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It's been a strange ride for singer Rachel Taylor Brown: a nervous breakdown, eight years of solitude as a hermit, an endless struggle with both loving and hating humanity. It's the kind of fear and anguish that can drive someone deep into their own mind. But Brown looked outward at a troubling world and discovered some the haunting, humorous and ultimately beautiful songs that appear on her latest CD, Half Hours With the Lower Creatures.

In today's podcast, you'll hear how right-wingers are lying about Democratic tax plans. You'll be treated to clips of Monica Crowley, Sean Hannity, John McCain. The results of a recent poll about taxing the wealthy may astound you. And what does Martin Luther King, Jr. have to do with all this? Just listen to today's show, and find out! (PS: Right-wingers, if you want to write in to me, fine, but at least do me the courtesy of listening to the podcast first. Please don't respond just on the basis of the brief preview above. Thanks!!)

This year marks the 100th anniversary of that staple of baseball’s seventh-inning stretch, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” Tim Wiles, director of research at the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, shares the history of a hit song that somehow lost two verses on its way to the stardom in the big leagues. Wiles is co-author of the book "Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game.'" Our blog: John Schaefer on "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"

"Never tell your editors what your real plan is," says NPR reporter Laura Sullivan, as she and fellow Dart Award winner Rachel Dissell explain how to get approval for ambitious, difficult stories. Get full coverage at DartCenter.org.

We invite poets -- including Pulitzer Prize winners and a national poet laureate -- to read from some of their work and to discuss the state of poetry.

Dart Award-winning reporter Laura Sullivan tells the story behind the story, "Sexual Abuse of Native American Women": a groundbreaking NPR investigation of an ongoing epidemic of sexual violence on Native American reservations.

The governor yesterday revealed his plans for a $144.3 billion state budget. We discuss what the new budget has in store for health care, parks and education funding -- and why the governor is taking a gamble on the lottery.

Everyone is paying more for gas, but not everyone in the gasoline business is making money off of soaring prices. Because of credit card fees, which are based on a percentage of each sale, higher gas prices translate into lower profits for gas station owners.

Energy efficiency a success story... A low life for high ratings... Unemployment rise enough for recession?

Research shows that sleep deprivation makes people emotionally volatile and temperamental a fact that hasn't escaped the notice of some reality TV producers, who deny contestants sleep in an effort to kick up televised drama.

After four albums of down-and-dirty blues tracks recorded in basements, The Black Keys teamed up with superstar producer and Gnarls Barkley mastermind Danger Mouse. The result is “Attack & Release,” a dynamic CD of blues rock that avoids the genre’s biggest pitfalls: studio polish. The Black Keys will perform at Terminal 5 tonight at 8 p.m. (The show is sold out.) They also play McCarren Park Pool on Aug. 5

Rescuers worked frantically throughout southwestern China on Wednesday to reach the thousands of people still trapped in the rubble after Monday's devastating earthquake. But, as the day faded, so did the hope that many of the missing would be found alive.

Pepi Ginsberg has a distinctively mournful voice with a remarkable range. On her latest CD, Red she croons with a weathered and passionate warble about her inner demons (real or imagined), sleeping with strangers, getting high, and starting anew. She's a kind of troubadour for the 21st century, gracefully channeling '60s psychedelic pop and folk and retooling it to fit her own imaginative stylings.

At an informal WGBH lunch, Quil Lawrence discusses the Iraq War's seldom-told success story, the rise of the Kurds of northern Iraq. Quil has recently released a new book Invisible Nation: How the Kurds' Quest for Statehood Is Shaping Iraq and the Middle East, based on his experiences as a reporter in Iraq. Visit us at www.wgbh.org/forum to explore our entire collection of lectures.

It's never been easier to acquire, manipulate and distribute recorded music. Randy Cohen, author of "The Ethicist" column for the New York Times Magazine, joins us to add some color to the "gray areas" in issues like downloading, ripping CDs and pitch correction. Plus, we take your calls and comments. Tell us: Got a music-related dilemma? Leave a question for The Ethicist! Our blog: host John Schaefer and producer Joel Meyer share their musical ethical dilemmas

Berkeley-based author Susan Griffin joins us to talk about her latest book, "Wrestling with the Angel of Democracy," a personal narrative exploring the evolution of democracy in America. Griffin is an award-winning poet, writer and playwright. Her book "A Chorus of Stones" was a finalist for the National book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

In the first half hour we analyze the results from Tuesday's primary in West Virginia, and discuss the implications for Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and the Democratic Party. In the second half of the show we address how Northern California's large Chinese-American community is mourning over the death toll from Monday's devastating earthquake in central China. We'll hear reaction from locals and find out how to help.

Detroit's Orchestra Hall was like a scene out of the Jetsons on Tuesday night. A robot designed by Honda conducted the Detroit Symphony. ASIMO, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, led musicians during a performance of The Impossible Dream.

Baseball offers the Sports Curmudgeon much tackiness to grouse about, like all-you-can-eat sections in ballparks and players who just stand and watch the ball in flight after hitting it.

Lesner Inn, May 2008 Author: bjleiderman Keywords: BJ Leiderman NPR Virginia Beach Added: May 14, 2008

Lesner Inn, May 2008 Author: bjleiderman Keywords: BJ Leiderman NPR Virginia Beach Added: May 14, 2008

Lesner Inn, May 2008 Author: bjleiderman Keywords: BJ Leiderman NPR Virginia Beach Added: May 14, 2008

Congress looks into green building policies... Old Blue Eyes still sparkling... Reich: Nation needs broader housing bill

At Fort Lee in Virginia, soldiers train to become 92Ms mortuary affairs specialists. They will go on to help recover, identify and prepare the remains of fallen soldiers. The 92Ms use the language of medical examiners, and they also make sure to properly honor the soldiers in their care.

Randy Cohen, author of "The Ethicist" column for the New York Times Magazine, joins us to add some color to the "gray areas" in issues like downloading, ripping CDs and pitch correction. Plus, we take your calls and comments.

Randy Cohen, author of "The Ethicist" column for the New York Times Magazine, joins us to add some color to the "gray areas" in issues like downloading, ripping CDs and pitch correction. Plus, we take your calls and comments.

Forty years ago, millions of French workers joined protesting students in a general strike that paralyzed the country and nearly brought down the government. A few weeks later, the May 1968 protests fizzled out, but French society was radically changed.

For their self-titled, debut release, Tallahassee, Fla. band The Woods decided to package all the CDs in the pages of old books. With an initial "pressing" of just 40 discs, the group glued together the pages of used thrift-store books, cut a hole for the CDs and stamped the band's name on the cover with a typesetting machine. It's the same kind of inspired care they took with the music itself. The Woods is an enchanting collection of songs rooted in acoustic folk music, with pleasantly unpredictable turns toward more experimental soundscapes.

The credit crunch means some credit card companies are clamping down on outstanding debt. Our personal finance contributor discusses how to get and keep the best credit deal.

If it's too loud, you're too old. That's the old rock ‘n’ roll saying. But many believe veteran experience counts in running arts organizations. Others say fresh blood is needed at a time when the arts need to reach younger audiences. In this week's "Soundcheck Smackdown," Lee Rosenbaum, a veteran cultural journalist who blogs for Artsjournal.com; and Barry Hessenius, author of the study "Involving Youth in Nonprofit Arts Organizations," square off on the topic. Tell us: Which quality is more important for the leader of an arts organization: youth or experience? Why? Our blog: John on arts-world vets and rookies.