Music Interviews
11:08 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Bret McKenzie: A Very Manly Muppet [Extended Cut]

Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 12:53 am

Books News & Features
11:07 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Forget Lincoln Logs: A Tower Of Books To Honor Abe

Originally published on Sun February 19, 2012 10:01 pm

This President's Day, a group of historians in Washington, D.C., decided they wanted to do something different to recognize the legacy of Abraham Lincoln. But how do you memorialize someone who is already one of the most memorialized people in history?

Their solution: to physically illustrate Lincoln's importance by creating a tower of books written about him. The tower measures about eight feet around and 34 feet — that's three and a half stories tall.

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Tiny Desk Concerts
11:07 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde: Tiny Desk Concert

Credit Emily Bogle / NPR

Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 6:46 am

Here at NPR Music, we don't impose an awful lot of limits when it comes to hosting musicians and their instruments behind (and occasionally on top of) Bob Boilen's desk.

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Author Interviews
11:07 am
Mon February 20, 2012

'New Yorker' Cartoonist Imagines Washington At 7

Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 10:01 am

Through his many New Yorker covers, Barry Blitt has become one of the pre-eminent satirical cartoonists of America's recent presidents. He is probably best known for his controversial 2008 cover of Michelle and Barack Obama, dressed as a Muslim and a militant with an AK-47, fist-bumping in the Oval Office.

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Blog Of The Nation
11:06 am
Mon February 20, 2012

February 20th: What's On Today's Show

Credit
In the second hour, author David Treuer talks about his life growing up on Leech Lake Reservation.

Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 10:20 am

Iran
For the second time in less than a month, United Nations inspectors are in Iran. It's unclear whether they will be allowed near a questionable nuclear plant in Fordo. Western officials believe Iran wants to enrich uranium there for a weapon, while Iran's leaders contend it is for peaceful purposes only. All the while, Western-imposed sanctions are damaging Iran's economy and currency. NPR foreign correspondent Mike Shuster joins host Neal Conan to discuss Iran's ambitions.

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The Two-Way
10:18 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Holiday News Roundup: Mardi Gras, Greece And John Glenn

Credit NASA / AP
An image captured on Feb. 20, 1962, by NASA shows astronaut John Glenn during his space flight in the Friendship 7 Mercury spacecraft, weightless and traveling at 17,500 mph. The image was made by an automatic sequence motion picture camera.

The Two-Way is formally off-duty for the Presidents' Day holiday. But not only does the news not take a holiday — often, holidays are the news. Here's a quick roundup of some of today's important and most-discussed stories:

  • Syria is reinforcing its military in what seems to be a bid to control Homs. (AP)
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The Two-Way
9:07 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Baseball's Spring Training Begins; Opening Day Is April 4

Major League Baseball's spring training has begun, as catchers and pitchers have made their way to Florida and Arizona to prepare for the 2012 season. Games in the Grapefruit League and Cactus League won't begin until early March, when all players will report to camp.

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The Two-Way
6:53 am
Mon February 20, 2012

Stephen Colbert Set To Return Tonight, After A Delay In Taping

Credit Fernando Leon / Getty Images
Stephen Colbert, seen here in a file photo from November 2011, postponed production of his Colbert Report due to concerns about his mother's health, according to reports. The show will resume taping Monday, according to Comedy Central.

Originally published on Mon February 20, 2012 9:17 am

The Colbert Report is set to resume production Monday, after a hiatus last week brought on by concerns over the health of Stephen Colbert's mother, according to reports. Lorna Colbert, 91, lives in Charleston, S.C., where the Comedy Central star grew up.

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The Salt
6:00 am
Mon February 20, 2012

George Washington's Ice Cream Recipe: First, Cut Ice From River

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 9:01 am

This year would not be a good year for ice cream. In fact, there would be none at all if we relied on the technique George Washington used at Mount Vernon, his Virginia estate that's perched on the banks of the Potomac River.

His source of ice was the frozen river. Given the warm winter we've had here in D.C. , there's no chance. Seems the weather is nothing like it was on Jan. 26, 1786, when Washington wrote in his journal:

"Renewed my Ice operation to day, employing as many hands as I conveniently could in getting it from the Maryland shore, carting and pounding it."

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Asia
5:34 am
Mon February 20, 2012

S. Korea Conducts Drill, Flouting N. Korean Threat

South Korea conducted live-fire military drills near its disputed sea boundary with North Korea Monday, despite Pyongyang's threat to respond with a "merciless" attack.

North Korea did not carry out the threat as it focuses on internal stability two months after the death of longtime leader Kim Jong Il and prepares for nuclear disarmament talks with the United States later this week. But with American forces scheduled to conduct additional military exercises with ally South Korea over the next few months, tensions are expected to remain high in the region.

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