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Saturday

Rats Blamed For Bubonic Plague, But Gerbils May Be The Real Villains

Gerbils are harmless... Right? Peter Knight/Flickr hide caption

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Peter Knight/Flickr

Simon Says

Rats Blamed For Bubonic Plague, But Gerbils May Be The Real Villains

Rats have had a bad reputation ever since they were blamed for spreading bubonic plague. But perhaps the blame was misplaced. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the roles of rodents.

Rats Blamed For Bubonic Plague, But Gerbils May Be The Real Villains

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Friday

Obama To Ambitious Teen: 'You've Got This Strength Inside Yourself'

President Barack Obama participates in a "My Brother's Keeper" StoryCorps interview with Noah McQueen in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Feb. 20. Chuck Kennedy/The White House hide caption

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Chuck Kennedy/The White House

StoryCorps

Obama To Ambitious Teen: 'You've Got This Strength Inside Yourself'

The president interviews 18-year-old, Noah McQueen, who's participating in a White House mentoring program for young men of color. "It's hard to always make the right decision," McQueen tells Obama.

Obama To Ambitious Teen: 'You've Got This Strength Inside Yourself'

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Thursday

Wednesday

An Uneventful Week In Sports Could Still Go Down In History

Kurt Busch drives during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 2, 2014. Busch was recently suspended indefinitely amid domestic violence accusations. Larry Papke/AP hide caption

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Larry Papke/AP

Sweetness And Light

An Uneventful Week In Sports Could Still Go Down In History

NASCAR is suspending a driver accused of domestic violence, and the NFL is considering allowing two teams to share a stadium? Sports commentator Frank Deford is pleased.

An Uneventful Week In Sports Could Still Go Down In History

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Tuesday

Monday

Despite Furious Objections, Bill O'Reilly's War Claims Warrant Scrutiny

Television personality Bill O'Reilly waits for the start of an event at the White House in February 2014. O'Reilly has for the past week fired back angrily at critics who have accused him of inflating his war-reporting record in a manner similar to suspended NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Analysis

Analysis

Despite Furious Objections, Bill O'Reilly's War Claims Warrant Scrutiny

The Fox News star's claims of reporting from a war zone, bullets flying, during the Falklands War don't appear to hold up. His countercampaign against his accusers is noteworthy as well.

Despite Furious Objections, Bill O'Reilly's War Claims Warrant Scrutiny

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Saturday

The Heavy Moral Weight Of Carnegie Mellon's 800 Botched Acceptances

In a statement, Carnegie Mellon apologized for the "miscommunication" with applicants. Ken Andreyo/AP Photo/Carnegie Mellon hide caption

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Ken Andreyo/AP Photo/Carnegie Mellon

Simon Says

The Heavy Moral Weight Of Carnegie Mellon's 800 Botched Acceptances

Carnegie Mellon University recently emailed about 800 graduate school applicants to say they'd been accepted. But it was a mistake. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on acceptance letters in the digital age.

The Heavy Moral Weight Of Carnegie Mellon's 800 Botched Acceptances

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Friday

An American Dream, A Cuban Soul: Poet Richard Blanco Finds 'Home'

Poet Richard Blanco says that appearing at President Obama's second inauguration made him feel as if, for the first time, he "had a place at the American table." Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Michel Martin, Going There

An American Dream, A Cuban Soul: Poet Richard Blanco Finds 'Home'

While immigration is a subject of some of the most intense political debates in this country, inaugural poet Richard Blanco says it also drives his art. He shares his journey of becoming an American.

Pain, But No Regrets: A Father Remembers His Adopted Son

Bill Jones with his son, Aaron. Courtesy of Bill Jones hide caption

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Courtesy of Bill Jones

StoryCorps

Pain, But No Regrets: A Father Remembers His Adopted Son

Bill Jones is thought to have been the first single man to adopt a child in California, back in the 1960s. His son has since died, but despite the loss, Jones says he never regrets adopting his child.

Pain, But No Regrets: A Father Remembers His Adopted Son

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Wednesday

Debate: Are America's Best Days Behind It?

Josef Joffe, author of The Myth of America's Decline, says the U.S. remains a world leader in education, economic performance and innovation. Samuel LaHoz/Intelligence Squared U.S. hide caption

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Samuel LaHoz/Intelligence Squared U.S.

Intelligence Squared U.S.

Debate: Are America's Best Days Behind It?

Is America in decline, or an unparalleled leader on the world stage? In the 100th debate from Intelligence Squared U.S., two teams face off over the motion, "Declinists Be Damned: Bet On America."

Debate: Are America's Best Days Behind It?

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John Calipari Gets The Best Out Of His One-And-Done Bench

Kentucky's Aaron Harrison and coach John Calipari watch from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi on Jan. 6. Kentucky won 89-86 in overtime. James Crisp/AP hide caption

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James Crisp/AP

Sweetness And Light

John Calipari Gets The Best Out Of His One-And-Done Bench

Commentator Frank Deford analyzes the University of Kentucky men's basketball team's winning streak.

John Calipari Gets The Best Out Of His One-And-Done Bench

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