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Sunday

Living Memories From The Last Days Of Alcatraz

Alcatraz, the infamous prison, still captures the imagination 50 years after it closed. Those who did time there, however, don't have to wonder. Leigh Wiener/Courtesy Devik Wiener hide caption

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Leigh Wiener/Courtesy Devik Wiener

Living Memories From The Last Days Of Alcatraz

Even without prisoners, Alcatraz remains one of the most infamous prisons in America. Five decades after it closed, it still captures the public's imagination. Those who stayed there, however, can tell you exactly what doing time on "The Rock" was like.

Living Memories From The Last Days Of Alcatraz

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An Unlikely Explorer Stumbles Into Controversy

Author Interviews

An Unlikely Explorer Stumbles Into Controversy

The mostly forgotten explorer Paul du Chaillu first introduced the world to gorillas. His methods were attacked and his work discredited during his lifetime, but he also experienced fame and redemption. Now, there's a new book that tells his story.

An Unlikely Explorer Stumbles Into Controversy

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Saturday

Old Newspapers Shed New Light On Emmett Till Murder

Officers stand by in 1955 as religious leaders from Chicago demonstrate outside the White House in Washington over the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till. AP hide caption

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AP

Old Newspapers Shed New Light On Emmett Till Murder

New details about one of Mississippi's most infamous murders are coming to light — more than a half-century later. The death of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who allegedly whistled at a white woman, helped spark the civil rights movement.

Old Newspapers Shed New Light On Emmett Till Murder

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Friday

Versailles Gets Spiffed-Up On Its Day Off

Restorer Nicoletta Rinaldi works on the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors at the Versailles Palace, west of Paris, in 2007. Remy de la Mauviniere/AP hide caption

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Remy de la Mauviniere/AP

Europe

Versailles Gets Spiffed-Up On Its Day Off

Nearly 7 million people visit the Chateau at Versailles a year. But one day a week, it's closed. That's a spa day of sorts, when conservation work and cleaning takes place at the Grande Dame of France royal residences. The hardwood floors alone require nearly 1,000 gallons of wax a year.

Versailles Gets Spiffed-Up On Its Day Off

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Thursday

Steven Pinker: Is The World A Less Violent Place?

Steven Pinker says our perception of how violent we are as a species is skewed. Robert Leslie/TED hide caption

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Robert Leslie/TED

TED Radio Hour

Steven Pinker: Is The World A Less Violent Place?

Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical, we are living in the most peaceful time in our species' existence.

Steven Pinker: Is The World A Less Violent Place?

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Law

The Road To The Supreme Court Arguments On Gay Marriage

The much-anticipated Supreme Court arguments on California's Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act represent a historic moment in the Court's history. Legal analysts and activists are contemplating what the Court's decisions could mean for the future of United States law.

The Road To The Supreme Court Arguments On Gay Marriage

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Martin Recalls The Supreme Court 34 Years Ago
Jose Luis Magana/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Can I Just Tell You?

Martin Recalls The Supreme Court 34 Years Ago

As the nation watched the historic Supreme Court arguments over gay marriage, host Michel Martin recalls an affirmative action case she followed at the Court in 1979. In her 'Can I Just Tell You' essay, she explains how — as gay rights activists fight for equality in marriage — the fight for equal economic opportunity remains for many African-Americans.

Martin Recalls The Supreme Court 34 Years Ago

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Reviving The Spirit And Schmaltz Of The Jewish Deli

Nick Wiseman, partner at DGS Delicatessen, inspects the kitchen as an employee prepares pastrami sandwiches for lunch. Daniel M.N. Turner/NPR hide caption

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Daniel M.N. Turner/NPR

The Salt

Reviving The Spirit And Schmaltz Of The Jewish Deli

Smoked salmon pastrami may sound heretical, but owners of a revisionist Jewish deli in Washington, D.C., say it's all part of a revival of traditional Jewish cuisine.

Hear David Greene's Story

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Wednesday

World

The Fear That Drives Russia's Support For Syria's Assad

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently supported President Bashar Assad through Syria's violent crisis. Fiona Hill, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, argues that Putin's support is linked to Russia's own history.

The Fear That Drives Russia's Support For Syria's Assad

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Tuesday

'Angry Days' Shows An America Torn Over Entering World War II

Before Pearl Harbor, aviator Charles Lindbergh was so vocal about his opposition to U.S. involvement in World War II that he became an unofficial leader of America's isolationist movement. AP hide caption

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AP

Author Interviews

'Angry Days' Shows An America Torn Over Entering World War II

Fresh Air

World War II is often thought of as a good and just war — a war the U.S. had to fight. But it wasn't that simple. Public debate was heated between interventionism, which President Roosevelt supported, and isolationism, which aviator Charles Lindbergh became an unofficial spokesman for.

'Angry Days' Shows An America Torn Over Entering World War II

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Opinion

Op-Ed: It's Time To Beef Up The U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Navy estimates that by 2035 the Arctic Ocean may be ice-free for a month each year. In an op-ed for Foreign Policy, James Holmes, U.S. Naval War College, argues that in preparation for the increased activity in the Northwest Passage, the U.S. needs a Coast Guard that can fight.

Op-Ed: It's Time To Beef Up The U.S. Coast Guard

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An Oral History Of New York Food: Dining Out Wasn't Always 'In'

A pushcart fruit vendor at the Fulton fish market in New York City in 1943 Gordon Parks/Library of Congress hide caption

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Gordon Parks/Library of Congress

The Salt

An Oral History Of New York Food: Dining Out Wasn't Always 'In'

New York is now known for pricey restaurants and celebrity chefs. But there are still a few folks who remember buying food from horse-drawn wagons in the city. An audio project aims to preserve these memories, and the voices that share them.

Monday

Spanish Town To Host Its First Seder In More Than 500 Years

A view of the medieval town of Ribadavia, in Galicia, in the north of Spain. José Antonio Gil Martínez/via Flickr hide caption

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José Antonio Gil Martínez/via Flickr

The Salt

Spanish Town To Host Its First Seder In More Than 500 Years

The Jews of Ribadavia, a small medieval town in the north of Spain, are long gone. But no matter: The town's plan to host its first Passover Seder in centuries is aimed at tourists. Like many cities across Spain, Ribadavia hopes reclaiming its Jewish history will also boost its economy.

Sunday

Marking Forgotten Slave Burial Sites, Online

Sandra Arnold, a student at Fordham University, is building the first national online registry of slave burial sites. The idea was sparked after she visited a former plantation in Tennessee where her great-grandfather, who was born a slave, is buried next to his wife, Ethel.

Marking Forgotten Slave Burial Sites, Online

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