Roundup

Darfur, Front and Center, in 'The New Republic' [audio 4min]

This week's issue of The New Republic focuses almost entirely on genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The magazine points fingers at many targets, including itself, for not covering the story more aggressively. Editor Franklin Foer talks to Michele Norris about the decision to devote the magazine to a single issue. He says the situation in Darfur demands crusading journalism and that the magazine needed to play a role in pushing for solutions to the crisis. ~Visit website for photos, a

Heavyweight Floyd Patterson's Boxing Legacy [audio 3min]

Ed Gordon remembers boxer Floyd Patterson, who died Thursday at his home in New Paltz, N.Y., after years of battling Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer. He was 71. Though never considered one of history's greatest heavyweight fighters, Patterson left an imprint on boxing history that still endures.

Writing WWII Pacific Theater History [audio 55min]

The Book Guys -- book appraiser Allan Stypeck and Washington DC radio host Mike Cuthbert -- interview Donald Goldstein on writing WWII Pacific Theater history and Matt Bruccoli on editing Fitzgerald.

Reza Pahlavi Interview [audio 26min]

On "The Interview" this week Owen Bennett-Jones talks to the son of the last Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi. Born into a life of privilege and heir to one of the most powerful thrones in the world, Reza Pahlavi had his life torn apart by the Islamic revolution of 1979 and his family hounded into exile. Since then he's based himself in the United States and dedicated his life to campaigning for democracy in Iran. And he thinks that right now the fractious opposition in exile is finally unit

The Howling Terror [audio 30min]

In July 1900, at a scenic spot near Brighton, England, known as Devil's Dyke, an enormous megaphone sent a human voice hurtling across the South Downs. In an era before electronic amplification or radio, this new invention fascinated and terrified local people. Its ability to project sound over miles and miles verged on the mythical. The newspapers labelled it 'The Howling Terror' and warned that its diabolical broadcasts would dominate the forthcoming 20th Century. Yet today the Howling Terror

Restoring the Fitzwilliam Museum Vases [audio 10min]

When a visitor to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge fell and shattered three late 17th century Chinese porcelain vases in January, he said he had tripped on his shoelace. Photos of the man lying on the floor surrounded by shards of pottery were relayed around the world and created a media storm. Last month a man was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and is curently on bail. The Qing vases were decorated with peonies, phoenixes, pheasants, and butterflies, and were worth a half a million

Empire (65th of 90) -- The Scramble for Africa [audio 15min]

In 1855 Leopold II of the Belgians, took the Congo as his personal fiefdom and become one of the most despised men in African colonization. Leopold wanted the Congo's rubber, and anyone who objected to his methods was chopped -- literally. Right hands chopped off and thrown into tally baskets. Men beheaded. Slaughtered women and children piled in the form of a Christian cross. Much of the evidence is anecdotal, but the genocide under Leopold was greater than anything heard or seen during our tim

12 May -- On This Day [multiple clips]

Video and audio from the BBC news archive, WWII and 1950-2004, include 1994: Labour leader John Smith dies at 55; 1981: Second IRA protester dies in jail; 1967: Stansted to become London's third airport; 2000: Ford quits Dagenham after 70 years; 1971: Row rocks Rolling Stone wedding.

New Spy Novels for a New Time [audio 2min]

Two new spy novels, Alex Berenson's The Faithful Spy and Robert Baer's Blow the House Down, offer thrilling fictions based on today's realities of terrorism -- and undercover efforts to thwart it. Literature professor Alan Cheuse has a review.

Celebrating Beloved Bilko's Shenanigans [audio 7min]

Fifty years ago, American television viewers fell in love with Sergeant Bilko, a sneaky character who cheated his fellow noncommissioned officers, roiled the brass and conned his underlings at Fort Baxter in Kansas. The Phil Silvers Show -- originally titled You'll Never Get Rich but commonly referred to as"Sergeant Bilko" -- ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959. Its star was Silvers, a middle-aged, balding, loud comedian with thick glasses. The show won Emmy Awards for best comedy series,

Bob Marley's Music and Magic Endure [audio 8min]

The music and vibe of Bob Marley -- reggae music's first international superstar -- are unmistakable. On this day, 25 years ago, Marley died of cancer. He was 36. Michele Norris talks to Christopher John Farley, author of the new book Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley, and reggae promoter and producer Dera Thompkins, about the birth and growth of"One Love" and Marley's enduring legacy. We also hear from Bob Marley fans around the world. ~Visit website for photo gallery, audio clip

New Book Examines Christian Nationalism [audio 39min]

Journalist Michelle Goldberg, a senior writer for the online magazine Salon, covers the Christian Right. In her new book, Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, she writes that Christian nationalists believe the Bible is literally true -- and they want to see the nation governed by that truth.

'Black Admiral' Painting Found to Be a Fraud [audio 4min]

A portrait of a dashing young sea captain often called the "Black Admiral" was supposed to be a centerpiece for an exhibition of paintings from the Revolutionary War era about black patriots and loyalists. But the portrait, often seen in books on African-American history, was recently discovered to be a fraud.

Former Boxer Floyd Patterson Dies at 71 [audio 6min]

Former heavyweight boxer Floyd Patterson died Thursday at 71. According to a family member, Patterson had been ill with Alzheimer's disease and prostate cancer for several years. In 1956, he became the youngest fighter in history to win the heavyweight title. Guest: Dave Kindred, author of Sound And Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship.

Religious Groups Respond to 'Da Vinci' Movie Release [audio 5min]

Churches are not boycotting the movie The Da Vinci Code. But pastors' groups, seminaries and other religious groups are. They are releasing books and DVDs, organizing training sessions and setting up Web sites to set the record straight and to capitalize on the upsurge of interest in early church history.

Revered 'New York Times' Editor Rosenthal Dies at 84 [audio 4min]

The former executive editor of The New York Times, A.M. Rosenthal, dies of a stroke at the age of 84. The Pulitzer-winning reporter left his mark on the paper as its top editor. He also influenced the way journalism is practiced.

Bush Defends NSA Snooping [audio 4min]

Washington was rocked this morning by a USA Today story revealing that three major phone companies sold the phone records of millions of Americans to the government. John Dimsdale reports.

NSA Questioned on Scope of Domestic Spying [multiple clips]

This is NPR's microsite for multiple stories, articles, links on the controversy brewing around the National Security Agency as a USA Today report alleges that the agency is secretly collecting records of ordinary Americans' phone calls. The disclosure follows Senate hearings earlier this year on the legality of the NSA's domestic eavesdropping program.

Helen Thomas -- Front Row in History [audio 10min @27:50]

at the age of 85, Helen Thomas is showing no signs of tiring of her job. For over 60 years she has reported from the White House: she has put difficult questions to nine successive presidents and has witnessed history being made. From her seat in the front row of the press room, her most recent success is catching George W Bush's attention -- three years after he last took a question from her.

33 Strategies of War [audio 50min]

Author Robert Greene joins us to talk about his latest book The 33 Strategies of War, which puts a modern spin on wisdom that has stood the test of history; only this time his role model is Sun Tzu rather than Machiavelli. The argument is fairly standard: despite our most noble intentions,"aggressive impulses that are impossible to ignore or repress" make military combat a fitting metaphor for getting ahead in life.