Columns

Mahatma Gandhi wasn't always a beloved figure; his defense of women and children rattled the world.

World News

In A Way, Gandhi Also Won 2014's Nobel Peace Prize

2:20pm October 11, 2014

by Scott Simon

In a week when two Nobel Peace Prize winners were announced, NPR's Scott Simon reflects on Mahatma Gandhi's life. Though Gandhi never won the prize, 2014's winners carry on his legacy.

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Firing a man on a mobile phone in a public setting? NPR's Scott Simon doubts that's in any manual of etiquette or management techniques.

A Stranger On A Train, A Phone Call, A Man's Life Transformed

1:50pm October 04, 2014

by Scott Simon

Announcing a layoff over the phone is bad etiquette, but it's the stuff of a great short story. When NPR's Scott Simon overheard such a moment, he couldn't help but try to fill in the gaps.

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Goodbye To All That: Farewells In Sports

3:23pm October 01, 2014

by Frank Deford

In honor of Derek Jeter's last game, commentator Frank Deford recalls other sports' so-long-see-you-laters.

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Sports

What We Talk About When We Talk About Race And Sports

1:31pm September 24, 2014

by Frank Deford

Commentator Frank Deford reflects on the owner of the Atlanta Hawks' controversial efforts to market the team to white audiences.

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Remembering The Highs And Lows Of Robin Williams

2:37pm August 19, 2014

by Scott Simon

Audiences treasured his tremendous comic energy. But, says NPR's Scott Simon, Williams' death this week reminds us that depression can affect anyone.

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Darlena Cunha says that she wrote her essay about her family's temporary poverty so her twin daughters would learn not to judge people on government assistance.

A Mother's Essay Challenges Assumptions About Poverty

12:09pm July 14, 2014

by Tamara Keith

When her once-middle-class family suddenly needed help, Darlena Cunha drove a Mercedes to enroll in the federal nutrition program. "The most embarrassing part was how I felt about myself," she writes.

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Arts

Buried By Picasso, The Man Beneath 'The Blue Room' Tells A Story

2:45pm June 21, 2014

by Scott Simon

In Pablo Picasso's painting The Blue Room, infrared technology this week revealed the canvas' previous occupant: a portrait of a melancholy, mustachioed man.

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Bad Behavior From A Sports Franchise Owner? That's Not New

9:13am April 30, 2014

by Frank Deford

As the Donald Sterling controversy unfolds, commentator Frank Deford recalls scandals surrounding other team owners, and penalties they did or didn't pay.

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What legally makes whiskey taste like Tennessee?

A Bill To Distill Simmers In Tennessee

11:27am March 29, 2014

by Scott Simon

Does a legally mandated recipe ensure Tennessee whiskey's quality, or does it violate the spirit's moonshiner roots? NPR's Scott Simon says that further study, and a sampling, is in order.

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Ukrainian skier Bogdana Matsotska decided not to compete in Friday's slalom race, in a show of solidarity with protesters in Kiev.

Ukrainian Olympic Skier's Stand Is A Sacrifice For Her Country

3:43pm February 26, 2014

by Scott Simon

A Ukrainian skier has pulled out of the Olympics to show solidarity with protesters back home. While the impact of her move is unclear, forgoing a chance at a medal is a powerful symbol.

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