep. Bachus Investigated For Insider Trading

    The Office of Congressional Ethics is considering allegations that Rep. Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., now chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, profited from insider trading during the 2008 financial meltdown. The case could be referred to the House Ethics Committee at some future date. The story emerged the day Congress voted to restrict members' stock trades.
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  • Feb 10

    GOP Contenders Woo Conservatives En Route To Michigan Primary

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    The road to Michigan’s Republican presidential primary stopped in Washington, D.C. today where most of the major candidates spoke before the powerful Conservative Political Action Conference – commonly known as C-PAC.

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  • Feb 10

    Legendary Musician Carole King Remembers Motown

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    Legendary singer-songwriter Carole King turns 70 this week.

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  • Feb 10

    The Undertaker Who Helps Big Banks Write Death Plans

    Dolores Atallo helps banks plan how they could go out of business without wrecking the economy. "You're technically writing your own funeral, down to the color of the flowers," she says.
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  • Feb 09

    Birthplace Of 'Robo-Signing' Eyes Deal Critically

    On Thursday, the federal government reached a $26 billion deal with the nation's largest banks to compensate homeowners. In Florida, where a lawyer uncovered and named the rushed mortgage-approval process, some lawyers and homeowners say technical issues and trust battles remain for courts and the banks.
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  • Feb 09

    Sharon Van Etten: Hypnotically Complicated

    Van Etten's new album, Tramp, is titled after the touring artist's time of essential homelessness. It's full of unresolved restlessness, infinite-loop longing and expansive vocals.
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  • Feb 09

    The GOP Elixir: Candidates Campaign On Tax Cuts

    All four of the remaining Republican presidential candidates have proposed cutting business and personal income taxes — the only difference is by how much.
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  • Feb 09

    Gay Marriage Opponents Take Battle To The Ballot

    Washington may soon become the seventh state to legalize gay marriage. But first, it's likely to face a referendum challenge in November. Same-sex marriage will be on the ballot in a handful of states this year, and supporters have yet to win a statewide vote.
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  • Feb 09

    More Than Miso: Food Writer In Japan Records Struggling Region's Cuisine

    In a new cookbook, food writer Elizabeth Andoh tells the story of the cuisine of Japan's Tohoku region, which was hard hit by last year's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident. Andoh says it's important to document the region's cuisine now, because traditional dishes often disappear during periods of upheaval.
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  • Feb 09

    'Chico And Rita' And All That Jazz

    An animated Oscar contender follows one on-and-off romance — and traces the development of some of the world's most infectious musical styles.
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  • Feb 09

    George Clooney On Acting, Fame, And Putting Down Your Cellphone Camera

    George Clooney talks to Robert Siegel about The Descendants, aging gracefully in Hollywood, and the ubiquity of cell phone cameras.
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  • Feb 09

    Bishops Stand Strong Against Birth Control Mandate

    The White House and American Catholic bishops are at a stalemate over a rule requiring many religious organizations to provide insurance coverage for contraception. "If the argument is over religious liberty," says one scholar, "the bishops win. If the argument is over contraceptives, the administration wins."
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  • Feb 09

    Winter Songs: Paul Simon, The Bard Of Bad Weather

    Among the hundreds of songs that remind listeners of winter, one name keeps coming up: Paul Simon.
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  • Feb 09

    Over Bowls Of Soup, Donors Find Recipe For Change

    You don't have to have big bucks to join the latest trend in philanthropy. Soup groups around the country let diners pool their money to support deserving local initiatives. In Philadelphia, one dinner raised $225 for a teacher's class project.
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  • Feb 09

    Fighting Fit, Venezuela's Chavez Roars Back

    Last year, cancer nearly felled Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The long-serving and outspoken leader disappeared to Cuba for treatment for weeks at a time. Now, he has regained his bluster and is promising to crush his opponents as they mount a challenge to his rule.
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  • Feb 09

    States Hope For Relief With 'No Child' Waivers

    Six months ago, President Obama directed his secretary of education to give waivers to states seeking much-needed relief from the federal education mandates prescribed under No Child Left Behind. On Thursday, they granted them to ten. But how much flexibility is the president really willing to give and what is he asking in return?
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  • Feb 09

    CPAC Conference A Stage For Presidential Contenders

    The annual Conservative Political Action Conference began Thursday in Washington, D.C. Several former presidential candidates were among the speakers. Host Audie Cornish talks with Ari Shapiro, who was at the conference.
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  • Feb 09

    Greeks Agree To Austerity With E.U. And IMF

    After marathon talks, Greek politicians finally agreed to tough austerity measures to qualify for another bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. The measures will likely pass parliament, but it remains to be seen whether the deal can save Greece from eventual bankruptcy. The Greek finance minister flew to Brussels to see if the deal really will pass muster with the E.U.
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  • Feb 09

    'Occupy Boston' Holds On As Other Camps Close

    It's been almost six months since the Occupy Wall Street movement started in New York City. In most cities, the encampments have been shut down and street protests have dwindled. But in Boston, the movement's organizers are trying out new tactics and strategies to keep their message alive.
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  • Feb 09

    Foreclosure Deal To Help Underwater Homeowners

    Government officials have worked out a deal with the nation's five big banks to settle state and federal investigations of alleged foreclosure abuses. Banks would have to pay $5 billion in cash and another $20 billion in loan modifications under the terms of the deal.
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  • Feb 09

    Insider Trading Bills Take Aim At Congress

    The House of Representatives approved a bill to limit the ability of members of Congress to gain financially from information they acquire because of their positions. The Senate passed its version last week, and most members agree the bill is necessary this election year.
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  • Feb 09

    Study: Young People Hardest Hit By Poor Job Market

    Audie Cornish speaks with Kim Parker, Associate Director with Pew Social & Demographic Trends and lead study author about the new Pew report on record high youth unemployment statistics. The study found that negative trends in the labor market have hit 18-34-year-olds the hardest.
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  • Feb 09

    'Soup Movements' Act As Mini-Think Tanks

    In Philadelphia, sisters Nikka and Claire Landau have started a group called "Philasoup" for the city's educators. Attendees put $5 apiece into a pot, get some soup — usually donated — and discuss their proposals to improve education in the city. At the end of the evening, the group votes on which proposal deserves the night's pot of money, which is given as a microgrant. Similar klatches have sprung up all over the country in Brooklyn, Fort Worth, Los Angeles and other cities as part of America's growing "soup movement."
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  • Feb 09

    Republican Contenders Gather At CPAC

    The annual Conservative Political Action Conference began Thursday in Washington, D.C. Several former presidential candidates were among the speakers. Host Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro, who was at the conference.
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  • Feb 09

    States Hope For Relief With No Child Left Behind Waivers

    Six months ago, President Obama directed his secretary of education to give waivers to states seeking much-needed relief from the federal education mandates prescribed under No Child Left Behind. But how much flexibility is the president really willing to give and what is he asking in return?
    Read full post

  • Feb 09

    Foreclosure Deal To Help Underwater Homeowners

    Government officials have worked out a deal with the nation's five big banks to settle state and federal investigations of alleged foreclosure abuses. Banks would have to pay $5 billion in cash and another $20 billion in loan modifications under the terms of the deal.
    Read full post

  • Feb 09

    Greeks Agree To Austerity With E.U., IMF

    After marathon talks, Greek politicians finally agreed to tough austerity measures to qualify for another bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund. The measures will likely pass parliament, but it remains to be seen whether even this deal can save Greece from eventual bankruptcy. The Greek finance minister flew to Brussels to see if the deal really will pass muster with the E.U.
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  • Feb 09

    Insider Trading Bill Aimed At Congress Passes House

    The House of Representatives approved a bill to limit the ability of members of Congress to gain financially from information they acquire because of their positions. The Senate passed its version last week, and most members agree the bill is necessary this election year.
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  • Feb 09

    Occupy Boston Holds On As Other Camps Close

    It's been almost six months since the Occupy Wall Street movement started in New York City. In most cities, the encampments have been shut down and street protests have dwindled. But in Boston, the movement's organizers are trying out new tactics and strategies to keep their message alive.
    Read full post

  • Feb 09

    Study: Young People Hit Hardest By Poor Labor Market

    Audie Cornish speaks with Kim Parker, Associate Director with Pew Social & Demographic Trends and lead study author about the new Pew report on record high youth unemployment statistics.
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  • Feb 09

    George Clooney On Aging, Oscar Nomination

    Robert Siegel talks to actor and producer George Clooney about his various projects, including the choices he's made as an actor. His character in The Descendants is unlike ones he's played before, with the possible exception of "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" The hero of "The Descendants" is a bad husband, a distant father and he's a wreck.
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  • Feb 09

    Steve March Torme Comes To Taylor

    by: Travis Wright

    The son of legendary jazz singer Mel Torme is on his way to Metro Detroit. Steve Torme will perform Saturday night in Taylor.

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  • Feb 08

    Buoyant Santorum Takes Campaign To Texas — And Corrals Some Perry People

    Fresh off victories in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum campaigned in Texas on Wednesday. He told a small group of pastors, some of them former supporters of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, that he is the true conservative left to challenge Mitt Romney.
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  • Feb 08

    A New Weapon Against Nukes: Social Media

    A top State Department official wants to unleash the power of Twitter, Facebook and other services to crowdsource the fight to control the world's nuclear weapons.
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  • Feb 08

    China's Demolition Derby Turns History Into Rubble

    Historic buildings in Beijing are being demolished in the pursuit of quick profit. Even the home of the architect who urged Mao Zedong to preserve Beijing's old city has fallen to the wreckers' ball, sparking considerable outrage. And the epidemic of destruction is spreading to new buildings, too.
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  • Feb 08

    'Amasia': The Next Supercontinent?

    More than 100 million years from now, the Americas and Asia might fuse together, squishing the Arctic Ocean shut in the process. That's according to a new model that predicts where the next supercontinent may form. But don't worry: Humans will likely be long gone by then.
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  • Feb 08

    Conservatives Worry Romney's Vision Is Cloudy

    Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's losses on Tuesday have raised questions once again about his ability to inspire passion from his party's base. There has been a daily drumbeat begging Romney to put some meat on the bones of his policy agenda and set out his vision for the country.
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  • Feb 08

    Detroit Schools' No. 1 Mission: Getting Kids To Class

    Dismal attendance rates have put Detroit Public Schools at risk of losing vital state funding, so the city has launched an assault on truancy. Attendance agent George Eason says, "If we see that the parent is willfully ... not sending the child to school, then we will take every means necessary to enforce the law."
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  • Feb 08

    On 'Karimba,' Peruvian Band Melds World Sounds

    The band Novalima is undeniably Peruvian, but the music on their new album Karimba is infused with sounds from around the world including dub, salsa and club music.
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  • Feb 08

    Beached Dolphins Keep Cape Cod Rescuers Busy

    Dolphins have been stranding themselves along the shores of Cape Cod Bay since the Pilgrims' times, and this winter is no different. What is different is how long the latest round of strandings has lasted — almost a month. No one knows why the animals come ashore, but when they do teams of rescuers mobilize to try to save them.
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  • Feb 08

    In Russia, Punk-Rock Riot Girls Rage Against Putin

    Anti-government protests in Russia are taking many forms — one of the latest is a feminist collective's performance in Red Square of a song criticizing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The guerrilla group says it plans more exploits before March's presidential elections.
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  • Feb 08

    After Glum Night, Romney May Find Signs Of Hope In Colorado Swing County

    Rick Santorum won the Colorado caucuses Tuesday on the strength of social conservative and Tea Party voters. Yet he fared differently in one battleground county that will be key in the swing state in November.
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  • Feb 08

    Tensions Bubbling Again Over Falkland Islands

    It's been 30 years since Britain and Argentina went to war over the Falkland Islands. The British won, leaving the islands off the coast of Argentina in British hands. While the war may be over, tensions between the two countries about who owns the Falklands have risen in recent months. Host Robert Siegel talks with professor Mark Jones of Rice University for more.
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  • Feb 08

    Letters: Is The Middle Finger Offensive?

    Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel read emails from listeners about whether giving the middle finger is offensive.
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  • Feb 08

    Sectarian Violence Rising in Syria

    What happened in Karm al Zeitoun? Over the past week, reports have emerged of at least three Sunni families were brutally slaughtered by regime-backed Allawite thugs known as "shabiha." Stories of a brief but brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing in the mixed neighborhood of Homs, means some people's worst fears are coming true: The conflict is becoming sectarian. Allawites, too, report killings of their own by Sunnis. Each side says the other is pushing the people toward the brink of sectarian war.
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  • Feb 08

    Egyptian Judge Details Charges Against NGO Workers

    Egyptian authorities have released details of the charges against 43 people, including 19 Americans, who worked for democracy-building NGOs around the country. Cairo says the suspects were carrying out political, not civil society activities, particularly after the revolution began just over a year ago.
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  • Feb 08

    Santorum Takes His Victory Lap In Texas

    Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum won Tuesday's caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, as well as the non-binding primary in Missouri. On Wednesday, he took a victory lap in Texas.
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  • Feb 08

    Hamas, Palestinians Sign Unity Agreement

    Robert Siegel speaks with Daoud Kuttab, director general of a Palestinian media organization and the Community Media Network in Amman, Jordan, about the unity agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
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  • Feb 08

    Amazon Expands Streaming With Viacom Deal

    Amazon announced Wednesday that it will expand the selection on its streaming service through a new deal with Viacom. Included in the deal are Paramount movies, as well as shows from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV and more. This deal isn't exclusive, in that much of the material is on other streaming services already such as Hulu and Netflix.
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  • Feb 08

    Ron Paul Supporters Look Ahead

    Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has yet to win a primary, but his supporters remain enthusiastic. Robert Siegel speaks with Ron Paul supporters Christa Leonard in St. Paul, Minn., and Ken Stanton in Fort Collins, Colo., following the caucuses in those states about what's keeping them committed.
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  • Feb 08

    Santorum Takes His Victory Lap In Texas

    Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum won Tuesday's caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, as well as the non-binding primary in Missouri. On Wednesday, he took a victory lap in Texas.
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  • Feb 08

    In Restive Syrian City, Signs Of Sectarian Violence

    Activists say three families, including women and children, were stabbed or shot at close range just outside their houses in Homs on Tuesday. Human rights groups say killings like these are becoming increasingly sectarian, which doesn't bode well for a conflict that's already spinning out of control.
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  • Feb 08

    Letters: Is The Middle Finger Offensive?

    Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel read emails from listeners about whether giving the middle finger is offensive.
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  • Feb 08

    Amazon Expands Streaming With Viacom Deal

    Amazon announced Wednesday that it will expand the selection on its streaming service through a new deal with Viacom. Included in the deal are Paramount movies, as well as shows from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV and more. This deal isn't exclusive, in that much of the material is on other streaming services already such as Hulu and Netflix.
    Read full post

  • Feb 08

    Hamas, Palestinians Sign Unity Agreement

    Robert Siegel speaks with Daoud Kuttab, director general of a Palestinian media organization and the Community Media Network in Amman, Jordan, about the unity agreement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
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  • Feb 08

    Ron Paul Fans Stay Committed After Colorado

    Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has yet to win a primary, but his supporters remain enthusiastic. Robert Siegel speaks with Ron Paul supporters Christa Leonard in St. Paul, Minn., and Ken Stanton in Fort Collins, Colo., following the caucuses in those states about what's keeping them committed.
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  • Feb 08

    Russians Claim To Have Punched Through To Antarctic 'Subglacial Lake'

    Lake Vostok is under 2 miles of ice and hasn't been exposed to air and light for millions of years. Scientists are eager to see what, if anything, might be living down there.
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  • Feb 07

    Obama Changes Tone On SuperPACS, Endorses Own

    As a candidate and as president, Barack Obama has disparaged the role of big money in politics. At his 2010 State of the Union address, he even called out the Supreme Court for a ruling that opened the door to unlimited personal and business contributions. But, faced with a Republican opposition that's raising millions from a handful of sources, President Obama let his fundraisers loose to play the game too.
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  • Feb 07

    White House: 'Ways To Resolve' Contraception Issue

    GOP candidate Mitt Romney has joined those criticizing President Obama over a policy that would require most employers, including Catholic hospitals and universities, to include birth control in their employees' health insurance. The White House now says it will work to "allay" concerns.
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  • Feb 07

    Cabaret Wanes As The Oak Room Is Felled

    One of New York City's most famous cabaret clubs, the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, is closing. Murray Horwitz, a veteran Broadway writer, is feeling the loss. In this essay he explains just what it is that makes cabaret such an important art form.
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  • Feb 07

    Planned Parenthood Still In Cross Hairs

    Two anti-abortion groups say funding irregularities have been found in various state and federal audits of Planned Parenthood. The groups urged Congress to continue an investigation of Planned Parenthood.
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  • Feb 07

    Search For A Singer To Hit 'Low E' Spans Globe

    Welsh composer Paul Mealor, who scored the music for Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding, has a new composition in the works. For it, he's seeking a rich and low singing voice — one capable of reaching the "low E" note. And as he's learning, reaching the low E is no easy feat. To find a singer up to the task, Mealor has had to embark on an international search. Robert Siegel catches up with Mealor to hear how his search is going. And he also talks with Guinness World Record holder Roger Menees, who generated the lowest known note produced by the human voice, about how one accesses the "low E," and what it sounds like.
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  • Feb 07

    In Morocco, The Arab Spring's Mixed Bounty

    On Feb. 20, 2011, Moroccans took to the streets in protest in a country considered one of the most stable in the region. King Mohammed VI acted quickly, offering constitutional reforms and early elections. But progress toward democracy has also revealed the limits of civil disobedience.
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  • Feb 07

    Controversy Over Stem-Cell Research Keeps Charities On Sidelines

    Despite raising millions of dollars for breast cancer research, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation hasn't funded any work involving human embryonic stem cells. Other big disease charities have also shied away from funding such science.
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  • Feb 07

    A Pulpit For The Masses: YouTube, Christians Click

    Many have turned to YouTube to express their views about the message of Jesus. At least one has reached biblical proportions. With more than 18 million views, "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" has become a sensation.
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  • Feb 07

    Can Vaccines Break Cholera's Deadly Hold On Haiti?

    Haiti is suffering the world's worst cholera epidemic, killing more than 7,000 people since the outbreak began in October 2010. One aid group is pushing for a vaccination campaign. But critics worry about its efficacy — and that it may distract from improving access to clean water and sanitation.
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  • Feb 07

    Can Vaccines Break Cholera's Deadly Hold On Haiti?

    Haiti is suffering the world's worst cholera epidemic, killing more than 7,000 people since the outbreak began in October 2010. One aid group is pushing for a vaccination campaign. But critics worry about its efficacy — and that it may distract from improving access to clean water and sanitation.
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  • Feb 07

    N.Y. Giants Lead Parade As Super Bowl Champs

    For the second time in four years, New Yorkers celebrated a Super Bowl win by the Giants with a tickertape parade through Manhattan's "Canyon of Heroes" on Tuesday.
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  • Feb 07

    Caucus Counting Troubles Plague Primaries

    Republican caucus vote counters seem to be having trouble this primary season. In Iowa, they said Romney won by eight votes, then revised that figure and said Santorum won. In Nevada, they couldn't count 2,000 votes for a day and a half, and then got into a fight about who could vote after sundown at a special caucus for Orthodox Jews.
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  • Feb 07

    Staff Removed From School With Sex Abuse Charges

    The L.A. Unified School District is replacing the entire staff of the elementary school at the center of a growing sex abuse scandal. Two teachers from Miramonte Elementary have been arrested on suspicions of abusing and conducting lewd acts on children.
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  • Feb 07

    Letters: It's All About Cheese

    Robert Siegel and Audie Cornish read emails from listeners responding to a story about a group that's trying to reduce the amount of cheese Americans consume.
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  • Feb 07

    Caucuses in Minn. And Colo., 'Beauty Contest' In Mo.

    Minnesota and Colorado are holding caucuses Tuesday. And Missouri is holding a "beauty contest" primary, the outcome of which won't affect any of the state's GOP delegates. Host Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Don Gonyea about the contests.
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  • Feb 07

    Exec Resigns From Embattled Breast Cancer Charity

    A top official at the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation — which pushed for the defunding of Planned Parenthood — has resigned. Anti-abortion groups are also keeping up the drumbeat to take away Planned Parenthood's federal funding despite the charity's turnabout on supporting the group.
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  • Feb 07

    Ancient Roman Text Offers Tips On Winning Elections

    Robert Siegel talks with Classics professor Philip Freeman about his translation of the book, "How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Politicians." The book was written by the brother of Marcus Cicero, for when Marcus ran for office in Rome in 64 B.C. But the ancient Roman guide for campaigning still holds lessons for today's elections.
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  • Feb 07

    Flipping 'The Bird' Just Isn't Obscene Anymore, Law Professor Argues

    "In the time of Caligula," says American University's Ira Robbins, "it was intended to be representative of a phallic symbol. Not today." Instead, showing a middle finger is an expression of "frustration or rage or anger or protest or disdain."
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  • Feb 07

    Super Bass: Can You Hit This Note?

    Welsh composer Paul Mealor has written a choral piece with an extremely low note, and he's on the hunt for a singer who can pull it off.
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  • Feb 07

    'Shake-And-Bake' Meth Causes Uptick In Burn Victims

    With easy access to ingredients and a simplified brewing process, more and more methamphetamine addicts are making the drug themselves — and many of them are turning up in hospital burn units from meth-related accidents.
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  • Feb 07

    For Obama, The SuperPAC Rubber Has Met The Road

    Faced with a GOP fundraising advantage, the president's decision to reverse course and throw his support behind a pro-Democrat superPAC may be politically risky but also realistic.
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  • Feb 07

    California's Same-Sex Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional, Court Says

    The decision on "Prop 8" by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals is now expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court.
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  • Feb 07

    Howze Announces Run For Detroit Mayor

    by: Jerome Vaughn

    The first term Democrat was elected to the State House in 2010 after narrowly missing election to Detroit City Council the previous year.

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  • Feb 06

    Remembering Roger Boisjoly: He Tried To Stop Shuttle Challenger Launch

    Boisjoly was the engineer who boisterously warned about problems with the Challenger's elastic seals. That he couldn't do anything about the launch haunted him and turned him into a crusader for ethics in engineering. Boisjoly died at age 73.
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  • Feb 06

    In Battleground Colorado, Independents On The Rise

    A centrist think tank finds that in several key states, both parties are losing voters relative to the number of newly declared independents. In Colorado, which holds its Republican caucuses Tuesday, declared independents are now about even with registered Republicans or registered Democrats.
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  • Feb 06

    U.S. Aid At Risk As Egypt Targets Democracy Groups

    Egypt plans to prosecute 43 people, including 19 Americans, who have been promoting democracy in Egypt. The case has caused a furious reaction in Washington — with lawmakers threatening to hold up U.S. financial assistance to Egypt.
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  • Feb 06

    Is White, Working Class America 'Coming Apart'?

