All Things Considered for December 20, 2013 Hear the All Things Considered program for December 20th, 2013

All Things Considered

Ben Stiller stars as a man who escapes his humdrum life by daydreaming in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which he also directed. Wilson Webb/Twentieth Century Fox hide caption

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Wilson Webb/Twentieth Century Fox

Movie Interviews

Ben Stiller, Spinning Daydreams In 'Walter Mitty'

Known for his broad comedies, the actor takes a more serious turn in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, playing a man who copes with his boring life by creating a wild fantasy existence. He spoke with NPR's Melissa Block about the film, which he also directed.

Then-Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte walks the hallways of the Threat Operations Center inside the National Security Agency in 2006. Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

This British Spy Thriller Shows How Thrill-Less Spying Can Be

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In an effort to hire better job candidates, some companies are replacing paper resumes with tests designed to collect big data from job applicants. Mark Lennihan/AP hide caption

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Mark Lennihan/AP

Will A Computer Decide Whether You Get Your Next Job?

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Atlas, a humanoid robot, is competing against 16 other robots in a Pentagon-sponsored contest this weekend. Greg Allen/NPR hide caption

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Greg Allen/NPR

Robot 'Olympics' Test Machines On Human Skills

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Asghar Farhadi's The Past focuses on the complex family dynamics between Marie (Berenice Bejo), her soon-to-be ex-husband, her new love (Tahar Rahim, above) and her children. Carole Bethuel/Sony Pictures Classics hide caption

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Carole Bethuel/Sony Pictures Classics

From An Oscar Winner, A 'Past' Still Hauntingly Present

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NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy performs a spacewalk in May to inspect and replace a pump controller box on the International Space Station. On Saturday, two astronauts will perform the first in a series of similar spacewalks to fix a broken cooling line on the ISS. AP hide caption

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AP

Astronauts Ready For Marathon Spacewalks

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The Chicago press covered Linda Taylor's 1977 trial extensively, and she dressed to court the cameras. Charles Knoblock/Associated Press hide caption

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Charles Knoblock/Associated Press

The Truth Behind The Lies Of The Original 'Welfare Queen'

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Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announces that the city will demolish Turner Field after Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves leave for a new stadium in the suburbs in 2017. Reed says it was a hard decision but he thinks the city will be better for it. David Goldman/AP hide caption

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David Goldman/AP

The Cost To Keep The Home Team At Home May Not Be Worth It

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David Bahati, a member of Uganda's Parliament, is interviewed in 2011. Bahati was the driving force behind a controversial anti-gay bill that was approved Friday. Ronald Kabuubi/AP hide caption

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Ronald Kabuubi/AP

Uganda Passes Anti-Gay Bill That Includes Life In Prison

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Ben Stiller stars as a man who escapes his humdrum life by daydreaming in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, which he also directed. Wilson Webb/Twentieth Century Fox hide caption

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Wilson Webb/Twentieth Century Fox

Ben Stiller, Spinning Daydreams In 'Walter Mitty'

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