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BOOK REVIEW: ‘Once Upon A Quinceañera’ Has Fairy Tale Charm

By NPR News March 9, 2021

Once Upon a A Quinceañera, by Monica Gomez-Hira

Once Upon a Quinceañera opens in Miami, the summer after Carmen Aguilar's senior year. Due to an incomplete internship credit, Carmen has yet to graduate high school. So she's working for an event company called Dreams Come True, where she dresses up as a singing, dancing Disney Princess for birthday parties. She's at one of these parties (dressed as Belle) with her best Read More

For The First Time In 56 Years, A ‘Bloody Sunday’ Without John Lewis

By Scott Leadingham March 7, 2021

In 2015, the late Rep. John Lewis stands on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., where he was beaten by police on "Bloody Sunday." CREDIT: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

LISTEN BY ANGELA VANG & EMMA BOWMAN This weekend marks 56 years since civil rights marchers were attacked by Alabama state troopers on a day now known as “Bloody Sunday.” […]Read More

BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Committed’ Remains Uncommitted — And That’s Its Strength

By NPR News March 4, 2021

With smoke-and-mirrors panache, The Committed -- Viet Thanh Nguyen's sequel to The Sympathizer -- continues the travails of our Eurasian Ulysses, now relocated to France and self-identified as Vo Danh (which literally means "Nameless"). Having survived a communist reeducation camp, a perilous sea crossing, and a long sojourn in an Indonesian refugee center, he arrives in Read More

No, Antifa Did Not Storm The Capitol On January 6. Just Ask The Rioters.

By NPR News March 3, 2021

Stickers reading "Fck Antifa" are stuck on a broken window at the U.S. Capitol after the building was breached by rioters on Jan. 6. Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images

But an NPR analysis of more than 280 people charged in the Capitol insurrection reveals a far different picture of the attack than the one painted by this baseless conspiracy theory — and it comes from the perspective of the rioters themselves. The individuals charged for their alleged involvement on Jan. 6 show a dogged fixation on antifa, not unlike the right-wing media. Read More

Dr. Seuss Enterprises Will Shelve 6 Books, Citing ‘Hurtful’ Portrayals

By NPR News March 2, 2021

Dr. Seuss is seen here in his La Jolla, Calif., home in 1957. Gene Lester/Getty Images

Dr. Seuss Enterprises will cease publishing six of the author's books — including And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street and If I Ran the Zoo — saying they "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong." The books have been criticized for how they depict Asian and Black people.Read More

Gospel Trailblazer Kirk Franklin Brings The Energy And Hope For A Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By NPR News March 1, 2021

For nearly 30 years, Kirk Franklin has been widely regarded for revolutionizing gospel. He incorporated secular music, particularly hip-hop, while preserving the message and integrity of traditional gospel. Here, he and his powerhouse choir pace through a decades-long, sixteen Grammy award winning discography of faith, praise and encouragement while cracking plenty of Read More

The Power Is Back On In Texas. Now Comes The Recovery, And It Won’t Be Cheap

By Scott Leadingham February 27, 2021

A worker fixes a water pipe in Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 19. The power is back on in much of the state, but the Lone Star State now faces the hefty cost of emerging from its devastating storms. Thomas Shea/AFP via Getty Images

LISTEN BY CAMILA DOMONOSKE For Texas, it’s looking like a daunting power bill. The Lone Star State racked up tens of billions of dollars in electricity expenses, as a free-wheeling […]Read More

The Supreme Court Wrestles With ‘Police Chase’ That Wasn’t

By NPR News February 24, 2021

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving an officer who pursued a misdemeanor suspect into his home without a warrant. CREDIT: Jose Luis Magana/AP

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in a major case testing whether police can enter a home without a warrant when pursuing someone for a minor crime. The case arises at a time when there are increased questions about police tactics in handling minor crimes that can escalate into major confrontations with Black and brown suspects.Read More

In An Awkward Virtual Visit, Biden Welcomed Canada’s Trudeau To The White House

By NPR News February 23, 2021

The White House tried to simulate some of the pomp of an official visit during a virtual meeting between President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday. CREDIT: Evan Vucci/AP

President Biden welcomed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and a delegation of Canadian officials to the White House virtually on Tuesday – saying the U.S. has "no closer friend" than its neighbor to the north.Read More

White House: China And WHO Need To ‘Step Up’ On Investigation Into Origin Of Pandemic

By NPR News February 21, 2021

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, seen here during a press briefing on Feb. 4, told CBS the World Health Organization has more work to do to get to the bottom of where the coronavirus emerged. CREDIT: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Biden's national security adviser said Sunday that the administration has concerns over the data China has provided to the World Health Organization regarding the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.Read More

