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Allison Keyes Allison Keyes is an award-winning journalist with 20 years of experience in print, radio, and television. Along with reporting for NPR's News & Notes with Ed Gordon from her base in New York, she has served as a substitute host for the program.
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Allison Keyes

Story Archive

Saturday

Chuck Berry, Legend Of Rock 'N' Roll, Dies At 90

Chuck Berry in 1958, posing with his Gibson hollow-body electric guitar. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

The Two-Way

Chuck Berry, Legend Of Rock 'N' Roll, Dies At 90

Berry was central to the development of rock 'n' roll, with indelible hits like "Maybelline," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B. Goode."

Chuck Berry, Legend Of Rock 'N' Roll, Dies At 90

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Sunday

Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry Dies

Washington, D.C., Councilman and former Mayor Marion Barry was famously re-elected after going to jail for crack cocaine possession, but started out as a champion for the city's disenfranchised. Alex Brandon/AP hide caption

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Alex Brandon/AP

The Two-Way

Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry Dies

The fiery Washington, D.C., politician who was famously re-elected after going to jail for crack cocaine possession, has died after months of battling a number of health issues. He was 78.

Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry Dies

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Wednesday

Well, All Right, Starchild, The Mothership Is Back

George Clinton emerges from Parliament-Funkadelic's Mothership on June 4, 1977, at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Music News

Well, All Right, Starchild, The Mothership Is Back

The Smithsonian is bringing back the funk. Parliament-Funkadelic's iconic stage prop, which would descend to the stage in a blaze of flashing lights, will anchor a new exhibit.

Well, All Right, Starchild, The Mothership Is Back

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Sunday

How Do You Wring Sound From Sculpture? It Takes A 'Quiet Pride'

Rufus Reid has played with just about everybody in the mainstream jazz world. His latest project, Quiet Pride, is based on works by the late sculptor and civil rights activist Elizabeth Catlett. Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jimmy Katz/Courtesy of the artist

Music News

How Do You Wring Sound From Sculpture? It Takes A 'Quiet Pride'

Jazz bassist Rufus Reid has played with just about everybody in the mainstream jazz world, but his latest project is a work exploring the intersection of music and the visual arts.

How Do You Wring Sound From Sculpture? It Takes A 'Quiet Pride'

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Tuesday

The Impact of War

150 Years On, Arlington National Cemetery Honors Its First Burial

Arlington National Cemetery kicks off celebrations of its 150th anniversary by commemorating its first military burial on May 13, 1864. Members of the family of Army Pvt. William Christman will participate in a wreath laying ceremony and place a stone of remembrance from the family's original home.

150 Years On, Arlington National Cemetery Honors Its First Burial

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Monday

Nearly 3 Years After Quake, Washington Monument Reopens

Students from Bridge Street Middle School in Wheeling, W.Va., walk at the Washington Monument, ahead of a ceremony Monday to celebrate its reopening nearly three years after it was closed following damage sustained during an earthquake in August 2011. AP hide caption

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AP

National

Nearly 3 Years After Quake, Washington Monument Reopens

The obelisk has recovered from damage sustained during an earthquake that hit Washington, D.C., in 2011.

Nearly 3 Years After Quake, Washington Monument Reopens

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Sunday

National

Under Fire, Maryland Dealer Drops Plans To Sell Smart Gun

A Maryland gun shop owner has backed off on a plan to sell the nation's first smart gun after receiving death threats and protests from gun rights advocates.

Under Fire, Maryland Dealer Drops Plans To Sell Smart Gun

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Sunday

Fossil Fans Get Their Dino-Fix Before Smithsonian Renovates

A cast of a Tyrannosaurus rex skull greets visitors as they enter the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Science

Fossil Fans Get Their Dino-Fix Before Smithsonian Renovates

The Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., got its new T. rex just in time to close its fossil hall for five years of renovations — longer than some dinosaur fans have even been alive.

Fossil Fans Get Their Dino-Fix Before Smithsonian Renovates

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Thursday

Business

Competition Watches As Wal-Mart Debuts Money Transfer Service

Customers will be able to send and receive up to $900 at a time at more than 4,000 U.S. stores. Analysts don't think the other money transfer clients will be hurt because of their loyal customer base.

Competition Watches As Wal-Mart Debuts Money Transfer Service

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Wednesday

Politics

Potential Charges Against Incumbent Throw D.C. Mayor's Race Up In Air

The possible indictment of incumbent D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray has turned what many expected to be a routine election into a referendum on whether voters trust him.

Potential Charges Against Incumbent Throw D.C. Mayor's Race Up In Air

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Tuesday

National

Maryland Transportation Bill Held Up Over War Reparations

State officials on Monday told a state House panel that if the legislation involving Holocaust reparations passes, it could jeopardize federal funding for a planned light rail project in the state.

Maryland Transportation Bill Held Up Over War Reparations

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Sunday

Destroyed By Rockefellers, Mural Trespassed On Political Vision

After the Rockefeller Center mural was destroyed in 1934, Diego Rivera recreated this version, named Man, Controller of the Universe, which is on display at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. The story of the original mural's creation and destruction is the focus of a Mexican Cultural Institute exhibition in Washington, D.C. Courtesy of Museo Frida Kahlo hide caption

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Courtesy of Museo Frida Kahlo

Art & Design

Destroyed By Rockefellers, Mural Trespassed On Political Vision

When Mexican artist Diego Rivera was commissioned to do a mural for Rockefeller Center, some may have wondered whether industrialist tycoon John D. Rockefeller Jr. knew what he was getting into.

