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January 23, 2013 Aside from basketball, it's a pretty quiet sports week, which means, it's a pretty quiet week for sportswriters. Commentator Frank Deford says it's a perfect opportunity to recognize their work, and cut them some slack.

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On Morning EditionPlaylist

January 22, 2013 The stakes are high in this Intelligence Squared U.S. debate. Can Israel tolerate an Iran that possesses nuclear weapons? Some see a nuclear Iran as an existential threat that Israel could not accept. Others say that taking military action could create even bigger problems.

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January 22, 2013 Can intelligence be increased through upbringing? Commentator Tania Lombrozo discusses a new synthesis of research on how to raise young children's IQ. The findings suggest modest changes for most parents, but profound changes for access to early childhood education.

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January 22, 2013 What if I told you that there's a mathematical formula buried deep in living things that tells us — all of us, dandelions, gorillas, sea grasses, elm trees, buttercups — when it's time to die. Scientists think there is such rule. It has to do with size.

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January 22, 2013 As President Obama begins his second term, he has the opportunity to set the nation's priorities. Cam Cardow and Signe Wilkinson disagree on America's most important obligations.

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January 22, 2013 The President has been inaugurated. Now comes the hard part — getting his agenda through Congress. He also needs to fill the upcoming vacancies in his Cabinet.

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January 21, 2013 Marco Polo sits in the garden of Kublai Khan and weaves tales of spider cities, gold cities and dream cities. Author Eric Weiner explains why the best travel book he has ever read isn't about a real place. What's your favorite book about an imaginary journey? Tell us in the comments.

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January 21, 2013 President Obama will be publicly sworn in for his second term today. Dave Granlund notes the historic backdrop for the inauguration, while Glenn Foden has a different vision of the event.

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January 20, 2013 Leonard Michaels' Sylvia, an account of a violent and tumultuous love affair, began as an autobiographical essay and then grew into a novel. Author Sarah Manguso writes that despite all of its particularities, the story could really be about anyone. What are some novels that you can relate to?

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January 20, 2013 French troops are fighting Islamist militants who have taken control of Mali's vast north and are advancing toward the capital city. Patrick Chappatte decries the destruction of religious sites by militants, while Emad Hajjaj sees France's intervention as a proxy for U.S. interests.

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January 19, 2013 With candy bars or a pack of gum costing a dollar or more these days, perhaps it's time to get rid of pennies and nickels altogether. The problem, NPR's Scott Simon says, is picking which historic profiles should get the boot.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

January 19, 2013 After being deployed to Iraq in 2003, Spc. Lance Pilgrim was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. His panic attacks led him to become dependent on pain medication, and he accidentally overdosed in 2007. His parents share their son's struggle to leave the war behind.

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On Weekend Edition SaturdayPlaylist

January 19, 2013 Here's a new way to think about global warming. An interactive map plots how temperatures have changed in any region on the planet since the early 1950s.

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January 19, 2013 Today is Gun Appreciation Day, and both sides of the gun debate have accused the other of exploiting children to make their point. Pat Bagley takes on the NRA commercial attacking the President because his daughters are guarded, while Mike Lester knocks Mr. Obama for making his gun violence proposals while flanked by kids.

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