Search results for

NPR's Jon Greenberg reports that the weather continues to plague parts of the country. Today is was flooding in Pennsylvania and Ohio, among other places; and sub-zero temperatures in northern states such as Minnesota.

Dean Olsher has an appreciation of jazz artist Gerry Mulligan, a baritone saxophonist who died yesterday. He was 68.

Commentator Andrei Codrescu offers his thoughts on Harrah's Casino, now being built in the heart of New Orleans. Construction of the casino is snarling traffic, confounding politicians and, Andrei says, giving "the moralists among us a reason to shake our heads".

Yasser Arafat has won yesterday's Palestinian elections, and Danny talks about the vote, and the future of relations between Palestinians and Israelis with former President Jimmy Carter. Carter headed a team of election observers who were in Israel for the balloting.

On Tuesday, President Clinton delivers the state of the union address. Danny looks back at the history of the speech with Wayne Fields, author of a new book called "Union of Words: A History of Presidential Eloquence." We hear excerpts of past state of the union addresses by FDR, LBJ, Ronald Reagan, and Clinton.

NPR's Mandalit Del Barco reports from Los Angeles on Congresswoman Andrea Seastrand's return home to California to visit with her constituents. Seastrand is one of the 73 freshman Republicans in Congress. And like many of her colleagues, Seastrand is now worried how the budget stalemate might impact her re-election campaign this fall.

Reporter Chris Arnold visits the Pajaro Valley School District in California, where the white, wealthy town of Aptos (AP-toss) wants to set up a separate school district, which would leave out the poor, largely-Latino town of Watsonville. Aptos parents and some school officials say they could get better quality education for their students in a smaller, less bureaucratic setting, but many residents feel this split will tear their community in two at a point when Latino and white students should be encouraged to mix. The hurt feelings in the district is something many schools are going through in California and elsewhere as parents and educators look for avenues to improve education thru local control.

Commentator Marion Winik explains her dislike of shopping and her inability to do it well.

New York Times Sports and City columnist Robert Lipsyte comments on plans for inter-league professional baseball. He says the prospect of teams from the American and National leagues playing one another regularly will rekindle fans' waning love affair with the game.

Just a week ago political pundits were saying that the era of retail politics -- of candidates shaking hands and knocking on doors --- had been eclipsed once and for all by television advertising. But as the architect of the new model, Steve Forbes, stumbles out of Iowa, New Hampshire voters are questioning his decision to forgo a grassroots campaign. Leda Hartman of New Hampshire Public Radio reports.

NPR's Sunni Khalid reports from Cairo on the violence wracking the island of Bahrain, a strategic station for US military forces. Anti-government Shiites, reportedly with ties to Iran, have been waging a campaign of arson and bomb attacks, raising concern that Iran is helping destabilize the Gulf.

Former congressman Kweisi Mfume officially takes over as president of the NAACP (N-DOUBLE-A-C-P) today. He's being sworn-in in style, with President Clinton presiding, in the Great Hall of the Justice Department. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

President Clinton says he will sign a Defense Bill containing provisions the president has opposed, including requiring the military to discharge service members who carry the AIDS virus. NPR's Mara Liasson reports.

Robert Siegel speaks with Keven Willey, a political columnist with The Arizona Republic, about the upcoming Republican primary. She says that 55% of the voters are undecided, and the race is wide open.

Commentator Mickey Edwards says Pat Buchanan cannot lead the Republican Party to victory in November. He says the party had better wake up to that fact and nominate somebody who is electable, or face the probability of another four years of Bill Clinton in the White House.

Robert and Noah mark the 80th anniversary of the battle of Verdun during World War I by reading the poem "Grass," by Carl Sandberg.

NPR's Richard Gonzales reports on reaction to a report showing that 40 percent of black men in California were under some sort of criminal justice control last year. The rate is four times that for Latinos and eight times the rate for white men. Some blame an unfair system, especially with higher penalties for crack cocaine offenses. Others say the numbers reflect who's committing the crimes.

NPR's Melissa Block reviews the life and work of photographer Austin Hansen, who documented life in Harlem for 60 years. He died Tuesday at the age of 85.

What is Patrick Buchanan's appeal? Robert talks with NPR political commentator Steven Stark about the populistic appeal of presidential contender Pat Buchanan. Stark says it's both his economic nationalism and moralistic preaching that appeals to his supporters.

Robert talks to Harold Rothwax, who for 25 years has been a judge on the New York State Supreme Court and has now written a book entitled, Guilty: The Collapse of Criminal Justice. In his book Rothwax outlines areas of needed reforms in the criminal justice system, including how some evidence is thrown out even when obtained in good faith. (Published by Random H