Pop Culture

Serial focuses on Adnan Syed, who was a teenager when he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, despite big question marks in the case. (But you almost certainly knew that already.)

Arts

Serial Isn't About Ferguson. (But It's Kind Of About Ferguson.)

5:16pm December 18, 2014

by Gene Demby

In Part 2 of a roundtable on the Podcast Everyone's Talking About, Code Switch's Gene Demby says that a lot of Serial's themes echo news stories that focus attention on how our justice system works.

Sarah Koenig will, on Thursday, host the final episode of the first season of Serial.

Arts

Yes, Serial Is True Crime — And That's OK

5:11pm December 18, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Our continuing discussion of Serial turns to a consideration of the true crime genre, its tendency to reveal the oddities of human behavior, and what can be taken away from this series.

Serial producers Sarah Koenig (left) and Dana Chivvis in the recording studio.

A Prediction For How Serial Is Going To End

5:06pm December 18, 2014

by Matt Thompson

In part one of a roundtable on the Podcast Everyone's Talking About, Code Switch editor Matt Thompson makes the brave and foolhardy decision to predict the conclusion.

Sarah Koenig and producer Dana Chivvis in the studio.

The Many Rabbit Holes (Or Should We Say Labyrinths) Of Serial

5:01pm December 18, 2014

by Kat Chow

No matter how you view the podcast, there's an endless supply of avenues you can explore and different conversations you can have.

Stephen Colbert will host his final episode of The Colbert Report Thursday after nine years on air.

Arts

A Tribute To Stephen Colbert, A Self-Proclaimed 'Junkie For Exhaustion'

3:24pm December 18, 2014

Ahead of The Colbert Report's last episode, Fresh Air listens back to interviews with Colbert. "I didn't realize quite how liberal I was until I was asked to make passionate comedic choices," he said.

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Judy Huth, left, appears at a news conference with attorney Gloria Allred outside the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire Division station on Friday. Huth says she was drugged and raped by comedian Bill Cosby in 1974 when she was 15 years old.

National

LAPD Says It Will Investigate Abuse Claim Against Cosby

8:09am December 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Judy Huth, the latest accuser of the 77-year-old comedian, says Cosby drugged and raped her in 1974 when she was only 15. Cosby's lawyer has called the claim "absolutely false."

U.S. intelligence officials believe North Korea was centrally involved in the recent attack on Sony Pictures' computer network — possibly out of retribution for its film The Interview. Above, a security guard stands outside a theater during the film's p

U.S. Officials Believe North Korea Was Behind Sony Hack

9:30pm December 17, 2014

by Bill Chappell

The recent attack on Sony Pictures' computer network that resulted in a flood of confidential data has its origins in North Korea, U.S. intelligence officials say.

Quvenzhane Wallis (second from right) stars in an updated version of Annie, produced by Jay Z.

Arts

An Updated 'Annie' And The Tradition Of Nontraditional Casting

9:07pm December 17, 2014

by Bob Mondello

As an African-American Annie arrives on movie screens, critic Bob Mondello looks at other cross-cultural reinventions, from Pearl Bailey's Dolly to the Americanization of Carmen as Carmen Jones.

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The original, 1963 cover of Clifford the Big Red Dog. "[I] was shocked when it was accepted for publication, because I'd never written anything before," said Norman Bridwell.

'Clifford The Big Red Dog' Creator Bridwell Dies At 86

2:26pm December 17, 2014

by Bill Chappell

More than 50 years after he came up with a story about a huge dog, author Norman Bridwell has died. In 2012, Bridwell told NPR he had been shocked when his idea was accepted for publication.

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National

Bill Cosby Won't Be Charged Over 1974 Molestation Claim

1:22pm December 17, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Citing the statute of limitations, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office says it won't pursue child sexual abuse charges against the comedian, a subject of numerous allegations.