Reverbiage: Interesting Stories from NPR

J.J. Cale: Old Songwriter Faces New Music

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:26:00 EST

The songwriter behind Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" says he once thought of himself as a late bloomer at 30. Forty years later, he's still blooming. Cale tells Melissa Block about his new album, titled Roll On.

Dexter Filkins: No End In Sight In Afghanistan

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:41:00 EST

The New York Times foreign correspondent Dexter Filkins reports that the Taliban are waging an increasingly aggressive campaign in Afghanistan — a fact evidenced by a 40 percent increase in Afghan civilian deaths in 2008.

Computer Science Course Enrollment Dips

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The number of students enrolled in computer science programs is at its lowest in at least a decade. "Comp Sci" was one of the hottest majors during the dot-com boom of the late '90s, but the numbers dropped after the bust of 2001. Now, despite a strong market for IT professionals and a resurgence in Web millionaires, college students just aren't interested in studying computing. Larry Abramson talks to some students and professors to find out why.

Shooter Jennings: Revisiting Waylon's Music

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:31:00 EST

In an interview with host David Dye, Shooter Jennings talks about Waylon Forever, a collection of songs he recorded with his dad Waylon in 1995. Shooter then revisited the material with his backing band, The .357s, to release a ramshackle revival of his father's classic outlaw country.

Scope Widens In Tainted Chinese Drywall Cases In Florida

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

On Florida's Gulf coast, home builders, health officials and home buyers are angry about what they believe is defective drywall made in China. The problem came to light when residents of new homes complained of persistent odors and air conditioning coils that quickly corroded. Officials believe it's related to high sulfur content in gypsum used in the drywall's construction. But just how widespread is the problem?

Homeless In Las Vegas: A Father's Story

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

James Walker once lived on the streets of Las Vegas with his 9-year-old daughter, rummaging through dumpsters to stay alive. Now they're in transitional housing.

Singing The Praises Of Bollywood Films

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:39:00 EST

Bollywood churns out more films than Hollywood each year, and Bollywood films are drawing huge new audiences in other parts of Asia and across Africa. Though they have historically been fairly formulaic love stories, some filmmakers are now breaking out of that mold.

Author Of 'Slumdog' Book On Film's Success

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:29:00 EST

Indian author Vikas Swarup wrote the novel Q and A, the inspiration behind the film Slumdog Millionaire. The film won eight Oscars at the 81st Academy Awards, and the novel has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Microsoft Tops 'Public Image' List

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:00:00 EST

Giving away billions of dollars can improve your company's reputation. A new survey from Harris Interactive and The Wall Street Journal ranks the public image of the 60 highest-profile companies in the world. Microsoft came out on top, ending a seven-year run at the top for Johnson & Johnson. Last on the list? Energy-services firm Halliburton.

VFW Chief Envisions a Changing Post

Sat, 30 Sep 2006 18:47:00 EDT

Imagine a family-friendly VFW post, with child care, a fitness center... and a ban on smoking. That's what Gary Kurpias has in mind. He's the new commander-in-chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States.

Stories Of The Economy On Tap

Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Bartenders discuss their role in the bleak economy and the stories — good and bad — they're hearing from their customers. Lemmel Fields Sr. owns The Living Room in Tulsa, Okla.; Mary Monnot runs The Porch in Stockton, Calif.; Mark Shultz operates Oblio's Lounge, in Oshkosh, Wis.; and Shawn Ott bartends at Stats Sports Restaurant in Atlanta.

Tom Jones: Still Crooning After All These Years

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 10:17:00 EST

Global superstar Tom Jones is back on the charts with the release of 24 Hours, his first U.S. album in more than 15 years. The singer who gained fame with 1965 hit "It's Not Unusual" opted to be more involved in the songwriting process for this album, and the result is a collection of intimate songs that still retain his signature pop sensibility.

Assessing Capital Punishment Trends In The U.S.

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:47:00 EDT

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court acted on two high-profile death row cases. For analysis, Farai Chideya discusses the Constitution and the death penalty with Carl Tobias, professor of law at the University of Richmond.

Obama Addresses Congress And Nominates Locke

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:18:00 EST

President Obama spoke to Congress Tuesday in a primetime address. Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) delivered the republican response following Obama's speech. Also, Obama has nominated former Washington Gov. Gary Locke to head the Commerce Department, his third nominee for the post.

Ricky Gervais, The Empathetic Comedian

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:26:00 EST

The famed comedian has a stand-up comedy special that debuts tomorrow night on HBO. He stops in to chat with Madeleine Brand about his love for America, his philosophy on comedy and his special, Out Of England.

Lincoln's Bicentennial Turns Into Lovefest

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:00:00 EST

Celebrations across the country Thursday will honor the bicentennial birth of Abraham Lincoln. There are new Lincoln pennies, postage stamps and books. The greatest private collection of Lincoln books and artifacts might be in Chicago. The owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop says it's been a media frenzy leading up to Lincoln's 200th birthday.

Minority Auto Dealers Wait On Bailout Decision

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:00:00 EST

Last week, the CEO's of Ford, Chrysler and General Motors again pleaded for a billion dollar rescue plan on Capitol Hill. Now, the struggling U.S. automotive industry waits as lawmakers decide how, if at all, the government will bailout Detroit's "big three." Listen to a discussion on how minority auto retailers are especially being affected.

What's The Reaction To Obama's Speech...

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress Tuesday night in a speech heralding the resilience of the American people in times of trouble. How did it go over?

Immigrant College Student Fights To Remain In U.S.

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 12:00:00 EST

As an exceptional student at Georgetown University, Juan Gomez has worked very hard to maintain good grades. But Gomez is now fighting to remain in the U.S. because his family is in the country illegally. He talks about his situation, which was recently featured in The Washington Post Magazine.

Giant Lobster Granted A Reprieve Moves To Maine

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 05:44:00 EST

A 20-pound lobster had been in a tank at a New York restaurant since it was caught a couple of weeks ago. Known as George, the giant crustacean had been posing for pictures with customers. Conventional standards put the lobster's age at around 80. The restaurant allowed the animal rights group PETA to transport George to Maine and return him to the sea.

Loan Program Benefits Low-Income, Rural Families

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 06:00:00 EST

Even though the country is in the midst of a financial crisis, it's still possible to buy a house with no money down. A relatively small but growing number of Americans are turning to an obscure home loan program backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rene Gutel reports for member station KJZZ in Phoenix.

Foreclosed In Arizona: One Woman's Story

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

Arizona has one of the highest foreclosure rates in the country. President Obama pitches his housing rescue plan in Phoenix on Wednesday. A Tucson homeowner whose house was foreclosed on in June 2008 weighs in on what she wants to hear from the president.

French Strikers Seek Job Security

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

France shut down Thursday as the country experienced a general strike. The action, called by eight of the country's biggest trade unions, is intended to protest the effects of the global recession, and to demand that the government make protecting employment its top priority.

Fence Supplants 'Friendship' At U.S.-Mexico Border

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:27:00 EST

Friendship Park was one of the few places on the U.S.-Mexico border where people from the two countries could meet and talk across the frontier. Now, it's a construction site, the future home of a new fence. U.S. officials say the park's crowds were used to cover illegal activity.

Generous Banker Gives $60 Million To Employees

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 06:00:00 EST

A Miami banker last year sold a majority stake in City National Bank. He then divided 60 million dollars of the nearly one billion dollars in proceeds to his tellers, bookkeepers and clerks. Carleatha Barbary, is a branch manager, and she tells Steve Inskeep why the generous gift was not such a huge surprise.