Arts & Life

Real-life quidditch has been around since at least 2005, but now the sport's two large leagues are moving to drop the name and distance themselves from the fictional sport created by author J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series. Many universities, inclu

Quidditch leagues look to change their name, citing Rowling's anti-trans stances

8:25pm December 17, 2021

by Wynne Davis

Quidditch is getting ditched. Two large leagues say they want to distance their sport from author J.K. Rowling – and a name change could help them grow.

Author and cultural critic bell hooks poses for a portrait on December 16, 1996 in New York City, New York.

Books
Arts

With the death of bell hooks, a generation of feminists lost a foundational figure

8:15pm December 17, 2021

by Lisa B. Thompson

A groundbreaking feminist thinker, writer and activist, bell hooks was clearly uninterested in being safe, respectable or acceptable, and charted a career on her own terms.

After nearly 2 years in the pandemic shadows, it's time to shine

5:06pm December 17, 2021

by Kat Lonsdorf

Sparkle and shine are back in fashion in a big way, and it's not just for the holidays. Fashion designers have been waiting for this moment since the pandemic began.

Queue Listen Now

Yasmin Williams performs a Tiny Desk (home) concert.

Books
Arts

What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend reading and listening

5:00pm December 17, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: Jackie Kashian's new comedy album, music of Yasmin Williams and more!

(Clockwise from upper left) Passing, The Souvenir Part II, Drive My Car, Parallel Mothers, Memoria and The Green Knight are among Justin Chang's favorite films of 2021.

Arts

Justin Chang pairs the 10 best movies of 2021 — plus 1 film that stands alone

11:31am December 17, 2021

by Justin Chang

Drive My Car tops Chang's list of the year's best movies, but plenty of other films made the return to theaters extra special.

Actor LeVar Burton, attending an event in Hollywood in Jan. 2020.

Who will host the next Scripps National Spelling Bee? L-E-V-A-R

11:20am December 17, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The actor was a fan favorite contender to be the next host of Jeopardy! after the death of Alex Trebek. Instead, he'll host the next edition of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in June.

A detail from the cover of David Bowie's album Hunky Dory, first released in 1971.

NPR 50: The long tail of David Bowie's explosive 'Hunky Dory'

10:15am December 17, 2021

by Allyson McCabe

Bowie was still an aspiring pop star, with but one successful single under his belt, at the time of Hunky Dory's release. It wouldn't last.

Queue Listen Now

Peloton pulls ad featuring actor Chris Noth after sexual assault accusations

10:38pm December 16, 2021

by Jonathan Franklin

In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Noth called allegations "categorically false." The ad that was withdrawn was viewed more than three million times online.

Police stand outside the Las Americas International Airport where a private jet crashed on Wednesday, killing all nine people on board, including Puerto Rican music producer Flow La Movie.

Arts

Flow La Movie, reggaeton music producer, dies in Caribbean plane crash

2:01pm December 16, 2021

by Mia Estrada

Tributes poured in from around the world of reggaeton music for the producer who'd worked with major artists such as Bad Bunny and Ozuna.

The Code Switch team picks our favorite episodes from 2021

11:21am December 16, 2021

As we look back at the year, we wanted to share some of our favorite episodes of the pod. This list showcases the episodes that stayed with members of the Code Switch team, even amidst all the churn.