    In his new book, Charles Murray, co-author of the controversial The Bell Curve, argues that in an increasingly economically stratified America, the white working class is slipping behind.
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  • Feb 06

    Where Eye Care Is A Luxury, Technology Offers Access

    Entrepreneurs and researchers are looking for ways to bring the cost of eye care down in the developing world. One group is working on technology that turns a smartphone into an eye exam machine, while another has developed glasses with liquid lenses that change prescriptions with the help of a pump.
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  • Feb 06

    U.S. Travel To Cuba Grows As Restrictions Are Eased

    The Obama administration has relaxed travel restrictions to Cuba, reinstating Bill Clinton's policy of allowing people-to-people travel. But that's drawing criticism from some Republican lawmakers in the U.S., who say the tourist packages come with a heavy dose of Cuban propaganda.
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  • Feb 06

    Helicopter Parents Hover In The Workplace

    So-called helicopter parents have hit the workplace, phoning employers to advocate on behalf of their adult children. Human resource managers say more parents are trying to negotiate salary and benefits and are even sitting in on job interviews.
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  • Feb 06

    Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers: From Playing In Knee Socks To Owning Two Strads

    On her new album, the violinist teams up with herself as she plays her two Stradivarius instruments.
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  • Feb 06

    High Tensions Continue in Persian Gulf

    Iran continues to stage military maneuvers amid its threats to close the vital oil shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. And Israel continues to mull a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, while politicians are urging Washington to show Tehran that it faces a credible military threat.
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  • Feb 06

    'Diamond Jubilee' Marks 60 Years Of Queen Elizabeth

    Monday marks 60 years since the death of King George VI and the ascendancy of a young Elizabeth to the throne. Her reign has been one of the longest in British history, second only to Queen Victoria.
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  • Feb 06

    Negative Political Ad Campaigns Bigger Than Ever

    The percentage of negative political TV ads has increased sharply in the run up to the 2012 election. Ronald Reagan — revered by the Republican candidates — didn't air a single negative advertisement in his 1980 campaign for the presidency. George W. Bush's campaign didn't air any negative ads in 2000 either, nor did Democratic candidate Al Gore. Audie Cornish talks with John Geer, who tracks political advertising out of Vanderbilt University, about why the landscape has changed so drastically.
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  • Feb 06

    Iran Tries To Rebrand Arab Spring With Activists

    Audie Cornish talks with Robert Worth of The New York Times about Iran's attempt to rebrand the Arab Spring. The Iranian government recently flew in hundreds of young activists from around the region for a conference on the "Islamic Awakening." But some delegates there questioned Tehran's staunch support of the Syrian regime, which has continued to crack down on anti-government protesters.
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  • Feb 06

    Engineer Who Warned Of Challenger Dangers Dies

    The rocket scientist who argued vigorously against the fatal launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger has died. Roger Boisjoly led a group of five Morton Thiokol engineers who tried to stop the launch in a series of conference calls with NASA the night before the tragedy. Boisjoly presented data showing cold launch-time temperatures could cause the joints on the shuttle's booster rockets to fail catastrophically. He was also one of two whistleblowers who anonymously revealed the launch decision debate to NPR a few weeks after the launch.
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  • Feb 06

    Social Media Acts As Catalyst For Policy Change

    Websites like Facebook and Twitter played an integral role in last year's Arab Spring uprisings. But they've also brought about change right here at home. Audie Cornish talks to Clay Shirky, a professor of New Media at New York University, about how social media has fueled policy changes from Bank of America to Verizon, and the most recent backlash with the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
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  • Feb 06

    As Olympic Trials Near, Women's Boxing Heats Up

    Women's boxing will be an Olympic sport for the first time in London later this year and the trials to choose the U.S. competitors will be held in Spokane in February. Tyrieshia Douglas from Baltimore is one of the competitors. When she was 16-years-old, she was arrested for street-fighting and says her juvenile court judge recommended she take her skills into the gym. Now she's 23-years-old and ranked No. 2 in the country in her weight category.
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  • Feb 06

    Virginia Votes To Repeal Restricted Gun Buying Law

    Twenty years ago, Virginia had a not-so-flattering reputation as a haven for illegal gun runners. Traffickers would buy batches of guns legally in the state, and sell them on the black market. With the Virginia guns turning up at crime scenes up and down the Eastern seaboard, the state legislature decided it was time to act — a law was passed to limit gun purchases to one a month. But gun rights activists have fought to overturn it, and on Monday, the Virginia Senate approved legislation to repeal it. Bill Sizemore, reporter for The Virginian-Pilot, has been following this effort in the state legislature, and talks with Robert Siegel about what propelled it this time around.
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  • Feb 06

    Pennsylvania School District Goes Broke

    The Chester Upland School District — a small, mostly minority district outside Philadelphia — is on the verge of going broke. State budget cuts have put the district in such financial straits that teachers and some other employees agreed last month to work without pay for the rest of the school year. A judge ordered the state to advance Chester Upland $3 million, but that will only keep the schools open for a few weeks.
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  • Feb 06

    U.S. And U.K. Withdraw Diplomats From Syria

    Syrian government forces continued the bombardment of the central city of Homs for the third straight day on Monday. Anti-government activists say over 200 people have been killed in the city since Saturday. As the violence escalated around the country, the U.S. shut down its embassy in Damascus, and the U.K. withdrew its ambassador from the Syrian capital.
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  • Feb 06

    Court Of Appeals Upholds Moroun Jailing

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that the jailing of Matty Moroun on contempt charges was legal.

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  • Feb 05

    Stopping The 'Brain Drain' Of The U.S. Economy

    Recent surveys show that a large percentage of graduates from the nation's top schools are taking jobs in consulting or finance. But students at some top schools have begun protesting recruitment drives by financial firms in an effort to steer students away from the financial sector.
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  • Feb 05

    New Staging Of 'Yentl' Tells A Transgender Story

    Singer-songwriter Jill Sobule is best known for her hit single "I Kissed a Girl." But today she's taking on a new kind of project: writing original music for a new staging of the play Yentl. Her version shares little with Barbra Streisand's movie musical.
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  • Feb 05

    Fewer Autopsies Mean Crucial Info Goes To The Grave

    Autopsies are conducted on just 5 percent of patients who die in hospitals, and experts say that is a troubling trend that has broad implications for public health in America: Death certificates aren't as accurate as they could be, and that information drives research dollars and public health spending.
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  • Feb 05

    How Whitey Bulger Corrupted The Justice System

    Whitey Bulger was the crime boss of South Boston while being protected by the FBI as a confidential informant. Former FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick's new memoir chronicles his ultimately unsuccessful attempt to bring Bulger down.
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  • Feb 05

    El-Arian On Economic Uncertainty

    PIMCO CEO Mohamed El-Erian says the economic future is still uncertain because of the euro zone crisis, China's slowing economy and worrisome U.S. structural components. He talks to NPR's Guy Raz about his Foreign Policy piece "The World On A Knife's Edge."
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  • Feb 05

    Corporate America Drives Super Bowl Action

    The Super Bowl game Sunday between the New York Giants and New England Patriots is just one part of a week full of events. Thousand of corporate executives are in Indianapolis for the Super Bowl — both the game and some big-league schmoozing.
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  • Feb 05

    No App For That? Siri's Scottish Problem

    In Scotland, Apple's latest iPhone update isn't the smashing success it has been elsewhere. That's because Siri, the voice-controlled personal assistant, can't understand a word they're saying. NPR's Guy Raz puts Siri to the test with brogue-carrier Neil McIntosh.
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  • Feb 04

    Lost Malcolm X Speech Heard Again 50 Years Later

    Brown University senior Malcolm Burnley was working on a class assignment in the library archives last fall when he made a startling discovery: a forgotten speech that Malcolm X, the Muslim minister and human rights activist, had made to the university in 1961.
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  • Feb 04

    Lost Malcolm X Speech Heard Again 50 Years Later

    Brown University senior Malcolm Burnley was working on a class assignment in the library archives last fall when he made a startling discovery: a forgotten speech that Malcolm X, the Muslim minister and human rights activist, had made to the university in 1961.
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  • Feb 04

    When Will We Get To Know The 'Real' Mitt Romney?

    Despite Mitt Romney's time as governor, his previous presidential run and quite a few years in the spotlight, many people still feel they don't know much about him. The clean-cut, buttoned-up candidate is notoriously quiet about his private life, and his former colleagues and friends haven't revealed much, either.
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  • Feb 04

    Russia, China Veto UN Resolution On Syria

    The U.N. Security Council failed again Saturday to take decisive action to stop the escalating violence in Syria as Russia and China vetoed a resolution backing an Arab League plan that calls for President Bashar Assad to step down. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the veto drew intense criticism from the U.S.
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  • Feb 04

    In Nev., Solid Showing Expected For Romney

    Nevada holds its Republican caucuses today it is the first Western state to weigh in on the nominating contest. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports that Mitt Romney is widely favored to win and has the latest from Nevada.
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  • Feb 04

    More Than 250 Killed In Syrian Violence In Homs

    The Syrian government today unleashed some of the worst violence against protesters since the uprising there began. Activists report that more than 200 people have been killed in the city of Homs. NPR's Kelly McEvers has been following the story from neighboring Lebanon and has the latest on the uprising.
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  • Feb 04

    Angelo Dundee, More Than Just A Good Cornerman

    Boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard remembers the trainer who stood in his corner through some of his greatest fights ever. Along with Leonard, Angelo Dundee trained a long list of boxing champions including George Foreman and the great boxing legend Muhammad Ali. The renowned trainer and cornerman died this week at age 90 at his home in Tampa, Fla.
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  • Feb 04

    Tens Of Thousands Protest Russia's Putin

    NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from Moscow where tens of thousands of demonstrators braved bitter cold to rally for and against Vladimir Putin today. With just one month before a presidential election, the opposition is making a big push for a fair vote, and the government is responding with counter-demonstrations.
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  • Feb 04

    Komen's Race To Reverse Course: Questions And A PR Challenge

    The nation's largest breast cancer charity now says it will continue giving grants to Planned Parenthood. But public relations specialists say the Komen foundation will have a tough time rebuilding its nonpartisan reputation.
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  • Feb 03

    Who Killed Lard?

    Lard didn't just fall out of favor. It was pushed. It was a casualty of a battle between giant business and corporate interests.
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  • Feb 03

    Federal Prosecutors Drop Doping Case Against Cyclist Lance Armstrong

    A federal prosecutor said the case had been closed, but gave no details as to why.
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  • Feb 03

    Voting Heads West: A Nevada Republican Presidential Caucus Primer

    While hotels along the Vegas Strip are full of Super Bowl fans and convention attendees this weekend, another event will be playing out Saturday at more than 100 locations across the state. Nevada's Republican presidential caucuses will be taking place, and mostly in low-key places.
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  • Feb 03

    'Best Practices': Learning To Live With Asperger's

    David Finch was 30-years-old when he discovered that he was on the autism spectrum. In Journal of Best Practices, he describes how he learned to manage the disorder — and become a better husband and father in the process.
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  • Feb 03

    Afghans View Peace Talks With Hope, Suspicion

    The surprise announcement that the U.S. and the Taliban could soon begin peace talks in Qatar may have increased the chances of a negotiated settlement in Afghanistan. But some Afghans wonder whether such talks are about stabilizing Afghanistan — or just helping U.S. troops leave.
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  • Feb 03

    Sharon Van Etten: Learning How To Rock

    For Van Etten, her ever-evolving music has been a way to combat shyness and social anxiety.
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  • Feb 03

    Sharon Van Etten: Learning How To Rock

    For Van Etten, her ever-evolving music has been a way to combat shyness and social anxiety.
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  • Feb 03

    The Physics Of A Football Player's Performance

    The New York Giants' Brandon Jacobs is a 6'4", 270 pound running back. And with that kind of size, you think he'd be able to run right through would-be tacklers, especially when he only needs to pick up a few yards. But he often can't — Jacobs's stats are below average in those situations. A couple NFL greats and a physics professor have the answer.
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  • Feb 03

    Jobs Numbers May Boost Obama Re-election Effort

    Friday's lower unemployment figures are good news for the Obama administration early in an election year.
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  • Feb 03

