Interviews

Michael Scott Moore was captured by pirates after traveling to Somalia to write a book about the history of piracy in the Horn of Africa.

Fresh Air Weekend: Captured By Somali Pirates; Actor Tony Shalhoub On 'Mrs. Maisel'

12:00pm August 04, 2018

Journalist Michael Scott Moore recounts his time in captivity in Somalia. David Bianculli says Better Call Saul is "delightful" in its fourth season. Shalhoub says he questions his worth as an actor.

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Percy White Jr. holds his son Percy White III, circa 1963.

National

'Him Doing Well Was Through His Children': Sharecropper's Son Makes Dad Proud

5:05am August 03, 2018

When Percy White's father left the Virginia farm he worked to move north, the land owner said he wouldn't make it, and would come back. He didn't. That is, until he returned to say "I told you so."

Brazilian lawmaker Jair Bolsonaro is greeted by supporters as he launches his campaign for October's presidential election, in Rio de Janeiro, on July 22.

World News

Dictatorship Was A 'Very Good' Period, Says Brazil's Aspiring President

4:36pm August 02, 2018

by Philip Reeves

NPR sat down with Jair Bolsonaro, who is in the lead ahead of other (eligible) candidates for the Brazilian presidency.

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Fresh Air Weekend: 'Miseducation Of Cameron Post' Creators; Writer Michael Arceneaux

12:42pm July 28, 2018

Desiree Akhavan's film, based on Emily Danforth's novel, centers on a teen sent to gay conversion therapy. Critic Ken Tucker reviews Lori McKenna's new album. Arceneaux's memoir is I Can't Date Jesus.

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Arts

Elif Shafak: What Happens When Different Viewpoints Are Silenced?

9:32am July 27, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Turkish novelist Elif Shafak has seen firsthand what can happen when a country restricts free speech. She says democracy depends on the right to openly exchange diverse, even oppositional, ideas.

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James Kirchick: Who Benefits From Unrestricted Free Speech?

9:32am July 27, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

When James Kirchick was in college, someone he found deeply offensive spoke on campus. Rather than protest, James attended the talk. He says free speech benefits everyone, especially the powerless.

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Allan Ganz, then 19, poses in front of his dad's ice cream truck.

National

The 'Babe Ruth' Of Ice Cream Gives The Scoop On His 71-Year Career

5:06am July 27, 2018

The town of Peabody, Mass., calls him "The King of Cool." Allan Ganz reflects on how his father introduced him to the business, and the cherry on top of his lifelong career: meeting his wife.

Maria Toorpakai, a top squash player from Pakistan, is the star of a PBS documentary airing on July 23.

The Taliban Couldn't Quash This Pakistani Squash Champ

8:03am July 22, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

For much of her life, Maria Toorpakai has been threatened by extremist groups like the Taliban. Now the subject of a PBS documentary, she tells how she found the courage to keep playing sports.

Writer and director Bo Burnham talks with Elsie Fisher on the set of Eighth Grade. Burnham says the anxiety he felt as a young performer helped him understand the social pressure teenage girls can experience.

Fresh Air Weekend: 'Eighth Grade' Director Bo Burnham; Punk Pioneer Viv Albertine

11:41am July 21, 2018

Burnham explores adolescence in the age of social media in his new film. Critic Ken Tucker says there's "nothing cartoonish" about Gorillaz's new album. Albertine's memoir is To Throw Away Unopened.

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Brandy and De'Marchoe Carpenter got married two years ago — 13 days after he was released from prison. They started dating in 1994, but before they had their first kiss, he was arrested for a crime he didn't commit.

National

He Was Wrongly Convicted When They Were Teens. Now They're Building Their Lives Together

5:11am July 20, 2018

De'Marchoe Carpenter spent 22 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit, which pulled him away from a new romance. Although he was exonerated, he struggles with anxiety from his time in prison.