NPR Programs: Talk of the Nation

Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and healthcare...

Julie Kraut writes in the Washington Post that some modern parents are using technology to keep a close eye on their little campers. And many summer camps are streaming live video of kids to their parents back home. Tell us: Parents, where do you draw ...

Roger Cohen, columnist for The New York Times, says he left a chunk of himself back in Tehran. Cohen talks about how the protests and crackdown he witnessed in Iran changed his opinion about whether or not the U.S. should still reach out to Iran.»...

Thirty-nine years to the day after his first American Top 40 broadcast, radio host Casey Kasem signed off on his final broadcast and entered retirement. Kasem's countdowns aired across the U.S., peppered with his signature dedications and bits of music...

Former White House Chief of Staff John Podesta explains how congress and President Obama will navigate the many sides of the health care overhaul. Also, guest Political Junkie Matt Bai talks about Governor Sarah Palin's plans and Vice President Biden's...

Hundreds of thousands of mourners are expected to attend a public memorial for Michael Jackson in Los Angeles, and countless more around the world will watch the event on TV. But some fraction of the population wonders why the death of any celebrity wa...

According to experimental psychologist Colin Ellard, ants and hamsters have a better sense of direction than humans. For his book, You Are Here, Ellard discovered the reasons why we humans are so bad at finding our way.» E-Mail This  &n...

Monday marked the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan in almost a year. Seven Americans were reported killed. NPR's Jackie Northam joins us from Kabul with the latest on the continuing U.S. offensives in Afghanistan, and the violent Taliba...

Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a flailing economy dominate headlines. But when show business makes big news, as in Michael Jackson's death, journalists must decide between hard news and entertainment. Ted Koppel talks about what happens when journali...

Sarah Palin's abrupt resignation as governor of Alaska sent shockwaves throughout the Republican Party. In an article for Vanity Fair, "It Came from Wasilla," Todd Purdum talks about the emergence of Palin as the "sexiest and riskiest brand in GOP poli...

Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor begin on July 13, 2009. Since her nomination, she has become a household name. Barring surprises, she is widely expected to win confirmation before the August recess.» E-Mail This ...

J.D. Salinger has not published an original work in 40 years. He recently sought the "recall and destruction" of a novel by another author, billed as a sequel to The Catcher In The Rye. Columnist Ron Rosenbaum questions what will happen to Salinger's w...

Deep-sea voyager Robert Ballard has discovered everything from 10-foot-tall tube worms to the Titanic on his ocean expeditions around the world. Ballard discusses his underwater finds and how new robotic technology allows scientists to explore the sea ...

In case you forgot to pick up some sparklers for the holiday weekend, don't despair. Ira Flatow and a team of backyard science experts explain how to (safely) make firecrackers, smoke bombs and even an Oreo-fueled rocket, all while learning some basic ...

Why do some fireworks shoot golden flaming balls while others produce green sparks? It's just chemistry. Bassam Shakhashiri, chemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, explains the science of fireworks.» E-Mail This  &n...

Scientists say X-ray data collected by the European Space Agency's XMM-Newton spacecraft show evidence of a new type of black hole in a galaxy about 290 million light years from Earth. Astronomer Sean Farrell explains what the discovery might tell us a...

Reporting in Nature Geoscience, two coastal scientists write that rising sea levels, combined with slow Mississippi Delta growth, could drown the Louisiana coast by 2100. Delta expert Ivor van Heerden, who is not involved with the research, discusses t...

Infomercials entice viewers to buy products that slice, dice and make life easier. Remy Stern, author of But, Wait...There's More! has studied the strategies of Billy Mays and his fellow pitch men. Tell us what you've bought from an infomercial, and wh...

The deaths of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith focused attention on prescription pain killers. Michael Jackson, too, may have been taking pain medication. Doctors walk a fine line in treating patients who are seeking relief from chronic pain.» ...

In many communities, there's a convenience store where the owner was murdered, or a corner where a woman was attacked. In those places, the aura of past violence hangs like a shroud. Whether the violence is rare or regular, when it happens, it changes ...