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Coquito: A Tropical Twist On The Holiday Classic

Coquito, an eggnog made with rum and coconut, is as integral to a Puerto Rican Christmas as presents under the tree. In New York on Saturday, 12 coquito makers are battling to be this year's Coquito Masters champion. It's the 10th year of the contest. Trolleys will take fans to different locations in Spanish Harlem to sample coquito and vote for their favorite drinks in blind taste tests. Puerto Ricans tend to keep their coquito recipes top-secret, according to Debbie Quinones, founder of the International Coquito Federation. Breaking with that tradition, here's a recipe from Ellie Heinzman, mother of Weekend Edition producer Elaine Heinzman. SCOTT SIMON, HOST: From Coco Robicheaux to coquito. That's an eggnog that's as much a part of a Puerto Rican Christmas as sunlight and beaches. Today in New York, 12 coquito-makers will contend to be this year's Coquito Masters champion. Debbie Quinones is the founder of the International Coquito Federation. She joins us from New York. Thanks so much for being with us. DEBBIE QUINONES: Thanks for inviting me. SIMON: And what is a coquito? QUINONES: Coquito is made specifically with condensed milk, evaporated milk, coconut, rum, vanilla, nutmeg, and some other spices that tend to vary with various families. SIMON: So everybody has their own personal recipe. QUINONES: Absolutely and that's what is the joy and beauty of this contest that I organized. It's called Coquito Masters. It started when my mother's friend passed away who was the coquito maker for our family. And I was left without any coquito and realizing that the concept of culinary legacy was really important. And I started having this event in my house, basically with some friends and family. SIMON: What can we expect today? QUINONES: You have the top 12 coquito masters from the five boroughs, from different neighborhoods and even Connecticut - and, of course, the defending champion who is Maritza Acosta. It's really an exciting opportunity and experienced to see people coming in with this sense of pride and competition. I have to say that this competition is fierce. SIMON: Are people eager to share the recipes? Can they keep them... QUINONES: Oh, no. No. Oh, no. No. This is something that is really intense. We have the competition today. And as a result of the growth and expansion of this initiative, we have decided that - in consultation with the Museo Del Barrio - that in a new twist, what we have now is a coquito crawl, which is promoting the tourism of East Harlem, where restaurants have come on board and they will serve as the winning contestant's coquito. And we have a trolley that's going to go around the neighborhood. So ultimately, after you taste from two to four, people can go back to the Museo Del Barrio at 6:30 where we will announce the winner. SIMON: Does the winner have to share his or her recipe? QUINONES: No. No. No. No. That's like really something that we don't get into. SIMON: OK. QUINONES: The third-place winner in 2008, she stole the recipe from her father who had it under his bed in a locked box. She actually stole... SIMON: And you rewarded that kind of family pilferage? (SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER) QUINONES: The mother was in - she was part of the collaboration, and she took the recipe and put it into the contest and won third place. SIMON: Well, happy holidays and may all your coquitos be smooth. QUINONES: Thank you. SIMON: Or whatever a gentleman says to a lady. (SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER) QUINONES: Thank you so much. SIMON: Debbie Quinones, speaking with us from New York. The Coquito Masters Championship happens today in Spanish Harlem. And to find a recipe for a coquito, you can go to our website, NPR.org. (SOUNDBITE OF DRUMS) SIMON: This is NPR News.

Research On 'Self-Eating' Cell Parts Wins Nobel Prize In Medicine

Yoshinori Ohsumi has won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work on autophagy, the process by which cells recycle amino acids and other organic compounds. The word means “self eating,” which describes how the cell part known as the lysosome uses enzymes to consume and repurpose defunct proteins. Dr. Ohsumi’s research on yeast cells fills in a gap in basic knowledge about cell biology and could lead to insights into neurodegenerative disorders like ALS and Parkinson’s disease, as well as Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory syndromes. Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks with Erika Holzbaur, professor of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania, about the significance of this year’s Nobel Prize in medicine. Guest Erika Holzbaur, professor of physiology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. The school tweets @PennMedicine.

Gabriel Alegria And Gerald Clayton On JazzSet

The Litchfield Jazz Festival leads off with a weeks-long camp for high-school students and New York's finest musicians on the faculty, then climaxes with a two-day festival. This year it's August 11-12 in Goshen, Conn., but here we have two sets from the 2010 festival, featuring two groups with young leaders. Gabriel Alegría and his Afro-Peruvian Sextet plant their feet in two cities: New York and Lima. When they play in Peru, they invite New York fans to join the tour. In fact, as this show airs, they're just back from a South American adventure and heading for the studio to record. Trumpeter Gabriel Alegría is part of the third generation of a family of distinguished Peruvian writers. His grandfather Ciro was a novelist and his father Alfonso a playwright. Young Alegría became a serious student of the black music of coastal Peru, earned his Doctorate in Jazz Studies at USC and teaches at New York University. He pioneers a fresh blend of Afro-Peruvian music and jazz, especially Miles Davis. Saxophonist Laura Andrea Leguía also writes for the band. Like guitarist Yuri Juárez and percussionist Freddy "Huevito" Lobatón, Laura comes from Peru, as well. Huevito sits on a cajón (box drum), plays the quijada (jawbone of an ass) and is a zapateo shoe dancer extraordinaire, as shown in the photo on this page. Bassist John Benitez, born in Puerto Rico, is busy in New York, while drummer Shirazette Tinnin (North Carolina, Northern Illinois University) has a nickname: "She Beats." After the Afro-Peruvian Sextet, Los Angeles-raised pianist Gerald Clayton steps up. The son of bassist John Clayton, Gerald spent his early years learning Oscar Peterson records note for note, so he's solidly grounded. And Clayton is highly individual: He'll find a morsel in a tune and turn it over and over, always keeping a flow. Then, on a dime, he can shift to an exhilarating, satisfying shout chorus. He's so deft that he can turn a piece of music inside out without making a single cut. His trio offers two originals — one by his drummer Justin Brown — with Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" (more Spanish) in the middle. Of course, Clayton, Brown and bassist Joe Sanders rework the piece, but you're sure to feel the original "With Soul" within it.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren Suspends Presidential Campaign

After a disappointing Super Tuesday showing, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the presidential race on Thursday. Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks to WBUR senior political reporter Anthony Brooks (@anthonygbrooks) about her decision. This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Jonah Goldberg On Trump, Putin And The GOP

Conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg of the <em>National Review</em> talks with NPR's David Greene about how Republicans are responding to President Trump's deferential treatment of President Putin.

Meg Greenfield's Memoir

NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg talks to Katherine Graham and Michael Beschloss about journalist Meg Greenfield's memoir <EM>Washington</EM>. When Greenfield died last year, she left behind a memoir of her life in the capital. Only Beshcloss -- a fellow pundit -- knew about it; now he's helped get it published. Both Beschloss and Graham, the former publisher of the <EM>Washington Post</EM>, remember Greenfield -- and her beloved baloney sandwiches. {Publisher of <EM>Washington,</EM> by Meg Greenfield is Public Affairs }

Is There Enough Equipment For A New Coronavirus Surge?

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with Brig. Gen. David Sanford about the state of the national stockpile of personal protective equipment and other supplies.

Thank You! Thank You!

Welp, that's a wrap on the first season of Wow in the World! Thank you so much for joining us on this big adventure! We're giving Reggie a short break to rest his wings while we search the globe for more Wow in the World! In the meantime, be sure to sign up for our newsletter at wowintheworld.com so you can be the first to hear about Season 2 and other exciting stuff we've got cookin'! We'll be back in your ears before you know it. #Grateful Mindy and Guy

Come See The New Pornographers Play 'Brill Bruisers' In The Brill Building

Yesterday, the ecstatic indie-pop group The New Pornographers released Brill Bruisers, its first new record in four years. Next week, it'll bring the album home. NPR Music is excited to announce that on Thursday, Sept. 4, The New Pornographers will play songs from Brill Bruisers in the Brill Building itself. It makes sense, right? The Brill Building, located just off Times Square in New York City, is a major site in pop history. It was home to the offices of many of the music publishers who built the sound of teenage pop in the 1950s and '60s, and who employed songwriters like Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, Leonard Cohen, Burt Bacharach and many more. With its wrecking crew of songwriters and singers, The New Pornographers' long-running marriage of craft and immediacy puts this group of musicians right in line with Brill's expert hit-makers. The Brill Building itself isn't a live venue, but we're turning it into one for this one-time event, and we have a limited number of tickets available to see the band play in this special space. If you're going to be in New York next Thursday, or you can get there, follow @nprmusic on Twitter this week for chances to win. (If you aren't among the lucky few who are there in person, don't worry — we'll have video of the concert on NPR Music soon.)

Insurgents Mount Attack on Ramadi in Iraq

Witnesses in the town of Ramadi say dozens of masked gunmen believed to be members of Al Qaeda in Iraq attacked the heavily fortified U.S. base in the city, along with several government buildings. The insurgents also seized control of several streets in the center of the city.

SARS Cases Jump in Taiwan

Taiwan reports 39 new cases of SARS, bringing the island's total to 383 cases, 52 of which have been fatal. Ninety percent of the cases were spread in hospitals. Meanwhile, citing success in battling SARS, Chinese officials announce plans to re-open schools in Beijing Thursday. NPR's Richard Harris reports.

American Trade Show Opens in Havana

NPR's Tom Gjelten reports that the first American trade-show opened in Havana, Cuba this week. The U.S. Healthcare Exhibition is the single largest grouping of United States-based companies to visit Cuba for a commercial exhibition in more than 40 years. The exhibition was organized by PWN Exibicon International, a Connecticut-based U.S. firm.

World Cafe Looks Back: The Beatles

Throughout the month of October, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of World Cafe by revisiting some of the best and most memorable interviews of the past 20 years. This episode of World Cafe pays tribute to The Beatles, featuring past interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, original drummer Pete Best and Beatles producer George Martin (one of the Best of World Cafe). McCartney's 2007 interview explores how changes in the music industry have led him to look for new ways to release his albums. He reflects on his career and competing with his own past hits, and shares memories of writing "A Day in the Life" with John Lennon. That same year, George Martin appeared on the show to recount what it was like to make Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and explains why he suggested that they enlist Ringo Starr in place of Pete Best. Best, affectionately known as "The Fifth Beatle," drummed for The Beatles from 1960 to 1962, and appeared on World Cafe in 2008 to discuss the direction his music career took after his nearly 1,000 performances with the band. Finally, Starr's 2010 interview finds the artist having just released the solo record Y Not, a work he feels "best represents [his] personality." This segment originally aired on October 7, 2011.

Dutch Bikers Join Fight Against ISIS In Iraq

The fight against militants in the Islamic State is gearing up — literally. Some members of a Dutch motorcycle club have joined forces with Kurds battling ISIS in northern Iraq.

Tribunal Begins For Bin Laden's Former Driver

Salim Ahmed Hamdan has pleaded not guilty at his terrorism trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hamdan, a former driver for al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, is facing a U.S. military tribunal on charges of conspiracy and supporting terrorism. Specifically, military prosecutors say that when Hamdan was captured in Afghanistan in November 2001, he was on his way to a battlefront with two surface-to-air missiles in his car. Prosecutors say the Yemeni citizen was part of bin Laden's inner circle, and as such, was party to the planning for al-Qaida attacks, including the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. Hamdan's defense lawyers say Hamdan was a low-level driver and mechanic who worked for bin Laden because he needed the monthly paycheck. They say that he was not part of any conspiracy against the United States. Hamdan, who is in his late 30s, has been a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay since 2002. His case has been at the center of the Bush administration's effort to classify certain foreign fighters as enemy combatants, rather than prisoners of war, and try them before military courts. Hamdan's lawyers successfully argued in 2006 that President Bush had exceeded his authority in establishing military commissions to try the terrorism cases. The Supreme Court also ruled that the president's military commissions violated U.S. military law and the Geneva Conventions protecting prisoners of war. Later that year, Congress passed a new law, the Military Commissions Act, which sought to address the problems of the earlier tribunals. The new law said that military courts hearing enemy combatant cases could hear evidence that was obtained by coercive interrogations, and that defendants in such trials could not invoke the Geneva Conventions as a source of rights. In June of this year, the Supreme Court declared part of the Military Commissions Act to be unconstitutional. The ruling gave Guantanamo prisoners the right to take their cases before U.S. federal courts and challenge the validity of their detentions. For now, Hamdan's case is being heard by a jury of uniformed military officers chosen by the Pentagon. Prosecutors say they expect to present nearly two dozen witnesses in the course of a trial that's expected to take at least three weeks. Even if the military panel acquits him, Hamdan will not necessarily be released. The Bush administration has said that he could be held until the United States declares an official end to the so-called "war on terror." Military officials say Hamdan is the first of about 80 Guantanamo prisoners who are expected to be prosecuted before military tribunals.

No Habitat Wanted in Boca Raton

Habitat for Humanity is butting heads with some residents of Boca Raton, Fla., over plans to build affordable low-income housing in a wealthy neighborhood. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

Pope Appoints Moderate As Archbishop Of Chicago

Pope Francis on Saturday appointed Bishop Blase Cupich, a moderate who has called for civility in the culture wars, as the next archbishop of Chicago, signaling a shift in tone in one of the most important posts in the U.S. church. Cupich, of Spokane, Washington, will be installed in the Archdiocese of Chicago in November, succeeding Cardinal Francis George, according to an announcement by the papal ambassador to the U.S. The archdiocese has scheduled a news conference for Saturday morning which Cupich is expected to attend. George has been battling cancer and has said he believes the disease will end his life. George is especially admired in the church's conservative wing as an intellectual who took an aggressive stand against abortion and gay marriage. Cupich has called for a "return to civility" in conversations on divisive social issues. Francis has said he wants church leaders to focus more on mercy and compassion and less on hot-button social issues. The choice of Cupich is Francis' first major appointment in the U.S. and the clearest indication yet of the direction he wants to steer American church leaders. The Archdiocese of Chicago is the third-largest, and one of the most important dioceses in the country, serving 2.2 million parishioners. Chicago archbishops are usually elevated to cardinal and are therefore eligible to vote for the next pope. Cupich, 65, is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, where he was ordained a priest. He holds degrees from the Pontifical Gregorian University and The Catholic University of America. In the 1980s, he worked on the staff of the Vatican embassy in Washington. He was appointed bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1998, and served there until 2010, when he was appointed to Spokane. In a 2012 essay in the Jesuit magazine America, Cupich said the U.S. bishops "rightly objected" to the original narrow religious exemption in President Barack Obama's requirement that employers provide health insurance that covers contraception. But Cupich called for a "return to civility" in conversations about religious liberty and society. "While the outrage to the (government) decision was understandable, in the long run threats and condemnations have a limited impact," Cupich said. "We should never stop talking to one another." Cupich has also defended Francis' views on the economy and emphasis on fighting poverty, which some Catholics and others have criticized as naive and against capitalism. "Instead of approaching life from the 30-thousand-feet level of ideas, he challenges policy makers and elected officials — indeed all of us — to experience the life of everyday and real people," Cupich said at a conference last June on the Catholic case against libertarianism. "Much like he told religious leaders, Francis is saying that politicians and policy makers need to know the smell of the sheep."

