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Analysis Analysis by NPR commentators, including Ted Koppel. Subscribe to our free podcast.

Analysis

Saturday

Chile Quake: Emergency Without Parallel

Chile Quake Far Stronger Than That Of Haiti

The earthquake that struck Chile Saturday morning unleashed 500 times as much energy as last month's disastrous earthquake in Haiti. More than 100 people have been reported dead after the temblor. NPR's Guy Raz and Richard Harris discuss the scientific mechanics of the quake.

NPR's Richard Harris: Science Of Quakes

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Friday

Friday

What's Behind The New Populism?

Participants hold up signs at a Tea Party protest at the Oregon State Capitol in September. Historian Michael Kazin says the Tea Party movement is a problem for Democrats and for Republicans, too, who have to channel the discontent to their benefit and not be consumed by it. Matt Gillis/AP hide caption

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Matt Gillis/AP

The Tea Party In America

What's Behind The New Populism?

From the rise of the Tea Party — which is now holding its first convention — to talk of President Obama's new tone, there's been a lot of chatter about populism lately. Historian Michael Kazin says the latest iteration is a problem for Democrats — and for Republicans, too.

Blue Whales Croon A New Tune

Blue whales have been singing at an increasingly lower pitch year after year. Denis Scott/Corbis hide caption

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Denis Scott/Corbis

Animals

Blue Whales Croon A New Tune

Blue whales are updating their playlist, according to new research on the huge mammals. One scientist says it's because they've got more reason to sing.

Blue Whales Croon A New Tune

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Friday

Opinion

BackTalk

Listener Says John Edwards Should Cheat Smarter

Tell Me More host Michel Martin and Lee Hill, the program's "digital media guy," comb through listener feedback and offer important news updates to recent conversations heard on the program. This week, the audience weighs in on former presidential hopeful John Edwards marital woes and whether his transgressions of infidelity say anything about his capacity to lead with integrity as a public figure. Also, hear an update on the controversy surrounding the proposed merger of three historically black colleges in Mississippi.

Listener Says John Edwards Should Cheat Smarter

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Thursday

For Obama, Speech With Competing Goals

President Obama delivers his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010. Tim Sloan/AP hide caption

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Tim Sloan/AP

Politics

For Obama, Speech With Competing Goals

In his first State of the Union address, President Obama tried to reassure both his liberal base and the disaffected moderates and independents that he and his party need to win back. Supporters were reassured, but pundits say the speech was no game-changer.

Hear President Obama's Speech

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Wednesday

Opinion

Sweetness And Light

College Sports Turmoil: The New Normal?

New stories about abusive coaches, outrageous salaries and alleged rules violations in collegiate football and basketball seem to be coming out every week. But the negative reports are unlikely to lead to meaningful change.

College Sports Turmoil: The New Normal?

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Thursday

Opinion

News Analysis

Americans Vent Anger At 'Fat Cat' Bankers

The billions of dollars in bonuses and other compensation awarded to bank executives has outraged Americans. NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr says it's beginning to feel a little like the 1930s, when President Franklin Roosevelt inveighed against "the economic royalists."

Americans Vent Anger At 'Fat Cat' Bankers

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Wednesday

Middle East

In Saudis, U.S. Has Ally Against Al-Qaida In Yemen

With al-Qaida gaining a foothold in Yemen, the country is seen as the next place the U.S. will have to do battle. There are clear similarities between Afghanistan and Yemen: Both are poor countries with weak governments. But unlike Afghanistan's neighbor, Pakistan, Yemen's neighbor is eager to play a cooperative role in U.S. efforts.

In Saudis, U.S. Has Ally Against Al-Qaida In Yemen

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Saturday

What The Divorce Revolution Has Meant For Kids

Producer Sasha Aslanian (right) and her brother, Joel, were 10 and 9 when their parents separated in 1978. Courtesy Sasha Aslanian hide caption

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Courtesy Sasha Aslanian

Culture

What The Divorce Revolution Has Meant For Kids

Radio producer Sasha Aslanian, herself a "divorced kid," spent five years documenting the lives of children whose parents are divorced. She discovered that while the courts and state governments are working to put kids first, divorce will always change their lives.

What The Divorce Revolution Has Meant For Kids

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Friday

Science

Looking Back At The Year In Science

Ira Flatow and a panel of science writers and editors discuss the top science stories of 2009, from the discovery of water on the moon to the unveiling of human ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus to public health controversies like the new mammography guidelines and the swine flu vaccine.

Looking Back At The Year In Science

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Friday

Sunday

Amanda Knox Trial A Tangle Of Cultural Tensions

The murder conviction in Italy of the American student outraged many in the U.S. Some denounced it as a miscarriage of justice. However, much of the coverage on both sides of the Atlantic was distorted by cross-cultural misunderstandings.

Amanda Knox Trial A Tangle Of Cultural Tensions

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Friday

Opinion

Barbershop

Shop Talk: 'Keep Your Tiger Woods In Your Pants'

Freelance writer Jimi Izrael, editor and founder of the MuslimGuy.com Arsalan Iftikhar, syndicated columnist Ruben Navarrette and Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for The Washington Post, Eugene Robinson. They discuss whether President Obama's acceptance of the Nobel Prize will restore any of his political clout in Washington and the latest with defamed golfer Tiger Woods and his ongoing sex scandal.

Shop Talk: 'Keep Your Tiger Woods In Your Pants'

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Tuesday

News

Unemployment Could Overshadow Economic Stimulus

The U.S. unemployment rate dipped to 10-percent in November after a two-year climb to heights unseen in almost three decades. Still, the decline is only a small improvement as some still wait to reap the benefits of President Obama's economic stimulus package. Stephen Henderson, of The Detroit Free Press, explains why he thinks the U.S. job market could take years to recover from the economic downturn and why the stimulus package may not offer a big enough boost.

Unemployment Could Overshadow Economic Stimulus

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