Mar 2nd, 2005 · It's easy to imagine the great composers living in a rarefied world, surrounded by their art and their admirers. But music commentator Miles Hoffman reminds us that Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart all had to make money -- and that wasn't always easy.
Mar 1st, 2005 · The World Health Organization has started a five-nation polio vaccination campaign in an effort to rid the world of the disease. This renewed effort comes after Nigerian officials boycotted the vaccine last year, causing polio resurgences in neighboring countries.
Feb 28th, 2005 · Just six years ago, the Washington Tree was one of the world's largest trees. But fires and storms have taken their toll. Once soaring to 254 feet, the giant sequoia is now less than half that height. Melissa Block talks with Jody Lyle, fire education specialist for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Feb 27th, 2005 · Guest host Sheilah Kast speaks with composer Danny Elfman. Elfman is best known for his many TV and film scores -- including the music for The Simpsons, Batman, Good Will Hunting and Men in Black. But this past Wednesday, Elfman was recognized as a composer for the concert stage. His "Serenada Schizophrana" received its world premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York by the American Composers Orchestra.
Feb 27th, 2005 · Peter Benenson, the founder of the human rights organization Amnesty International, has died. Benenson, who was 83, started the group in 1961, calling for the release of prisoners of conscience. That impulse led to a movement that has grown into a world-wide watchdog for the oppressed.
Feb 26th, 2005 · A group of passionate bartenders from all over America are in the process of establishing the world's first museum devoted exclusively to high balls, low balls, fizzes and other mixed drinks. Co-founder Dale DeGroff describes the Museum of the American Cocktail.
Feb 26th, 2005 · The Tasmanian devil, one of the world's most unusual animals, is in danger of extinction. A mysterious form of cancer has killed as many as half the devils in Tasmania, off the coast of Australia, and there is no known cure.
Feb 25th, 2005 · One of the world's leading Islamic banks has invested billions of dollars in familiar U.S. companies. The First Islamic Bank of Bahrain owns controlling stakes in discount department store Loehmann's and Church's Chicken. The deals have been made in adherence with Islamic rules against earning interest. Such sophisticated investment vehicles are helping Muslim investors accumulate assets outside of the Middle East.