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Talk of the Nation (News)

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  • Host: Neal Conan
  • Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and healthcare, Neal Conan offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with decision-makers, authors, academicians and artists from around the world.
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  • Genres: News
  • Location: Washington, DC
  • Language: English
  • Networks: NPR
Last updated 322 days ago Update show info

Speech Writers Grade Obama's Oslo Address

Thu, Dec 10 Listen
President Barack Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday, in Oslo, Norway. He delivered a 36-minute speech and spoke about "the notions of a just war and the imperatives of a just peace." Two former White House speech writers assess the president's address.

A Trip To Somalia, 'The Most Failed State'

Thu, Dec 10 Listen
The New Yorker's Jon Lee Anderson took a hazardous trip to no-man's land: the largely warlord-controlled failed state of Somalia. He accompanied the country's president, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who controls just a tiny portion of the country.

Reporter Vanished, But Not For Long

Thu, Dec 10 Listen
Evan Ratliff wondered if he could disappear, even in an era of Facebook, cell phones and online databases. WIRED, the magazine he writes for, offered a $5000 reward to find him. Ratliff explains how he was found, and why he believes that he proved you can still disappear.

Reuniting Long-Lost Family Members

Thu, Dec 10 Listen
Columnist Sandy Banks wrote about a homeless man living beneath a freeway overpass for the Los Angeles Times. Ericka Dotson read the story, and immediately realized the man was her father. Banks and Dotson talk about the joy and challenges of reuniting families.

Scholar Advises Obama To Talk To The Taliban

Wed, Dec 9 Listen
Research scholar and Yale World Fellow Azeem Ibrahim argues that to win the war, the U.S. must engage with the Taliban. Neal Conan talks with Ibrahim about why working with the Taliban is not as counter-intuitive as it may seem.

Progressives Not Sold On Afghanistan Plan

Wed, Dec 9 Listen
President Obama plans to send more than 30,000 more American troops to Afghanistan, as soon as possible. Anti-war activists decry the surge. Also, Democrat Martha Coakley will face off against Republican Scott Brown for the vacant Mass. seat in the Senate.

The Strange Mystique Of The Number 'Seven'

Wed, Dec 9 Listen
Seven has long played a fascinating role in the sciences, psychology, mathematics and religion, and has uncanny usefulness as an organizing number. In Seven, Jacqueline Leo explores the cultural significance of the number.

Eboo Patel Addresses Faith-Based Tensions

Wed, Dec 9 Listen
It is Eboo Patel's job, as a member of the president's Faith Advisory Council, to promote understanding between Muslims and people of other religions. After the shooting at Ft. Hood and the ban of new minarets in Switzerland, his job has become much more complicated.

Where We Are In The Fight Against Cancer

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
The Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer was released Monday. Death rates are down, and the rate of new cancer diagnoses dropped. However, experts warn that it may be partly because people aren't getting screened.

Letters: Carl Kasell, Cook Books And Jury Duty

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
Listener memories of NPR newscaster Carl Kasell keep coming in, as do recollections of favorite cook books. Also, jury duty evader Peter Mehlman returns to reveal what he discovered about the trial for which he narrowly missed being a jury member.

Talking Race: Disney's Princess Tiana

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
For the first time in Disney's history, there is a black princess, Tiana. Chicago Tribune columnist Dawn Turner Trice talks about the surprising reaction among some black women to Disney's remake of The Princess And The Frog.

Mooney's Memories: 'Black Is The New White'

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
Paul Mooney has spent decades behind the scenes as a writer for shows such as Saturday Night Live, In Living Color and Chappelle's Show. Now he takes the spotlight in his memoir about his life in comedy, Black Is The New White.

The SkyMall Catalog, An Astonishing Institution

Tue, Dec 8 Listen
"Don't tell me," Los Angeles Times columnist Meghan Daum writes, "that flipping through the SkyMall catalog isn't one of the few pleasures left in commercial air travel." Tell us about your favorite SkyMall items. Daum will share hers, as well the publication's history.

Unemployment And African-American Men

Mon, Dec 7 Listen
While times are tough for many Americans, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows increasing disparities between black and white unemployment. More than a third of young black men are unemployed, and a college education doesn't necessarily make candidates less vulnerable.

Op-Ed: Swiss Ban On Minarets Intolerant

Mon, Dec 7 Listen
Egyptian-born writer Mona Eltahawy urges Europeans to use the vote as an impetus to address long-simmering questions about how they treats immigrants. She also argues that Muslims must examine the bigoted policies of many of their own countries.