    NFL Safety Ad Hopes To Remind Fans Of History

    Host Audie Cornish talks with Stefan Fatsis about the Super Bowl — including the NFL player safety ad that aims to remind fans about the history of the game amid all the concussion scandals.
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  • Feb 03

    Republican Contenders Take Pitches To Nevada

    Republican candidates are campaigning across the state ahead of Saturday's caucuses. The state looks much different than it did four years ago — today it leads the country in home foreclosures, personal bankruptcies and unemployment.
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  • Feb 03

    Improved Job Figures Surprise Economists

    The Labor Department released its monthly report Friday, which shows unemployment down to 8.3 percent. Is the dip strong enough to push the rate down further in the coming months?
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  • Feb 03

    Cancer Foundation Reverses Planned Parenthood Cut

    It's been a tumultuous week in the world of women's health. On Wednesday, it was revealed that the breast cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure had stopped giving grants to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. On Friday, the Komen foundation reversed itself, apologizing for any appearance that it was penalizing Planned Parenthood. Komen says grants will be only suspended to organizations when investigations are criminal and conclusive — not political. Planned Parenthood has been the target of one congressman's requests for financial information.
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  • Feb 03

    Fallout Continues In L.A. School's Lewd Photo Scandal

    A second teacher has been removed from Miramonte Elementary School in Los Angeles as part of an investigation into lewd photos. One teacher has already been charged with lewd conduct with 23 students.
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  • Feb 03

    In Egypt, Military Blamed For Targeting Soccer Fans

    Violent protests continued for a second day in Egypt in response to the deadly riot at a soccer match earlier this week. Many of the protesters claim authorities chose not to stop the soccer riots as retaliation against fan groups — known as Ultras — who had a hand in the country's political uprisings last year. Melissa Block talks with Adel Iskandar, Lecturer in media studies at Georgetown University, about the role of the Ultra football fan clubs in Egypt's politics.
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  • Feb 03

    Facebook's IPO And The Average Investor

    The social network filed to go public earlier this week and is hoping to raise $5 billion in a huge IPO. The markets are buzzing, but what might it mean for an individual investor? Melissa Block gets the story on how high profile IPOs work from Dennis Berman, Marketplace editor at The Wall Street Journal.
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  • Feb 03

    'Arctic Oscilliation' Behind Season's Mixed Winter Weather

    For snow fans in the contiguous US, this winter has left much to be desired. The warm and mild season in the lower 48 and the wild snow dumps and cold weather up north in Alaska can be blamed largely on a weather pattern called "arctic oscillation." Audie Cornish gets an explanation of the weather phenomenon from meteorologist Jeffrey Masters.
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  • Feb 03

    Week In Politics: Unemployment Rate, Primaries

    Audie Cornish talks to our regular political commentators — E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times — about the new unemployment figures and the presidential primary race.
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  • Feb 03

    New USDA Map May Mean Earlier Planting In North

    A new map from the USDA has some northern gardeners hoping to grow plants that used to be considered too fragile for cold weather zones. The hardiness zone chart is about a half zone warmer than the last one issued in 1990. The USDA says the changes are not due to global warming, but to more sophisticated mapping methods. Seed sellers and buyers say that, whatever the reason, the warmer temperatures expand possibilities for planting this spring.
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  • Feb 03

    Prison Meal Deal: Where The Staff Serves Lunch ... And Time

    At the Fife and Drum Restaurant, located in a Massachusetts minimum-security prison, inmates learn to cook and wait tables. Regulars praise the tasty lunches served up at bargain prices. Prison officials say such job training reduces the chances prisoners will re-offend.
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  • Feb 03

    Prison Meal Deal: Where The Staff Serves Lunch ... And Time

    At the Fife and Drum Restaurant, located in a Massachusetts minimum-security prison, inmates learn to cook and wait tables. Regulars praise the tasty lunches served up at bargain prices. Prison officials say such job training reduces the chances prisoners will re-offend.
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  • Feb 03

    College Fair Educates Students And Parents

    by: Jerome Vaughn

    In an effort to better prepare parents and students, Second Ebeneezer Church is holding a college fair Friday and Saturday.

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  • Feb 02

    As Komen Defends Itself, Planned Parenthood Rakes In Substitute Funds

    A top official reportedly quits to protest the decision of the breast-cancer charity Susan G. Komen for the Cure to yank funding from Planned Parenthood. The women's health organization says it's already collected most of the $680,000 it lost.
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  • Feb 02

    The Mona Lisa's Twin Painting Discovered

    Conservators at Madrid's Museo del Prado recently discovered that a replica of the Mona Lisa might have been painted by one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils. The find provides fresh insight into da Vinci's enigmatic masterpiece and studio practice.
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  • Feb 02

    Families Suffer Through Chicago Morgue Backlog

    The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office was so far behind in burials for the poor that bodies have been stacking up, making it difficult for some to find or view their deceased loved ones. "It's an unimaginable pain, what these families have gone through," says one local pastor.
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  • Feb 02

    Billboards Slather On The Guilt With Anti-Cheese Campaign

    A sensational new billboard in Albany, N.Y., wants to scare people away from cheese. Its creator, a physician turned health activist, says Americans should abandon cheese altogether to prevent obesity.
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  • Feb 02

    Life Imitates Art In 'Groundhog Day' Town

    It's been 20 years since actor Bill Murray woke up to Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" in the movie Groundhog Day. Each year, the town of Woodstock, Ill. — where the movie was filmed — relives the experience.
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  • Feb 02

    Lawmaker Leading Probe: 'Someone Needs To Go' At Justice Over Fast And Furious

    The Republican leading a yearlong investigation into the failed gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious acknowledged that the probe has turned up no evidence that Attorney General Eric Holder approved the idea. Other GOP lawmakers Thursday threatened Holder with contempt of Congress.
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  • Feb 02

    Cancer Foundation Reacts To Backlash

    The fallout continued today from the divorce between women's health groups Planned Parenthood and Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. The breast cancer charity announced earlier this week it would stop funding breast screening programs at affiliates of the even huger reproductive health organization.
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  • Feb 02

    Review: Ani DiFranco's 'Which Side Are You On?'

    In the 1990s, the young singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco enjoyed unprecedented success on her own Righteous Babe Records. But since the turn of the century, she's been taken for granted as she relied on an aging cult audience.
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  • Feb 02

    Defiant Syrians Speaking Out About 1982 Killings

    The Syrian government's crackdown on an uprising in 1982 was so brutal that Syrians rarely spoke about it. But now, some Syrians plan to mark the 30th anniversary of the events in Hama as they continue with the current uprising.
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  • Feb 02

    Letters: Soul Train, 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest'

    Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read emails from listeners.
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  • Feb 02

    Ani DiFranco: Embracing Stability, Remaining Outspoken

    The singer-songwriter's latest album, her most striking release in more than a decade, is as personal as it is political.
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  • Feb 02

    Honda Owner's Win In Small Claims Court Could Start A Trend

    Heather Peters successfully sued the automaker over her claim that her hybrid Civic wasn't getting as good mileage as she'd been promised. That strategy is likely to be followed by others with complaints about big corporations and their products.
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  • Feb 02

    Obama Draws On Faith At Prayer Breakfast

    President Obama spoke to a bipartisan crowd at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday and cited the biblical injunction to speak up for those who are destitute.
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  • Feb 02

    Trump Endorses Romney In Surprise Shift

    In Las Vegas Thursday, Mitt Romney picked up the endorsement of multimillionaire businessman Donald Trump. Trump's endorsement comes one day after the former Massachusetts governor stirred up controversy — on the left and the right — by saying he's "not concerned about the very poor."
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  • Feb 02

    Indianapolis Examines Its Football Identity

    Indianapolis is hosting the Super Bowl this Sunday where the Patriots will face the Giants. Indianapolis' home team, the Colts, had a miserable season and now the franchise is at a crossroads.
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  • Feb 02

    'Fast and Furious' Operation Grilled On The Hill

    Attorney General Eric Holder appears before Rep. Darrell Issa's (R-Calif.) oversight committee for hearing on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' botched gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious.
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  • Feb 02

    Arab League's Credibility Tested By Violence

    The ongoing violence in Syria is testing the power — and credibility — of the Arab League. Host Audie Cornish speaks with Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, for some context on the Arab League.
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  • Feb 02

    Super Bowl Ads Now Target Two Types Of Screens

    Some people watch the Super Bowl for the ads. And this year, a lot of them have been online for days before the game. Eric Deggans of the Tampa Bay Times talks to Audie Cornish about the ads and how many of them are taking advantage of people watching TV with phones or tablets in their hands.
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  • Feb 02

    FAA Funding Bill Reaches Finish Line

    After four years of wrangling and one shutdown, the beleaguered Federal Aviation Administration will soon get a bill of its own. The bill would give it long-term funding for airport construction, expansion and NextGen — or modernization of the air traffic control system from one based on radar to one based on GPS satellites. Congress has resolved long-simmering issues about unionization, not to mention landing slots and rural subsidies.
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  • Feb 02

    Protesters Take To Streets After Egypt Soccer Deaths

    Angry demonstrators converged on Cairo's Tahrir Square Thursday to protest yesterday's melee after a soccer match in northern Egypt that left more than 70 dead. Many of the demonstrators are blaming the ruling military council for the bloodshed, saying the generals have not done enough to restore security in the country.
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  • Feb 02

    As Al-Qaida Fragments, U.S. Focus Turns Elsewhere

    As al-Qaida's core fragments, threats to the U.S. are shifting, though not disappearing, say intelligence officials. They are now worried about the threat posed by al-Qaida affiliates in Africa and the Mideast — and particularly how they may take advantage of unrest after the Arab Spring.
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  • Feb 02

    Could Cheap Gas Slow Growth Of Renewable Energy?

    Politics will also factor into the equation as tax breaks for wind power expire at the end of this year. Says one energy expert: "Is there enough concern about environmental consequences to put in place incentives for renewable energy?"
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  • Feb 02

    Detroit Reaches Tentative Union Agreement

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    Detroit Mayor Dave Bing tweeted today that the city has reached a tentative agreement with unions representing city workers.

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  • Feb 02

    BME Challenge Award Winner: Dennis Talbert

    by: Jerome Vaughn

    BME Challenge award winner Dennis Talbert has been working with young people in Detroit’s Brightmoor Community for nearly two decades – setting up education and mentoring programs for the community.

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  • Feb 01

    Panetta: U.S. To Move Out Of Combat Role In Afghanistan

    Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta says U.S. troops hope to begin transitioning from a combat role in Afghanistan to a role that focuses on training Afghan troops instead. The transition could happen sooner than expected — possibly by mid- to late-2013. U.S. troops would still remain in Afghanistan through at least the end of 2014, however. Audie Cornish talks to NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman, who has the latest.
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  • Feb 01

    Remarks From Romney Spark Controversy

    Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney sparked controversy Wednesday when he told CNN that he wasn't "concerned about the very poor." Audie Cornish talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro, who's traveling with Romney in Nevada.
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  • Feb 01

    Obama Fundraising Shows Focus on New Technologies

    While superPACs are turning out to be some of the biggest moneymakers this election season, President Obama, so far, has stayed old school. He is raising funds for his traditional campaign committee, Obama for America, and a party fund that he can use.
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  • Feb 01

    Senate Democrats Call For SuperPAC Probe

    Senate Democrats are calling for a probe into superPAC fundraising. The announcement comes a day after release of the new political action committees' fourth-quarter 2011 fundraising, and after Republican Mitt Romney's Florida primary victory — which was fueled in part by superPAC ads.
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  • Feb 01

    Planned Parenthood Vs. Komen: Women's Health Giants Face Off Over Abortion

    The split between the Susan G. Komen Foundation, a breast cancer charity, and Planned Parenthood appears to mark a new chapter in the ongoing abortion war.
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  • Feb 01

    Congress May Back Ban On Its Own Insider Trading

    Congress is looking more likely to pass a law restricting members' investments in firms about which they have inside information, thanks to a television report last year and President Obama's call during his State of the Union speech.
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  • Feb 01

    S'il-Vous-Plait: Raising Your 'Bebe' The French Way

    Raising her children in Paris, American journalist Pamela Druckerman discovered that the French have mastered the art of child-rearing — or at least they have mastered the art of smoothly assimilating children into adult routines and reducing the stress of parenting.
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  • Feb 01

    Kesey's 'Cuckoo's Nest' Still Flying At 50

    The classic American novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has hit the half-century mark. It made its author, Ken Kesey, a literary celebrity — and helped alter perceptions of mental institutions.
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  • Feb 01

    Super Split: Bowl Has Connecticut At War With Itself

    The state is part of New England, but many of its football fans pick the N.Y. Giants over the Pats. "Way back when, they were the only game in town," one fan says of the days before the Patriots came to the area in 1960. But feelings run deep on both sides — and nothing reveals that like a Super Bowl.
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  • Feb 01

    If Power Lines Fall, Why Don't They Go Underground?