Horrific Tales Of Massacre In Nigeria; Criminal Charges Possible For Toyota

Good morning. We begin the day with grim news from Nigeria, where accounts of the Sunday massacre that left as many as 500 people dead are truly horrifying. The New York Times starts its report with this: "JOS, Nigeria -- Dispassionately, the baby-faced young man recounted his killings: two women and one man, first beaten senseless with a stick, then stabbed to death with a short knife." The Times adds that: "On Monday and Tuesday, 332 bodies were buried in a mass grave in the village of Dogo Na Hawa, the Nigerian Red Cross said Wednesday. Human rights groups and the state government say that as many as 500 people may have been killed in the early hours of Sunday morning, in three different villages. On Monday and Tuesday, 332 bodies were buried in a mass grave in the village of Dogo Na Hawa, the Nigerian Red Cross said Wednesday. Human rights groups and the state government say that as many as 500 people may have been killed in the early hours of Sunday morning, in three different villages." Other stories making headlines this morning include: -- USA TODAY -- "Toyota Could Face Criminal Charges Related To Safety Recalls": "Congressional probes, mushrooming lawsuits and a federal probe into reporting of acceleration defects have raised the risk of criminal charges for Toyota." -- The Associated Press -- "Analysis: U.S. Hamstrung On Israeli Settlements": "A year ago, President Barack Obama boldly, unequivocally demanded that Israel stop building settlements on the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Today he's left with little choice but to swallow a stinging and very public rebuke from America's closest Mideast ally. Why? Too much is at stake. The administration has invested too much time, credibility and political capital to throw up its hands and walk away from its hard-fought efforts to get Israel and the Palestinians back to peace talks." Related story by the BBC -- "Biden Says Peace Talks Must Resume Despite Mideast Row": "U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden says there must be no delay in resuming Mideast peace talks, despite a row over Israeli plans for new homes in East Jerusalem.Mr Biden repeated his criticism of the timing of the building decision, but praised the response of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the controversy." -- Kansas City Star -- "Divided Kansas City Board Votes 5-4 To Close 26 District Schools": "A divided Kansas City school board voted Wednesday night to move ahead with a historic plan to close 26 schools. Hundreds of people in an overflow crowd -- sometimes shouting out in dismay -- watched with national media as the board ushered in Superintendent John Covington's 'Right Sizing Plan' ." -- BBC News -- "Chile's New Leader Sebastian Pinera To Be Sworn In": "Chilean tycoon Sebastian Pinera is due to be sworn in (today) as president of the country, which was recently devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunami. Mr. Pinera not only faces the challenge of reconstruction, but takes over from a highly popular outgoing leader.

Like Presidents Past, Trump Adds A Signing Statement To A Bill He Doesn't Like

President Trump signed a bill Wednesday imposing new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, but he made it clear that he was not happy about it. The president released a scathing signing statement that said the bill was hastily assembled and included "a number of clearly unconstitutional provisions." "While I favor tough measures to punish and deter aggressive and destabilizing behavior by Iran, North Korea, and Russia," Trump wrote in the signing statement, "this legislation is significantly flawed." Though that language may strike some as harsh, legal and political experts say it isn't uncommon or out of line with what presidents in recent history have done when it comes to commenting on legislation they are signing into law. The practice is called a "signing statement." "It's clear that this president intends to make use of this particular device that was popular in the George W. Bush administration, was used by President Obama, but not as much. And it's quite clear that Mr. Trump's going to use it," said Phillip Cooper, a professor of public administration at Portland State University and the author of a book about presidential executive action. Bush used signing statements to challenge about 1,200 provisions of 172 laws he signed, more than double the amount of all his predecessors combined, according to The Washington Post. While Obama didn't challenge the same quantity of laws, he used his signing statements in much the same way, effectively giving the executive branch the last word on how a bill should be legally interpreted. Collins said this was Trump's second significant signing statement. The first was on a government funding bill signed in May. The statement is an indication of disagreement with Congress but isn't necessarily an indication the president is looking for a fight with the legislative branch or won't comply with the new law. A legislative aide told NPR that the signing statement "might have a lot of bluster" but that there is nothing in it "that would appear to inhibit the execution and implementation of this legislation." "He's drawing lines, and he's making some pretty significant statements about the scope of his executive power in foreign affairs," said Cooper. The combative statement was one of Trump's only realistic options because he didn't have much of an alternative to signing the sanctions bill. The legislation passed both chambers of Congress with overwhelming, bipartisan and, most importantly, veto-proof majorities. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle put out statements pushing back on the president's pushback. "It is critical that the President comply with the letter and spirit of this legislation and fully implement all of its provisions," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. "Going forward, I hope the President will be as vocal about Russia's aggressive behavior as he was about his concerns with this legislation." House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, "President Trump's signing statement raises serious questions about whether his Administration intends to follow the law, or whether he will continue to enable and reward Vladimir Putin's aggression." The president was particularly unhappy with language in Wednesday's bill that limited his executive power. Normally, Congress leaves presidents full latitude to waive sanctions if it's in the best interest of the U.S. This bill specifically takes that ability away from Trump and future presidents when it comes to Russia. If he wants to lift or modify sanctions on Russia, the president has to send Congress a report explaining and justifying his decision, and lawmakers would then be able to block the move. Depending on a number of factors, legislators would have between 30 days and nearly three months to pass a resolution of disapproval. The scope of the congressional review, without a sunset and affecting any and all sanctions relief for Russia, is unprecedented. Still, in his signing statement, despite the strong talk of "unconstitutional provisions," Trump said he intends to adhere to the review process. Donald Wolfensberger, a congressional fellow with the Woodrow Wilson Center, said Trump's statement, despite its bluster, was fairly "boilerplate." "The problem is not in the signing statements. The president can say anything he wants," Wolfensberger said. "It's if he defies the law, and that is challenged in some way. "That's where the rubber meets the road."

Daniel Catán, Composer Of Lyrical Operas, Dead At 62

Composer Daniel Catán died suddenly on Saturday, April 9, at age 62 in Austin, Texas according to reports confirmed by his publisher, Associated Music Publishers/G. Schirmer. The cause of death is still to be determined. A resident of Pasadena, Calif. and the winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Catán was spending the semester teaching at the University of Texas Butler School of Music. He had been scheduled to spend this past weekend in Houston at performances of his opera Il Postino at the University of Houston. Born in 1949 in Mexico City, Catán first studied philosophy and music in England before receiving a doctorate from Princeton University, where his teachers included Milton Babbitt, James K. Randall and Benjamin Boretz. He then returned to his native country to become administrator at Mexico City's Palace of Fine Arts. Catán later became a U.S. citizen. Read More And Hear The Music Though he was not exclusively an opera composer, Catán found strong champions for his work within the vocal music community, perhaps most notably tenor and impresario Plácido Domingo. In 1998, Catán won the Plácido Domingo Award; Catán's 2010 opera Il Postino (based on the novel and film of the same name), premiered at the Los Angeles Opera with Domingo playing Pablo Neruda. Il Postino had its European premiere at Vienna's Theater an der Wien last December; of that staging, George Loomis wrote in The New York Times, "You can understand why singers like operas composed by Daniel Catán. They abound in real melodies — melodies with musical shapeliness, a capacity to soar and the potential to move the listener." The composer also found ardent champions at the Houston Grand Opera, which premiered two of his operas, beginning with 1996's Florencia en el Amazonas — a work co-commissioned by HGO, Los Angeles Opera and Seattle Opera. It was the first Spanish-language opera to be commissioned by major American companies. HGO also commissioned Catán's third opera, Salsipuedes, A Tale of Love, War and Anchovies, in 2004 in celebration of the company's 50th anniversary. At the time of his death, Catán was working on a new opera, Meet John Doe, which was scheduled to premiere next year at the University of Texas at Austin, where the chamber version of La Hija de Rappaccini was premiered in February 2011. He is survived by his wife, Andrea Puente, as well as by three children and four grandchildren.

The Curious Listener: Debating Guns On Air, At Home & On The Range

NPR listener Paul Gwaltney contacted All Things Considered earlier this year with a challenge - go to a shooting range. He'd heard an interview with National Rifle Association President David Keene on our air, and thought the trip might allow a better understanding of the culture there. NPR took him up on this offer, and the show asked him to do something in return, something that put listeners at the center of the conversation around this timely issue. Gwaltney found himself at his Virginia home hosting a roundtable discussion on the "ideological gulf between gun owners and non-gun owners." NPR Host Melissa Block joined Gwaltney for a visit to the shooting range, and sat down with his friends and colleagues who hold very different views on gun control. The discussion, which you can hear online, is part of NPR's coverage of the continuing dialogue over arms in the series "Guns In America: A Loaded Relationship." This reporting is indicative of the wide spectrum of coverage NPR gives to various important issues, and something Brett, our latest Curious Listener, will want to check out. His letter to NPR, inquiring about our coverage of the gun control debate, is another example of the feedback we sometimes hear from thoughtful listeners who take issue with how we've covered a topic or news event. We hope that this installment of the Curious Listener will inspire some clarity about our journalists' mission. Send your questions about the inner workings of NPR, something you heard during a program, or anything else NPR-related to NPR Listener Services. Your question and the answer might even end up on the This is NPR blog.

Doctors' Group Seeks to Limit Malpractice Awards

Doctors anxious to see caps on pain and suffering payments in malpractice lawsuits are turning to the voters this election season with a multi-million dollar advertising blitz promoting their cause. Austin Jenkins reports.

The Best Books Of 2011: The Complete List

Use the list below to browse NPR's Best Books Of 2011 recommendations. Each critic's list is presented separately. Click on the article names to read our critics' comments about the books. Staff Picks: The Best Music Books Of 2011by NPR Staff Love Goes To Buildings On Fire: Five Years In New York That Changed Music Forever, by Will Hermes, hardcover, 368 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, list price: $30 Alex Steinweiss: The Inventor Of The Modern Album Cover, by Kevin Reagan and Steven Heller, hardcover, 416 pages, Taschen America Llc, list price: $69.99 The Chitlin' Circuit And The Road to Rock 'n' Roll, by Preston Lauterbach, hardcover, 338 pages, W W Norton & Co Inc, list price: $26.95 Retromania: Pop Culture's Addiction To Its Own Past, by Simon Reynolds, paperback, 458 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, list price: $18 Le Freak An Upside Down Story of Family, Disco, And Destiny, by Nile Rodgers, hardcover, 318 pages, Random House Inc, list price: $27 Out Of The Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis On Rock Music, by Nona Willis Aronowitz, paperback, 232 pages, Univ. of Minnesota Press, list price: $22.95 Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years Of The Last Great Record Label, by Bill Adler, Dan Charnas and Lyor Cohen, hardcover, 311 pages, Random House Inc, list price: $60 Electric Eden: Unearthing Britain's Visionary Music, by Rob Young, paperback, 664 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, list price: $25 Clark: The Autobiography of Clark Terry, by Clark Terry and Gwen Terry, hardcover, 322 pages, Univ. of California Press, list price: $34.95 Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries, by Jon Kristiansen and Tara G. Warrior, Hardcover, 720 pages, Pgw, list price: $39.95 I Want My MTV The Uncensored Story Of The Music Video Revolution, by Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, hardcover, 608 pages, Penguin Group USA, list price: $29.95 Everybody Loves Our Town: An Oral History Of Grunge, by Mark Yarm, hardcover, 567 pages, Random House Inc, list price: $25 Truth And Beauty: 2011's Best American Poetryby David Orr What It Is Like: New And Selected Poems, by Charles North, paperback, 302 pages, Consortium Book Sales & Dist, list price: $20 Voyager, by Srikanth Reddy, paperback, 129 pages, Univ. of California Press, list price: $22.95 The Needle: Poems, by Jennifer Grotz, hardcover, 66 pages, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, list price: $23 Traveler, by Devin Johnston, hardcover, 67 pages, Farrar Straus & Giroux, list price: $23 Groundwork, by Amanda Jernigan and John Haney, paperback, 61 pages, Consortium Book Sales & Dist, list price: $14.95 Indulge Yourself: 2011's Best Celebrity Tell-Allsby Susan Jane Gilman Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir, by Steven Tyler and David Dalton, paperback, 593 pages, HarperCollins, list price: $27.99 Concierge Confidential, by Michael Fazio and Michael Malice, hardcover, 271 pages, St Martins Press, list price: $24.99 Happy Accidents, by Jane Lynch, hardcover, 304 pages, Hyperion Books, list price: $25.99 Stuntman! My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life, by Hal Needham, hardcover, 307 pages, Little Brown & Company, list price: $25.99 Stories I Only Tell My Friends: An Autobiography, by Rob Lowe, hardcover, 308 pages, Henry Holt & Company, list price: $26 Six Graphic Novels That Will Draw You InRecommended by Dan Kois Habibi, by Craig Thompson, hardcover, 655 pages, Random House, list price: $35 Pinocchio, by Winshluss, hardcover, 187 pages, Scb Distributors, list price: $29.95 Who Is Jake Ellis? 1, by Nathan Edmondson and Tonci Zonjic, paperback, 136 pages, Diamond Comic Distributors, list price: $16.99 Of Lamb, by Matthea Harvey and Amy Jean Porter, hardcover, 1 v. (unpaged), McSweeney's, list price: $22 Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki and Jocelyne Allen, paperback, 368 pages, Drawn and Quarterly, list price: $24.95 Troop 142, by Mike Dawson, paperback, 268 pages, Secret Acres, list price: $20 The Lives Of Geniuses: Five Brilliant BiographiesRecommended by Michael Schaub James Madison, by Richard Brookhiser, hardcover, 287 pages, Perseus Books Group, list price: $26.99 Van Gogh: The Life, by Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, hardcover, 953 pages, Random House, list price: $40 Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale Of Love & Fallout, by Lauren Redniss, hardcover, 208 pages, Harpercollins, list price: $29.99 And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut: A Life, by Charles J. Shields, hardcover, 513 pages, Henry Holt & Company, list price: $30 Steve Jobs: A Biography, by Walter Isaacson, hardcover, 630 pages, Simon & Schuster, list price: $35 The Teens Are All Right: 2011's Top 5 YA NovelsRecommended by Marissa Meyer Anna Dressed In Blood, by Kendare Blake, hardcover, 316 pages, St. Martins Press, list price: $17.99 Divergent, by Veroni

Cadbury Rejects Kraft's $16.7 Billion Bid

U.S. food giant Kraft made a surprise bid Monday for the storied British chocolate maker Cadbury. The nearly $17 billion offer was swiftly rejected. Kraft is not backing down — though it may have to sweeten its bid.

In Texas, Showdown Over 'Sanctuary Cities'

In Texas, a standoff between a county sheriff and the governor over the issue of &#8220;sanctuary cities&#8221; could come to a head on Thursday. The Republican-led Texas Senate is holding its first public hearing on a bill that would allow the state to withhold funding for local counties or cities in the state that call themselves &#8220;sanctuaries&#8221; and refuse to cooperate with federal officials on immigration issues. Gov. Greg Abbott supports the bill. Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez has vowed to implement a &#8220;sanctuary city&#8221; policy. Audrey McGlinchy (@AKMcGlinchy) of Here & Now contributor KUT is in Austin and has our report.

