Interviews

Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner quip about show business in Difficult People.

Fresh Air Weekend: Julie Klausner; 'War Dogs'; Rebalancing The 'Microbes Within Us'

11:40am August 20, 2016

Klausner quips about celebrities in her Hulu series, Difficult People. Critic John Powers calls War Dogs "jauntily enjoyable." I Contain Multitudes author Ed Yong discusses our internal ecosystems.

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John Washington with his wife, Fannie Ruth Washington, in the mid-1970s.

National

Deaf And Blind, Her Father Still Knows How To Speak His Love

4:31am August 19, 2016

by NPR Staff

Through a TeleBraille machine, Melva Washington Toomer talked with her dad, John Carter Washington, for StoryCorps. "If I could help some person," he tells her, "then my living will not be in vain."

In her latest film, Streep plays Florence Foster Jenkins, an heiress and socialite who didn't let her less-than-great voice stop her from becoming an opera singer.

Fresh Air Weekend: Meryl Streep; A Novel Take On Gymnastics; Colson Whitehead

11:30am August 13, 2016

Streep discusses singing badly in her new film, Florence Foster Jenkins. Maureen Corrigan reviews You Will Know Me, by Megan Abbott. Whitehead's Underground Railroad is a literal train to freedom.

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The Justice Department released a report Wednesday morning that was highly critical of the Baltimore Police Department for systematically stopping, searching and arresting the city's black residents, frequently without grounds for doing so.

DOJ's Withering Baltimore Report Says 'What Black Folks Have Been Saying For Decades'

6:45pm August 12, 2016

by Leah Donnella

"I don't know people who weren't aware of the stats that were just published. ... We already know the score," says D. Watkins, an author and journalist who grew up in the city.

Mayor Karen Weaver takes a sip of water at the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee hearing titled, "The Flint Water Crisis: Lessons for Protecting America's Children."

Flint Mayor: 'Everybody Played A Role In This Disaster'

11:45am August 12, 2016

by NPR Staff

As a federal state of emergency ends for Flint, Mich., Mayor Karen Weaver says residents don't trust that government officials have fully addressed the lead contamination of their water.

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Anita Hill speaks during "TimesTalks Presents: Kerry Washington and Anita Hill Confirmation" on April 8 in New York City. Hill is now a professor of race and gender policy at Brandeis University.

National

Anita Hill: 'We've Come A Long Way Since Then'

11:25am August 10, 2016

by NPR Staff

Nearly 25 years after Anita Hill accused her former boss of making lewd advances, America is again dealing with high-profile cases of sexual harassment. Hill tells NPR what's changed and what hasn't.

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Jay McInerney is the author of four books, including the 1984 semi-autobiographical novel, Bright Lights, Big City.

Fresh Air Weekend: Jay McInerney; Düsseldorf's Musical Influence; Comic Ali Wong

12:21pm August 06, 2016

McInerney discusses his new novel, Bright, Precious Days. Rock historian Ed Ward describes the origins of the new German wave of music. Wong says marriage and motherhood are a "source of power."

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Savannah Phelan, 8, and her mom, Kellie, in front of a 77-foot mural they helped paint, which reflects the experiences of children and teenagers affected by incarceration.

Born In Custody, A Girl Finds Answers With Someone Who Knows Best: Mom

5:00am August 05, 2016

by NPR Staff

Savannah Phelan, 8, recently discovered a video that revealed her mother had been in jail — all while still pregnant with her. So, she took her mom to StoryCorps, well-equipped with questions.

Silicon Valley engineer Bindu Reddy created the new social network Candid that facilitates online conversations without trolls.

Can Candid Conversations Happen Online Without The Trolls?

6:37pm August 01, 2016

by NPR Staff

After receiving backlash for writing a post about gender in the tech industry, Bindu Reddy launched a new social network with the goal of hosting anonymous conversations without harassment or abuse.

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Fresh Air Weekend: Michael K. Williams; A Dystopian 'Natural Way'; Sharon Jones

11:33am July 30, 2016

Williams, who played Omar on The Wire, talks about separating himself from characters. Critic John Powers reviews The Natural Way of Things. Singer Jones still performs, despite a cancer diagnosis.

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