Roundup

Sandra Day O'Connor Interview [audio 51min]

Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female justice, discusses her life on and after the court, and recent comments on threats to judicial independence.

Bank Deal Includes Archive of National History [audio 4min]

When Pittsburgh-based PNC purchased Washington, D.C.'s, Riggs Bank last year, it acquired more than it was after. That's because Riggs Bank was "the bank of presidents," and its assets included an extensive historical archive. Left behind in the Riggs archive are a treasure trove of old ledgers, signature books and personal checks written by some of the 23 presidents who banked there, as well as a number of other men and women who shaped American history. Mary Beth Corrigan is the PNC/

Evangelical: Religious Right Has Distorted the Faith [audio 4min]

President Bush and the Republican Party find strong support among evangelical voters. But in his new book, Thy Kingdom Come, religious historian Randall Balmer says that allegiance is misplaced."I don't find much that I recognize as Christian" in the religious right, says Balmer, a professor of religion at Barnard College, Columbia University and contributing editor to Christianity Today. He says blind allegiance to the Republican Party has distorted the faith of politically active

Springsteen Hits Coulter, Defends Right to Take a Stand on Political Issues [video 2min]

In a recent interview, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien asked Bruce Springsteen about criticism he has received for taking a stand on political issues. Springsteen responded sarcastically, “Yeah, they should let Ann Coulter do it instead.” He added that, "Present company [ie, O'Brien] included, the idiots rambling on on cable television on any given night of the week, and you’re saying that musicians shouldn’t speak up? It’s insane. It’s funny." The Boss's dig at O'Brien went right over her head.

The Spanish Inquisition - One of the Most Barbaric Episodes in European History [audio 45min]

The Inquisition has its roots in the Latin word inquisito, which means inquiry. The Romans used the inquisitorial process as a form of legal procedure employed in the search for evidence. Once Rome's religion changed to Christianity under Constantine, it retained the inquisitorial trial method but also developed brutal means of dealing with heretics who went against the doctrines of the new religion. Efforts to suppress religious freedom were initially ad hoc until the establishment of an

Shell Necklace a Sign of 100,000-Year-Old Culture [audio 3min]

Scientists have found evidence that modern human culture dates back at least 100,000 years. The evidence is in the form of ancient shells collected at sites in Israel and Algeria. The shells were perforated, apparently for use as personal decorations. Archeologists say that suggests people were expressing themselves with symbols - something associated with modern human culture. Jon Hamilton reports.

Bush Sees Parallels: 1956 Hungary and 2006 Iraq [audio 6min]

In Budapest, Hungary, President Bush compares Hungary's struggles under Communist rule to Iraq's recent history. At a speech with a dramatic outdoor backdrop of the Danube River, Buda and Pest, Bush began by commemorating the Hungarian uprising, which took place nearly 50 years ago."In 1956, the Hungarian people suffered under a Communist dictatorship and domination by a foreign power," President Bush said."They called for an end to dictatorship, to censorship, and to the secret police." Robert

Bush Visits Hungary to Commemorate 1956 Uprising [audio 4min]

President Bush is marking the 50th anniversary of Hungary's 1956 uprising against Soviet rule with a visit to the former Soviet satellite.

Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Readied for Auction [audio 4min]

A collection of personal documents belonging to Martin Luther King Jr. will be sold on June 30 by Sotheby's auction house. Potential buyers got to do a little window shopping Wednesday in New York. Margot Adler reports.

The Great British Future [audio 30min]

Francis Spufford charts the history of Britain - through its Science Fiction. Francis won't quite be arguing that every starship in British SF is a milkfloat in disguise but the diversity of ideas in British SF means that these novels do give startling alternative snapshots of Britain down the years. Science Fiction has always been a genre of ideas, and so, contrary to its escapist image, can provide a hugely evocative record of the time in which it was written. In the work of HG Wells, therefor

The Carrington Dynasty [audio 15min]

The Carringtons are a family close to the royalty and the corridors of power over the last 200 years. Although one of the more recently established of the great families, they have managed to produce some scandalous characters. "This Sceptred Isle: Dynasties" is a narrative history charting over a thousand years of influence wielded by the power brokers of Britain and Ireland, told in 10 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Anna Massey, with readings by

The Banned History of Rock'n'Roll ~ Drugs and Alcohol [audio 30min]

Artificial stimulants and rock'n'roll seemingly go hand-in-hand but, given the famous bans on "Puff the Magic Dragon" and "I Get A Kick Out of You", can musicians really make music about their drug- and alcohol-fuelled experiences? Vic Galloway courts controversy to tell the stories behind the songs we weren't supposed to hear.

History of Sausages [audio 6min]

As a new sausage trail launches in Derby next month, BBC's "Woman's Hour" asks why this humble concoction of meat appeals to both children and adults alike. Sausage lover and chef Lisa Walker cooks her favourite bangers and talks about the many varieties on offer.

Christopher Hitchens, Literary Agent Provocateur [audio 8min]

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, British writer and intellectual Christopher Hitchens, a longtime columnist for the left-wing magazine The Nation, surprised many of his comrades on the left with his robust support for the Bush administration's war on terrorism. Hitchens is best known for focusing his unforgiving pen on the likes of Henry Kissinger ("war criminal, liar without conscience, pseudo-scholar, pseudo-academic, pitiless sponsor of di

Quiz: Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?

If you say"pa-JAM-uzz" instead of"pa-JAHM-zz" or"yooz guys" instead of"ya'll," chances are, you're a Yankee. If you call a bag a sack or pronounce route as"rout" instead of"root," you're probably a rebel. You can figure out just how much of Southerner you are by taking an online quiz called"Are You a Yankee or a Rebel?" It asks questions about how you pronounce certain words and phrases and then calculates

Sotheby's to Auction MLK Papers [audio 4min]

From history's vantage point, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s notes, papers and books are priceless. But the King family and the auction house Sotheby's estimate they're worth at least $15 million and possibly twice that. And they're about to go on the block. Museums and libraries, groups and individuals are busy raising funds to acquire the collection, while Atlanta natives are concerned that a cornerstone of the city's culture is about to be chipped away. Among the 7,000 items are draft

The Significance of MLK's Personal Papers [audio 9min]

Ed Gordon discusses the significance of the auction of the personal correspondence of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., with Patricia Sullivan, an associate professor of history at the University of South Carolina, and Clay Carson, editor of Martin Luther King's papers and director of the King Institute at Stanford University.

BBC Cancels 'Top of the Pops' [audio 3min]

A decades-old British institution is on its way out. The BBC says it will retire the show Top of the Pops. The program lost its allure as the place for rock bands to be seen. Madeleine Brand reports.

Israel's Influence [audio 51min]

Two political scientists argue that the Israel lobby wields extraordinary influence over U.S. foreign policy. We'll hear different perspectives on its power in Washington. Guests: John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago; Stephen Walt, professor, international affairs, John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Dennis Ross, former Middle East Special Coordinator, counselor and Ziegler distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near Eas

The Dalrymples [audio 15min]

The Dalrymples are a powerful Scottish family whose achievements have been overshadowed by their involvement in one particular tragic event -- the Glencoe massacre. "This Sceptred Isle: Dynasties" is a narrative history charting over a thousand years of influence wielded by the power brokers of Britain and Ireland, told in 10 programmes written by historian Christopher Lee and narrated by actor Anna Massey, with readings by actor Robert Powell.