Tonight's TV: 'The Closer' Comes Back, Paired With A New Procedural

Fox continues plugging away with new episodes of scripted dramas, with Lie To Me at 8:00 p.m. and The Good Guys at 9:00. On the unscripted side, The Bachelorette (8:00 p.m., ABC), Cake Boss (9:00 p.m., TLC), Intervention (9:00 p.m., A&E) and Last Comic Standing (9:00 p.m., NBC) are among the shows with new episodes. The biggest news of the day is probably that TNT's The Closer (9:00 p.m., TNT) returns for its sixth season tonight. It's a show that's done a lot for both the basic-cable drama boom and the actress-led drama boom (relatively speaking), and TNT is following it with the premiere of Rizzoli & Isles (10:00 p.m.), a new crime procedural starring Angie Harmon (once one of Jack McCoy's many ADAs on Law & Order) and Sasha Alexander (once one of Dawson Leery's few unfortunate girlfriends on Dawson's Creek). Anthony Bourdain ventures into the part of the United States between the coasts on No Reservations (Travel Channel, 10:00 p.m.), for an episode called "Heartland." And if you are among those who wish to be alerted when things go even more off the rails than usual on The Real Housewives Of New Jersey (10:00 p.m., Bravo), it appears that this would be your night.

Recipe: Crisp Honey Grahams

Makes 3 dozen. 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 cup honey In a bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and honey. Mix on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. In two additions, add the dry ingredients, letting the first fully incorporate before you add the second. Flatten the dough into a rectangular shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days. (The dough can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Unwrap the chilled dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll it out into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Using a ruler and a pastry cutter or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1-1/2-by-3-inch rectangles; use a spatula to transfer the rectangles to the prepared baking sheets as you go. Reroll the scraps of dough once, and cut out more cookies. Using a fork, pierce each rectangle with two rows of four to six marks. Bake the graham crackers, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until they are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. The graham crackers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. From The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox. Copyright 2009 by Karen DeMasco and Mindy Fox. Published by Clarkson Potter. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

What Time Of Year Are People Likely To First Try Drugs? Summer, Survey Says

A study finds that summer is when people are more likely to try drugs for the first time. Previous studies showed that summers are also when more people use drugs, leading to more visits to the ER.

Oregon Lawn-Chair Balloonist Will Take His Show To Baghdad

Kent Couch made news back in 2008, when he tied a lawn chair to a cluster of helium balloons and flew it 235 miles from Oregon to Idaho. Yesterday, Couch boarded a plane and announced he was headed to Baghdad to attempt a similar trip with Iraqi extreme sports enthusiast Fareed Lafta. Couch's story has been making the rounds in Oregon since Wednesday. But it's now beginning to make its way across the country. Here's how he describes his plans for Iraq on his website: Launching from the center of Baghdad's green zone, the daring duo will strive to reach a 25,000 foot elevation, travel over 600 miles and spend more than 24 hours in the air non-stop. The aim of the project is to highlight the post-war cultural need to enrich the world of Iraqi children and youth by encouraging them to DREAM BIG for the future! Couch spoke to KTVZ, "central Oregon's news leader," on Wednesday. He said this is going to be more daring than his previous flights. It'll involve twice as many balloons and at that altitude both he and Lafta will have to wear oxygen masks. Now, with these contraptions, the wind decides where you go, so there's always the issue of crossing the border into Iran. KTVZ reports: Soaring right over a war-stricken area, Couch is trying to work with the Iraqi and U.S. military to make sure they're secure. But is he ready to gamble his life on a gust of wind? "The fear is if we drift to Iran, which is only about 85 miles from Baghdad — and if we were to get a wind blowing west, we would just have to go up and come back down, because I'm not going to gamble being in Iran for very long," Couch said. Couch also aknowledged that some people will think he's crazy and before Lafta contacted him with the idea, the gas-station owner thought he was done with cluster ballooning. But, he told the AP, he believes this flight can send a positive message. "Now that Saddam Hussein is gone, and the U.S. is pulling out, it is time Iraq really steps up and begins to dream about putting the country back together," Couch told the AP. "I think between having a U.S. citizen and an Iraqi citizen launch together, where we are saying we are fulfilling our dream, it will encourage them to dream, knowing the sky is the limit if they just reach out and try." The flight is scheduled for Nov. 15.

On This Day In 1970: Taft Beats Rhodes, Post-Kent State

May 5, 1970: In a collision between two of Ohio's top Republicans, Rep. Robert Taft Jr. narrowly defeats term-limited Gov. James Rhodes in the GOP primary for an open Senate seat. The election comes one day after Rhodes sent National Guard troops to Kent State University to quell a student uprising in the wake of the incursion into Cambodia. Four students were killed by troops at Kent State. In another close contest, on the Democratic side, Howard Metzenbaum, an ally of retiring Sen. Stephen Young, defeats former astronaut John Glenn. Glenn was the celebrity and hero, but Metzenbaum outspent and outworked him. Six years earlier, Glenn had sought to run against Young but suffered an ear injury in a bathroom fall. In the general election in November, Taft will defeat Metzenbaum. Today in Campaign History is a daily feature on Political Junkie.

Watch Highlights From Exit Zero Jazz Festival's 10-Year Anniversary

When the pandemic paused festivals around the world, the scrappy, first-rate Exit Zero Jazz Festival kept the music going. The organizers were nimble, producing an entirely outdoor experience including circle-pods in the grass for lawn chairs and special PA systems. "We found a new way to do things," says festival director Michael Kline, "and just had to reimagine everything ... every facet of the production we had to take a look at to make sure that it was safe." Exit Zero began in 2012 and occurs twice a year in Cape May, a quaint shore town on the most southern tip of New Jersey, and features a lineup combining marquee talent with young musicians from around the country. Like Pedrito Martinez, New York's most vibrant Cuban conguero, leading his powerhouse band's folkloric grooves. And Gabrielle Cavassa, a 26-year-old vocalist from New Orleans and recent winner of the 2021 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, who brought a quartet to present her original ballads. We round out the medley of performances with the singer and eight-time Blues Award-winner Shemekia Copeland. Exit Zero was only her second gig in front of a crowd in over a year. "I had already told myself we wouldn't go back to work until 2022," said Copeland, "so for me, everything I do the second half of [2021] is a bonus, you know, and I really feel grateful for it." If you missed her set from last week's episode, we recommend you check it out here: Festival director Michael Kline echoes that gratitude when he speaks for Exit Zero audience who endured overcast, windy, and brisk temperatures for April's event."As they're getting to hear the music, they'll put up with all the protocols, the weather ... the music will make it work." Musicians: Pedrito Martinez: percussion, vocals; Sebastian Natal: bass, vocals; Ahmed Alom Vega: Piano; Manuel Marquez: percussion; Xito Lovell: trombone Gabrielle Cavassa: vocals; Ryan Hanseler: piano; Lex Warshawsky: bass; Kobie Watkins: drums Shemekia Copeland, vocals; Arthur Neilson, guitar; Ken 'Willie' Scandlyn, guitar; Kevin Jenkins, bass; Robin Gould, drums Set Lists: Pedrito Martinez "Yo si quiero" (Issac Delgado Jr., Mitchell Delgado, Pedrito Martinez) "Compa Galletano" (Traditional, Arranged by Edgar Pantoja-Alemán) "Recuerdos" (Juan Mesa, Arranged by Edgar Pantoja-Alemán) Gabrielle Cassava "Jim" (Cavassa) "19th & Judah" (Gabrielle Cavassa, Jamison Ross, Ryan Hanseler, Lex Warshawsky) Shemekia Copeland "Walk Until I Ride" (John Hahn, Will Kimbrough) "Devil's Hand" (Johnny Copeland) "Big Brand New Religion" (Chris Long,&nbsp; Oliver Wood) "Ghetto Child" (Johnny Copeland) Credits: Producers: Alex Ariff, Mitra I. Arthur, Nikki Birch; Recording Engineer: Tyler McClure; Audio Mix: Corey Goldberg; Videographers: Bronson Arcuri, Mitra I. Arthur, Nikki Birch, Nickolai Hammar; Editor: Mitra I. Arthur; Production Assistant: Sarah Kerson; Audio Mastering for Video: Andy Huether; Project Manager: Suraya Mohamed; Senior Producers: Nikki Birch, Katie Simon; Supervising Editor: Keith Jenkins; Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Gabrielle Armand Produced in partnership with WRTI, Philadelphia. Special thanks to Michael Kline, Paul Siegel, John Hahn. Stream Jazz Night In America on Spotify and Apple Music, updated monthly.

NPR: Fresh Air for Wednesday, Feb 07 2007

Stories: 1) Directing 'The Lives of Others' 2) Remembering Frankie Laine 3) Lily Allen is 'Alright Still'

Excerpt: 'Over the Edge of the World'

Alan Greenblatt describes Over the Edge of the World by Laurence Bergreen as the story of Magellan's voyage around the globe, something you might not have thought much about since fifth grade. In Bergreen's hands, however, it's a great adventure story, complete with enough plot elements -- political intrigue, sexual adventurism, travelogue -- to keep anyone happy, even those of us with no interest in navigation. Excerpt from Chapter 1: The Quest "He holds him with his skinny hand,/"There was a ship," quoth he./"Hold off! Unhand me, grey-beard loon!"/"Eftsoons his hand dropt he." On June 7, 1494, Pope Alexander VI divided the world in half, bestowing the western portion on Spain, and the eastern on Portugal. Matters might have turned out differently if the pontiff had not been a Spaniard -- Rodrigo de Borja, born near Valencia -- but he was. A lawyer by training, he assumed the Borgia name when his maternal uncle, Alfonso Borgia, began his brief reign as Pope Callistus III. As his lineage suggests, Alexander VI was a rather secular pope, among the wealthiest and most ambitious men in Europe, fond of his many mistresses and his illegitimate offspring, and endowed with sufficient energy and ability to indulge his worldly passions. He brought the full weight of his authority to bear on the appeals of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the "Catholic Monarchs" of Spain who had instituted the Inquisition in 1492 to purge Spain of Jews and Moors. They exerted considerable influence over the papacy, and they had every reason to expect a sympathetic hearing in Rome. Ferdinand and Isabella wanted the pope's blessing to protect the recent discoveries made by Christopher Columbus, the Genoese navigator who claimed a new world for Spain. Portugal, Spain's chief rival for control of world trade, threatened to assert its own claim to the newly discovered lands, as did England and France. Ferdinand and Isabella implored Pope Alexander VI to support Spain's title to the New World. He responded by issuing papal bulls -- solemn edicts -- establishing a line of demarcation between Spanish and Portuguese territories around the globe. The line extended from the North Pole to the South Pole. It was located one hundred leagues (about four hundred miles) west of an obscure archipelago known as the Cape Verde Islands, located in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Africa. Antonio and Bartolomeo da Noli, Genoese navigators sailing for Portugal, had discovered them in 1460, and ever since, the islands had served as an outpost in the Portuguese slave trade. The papal bulls granted Spain exclusive rights to those parts of the globe that lay to the west of the line; the Portuguese, naturally, were supposed to keep to the east. And if either kingdom happened to discover a land ruled by a Christian ruler, neither would be able to claim it. Rather than settling disputes between Portugal and Spain, this arrangement touched off a furious race between the nations to claim new lands and to control the world's trade routes even as they attempted to shift the line of demarcation to favor one side or the other. The bickering over the line's location continued as diplomats from both countries convened in the little town of Tordesillas, in northwestern Spain, to work out a compromise. In Tordesillas, the Spanish and Portuguese representatives agreed to abide by the idea of a papal division, which seemed to protect the interests of both parties. At the same time, the Portuguese prevailed on the Spanish representatives to move the line 270 leagues west; now it lay 370 leagues west of the Cape Verde Islands, at approximately 46°30'W, according to modern calculations. This change placed the boundary in the middle of the Atlantic, roughly halfway between the Cape Verde Islands and the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. The new boundary gave the Portuguese ample access to the African continent by water and, even more important, allowed the Portuguese to claim the newly discovered land of Brazil. But the debate over the line -- and the claims for empire that depended on its placement -- dragged on for years. Pope Alexander VI died in 1503, and he was succeeded by Pope Julius II, who in 1506 agreed to the changes, and the Treaty of Tordesillas achieved its final form. The result of endless compromises, the treaty created more problems than it solved. It was impossible to fix the line's location because cosmologists did not yet know how to determine longitude -- nor would they for another two hundred years. To further complicate matters, the treaty failed to specify whether the line of demarcation extended all the way around the globe or bisected just the Western Hemisphere. Finally, not much was known about the location of oceans and continents. Even if the world was round, and men of science and learning agreed that it was, the maps of 1494 depicted a very different planet from the one we know today. They mixed geography with mythology, adding phantom c

Misbehaving Parents Ruin Easter Egg Hunt

Last year in Colorado Springs, Colo., too many adults jumped a rope and went into the kids area to dive for eggs. Organizers said things were simply out of control. This year's hunt has been canceled.

Medicare Plans To Pay For Voluntary End-Of-Life Counseling

Medicare says that starting Jan. 1, 2016, it plans to pay doctors to counsel patients about end-of-life care. Julie Rovner, senior correspondent with Kaiser Health News, tells our Newscast unit that many medical groups, including the American Medical Association, have long recommended the move. "This is actually pretty much the same provision that created the huge outcry in 2009 when it was added ... to the Affordable Care Act," Julie says. "It would allow doctors to be reimbursed for talking to patients about what they want to do about end-of-life care; not necessarily at their end of life, but before that." Counseling would be voluntary for the patients. The announcement comes just weeks after a Supreme Court decision solidified the Affordable Care Act. Julie tells Newscast that decision might have prompted Medicare officials to conclude that "it was safe politically ... to go ahead with this." The Associated Press adds: "Supporters say counseling would give patients more control and free families from tortuous decisions. Even so, there are often no simple answers. Patients may want less invasive care if they believe they will soon die, but predicting when death will happen is notoriously inexact. Terminal patients can live for years, potentially complicating a choice of less intensive treatment. "Interested parties will have 60 days to comment on the new regulation before it is finalized." U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who repeatedly sponsored bills seeking to improve Medicare's support for end-of-life planning, applauded the decision in a statement: "Patients and their families should be encouraged to think about how they want to be treated at the end of their life and to express their goals, values, and preferences to their physicians. I encourage them, as well as providers and advocates, to support this proposed benefit. "I'm confident the Obama Administration will consider all of the available social and medical evidence in favor of advance care planning to finalize this decision in the coming months."

NIU Gunman Had 'Stopped Taking Medication'

The gunman who shot and killed five people at Northern Illinois University before turning the gun on himself had recently become erratic after stopping his medication, authorities said. The gunman was identified as 27-year-old former student Stephen Kazmierczak. He carried a shotgun in a guitar case along with three handguns into a crowded lecture hall before opening fire on Thursday. "He had stopped taking medication and become somewhat erratic in the last couple of weeks," Campus Police Chief Donald Grady said, declining to name the drug or provide other details. Grady said investigators have recovered 48 shell casings and six shotgun shells following the attack. Two of the weapons — the pump-action Remington shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun — were purchased legally on Feb. 9, in Champaign, where Kazmierczak was enrolled at the University of Illinois, authorities said. NIU President John Peters, who defended the university's response to the crisis, said a candlelight vigil was planned Friday night to remember the victims. Allyse Jerome, 19, a sophomore from Schaumburg, said she was unsure how to react Thursday, when the gunman burst through a stage door and pulled out a gun. "Honestly, at first everyone thought it was a joke," Jerome said. Everyone hit the floor. Then Jerome got up and ran, but she tripped. Jerome said she "thought for sure he was going to get me." Senior Anita Hershberger was heading home to Arthur, Ill., after the shooting. "I myself am in shock and I think a lot of other people are, too," she told NPR. "We heard about (the) Virginia Tech (shooting) and we never really thought something like that would happen here." She said she hopes to return to help the campus heal. President Bush on Friday described the shooting as a tragedy and asked people to "offer their blessings."

