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Pop Culture

Honoring James Dean, 50 Years after His Death

Actor James Dean died in a car crash on a rural road in central California 50 years ago this Friday. He was just 24, and even though he had only acted in three movies he was considered a superstar. His death may have served to add to his legend.

Honoring James Dean, 50 Years after His Death

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Opinion

Music News

The Mystery of 'Sweet Caroline' and the Sox

As a stadium anthem, it's not exactly "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." Susan Orlean visits Boston's Fenway Park to unlock the secret connection between the Red Sox, their loyal fans and singer Neil Diamond's 1969 hit.

The Mystery of 'Sweet Caroline' and the Sox

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Music News

New Monk, Coltrane Recording Discovered

In November 1957, an unprecedented lineup of jazz artists performed at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, including Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. The recordings from that night were once lost, but were rediscovered earlier this year.

New Monk, Coltrane Recording Discovered

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Opinion

Fight Against Poverty Needs Corporate Players

In the early 1980s, commentator Alexs Pate worked for a company called City Venture Corporation, which pooled big companies' resources to tackle inner-city poverty. It failed. Now, Pate says, it's time to try again to involve corporate America in the inner city. Pate is the author of the novel Amistad and is an assistant professor in African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota.

Fight Against Poverty Needs Corporate Players

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Music

Old-School Reggae Legend, Steel Pulse: Going Strong

Acclaimed as the greatest British reggae band when it emerged in 1978, Steel Pulse is perhaps the last great old-school reggae band left. Two of its best recordings have been recently released. The band's former road manager, music critic Tom Terrell, reflects on the group's early days.

Old-School Reggae Legend, Steel Pulse: Going Strong

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Media

'Green Light': Arab Reality TV for Islamic Charity

Green Light, a reality television show produced in Dubai, aims to highlight Islamic values. The program features four young Arabs who attempt to do good deeds, one of the cornerstones of the Islamic faith, with no money and a limited amount of time. The show has earned a loyal following in Arab communities throughout the world.

'Green Light': Arab Reality TV for Islamic Charity

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Opinion

Seeing Oneself in New Orleans' Poor

Of the many issues Hurricane Katrina raised, perhaps the most complex is that of poverty. Over the next few days, we will hear commentaries about aspects of poverty highlighted by Hurricane Katrina. The first is from Cynthia Hendrickson, who says the struggles of the poor in New Orleans felt all too familiar to her.

Seeing Oneself in New Orleans' Poor

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Opinion

No-Bid Contracts: A Real Chance to 'Loot'

Commentator Betty Baye likens no-bid contractors working in the Gulf Region to looters who took advantage of the chaos created by Hurricane Katrina. Baye is a columnist with The Courier-Journal in Louisville, Kentucky.

No-Bid Contracts: A Real Chance to 'Loot'

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Performing Arts

Broadway's Latest Frontier: Las Vegas

Every decade or so, it seems that Las Vegas reinvents itself -- remember when it became "family friendly" in the 1990s? Now Las Vegas is the center of a new entertainment trend. New York-based reporter Jeff Lunden checks it out.

Broadway's Latest Frontier: Las Vegas

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Hidden Treasures

Hidden Treasures: Mrs. Parmeter's Klan Quilt

A blue-and-white quilt at a Washington state museum has an unusual and mysterious story behind it. Made in 1928, the quilt includes cloth from discarded Ku Klux Klan masks.

Hidden Treasures: Mrs. Parmeter's Klan Quilt

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The Color of Money

Watch Out for Flood-Damaged Used Cars

Madeleine Brand speaks with personal finance contributor Michelle Singletary about ways to avoid buying a flood-damaged used car. In the wake of extensive hurricane damage on the Gulf Coast, thousands of compromised vehicles could be on the used car market soon.

Watch Out for Flood-Damaged Used Cars

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Race

Out-of-Wedlock Births in Black America

Forty years ago, a government report on the state of the black family in America warned that almost one out of four black children were born to unmarried mothers. Recent figures suggest that now, almost 70 percent of black children are born out of wedlock.

Out-of-Wedlock Births in Black America

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Music Interviews

David Gray, Beyond 'Babylon'

British musician David Gray made a name for himself in the 1990s with hits such as "Babylon." Now, Gray's moved from self-producing in small studios, to recording with a producer who's worked with U2 and Madonna. Steve Inskeep talks to David Gray about the sound on his new album, Life in Slow Motion.

David Gray, Beyond 'Babylon'

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Music

Off the Diamond, Baseball Players Carry a Tune

We measure greatness in baseball by the numbers: home runs, strikeouts, stolen bases. But how about ability to carry a tune? A new CD showcases Major League Baseball players singing. Some also play drums, banjo or guitar.

Off the Diamond, Baseball Players Carry a Tune

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Arts & Life

Philip Seymour Hoffman's 'Capote' Obsession

Madeleine Brand talks with actor Philip Seymour Hoffman about his starring role in the new film Capote. The movie depicts writer Truman Capote as he researches his groundbreaking "non-fiction novel" In Cold Blood and develops a friendship with one of the killers he writes about.

Philip Seymour Hoffman's 'Capote' Obsession

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