Opinion

Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, a high schooler who has autism, in Netflix's new series Atypical.

Netflix, ABC Portrayals Of Autism Still Fall Short, Critics Say

4:25pm August 11, 2017

by Eric Deggans

Two new TV series feature main characters who have autism. While some are applauding the fresh take on the disorder, others worry that the shows send the wrong messages.

It takes more than temperament tests to ensure safe dog adoptions, says Alva Noë.

Success In Placing Shelter Dogs Takes More Than Temperament Tests

1:21pm August 11, 2017

by Alva Noë

Blogger Alva Noë talks with a dog trainer who says the need to give shelters, handlers and adopters the resources required to keep dogs and people supported and safe is critical in the process.

A 2016 World Series championship ring the Chicago Cubs said they were giving to Steve Bartman.

A World Series Ring For Steven Bartman

7:39am August 05, 2017

by Scott Simon

Steven Bartman is famous for interfering with a foul ball in a Chicago Cubs baseball game in 2003. This week, the Cubs gave Bartman a ring from their 2016 World Series win.

Week In Politics: Robert Mueller Uses Grand Jury In Russia Probe

4:33pm August 04, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with political commentators E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post and Brookings Institution and Eliana Johnson of Politico. They discuss special counsel Robert Mueller's decision to use a grand jury in the Russia investigation, the Republicans' failure to pass a health care bill and the president's new chief of staff John Kelly.

Queue Listen Now

Sunset at Paranal Observatory in northern Chile.

Science

Why We Are Naively Optimistic About Climate Change

8:36am August 02, 2017

by Marcelo Gleiser

Unfortunately, we are failing in the goal to make our children's world better than our own — and those who deny it won't have to see the consequences of their choices, says blogger Marcelo Gleiser.

After 400-grandmas back, your ancestors start to look less and less like modern-day humans, says Adam Frank.

Science

Who Were Your Millionth-Great-Grandparents?

1:02pm August 01, 2017

by Adam Frank

Our pre-human ancestors are back there somewhere in the deep time that makes up Earth's braided history of life and change — and we are the tip of the spear moving that life forward, says Adam Frank.

The morning sun illuminates the Grand Tetons, in Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Saturday, Aug 27, 2016.

I've Been Everywhere: A Political Reporter's Landmark Moment

8:14am July 29, 2017

by Don Gonyea

Election campaigns are a great way for reporters to see the U.S. NPR's Don Gonyea checked off visiting state number 50 on a visit to Wyoming, and says it was a great way to mark the milestone.

The Royal restaurant serves cheese arepas in Washington, D.C. As Venezuelans flee their troubled country, they bring with them a taste for the popular cornmeal cakes.

Arepas Are Conquering The World — But Dying At Home In Venezuela

7:08pm July 26, 2017

by Alejandro Puyana

For Venezuelans, the stuffed cornmeal cakes have long been the daily bread of life. Yet even as arepas are embraced from New York to Spain, they are disappearing in their hunger-wracked homeland.

An 1894 engraving depicts chapter 18 of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Books
Arts

The Enduring Legacy Of Jane Austen's 'Truth Universally Acknowledged'

4:52pm July 25, 2017

by Geoff Nunberg

Linguist Geoff Nunberg describes the opening sentence to Pride and Prejudice as a "masterpiece of indirection" that is frequently repurposed, but whose irony is never matched.

Queue Listen Now

Week In Politics: Sean Spicer Resigns As White House Press Scretary

4:27pm July 21, 2017

NPR's Audie Cornish wraps the week in politics with David Brooks of The New York Times and Jamelle Bouie of Slate. They discuss Sean Spicer's resignation as White House press secretary and the failure of the Senate Republican health care bill.

Queue Listen Now