'She Does It,' But You're Probably Not Up To The Job

Almost a decade ago, British journalist Allison Pearson published a comic novel about the trials of an overcommitted hedge fund manager trying to juggle family and career. As chick lit goes, I Don't Know How She Does It was warm, witty and endearingly self-amused, if only peripherally aware of the fact that there are worse problems than having it all. The book became a best-seller in every country where women earn enough to suffer such dilemmas. Oprah gave her blessing. ("The working mother's Bible!") Movie rights were quickly secured. Ten years later, it says something about the elusive state of bliss known as work-life balance that the trials of the overextended working mother remain a mommy-blog evergreen, and that Pearson's novel remains a property hot enough to merit a movie. Or it would be, had director Douglas McGrath and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna not made such a hash of translating the English page to the American screen. I Don't Know How She Does It is a lazy mess made worse by bad choices, beginning with its lead. Sarah Jessica Parker's specialty role — the kittenish child-woman dressed like an oversexed 10-year-old — pretty much exhausted its charm as far back as L.A. Story, in which she played Steve Martin's high-colonic-addicted date, and the actress has grown steadily more annoying as Carrie Bradshaw, coyly simpering at Mr. Big in the Sex and the City franchise. In I Don't Know How She Does It, the actress is downright improbable as the confident Boston fund manager Kate Reddy, happily married and mother of two adorable tykes. (Caring for the latter, during Kate's many work trips, is the world's most reliable and tactful nanny.) Yes, Kate is living the new American dream, yet all is not well in her universe. An all-round multitasker and incipient basket case, she lies awake in the wee hours making lists of unfinished business, "from Kegels to bagels." At work she turns cartwheels crafting brilliant yet ethically pure deals for her clients while trying to manage her guilt about not being "there" for her family. Hamming wildly, Parker renders Kate as a hand-flapping incompetent rather than a mature adult with too much to do. It doesn't help that she's flanked by two smart performers, either of whom would have made a Kate far less colorlessly vapid than Parker's. As her best friend, Mad Men's Christina Hendricks has little to do but declaim women's issues to the camera. (McGrath opts for the overused mockumentary frame, complete with freeze frames and subtitles.) Meanwhile, Olivia Munn extracts maximum mileage from a faintly distasteful moue as Kate's junior colleague — no bunny-boiler, she, but still a go-getting workaholic who thinks she hates children. A swift turnaround is to be expected in a movie as placative as this one, but not before Munn steals the show looking down her nose at the dab of cereal on Kate's lapel. Time and again the movie sidles up to the big-ticket issue at its heart — the awkward spot where the gains of feminism rub up against the desire for love and family — then backs away without a serious scratch. Every now and then, the dialogue genuflects weakly in the general direction of the women's movement. "The market doesn't know what sex I am," Kate observes brightly while batting her eyelids at Jack (a very good Pierce Brosnan), the suave widower with whom she cuts flashy deals in New York. "It only knows if I'm right or wrong." Yet no amount of standing up to the boss (Kelsey Grammer), demanding equal chores from her quiescent hubby (Greg Kinnear) or cutaways to Rosalind Russell duking it out with Cary Grant in His Girl Friday can hide the fact that the enemy here is not men. With one exception — Seth Meyers in a disposable role as Kate's smug rival for the plum contracts — the guys are all malleable softies in gym-rat clothing. No, in the chick-flick world, hell is other women, and here specifically it's the stay-at-home wife and mother. Like so many of its genre, this movie snickers long and loud at non-working mothers, represented by Kate's passive-aggressive mother-in-law (Jane Curtin) and a blond harridan (astutely played by Busy Philipps) spitting pious venom from the StairMaster or scoffing at Kate's store-bought contribution to the school bake sale. In Bridget Jones' Diary such women were dismissed (until Bridget became one) as "Smug Marrieds"; here they're disparaged as "Momsters." In my experience, self-righteousness is fairly evenly distributed between mothers who work and those who don't, and career girls by no means have a monopoly on sisterly solidarity. From where I sit, we working mothers should be grateful to stay-at-home moms who work their unpaid tails off raising funds for school arts programs and who, when called upon by women working late for emergency child pickups, quietly say, "No problem, take your time, she can eat with us." Compared with them, and to the growing army of mothers who work and raise their kids on a shoestring or less, Kat

Email Newsletter Improvements Let You Customize Your Content

Email may not get all the air time these days, but thousands in the NPR audience rely on our newsletters in their inbox to stay up to date with breaking news, to get new stories across a variety of favorite topic areas, and to hear about new products and sales at the NPR Shop. Emails also come in handy when you want to share stories with your friends without leaving NPR.org. Over the last three months, you might have noticed a few updates to the look of the NPR newsletters in your inbox. Behind those emails we've been hard at work revamping the back-end system to give you a better experience and offer several new features. Our goals in this process have been to be respectful of your inbox (who doesn't get too much email these days?) and keep NPR newsletters relevant and delightful. Here are a few visuals of what things looked like before and after the improvements were made: New Email Subscription Option: NPR Daily Digest Now you can get one daily email subscription to our most popular stories of the day; our main coverage areas including news, arts and life, and music; select daily radio programs; and all NPR.org blogs. All of your daily selections are combined into a single digest, because no matter how much you love NPR, you probably don't want 30 emails a day. Improvements To Sharing Stories Via Email When you want to share a story with a friend, the process is even easier for you and your friend. For you, we've simplified the "Email a Friend" form down to three required fields and an optional message. If you're logged in, you'll save time because your name and email address will be pre-populated in the form. Finally, when you're finished sharing, the window will close automatically, leaving you back on that story. Meanwhile, your friend will now receive an email that looks like it comes from NPR instead of a robot. Any personal message that you include is easier to see, and the story description will include an image if one is available. Streamlined View; Easier to Read We've given all of our newsletters a facelift. Our most popular weekly newsletters have more space for photography and are easier to read, particularly on mobile devices. Breaking News alerts are significantly cleaner and should be delivered more quickly. Subscribing, Unsubscribing and Privacy You can log in to change your email preferences or unsubscribe from all emails at any time. Every newsletter includes a link to this email preference center. In case you are worried about privacy, rest assured: NPR will not share your email address with third parties without your express permission, and never sells your personal information. For more on how we handle you personal information, review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? As usual, if you have a problem with your NPR.org account, please contact us. Let us know in the comments your ideas for other email newsletters or program improvements that you'd like to see. Lauren Bracey Scheidt is the Product Manager for Web Intelligence and Consumer Engagement. She manages a variety of digital products including email newsletters, podcasts and audio franchises.

House Approves Border Security Spending Bill, 223-189

This post was updated at 11 p.m. ET. In an attempt to weigh in on an immigration issue before Congress leaves Washington for a five-week break, the House has voted 223-189 to approve a $694 million emergency funding bill. The Republican-backed legislation is a response to the rising number of minors who have crossed the U.S. border unaccompanied and without going through the necessary legal steps. The Border Security Supplemental Spending Bill was endorsed one day after the House Republican leadership canceled its plan to hold a vote on the legislation. The bill is not expected to have a chance of passage in the Senate, which didn't approve a different version of similar legislation before it left for an end-of-summer break. As we reported Thursday, the bill would boost "funding for overwhelmed border agencies, add immigration judges and detention space, send National Guard troops to the border, and change the law so that the youths can be sent home quickly without deportation hearings that are now guaranteed, according to The Associated Press." Also on Friday, the House voted 216-192 to end the president's deportation relief program. The Deferred Action for Child Arrivals program gives officials discretion to defer the deportation of people who entered the U.S. illegally before they turned 16. The votes came hours after President Obama criticized Congress for not acting on immigration and other issues he said need to be dealt with to help America's economy continue to improve.

Not My Job: Physics Professor Lisa Randall Gets Quizzed On Phys Ed

Lisa Randall is a theoretical physicist and professor at Harvard. In 2007 she was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time. She's recently written a book called Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs. Randall studies multiple universes. In one of those alternate realities her publicist booked her on a cool, reputable show ... ... but alas, that's not the reality we live in, so we've invited Randall to play a game called "Everybody line up to get picked for dodgeball!" Three questions about phys ed for a physics professor. Click here to listen to an extended version of this interview. PETER SAGAL, HOST: And now the game where we ask really smart people about stupid things. This week, we are delighted to welcome Harvard physicist Lisa Randall. She is famous for creating - among other things -- the Randall-Sundrum model of the universe, which suggests that our universe is a five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space into the elementary particles, except, of course, for the gravitron (ph) are localized on a 3 + 1 dimensional brain. We are so excited to have her on so she can explain to me what I just said. (LAUGHTER) SAGAL: Lisa Randall, welcome to WAIT WAIT. LISA RANDALL: Thanks for having me here. SAGAL: It's my pleasure. (APPLAUSE) SAGAL: By the way, everything I said I copied from Wikipedia. Is that more or less right? RANDALL: Except I think you said gravitron, which sounds like a game rather than graviton, which is actually the particle that communicates... SAGAL: Oh, I'm sorry. Gravitron does sound like more fun though, don't you think? RANDALL: I absolutely do. SAGAL: I know, OK. So in general, what did I mean? What does five-dimensional anti-de Sitter space mean? RANDALL: (Laughter) First of all, I'm not creating the universe. I'm creating a model of the universe, which may or may not be true. SAGAL: Right. RANDALL: But it is the possibility that in addition to the three dimensions we're familiar with... SAGAL: Right. RANDALL: ...Forward-backward, left-right, up-down - maybe there is an additional dimension that we don't experience directly that we call warped. SAGAL: Right. RANDALL: And warping has to do with the anti-de Sitter space. And by warping, it means that basically things get rescaled as you go into another dimension... SAGAL: I decided... RANDALL: Yes... SAGAL: ...To major in English three minutes ago. (LAUGHTER) SAGAL: How come people like you can come up with these notions of space and dimensions we can't see? I make up some stuff about bugs no one else can see, I end up in the hospital again. It doesn't seem fair. (LAUGHTER) SAGAL: Now this is interesting - you graduated from Harvard in three years. And then you did your Ph.D., also at Harvard, in just four years. Now, when you were doing this in the '80s - starting in the early '80s, were there a lot of women interested in theoretical physics at that time? RANDALL: No, there were a ton. It's just amazing. SAGAL: Really? RANDALL: No, of course not. (LAUGHTER) RANDALL: You know, basically, I wasn't properly socialized, so it made sense to do physics. SAGAL: Yeah. (LAUGHTER) SAGAL: Dr. Randall, your new book is about dark matter and the extinction of the dinosaurs. Can you explain to us in a way that is easy for me to understand what is dark matter? RANDALL: So first of all, I did not set out to explain the extinction of the dinosaurs. I'm a particle physicist, and I was actually thinking about dark matter along with some collaborators. And we were trying to explain some weird data that there was. And we thought maybe dark matter is denser than we usually assume, kind of like the Milky Way plane. You know, all the normal matter in the Milky Way disc is denser than the dark matter that surrounds it... SAGAL: Meaning... RANDALL: Dark matter is around an enormous circle halo - most of it. SAGAL: When you say dark matter you mean it can't do math either, I assume? RANDALL: (Laughter). SAGAL: Dark matter... RANDALL: Exactly. SAGAL: ...All majors in English, so - seriously... (LAUGHTER) SAGAL: So - no, this is to me - I've known about this for a while. I didn't know it was a recent discovery. But basically, the idea - if I understand correctly - is that we look around the universe and we see all, you know, just billions of galaxies, and we say wow, what a big universe. But it turns out that's, like, a quarter of what the universe actually is. The rest we just can't see, and that's dark matter. It's still there. We just can't see it. RANDALL: Actually, it is about five times as much dark matter as ordinary matter. And you're right, we don't see it. We see its gravitational influence, but we don't see it directly. It does not interact with light. It would be better named transparent matter... SAGAL: Right. RANDALL: ...Because you do see dark things. SAGAL: Is it possible that there are dark matter planets with dark matter people who are speculating about the existence of about a fifth of the universe that they can't see but probably has people who a

If E-Cigs Were Romaine Lettuce, They'd Be Off The Shelf, Vaper's Mom Tells Congress

A top official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned federal lawmakers Tuesday that a new generation of e-cigarettes now on the market is "even more addictive," than early versions of vapes, and the number of vaping-related lung diseases is continuing to rise. "We are seeing more and more cases each day," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat told lawmakers at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that is looking into the recent national outbreak. Ruby Johnson, the mother of a college-aged student hospitalized last month with severe respiratory problems linked to vaping, also testified at the hearing. Teens have been used as guinea pigs, she told the members of Congress. "These products flooded the market without anyone knowing how they would cause damage, and now we're trying to clean up a mess that involves a cocktail of mystery toxins and proprietary flavors," Johnson said. "If this was romaine lettuce, the shelves would be empty." Tuesday's was the first of two days of public hearings on vaping's risks, and comes as the state of Massachusetts has announced it will ban the sale of all vaping products for the next four months. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is considering a federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes. So far, at least 530 people in 38 states have been sickened with vaping-related lung disease. Most have been hospitalized, and many have needed medical assistance to breathe. Many of the patients are young adults who were otherwise healthy. "I believe that probably hundreds more [reports of cases] have come in since the numbers we released last week," Schuchat told members of the House committee. Johnson said her daughter's experience was terrifying. "I'll never forget watching her cry that she literally couldn't breathe without excruciating pain," Johnson said. Though her daughter's health has since improved, she said, the risk to teenagers — and others — who vape continues. The cause of the outbreak is still unknown. So far, no single substance or product is linked to all the illnesses. While the investigation is ongoing, the CDC continues to warn people against the use of e-cigarettes. "We know that people are dying in this outbreak — and we really want people to protect themselves," Schuchat testifed. So, far, many of the patients who have gotten sick have acknowledged using THC — the psychoactive component in cannabis. "There may be people out there who would like for this to be a THC-only problem — so they can go back to vaping nicotine e-cigarettes, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, during the hearing. But Krishnamoorthi pointed out that some of the patients who've gotten seriously ill have said that they've only vaped nicotine products. "Do we still need to be concerned about all e-cigarettes at this point? " he asked Schuchat. "At this point, caution regarding all products is recommended," Schuchat responded. She said this outbreak reinforces the need to address the vaping epidemic among teens and young adults in the U.S. At a time when the prevalence of vaping has been on the rise among high school students, Schuchat says the latest generation of e-cigarettes has a higher level of available nicotine than versions sold previously. "We know that the products out there have changed a lot, Schuchat said. "The newest generation of e-cigarettes seems to have a number of factors that make it even more addictive." When asked to elaborate, Schuchat pointed to a specific concern. "Juul and related products use nicotine salts, which can lead to much more available nicotine. We believe the product can cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to, potentially, more effect on the developing brain in adolescence," Schuchat explained. She said the CDC is extremely concerned about flavors in e-cigarettes, and "the role they play in hooking young people to a life of nicotine." "We really want to avoid another generation being addicted to nicotine," Schuchat says. She pointed to a range of possible harms — from attention and memory problems to the role nicotine can play in increasing the risk of addiction to other substances. As for adults who are trying to stop smoking cigarettes by switching to e-cigarettes, Rep. Carol Miller , a Republican from West Virginia, said during the hearing that she thinks it's important to consider this use of vaping as a "harm reduction" approach. "We can both prevent children from using e-cigarettes, while also ensuring that they remain available for those adults who are choosing to quit smoking," Miller said. The committee heard from a former smoker who said she successfully quit cigarettes by switching to vaping. However, the chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, Albert Rizzo, who also testified at the hearing, said that "switching is not quitting" if you're still using nicotine. "The FDA has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit," Rizzo said. And, public health off

Harvard Project Outlines Pattern Of Attorney Failures In Arkansas Death Row Cases

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Jessica Brand of Harvard Law's Fair Punishment Project about the chronic problem of bad lawyering on capital punishment cases. All eight death row cases in Arkansas had examples of attorney failures, including drunk lawyers, a conflict of interest affair involving a judge, lawyers missing deadlines, and failure to disclose mental disorders.

