History

Diane Tells His Name, 61, grew up unaware of her Native American identity. When she discovered the truth in her late 30s, she adopted a child from her Lakota tribe, Bonnie Buchanan.

National

Mother To Daughter: 'That's When I Knew I Was Adopted'

8:35am January 11, 2013

by NPR Staff

Diane Tells His Name was 37 when she discovered she was adopted as a child. Rather than feeling anger or sadness, she embraced the opportunity to discover her Native American roots and eventually adopted a child of her own.

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Peace Pilgrim acknowledged that some may have considered her "kooky." But, she once said, "pioneers have always been looked upon as being a bit strange."

National

Peace Pilgrim's 28-Year Walk For 'A Meaningful Way Of Life'

2:19pm January 08, 2013

by Zak Rosen

On Jan. 1, 1953, Mildred Norman gave up her name — and possessions — to become Peace Pilgrim. She walked across the U.S. and Canada for 28 years, subsisting on handouts from strangers to spread her message of peace.

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"The Peter's Rock Church in Marianna is no everlasting monument; it has been left to rot, its windows broken, its steeple fallen over. Still, I found it beautiful. Kneeling in the cemetery, listening to the insects hissing, watching as a dog wandered past

Looking For Lost Memories In The Delta

8:14pm January 05, 2013

by Claire O'Neill

Photographer Eugene Richards explains why, 40 years after his first visit to the Arkansas Delta, he decided to go back.

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The Renaissance Man Who Got It All Wrong

1:03pm December 28, 2012

In A Man of Misconceptions: The Life of an Eccentric in an Age of Change, John Glassie writes of 17th-century Jesuit priest and scientist Athanasius Kircher, a renaissance man who studied magnetism, Mount Vesuvius, even the blood of plague victims. The only problem? His theories were often wrong.

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Templeton, Iowa, is a tiny farming community mostly unchanged since the days of Prohibition.

The Rebirth Of Rye Whiskey And Nostalgia For 'The Good Stuff'

11:04am December 28, 2012

by Noah Adams

Rye was all but pushed off the market by sweeter, corn-based bourbon after Prohibition, but it might be coming back, no illegal still required. Bartenders from coast to coast seem to prefer its intense flavor for their cocktail creations.

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Dig Finds Evidence Of Another Bethlehem

7:13am December 26, 2012

by Sheera Frenkel

Archaeologists are unearthing evidence that the city of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, celebrated as the birthplace of Jesus, may not have been the actual Bethlehem of his birth. They have discovered a Bethlehem that existed in the Galilee near Nazareth.

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William Knoedelseder spent 12 years as an investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times. He lives in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Books
Arts

The 'Bitter' Tale Of The Budweiser Family

9:05am December 24, 2012

by Acacia Squires

That trademark brew, Budweiser, is known to the world as the "King of Beers," and the Busch family was once considered practically royalty. Their early success led to a reign that lasted 150 years, but the end, when it came, wasn't so glorious.

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Inouye, escorted by Army Gen. Charles Taylor, inspects the troops outside the Pentagon during the annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony Sept. 14, 2004. Inouye lost his arm in World War II combat.

Politics & Government

Sen. Inouye, A War Hero Who Broke Barriers, Dies At 88

1:06pm December 18, 2012

by Martin Kaste

Hawaii Democrat Daniel Inouye, the Senate's senior member, received the Medal of Honor for his service in World War II. In Italy, he personally stormed three German machine gun nests, taking them out but losing his right arm in the process. Inouye died Monday after suffering from a respiratory ailment.

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During World War II, "Canteen Girl" Phyllis Jeanne Creore spoke and sang to the troops and their loved ones for 15 minutes every week on NBC radio.

Arts

WWII 'Canteen Girl' Kept Troops Company From Afar

6:07am December 18, 2012

by Susan Stamberg

For 15 minutes each week, Phyllis Jeanne Creore spoke and sang to the servicemen and their loved ones in her NBC radio broadcast. Now 96 years old, the beloved "Canteen Girl" shares her memories — and some personal wartime letters, too.

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World News

Chemical Weapons And The Syrian Civil War

9:12am December 14, 2012

After intelligence officials reported activity at Syrian chemical weapons sites, the U.S. warned Syrian President Bashar Assad he'd face "consequences" if Syria uses such weapons. Many questions remain about what chemical weapons Syria has and how they could use them.

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