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In his new memoir, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Garry Wills explains his career as a lifelong observer. In Outside Looking In, he talks books, politics and family — and explains how his father's philosophy about the word "cannot" is one reason he became a conservative.

Young voters overwhelmingly supported Barack Obama in each of the past two presidential elections. Making sure they don't vote Democratic again is a top priority for national Republicans. Some young conservatives offer their ideas about what the GOP needs to do to win over their generation.

The former president's foundation ended years of secrecy by naming its donors. The information dump came about to stave off problems that could sink Hillary Clinton's Cabinet job. The list included enough big money and enough big names to catch the attention of conservatives, journalists and bloggers.

Now that the Iraq Study Group report is out, conservatives are no happier than they were with the leaked information about it. Many say it amounts to a call for surrender. Republican Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have been among those calling for more U.S. troops to fight the insurgency.

NPR's John Ydstie reports that in Washington today a coalition of liberals and conservatives announced a renewed attack on what they termed "corporate welfare." The group, led by House Republican John Kasich of Ohio, will target a variety of programs in the federal budget, from subsidized energy research to financial aid for foreign investment.

If John McCain is going to patch relations with conservative voters, one place to go might be Colorado, whose Republicans overwhelmingly chose Mitt Romney in the caucuses Tuesday. State GOP leaders appear ready to rally behind McCain, but winning over the rank-and-file will take some work.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with linguistics professor George Lakoff, of the University of California, Berkeley, about political language and "framing" in this election year. He says conservatives have been much better at enforcing or perpetuating their views than their liberal counterparts. One of Lakoff's examples: the phrase "tax relief."

NPR's David Welna reports from Managua that former Sandinista strongman Daniel Ortega seems to have failed to make a democratic comeback. With the votes from Sunday's national elections still being tallied, Ortega's conservative opponent, Arnoldo Aleman, has taken a early lead and claimed victory.

With a place for its presidential nominee expected on 40 state ballots this fall, the U.S. Taxpayer's Party stands ready to embrace Pat Buchanan and any other Christian conservatives left unsatisfied by the Republican National Convention next week. NPR's Lynn Neary reports on the party's origins and tenets.

President Bush has repeatedly attacked Senate Democrats for blocking his judicial nominees. Democrats have used a filibuster to block six nominees, while confirming 198. Many of Bush's more controversial nominees are seen as an important nod to his conservative base. Hear NPR's Nina Totenberg.

House lawmakers approve a corporate tax-cut bill worth $150 billion. Some conservative Republicans voted against the plan, fearing it could increase the federal deficit. But it passed with the help of some Democrats, who received a wide variety of unrelated provisions for their support. Hear NPR's David Welna.

Bishops in the Episcopal Church have crafted a document they hope will ease conservatives' concerns in the United States and abroad. In Africa and South America, which have the most active members in the worldwide Anglican Communion, bishops wanted a statement from the Americans about the direction of the church — and specifically on its views on homosexuality.

Tea Party conservatives and some liberals agree on key criticisms as the new education standards roll out in 45 states: that they're a one-size-fits-all approach, create a de facto national curriculum, put too much emphasis on standardized tests and undermine teacher autonomy.

NRA's executive vice president and CEO Wayne LaPierre addressed the annual gathering of conservatives in the wake of the Parkland school shooting. His message included a call to have arms in schools and an admonishment of those calling for stricter regulations on guns. LaPierre said those people are exploiting the moment for political gain.

More than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. now comes from abroad. And fishermen in other parts of the world continue to kill not just dolphins but seals and even whales. So conservation groups are calling for tougher import rules to protect sea animals at risk from fishing.

Audie Cornish talks to Marcus Owens, former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The division is the same one under scrutiny for targeting conservative groups. He talks about the IRS's vetting process in determining tax exempt status and where they may have gone wrong.

This past week, Leland Capp was the passenger in a Cessna floatplane which his friend was flying. Tragically, Leland's friend had a heartattack while flying the plane, leaving Leland, who is not a pilot, to take over the controls. We have an excerpt of the recorded conversation between Capp and the air traffic control operator who talked him through the successful landing.

Danny talks with comedian Tracey Ullman about her new HBO series "Tracey Takes On..." which premiers Wednesday the 24th of January. In their conversation Tracey dismisses the idea that comedians are actually masking a great deal of personal pain. She says she loves what she does and entertains us with some of her favorite impersonations.

Robert Siegel speaks with Daoud Kuttab, director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University, and columnist for the Jordan Times and the Jerusalem Post. Also joining the conversation is David Landau, senior editor of Ha'aretz newspaper in Tel Aviv. They discuss how Israelis and Palestinians view the political stances of the two sides, and why there has been such a failure in negotiations.

Prolific artist Judy Chicago made a huge splash in 1979 with her groundbreaking installation "The Dinner Party" -- an homage to famous women. Now, museums across the nation are featuring Chicago's art, spanning nearly four decades. All Things Considered guest host Jacki Lyden has a conversation with the artist -- view some of her works online.