Nov 21st, 2008 · It's a strange time for a big party — especially for the auto industry. Still, the show must go on. We attended a preview of the L.A. Auto Show and found a capsule view of the problems car makers are facing in the United States — one part financial disaster, one part environmental enthusiasm with a splash of fur.
Nov 14th, 2008 · A dearth of shipping containers connects a homeowner in Philadelphia, a grocery shopper in Japan and a farmer in North Dakota, and underscores the interdependence of producers, consumers and economies around the world.
Nov 4th, 2008 · Almost half of the eligible voters in this country usually don't bother to vote. On the other side, there are people who are extremely passionate about politics. They pass out pamphlets, work the phones, write letters to the editor and place political signs and stickers all over their cars and front yards. Independent producer Barrett Golding wondered — why the divide?
Oct 30th, 2008 · In the Northeastern United States, bats have been dying by the thousands, struck down by a strange ailment called "white-nose syndrome." Researchers have identified a previously unknown fungus that flourishes in the cold and that may be a cause of the syndrome.
Oct 27th, 2008 · Sweden has been producing some of the best pop music of the past decade. On our latest mix we've got new music from singer Lykke Li (pronounced Leaky-Lee), and the sprawling, 30-member group I'm From Barcelona. Also on the show: the British band Wild Beasts with their oddly titled new song "Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants;" the wildly strange and wonderful Sparks; twin sisters and the former drummer for Secret Machines form the band School of Seven Bells; and the influential Elephant 6 Orchestra reunites for a magical and historic live performance.
Oct 24th, 2008 · In 1928, a 9-year-old boy disappeared — and when the police "discovered" him, his mother said they had the wrong boy. Screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski fills in NPR's Elizabeth Blair on the sad and sordid story that inspired his new film.
Oct 22nd, 2008 · An hour southwest of the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, eerily beautiful and strange ruins appear in the midst of sprawling olive groves. They're remarkable remnants of Byzantine farming villages that flourished in 4th and 5th centuries.
Sep 28th, 2008 · Last week, host Andrea Seabrook asked listeners to send in home recordings and photographs of their oddest musical instrument. The responses were eclectic, and some were indeed strange. Here is a smattering of some of the more interesting instrument descriptions from listeners.