Controversial Measures for Congress' Winter Session

Madeleine Brand speaks with NPR Capitol Hill reporter Andrea Seabrook about the issues Congress will take up as members return from Thanksgiving recess for a two-week legislative session. One of the most controversial measures is a proposal backed by former Vietnam prisoner-of-war Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that would ban the abuse of prisoners or detainees in the so-called "war on terror."

Cutting Costs with Open Source

Los Angeles city council members propose to pay for more police officers by using cheaper software in government offices. <EM>Day to Day</EM> technology correspondent Xeni Jardin reports.

Boston Symphony Orchestra Gets Grammy Nods For Shostakovich Recordings

The Boston Symphony Orchestra is up for two Grammys for its series of recordings of Shostakovich symphonies. It was recorded in front of a live audience, but it's not one seamless performance.

Nicaragua Struggles To Rebuild After Hurricanes Hit

Nicaragua experienced its strongest storm recorded last week. Now the tens of thousands affected are also contending with a continued government crackdown.

Wyoming 2016 Presidential And State Election Results

Live Election Results: Get Wyoming's county-by-county presidential results, including demographic breakdowns. Plus, get the latest on ballot measures and races for governor, Senate and House.

Don't Miss: Beware of Attack Fish

"Hey John, did you make this stuff up?" said a voice over the NPR loudspeaker system. Fifteen seconds later, a growling voice responded, "I am sending the fish to get you." The John is John Nielsen, our inimitable environmental reporter. The fish is a catfish that walks on land and is the star of John's piece tonight. Now, you must understand that all of John's fabulous science stories have a kind of quirky, gee-whiz quality to them, but this one sounds especially freaky.

The Fight Against Racial Injustice Is Transatlantic

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Gary Younge, professor of sociology at the University of Manchester, about the way racism in the U.S. affects how Europeans think about racism in their own countries.

New Music Friday: Feb. 9

All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen talks with NPR Music's Sidney Madden and Marissa Lorusso about the essential new albums out on Feb. 9, including the Black Panther soundtrack, MGMT's 'Little Dark Age,' the crazy polyrhythms or Palm and more. Albums mentioned on this episode: 1. Kendrick Lamar et al 'Black Panther: The Album,' 2. Palm 'Rock Island,' 3. MGMT 'Little Dark Age,' 4. Son Lux 'Brighter Wounds,' 5. SHIRT 'Pure Beauty'

Charlie Trotter, Famous Chicago Chef, Has Died At 54

Charlie Trotter, whose eponymous Chicago restaurant became an institution and helped pave the way for innovative small dishes that featured fresh and unique food, has died at age 54. His death is being reported by The Chicago Tribune, citing police and family sources. The newspaper reports that Trotter's family discovered him unconscious at home Tuesday morning. He was reportedly rushed to the hospital, but did not survive. In the hours since NBC Chicago first reported the news of Trotter's death, Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office released a statement praising the late chef for playing "a leading role in elevating the city to the culinary capital it is today." Famous for his relentless quest to fill three daily tasting menus with creative dishes, Trotter helped bring a new dimension to fine dining in Chicago and beyond when he opened his restaurant in 1987. His menus bypassed heavy sauces for a lighter approach, often highlighting ingredients that were once rare in fine dining. "The taste of free-range and organic products is so much better than the alternative," Trotter was quoted as saying on his website. "It is also good to know that you are eating unadulterated food and supporting farmers and growers who are directly connected with the land." His Chicago restaurant, Charlie Trotter's, closed in 2012 after nearly 25 years of operation. It regularly won five stars from the Mobil Travel Guide, in addition to being on Restaurant Magazine's list of The World's 50 Best Restaurants for nearly a decade. The restaurant's closing last year was the biggest local culinary story of 2012, according to the Chicagoist site. "Everyone you've heard of, including luminaries like Grant Achatz, Graham Elliot, Homaro Cantu, Mindy Segal, Bill Kim, Beverly Kim and Curtis Duffy came out of Trotter's kitchen," the site reported. "Ironically, the successes of these luminaries probably contributed to the closing." Trotter and his restaurant also won 11 prestigious James Beard Foundation awards, ranging from Outstanding Chef to Humanitarian of the Year. The eatery was named Outstanding Restaurant in 2000. Those accomplishments came despite the fact that Trotter never attended culinary school. Instead, he relied on his own tastes and the training he got working in restaurants in Chicago's North Shore area and elsewhere.

Commentary: Cruz Bustamante

As the California recall election draws nearer, commentator Ruben Navarrette says it's time to give candidate Cruz Bustamante more credit.

The Science Of Unbelievable Things

For all the talk about science and belief, I often feel one critical perspective is missing -- one that distorts much of the discourse about science in the public eye: What does it mean to say that something is "unbelievable"? Or must be taken "on faith"? It's complicated. I, for one, do not "believe" (not really) that there are people on the other side of the Earth for whom my "up" is their "down" and vice versa. I may know the Earth is a sphere, but at some level I don't believe it -- any more than I believe that my 800-thousand pound 747 is really going to lift off the runway and FLY! Come on! (It does help to know that a modest-sized cloud can weigh about as much). Do I believe I evolved from a whole line of bizarro ancestors, many still around, many long extinct, the most ancient single-celled organisms? Not really. It IS unbelievable -- in that, the Intelligent Design argument is correct. For me, at least, watching a flower grow from a seed is always a bit unbelievable, as is watching a baby come into the world -- or a puppy for that matter -- or contemplating the first flickerings of light from a newborn star. I could go on. Curved space time? Give me a break. All the matter and energy in the universe (not to mention space and time) bursting into being 13.7 billion years ago from some primordial nothing? Don't make me laugh. So why do I consider all of the above to be true -- most of it beyond dispute. Because, of course, of the overwhelming evidence. I do have enough "faith," if you will, in the ways of science that I trust it. People who don't understand how science works don't always share this faith, so they have a reason to doubt the fantastical tales we tell. WE know that ideas/facts/concepts become "true" in science only when they have been thoroughly explored, come through countless trials and ruthless criticism and continue to be tested ... forever. Faith in science is faith in a process of questioning. That's the main difference between science and religion in my view. Science is a running argument, and faith in it means having respect for the uncanny power it has to ferret out so many unbelievable things that are, nevertheless, true. Faith in religion more often means not arguing ... taking things, well, on "faith." I am a person of no faith in some ways, but I am continually awed equally by the flowers in my garden and the insects that eat them -- even though at the same time I find it hard to "believe" that such things can exist. Nevermind love, Bach and chocolate souffle. I am perhaps even more awed that the 3 pounds of slime we have in our heads has been able to come up with tools (science, including its theories, its mathematics, its wondrous "eyes" and "ears") to help us understand why and how all of this came to be. Religion is more compelling than science, some argue, because it allows people to be simply awed. Also: because it has better stories. Nonsense. There's no better story than the evolution and existence of life and the universe. And anyone who isn't awed by it is missing the greatest show on Earth.

Roy Goodman Conducts The

Roy Goodman conducts the Hanover Band in the Overture to Beethoven's Incidental Music for "The Ruins of Athens." Later this hour Ted Libbey will be adding three recordings from Beethoven's Op. 132 to the PT Basic Record Library. (Nimbus NI5205)

Global Youth Unemployment: Ticking Time Bomb?

Tens of millions of young people around the world are unemployed — and some analysts say that could be a major problem in the future. Host Michel Martin discusses the issue with Martina Gmur of the World Economic Forum.

Why The Internet Is Running Out Of Addresses

It's been called the I-Pocalyspe. Some headlines have been equally ominous: <em>Internet Officially Runs Out of Addresses; The End of the Internet As We Know It; The Web's Well Goes Dry</em>. To decipher these headlines, host Melissa Block speaks to Stephen Shankland, a senior writer for CNET.com.

Sharon Responds to Hamas Rocket Attacks

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says Israel will do whatever is required to defend the nation against attacks. The Cabinet approves assassinations of Palestinian militants. The actions follow attacks by Hamas at the southern Israeli town of Sderot.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg On Love And Other Things

Finding love is not easy. But Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg counts herself among the lucky ones. She had an epic marriage to her late husband, Marty Ginsburg, that has been detailed in many places (here, here and here), including the RBG documentary. But this past year tested Ginsburg in a new way without the love of her life. She was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in 20 years late last year, and it was the first time she has had to wage the fight without Marty. "My first two cancer bouts — both colorectal cancer at Washington Hospital Center and pancreatic cancer at Sloan Kettering — Marty stayed with me," Ginsburg told NPR's Nina Totenberg in an interview on July 23. "He stayed with me in the hospital sleeping on an uncomfortable couch despite his bad back. And I knew that someone was there who really cared about me and would make sure that things didn't go wrong." Don't see the video? Click here. Throughout his life, Marty, who was one of the preeminent tax lawyers in the country, was a principal booster of his wife. He played a behind-the-scenes lobbying role, for example, in her eventual appointment to the Supreme Court. He was even the principal cook for his wife and children in an era when most men took a back seat on domestic duties, and no one seemed to relish Ruth's accomplishments more than Marty. And he was always looking out for her, like that one time in the hospital when, without him there, Justice Ginsburg might have died. "There was one day during [the] colon cancer bout when I was getting a blood transfusion, and Marty saw that something was very wrong," Ginsburg said, "and he immediately yanked the needle out of me. It turned out that there was a mismatch not in the type of blood but in some antigen. I might not have lived it if he hadn't been there." He encouraged her to go to a physical therapist. That famous exercise regimen of hers might not have happened were it not for Marty. "I didn't want to do it," Ginsburg said. "I was exhausted, and Marty said, 'You do it.' And he was quite insistent about that. So, to have his loving care and yet his determination that I do what was necessary to heal faster, it was hard to be alone." When she was recovering from cancer twice before, Marty would cook for her, walk with her, read to her and make her laugh. "Marty had a wonderful sense of humor, as you know," Ginsburg said. Ginsburg is reminded of Marty every day, especially, she said, when the newspaper arrives. "He was my clipping service with The New York Times and The [Washington] Post," she said. "I miss him every morning, because I have no one to go through the paper and pick out what I should read." Now with him gone, Justice Ginsburg cherishes Marty's memory. But, to get by, she has dived into her work at the court. "The work is really what saved me," she said, "because I had to concentrate on reading the brief doing a draft of an opinion, and I knew that had to get done. So I had to get past whatever my aches and pains were. Just do the job."

Start Warming Up Now: Cabin Fever Playlist Is On Its Way

With our cure for the winter woes under construction, we offer another hint at what you can expect to hear in our cabin fever playlist. Expect a hefty dose of funk, bass and anything to make you move on a cold, gray day.

Empire And Public Radio Voices

This week on Pop Culture Happy Hour, NPR Monkey See's Linda Holmes and Glen Weldon are joined by Tanya Ballard Brown and Code Switch's Gene Demby to talk about Fox's hip-hop drama Empire. Then they'll chat about the recent discussions about public radio voices, and broaden the conversation to the variety of voices you hear on the radio. All that, plus What's Making Us Happy. (Original broadcast date: February 6, 2015)

Guest DJ: California Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera

Alt.Latino celebrates National Poetry Month with Herrera, who discusses the songs that shaped him.

Judge Orders Release Of 5 Held At Guantanamo

A federal judge in Washington on Thursday ordered the release of five Algerians who have been held without charges at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for seven years. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon said the five men could not be held indefinitely as enemy combatants, but he said the military could continue to detain Belkacem Bensayah, one of the six Algerians who challenged his confinement. Leon made the ruling at the conclusion of the first hearings to be held since June's Supreme Court ruling that Guantanamo prisoners have the legal right to challenge their detention. Lakhdar Boumediene, whose suit was the impetus for the Supreme Court decision, is among those whose release Leon ordered. The government had accused all six of the men of planning to travel to Afghanistan to join al-Qaida, but Leon said prosecutors failed to prove the allegation against five of them. The judge said the government did not prove the allegation, which was based on a single source. "To allow enemy combatancy to rest on so thin a reed would be inconsistent with the court's obligation," Leon told the crowded courtroom. Leon said there was enough reason to believe that the sixth man, Bensayah, was close to an al-Qaida operative and had sought to help others travel to Afghanistan to join the terrorists' fight against the United States and its allies. The Algerian detainees were allowed to listen to Leon's decision via a telephone hookup from the prison. Last month, another judge ordered the immediate release of 17 other prisoners from Guantanamo, but they remain in prison pending an appeal by the Bush administration. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama has promised to close the prison camp after he takes office in January. Meanwhile, U.S. judges in Washington are moving ahead with case-by-case reviews of detainee legal challenges.

The Woman Who Mistook A Hat For A Parrot

A woman in Scotland was driving home from shopping when she saw a bird on the road: green body, red head. It wasn't a parrot. It was a Christmas hat.

A Dying Language Of Enslaved Africans Lives On At Harvard

The Gullah Geechee language is spoken by descendants of enslaved Africans who were brought to the coastal South. Now, the language is being taught at Harvard University.

Obama Administration Makes Hard Push For Syria Strike

President Obama met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Monday as opposition to air strikes against Syria continued to mount in the polls and on Capitol Hill, where the timing of a vote on his resolution of support remains uncertain.

Music And Democracy In Brazil: A Tradition Of Speaking Truth To Power

Somewhere out there in the public domain there is an iconic photograph of someone placing a flower into the barrel of a rifle held by a menacing soldier. That photo is a metaphor for the tradition of musicians speaking truth to governmental power. Every country under some kind of political duress usually produces songs that address the abuses of power. In North and South America, Mercedes Sosa, Victor Jara and Juan Luis Guerra rub shoulders with Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger. This week, we turn our gaze South as a new president in Brazil stokes fears of repression and right-wing aggression. That country has an unfortunate history of dictatorship as recently as the 1970's, which also means that the musicians who spoke up are well documented in recordings that influenced not just the body politics but also the music of the already musically diverse country. Paula Abreu programs Brazilian music for the long running Summer Stage NYC. This week, she helps us explore music from the past and present that resonates with messages of defiance and perseverance. Alt.Latino has explored the movement once before that became known as Tropicalia. We also had a fascinating conversation with two of its elder statesmen, getting their first-hand accounts of those challenging times. It's heartening to know that as long as someone tries to keep another down there will be musicians who write music about why that is wrong. We need no further proof of that than this recently released video by Caetano Veloso and Daniela Mercury aimed right at the new president and his policies.

