Commentary

Week In Politics: Outsider Presidential Candidates, Joe Biden On 'Colbert'

6:43pm September 11, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with regular political commentators E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and David Brooks of The New York Times.

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Week In Politics: Iran Nuclear Deal, Trump's Loyalty Pledge

1:42pm September 10, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with political commentators, E.J. Dionne of the Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Yuval Levin, editor for National Affairs.

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Sports

Deford: When It Comes To The Courtroom, Bet On The Players

1:05pm September 09, 2015

by Frank Deford

History shows why we shouldn't be surprised that a judge recently overturned New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's suspension.

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World News

A Family's Tragedy, Captured On Camera, Focuses Attention On Crisis

11:38am September 05, 2015

by Scott Simon

Repeated stories of war zones and crime scenes can numb those who read and listen to them. But photographs of a little boy washed up on a beach, and the father who grieves for him, cut through.

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In Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, director Alex Gibney turns a critical lens on the Apple co-founder and his products.

Arts

New Film Asks: Were Steve Jobs' Flaws Uploaded To His Machines?

12:07am September 05, 2015

by Laura Sydell

Alex Gibney's documentary joins a growing list of Steve Jobs biopics and biographies. The director's thesis seems to be that Jobs' flawed character was infused into the machines he made.

Part-time or half-day preschools pose a challenge for many working parents.

Preschool And Privilege: When Early Education Hinges On Parental Flexibility

2:16pm September 04, 2015

by Jessica Grose

As writer Jessica Grose prepares to send her child off to school for the first time, she faces a stark reality. Preschool schedules, she says, often require extreme flexibility from working parents.

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Are people starting sentences with "so" more frequently than ever or are we just noticing it more?

Arts

So, What's The Big Deal With Starting A Sentence With 'So'?

2:37pm September 03, 2015

by Geoff Nunberg

It has been called the new "um" or "like," but linguist Geoff Nunberg says starting sentences with "so" isn't a new trend. People have been doing it for years. We're just noticing it more now.

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In the video for "Wildest Dreams," Taylor Swift is all decked out in African colonial-era style.

World News

Taylor Swift Is Dreaming Of A Very White Africa

5:01pm September 02, 2015

The video for her new song, "Wildest Dreams," conjures up a colonial-era Africa of magnificent landscapes, beautiful animals — and virtually no black Africans.

Kicker Chandler Catanzaro of the Arizona Cardinals kicks an extra point against the Kansas City Chiefs during a pre-season NFL game at the University of Phoenix Stadium on Aug. 15 in Glendale, Ariz.

Sports

Why Is There An Extra Point In Football, And Do We Need It?

12:18pm September 02, 2015

by Frank Deford

This year, the extra-point line of scrimmage has been moved back to the 15-yard line. Will that make any demonstrable difference in lowering the conversion rate?

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Mourners wait to enter the W.O.R.D. Ministries Christian Center for the funeral of Walter Scott.

National

At Walter Scott's Funeral, An Unexpected Conversation

11:35am August 31, 2015

by Chenjerai Kumanyika

When Clemson University professor Chenjerai Kumanyika attended the funeral this weekend, he found himself discussing gentrification — and his own role in the changes in North Charleston, S.C.