From NPR News In Washington: A Carl Kasell Tribute

Mon, Dec 7 Listen
After delivering the news for NPR for three decades, Kasell will give his final newscast on Dec. 30. The veteran newscaster will still appear each week as official judge and scorekeeper on Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! Neal Conan hosts a conversation with Kasell and some of Kasell's colleagues from his 50-year radio career.

Can Science Make Psychotherapy More Effective?

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
More rigorous scientific training in clinical psychology graduate programs would turn out more competent clinicians, researchers write in Psychological Science in the Public Interest. But not all psychologists agree.

Bird Feeders Speed Up Evolution, May Split Species

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
Reporting in Current Biology, researchers write of a warbler that has quickly evolved an unorthodox migration path to England to take advantage of backyard bird feeders. Study author Martin Schaefer explains how the clever migrants could become a distinct warbler species.

Paralyzing Worms With Light

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
Feed nematode worms a particular light-sensitive chemical and after the meal, the worms become paralyzed when exposed to UV light. Remarkably, the effects can be reversed under visible light, Neil Branda and colleagues report in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Cataloging Earth's Carbon Content

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
A new project dubbed the "Deep Carbon Observatory" aims to describe the carbon under the Earth's surface. Principal investigator Robert Hazen talks about the project and its relevance to energy supplies, the environment and our understanding of how life on Earth originated.

NASA Works To Free 'Spirit'

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
The Mars exploration rover dubbed "Spirit" has been stuck in sand since April. NASA's project manager for the rovers, John Callas, describes attempts to free Spirit, and explains how the rover might continue to collect data from its present location if those attempts fail.

Particle Smasher Is Fired Up (Again)

Fri, Dec 4 Listen
After being down for more than a year for repairs, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN is running again. Physicist Drew Baden explains what went wrong with the Collider, how it was fixed, and what scientists are hoping to find by smashing beams of particles into each other.

How College Campuses Handle Sexual Assaults

Thu, Dec 3 Listen
A report from the Center for Public Integrity indicates more than 20% of college women will be victims of rape or attempted rape by the time they graduate. Guests discuss how schools can better curb assaults and protect students.

The Jacksonville Jaguars Play, But Not On TV

Thu, Dec 3 Listen
Due to the NFL's blackout rule, Jacksonville Jaguars fans haven't been able to see their football team play on TV. Neal Conan and Florida Times Union columnist Abel Harding talk about whether the blackout rule gets fans off couches and into stadiums.

Our Insatiable Appetite For Cookbooks

Thu, Dec 3 Listen
For many, the enjoyment of a good cookbook isn't the end result, it's the reading itself. And even if they never recreate the perfect Coq au Vin, they keep buying more books. The New Yorker's Adam Gopnik and Modern Spice author Monica Bhide disuss why we love cookbooks.

A Climate Change Reading List For Laypeople

Thu, Dec 3 Listen
The Copenhagen conference on climate change is set to begin Monday, December 7. Both the policy and science aspects of the issue can be overwhelming. NPR science correspondent Richard Harris offers a suggested reading list to help shed some light on the climate change debate.

'Pops': Louis Armstrong, In His Own Words

Wed, Dec 2 Listen
Jazz icon Louis Armstrong didn't just leave behind a treasure trove of musical recordings; he also documented hundreds of his private conversations on tape. Those recordings served as the basis for Terry Teachout's new biography of the legendary musician, Pops: A Life of Louis Armstrong.

Drama In S.C , Mass. Primary For Senate Seat

Wed, Dec 2 Listen
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has alienated many of his constituents, and Governor Mark Sanford may face impeachment proceedings. And in Mass., voters will head to the polls for a primary election to select candidates for Sen. Edward Kennedy's former seat.

Who's Piloting Your Plane?

Wed, Dec 2 Listen
Regional carriers have snuck into the commercial airline business with smaller planes, lower paid pilots and dubious safety records. We'll talk with Barbara Peterson, aviation correspondent for Cond Nast Traveler, about the rise of regional airlines.

Hacker Leaks Thousands Of Climate Change Emails

Wed, Dec 2 Listen
Some say the correspondence casts doubt on what we know about the severity of climate change. As polls show Americans are increasingly skeptical about global warming, NPR science correspondent Richard Harris tells us how the controversy might change the debate.

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