You've Got Mail: Book Boxes Offer Novels And Novelty Items

Subscription box services generally are booming. For a fee, these companies will send you a monthly, curated selection of maker games, dog treats, craft supplies — you name it. And one of the strongest categories in this growing market is book boxes. If you're into mystery novels, there's a box for you. Fantasy? Romance? YA? You're in luck. There are also boxes aimed at specific age groups — for teens, middle schoolers and toddlers. And it's not just books. The boxes often come filled with character merchandise, notebooks, bookmarks and other book-inspired gear. Liz Cadman of the review site My Subscription Addiction says there are more than 50 book box subscriptions out there, which vary in the size of their following, pricing and what you get inside. She says Uppercase Box and OwlCrate are two of the most popular boxes, both catering to the Young Adult market. "Book box subscriptions have definitely grown over the past year in terms of popularity," says Cadman. "Over two years ago they really didn't exist in subscription box forms." Getting books in the mail isn't a new idea. The Book of the Month Club started sending books by post in 1926. It still operates today, but allows readers to say what genres they're interested in and pick the book they get each month. Book boxes are different because you typically don't know what books are coming your way, and because of the extras that come along with them. Cadman points out that when it comes to subscription book boxes, the prices are generally good relative to what you would spend on the same products on a site like Amazon. But part of the deal is that the boxes are curated for you, and you may not like every item you get. Leah Czlapinski of Southern California, who subscribes to the LitJoy Crate for her toddler daughter, Sawyer, likes that element of surprise though. She says the service has helped her discover books she hadn't heard of before and that both she and her daughter look forward to the bright yellow box arriving in the mail. Czlapinski is a single mom and on a tight budget, but still, thinks spending about $30 a month for the boxes and shipping is worth it. "They've been a really great tool for growing her vocabulary at such a young age. You ask her 'Where's the hat?' in a picture and she'll point to the hat and try to say the words," Czlapinski says. "I mean what's better than that?" I get her enthusiasm. Five months ago, I started subscribing to Owlcrate — and so far, it's been great. I really enjoy reading the books that come each month, especially Marissa Meyer's Heartless, which came in the November box. Meyer's book is a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, which dives into the Queen of Hearts' backstory. I'd been looking forward to its release for a while. As for the extras in the boxes, I really dig all of the Harry Potter-related items and illustrations. Here's a sampling of the some 50 services out there - and what's inside their December boxes: OwlCrate Tag Line: Magical Monthly Reads Target Audience: Young Adult (recently launched OwlCrate JR caters to readers age 8 to 12) What's In The Box: Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst Letter from author Signed book plate Harry Potter mystery mini Funko figurine Lord of the Rings enamel pin Game of Thrones family house coasters The Chronicles of Narnia illustrated greeting card Sticker inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic Price: $29.99 a month, plus shipping BookCase.Club Tag Line: Get handpicked books delivered every month Target Audience: Variety What's In The "Read to Me" Box (for ages 2 to 4): New Red Bike by James Ransome The Mitten String by Jennifer Rosner, illustrated by Kristina Swarner My Father's Flying Machine by Warne Santa Duck by David Milgrim Price: $9.99 a month, plus shipping Uppercase Box Tag Line: YA Books Delivered to You Target Audience: Young Adult What's In The Box: Signed copy of Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill Ever the Hunted temporary tattoo 2017 Planner for Bookworms Book planner stickers Gold book planner clip Price: $23 a month, plus shipping The Book Drop Tag Line: Bringing the independent bookstore to you from Bethany Beach, Delaware Target Audience: Variety What's In The Children's Box (for ages 8 to 12): Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm Chapter sample from Holm's newest novel, Full of Beans Bookmarks Signed book plate Letter from the author Price: $9 a month, plus shipping (prices vary for other box options)

Researchers Detail How Climate Change Will Alter Our Lives

A United Nations panel has released a report from scientists who are getting a much better understanding of the effects of climate change.

What the Writers Strike Means for Politicians

Most late-night television shows are on hold as the writers strike continues. Does this mean presidential candidates are getting less free exposure from interviews? And are their goofs and gaffes flying under the radar? Alex Cohen talks to Barbara O'Connor, communications professor at California State in Sacramento. ALEX COHEN, host: So there won't be a Democratic debate on TV anytime soon, at least not on CBS. The network announced yesterday it's canceling a debate it had scheduled for the Democratic candidates because of the ongoing Writers Guild strike. Three of the leading candidates said they wouldn't attend because they didn't want to cross picket lines. The strike, now in its fourth week, may be affecting the race in other ways too, especially since the late night shows are all in reruns. We are joined now by Barbara O'Connor, director of the Institute for the Study of Politics and Media at Cal State, Sacramento. Welcome. Professor BARBARA O'CONNOR (California State University): Thank you. Nice to talk to you. COHEN: Barbara, a lot of people, especially younger people, get a lot of their news from TV shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report." So what happens if all of a sudden candidates can't show up on these shows anymore because they're in reruns? Prof. O'CONNOR: Well, that is primary where the 18 to 24s get their political news. And there's been a massive effort to try and recruit younger voters. And if that opportunity for candidates to appear disappears, then I think the whole effort to get young voters interested around the Christmas holidays before the first primaries is really hurt. COHEN: And what can they do on these shows that they can't do let's say on CNN or someplace else? News shows. Prof. O'CONNOR: Well, they really see humor. And you have to meet voters where they are. And young people like seeing candidates in interesting and different ways, letting down their guard. And this is the venue that they watch them in. COHEN: For example, we've got a clip here. This is John McCain appearing on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." Let's take a listen. (Soundbite of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart") Mr. JON STEWART (Host): Now, what's going on with your campaign? Senator JOHN McCAIN (Republican, Arizona; Presidential Candidate): The best of times. The worst of times. Mr. STEWART: People are - I read people are leaving. It's just you now on that big bus. (Soundbite of laughter) Sen. McCAIN: In the words of Chairman Mao, it's always darkest before it's totally black. (Soundbite of laughter) COHEN: I mean that's McCain not sounding very optimistic about his own campaign. Did that actually make people want to vote for him? Prof. O'CONNOR: Yes, because he seems very human. When you watch him as we did last night in the YouTube debate, he comes off so dower. I mean, he really comes off as your uncle who's lecturing you. And in this case he is a much different person. He's got a wry sense of humor and he's making fun of himself. And people like that. They feel more close to a candidate who has that ability. COHEN: It seems like there might be a bit of a positive to these late-night comedy shows being in reruns now because presidential candidates don't have to worry about being made fun of. Let's take a listen to what "The Daily Show" did, poking fun at Hillary Clinton's laugh. (Soundbite of debates) Unidentified Man #1: Let me ask you about health care. Sen. CLINTON: Yeah, I'd love for you to ask about health care. Unidentified Man #2: What's your response? (Soundbite of laughter) Unidentified Man #3: I wonder if you want to respond to the former mayor. (Soundbite of laughter) (Soundbite of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart") Mr. STEWART: I'm joyful. COHEN: Do you think - are the candidates almost feeling like, whew, I'm dodging some serious bullets here because no one can make fun of me? Prof. O'CONNOR: Oh, I think they actually welcome the opportunity to get off a scripted, you know, very serious discussion and show that they're real people. COHEN: But, you know, let's say they something wrong, you know, they say something a debate that they wish they hadn't said; that can get played over and over and over again. And people who might not have tuned in to the debates might watch "The Daily Show" and see that instead. Prof. O'CONNOR: Well, it's true. And it - you know, I think part of the problem with youth and voting is that they view it as way too serious. And it really does depend on how the candidate rebounds. You know, if he or she, in the case of Hillary, makes fun of themselves based on a mistake or a misspeak, I think people resonate to that. They view them as real people. COHEN: Barbara O'Connor, communications professor at California State University at Sacramento, thank you so much. Prof. O'CONNOR: You're welcome.

Ryan Adams, Live In Concert: Newport Folk 2016

Ryan Adams is well on his way to becoming a Newport Folk regular. For his 2016 set, Adams brought along some special guests: the modern bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters and their frequent collaborator, singer-songwriter (and accomplished viral-video kazoo player) Nicki Bluhm. The seven musicians arranged themselves in a semicircle on stage, lending the performance the intimacy and jollity of a family jam session. The group's hand-spun, Appalachian-tinged renditions of Adams' songs — plus a couple metal covers — were punctuated by his goofy stage banter, which contributed to that overall sense of bonhomie. Adams affably chided the other players for setting audience expectations too high and paused mid-strum during "New York, New York" to shout merrily at the two military-looking choppers that were thrumming away over the harbor. He even improvised an entire song, which we'll go ahead and title "Frightened And Rabid," based on a phrase he thought he'd heard yelled from the crowd. As Adams invented silly lyrics about hydrophobia off the top of his head, Bluhm and the Stringdusters looked as visibly amused as the Newport audience. Set List "South Of Heaven" (Slayer cover) "To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High)" "My Winding Wheel" "Oh My Sweet Carolina" "New York, New York" "I'm Frightened And I'm Rabid (improv) "Tears Of Gold" "Gimme Something Good" "The End" "Let It Ride" "The Wizard" (Black Sabbbath cover) Credits Audio: Joshua Rogosin, Suraya Mohamed, Loretta Rae; Photography: Adam Kissick

How Europe Responds To Migrants

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Elizabeth Collett, director of Migration Policy Institute Europe, about the evolving responses of European countries to migrants from Africa and the Middle East.

Williamstown, Setting the Stage for Drama's Future

The prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival is in full swing in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. In addition to world class professional performances, the festival also features an apprentice program that's been called "theater boot camp." For ten weeks, the apprentices do everything from building sets to mopping the stage... and they pay $3,000 apiece for the privilege. Acting is a tough way to make a living, but the apprentice program has its success stories to trumpet: Gwyneth Paltrow, Sigourney Weaver and the late Christopher Reeve all did apprenticeships at Williamstown. The new blood continues, and not just on stage. Roger Rees, Williamstown's new artistic director, is an actor with dozens of stage, film and television credits (including Cheers and The West Wing.) He's a former apprentice himself... but not at Williamstown. Rees and actor Ben Kingsley spent four years together as apprentices at England's Royal Shakespeare Company. One relative newcomer for whom the Williamstown experience seems to be paying off is Logan Marshall Green. At 26, he's returned to the scene of his apprenticeship to star in this year's production of William Inge's Bus Stop. "Even when you're on top of the world it gets harder," Green says. "Because what goes up must come down and I had to learn that the career of an actor is not when you're working." JENNIFER LUDDEN, host: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Jennifer Ludden. The prestigious Williamstown Theatre Festival is in full swing in the Berkshire Mountains of western Massachusetts. Along with world-class professional performances, the festival features an apprentice program that's been called theater boot camp. For 10 weeks, the apprentices do everything from mopping the stage to performing on it. And they pay $3,000 a piece for the privilege. Sigourney Weaver and the late Christopher Reeve started their careers at Williamstown as apprentices. Andrea Shea reports. (Soundbite of people talking) Unidentified Woman #1: Look here, are we going to have a chair then? ANDREA SHEA reporting: In a basement dressing room, a bunch of apprentices primp and psych each other up for their chance to perform on stage. (Soundbite of people talking) Group of People: (In unison) Five minutes. SHEA: Upstairs, 19-year-old Jessica Barr(ph) sucks on a cough drop while she waits in the wings of the festival's brand-new $50-million theater, where, only an hour ago, some of New York's finest stage actors stood. Ms. JESSICA BARR (Actress): It's beautiful. It's huge. I never feel more alive than when I'm out there. So that's what I'm waiting for. SHEA: If Barr sounds a little less than alive, keep in mind it's midnight, and she's been working almost non-stop since she got here six weeks ago. Fortunately, she only has a few lines in the farcical horror trilogy called "The Witching Hour." (Soundbite of "The Witching Hour") Unidentified Actor #1: Now, Mr. Nuby(ph), you're sure you've handled cases like this before? Unidentified Actor #2: Now don't you worry there, gov, we'll have this here ghost wrapped up nice and tight like. Don't you worry. SHEA: The young actors live for rare moments like this when they're actually acting. In the morning, a few of them, including 21-year-old Jordan Barbour(ph), will play the part of garbage collector. Mr. JORDAN BARBOUR (Actor): Right now, I have in my little picker-upper thing a lot of cigarette butts, some dirty gum wrappers and a lot of dirt, grime and grass. SHEA: Plucking cigarettes off the lawn outside the theater ranks up there with baby-sitting a famous actor's child, driving 10 hours to New Jersey and back to pick up lighting equipment and spending a week and a half gluing 3,000 fake flowers to a huge backdrop as the least desirable apprentice jobs. Zack Fishman(ph) got to paint wooden bricks at Delftree(ph). The scene shop, located on the second floor of an un-air-conditioned warehouse, is like the Siberia of Williamstown. Mr. ZACK FISHMAN (Actor): I mean, it's a little tough, but that's how it is, you know? Like, if you don't have experience, then you come to Delftree all day and you paint. SHEA: Or staple or saw. (Soundbite of saw) Mr. ROGER REES (Artistic Director): Suffering for your art is a thing that people remember. SHEA: Roger Rees is the festival's new artistic director and an actor with dozens of stage, film and television credits. Back at the Williamstown Theatre, Rees recalls when he and actor Ben Kingsley apprenticed for England's Royal Shakespeare Company over 30 years ago. Mr. REES: And for four years, the two of us played huntsmen in every Shakespeare play. And we had no lines at

Surplus Short of Expectations

The White House budgeting operation announced today that the surplus for the current fiscal year will be $158 billion. That's an impressive bulge in the federal coffers, the second largest ever in nominal dollars. But as recently as April the figure was expected to be far higher still -- $123 billion higher. Moreover, nearly all of the remaining surplus is attributable to payroll taxes that support Social Security. Take those dedicated funds away, and the federal government would barely be breaking even. NPR's Don Gonyea reports.

O.J. Simpson Back In Court On Felony Charges

The latest O.J. Simpson trial gets under way Monday in Las Vegas. The former NFL football star and his co-defendants are charged with a dozen felonies, including kidnapping and armed robbery.

Mozart Flute Quartet

From the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego, Timothy Day is the flutist with the Jacques Thibaud String Trio in (1756-1791) Mozart's Flute Quartet, K. 285.

