Foster Families Take Center Stage
Neda Ulaby looks at a new summer drama about foster families, which — perhaps surprisingly — strikes real foster kids as getting a lot of things right.
Pop Culture
From Classic Toys To New Twists, Kids Go Back To Blocks
NPR's Neda Ulaby investigates a trend in toys that sounds awfully familiar: Manufacturers are finding new ways to get kids interested in playing with blocks, both real and virtual.
Telemundo's 'La Voz' Hands Latino Kids The Mic
Telemundo's Spanish children's version of The Voice is the network's top-rated show, and the first of its kind to be produced in the U.S. Endearing scenes of children bursting into tears or getting hugs and kisses from their coaches help set it apart from other reality TV conversion attempts.
'Inside Amy Schumer': It's Not Just Sex Stuff
Amy Schumer talks a lot about sex — so much so that her Comedy Central special was called simply Mostly Sex Stuff. But her comedy is about much more than that. On her show Inside Amy Schumer, as well as in her stand-up, she tackles racism and awkward moments, and yes, sex, too. Also sex.
Questlove's Roots: A 'Meta' Memoir Of A Lifetime In Music
Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the co-founder of and drummer for the hip-hop band The Roots, has been a musician since he was a teen. In Mo' Meta Blues, he explains how his musician father groomed him for a life in show business from an early age.
The Kendama: Can A Wooden Toy Be A Viral Sensation?
The kendama is a traditional wooden toy, but its appeal is spreading rapidly.
Gandolfini Through The Eyes Of Those He Worked With
The actor who brought mob boss Tony Soprano to life on the HBO drama The Sopranos died Wednesday at age 51. Fresh Air listens back to interviews with his co-stars Edie Falco and Jeff Daniels and Sopranos director David Chase, to hear their thoughts on Gandolfini's prodigious talent.
Actor James Gandolfini Dies Suddenly While On Vacation
The 51-year-old actor died on Wednesday in Rome. Reports attribute his death to a heart attack. Gandolfini had been a character actor for years before he was given a chance to read for Tony Soprano in a new series about a New Jersey mob boss HBO was producing in the late 90s.
Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs
There was a time — a time long, long ago — when MySpace dominated the teen social-media world. Not anymore. NPR's Sami Yenigun looks at how teenagers use various social platforms in today's increasingly segmented online universe.
John Oliver: Topical Comedy With A Crisp Accent
With Jon Stewart on leave, The Daily Show's "Senior British Correspondent" John Oliver has stepped up to fill in as host. In a Fresh Air interview from 2010, he talks about moving to the United States to join the show — and the weird credibility his accent immediately gives him with Americans.