Against The Grain Post-Election Unconventional Wisdom: A Guide October 31, 2008 • If Barack Obama wins, pundits are sure to make sweeping pronouncements about what it all means. Does a Democratic victory signal a massive, lasting political realignment? Maybe not. Has blue America vanquished red America? Not necessarily.
Movies Movie-Reality Check: How Real Is 'Real,' Anyway? October 31, 2008 • There's a reason people say "based" on a true story: Movies, however scrupulous, tend to heighten reality. Critic Kenneth Turan wonders how true a "true story" can ever really be on the big screen. Movie-Reality Check: How Real Is 'Real,' Anyway? Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96294653/96369289" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Movie-Reality Check: How Real Is 'Real,' Anyway? Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96294653/96369289" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Poet on Call Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It October 30, 2008 • Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have shown they can extend the life spans of roundworms even when the worms are well fed. It just takes a chemical that blocks their sense of smell. Humans, however, need the sense of smell — and a longer life may not be worth losing it. Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96344542/96344494" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Life Without Smell May Not Be Worth It Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96344542/96344494" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Diversions Superstitions You Can Believe In October 30, 2008 • Barack Obama shoots hoops for good luck, and John McCain has been known to break out his special L.L. Bean shoes. Guests and listeners discuss the role of superstition in politics. Which "lucky charms" will be brought into the White House? Superstitions You Can Believe In Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96330051/96332882" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Superstitions You Can Believe In Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96330051/96332882" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Race 2008 Election Inspired National Dialogue On Race October 30, 2008 • Discussions about race have become more prominent during this presidential election — in the media and at the dinner table. Listeners and guests weigh in on how race had played out on the national stage during this election. 2008 Election Inspired National Dialogue On Race Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96321701/96330010" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
2008 Election Inspired National Dialogue On Race Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96321701/96330010" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
From Our Listeners Responding To Your Letters October 30, 2008 • NPR's Farai Chideya and News & Notes editor Sasa Woodruff read and respond to listeners' e-mails about our coverage of the tragedy in singer Jennifer Hudson's family, White House transition plans, and the so-called "black McCains." Responding To Your Letters Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96330346/96330329" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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The York Project: Race & The '08 Vote Letters: Opinions Vary On Race Conversation October 30, 2008 • The conversations with voters in York, Pa., about race and the election got a lot of attention from listeners. One letter writer from Tucson, Ariz., says she wished the piece had come earlier in the campaign. A listener from Laramie, Wyo., asked, "How much did the McCain campaign pay you to air this discussion of race less than two weeks before the election?" Letters: Opinions Vary On Race Conversation Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96311198/96311159" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Letters: Opinions Vary On Race Conversation Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96311198/96311159" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
From Our Listeners Letters: White Supremacists And Obama October 29, 2008 • Many listeners responded angrily to the report Tuesday on how law enforcement is preparing for a spike in white supremacist activity if Barack Obama becomes president. Letters: White Supremacists And Obama Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96284155/96284849" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Letters: White Supremacists And Obama Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96284155/96284849" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Sweetness And Light NCAARP? Old Coaches Don't Quit October 29, 2008 • When it comes to coaching, it seems 80 is the new 60. And today's coaches — Joe Paterno and Bobby Bowden, to name two — are working far past the retirement age of legends like Bear Bryant. Frank Deford sees the pattern in other sports, as well. NCAARP? Old Coaches Don't Quit Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96219861/96249337" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Obama's Candidacy Through A Foreign Policy Lens October 29, 2008 • As the presidential election approaches, Talk of the Nation asks guests to make the case for McCain or Obama on the basis of foreign and domestic policy credentials. Sarah Sewall, senior foreign policy adviser for the Obama campaign, explains why she supports Obama. Obama's Candidacy Through A Foreign Policy Lens Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96263797/96270851" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Obama's Candidacy Through A Foreign Policy Lens Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96263797/96270851" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Political Junkie Is 2008 The 'Year Of The Woman'? October 29, 2008 • Some observers have christened 2008 that way, but if you look beyond Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, you'll find a landscape that is at best mixed for women. The outlook is not so great for Senate and gubernatorial hopefuls, although better for women competing in House races.
NPR Live Chats Should The U.S. Auto Industry Be Rescued? October 29, 2008 • The auto industry is ailing. Experts are divided about the next step to take. Should the big three --Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Chrysler — be bailed out by the U.S. government?
Reporter's Notebook World Series Mysteries And Questions October 28, 2008 • The winning performances of Phillies pitchers Jamie Moyer and Joe Blanton were marked by some off-the-field oddness. And while the Philadelphia fans have plenty to celebrate, they shouldn't be too proud of their creativity in devising taunts to chant at the opposition.
Review Book Reviews A Spirited Sprint Through A Marathon Movie History October 28, 2008 • Film critic David Thomson blends eccentricity and common-sensibility in "Have You Seen...?", his insightful (and sometimes scathing) assessment of 1,000 classic films.
From Our Listeners Letters: Toni Morrison October 28, 2008 • Listeners responded to Monday's interview with author Toni Morrison about her new novel, A Mercy. Morrison talked about her realization while writing the book that many white Americans have ancestors who were slaves. Not all listeners were surprised by that revelation. Letters: Toni Morrison Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/96231038/96231024" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
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