History

Muslim refugees crowd onto a train as they try to flee India near New Delhi in September 1947. Some 15 million people crossed new borders during the violent partition of British-ruled India. At times, mobs targeted and killed passengers traveling in eithe

Giving Voice To Memories From 1947 Partition And The Birth Of India And Pakistan

8:43am August 13, 2017

by Hannah Bloch

This month, India and Pakistan celebrate 70 years of independence. But the scars of a violent partition linger. An oral history project is racing to collect stories from those who lived through it.

National

Richmond, Va., Grapples With Fate Of Confederate Monuments

8:43am August 13, 2017

A commission created by the mayor of Richmond, Va., is considering the fate of the former confederate capitol's famed monuments. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro sits in on the its first public hearing.

World News

Unearthed Canaanite Graves Shed Light On Descendants In Lebanon

7:55am August 12, 2017

by Ruth Sherlock

DNA analysis of an ancient burial ground shows that today's Lebanese are genetic descendants of the biblical Canaanites. That has some Lebanese re-evaluating their fractured identity.

As Rhetoric Ramps Up, Are Today's Kids Worried About Nuclear War?

7:39am August 12, 2017

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon remembers the era of "duck and cover" and making grisly jokes with other kids about nuclear war. But he also remembers the nightmares, and hopes kids aren't simlarly troubled now.

Detroit Special Screening in New York City

Books

1A Movie Club Sees "Detroit"

4:56pm August 10, 2017

How many stars do you give this historical drama?

On this episode we interview the founder of a project that uses DNA tests to talk about race in America and a Native American anthropologist says why she thinks DNA tests don't really tell you anything about yourself.

When 'Where Are You From?' Takes You Someplace Unexpected

4:00pm August 10, 2017

by Leah Donnella

The "DNA Discussion Project" brings students, staff and faculty at West Chester University together to learn about their genetic heritage. For some people, the revelations are hard to digest.

Queue Listen Now

The Final Documents On JFK's Assassination Are Being Declassified

1:56pm August 10, 2017

by Dave Davies

Politico's Philip Shenon says Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK led to a law stating all documents about the Kennedy assassination must be released by October 2017. Three hundred new pages just came out.

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Melanie Shurka dedicates hours to make the Iraqi and Kurdish dumpling soup kubeh. It has become a beloved dish in Israel and a defining food of Mizrachi cookery, or the food of the Jews who settled in the Middle East.

An Iraqi-Kurdish-Israeli Dumpling Soup Makes Its Way To America

1:29pm August 10, 2017

by Devra Ferst

To make kubeh soup, braised beef is stuffed into semolina and ground bulgur dumplings. Brought to Israel by immigrants, this time-consuming dish has become one of the nation's culinary treasures.

Politics & Government

Cokie Roberts On The Generals In The White House

7:38am August 09, 2017

Commentator Cokie Roberts talks about the history of generals in White House roles.

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Stanton: Lincoln's War Secretary, by Walter Stahr.

Books
Arts

New Biography Of Lincoln's Secretary Of War Reveals A Resilient Man, Haunted By Grief

6:00am August 08, 2017

by Ron Elving

NPR's Ron Elving reviews a massive new tome on the life of Edwin Stanton, certainly one of the most contentious and controversial figures in Abraham Lincoln's cabinet of rivals.