Commentary

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks a Press conference after a meeting of European Union leaders at the Chancellery on June 29, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.

Macron Got A Lot Wrong About Africa ... But Made One Good Point

6:29pm July 11, 2017

by Viviane Rutabingwa

In answering a reporter's question, the French president characterized Africa as a continent of failing states with high birth rates. Viviane Rutabingwa shares her perspective.

"I lost the first good novel I ever wrote to a computer disaster. It happened at a crucial time in my life, when I was still figuring out if I could even do this thing — become a writer."

Books

A Novelist Forces Himself To Press On After Losing 100 Pages In A Tech Glitch

3:03pm July 11, 2017

by Mat Johnson

Mat Johnson's recent hard-drive failure wasn't the first time he experienced data loss. This time, despite losing more work than ever before, he's less panicked: "I can write new words," he says.

Queue Listen Now

Maria Nalubega holds her three-week-old baby daughter.

What This Teen Mom Wishes She'd Known Before She Got Pregnant

11:18am July 11, 2017

by Ritah Namwiza

She was ashamed to be seen buying condoms. She didn't dare ask her mother for advice. So how can Uganda bring down its high rate of teen pregnancy?

My Son Is In Special Education And I Want Him To Be Challenged

11:16am July 11, 2017

by Margaret Gilmour

Seeing his potential, one mother wonders why her child isn't held to higher standards at school, despite his learning disability.

Week In Politics: Trump's Speech In Poland, Health Care Debate

4:31pm July 07, 2017

NPR's Kelly McEvers wraps up the week's politics news with columnists David Brooks of The New York Times and Kimberly Atkins of the Boston Herald. They discuss President Trump's speech in Poland, the ongoing debate over the health care bill, and Walter Shaub Jr.'s resignation from the Office of Government Ethics.

Students march during the celebration of Ghana's 60 years of independence on March 6 in Accra.

National

Why I Love (And Question) Independence Day

4:06pm July 03, 2017

by George Mwinnyaa

He grew up marching to celebrate Ghana's independence and now marvels at America's big July 4 bash. George Mwinnyaa reflects on the meaning of independence.

National

Word To The President: 'Professionalism'

7:52am July 01, 2017

NPR's Scott Simon says he's unsure if calls for respect, civility and dignity are reaching President Trump. Simon says professionals do their jobs and don't kvetch when other professionals do theirs.