Search results for

President Bush's public approval rating lags those of other recent second-term presidents, a new pre-inaugural poll shows. NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Andrew Kohut of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

In a colorful new cookbook, Alabama chef Frank Stitt shares moutwatering recipes from his award-winning restaurant Highlands Bar and Grill. He talks with NPR's Debbie Elliot about the tradition of food in the South.

NPR's Mandalit del Barco delves into the history of "Rapper's Delight" — and the ongoing controversy over the song. The hip-hop tune, propelled by a funky Chic bass groove, was first heard on the radio a quarter-century ago and became an instant classic.

Taipei 101, the world's tallest building, will be officially inaugurated in Taipei, Taiwan, on Dec. 31. Designing the 1,666-foot skyscraper in the earthquake- and typhoon-prone region presented engineers with quite a challenge. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and structural engineering consultant Dennis Poon.

President Bush says Social Security is in "crisis," but polls show a majority of seniors think the system needs only minor fixes. Retirees in Arizona and Pennsylvania weigh in on the issue.

In his new book, You Call it Madness, musician and writer Lenny Kaye brings back the forgotten voice of Russ Columbo, one of the great crooners of the 1930s.

With her deep and smoky alto, singer-songwriter Dayna Kurtz defies the boundaries of blues, jazz and folk. Her eclectic new album, Beautiful Yesterday, evokes feelings of nostalgia.

President Bush taps Alberto Gonzales to succeed John Ashcroft as attorney general, calling the man who currently serves as White House counsel "a calm and steady voice in times of crisis."

The '90s saw Cole rise from a supporting player on a Peter Gabriel tour to a pop sensation. But after an eight-year recording hiatus, she finds herself on the rise again, thanks to a new album (Courage) and tour. Hear an interview and in-studio performance.

The son of folk-singing parents Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Wainwright has been writing and performing his own music throughout most of his life. His ambitious new disc is titled Release the Stars.

Los Lobos' music is hard to classify: Its members play raucous rock 'n' roll, but they often incorporate elegant melodic ballads into the mix. Sometimes they play blues or rockabilly or folk, but each song incorporates at least a touch of their Mexican-American heritage.

Bruce Hornsby performs songs that span a 20-year career, in a live appearance at NPR. The Grammy Award-winning songwriter also talks about his collaborations with artists of almost every musical genre.

Anger management is a thriving industry in the United States. It is the subject of hundreds of books, workshops and videos. And yet, as NPR's Robert Siegel discovers, there are no national criteria, no oversight and no evaluation of the efficacy of these programs.

From a silly thematic intro to the song's cheeky and relatable lyrics, this Tiny Desk Contest entry is a charming, fully entertaining production.

They're an odd couple. Angel-voiced Scot Isobel Campbell and gravelly grunge rocker Mark Lanegan of Seattle combine their talents on the CD Ballad of the Broken Seas. Campbell tells Liane Hansen about life after Belle and Sebastian.

The British music press is hailing a new band, the Arctic Monkeys, as being as big as the Beatles — or at least as big as Oasis. The first-week release of the band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not, sold over 118,000 copies.

Thirty years ago in Paris, a publicity stunt for a wine shop started a revolution for the Napa Valley. In 1976, a blind tasting pitted the best wines from France against wines from California -- and the Californian wines won.

Tom Brosseau understands the sentimental pull of places — the way a building or a town can come to life in memories as vividly as loved ones do. He often sings about home as more than a bricks-and-mortar construct: It lives, breathes, feels, and dies.

A "super-max" is the highest security prison in the penitentiary system. It's here the worst offenders -- or the most endangered ones -- serve their time in near isolation. There is only one federal super-max in the United States, located in Florence, Colo.

Gospel singer Vickie Winans is best known for her electrifying stage presence -- she can light up concert hall or church with her rousing versions of gospel standards. She's embarked on a nationwide tour, bringing her signature style to a new generation of fans.