    Weather and tree branches cause 40 percent of U.S. power outages, which get people talking about installing underground lines — but they balk at the price. But analysts say no one's paying attention to how much it really costs to keep repairing aboveground lines, and that should matter.
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  • Feb 01

    DVD Picks: 'Wings'

    With the silent film The Artist in competition for this year's Best Picture Oscar, Bob Mondello has been thinking about the pre-talkie era. As it happens, the last silent film to win for Best Picture has just been released on Blu-ray: the 1927 flying-ace epic Wings.
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  • Feb 01

    House GOP Still Furious Over Recess Appointments

    Republicans signaled at a House Oversight Committee hearing Wednesday that they're still furious about President Obama's "unprecedented recess appointments" to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the National Labor Relations Board. A look at the broader controversy surrounding recess appointments — and what it might mean for nominees for the rest of the president's term.
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  • Feb 01

    New Housing Proposal May Help Millions Refinance

    President Obama released a housing proposal Wednesday that aims to help more homeowners refinance their mortgages. The plan is the latest effort by the administration to help homeowners. It would allow those who are current on their mortgages to refinance at lower rates, even if they owe more than their home is worth. The administration says the effort could save millions of homeowners an average of $3,000. But past housing efforts have not lived up to billing, and this one faces its first obstacle on Capitol Hill.
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  • Feb 01

    Doctor At Bin Laden Compound Connected To CIA

    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has confirmed publicly for the first time that a doctor imprisoned in Pakistan was working with the CIA in the months leading up to the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in May. The doctor may be charged with treason for helping to collect DNA samples from those living in the compound, under the guise of a vaccination program. Audie Cornish speaks with journalist Saeed Shah in Islamabad for more on the doctor's status, and how the confirmation of his work with the CIA is being received in Pakistan.
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  • Feb 01

    How Does Facebook Generate Ad Revenue?

    How does a free website like Facebook get valued at close to $100 billion? Melissa Block talks with Wired magazine senior writer Steven Levy about how Facebook uses your personal information to generate targeted advertisements and huge revenues.
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  • Feb 01

    73 Dead After Egyptian Soccer Match Turns Violent

    The worst soccer violence in Egypt's history left 73 dead and many more were wounded Wednesday, according to the official count. Clashes broke out at the end of a match in the city of Port Said, located at the northern entrance to the Suez Canal.
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  • Feb 01

    Who Else Has Been 'De-Knighted'?

    Fred Goodwin, whose knighthood was revoked, joins the likes of a Romanian dictator, a Zimbabwean strongman and art historian-turned-Soviet-spy. Melissa Block and Audie Cornish detail the circumstances behind some of the men who were once knights.
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  • Feb 01

    Facebook Files Initial Public Offering Papers

    Facebook is about to find out how many friends it has. The social networking giant wants to sell shares to the public. It filed papers for an initial public offering Wednesday. With about 800 million users, Facebook is one of the most visible companies in the world. But until now, the financial side of Facebook has remained largely a mystery. For more, Melissa Block talks to NPR's Steve Henn.
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  • Feb 01

    After Primary, Scorched Earth Remains In Fla.

    There wasn't a Democratic primary contest running in parallel with the Republican race in Florida this year. The scorched-earth battle that ensued between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich may have an effect when the general election comes to Florida later this year. Did anyone benefit from the hard-fought primary contest — other than Florida's TV stations, which aired millions of dollars in ads?
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  • Feb 01

    E.U. Rejects NYSE Euronext-Deutsche Boerse Merger

    European Union officials rejected the proposed $18 billion merger of the NYSE Euronext and Deutsche Boerse on the grounds that the deal is anti-competitive.
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  • Feb 01

    Lowry Remembered For Restoring Classic Films

    Audie Cornish talks to Mike Inchalik about the late John D. Lowry, a technology innovator whose work restored classic films such as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind to a pristine state for DVD release. Inchalik was Lowry's business partner and friend for 15 years.
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  • Feb 01

    Sir No More: Former Bank Chief Stripped Of Title

    The knighthood of Fred Goodwin, the ex-chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland, has been revoked. He led the bank to near-collapse in 2008, and his massive pension generated public outcry. Now, though, some people say the loss of his title is an attack on business.
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  • Feb 01

    Contemporary Artist, Detroit-Native, Mike Kelley Dead at 57

    by: Rob St. Mary

    Sad news from the art world today, a respected contemporary artist, and Detroit native, Mike Kelley has died. He was 58. WDET’s Rob St. Mary spoke to Travis Wright about Kelley. Rob interviewed with Kelley recently.

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  • Feb 01

    'Soul Train' Creator Don Cornelius Dies At 75

    The host and executive producer of the long-running show died Wednesday morning.
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  • Feb 01

    The Detroit Cash Mob

    by: Travis Wright

    Dave Lewinski created the Detroit Cash Mob not only to support the local economy, but to help expose independent retailers in the city to the entire region.

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  • Feb 01

    As Polls Close, A Look At Florida's Primary

    Polls are starting to close in Florida. Audie Cornish talks to NPR's Ari Shapiro and NPR's Don Gonyea for more.
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  • Jan 31

    In Israel, A Nonstop Debate On Possible Iran Strike

    Speculation is mounting over whether Israel will attack Iran's nuclear facilities sometime soon. Israelis see Iran as a threat, but many wonder whether it would be worth the price.
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  • Jan 31

    For Hungarian Borrowers, A Mortgage Nightmare

    In better times, ordinary Hungarians flocked to low-interest mortgages denominated in Swiss francs. Then, the Hungarian currency crashed and the franc soared, and now 1 million Hungarians face exorbitant payments on properties that have lost value.
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  • Jan 31

    The Coach Who Revamped Romney's Stage Presence

    After floundering through debates in South Carolina, Mitt Romney nailed his two performances in Florida. Brett O'Donnell is the man behind Romney's new stage presence.
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  • Jan 31

    GOP Candidates Make Last-Minute Appeals To Voters

    Florida holds its Republican primary Tuesday. NPR's Don Gonyea has been in Florida ahead of the voting and talks with Audie Cornish.
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  • Jan 31

    Garrick Ohlsson: In Pursuit Of A Warhorse

    The pianist's massive technique makes short order of Rachmaninov's most difficult concerto.
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  • Jan 31

    Pew's Kohut Talks About Florida Exit Polls

    Tuesday is the next step in the Republican presidential primary race as voters in Florida take to the polls. Audie Cornish talks with Andrew Kohut, president of the Pew Research Center, about what the exit polls say about the concerns and issues of Florida voters.
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  • Jan 31

    Letters: Introverts; Chinese Oreos

    Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read outspoken emails from introverts — and provide an update on one North Carolina listener's quest for a Chinese Oreo.
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  • Jan 31

    Claremont McKenna Admits Inflating SAT Scores

    Officials at Claremont McKenna College announced Wednesday that the school submitted inflated SAT scores for several years to publications such U.S. News and World Report to boost its rankings. Claremont McKenna is ranked among the top 10 liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and has recently seen an upswing in popularity among applicants.
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  • Jan 31

    Die-Hard Fans Attend Super Bowl Media Day

    There's hype, hype and more hype in Indianapolis Tuesday. It's Super Bowl media day. And some die-hard fans are watching and listening to it all from the stands.
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  • Jan 31

    Leaders Try To Break U.N. Deadlock Over Syria

    The U.N. Security Council convened Tuesday to discuss the Syrian crisis, but the prospects for a resolution aimed at halting the violence seem dim. Russia is vowing to veto an Arab-backed resolution that calls on President Bashar Assad to step aside to make room for a national unity government.
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  • Jan 31

    D.C. Court Considers Texas Redistricting Case

    The special Washington, D.C., court charged with "pre-clearing" the redistricting map in Texas — where four new congressional seats are at stake — hears closing arguments Tuesday. Meanwhile, Texas Republicans and minority groups are working on a deal.
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  • Jan 31

    After Decades, Journo Still Covers Fla. Legislature

    Seventy-one-year-old journalist Lucy Morgan is an institution in Florida. This was the 46th Florida legislative session Morgan has covered as a reporter. She was the chief of the St. Petersburg Times capitol bureau for 20 years, and now she is an investigative correspondent — semi-retired.
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  • Jan 31

    Garrick Ohlsson: In Pursuit Of A Warhorse

    The pianist's massive technique makes short order of Rachmaninov's most difficult concerto.
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  • Jan 31

    Women's Pro-Soccer League Cancels 2012 Season

    The Women's Professional Soccer league has announced plans to cancel its 2012 season. The blame is pinned on a legal dispute between the league and owner of Florida's magicJack soccer club. Melissa Block talks with ESPN commentator and former professional soccer player Julie Foudy for more.
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  • Jan 31

    What Would A Florida Win Mean For Romney?

    Florida holds its Republican primary Tuesday. Melissa Block talks with NPR's Mara Liasson about the contest in Florida — and the road ahead.
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  • Jan 31

    Silicon Valley Coalition Faces New Challenge

    Internet companies and activists showed their growing clout by all but killing two copyright bills that big media websites had pushed. Now, the same players who stopped SOPA and PIPA are trying to work together to further protect their interests. They're finding that may be easier said than done.
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  • Jan 31

    Winter Songs: Young Love In Ithaca, With Schumann's Help

    Alice and Burt Swersey say the composer helped pave the way for their five decades of marriage.
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  • Jan 31

    New Poll Finds Interesting View Of Snyder, Obama

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    A new statewide poll of Michigan voters has some interesting news for Governor Rick Snyder and President Obama.

