archive

February 8, 2013 We know a great deal about life and its pre-biotic precursors. But do we now understand how life is built from non-life? This is still an open question. Philospher Alva Noë considers this state of affairs in the context of the storm of controversy surrounding Thomas Nagel's book.

Summary

February 8, 2013 The U.S. Postal Service plans to stop delivering first-class mail on Saturdays starting in August to cut expenses. Steve Sack blames congressional mandates for the postal service's woes, while Rick McKee thinks it's the weight of market forces.

Summary

February 7, 2013 Are humans natural hunters? Can animal advocates and people who kill animals for sport comprehend anything of each others' perspectives? Commentator Barbara J. King considers hunting in the United States today.

Summary

February 7, 2013 Kibbeh nayeh is a beloved Lebanese dish made with raw meat. A salmonella outbreak put kibbeh in the news last week — which is a shame, says writer Maureen Abood, because for many Lebanese, kibbeh nayeh means festival and family.

Summary

February 7, 2013 When the White House released a photo of President Obama shooting skeet, cartoonists were quick to the draw. Jeff Parker thinks the image flummoxed Obama's critics on the gun violence issue, while Joel Pett used it to question the president's controversial drone program.

Summary

February 6, 2013 Chuck Hagel's testimony at last week's Senate confirmation hearing didn't quell the controversy over his nomination to be defense secretary. Steve Kelley blames it on the former Nebraska senator's performance, while Clay Bennett doesn't think Hagel got a fair shake from Arizona's John McCain.

Summary

February 6, 2013 We used to have three bona fide dynasties: the Yankees in baseball, the Celtics and Lakers in basketball, and the Cowboys in football. We even had dynasties in college sports. But no more. Commentator Frank Deford says our dynasties are melting as fast as the Arctic ice cap.

Transcript

On Morning EditionPlaylist

February 5, 2013 The power-outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans was a reminder that the power circulating through our lives is a strange, modern miracle of science. It's a miracle we take for granted now, at our own peril.

Summary

February 5, 2013 Two years after the fall of Hosni Mubarak's regime, Egypt is suffering from economic instability and political strife. Emad Hajjaj wonders whether the country's hard-won freedoms can survive, while Luojie isn't sure that President Mohamed Morsi is equal to Egypt's problems.

Summary

February 4, 2013 Is Hillary Clinton's political stature a reflection of how far women have come? Commentator Tania Lombrozo considers what psychological research can tell us about public perceptions of women in power.

Summary

February 4, 2013 Proposals to overhaul U.S. immigration law have been laid out, and now the political wrangling begins in earnest. Rick McKee thinks so-called amnesty offers are unfair to other applicants, while Nick Anderson predicts a shift in the GOP's position on immigration.

Summary

February 4, 2013 The desert has inspired a rich literary landscape. Author Ruben Martinez recommends three reads that examine it both literally and figuratively. Do you have a favorite book that takes place in the desert? Tell us in the comments.

Summary

February 3, 2013 Murderous cats are in the headlines this week. Commentator and cat-rescuer Barbara J. King questions the reliability of the new, extreme cat-killer statistics, which appear in a "meta-study" that she says makes some questionable assumptions.

Summary

February 3, 2013 Guns N' Roses epitomized all of the glamour of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. But, author Alex Stone writes, Duff McKagan's memoir shows the ugly underside of the legendary rock group. What's your favorite music memoir? Tell us in the comments.

Summary