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Silicon Valley has become a powerful economic engine, driven by tech-savvy entrepreneurs. But in simpler times, the area was known as the Valley of the Hearts Delight. And it took years to assemble the mix of talent, money and gumption to create America's startup hub.

As the flooding in Houston, Texas, worsens many people have escaped to shelters around the greater Houston area. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Luis Villanueva, the lieutenant commanding officer at the Salvation Army in Pasadena, in addition to evacuee Kent Davis.

The wonder of "We Can Be Strong" is that it isn't nearly as depressing as its lyric. It helps that Willy Mason is far from a typical young alt-folkie, and his stripped-wood voice implies resilience more than defeat. The song's arrangement feels craggier and more rugged than that of the average ballad.

Megan Williams of Youth Radio reports that while more and more young people are volunteering and taking part in public service -- many do not see voting as the best way to express their beliefs or influence others. The same kids out on the street making the voices heard, will not necessarily show up in the voting booth.

As the reconnaissance plane standoff continues, the Chinese government must take into account the opinions of its own people, even though the political voice of the masses is muted. The public mood is one of anger and disappointment at the United States. NPR's Rob Gifford samples opinion outside the U.S. embassy and in McDonalds in Beijing.

With his acoustic guitar and a batch of witty and insightful songs, Dan Bern is rapidly becoming the voice of a new generation of folk music. The singer/songwriter — hailed by some critics as the next Bob Dylan — talks about his latest album, titled New American Language. The CD is available on Messenger Records.

Beach House's sleepy "Saltwater" never feels weary or tiresome. Instead, it floats along in a wispy haze of skittering drumbeats that rise and fall like heartbeats. As Victoria Legrand sings, "Love you all the time / even though you're not mine," her voice sounds powerful and stripped bare.

Doug Keith's debut LP, Here's To Outliving Me, is familiar but fresh. The New York native's songs are rooted comfortably in traditional folk and Americana, without being mawkish or treading into tired territory. This is largely because Keith's voice is so richly textured, backed by sweet harmonies and beautifully layered instrumentation.

The Justice Department investigates a deal between the country's two largest alternative newspaper chains, Village Voice Media and New Times Media. Some experts say the chains may have violated federal antitrust laws by dividing up the Los Angeles and Cleveland markets. NPR's Laura Sydell reports.

- Commentator Andrew Lam says that when he came to the United States from Vietnam, he began to learn English at the same time that his voice began to change. Still, he says, he liked speaking English -- it made him feel he could be a new person in a new language.

The jazz scene is abuzz about singer/pianist/composer John Proulx. His piano playing is hot and swinging, and his voice recalls the smooth mellow sounds of Chet Baker. He shows off his compositional skills, performing his own tune, "Stuck in a Dream with Me." Hear the performance.

The Philadelphia indie-pop band Dr. Dog filters classic rock and pop through a lo-fi slacker aesthetic that recalls Pavement or Guided by Voices and sounds both timeless and immediate. Dr. Dog's seventh album, Shame, Shame, was released in April. Hear the group perform music from the album.

Imagine being a singer and never being sure when you open your mouth whether you will have your voice. For years, Linda Thompson's vocal disorder, hysteric dysphonia, made her stop singing completely. It took three years to complete her new CD, Versatile Heart.

President Trump called U.S. Olympic skier Hunter Hess a "loser" after Hess voiced concern about political turmoil in the U.S. Gold medal U.S. figure skater Amber Glenn says she's faced online hate and threats after advocating for LGBTQ rights.

After nearly two decades with the Grammy-winning bluegrass group Nickel Creek, it was only a matter of time before singer-songwriter and fiddle player Sara Watkins released material of her own. In a session from WXPN, she demonstrates her instrumental breadth with the sweet voice her fans love.

In a session from KPLU, blues guitarist Tab Benoit plays through a couple songs all by his lonesome, yet manages to conjure an entire band all his own. Benoit also talks about creating "Voice of the Wetlands," a group that raises awareness about the importance of Louisiana's natural resources.

Pink Nasty is a young and talented singer-songwriter whose quirky alt-country songs nicely complement her pretty but powerful voice. She gets her moment in the sun with Will Oldham on "Don't Ever Change," which smartly sums up all of the contradictions, tensions and aggravations inherent in relationships.

To cover a song by the great Jackie Wilson takes a lot of gumption, not to mention a lot of voice. But since Ryan Shaw says people are always comparing him to Wilson, he figured he might as well try one of the late soul singer's classics ("I'll Be Satisfied") on his debut album.

Iran's president is maintaining his hard line on the country's nuclear ambitions, insisting that Iran will never give up its uranium enrichment program. He has rejected a package of incentives from the European Union aimed at curbing Iran's program. But other voices in Tehran suggest a compromise is still possible.

Virtually unknown outside his native Romania, with a perfectly pencil-thin mustache and a voice that flutters in mid-air, Doma Dumitru Siminica packed cafes and clubs in Bucharest in the 1960s. His style is rooted in the Gypsy Lautari tradition of slowly paced melancholy love songs, laments and drinking songs.