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  • Jan 31

    Report Prompts Calls To End Freddie Mac's Conflict Of Interest

    Lawmakers and prominent economists on Monday called for changes at the taxpayer-owned mortgage company after NPR, in partnership with ProPublica, revealed that Freddie Mac has placed multibillion-dollar bets against American homeowners.
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  • Jan 31

    Report Prompts Calls To End Freddie Mac's Conflict Of Interest

    Lawmakers and prominent economists on Monday called for changes at the taxpayer-owned mortgage company after NPR, in partnership with ProPublica, revealed that Freddie Mac has placed multibillion-dollar bets against American homeowners.
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  • Jan 30

    Mortgage Giant Places Bets Against Homeowners

    NPR and ProPublica have found that Freddie Mac, the giant government-owned mortgage company, has been placing financial bets against homeowners. Specifically, Freddie Mac has made targeted investments that pay off if homeowners are unable to refinance their mortgages. At the same time, Freddie has been making it harder for many homeowners to get new loans.
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  • Jan 30

    Sen. Jon Tester Decries Citizens United's Impact In Montana, Nationally

    Sen. Jon Tester has proposed a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. On All Things Considered Monday, Tester explained to co-host Melissa Block his opposition to Citizens United and the concerns he has about what he sees as its negative impact on American democracy.
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  • Jan 30

    Sen. Jon Tester Decries Citizens United's Impact In Montana, Nationally

    Sen. Jon Tester has proposed a constitutional amendment to reverse the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. On All Things Considered Monday, Tester explained to co-host Melissa Block his opposition to Citizens United and the concerns he has about what he sees as its negative impact on American democracy.
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  • Jan 30

    What The FBI Wants In A Social Media Monitoring App

    The FBI raised eyebrows last week with a document that details plans for a map-based app that would help the agency gather intelligence from sources like Facebook and Twitter. Translating tweets and developing "a dictionary of 'tweet' lingo" are among the app's desired functionalities.
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  • Jan 30

    What The FBI Wants In A Social Media Monitoring App

    The FBI raised eyebrows last week with a document that details plans for a map-based app that would help the agency gather intelligence from sources like Facebook and Twitter. Translating tweets and developing "a dictionary of 'tweet' lingo" are among the app's desired functionalities.
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  • Jan 30

    In GOP Primary Race, Can Steadiness Trump Passion?

    For almost a year, Mitt Romney has tried to portray himself as the grown-up in the Republican race for the presidential nomination. Now, over the course of two debates and countless Florida campaign stops, the buttoned-up businessman is showing that he can get tough, too.
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  • Jan 30

    Gingrich's Other Opponent: Who Is Saul Alinsky?

    Most people have never have heard of Saul Alinsky, but Newt Gingrich seems to mention his name every chance he gets. Alinsky wrote the book on community organizing — actually, two books — and he's a hero to the left and a demon to the right. Why does Alinsky inspire so much passion?
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  • Jan 30

    Quiet, Please: Unleashing 'The Power Of Introverts'

    Introvert Susan Cain is here to make the case for people who like to work in peace and quiet. Today's workplaces are designed for extroverts, she says, and put too much emphasis on group work. Cain's new book is called Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.
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  • Jan 30

    Lana Del Rey: Just Another Pop Star

    Like other controversial musicians in the past year, the singer-songwriter hit an already partially exposed common nerve and set off a mass discussion about issues that go far beyond her product.
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  • Jan 30

    Lana Del Rey: Just Another Pop Star

    Like other controversial musicians in the past year, the singer-songwriter hit an already partially exposed common nerve and set off a mass discussion about issues that go far beyond her product.
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  • Jan 30

    Facebook IPO: Worth The Price Or Next Internet Bubble?

    Facebook is expected to file papers for an initial public offering this week, and industry watchers say the company may be valued at nearly $100 billion. Is the social networking website worth the price, or is this another Internet bubble in the making?
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  • Jan 30

    Facebook IPO: Worth The Price Or Next Internet Bubble?

    Facebook is expected to file papers for an initial public offering this week, and industry watchers say the company may be valued at nearly $100 billion. Is the social networking website worth the price, or is this another Internet bubble in the making?
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  • Jan 30

    Tables Are Turned On Crusading Spanish Judge

    Baltasar Garzon, the Spanish judge who indicted former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet in 1998, is now on trial in Madrid. His alleged crime? Investigating his own country's fascist past, and charging the late dictator Francisco Franco with murder.
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  • Jan 30

    Study: SuperPACs Behind Nearly Half Of 2012 Ads

    The role of outside money groups' advertising in the GOP presidential campaign has surged since four years ago, according to a new analysis from the Wesleyan Media Project. "They went from about 3 percent of total ad airings in the 2008 race to almost half, about 44 percent, in 2012," says Director Erika Franklin Fowler.
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  • Jan 30

    Violence Escalates Outside Syria's Capital

    Syrian government troops battle to regain control of communities on the fringes of Damascus.
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  • Jan 30

    Embattled East Haven, Conn., Police Chief To Retire

    The Connecticut police chief accused of tyrannizing Latinos is retiring at the end of the week. Four East Haven officers were arrested Friday by the FBI. They're accused of waging a campaign against Latino residents that included beatings and false arrests. Chief Leonard Gallo is accused of creating a hostile environment for witnesses who cooperated with the investigation.
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  • Jan 30

    Sen. Jon Tester Discusses Campaign Finance

    Melissa Block talks with Sen. Jon Tester, a Montana Democrat, about his views on campaign finance laws — and, in particular, what's wrong with the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.
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  • Jan 30

    Hayward Discusses 'Honor Killings' In Canada

    This weekend, a Canadian jury convicted three members of an Afghan immigrant family of killing four of their relatives. The deaths at first appeared to be accidental, but prosecutors argued it was a cold-blooded murder. Melissa Block speaks with reporter Justin Hayward of the CBC.
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  • Jan 30

    Landis Talks About Syria's Assad Regime

    For more on the situation in Syria, Audie Cornish talks with Joshua Landis, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He says the Assad regime is likely to hang on far longer than anyone could have predicted when the uprising began last March.
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  • Jan 30

    Calif. Rule Tries To Jumpstart Electric Car Market

    California officials have approved a rule mandating that, by 2025, 15 percent of new cars and trucks sold be powered by batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or other technology that produces little or no air pollution. California has tried this before and it didn't work.
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  • Jan 30

    Guatemala's Former Dictator Faces Trial

    Guatemala's former dictator — 85-year-old Efrain Rios Montt — is under house arrest, awaiting trial for genocide and crimes against humanity. During his 17-month rule from 1982 to 1983, the Guatemalan military carried out a scorched earth campaign in the Mayan highlands, in an effort to snuff out an insurrection by left-leaning guerrilla fighters. Prosecutors are now looking to hold him accountable for the deaths of at least 1,771 men, women and children. For years, Rios Montt was sheltered from prosecution because of legislative immunity, which expired earlier this month. Guatemala scholar Jennifer Schirmer talks with Melissa Block about the trial and its significance.
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  • Jan 30

    Letters: Chinese Oreos; News Poet

    Chinese Oreos and news poetry get love from our listeners: Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read emails about Friday's program, in which we heard stories about how the Chinese embraced the Oreo cookie — and debuted a new monthly feature, the news poet.
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  • Jan 29

    Public Or Private: Keeping Google From Being 'Evil'

    Google announced plans to adjust its privacy policy in order to allow the company to merge user data across email, social networking and other services. This has raised eyebrows in the tech community and even in Congress. So what exactly are the problems, and potential benefits, for this change in the policy of one of the world's largest tech companies?
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  • Jan 29

    After Nigeria Attacks, Religious Groups Band Together

    In northern Nigeria, a radical Islamist group known as Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a series of deadly bombing attacks last week that left more than 200 people dead. The campaign of violence targeted churches as well as government institutions in the city of Kano and has left the minority Christian community there on edge. But as NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports, Muslims and Christians are responding to the troubles by bonding and protecting each other.
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  • Jan 29

    Gingrich Attacks Front-Runner Romney

    Newt Gingrich sharpened his attacks on Republican rival Mitt Romney on Sunday. A new poll shows Romney leading the former House speaker just days ahead of Tuesday's presidential primary in Florida.
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  • Jan 29

    French Town Says Non To "Mademoiselle"

    In Cesson-Sevigne, France, women no longer have to choose between "mademoiselle," the French equivalent of "miss," and "madame," thereby identifying as single or married. The town's mayor explains the reason for the decision, and why the town now uses just "madame" for women.
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  • Jan 29

    Bilingualism A Political Liability?

    John McWhorter, a contributing editor for The New Republic, wrote recently about past presidents, the current presidential candidates and the languages they speak. He explains why being bilingual may be considered a political liability today.
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  • Jan 29

    Air: Scoring A Cinematic Marvel, 100 Years Later

    The duo wrote original music for a sparkling new restoration of Le Voyage Dans La Lune, Georges Melies' groundbreaking science-fiction film.
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  • Jan 29

    On Amazon, An Uneasy Mix Of Plagiarism And Erotica

    Unlike traditional publishing companies, self-publishing programs like Amazon's Kindle Select lack the keen eyes of publishers, leaving room for copyright violations. It also leaves room for plagiarism. That's exactly what an author and publisher or erotica found to be the case with some best-selling ebooks in the genre.
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  • Jan 28

    Made In The USA: Saving The American Brand

    Kodak, an iconic American brand that helped build the town of Rochester, N.Y., recently filed for bankruptcy, due in part to competition from foreign manufacturers. The U.S. auto industry went through a similar upheaval a few years ago. But the Big Three are booming again, thanks to a federal bailout and restructuring. Can other American brands also be saved?
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  • Jan 28

    GM CEO: No Apologies For Accepting U.S. Bailout

    Three years ago, General Motors was hemorrhaging money until the government decided to bail it out. Today, the company is thriving. GM's CEO Daniel Akerson talks about the resurgence.
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  • Jan 28

    'The Snowy Day': Breaking Color Barriers, Quietly

    The classic children's book by Ezra Jack Keats turns 50 this year. When it came out in 1962, it was one of the first major kids' books to feature a non-caricatured black protagonist. It became a huge hit, and was embraced by parents, teachers and children of all colors.
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  • Jan 28

    Week In News: Gingrich And The Battle For Florida

    Some in the conservative establishment have been issuing rebukes of Newt Gingrich recently, some even comparing his politics to Bill Clinton's. Weekends on All Things Considered host Guy Raz speaks with James Fallows of The Atlantic about that story and others from the past week.
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  • Jan 28

    Community Orchestra Makes A Healthy Dose Of Music

    A lawyer, a doctor and an engineer walk into an orchestra rehearsal. It's not the set-up of a joke, it's what happens every week at rehearsals for the National Institutes of Health Community Orchestra. The volunteer group draws it's members from all over Washington, D.C., and is a creative outlet for government and private sector employees alike. NPR's Serri Graslie is a member of the group and has an audio postcard from their latest concert.
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  • Jan 28

    Pollock's Legend Still Splattered On Art World

    Even a century since his birth, American "splatter artist" Jackson Pollock still provokes heated debate about the very definition of art. Was a man who placed a canvas on the floor and dripped paint straight from the can actually creating a work of art?
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  • Jan 28

    Pollock's Legend Still Splattered On Art World

    Even a century since his birth, American "splatter artist" Jackson Pollock still provokes heated debate about the very definition of art. Was a man who placed a canvas on the floor and dripped paint straight from the can actually creating a work of art?
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  • Jan 28

    New Latin American Music Picks From 'Global Village'

    Betto Arcos shares a modern protest anthem from Chile, a re-purposed Peruvian slave song, and more new music from Latin America.
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  • Jan 27

    GOP Candidates Wrangle Over Reagan's Legacy

    As he campaigns for the Republican nomination, Newt Gingrich almost always works the name of Ronald Reagan into his speeches. In fact, Gingrich's name-dropping is so common that it's now being criticized by Mitt Romney and the superPAC that backs him.
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  • Jan 27

    Newspoet: Tracy K. Smith Writes The Day In Verse

    Tracy K. Smith is today's poet in residence at NPR's All Things Considered. She spent the day in the newsroom taking in the sights and sounds, and learning how the show comes together. Then she composed a poem about the day's headlines.
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  • Jan 27

    Higher Dropout Age May Not Lead To More Diplomas

    In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on every state to require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18. But unimpressive results in states that already have that requirement raise questions about how effective the initiative would really be.
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  • Jan 27

    Romney's Unlikely And Persuasive Defense Of The 'Individual Mandate'

    Mitt Romney offered a vigorous defense Thursday night of Massachusetts' decision to mandate that nearly every resident either have health insurance or pay a tax penalty. In fact, some say it was the best defense of the individual mandate made by any candidate — including the president — so far this election cycle.
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  • Jan 27

