Opinion

The playwright V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, speaks at TEDWomen 2019.

Books

V: How Can An Authentic Apology Lead To Healing?

2:33pm July 10, 2020

by NPR/TED STAFF

The playwright V, formerly known as Eve Ensler, survived horrific sexual violence as a child. Years later, she decided to write what she needed to hear most: a true apology in the words of her abuser.

Queue Listen Now

Demonstrators carry a banner that says, "We are democracy" during a protest against racism last month in Brasilia, Brazil.

World News

Opinion: Companies Have A Duty To Defend Democracy

1:48pm July 07, 2020

by Brett Bruen

A survey of 50 former U.S. ambassadors shows they believe democracy and elections are the top issues that companies need to prepare to publicly address.

Pictured from left to right: catcher O'Neal Pullen, pitcher Ajay Johnson, shortstop Biz Mackey and manager Lonnie Goodwin

Sports

Opinion: Outplaying Segregation, Negro National League Hits 100-Year Milestone

2:33pm July 04, 2020

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the 100th anniversary of the Negro National League as a response to segregation in major league baseball.

Queue Listen Now

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz (right) and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at a session of the 40th Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in December.

World News

Opinion: Israel's Annexation Plan Dims Hope For Better Ties With Gulf Arab States

6:17pm June 30, 2020

No Gulf Arab country will seriously contemplate normalizing ties with Israel unless Saudi Arabia does it first. The Saudis, who officially condemned the annexation plan, are nowhere close to doing so.

The author's two children at a South African beach.

Health & Safety

How I'm Teaching My Kids Not To Fear Everything During A Pandemic

7:01am June 20, 2020

by Koketso Moeti

A mother in South Africa reflects on raising children at a time of crisis — and how to teach them the value of human connection at a time of disconnectedness.

Jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard.

Opinion: Black Protest Is Music. Learning The Melody Isn't Enough

1:34pm June 18, 2020

by Terence Blanchard

Terence Blanchard, the acclaimed jazz trumpeter and composer, says the fate of the new civil rights movement will depend on the well-meaning outsiders who show up to support it.

Patterson Hood of The DBTs, performing at Tipitina's in New Orleans on Sept. 3, 2011.

Music & Culture

Now, About The Bad Name I Gave My Band

2:22pm June 17, 2020

by Patterson Hood

Patterson Hood co-founded his band, The Drive-By Truckers, in the mid-'90s. Some 24 years later and just a little wiser, he revisits that decision.

Matt James, who was a prospective suitor on The Bachelorette, will take on the role of The Bachelor in the show's 25th season.

Arts

Dismantling 'The Bachelor's' Racist And Sexist Elements Has Only Just Begun

3:25pm June 12, 2020

by Eric Deggans

ABC may believe it has faced down some criticism by naming its first black man, Matt James, to star in The Bachelor. The biggest question hanging over this moment is simple: Why did it take so long?

J.K. Rowling signs copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Many fans say they feel alienated and hurt by her recent comments.

Books
Arts

Opinion: Harry Potter's Magic Fades When His Creator Tweets

1:10pm June 10, 2020

by Mallory Yu

Author J.K. Rowling has been criticized after a series of tweets that many read as transphobic. Rowling's insistence that "sex is real" and immutable has saddened her trans and genderqueer fans.

Can I Just Tell You: Covering Challenging Stories

6:17pm June 06, 2020

by Michel Martin

Host Michel Martin reflects on the pride she has in journalists covering challenging stories, especially when exposing the truth might not be popular.

Queue Listen Now