Spacecraft Named For ‘Hidden Figures’ Mathematician Launches From Virginia

By NPR News February 21, 2021

Northrop Grumman's Antares rocket lifts off the launch pad at NASA's Wallops Island flight facility in Wallops Island, Va., on Saturday. The rocket is delivering cargo to the International Space Station. CREDIT: Steve Helber/AP

A space supply ship carrying some four tons of cargo bound for the International Space Station launched from Virginia on Saturday. The capsule is named for a Black mathematician whose contributions were featured in the Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures.Read More

U.S. Deports Nazi Concentration Camp Guard To Germany

By NPR News February 20, 2021

Friedrich Karl Berger, in a 1959 photo. A court found that he helped guard prisoners when they were forced to evacuate a Nazi concentration camp in a nearly two-week trip under "inhumane conditions," the Justice Department said. Courtesy Department of Justice

Friedrich Karl Berger was sent to Germany because he participated in Nazi-sponsored acts of persecution while serving as an armed guard at the Neuengamme concentration camp system near Meppen, Germany, in 1945, according to the announcement.Read More

Millions Still Without Power As Winter Storm Wallops Texas

By NPR News February 17, 2021

A man walks his dog downtown after a snowstorm this week in Fort Worth, Texas. The winter storm has brought historic cold weather and power outages to more than two dozen states, with a mix of freezing temperatures and precipitation. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images

Heavy snowfall, ice storms and bitter temperatures continue to put an enormous strain on the state's power grid. This as the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which manages roughly 75% of the Texas power grid, announced Wednesday morning that some 600,000 households had power restored overnight.Read More

TV REVIEW: ‘It’s A Sin’ Series, Set During AIDS Epidemic, Resonates During COVID-19

By NPR News February 17, 2021

It's a Sin follows a cast of characters (Omari Douglas, Lydia West, David Carlyle, Callum Scott Howells and Nathaniel Curtis) in London as they deal with the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. CREDIT: Ben Blackall/HBO Max

The emergence of AIDS provides the impetus for It's a Sin, a hit British series about five young people who share a London apartment over the years from 1981 to '91. The show is the semi-autobiographical brainchild of Russell T. Davies, a writer best known for creating Queer as Folk and resurrecting Doctor Who. With his gimlet eye for the pop jugular, Davies turns the Read More

Anger And Fear As Asian American Seniors Targeted In Bay Area Attacks

By NPR News February 13, 2021

In this Jan. 31, 2020, file photo, a masked worker cleans a street in the Chinatown district in San Francisco. Police and volunteers have increased their street presence after a series of violent attacks against older Asian residents in Bay Area cities stoked fear and subdued the celebratory mood leading up to the Lunar New Year. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File) Ben Margot/AP

Business and civil rights groups in California are demanding action after a recent surge of xenophobic violence against Asian Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area left one person dead and others badly injured. The brazen, mostly daylight assaults have rattled nerves in communities ahead of Friday's Lunar New Year holiday.Read More

FILM REVIEW: ‘Judas And The Black Messiah’ Is A Tense Thriller About The Black Panther Party

By NPR News February 13, 2021

Judas and the Black Messiah tells the story of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), who was killed by the police in a 1969 raid. Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture

One of the virtues of Judas and the Black Messiah is that it gives us such a captivating sense of who Hampton was. He's played here by an electrifying Daniel Kaluuya, who captures the young man's gift for inspiring other activists and his ferocious critique of the nation's white power structure.Read More

NTSB Says Pilot Had ‘Spatial Disorientation’ In Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash

By NPR News February 9, 2021

Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna

The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that the probable cause of the crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and six other passengers last year was the pilot's decision to continue flight under adverse weather conditions. The result, they said, was the pilot's "spatial disorientation" and loss of control.Read More

Congress Approves Budget, Paving The Way For President Biden’s COVID-19 Relief Package

By NPR News February 5, 2021

The House quickly approved a budget resolution intended to speed the drafting of President Biden's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The Senate approved the same budget resolution early Friday morning. With the Senate evenly divided, Vice President Harris cast the tiebreaking vote.Read More

Parler CEO Is Fired After ‘Constant Resistance’ Inside The Conservative-Friendly Site

By NPR News February 4, 2021

Parler, the far-right-friendly social media site that was knocked offline after the violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, has fired its CEO. John Matze said the company removed him as chief executive, following a fight with conservative donor Rebekah Mercer, who controls Parler's board, after an apparent fight over the future of free speech on Parler.Read More

