Commentary

Barbershop: Political Dust-ups And Advocacy In The NBA

5:16pm December 26, 2015

In the Barbershop, blogger Dru Ealons, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery and NPR editor Ammad Omar discuss controversies involving Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, and a new set of ads from the NBA.

Republican presidential candidates (L-R) Carly Fiorna, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Jeb Bush and Donald Trump (R) interact on stage at the end of the Republican Presidential Debate on Dec. 15, 2015.

Get Excited, It's An Election Year! At Least I Will Be

11:41am December 26, 2015

by Linda Wertheimer

NPR's Linda Wertheimer has covered decades of presidential elections. She reflects on what to expect from 2016.

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Sports

Dear NBA: Why So Many Games?

5:29pm December 23, 2015

by Frank Deford

Basketball players don't endure numerous concussions like some football players do, nor do they suffer the arm injuries common to baseball pitchers. But the grind on the hardwood can wear bodies down.

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Onlookers come to admire the self-proclaimed

Which Burns More Kilowatt-Hours: America's Christmas Lights Or Tanzania?

5:57pm December 22, 2015

by Marc Silver

As you might have guessed, the answer is not Tanzania. So the holiday season is a good time to reflect on ... electricity.

What problem can't be solved with a pair of comfortable walking shoes and an in-ground pool? As it turns out, there are a lot of them.

Economy

The Diminishing Middle — And Why That Widens The Gap Between Us

2:02pm December 21, 2015

by Michel Martin

In light of a recent Pew study that says most Americans are no longer middle-class, NPR's Michel Martin argues that when the middle thins, the ends of the spectrum must yell just to hear each other.

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Barbershop: 'Star Wars,' Worst-Case Scenarios And Holiday Buying

5:04pm December 19, 2015

In this week's Barbershop, we hear about Star Wars, parents' emergency plans in the event of a school shooting and when to cut back on gift-giving — featuring Anil Dash, Jenny Davis and Tammy Garnes.

A trade card from the 1880s depicts a Santa Claus figure in a bird-themed sleigh pulled by reindeer as they are about the land on a rooftop to deliver presents from the huge sack of gifts.

Books

Twain's 'Letter From Santa Claus,' A Gift For All Ages

8:04am December 19, 2015

by Scott Simon

In 1875, Mark Twain wrote a letter to his 3-year-old daughter from Santa Claus. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on a father's love for his daughter at Christmas time.

Sports

More College Football Bowl Games Than Winning Teams?

11:41am December 16, 2015

by Frank Deford

When two teams play a game that doesn't count, call it what it is — an exhibition. Sports commentator Frank Deford reminds us that words, and their meanings, matter.

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Barbershop: Trump On Facebook, And Scalia On Affirmative Action

5:14pm December 12, 2015

In the Barbershop, Olivia Nuzzi of Daily Beast, Alexis Nedd of Buzzfeed and NPR's Ammad Omar discuss Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's comments and a new tool to "de-Trumpify" Facebook friends.

Music & Culture

'One More' For Sinatra, Who Took A Stand In Gary, Indiana

9:03am December 12, 2015

by Scott Simon

Frank Sinatra was born 100 years ago. NPR's Scott Simon remembers a moment when the singer tried to stop a strike by white students in Gary, Indiana who didn't want their high school to be integrated.

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