Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'society'

America's First Black President: What If, What Now...

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

Sen. Barack Obama's historic win is causing many to ponder what impact his presidency will have on American society. Earlier in the campaign, conservative radio host and newspaper columnist Armstrong Williams confessed that he was somewhat conflicted — politically and culturally — about whether or not to support Obama's candidacy. Armstrong talks about his feelings now that Obama is the president-elect in a conversation with Michel, journalist Richard Rodriguez and writer Tim Wise.

'AIDS Sutra' Challenges Widespread Denial In India

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:37:00 EDT

In India, although there are almost three million people living with HIV/AIDS, the subject is still shrouded in denial and despair. Sonia Faleiro and Siddharth Dhanvant Shanghvi, are two contributing authors to a new book, AIDS Sutra: Untold Stories from India. The authors discuss their reporting on India's AIDS epidemic, and its impact on all sectors of society.

'Blindness': Groping For Help In A World Gone White

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT

An epidemic of sudden blindness pushes society to the brink in a new thriller from the director of City of God and The Constant Gardener; Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo star.

Wall St. Moral Rot: Spreading To Politics, Main St....

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:01:00 EDT

How society responds to the current financial crisis, in the end, will depend more on intuitive assessments of public character and trust than savvy insights into market regulation or mortgage-backed securities.

Joan Baez: Playing For 'Tomorrow'

Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:16:00 EDT

Joan Baez's sterling voice, the songs she sings and her commitment to society's underdogs have had a profound influence on American culture. Baez talks about her new record, Day After Tomorrow, and performs songs from the album at NPR's New York studio.

First "Lifer" Granted Parole in Calif.

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Recently the California Supreme Court ruled the governor has to provide evidence the convicted murderers are a threat to society. We meet the first "lifer" to be released since the ruling.

Prague Spring Ignored In Post-Communist Society

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Tourists in the Czech Republic are not likely to find a plaque commemorating the failed democratization process known as Prague Spring and the generation of 1968. Critics say people want to forget there was a period of communism in Prague.

In China, Lesbians Try To Win Favor With Roses

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:00 EDT

In China, homosexuality was regarded as a crime not so long ago. Now, lesbians are reaching out to Chinese society. Some are distributing roses at shopping malls. Others are making documentaries. They are making progress, but it's not an easy process, activists say.

Podesta: Progressive Politics Will Cure U.S. Ills

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:17:00 EDT

In his new book, the head of the Center for American Progress and former chief of staff for President Clinton says the U.S. needs to create community activists, reform immigration law and form a stronger government; that will lead to a more fair society, he says.

American Discontent Or 'Why We Hate Us'

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:13:00 EDT

In his new book Why We Hate Us, Dick Meyer argues that for the most part Americans are dissatisfied with their own society. But he offers a solution: "a return to some traditions that predate the '60s."

How Race Plays Into '08 Congressional Contests

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

The emergence of Barack Obama as a serious presidential candidate was destined to bring the issue of race to the forefront in American society. It may well determine who will become the nation's 44th president. But in congressional contests, race as an issue is anything but new.

BEIJING CHEESE SOCIETY

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EDT

When Sharon Ruwart moved from California to Beijing in 2004, she thought she'd have to give up her beloved artisanal cheeses in China's largely cheeseless society. But the group she started, Beijing Cheese Society, is spreading a taste for fancy cheese in her adopted home country. Ruwart talks with Liane Hansen.

Community, Choice And Faith

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Our mobile society means Americans find themselves with fewer social ties and close confidantes, less help raising children and shallower roots. That decline of community is a challenge to traditional, vibrant religious practice.

Wisconsin Humane Society Buys Dog Breeder

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:42:00 EDT

The Wisconsin Humane Society has purchased a mass dog-breeding operation — labeled a "puppy mill" by its critics — in order to shut it down. Now, the animal welfare group has to find homes for 1,200 dogs that have spent their entire lives at the facility.

Seth Rogen, Looking Less Geeky These Days

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:52:00 EDT

The Pineapple Express star often portrays less successful members of society — but he's hardly one of them. The actor and screenwriter has four Hollywood projects out this summer.

Short Selling: Profiting From Others' Misery...

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Financial concerns at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have dominated the news and introduced more specialized business jargon into the mainstream society. One of those terms is "short selling."

Chinese Authors Find Creative Outlets on the Web

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Chinese novelists were once encouraged to address politics and society through a Communist lens. Now young writers can be as entertaining as they want on the web.

South Korea Tackles Multiculturalism

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:38:00 EDT

In recent years, the number of rural and low-income South Korean men who have married foreign women has exploded. The government and civil society have responded by opening schools to help these "marriage migrants" learn to become South Koreans.

Big Changes to Mexico's Judicial System

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Mexico's judicial system is getting a makeover. President Felipe Calderon has signed a constitutional amendment which will allow U.S.-style public trials requiring judges to explain their decisions to defendants. Mexico-based law professor John Mill Ackerman Rose explains how the changes could affect Mexican society.

Are Steroids as 'American as Apple Pie'...

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:19:00 EDT

Chris Bell, the writer, director and star of the documentary Bigger, Stronger, Faster: The Side Effects of Being American, explains why the practice of using steroids in our society is no big deal. In fact, it's as "American as apple pie."

Female Workers Break Stereotypes in Karachi

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:52:00 EDT

Morning Edition's Steve Inskeep continues his reporting from one of the largest cities in the world as part of our series, "The Urban Frontier." In this segment, we meet two influential women in Karachi, Pakistan. Sabra Khadun supervises men digging a new sewer, and Purveen Rehman works as an architect and leader of a research center. Both women are breaking stereotypes in a male-dominated society.

Cuban Newspaper Pushes Beyond Party Line

Wed, 28 May 2008 15:48:00 EDT

As Cuba's government allows more debate in the press, one newspaper is rising to the challenge. Although it still faces limitations, Juventud Rebelde is publishing articles criticizing aspects of Cuban society in an unprecedented way.

Excerpt: 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society'

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:23:00 EDT

Set just after World War II, this novel about the inhabitants of a British island who survived German occupation reads like a hidden piece of history, alternately moving and charming, but always memorable.

Chinese Volunteers Set New Precedent

Sun, 18 May 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Chinese citizens from across the country have been organizing food convoys, setting up blood drives and raising money for the victims of the earthquake that hit last Monday. While this sort of reaction may not be unusual in the West, China has little tradition of civil society.

Marking the French Social Revolution of '68

Tue, 13 May 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Forty years ago, millions of French workers joined protesting students in a general strike that paralyzed the country and nearly brought down the government. A few weeks later, the May 1968 protests fizzled out, but French society was radically changed.