Melanie Charles: Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By Scott Leadingham February 4, 2021

NPR Music’s Tiny Desk series will celebrate Black History Month by featuring four weeks of Tiny Desk (home) concerts and playlists by Black artists spanning different genres and generations each […]Read More

A Rocky Road On The Way To Herd Immunity For COVID-19

By NPR News February 3, 2021

People line up for drive-through COVID-19 vaccination at Coors Field baseball stadium in Denver on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021. Chet Strange/AFP via Getty Images

Scientists estimate that somewhere between 70% and 85% of people need to be immune from the coronavirus before the disease will wane through a process known as herd immunity. Both natural immunity and vaccines can play a role in achieving that goal. But getting there won't be easy.Read More

Donald Trump Names New Defense Team Ahead Of Senate Impeachment Trial

By NPR News January 31, 2021

Bruce L. Castor Jr., a former district attorney who declined to press sexual-assault charges against Bill Cosby in 2005, is one half of former President Donald Trump's defense team for his impeachment trial next week. CREDIT: Marc Levy/AP

Former President Donald Trump has named two new attorneys to head up his impeachment defense ahead of next week's trial in the Senate. Trump was in need of new representation following the reported departure of all five members of his defense team this weekend. Now leading the team are attorneys David Schoen and Bruce Castor Jr. — both experienced in criminal defense.Read More

CDC Issues Sweeping New Mask Mandate For U.S. Travelers; Extends Eviction Moratorium

By NPR News January 30, 2021

Travelers wear face masks in the main terminal of Denver International Airport on Dec. 31, 2020. Starting Feb. 1, travelers will be required to wear face masks on nearly all forms of public transportation. CREDIT: David Zalubowski/AP

The order, issued late Friday, will require masks to be worn by "all passengers on public conveyances" traveling into or within the United States, including airplanes, ships, ferries, trains, subways, buses, taxis and ride-shares. Coverings will also be required at transportation hubs like airports, bus terminals and train or subway stations. The new guidelines take effect Read More

Past As Prologue: How The Namesake Of Pullman Tried To Improve Worker’s Lives, But Failed

By NWPB News January 28, 2021

The strike—and the violence that occurred—became George Pullman’s legacy, rather than his attempt to create the utopian worker’s town. When he died, his family buried him in a lead-lined coffin because they were concerned workers would try to desecrate it. Read More

Families Separated At Border Hope Biden Reunites Them, Bringing Deported Parents Back

By NPR News January 28, 2021

The Rio Grande as seen from the Gateway International Bridge in Matamoros, Mexico, in 2019. A mother and her four daughters from Honduras crossed the river nearly three years ago to seek asylum. The daughters were released from a federally funded shelter and placed with their father in Virginia. Their mother is in a shelter in Honduras.

The Justice Department's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, is the latest to detail how the Trump administration's family separation policy was a mess from the beginning. In a report out this month, the inspector general found there was little recordkeeping and no plan for how to reunite these families.Read More

In Phone Call, President Biden Presses Vladimir Putin Over Cyber Breach And Treatment Of Navalny

By NPR News January 27, 2021

Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Biden spoke on the phone Tuesday, discussing several tense issues facing the two countries. CREDIT: Alexei Nikolsky/Alexei Nikolsky/TASS

In his first phone call with Vladimir Putin since taking office, President Biden pressed his Russian counterpart on the detention of a leading Kremlin-critic, the mass arrest of protesters, and Russia's suspected involvement in a massive cyber breach in the United States.Read More

Distinct Dissonance And Piano Tones Mark Max Richter’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By NPR News January 25, 2021

These half-dozen short pieces can offer two very different modes of experience. Shot in artful black and white, their simplicity and beauty invite us into a world as we once knew it, where fresh air wafts through open doors and dogs peacefully snooze (canine cameos by Evie and Haku) in the late summer sunshine in southern England.Read More

What Trump’s Declassified Asia Strategy May Mean For U.S.-China Relations Under Biden

By NPR News January 24, 2021

A computer screen in Seoul shows images of Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in 2019. Ahn Young-joon/AP

Eight days before the Trump administration departed, it declassified a key document that it said "provided overarching strategic guidance" to its approach toward Asia, a region it dubbed the Indo-Pacific.Read More

Hank Aaron, Baseball’s Legendary Slugger, Dies At 86

By NPR News January 22, 2021

Legendary baseball player Hank Aaron has died at the age of 86. CREDIT: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Because of his skill and power at the plate — Aaron batted in more than 100 runs in a season in three decades — Major League Baseball named its award for the best offensive player after him.Read More