Arizona Faces 'Financial Tsunami' Over Medicaid

Arizona has one of the highest Medicaid rates in the country. About 1 out of every 5 residents is covered by the program for the poor and disabled. That doesn't include illegal immigrants, who are barred from receiving state services. And the Medicaid rolls there are increasing rapidly in this economy, primarily due to slumps in the construction and service industries. "In a normal year, we might see 60,000 additional members," says Tony Rodgers, director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), the state's Medicaid agency. "We're probably going to see close to 300,000 additional members by the end of the year." The discussion in Washington over health care includes an expansion of Medicaid, but Arizona is having trouble paying for the program at its current level. "This is kind of a financial tsunami for us," says Rodgers. "And we're just trying to hold onto any log that's rolling along, and trying to save ourselves until the wave stops." The Medicaid problem has contributed to a budget standoff between Republican Gov. Jan Brewer and the GOP-controlled state Legislature. The governor wants a 1 percent sales tax increase to fill a budget gap of more than $3 billion. But legislative leaders say they don't have the votes for that. Lawmakers are concerned about more than just money. "We have currently over 1 out of 5 persons in Arizona on AHCCCS," says state Rep. Nancy Barto, a Scottsdale Republican. "That says to me right now we're already — government's already — doing too much." Barto thinks the feds should focus instead on encouraging more competition in health care. Arizona was the last state in the union to embrace the Medicaid program. From the mid-1960s until 1982, the state forfeited its share of federal Medicaid money rather than create a state program. That history has supporters of expanding Medicaid worried. If Congress requires Arizona to contribute more money to the program, some predict the state will say, "No thanks." "We'd probably walk away," says Eddie Sissons, executive director of the Arizona Foundation for Behavioral Health. "And we'd have to wait for either a change in our economy, and possibly even a change in the political environment in Arizona." ARI SHAPIRO, Host: The Medicaid roles in Arizona are growing faster than anyone predicted. Right now, one in five people in the state depend on the health care program that was created to serve the poor and disabled. Lawmakers in Washington are talking about expanding Medicaid as part of a health care overhaul. But Arizona's having trouble paying for the program at its current level and policy makers say they can't afford to cover more people. NPR's Jeff Brady reports. JEFF BRADY: Nationally, about a third of Medicaid dollars go toward nursing home come. But the growth of the program in Arizona is primarily due to the economy. Twenty-two-year-old Yani Roderica(ph) is a single mother of two. She recently signed up for the state's Medicaid program. Roderica worries she maybe suffering from the same cervical cancer that killed two of her aunts. YANI RODERICA: They both died, they both went through chemo and they didn't make it. And maybe for the past two months I started feeling my legs go weird. BRADY: Roderica says a doctor wondered that a medical test a year and a half back didn't look quite right. At the time she was pregnant and planned to follow up later. But then with a new baby, time just got away from her. RODERICA: It's been the ninth months of this pregnancy and now he's eight months. And I was really (unintelligible) how long it's been and how much it could've been (unintelligible). BRADY: Roderica says she's ready to get care now and she's thankful Medicaid exists. Stories like hers are familiar to Tony Rodgers. He's the director of the state's Medicaid program. It's called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Most folks use the acronym, AHCCCS. TONY RODGERS: I would say in a normal year we might see 60,000 additional members. Well, we're probably going to see close to 300,000 additional members by the end of the year. BRADY: Rodgers says that's a crisis for Arizona. Tax revenue is down, since the state depends on the slumping construction and service industries. Medicaid costs are going up, and at the same time, Rodgers's agency had to lay off 70 employees. RODGERS: This is kind of a financial tsunami for us. And we're just trying to hold onto any log that's rolling along and trying to save ourselves till the wave stops. BRADY: The Medicaid problem has contributed to a budget standoff between Republican Governor Jan Brewer and the GOP-controlled state legislature. The governor wants a one percent sales tax increase. But legislative leaders say they don't have the votes for that. Lawmakers are concerned about more than just money. State Representative Nancy Barto says she's uncomfortable with the large role Medicaid already plays in the health care business. NANCY BARTO: We have currently over o

'Nowhere To Hide' Documents Family's Survival Through 5 Years Of Violence In Iraq

The 2016 film &#8220;Nowhere to Hide&#8221; (@NTHDoc) follows nurse Nori Sharif through five years of drastic change in one of the world&#8217;s most dangerous and inaccessible areas: the &#8220;triangle of death&#8221; in central Iraq. The film documents the stories of survivors of the Iraq War and their hope for a better future as U.S. and coalition troops retreat from the country in 2011, and later shifts its focus to Iraq&#8217;s continuing conflict as ISIS rises. Here & Now&#8217;s Peter O&#8217;Dowd speaks with film&#8217;s director, Zaradasht Ahmed. [Youtube]

Series Explores Clashes Between West, Mideast

NPR's Alex Chadwick talks with NPR's Mike Shuster about the history of Western involvement in the Middle East. Shuster's six-part series, "The Middle East and the West: A Historical View," airs this week on NPR's <EM>All Things Considered</EM>.

Week in Politics: Iraq Intel, and the 2008 Race

The week in Washington politics has included a Senate compromise on resolutions addressing the Iraq war, a fresh National Intelligence Estimate, and new contenders in the 2008 presidential race. Melissa Block talks with David Brooks, columnist for <em>The New York Times</em>, and Ruth Marcus, columnist at <em>The Washington Post</em>.

Enron Trial Update: Video Memories

The trial of former top Enron executives Jeffrey Skilling and Kenneth Lay continues in Houston. Madeleine Brand speaks with <EM>Wall Street Journal</EM> correspondent John Emshwiller about the latest from the complex legal proceedings, including viewing of Enron promotional videos featuring the two defendants.

Iraqi Army Deserters Speak of Starvation, Beatings

In Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq, representatives of Human Rights Watch interview Iraqi soldiers who have deserted their posts. The 26 soldiers speak of squalid living conditions, low pay, meager food rations and beatings. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Eric Stover of the Human Rights Center at the University of California Berkeley.

North Carolina Lawmakers Split On Absentee Ballot Rules After 2018 Election Scandal

With hundreds of thousands of North Carolina absentee ballots in the mail, Democrats and Republicans there are still fighting over the rules on how to fill out and when to submit those ballots.

Puerto Rico's Governor Announces Plan To Privatize Island's Troubled Electric Utility

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló says he is moving to sell off the U.S. territory's public power company, as nearly a third of the island's electric customers remain without power four months after Hurricane Maria struck the island on Sept. 20. Rosselló said Monday that it might take 18 months to privatize the insolvent Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, or PREPA, the largest U.S. public utility as measured by the number of customers — 3.3 million. "The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority does not work and cannot continue to operate like this," Rosselló said in a televised address. "With that PREPA, we cannot face the risks of living in an area of high vulnerability to catastrophic events." Even before the hurricane, PREPA has had its problems. Its power generation plants burn expensive and polluting oil and its infrastructure averages about 45 years old, compared to about 18 years for utilities on the U.S. mainland, according to The Associated Press. The AP notes: "Many also wonder who, if anyone, would be willing to buy a power company that has a $9 billion debt load, filed for bankruptcy last year and faces longstanding accusations of mismanagement and corruption. But Puerto Ricans in a flurry of exchanges across social media after Monday's announcement seemed to agree that any change would be a good one, though they remained wary that the utility could fall into the wrong hands." In October, PREPA hired Whitefish Energy Holdings, a little-known Montana-based company with ties to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, to head up the effort to restore power. The $300 million contract drew intense criticism and in late October, Rosselló announced the contract with Whitefish was being terminated. In his address, the governor said privatizing PREPA would improve service, reduce the cost of electricity and increase investment in renewable energy.

Nobel Prize Winner Thinks No One Should Ever Retire

Muhammad Yunus just had a milestone birthday. On June 28, he turned 75. It's a big moment for a man who's had many big moments in his life — most notably the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for founding Grameen Bank, which loans small sums, aka "microcredit," to the poor, mainly women, so they can start their own businesses. Yunus stopped by NPR last week — he was in Washington, D.C., for a conference — wearing the long, open-necked "kurta" shirt of his native Bangladesh. "[A tie] looks funny on me," he joked. He spoke with us about how to spend senior years (spoiler alert: he's anti-retirement) and why he thinks small loans can make a huge difference in the lives of the poor. You're at an age when many people are retired. But you're still a busy man. Even though you no longer run the Grameen Bank, you're chairman of the Yunus Centre, which promotes businesses that aim to solve the world's problems, and you're speaking on panels. The word 'retirement' is a very harmful word because it tells you that you have no more use left in you. You retire a ship, you have no use for it, you just put it in mothballs. A human being is not something you can mothball. Are you enjoying your older years? For the first [stage of your life, you are] busy growing up, getting married, raising children, working, always trying to fill responsibilities, always under pressure. Now in the second stage, for the first time, I am free. I do whatever I want to do. I want to make my dreams and wishes true. And I do whatever I enjoy. What about discounts for senior citizens. Are you pro or con? I am as good as anyone else. Why should I have a discount? You are treating me differently. You won the Nobel Prize for the many small loans that your bank gives to poor people. That was a revolutionary idea. The banking system is designed for rich people. So you don't have any room for the poor people to get in there. The welfare system throws them a few crumbs, but that's it. Credit is a human right. You have the right to food, shelter, to work. You can create your own work with the money you get. I can only imagine how intimidating it would be for a poor person to walk into a big bank and ask for a loan. Going into a bank should be just like when you shop. You don't need courage to buy groceries. And someone can borrow money from the bank you founded, Grameen Bank, without any collateral? In microcredit, we are not asking for any collateral. Anybody's entitled. We're not asking what you've got. We're asking what you need. What would a woman in Bangladesh ask for? She'll say, I'll think, about $30. She cannot even imagine $100. And most loans are ... ? Something like $100 or $150. The idea is the money will go to start a business. You have to have a business idea. For example, in Bangladesh, a lot of women propose agriculture-related business: growing something, selling something, producing something. The bank also has a U.S. offshoot — Grameen America. Are you surprised by the kinds of businesses American women are starting up? In Bangladesh, our women don't do hairdressing for money; they do the hair for each other. But in the United States, this is a business, so they set up in a shop to do the hairdressing. That surprised me. Dog walking is not a business in Bangladesh. Here [in the U.S.] it's a business. In Bangladesh, you laugh [at the thought] that you can make money by dog walking. Your bank has accomplished a lot, with 8.4 million loan customers. Yet you and the bank have come in for criticism: The bank doesn't follow government rules and regulations; the bank receives foreign funding. Do I have this envelope with me so I don't have to answer all these questions? [Yunus hands me a 31-page pamphlet titled "Questions by critics on Grameen Bank and the facts." The answers in the pamphlet can be found on his website.]

Low-Flying Planes Spur Panic In NYC

New Yorkers had quite a scare Monday morning. Workers in lower Manhattan looked out of their office windows to see a low-flying 747 followed by a fighter jet. It turns out it was an Air Force photo-op featuring one of the planes used as Air Force One. Even seven years after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, some New Yorkers still flinch whenever they see a low-flying plane. So imagine how they felt when it appeared that the military was chasing a passenger jet down the Hudson River. People in Jersey City, N.J., flooded 911 with calls. Workers at the New York Mercantile Exchange — near Ground Zero — ran out of their building. One worker says people gathered outside until a security officer told them it was a planned exercise. The Federal Aviation Administration had given permission to the military to take pictures of a back-up version of Air Force One as it flew around the Statue of Liberty. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg couldn't believe it. "Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo-op right around the World Trade Center catastrophe defies imagination," Bloomberg said. "Poor judgment would be a nice way to phrase it." It turns out the FAA warned the New York Police Department last week, but told police to keep it quiet. No one told the public or the mayor. "First, I was annoyed — furious is a better word — that I wasn't told about it," Bloomberg said. "It did have the normal language that this is sensitive information, should be distributed on a need-to-know basis, that they didn't want to have any publicity about it. Which I think is ridiculous and poor judgment." All day long, no one in the military wanted to take responsibility for that judgment. Even the Obama administration said it didn't know what was going on with the planes. But late this afternoon, the director of the White House Military Office took responsibility. Louis Caldera wrote in a release that he had approved the mission over New York. He said it's clear that the flight created confusion and disruption, and he apologized to the people of New York and New Jersey. On the positive side, the pictures probably turned out great. It was a beautiful blue-sky day in New York. Just like the weather on Sept. 11. MICHELE NORRIS, host: New Yorkers had quite a scare this morning. Workers in lower Manhattan looked out of their office windows to see a low-flying 747, following that, a fighter jet. It turns out it was an Air Force photo-op featuring one of the planes used as Air Force One. NPR's Robert Smith explains. ROBERT SMITH: Even seven years after 9/11, some New Yorkers still flinch whenever they see a low-flying plane. So imagine how they felt when it appeared that the military was chasing a passenger jet down the Hudson River. Residents of Jersey City flooded 911 with calls. Workers at the New York Mercantile Exchange - near Ground Zero - ran out of their building. One worker says they gathered outside until a security officer told them it was a planned exercise. The FAA had given permission to the military to take pictures of a back-up version of Air Force One as it flew around the Statue of Liberty. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg could not believe it. Mayor MICHAEL BLOOMBERG (New York): Why the Defense Department wanted to do a photo-op right around the site of the World Trade Center catastrophe defies imagination. SMITH: Turns out the FAA warned the New York City Police Department last week, but told them to keep it quiet. No one told the public, or more importantly, the mayor. Mayor BLOOMBERG: First thing is I'm annoyed - furious is a better word - that I wasn't told. It did have the normal language of saying that they did not plan to have any publicity about it, which I think is ridiculous and just poor judgment. SMITH: All day long no one in the military wanted to take responsibility for that judgment. Even the Obama administration said that they didn't know what was going on with their own planes. But late this afternoon, the director of the White House Military Office took responsibility. Louis Caldera wrote in a release that he had approved the mission over New York. He said it's clear the flight created confusion and disruption, and he apologized to the people of New York and New Jersey. On the positive side, the pictures probably turned out great. It was a beautiful blue-sky day in New York, just like the weather on September 11th. Robert Smith, NPR News, New York.

From A New Cd, 'Maestro

From a new CD, "Maestro of the Met," celebrating James Levine's 25 years at the Metropolitan Opera, we'll hear music from Giacomo Puccini's opera "Manon Lescaut" (mah-noh(n) les-KOH): Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli (chay-CHEEL-yah BAHR-toh-lee) sings the madrigal "Sulla vetta tu del monte" (SOO-lah VET-tah TOO del MOHN-tay--"On the mountaintop you roam"). Levine conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. (DG 449 229-2)

In 'New York,' Wan Anecdotes For Urbanites

Anthology films are a lumpy proposition under the best of circumstances. No matter how tantalizing the auteur lineup — be it Fellini-Malle-Vadim (Spirits Of The Dead) or Coppola-Scorsese-Allen (New York Stories) or even Rossellini-Godard-Pasolini-Gregoretti (RoGoPaG) — many or most of the directors are going to whiff. Audiences for anthology projects understand (or should understand, anyway) that when panning for gold, they're going to have to suffer a little silt. It comes with the territory. New York, I Love You, the second installment of the "Cities of Love" series after Paris, je'taime, tries to break the rules by stressing continuity over individuality. Rather than patching together the usual wildly divergent variations on a theme, producer Emmanuel Benhiby has the foolish audacity to herd a motley collection of talents under the same umbrella and try to impose a single style on them. Each filmmaker was limited to two days' shooting and one week in the editing room, and none of the segments have titles or credits, so you have to wait until the end to find out which director was responsible for which minor catastrophe. On top of that, the glossy color scheme and jazzy music score have a certain Showtime After Dark uniformity, and some of the shorts bleed into each other, presumably in the effort to give the impression that it's all of a piece. Despite Benhiby's best efforts to create one from many, the only thing the roughly 10-minute segments in New York, I Love You have in common are a general air of indifference. While it may be tempting to blame Benhiby's restrictions for stifling the filmmakers' creativity, nothing here suggests an irrepressible vision brought to heel. Half of the shorts are moony-eyed romances with quirky conceits — like a Dostoyevsky-themed meet-cute, or a pair of Coney Island oldies (Eli Wallach and Cloris Leachman) bickering through their 63rd anniversary — and the other half are either long lead-ups to lame punch lines or abstract reveries on art and love that aren't nearly abstract enough. In the star-choked race to the bottom, a few segments stand out as particularly pungent: Brett Ratner, best known for popcorn entertainments like X-Men: The Last Stand and the Rush Hour movies, mines the premise of a teenager (Anton Yelchin) set up with a wheelchair-using prom date (Olivia Thirlby) for two jokes and one of the goofiest sex scenes in recent memory. (It involves a tree branch, a belt and some creative physics.) Chinese director Jiang Wen, who began the decade with the lacerating anti-war comedy Devils On The Doorstep, undertakes the impossible task of making Hayden Christensen look credible as a pickpocket, street-basketball ringer and all-around fedora-donning lowlife. Worst of show goes to Elizabeth director Shekhar Kapur (filling in for the late Anthony Minghella, to whom the omnibus is dedicated), who strands a luminous Julie Christie in what could be called the Metaphor Hotel, with Shia LeBeouf as a bellboy whose tortured gait and Eastern European accent make him a dead ringer for Igor in Young Frankenstein. The most telling common denominator in New York, I Love You may be facial hair: Christensen, LeBeouf, Bradley Cooper, Orlando Bloom and Ethan Hawke are all scruffy and disheveled, as if they could barely rouse themselves out of bed for a day or two of shooting. At no point does the urgency of these shorts exceed the urgency of their need to shave. Scott Tobias is the film editor of The A.V. Club.