    Rethinking The Oreo For Chinese Consumers

    Kraft Foods thought that the Chinese would love the Oreo, but they didn't. And this started a whole process in the Chinese division of Kraft of rethinking what the essence of an Oreo really is.
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  • Jan 27

    Obama Revs Up House Democrats For Election-Year Fight

    On Friday, President Obama stopped by the Democrats' retreat in Maryland, where he recapped the themes of his State of the Union address and previewed the Democrats' election message: They've done everything they can, they'll say, and Republicans have played politics.
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  • Jan 27

    U.N. Atomic Agency To Visit Iran For New Probe

    Just two months after the International Atomic Energy Agency released a detailed report on Iran's nuclear program, the agency is headed back to Tehran. It plans to look into the highly sensitive question of whether Iran is doing nuclear weapons work.
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  • Jan 27

    Heading Into Final Fla. Swing., GOP Candidates Keep Courting Latino Voters

    Newt Gingrich laid out his case for an activist policy in Latin America, while Mitt Romney spoke warmly about the prospect of statehood for Puerto Rico.
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  • Jan 27

    In Egypt: Charges, Trial Could Be Next, Says Sam LaHood

    The son of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has been prevented from leaving the country. He and others who work for foreign groups are under suspicion of supporting anti-government protesters — a charge he says is "patently false."
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  • Jan 27

    Movie Titles That Might Have Been

    Star Beast, The Scar, Tribal Rights of the New Saturday Night: If you saw them, you'd know them, but there's a reason you've never heard of these popular movies. Critic Bob Mondello takes a look at movie titles that fell by the wayside.
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  • Jan 27

    Finding The Real America While Driving To Visit Mom

    Commentator Andrei Codrescu takes the back roads to visit his mother thousands of miles away — and finds the real America.
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  • Jan 27

    Obama Stresses Importance Of College Affordability

    President Obama told students in Michigan that their universities should stop raising tuition so much faster than the rate of inflation.
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  • Jan 27

    Uprisings Still Plague Libya

    Robert Siegel talks with reporter Chris Stephen of The Guardian newspaper in Tripoli about uprisings now occurring in Libya. The Libyan city of Bani Walid, one of the last pro-Gadhafi strongholds, was the site of fighting last year as rebels attempted to wrestle control away from the Libyan leader. Now the city is witness to uprisings again. But these are not believed to be pro-Gadhafi uprisings. Rather, they are thought to be an eruption of frustration locally with the Transitional National Council over a perceived lack of transparency — particularly in relation to the country's swelling oil reserves.
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  • Jan 27

    What's Behind Russia's Attachment To Syria?

    Russia has vowed to veto any United Nations resolution authorizing the use of force against Syrian leader Bashar Assad. The Russians fear "colored revolutions" and uprisings like the Arab Spring. And Syria is a longtime ally and valued customer for Russian weapons contracts. A Russian aircraft carrier recently docked at the Syrian port of Tartus, Russia's last overseas base outside the former Soviet Union.
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  • Jan 27

    Director Joe Carnahan Discusses 'The Grey'

    Director Joe Carnahan's new movie The Grey may appear to be about a group of guys beating up wolves. In fact, it's about how we live our lives, the choices we make, and the mistakes and regret that can stalk us all. Audie Cornish talks to Carnahan about the movie — out Friday.
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  • Jan 27

    Week In Politics: State Of The Union; Republican Debates

    Robert Siegel speaks with our regular political commentators, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution, and David Brooks of the New York Times.
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  • Jan 27

    In Major Step, Turkey Airs Holocaust Documentary

    An epic, nine-hour film about the Holocaust has begun airing in Turkey. It's the first time such a film has aired on public stations in a Muslim country.
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  • Jan 27

    President Obama Calls For Affordable Education At Michigan Stop

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    President Obama is threatening to steer federal aid away from colleges and universities that don’t clamp-down on rising tuition costs.

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  • Jan 27

    Emergency Manager Appointed Over Highland Park Schools

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    The state is appointing an Emergency Manager over the finances of the Highland Park Schools.

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  • Jan 27

    College Presidents Have Problems With Obama's Message On Tuition

    The president says he's putting colleges "on notice" about tuition hikes. College officials say the White House shouldn't be prescribing how schools cut costs.
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  • Jan 27

    Newspoet: The Day's Events In Verse

    Tracy K. Smith is today's poet in residence at NPR's All Things Considered. She spent the day in the newsroom taking in the sights and sounds, and learning how the show comes together. She composed this poem in response to what she experienced.
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  • Jan 27

    After Bombings, An Exodus From A Nigerian City

    In the wake of bombings that targeted churches, Christians are leaving the northern Nigerian city of Kano, a flashpoint of violence in recent years.
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  • Jan 26

    In A Campaign Defined By Debates, Some Moments That Really Mattered

    NPR's Don Gonyea prepares for tonight's Republican presidential debate — by some counts the 19th of the campaign season — by taking a quick look back at debate highlights, and some lowlights, so far.
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  • Jan 26

    How To Find A New Nuclear Waste Site? Woo A Town

    Community opposition helped sink plans for a nuclear waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain. Meanwhile, thousands of tons of radioactive waste are piling up at temporary storage sites around the country. As the U.S. once again looks for a new permanent storage site, an expert panel says local buy in will be key.
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  • Jan 26

    Gingrich Fights Against The Lobbyist Label

    Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich continues to fend off accusations that he should wear the scarlet "L" — for "lobbyist." He's released two consulting contracts and says they didn't call for any lobbying. But where's the line between consulting and lobbying?
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  • Jan 26

    'Birmingham': A Family Tale In The Civil Rights Era

    A road trip from Michigan to Alabama places the Watson family in Birmingham in 1963, just as racial tensions are roiling. Christopher Paul Curtis draws upon his own experiences growing up in the 1960s for this Newbery Honor-winning novel.
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  • Jan 26

    Coop D'Etat: Farmers, Humane Society Partner On Chicken-Cage Revolution

    This unprecedented partnership between egg producers and animal welfare advocates is asking Congress to pass a law that's supposed to improve the lives of egg-laying hens with new and improved cages. If passed, it would be the first federal law that takes into account the emotional lives of farm animals.
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  • Jan 26

    Republican Debates Become Must-See TV

    This election cycle, one factor stands above all others in driving the dynamics of the race for the Republican presidential nomination: televised debates.
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  • Jan 26

    Opposing Candidates Favor Similar Economic Solution: Worker Retraining

    Amid all the rancor, there is some common ground among Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney and President Obama: worker retraining. It's an issue with broad political appeal, particularly in Florida where the job situation remains bleak.
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  • Jan 26

    An Emotional Moment: Sen. Mitch McConnell Meets Myanmar's Suu Kyi

    McConnell was the architect of the sanctions against Myanmar and over the past few months, he's seen country race toward democracy.
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  • Jan 26

    In Broadway's 'Wit,' A Documentary Of Our Demise

    Cynthia Nixon, best known for her glamorous role in Sex and the City, stars in a Broadway revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Wit. Jeff Lunden talks with Nixon — and Wit's playwright Margaret Edson — about depicting disease and pain with humor.
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  • Jan 26

    Letters: In-Sourcing; John Hawkes

    Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read emails from listeners.
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  • Jan 26

    Panetta Announces Impact Of Defense Cuts

    Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced cuts in the Pentagon budget on Thursday. Robert Siegel talks to NPR's Tom Bowman for more.
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  • Jan 26

    Irish Struggle Under Weight Of Austerity Measures

    Ireland was one of the worst hit by the eurozone crisis, but now it's being seen as a star pupil, leading the class of stricken nations in their efforts to turn their economies around. International Monetary Fund and European Union officials are much impressed by its austerity measures, imposed after last year's massive bail out. Yet, for the average Irish person, the gain is hard to see. Public services have been slashed. House prices have fallen by some 60 percent. About a thousand young Irish people emigrate every week, and there's widespread cynicism over whether economic medicine being taken by the wounded Celtic Tiger actually works.
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  • Jan 26

    Obama Discusses Details From His Energy Agenda

    The Obama administration released more details Thursday about the energy plan he previewed at the State of the Union this week. He announced an oil-and-gas-lease sale on nearly 38 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico — and proposals for new incentives to increase the use of natural gas in heavy trucks and buses.
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  • Jan 26

    Vucetich Discusses Long-Running Predator-Prey Study

    Melissa Block speaks with John Vucetich, a wildlife ecologist from Michigan Technological University who is leading the wolf-moose winter study at Isle Royale National Park. The park is located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior. The study is in its fifth decade.
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  • Jan 26

    Darrag Discusses The Future Of Egypt

    The year since the Egyptian revolution began has been a good one for the Muslim Brotherhood. The restrictions they once faced in Egyptian political life were lifted with the ouster of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak. Amr Darrag, a senior official in Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party — the Muslim Brotherhood party, speaks with Robert Siegel about the past year and what he anticipates in the next one.
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  • Jan 26

    Republicans Prepare To Debate In Florida

    Melissa Block talks with NPR's Mara Liasson about Thursday night's Republican debate in Jacksonville, Fla.
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  • Jan 26

    The State Of Syria: Civil War Or Vicious Stalemate?

    The violent crackdown against protesters continues to worsen, and there is growing concern about a full-scale civil war. Syria has rejected an Arab League plan, but the U.N. Security Council could soon take up the matter.
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  • Jan 26

    Snyder Says Detroit Officials Told Him To Go Away

    by: Quinn Klinefelter

    Governor Rick Snyder told the annual meeting of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau that people in the state – including the tourism industry – need to be more “relentlessly positive.”

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  • Jan 26

    Home Births Grow More Popular In U.S.

    Advocates of home births applaud the trend, but some doctors caution there are risks when deliveries come with complications. The federal data suggest the trend appears to be driven primarily by the choices of older, white women.
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  • Jan 25

    Shoe Company Practices Insourcing For The Sole

    In his State of the Union address, President Obama talked about bringing jobs back to the U.S. Oregon shoe maker Keen is doing its part. The company opened its first American factory in 2010, and while it still produces most of its shoes in Asia, Keen's CEO says manufacturing in the U.S. has been a "giant leap" for the company.
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  • Jan 25

    Start Early To Curb Heart Risks For A Lifetime

    Middle-aged men with two common risk factors have a 50-50 chance of having a serious heart attack or stroke as they grow older, a new study finds. The findings suggest that taming risks early in life can make big difference later on.
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  • Jan 25

    Taking His Economic Message On The Road, Obama Touts Factory Jobs In Iowa

    President Obama kicked off a three-day re-election road tour Wednesday, starting out at a manufacturing plant in Iowa. The president is promoting job growth in the manufacturing industry while defending the government's bailout of the auto industry.
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  • Jan 25

    Antitrust Official Gets Stampeded By Big Beef

    President Obama's appointee for antitrust issues in the meat industry wanted to give cattlemen more clout against big meatpackers. But he's quitting his job on Thursday. His reform efforts ran into fierce opposition from the country's packers and big cattle producers.
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  • Jan 25

    At The Louvre, A Rare Showcase For American Art

    The iconic Paris museum has just four American paintings in its huge permanent collection. But a temporary new exhibit is putting the spotlight on early American art, featuring Thomas Cole's dramatic landscape paintings from the early 19th century.
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  • Jan 25

    GOP Candidates Vie For Cuban-American Vote

    Two Republican presidential candidates — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney — appeared Wednesday at a forum sponsored by Univision and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Also Wednesday, prominent Latino politicians, including Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, called on Gingrich to take down a new radio ad that calls Romney "anti-immigrant." The Gingrich campaign complied and pulled the ad. Melissa Block talks with NPR's Greg Allen in Miami.
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  • Jan 25

    Filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos Dies At 76

    Critic David Thomson listed Theo Angelopoulos among a handful of truly great living filmmakers. His movies were epic in length and addressed epic periods in Greek history and mythology. They were among the most visually stunning movies made in the 20th century. He won numerous awards, including the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 1995 for Ulysses' Gaze, which starred Harvey Keitel. Angelopoulos died Tuesday after being struck by a motorcycle. He was 76.
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  • Jan 25

    Giffords Makes A Tearful Farewell

    Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords took to the House floor Wednesday one last time to say good-bye, for now, to her colleagues. It was an emotional scene as she handed in her resignation, a little more than a year after being gravely injured in an assassination attempt.
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  • Jan 25

    Battered And Bruised, Perry Returns To Texas

    Gov. Rick Perry is back in Texas, after dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination. He's returned battered and bruised, but he still has strong supporters in his home state.
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  • Jan 25

    Fed Keeps Short-Term Interest Rates Low

    Federal Reserve officials said they expect short-term interest rates to stay close to zero "at least through late 2014." The Fed has been trying to give more explicit guidance on what it expects in the future as part of a broader move to greater transparency.
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  • Jan 25

    Navy SEALs Rescue Kidnapping Victims In Somalia

    More than two dozen commandoes from the Navy's SEAL Team 6 swept into an encampment in northern Somalia Tuesday, rescuing American Jessica Buchanan and her Danish colleague some three months after they were taken hostage. The two were in the country as aid workers. The SEALs killed nine of the captors and apprehended three others. NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman tells Robert Siegel the latest.
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  • Jan 25

    Illinois' Quinn Pressured To Roll Back Tax Increase

    Last year this time, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn was pushing a big income tax increase to help balance the state's budget. This year, Quinn is being pressured to roll part of that increase back. But the state is still months behind in paying its bills, with a pension shortfall looming.
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  • Jan 25

    Egypt Marks Anniversary Of Revolution

    Egyptians commemorate the first anniversary of the uprising against the Hosni Mubarak regime. Demonstrators are in Cairo's Tahrir Square, even though opinion polls suggest the overwhelming majority of Egyptians are firmly against further protests.
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  • Jan 25

    Google Revises Its Privacy Policy

    Google is revising its privacy policies and making it clear that information collected by one part of the company will be shared throughout Google's online empire. Privacy. advocates are criticizing the move.
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  • Jan 25

    What's Hot At The Sundance Film Festival?

    The Sundance Film Festival is under way in Park City, Utah, this week. The annual independent film festival has more than a hundred films screening over 10 days. Melissa Block checks in with Los Angeles Times film writer Steven Zeitchik. He says the nation's economic struggles are evident in many of the films on display. And it's not just the documentaries — it's also in the fictional films.
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  • Jan 25

    Four Officers Arrested For Civil Rights Violations

    For years, the Latino community in East Haven, Conn., complained of systematic abuse and harassment at the hands of the town's police force. Tuesday, the federal government arrested four local cops and accused them of repeatedly violating the civil rights of Hispanic residents. The arrests have prompted dramatically different reactions from the Latino community and the mayor of East Haven.
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  • Jan 25

    Ron Paul: Steadily, 'Our Numbers Are Growing'

    In a wide-ranging interview with NPR, Ron Paul talked about everything from civil rights to a graduated tax.
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  • Jan 24

    Gingrich Campaign Rides A Financial Roller Coaster

    Newt Gingrich celebrated his win in the South Carolina primary with a fundraising blitz — a two-day push to raise as much money as possible. The campaign says it brought in $2 million. That money will come in handy in Florida. But the need for quick fundraising shows the precarious state of the Gingrich campaign's finances.
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  • Jan 24

    Texas Town Embraces New Refugee Residents

    People in Nacogdoches, Texas, have rolled out the welcome mat for hundreds of refugees from Myanmar, also known as Burma, who moved here to work at a chicken processing plant. Though the mayor admits that immigration can be a touchy issue, residents have offered support to their new neighbors.
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  • Jan 24

    Muslim Men Rescue Bagel Shop And Keep It Kosher

    Coney Island Bialys and Bagels, a historic bagel shop in New York City, was almost toast when two Pakistani men rescued it. Zafaryab Ali and Peerzada Shah, both Muslim, say they plan to keep the shop kosher. "Kosher and halal is very, very close, like brother and sister, maybe twins," Ali says.
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  • Jan 24

    Foreign Oil Imports Drop As U.S. Drilling Ramps Up

    President Obama's critics say he has blocked domestic oil production. But under his administration, a steady uptick in U.S. drilling operations, combined with falling overall consumption, has led to a steep drop in the percentage of oil the U.S. imports. Analysts say by 2035, the U.S. will import a little more than a third of its oil, down from 60 percent in 2005.
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  • Jan 24

    Same-Sex Marriage May Hinge On Supreme Court

    Three states are set to consider legalization while two states will vote on a constitutional ban. All the while, legal challenges are pushing the issue closer to getting an opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court. "Some of the justices don't like to have the law be too far ahead of where the public is," says one opponent.
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  • Jan 24

    Common Chemicals Could Make Kids' Vaccines Less Effective

    Researchers found that children whose blood contained high levels of chemicals used in nonstick coatings and stain-resistant fabrics were less responsive to vaccination. The finding suggests, but doesn't prove, that these chemicals may make some children more vulnerable to infectious diseases.
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  • Jan 24

    It's At The 20! The 10! Can The Flu Go All The Way?

    Football season is drawing to a close, and baseball has yet to begin, but fantasy sports are so popular, they keep the thrill of competition alive all year. Commentator Laura Lorson has a fantasy league, too — but it's not the type of competition you might expect.
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  • Jan 24

    Down And Out Escape To 'Slab' In California Desert

    Slab City is a 600-acre chunk of California desert on an abandoned WWII artillery training range, home to long time residents, newcomers and transients. There is no running water, no sewers, and no other comforts of modern day civilization, and the folks of Slab City like that just fine.
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  • Jan 24

    Down And Out Escape To 'Slab' In California Desert

    Slab City is a 600-acre chunk of California desert on an abandoned WWII artillery training range, home to long time residents, newcomers and transients. There is no running water, no sewers, and no other comforts of modern day civilization, and the folks of Slab City like that just fine.
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  • Jan 24

    A Look At Egypt, One Year After Its Revolution

    Robert Siegel talks with Sherif Mansour about the events that have unfolded in the year since the Egyptian revolution began. Mansour is an Egyptian democracy activist, who is also a senior program officer for Freedom House's Middle East and North Africa programs.
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  • Jan 24

    Obama To Outline The Pillars Of A Strong Economy

    NPR's Scott Horsley previews Tuesday night's State of the Union Address with Melissa Block. President Obama will outline what he describes as four pillars of a strong economy: manufacturing, energy, worker training, and American values of fairness and responsibility.
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  • Jan 24

    Romney Releases His Tax Returns

    Mitt Romney released his tax returns for 2010 and 2011, after earlier suggesting he would wait until after winning the Republican nomination. While Romney's total tax bill was in the millions, his tax rate was actually lower than that of many middle-class Americans.
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  • Jan 24

    'Hugo,' 'The Artist' Garner The Most Oscar Attention

    Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday morning. Hugo got the most nominations, followed by The Artist. Melissa Block talks to NPR film critic Bob Mondello.
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  • Jan 24

    Romney Delivers Economic Speech

    Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney campaigned in Florida Tuesday. He delivered an economic speech from a shuttered factory — a studied contrast to the president's State of the Union speech later Tuesday night.
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  • Jan 24

    Obama To Outline Four Pillars Of A Strong Economy

    NPR's Scott Horsley previews Tuesday night's State of the Union Address with Melissa Block. President Obama will outline what he describes as four pillars of a strong economy: manufacturing, energy, worker training, and the American values of fairness and responsibility.
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  • Jan 24

    After Labor Law Defeat, Ohio's Kasich Pushes Forward

    In just one year in office, Ohio Gov. John Kasich made some big changes in his state, based on his conservative, business-backed ideas. But he also suffered a massive defeat when the collective bargaining reform law he supported was overwhelmingly rejected by voters. But that's not stopping him from pushing forward with new ideas in his second year.
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  • Jan 24

    Gingrich Works To Gain Support In Florida

    While Mitt Romney was focused on the president's speech Tuesday, Newt Gingrich was mostly focused on the task at hand: next Tuesday's Republican primary. Addressing a crowd jammed into the booths at St. Petersberg's Tick Tock Restaurant Tuesday morning, the former speaker referred back to Romney's aggressive attacks at Monday night's debate.
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  • Jan 24

    Letters: Winter Songs; Etta James

    Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read emails from listeners.
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  • Jan 24

    Fox Plans Spanish-Language Network

    Fox is getting into the lucrative Spanish-language TV market in the U.S. It is putting together a broadcast network that will begin airing this fall.
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  • Jan 24

    Gingrich Brought Change And Controversy As Speaker

    Robert Siegel speaks to Janet Hook of the Wall Street Journal about Newt Gingrich's time as speaker of the House. Hook covered those years as a reporter for the Los Angeles Times. When Gingrich became speaker, he brought a tremendous change to the House and the Republican Party. But he caused a lot of trouble for his rank and file. In 1997, there was a secret attempt to overthrow him as speaker by a group of "back benchers," who thought he was flying off the handle. They wanted a conventional leader, and he kept doing things on his own, without telling people. They felt he was not leading with a steady hand.
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  • Jan 24

    A Look At Egypt, One Year After Its Revolution

    Robert Siegel talks with Sherif Mansour about the events that have unfolded in the year since the Egyptian revolution began. Mansour is an Egyptian democracy activist, who is also a senior program officer for Freedom House's Middle East and North Africa programs.
    Read full post

  • Jan 24

    After Last Year's Defeat, Kasich Pushes Forward

    In just one year in office, Ohio Gov. John Kasich made some big changes in his state, based on his conservative, business-backed ideas. But he also suffered a massive defeat when the collective bargaining reform law he supported was overwhelmingly rejected by voters. But that's not stopping him from pushing forward with new ideas in his second year.
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  • Jan 24

    As Speaker, Gingrich Brought Change, Controversy

    Robert Siegel speaks to Janet Hook of the Wall Street Journal about Newt Gingrich's time as speaker of the House. Hook covered those years as a reporter for The Los Angeles Times. When Gingrich became speaker, he brought a tremendous change to the House and the Republican Party. But he caused a lot of trouble for his rank and file. In 1997, there was a secret attempt to overthrow him as speaker by a group of "back benchers," who thought he was flying off the handle. They wanted a conventional leader, and he kept doing things on his own, without telling people. They felt he was not leading with a steady hand.
    Read full post

  • Jan 24

    Fox Plans Spanish-Language Network

    Fox is planning a new Spanish-language network.
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  • Jan 24

    For China's 'Left-Behind Kids,' A Free Lunch

    Shocked by the poverty he saw on a reporting trip, a Chinese journalist set up a program to provide meals to 25,000 poor children in rural China, many of whom suffer from malnutrition. Indirectly, his efforts have prompted the government to ramp up its efforts to feed the country's most vulnerable.
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  • Jan 23

    EU Squeezes Iran With New Oil Sanctions

    European Union countries have been hesitant to join the U.S. in imposing sanctions against Iranian oil exports. But all 27 EU members approved an embargo on oil imports from Iran in the latest sanction directed against the country for its nuclear program.
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  • Jan 23

    Cash-Strapped L.A. Dodgers Shop For A New Owner

    Bids are due Monday for groups interested in buying the Los Angeles Dodgers, and looser regulations may mean more interested parties.
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  • Jan 23

    Stanford Takes Online Schooling To The Next Academic Level

    Last semester, Stanford University professors tried something radically new: They opened their classes to the world for free. Within hours, thousands had signed up to participate. The classes' success could transform the way we look at higher education.
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