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Analysis

Tuesday April 30, 2013

Logic Behind Obama News Conference Hard To Fathom

President Obama answers questions during his news conference at the White House on Tuesday. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP hide caption

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Logic Behind Obama News Conference Hard To Fathom

April 30, 2013 • What stood out were the moments he seemed at a loss with the frustrations of dealing with Congress. But no matter how frustrating a president finds this dilemma, it does not advance his cause to wear his frustration in public. Yes, he must acknowledge the difficulties he faces, but he also needs to transcend them.

Thursday April 18, 2013

Mideast Report: January — March 2013

April 18, 2013 • An independent review of NPR's Mideast coverage by former foreign editor John Felton. He found the coverage to be generally accurate and balanced, but chided NPR for relying too much on Washington-based experts to explain events in Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Sunday April 7, 2013

Code Switch

April 7, 2013 • Race and identity, remixed.

Friday April 5, 2013

Musical instruments wait for the arrival of the orchestra during the closing session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on March 12. Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Coughing And The Meaning Of Art

April 5, 2013 • There's a lot of coughing in audiences at concerts and plays. Why? Commentator Alva Noe suggests that the answer has something to do with the importance of art.

Wednesday April 3, 2013

Mind And Matter: Confessions Of A Perplexed Soul

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Mind And Matter: Confessions Of A Perplexed Soul

April 3, 2013 • What can we say about how the brain creates our sense of self? A lot and yet surprisingly little, as it turns out. Commentator Marcelo Gleiser ponders the many challenges scientists face to make sense of our mind.

Tuesday April 2, 2013

Mindaugas Kulbis/AP

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

How Close Is Doomsday?

April 2, 2013 • Are you one of the last humans who will ever live? Commentator Adam Frank takes us through the famous Doomsday Argument and what it means.

Should All Women Heed Author's Advice To 'Lean In'?

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, speaks at a luncheon for the American Society of News Editors in San Diego. Gregory Bull/AP hide caption

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Gregory Bull/AP

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

Should All Women Heed Author's Advice To 'Lean In'?

April 2, 2013 • Sheryl Sandberg's new book on women and ambition has some critics wondering what a top tech industry executive can really tell the average American woman. Commentator Tania Lombrozo argues that not all books by women and for women need to be for all women.

Tuesday March 19, 2013

RNC Post-Election Report A Line In The Sand For Divided GOP

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

It's All Politics

RNC Post-Election Report A Line In The Sand For Divided GOP

March 19, 2013 • The hard-eyed assessment of the 2012 national election by the Republican National Committee is either the first step toward the GOP's recovery or the latest sign that the party is headed for a break-up.

Monday March 18, 2013

Why The Crisis In Cyprus May End Up Hurting You Too

Cypriots protest an EU bailout deal outside the parliament in Nicosia on Monday. A proposed bailout deal would slap a levy on all Cypriot bank savings. Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images

Business

Why The Crisis In Cyprus May End Up Hurting You Too

March 18, 2013 • A Cypriot banking crisis has the potential to disrupt global financial systems, which are still trying to recover from the crisis of 2008-2009. The proposed tax on deposits in Cyprus could shake the trust in banks in Europe, and that could end up threatening the tenuous U.S. economic recovery.

Thursday March 14, 2013

On Aging

An Age-Old Problem: Who Is 'Elderly'?

March 14, 2013 • The word itself has been around for centuries, but only lately has it become an unpopular way to describe people who are old.

Friday March 1, 2013

The Washington Post's Bob Woodward, shown in June 2012, has been in the spotlight this week because of a tussle with the White House. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Politics

Media Circus: Ah, The President's Mean

March 1, 2013 • The White House-Woodward spat is part of a longer story about the professional life of one of America's most famous journalists.

Thursday February 14, 2013

How The American-US Airways Merger Might Affect You

A US Airways plane rests near two American Airlines jets at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport last year. The combined carrier would be named American Airlines. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images

Business

How The American-US Airways Merger Might Affect You

February 14, 2013 • A combined company worth $11 billion would become the largest U.S. airline. By creating a robust route structure with hundreds of destinations on four continents, the two carriers may be able to attract more frequent fliers, improve service and boost revenues. But what will happen to fares is uncertain.

Thursday January 24, 2013

Te'o Drama Is Telling In More Ways Than One

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. David J. Phillip/AP hide caption

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David J. Phillip/AP

Can I Just Tell You?

Te'o Drama Is Telling In More Ways Than One

January 24, 2013 • In her "Can I Just Tell You" essay, host Michel Martin says the Manti Te'o fake-girlfriend-drama is just another piece of evidence that adults have failed when it comes to teaching kids about sexuality.

Te'o Drama Is Telling In More Ways Than One

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Tuesday January 15, 2013

The Reselling Of Lance: A Job Too Big Even For Oprah

Lance Armstrong speaks with Oprah Winfrey during taping for the show Oprah and Lance Armstrong: The Worldwide Exclusive in Austin, Texas, on Monday. The interview airs Thursday and Friday on the Oprah Winfrey Network. George Burns/AP hide caption

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George Burns/AP

National

The Reselling Of Lance: A Job Too Big Even For Oprah

January 15, 2013 • The rapid rollout of an apology tour that culminates with Thursday's airing of his sit-down with Oprah Winfrey gives us a front-row seat to the workings of the modern-day reputation reset. But just what can the hyperaggressive Lance Armstrong accomplish with this orchestrated stab at humility?

Tuesday November 27, 2012

Taxes Aren't The Only Snag In Budget Talks

November 27, 2012 • Renee Montagne talks with Wall Street Journal economics editor David Wessel about the issues separating President Obama and congressional Republicans in the high-stakes budget talks.

Taxes Aren't The Only Snag In Budget Talks

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