Census Director To Quit After Trying To Rush Out ‘Indefensible’ Report

By NPR News January 18, 2021

Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham, a Trump appointee who wore a "2020 Census" mask while swearing in to testify before a congressional hearing last year, is set to leave on Jan. 20, months before his term ends on Dec. 31. Andrew Harnik/AP

The Trump-appointed director of the U.S. Census Bureau is stepping down close to a week after whistleblower complaints about his role in attempting to rush out an incomplete data report about noncitizens became public.Read More

3 Questions And The Emerging Answers About COVID-19 Vaccine Protection

By NPR News January 18, 2021

A COVID-19 vaccine being administered in Washington state

As the COVID-19 vaccine rolls out, three big questions loom. First, can someone who has been vaccinated still spread the disease? Second, will the vaccine remain effective as the virus itself evolves? And third, how long will the vaccine's protection last?Read More

NASA’s 8-Minute Rocket Test Shuts Down After 67 Seconds

By NPR News January 18, 2021

In this image provided by NASA, the core stage for the first flight of NASA's Space Launch System rocket is seen at NASA's Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The four engines fired for a little more than one minute. CREDIT: NASA/Getty Images

The test, at NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, was part of NASA's Artemis program, a plan to return to the moon in the coming years. NASA's test called for four engines to fire for eight minutes — roughly the time it will take for NASA's long-delayed Space Launch System (SLS) to generate the thrust needed to send the rocket to space.Read More

Labess Shows Music Has No Boundaries With This Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By NPR News January 16, 2021

This Algerian and Canadian band proves that music has no boundaries even in times of isolation. Recording its set from France and Colombia, Labess blends flamenco and Gypsy jazz-influenced North African chaabi into energetic soul music with a nonstop beat.Read More

Amazon Warehouse Workers To Decide Whether To Form Company’s First U.S. Union

By NPR News January 15, 2021

A man works at an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island, New York. The retail giant faces a major labor battle with a unionization vote planned at a similar warehouse in Alabama. CREDIT: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

Some 6,000 workers at Amazon's warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, will begin voting next month on a groundbreaking possibility: whether to form the first union in the company's U.S. history.Read More

U.S. Puts Cuba Back On List Of State Sponsors Of Terrorism

By NPR News January 11, 2021

An empty street near the Havana Capitol, in Cuba in May 2020. The Trump administration plans to designate Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. CREDIT: Yamil Lage/AFP viaCGetty Images

The Trump administration is designating Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, in a move that will return the island nation to the pariah list from which it was removed nearly five years ago.Read More

Joe Biden Poised To Enter Presidency With Fewest Cabinet Confirmations In Decades

By NPR News January 9, 2021

Retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin speaks last month in Wilmington, Del., after being nominated to be defense secretary. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

With less than two weeks before he assumes office, President-elect Joe Biden is on track to have few, if any, Cabinet members confirmed on Inauguration Day, the first president to face such a personnel issue in recent history.Read More

On Far-Right Websites, Plans To Storm Capitol Were Made In Plain Sight

By NPR News January 8, 2021

Pro-Trump protesters gathered in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. On social media sites both fringe and mainstream, right-wing extremists made plans for violence on January 6. CREDIT: Jon Cherry/Getty Images

The mob violence that descended on the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was the culmination of weeks of incendiary rhetoric and increasingly feverish planning – much of which took place openly on websites that cater to far-right conspiracy theorists. Jared Holt spends a lot of time on those websites. He's a visiting research fellow with the Atlantic Council's Digital Forensic Read More

Melodic Harp, Choral Vocals, Beautiful Views Highlight Active Child’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

By NPR News January 7, 2021

From a stunning room overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains in Pasadena, Calif., we hear the ethereal sounds of Active Child. "I chose this space, as this is where I've written nearly every piece of music for my active child project. my music and this house / this view are completely intertwined."Read More

Saying Goodbye: Gillian Coldsnow Reminisces About 28 Years With NWPB

By Sueann Ramella January 7, 2021

As a supervisor, she has trained many to announce conversationally, to troubleshoot technical issues and combat lazy thinking. She expects and is able to bring out the best in those willing to learn. As a mentor, she has guided students who are now working in broadcasting with most in public media. As a friend, she has always been there to lend a hand and ear and to share Read More

McMorris Rodgers Reverses Course, More Reactions From Northwest Lawmakers On Capitol Violence

By NWPB News January 6, 2021

Protesters gesture to U.S. Capitol Police in the hallway outside of the Senate chamber inside the Capitol on Wednesday. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington) later released a statement: "What we have seen today is unlawful and unacceptable. I have decided I will vote to uphold the Electoral College results and I encourage Donald Trump to condemn and put an end to this madness.”Read More

