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Neda Ulaby Neda Ulaby reports on arts, entertainment, and cultural trends for NPR's Arts Desk.
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Neda Ulaby

Saturday

Mokhtar Alkhanshali, in a promotional picture from his company, Port of Mokha

"I get really emotional when I walk into these cafes and I see Yemen coffee becoming a thing," says coffee entrepreneur Mokhtar Alkhanshali. Port of Mokha hide caption

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Port of Mokha

Culture

Built on a rich coffee history, Yemeni cafes find U.S. success and new challenges, too

Yemen is an ancient birthplace of the coffee trade, and immigrants fleeing its civil war have brought their culture here in the form of cafes. Hundreds of Yemeni coffee shops have opened in the U.S.

The Rise of Yemeni Coffeeshops

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Monday

'Warfare' aims for accuracy

Will Poulter in Warfare. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Warfare' aims for accuracy

The new film Warfare dispenses with a lot of things you've come to expect from Hollywood war movies. It's based on the memories of a platoon of Navy SEALS, and attempts to capture the chaos of one specific Iraq War conflict as accurately as possible. The only thing Hollywood about it is its cast of young actors, including Joseph Quinn, Will Poulter, Kit Connor and D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai.

'Warfare' aims for accuracy

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Wednesday

Tracy Chapman onstage during the 66th Grammy Awards on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.

Tracy Chapman performs during the 66th Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, 2024 in Los Angeles. Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption

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Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Culture

National Recording Registry adds Tracy Chapman, Hamilton and the Minecraft game soundtrack

There are 25 new additions to the Library of Congress collection. They include albums by Elton John, Miles Davis, Amy Winehouse, and the original cast recording of Hamilton.

National Recording Registry adds Tracy Chapman, Hamilton and the Minecraft soundtrack

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Wednesday

Obituaries

Remembering Val Kilmer, whose roles helped define the 1980s and '90s on screen

Actor Val Kilmer has died at 65. Kilmer played Jim Morrison, Batman, and dozens of other characters in movies that helped define the 1980s and 1990s.

Remembering Val Kilmer, whose roles helped define the 1980s and '90s on screen

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Wednesday

Grace Wertanen, the "seedling intern" at Growing Hope Urban Farm in Ypsilanti, Mich. carries a tray of soil blocked plants

Grace Wertanen, the "seedling intern" at Growing Hope Urban Farm in Ypsilanti, Mich. carries a tray of soil blocked plants Neda Ulaby/NPR hide caption

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Neda Ulaby/NPR

Gardening

What's soil blocking? This seeding method helps gardeners use less plastic and peat

Soil blocking is an environmentally friendly method to prep seedlings. The technique has captured the attention of serious gardeners who'd like to make their growing more sustainable.

What's soil blocking? This seeding method helps gardeners use less plastic and peat

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Wednesday

Monday

Culture

How one influential Irish musician in America celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Joanie Madden founded the Celtic supergroup Cherish The Ladies. She tells us about what she calls "March Madness" for Irish musicians and the song that's most meaningful for her to play this year.

How one influential Irish musician in America celebrates St. Patrick's Day

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Culture

How one influential Irish musician in America celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Joanie Madden founded the Celtic supergroup Cherish The Ladies. She tells us about what she calls "March Madness" for Irish musicians and the song that's most meaningful for her to play this year.

How one influential Irish musician in America celebrates St. Patrick's Day

Listen · 2:39
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Wednesday

Tuesday

West Village, 2015, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

West Village, 2015, Chengdu, People's Republic of China Arch-Exist hide caption

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Arch-Exist

Architecture

Chinese architect Liu Jiakun wins the 2025 Pritzker Prize

The jury cited Liu's "reverence for culture, history and nature, chronicling time and comforting users with familiarity through modern interpretations of classic Chinese architecture."

Chinese architect Liu Jiakun wins the 2025 Pritzker Prize

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Saturday

Politics

Trump is a professional wrestling fan. Here's how his politics echo the sport

It's well known that President Trump is a devotee of professional wrestling. Pundits often  describe his moves in the White House in wrestling terms: smackdowns, cage fights and so on. We ask how the wrestling world may be informing his second term.

Trump is a professional wrestling fan. Here's how his politics echo the sport

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Thursday

Wednesday

Michelle Trachtenberg starred as Georgina on the CW show Gossip Girl and Dawn in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. She's pictured above in 2015.

Michelle Trachtenberg starred as Georgina on the CW show Gossip Girl and Dawn in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series. She's pictured above in 2015. Omar Vega/Invision/AP hide caption

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Omar Vega/Invision/AP

Obituaries

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg, of 'Harriet the Spy' and 'Gossip Girl' dies at 39

The actress was found dead in an apartment in Manhattan on Wednesday, police said.

MICHELLE TRACHTENBERG OBIT

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Thursday

First known cookbook by a Black American woman gets new edition 160 years later
Shiraz Abdullahi Gallab/University of Michigan Press

Books

First known cookbook by a Black American woman gets new edition 160 years later

Malinda Russell's A Domestic Cookbook was first published in 1866. It contains least a hundred recipes for sweets, plus recipes for shampoo and cologne – and remedies for toothaches.

First known cookbook by a Black American woman gets new edition 160 years later

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