D.C. Opens 14 Cooling Centers Around The City

As temperatures soar this summer, cities have opened cooling centers for residents who have nowhere to escape the heat. In Washington, D.C., many belong to high-risk groups for COVID-19.

Midwest Braces for Rise in Winter Heating Bills

With fuel prices at the pump making the most headlines, the cost of natural gas has slipped below the radar a bit. But as winter approaches, so do the heating bills, and people in the Midwest are starting to prepare.

NFL Responds To Trump As President Renews Debate Over National Anthem

It seemed like the controversy involving NFL players kneeling during the national anthem had died down a bit — that is until President Trump stirred up a hornet's nest Friday night during a campaign trip to Alabama. Trump unleashed a tirade of strong comments against NFL players who don't stand during the playing of "The Star Spangled Banner." Kneeling during the national anthem in protest over perceived social injustices against African-Americans began last year. A handful of white players didn't stand Sunday, but the vast majority of those actively protesting were black, The Associated Press reports. Trump's take: It's unpatriotic and NFL team owners should fire those refusing to stand. Trump's comments festered over the weekend and by the various game times on Sunday, roughly 200 players sat, knelt or raised their fists in defiance during the anthem. Most of the players locked arms with their teammates — some coaches and team owners also joined in. Other teams, such as the Pittsburgh Steelers, stayed off the field until the anthem was finished. One Steeler, Army veteran Alejandro Villanueva, ventured out of the tunnel and placed his hand over his heart during the singing of the anthem. A week ago, fewer than 10 players protested. The last NFL game of the day, Washington hosted Oakland, was played in Landover, Md. — not far from the White House. Most of Oakland's team sat on their bench during the anthem while most of Washington's team stood arm-in-arm along with owner Dan Snyder and president Bruce Allen. Trump tweeted earlier on Sunday: "Standing with locked arms is good, kneeling is not acceptable. Bad ratings!" The Associated Press reports that among the strongest criticisms of the president was from New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton: "I'm disappointed in the comments that were made. I think we need a little bit more wisdom in that office," he said of the White House. "I want that guy to be one of the smarter guys in the room and it seems like every time he's opening up his mouth it's something that is dividing our country and not pulling us together.' " Kneeling during the national anthem began as a protest more than a year ago when former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the song as a protest of police treatment of minorities. This season, no team has signed him, and some supporters believe NFL owners are avoiding him because of the controversy. Trump's comments may have helped to publicize a cause that not all NFL fans were aware of.

This Night Will Last Forever: Send Us Your Prom Songs

In hindsight, prom can feel like one long set-up for a punchline — about what you wore, who accompanied you, how your hair was styled, and so on. Whether you shared your first kiss with the love of your life or spent prom night slow-dancing with your stuffed animals at home, prom takes universal snapshots of youthful vulnerability, vitality and acne-scarred intensity. Prom is eternal; a story you tell when you're summarizing who you were as a teenager. And, of course, no story of teen angst is complete without a soundtrack. Which is funnier: A story about your cummerbund falling in the toilet, or a story about your cummerbund falling in the toilet as Robin Zander and Ann Wilson wail the love theme from Tequila Sunrise over a loudspeaker? Whether or not your prom had an official musical theme, there was probably a prom moment that burned itself into your memory. Chances are, that moment was soundtracked by a song you'll never again hear without all the emotions of that glorious (or terrible) night flooding back. So here's what we want you to do: Share with us the song that makes you think of your prom, and tell us your story on our Soundcloud page: Joy, pain, excitement, humiliation, riding around in a borrowed car listening to thrash-metal tapes because nobody wearing taffeta or a tux could possibly understand you — it's all fair game. Submit your memories via Soundcloud or in the comments, and try to keep your responses under 150 words. As for content, we only ask you to keep things as family-friendly as possible. Think of us as your chaperone, minus the harsh glare of judgment.

Biden Expected To Sign COVID-19 Relief Deal, Gives 1st Prime Time Address On Thursday

Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons and Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak join Here & Now&#8216;s Peter O&#8217;Dowd to discuss the politics of the latest coronavirus relief bill and share their observations about leadership during the past year of the pandemic. This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Latina Journalists Who Challenged TV Station Leaders Were Let Go In Short Succession

At KUSA-TV in Denver, Colo., three Latina journalists were let go in short succession. Each had challenged station leaders on how they cover issues affecting Latinos in Colorado.

Pope Ends Visit To A Disillusioned Ireland, Where Church Authority Has Plunged

Back in 1979, Pope John Paul II arrived in Ireland to an outpouring of love, affection and enormous crowds, including an estimated 1.2 million people for a Mass in Dublin's Phoenix Park. Among the faithful that day was Carmel Malone. Nearly four decades later, Malone's daughters brought her in a wheelchair to watch Pope Francis pass through downtown Dublin on Saturday. This time, the crowds were far sparser — only one deep in some places — and there were even some boos from victims of clerical sexual abuse who protested along the road. "I believe," said Malone, 78, explaining why she came out. "I know the young people of today don't believe, but I do." Francis spent the weekend in a radically different Ireland than the one John Paul II encountered. It is richer, more educated, more secular — and deeply disillusioned after revelations of widespread clerical sexual abuse, the cruelty of church-run workhouses that took children away from their unwed mothers and repeated church cover-ups. When John Paul II visited, weekly Mass attendance in Ireland was around 80 percent and homosexuality was illegal. Today, Mass attendance hovers around 35 percent. In 2015, Irish people voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Ireland's Taoiseach, or prime minister, Leo Varadkar, is openly gay. In May, two-thirds of voters went against church doctrine and cast ballots to remove a constitutional amendment banning abortion. "Most people here in Ireland have changed their views on the church due to the hurt and the neglect that's been caused," said Catherine Malone, Carmel's daughter, who wheeled her mother to the sidewalk to see the pope. "Ireland was such a poor country back in 1979, but so much was expected from us. We were really bullied into donations every week." Whereas the last papal visit was a national celebration, some people at Francis' Sunday Mass in Phoenix Park were a little defensive amid all the criticism of the church as it continues to grapple with what has become a global sexual abuse crisis. Sarah O'Rourke, who teaches religion in a Roman Catholic primary school, went to witness Francis' message so she could bring it back to her students, the vast majority of whom don't attend Mass. She brought her family but didn't tell several acquaintances because she thought they might be critical. "Unless I was asked and I knew it would get a good reception, I didn't say anything," said O'Rourke. "Maybe that's the wrong approach to take but, you know what I mean, it wasn't a popular thing to say." Many who attended Sunday's service were delighted to see some of the faithful turn out amid criticism and opposition to the visit. "It's been as if the pope's visit is a bad thing more than a good thing," said Ailbhe Lawlor, 15. But, she said, "It's great to see that so many people are happy that he's here and are respecting him." "He's a good man," added Lawlor, who wore a Vatican City flag draped over her shoulders. "It's not his fault." The pope spent much of his two days in Ireland apologizing for the church's behavior. His most abject apology to date came at Sunday's Mass. Reading from a statement beneath leaden skies, he said, "We ask for forgiveness for the abuses in Ireland, abuses of power and conscience, sexual abuses on the part of qualified members of the church. ... We ask forgiveness for some members of the hierarchy who did not take care of these painful situations and kept silent." Many survivors of clerical sexual abuse were unmoved. They said the pope needs to move beyond apologies and toward strict accountability, including the firing of bishops. The pontiff's message of contrition was marred by a new allegation: Over the weekend, a former Vatican official accused Francis of ignoring sexual misconduct allegations for years against an American cardinal and called on him to resign. In an 11-page letter, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò — a former Vatican ambassador to Washington — said he had told the pope five years ago that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C., faced extensive allegations of sexual misconduct. Viganò said the pope did nothing. McCarrick resigned last month, but he maintains his innocence. The pope dismissed Viganò's letter, which took the form of a political attack and, according to the National Catholic Reporter, contained factual errors. "Read the statement carefully and make your own judgment," the pope told reporters. "I will not say a single word on this." As Francis preached in Phoenix Park on Sunday, more than 1,000 people protested across town, demanding the truth and justice for clerical sex abuse survivors and others mistreated by the church. The rally concluded with a rendition of "We Shall Overcome." The gospel song associated with the American civil rights movement underscored how many in attendance saw the Catholic Church as an oppressor. Martin Grehan, a local government researcher, had seen news of the allegations against Pope Francis that morning. Based on the church's tra

After Trump's U.N. Speech, Some Senators Look To Reinforce War Powers

Updated at 10:15 a.m. ET Thursday There was some consternation Monday on Capitol Hill after President Trump told the United Nations General Assembly that "if [the U.S.] is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea." Congress is, after all, the only branch of government constitutionally authorized to declare war. And that would seem to include nuclear war. But Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker says it's complicated. "Every president since we've had nuclear weapons has had the ability to launch them," Corker noted. "That's the way our nation is." Asked in a brief interview at the Capitol about legislation that would give Congress a greater say over the decision to carry out a first strike, Corker replied, "I've had other members talk with me a little about it, and we're doing some research on that topic." He added, "We really began to do so at the end of last week." NPR previously reported that Corker was referring to a bill sponsored by one of his committee members, Massachusetts Democrat Ed Markey. Titled "Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2017," it explicitly forbids the first use of nuclear weapons without authorization from Congress through a declaration of war. Corker's office subsequently notified NPR that there had been a "miscommunication" in the interview. The Tennessee Republican, according to his staff, was speaking more broadly about the constitutional question of when Congress needs to intervene when the nation goes to war. Markey, for his part, says the bill he introduced four days after Trump's inauguration (an identical bill, H.R.669, was introduced the same day in the House by California Democrat Ted Lieu) is more relevant than ever. "The more the president talks about the total destruction of North Korea," he says, "the more it's necessary for the country and the Congress to have a debate over what the authority of a president is to launch nuclear weapons against another country." The push to place a legislative check on Trump's power to unleash a nuclear strike faces significant obstacles. Congress has long been averse to declaring war — it has not done so since the U.S. entered World War II in 1941. And a bill requiring a nuclear war declaration would very likely face a presidential veto. Markey acknowledged that no Republican lawmakers had yet signed on as co-sponsors of his legislation barring nuclear first strikes without congressional approval. "But I am confident that as this debate continues to intensify, there will be members on both sides who understand that we, as a Senate, as a House, should exercise our constitutional responsibility to declare nuclear war."

Why Isn't The Housing Market Booming The Way Experts Expected?

Interest rates are near historic lows and consumer confidence is high, but the market isn't booming. One reason may be mobility: people moving from state to state is half what it was two decades ago.

Your Favorite Side Project

Remember when Thom Yorke did The Eraser? For a minute there, everyone thought Radiohead was done for. There was no cause for panic, though -- Yorke's decision to go solo was part of a natural musical evolution, known as the fabled "side project." You could probably call Yorke's latest venture with Nigel Godrich, Flea, Joey Waronker, and Mauro Refosco a side project, too. Or maybe that's more of a supergroup? Either way, the side project runs rampant in rock music, and, once in a while, the side dish is better than the entree. One of the more noteworthy side projects of the past decade, The Postal Service, blew everyone away with the release of Give Up, in 2003. And you couldn't get very far in this discussion without giving a nod to the folks from Toronto. The musical amoeba that is Broken Social Scene has spawned countless worthy side projects, including Feist, Stars, and Metric. We've seen side projects from Jack White in forms like the Raconteurs or The Dead Weather; Fever Ray displayed the talents of one half of The Knife; and how could I forget Department of Eagles, or did they come before Grizzly Bear? Sometimes the side project eclipses the original band itself. Lately, there have been side projects-aplenty. Thom Yorke and his band (still unnamed) were just announced as part of the Coachella Festival lineup. Josiah Wolf of WHY? has a new solo project in the works, and who isn't excited about The Shins frontman James Mercer's venture with DJ Danger Mouse, Broken Bells? Here at All Songs we are particularly excited about the forthcoming solo project from Jonsi Birgisson, frontman of Sigur Ros. The richly textured and unsurprisingly epic album, called Go, is due out in March. Jonsi at work in the studio What are your favorite side projects? Anybody who hasn't done one but should? Let us know in the comments section below.

Hawaii Initiates A New Monthly Test Of A Nuclear Siren

For the first time since the Cold War, Hawaii residents heard a nuclear attack warning siren test. Siren tests for natural disasters like hurricanes are routine events in Hawaii, but on Friday, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency added a new tone signaling nuclear threat. The state says that an attention alert signal — a steady, minute-long beep — informs residents to turn on a radio or television for information and instruction for an impending emergency, and if in a coastal area, to evacuate to higher grounds. The new nuclear attack warning signal — a wailing, minute-long beep — will follow the attention alert signal, and direct residents to seek immediate shelter, and to remain sheltered until an all-clear message is broadcast over radio or television. The tests have been scheduled since early November, and were implemented just days after North Korea claimed that a new intercontinental ballistic missile it tested has a nuclear deterrent that can reach the United States, as NPR's Geoff Brumfiel reported. President Trump responded to North Korea's first nuclear test during his presidency with a tweet saying that "major sanctions will be imposed on North Korea... This situation will be handled!" Officials focused on the necessity for precautions. "We believe that it is imperative that we be prepared for every disaster, and in today's world, that includes a nuclear attack," Gov. David Ige said this week. He added that the possibility of a nuclear strike is very slim. "We should all prepare and exercise a plan ahead of time so we can take some comfort in knowing what our loved ones are doing," said Vern Miyagi, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, in an interview with the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The Washington Post reported that some elementary schools in Hawaii have kept students busy working with their families to assemble "small packages of family photos and comfort foods to help keep students calm in the event of a nuclear attack during classroom hours." The state plans to continue testing its emergency sirens on 11:45 a.m. of the first business day of every month.

The 'Racial Cleansing' That Drove 1,100 Black Residents Out Of Forsyth County, Ga.

In 1912, white mobs set fire to black churches and black-owned businesses. Eventually the entire black population of Forsyth County was driven out, says <em>Blood at the Root </em>author Patrick Phillips.

Trump's Tariff Decisions Could Help GOP In Pennsylvania Special Election

Voters in a western Pennsylvania congressional district head to the polls Tuesday. In this area, President Trump's tariff decisions could help the GOP avoid losing a reliably Republican seat.