Lil Nas X Says Children Are His Core Audience Right Now, And That’s OK

By NPR News January 5, 2021

Lil Nas X, the Grammy-winner behind "Old Town Road," has written and released his first children's book, C Is for Country. Kayla Reefer/Courtesy of the artist

A little boy decked out in a pink rhinestone cowboy outfit travels around a farm and points out things that bring him joy. "A is for adventure. Every day is a brand new start. B is for boots — whether they're big or small, short or tall. C is for country," the story goes. This is the basic premise of the new kids book C Is for Country written by Lil Nas X, the Read More

How COVID-19 Attacks The Brain And May Cause Lasting Damage

By NPR News January 5, 2021

SARS-CoV-2 virus particles, shown in red, have heavily infected a cell in this colorized scanning electron micrograph. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19. NIAID/NIH/Flickr

Many patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are discharged with symptoms such as those associated with a brain injury. These include "forgetfulness that impairs their ability to function," de Erausquin says. "They complain about trouble with organizing their tasks, and that entails things such as being able to prepare a meal."Read More

No Charges Will Be Filed Against Officer Who Shot Jacob Blake, Sparking Kenosha Protests, Killings

By NPR News January 5, 2021

In a September 2019 selfie taken in Evanston, Ill., Adria-Joi Watkins poses with her second cousin Jacob Blake. Blake was shot multiple times by a Kenosha, Wis., police officer on Aug. 23. CREDIT: Adria-Joi Watkins/Via AP

"It is my decision now, that I announce today before you that no Kenosha law enforcement officer in this case will be charged with any criminal offense," Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.Read More

FDA Warns Health Officials Not To Mess With COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Schedule

By NPR News January 4, 2021

health care worker with COVID-19 vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning health care workers that any changes to the authorized dosing schedules of COVID-19 vaccines currently being administered significantly place public health at risk and undermine "the historic vaccination effort to protect the population" from the coronavirus pandemic.Read More

D.C. Police Arrest Leader Of The Proud Boys Ahead Of Far-Right Protests

By NPR News January 4, 2021

Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the Proud Boys, takes part in a pro-Trump protest in Washington, D.C. in December 2020. CREDIT: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images

The charge is related to his actions during last month's pro-Trump demonstration in D.C. that turned violent. Enrique Tarrio admitted to removing and burning a Black Lives Matter banner from a historically Black church, an action the Proud Boys are now being sued over.Read More

NCAA Says 2021 Men’s March Madness Will Take Place In A Bubble In Indiana

By NPR News January 4, 2021

NCAA tournament - cardboard cutouts in stands

All 67 of the upcoming men's March Madness games will be played in Indiana, the NCAA announced Monday, in a bid to stage the college basketball tournament that had to be canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization says it's still determining whether fans will be able to attend games.Read More

British Court Rejects U.S. Request To Extradite WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange

By NPR News January 4, 2021

Supporters of Julian Assange with sign supporting him

A British court has denied a request from U.S. officials to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on charges of illegally obtaining and sharing classified material related to national security. The judge cited the risk of suicide if Assange is sent to U.S. custody.Read More

‘This Was A Scam’: In Recorded Call, Trump Pushed Georgia Elections Head To Overturn State’s Vote

By NPR News January 3, 2021

President Trump walks outside the White House

An angry President Trump pushed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a fellow Republican, to overturn the state's presidential results, and appeared to at least partly blame him for what could be lower turnout in Tuesday's runoff elections that will decide control of the U.S. Senate, according to a recording of a phone call obtained by Georgia Public Broadcasting Read More

Federal Execution Can Proceed For Lisa Montgomery, Court Rules

By NPR News January 3, 2021

Lisa Montgomery appears in a 2004 booking photo. Wyandotte County Sheriff's Department

Montgomery was originally scheduled to be executed last month, but that was postponed to January when her attorneys contracted the coronavirus after visiting her in prison and a federal judge granted them more time to file a petition for clemency.Read More

Music And Mayhem: A Diary Of Classical Albums For A Troubled 2020

By NWPB News January 3, 2021

The dance of death, an ancient image that inspired Thomas Adès to compose his Totentanz. CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons

While streams dominated this chaotic, sorrowful year, musicians continued to lay down official statements in the form of albums. And as the pandemic exploded, the economy cracked, the protests thundered and politics grew even more partisan, the arresting albums listed below became the soundtrack to my 2020 – the best in troubled times. In the order they were released are Read More