Destroyed By Rockefellers, Mural Trespassed On Political Vision

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Monday

National

As Calendar Flips To March, People Grow Sick Of The Snow

Another winter storm roared through the U.S., grounding flights and shutting down schools and offices from the South through the Mid-Atlantic. Many are getting sick of the winter wonderland.

As Calendar Flips To March, People Grow Sick Of The Snow

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Friday

Law

At Twenty Years Old, Landmark Gun Law Weathers New World

The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act turns twenty years old on Friday. The law made background checks a requirement for gun purchases for licensed dealers. A lot has changed in two decades.

At Twenty Years Old, Landmark Gun Law Weathers New World

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Business

Delaware, Nevada Sign First Multistate Internet Gaming Deal

When the deal goes live, it will allow poker players in the two states to sit down at the same virtual table, and the states will split the revenues. But some in the casino industry are against it.

Delaware, Nevada Sign First Multistate Internet Gaming Deal

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Friday

Maryland Bill May Require Holocaust Reparations From Rail Company

Holocaust survivor Leo Bretholz's Change.org petition has more than 107,000 signatures. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

National

Maryland Bill May Require Holocaust Reparations From Rail Company

SNCF, whose subsidiary is bidding on a $6 billion light rail project in Maryland, transported thousands of victims to concentration camps in Nazi-occupied France. The company says it's not obligated.

Maryland Bill May Require Holocaust Reparations From Rail Company

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Thursday

National

Maryland Drug Officials Worry Over A Deadly Mixture

Officials with the Drug Enforcement Agency are meeting with Maryland state police and other law enforcement officers on Thursday. They hope to find a way to head off a tainted heroin mixture that has killed nearly 40 people in the state since September. Officials say the drug is affecting users in both the suburbs and inner cities, and groups that offer services to drug abusers are moving quickly to warn users to watch out for the deadly heroin-fentanyl combination.

Maryland Drug Officials Worry Over A Deadly Mixture

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Thursday

Business

Lawmakers To Address Delaware's Troubled Casino Industry

A task force is expected to issue recommendations this week to lawmakers on how to overhaul the state's casino industry. Competition from nearby states cost Delaware's three casinos $13 million — a 5.5 percent drop in tax revenue between 2011 and 2012. Some analysts say the industry may be facing layoffs or worse without help.

Lawmakers To Address Delaware's Troubled Casino Industry

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Tuesday

National

Storm And Stress Visit The East Coast

An arctic air mass is blanketing the eastern half of the nation today, bringing with it high winds and heavy snow accumulations in some areas. Thousands of flights have been cancelled, schools are closed and federal government offices are closed. Those who don't have to drive or be somewhere also have an opinion on the weather.

Storm And Stress Visit The East Coast

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Monday

D.C. Barbecue Joint Serves Food For Soul And Mind

Chef Furard Tate says he wanted to "bring love back" to a Washington, D.C., neighborhood damaged since the 1968 riots. Allison Keyes/NPR hide caption

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Allison Keyes/NPR

The Salt

D.C. Barbecue Joint Serves Food For Soul And Mind

The owner of Inspire BBQ caters to the tastes of discerning barbeque lovers, but he's also on a mission to reclaim troubled young people and teach a profession that will help them sustain themselves and the community.

D.C. Barbecue Joint Serves Food For Soul And Mind

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Thursday

Sweet 16 And Barreling Toward Cowgirl Racing Fame

Megan Yurko and her horse, Beea. Now 16, Megan has been cowgirl barrel racing since the age of 6. Courtesy of Megan Yurko hide caption

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Courtesy of Megan Yurko

National

Sweet 16 And Barreling Toward Cowgirl Racing Fame

High schooler Megan Yurko won more than $21,000 last year in cowgirl barrel races. The sport requires circling three barrels in a cloverleaf pattern at top speed, and Yurko hopes she'll leave this weekend's world championship competition as the top ranked racer.

Sweet 16 And Barreling Toward Cowgirl Racing Fame

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Saturday

Historic House Is Yours Free, But There's A Catch

Architects at Paolasquare International are giving away this historic house in Arlington, Va. for free. Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Architecture

Historic House Is Yours Free, But There's A Catch

In an effort to save a tiny 1920s Sears kit house from demolition, architects are offering it free to anyone who can move it to another property. Current owners of the Arlington, Va., plot want to build a bigger home where the kit house stands.

Historic House Is Yours Free, But There's A Catch

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Monday

National

Giving Up Info To Drive A Worthy Risk For Maryland's Undocumented

Maryland has just become one of several states that allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses. Such licenses are issued as long as the immigrants show some form of legal ID — such as a passport — and they will have to take road exams. But critics worry about security risks, and costs to the state.

Giving Up Info To Drive A Worthy Risk For Maryland's Undocumented

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Monday

Law

An Unusual Call To Quash Ga. Judicial Nominees

In an unusual move, a group of politicians and community leaders in Atlanta is urging President Obama to withdraw some candidates nominated to sit on the bench in the Northern District of Georgia. The group says the candidates aren't diverse and some are racially insensitive.

An Unusual Call To Quash Ga. Judicial Nominees

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