Talk of the Nation

Monday- Friday, 1:00- 3:00pm
Neal Conan

Monday through Thursday, host Neal Conan invites callers to discuss areas of topical interest, including politics and public service, education, religion, music, and healthcare. Talk of the Nation goes behind the headlines with decision-makers, authors, thinkers, artists, and listeners around the world, who become part of the conversation by calling 1-800-989-TALK.

Each Friday, journalist Ira Flatow is joined by listeners and studio guests to explore science-related topics -- from subatomic particles and the human genome to the Internet and earthquakes. Flatow offers in-depth discussion with scientists and others from all walks of life, giving listeners the chance to hear from the people whose work influences their daily lives.

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Digital Life
1:40 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

Facebook Users Should Expect Changes After IPO

Facebook hopes to raise more than $100 billion in its initial public stock offering. In a piece at Slate.com, tech columnist Farhad Manjoo warns that Facebook users can expect to see changes, including lots more ads. But he warns the company must balance profit seeking with the desires of users.

Europe
1:38 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

If Greece Starts Dominoes Falling, What's Next?

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 3:33 pm

If the Greek economy collapses, economists fear it could lead to a chain reaction that engulfs Spain, Portugal, Italy and other EU countries with fragile economies. While some experts argue doomsday scenarios are overblown, others believe the consequences would be chaotic and far-reaching.

NPR Story
1:00 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

Truvada And At-Home Test Join Fight Against HIV

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 1:23 pm

Truvada is a pill that's already used to treat people with HIV. A daily dose can also significantly reduce the risk of new infection. And a panel recommended the FDA approve an over-the-counter HIV test, OraQuick. Users could test and interpret their results at home in as little as 20 minutes.

NPR Story
1:00 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

Non-White Birth Rate May Inspire Policy Changes

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 1:33 pm

The Census Bureau announced that for the first time non-whites now make up the majority of births in the U.S. The demographic shift raises questions about how this trend will affect policy in the country, particularly with regard to education and social programs.

NPR Story
1:00 pm
Thu May 17, 2012

One 'Last Dance' With Disco Queen Donna Summer

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 1:16 pm

Donna Summer, who sang some of the most memorable anthems of the disco era from "Love to Love You Baby" to "Bad Girls," has died after a long battle with cancer. She had a top 40 hit every year from 1976 to 1984, including the song she once told NPR she'd perform till the very end, "Last Dance."

Asia
1:10 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

Activist Bob Fu Helped Chen Call Congress

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

Blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng called into a U.S. congressional hearing from his hospital room in Beijing yesterday to describe violent attacks on his brother and sister-in-law and what he called trumped up homicide charges against his nephew. Chen testified with the help of his friend, Bob Fu, a Christian pastor and fellow activist who took Chen's call on his cellphone and interpreted Chen's remarks for the congressional committee. Bob Fu fled China himself in the 1990s, relocated to Texas and founded a human rights group called ChinaAid.

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NPR Story
12:45 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

'Life, Interrupted' By Cancer Diagnosis At 22

Originally published on Thu May 17, 2012 11:14 am

Just months after moving to Paris to start her first full-time job, Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer — acute myeloid leukemia. Like many who face life-threatening illnesses in their 20s, she is coping with a dwindling sense of independence — increasingly relying on her parents for care — while simultaneously dealing with the very adult issues of mortality, infertility and disease.

Jaouad is chronicling her experiences with cancer for the New York Times Well blog in a column called "Life, Interrupted." "Cancer, she writes, "has forced me to pause my life at a time when my peers are just beginning theirs."

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NPR Story
12:45 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

Hickenlooper And List On Pre-Election Atmosphere

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 12:58 pm

The push for civil unions recently failed in Colorado, and Governor John Hickenlooper has some ideas about why. Also, former Nevada Governor Bob List talks about the influence of Ron Paul on the Republican Party. And NPR's Political Junkie columnist Ken Rudin rounds up the news.

NPR Story
12:45 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

Democrat 'Appalled' By Wisconsin Recall

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 1:01 pm

Wisconsin Democrats hope to unseat Republican Governor Scott Walker in a recall election. In the Los Angeles Times, Jonathan Zimmerman, a lifelong Democrat, says he is "appalled." The recall, he writes, "epitomizes the petty, loser-take-all vindictiveness of contemporary American politics."

Sports
1:31 pm
Tue May 15, 2012

Fan Says Tear Down Wrigley To Save The Cubs

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 9:07 am

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

Fans of the Chicago Cubs come up with all kinds of explanations for the team's epic ineptitude: the curse of the Billy Goat, Steve Bartman's 2003 foul ball catch, and generations of incompetent management. In the Wall Street Journal today, Rich Cohen comes to a different conclusion: Wrigley Field. Destroy it, annihilate it, he wrote. Implosion or explosion, get rid of it, not merely the structure but the ground on which it stands.

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Pages

Podcasts

  • Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:00pm
    If the Greek economy collapses, economists fear it could lead to a chain reaction that engulfs Spain, Portugal, Italy and other EU countries with fragile economies. While some experts argue doomsday scenarios are overblown, others believe the consequences would be chaotic and far-reaching.
  • Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:00pm
    Facebook hopes to raise more than $100 billion in its initial public stock offering. In a piece at Slate.com, tech columnist Farhad Manjoo warns that Facebook users can expect to see changes, including lots more ads. But he warns the company must balance profit seeking with the desires of users.
  • Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:00pm
    Truvada is a pill that's already used to treat people with HIV. A daily dose can also significantly reduce the risk of new infection. And a panel recommended the FDA approve an over-the-counter HIV test, OraQuick. Users could test and interpret their results at home in as little as 20 minutes.
  • Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:00pm
    The Census Bureau announced that for the first time non-whites now make up the majority of births in the U.S. The demographic shift raises questions about how this trend will affect policy in the country, particularly with regard to education and social programs.
  • Thursday, May 17, 2012 12:00pm
    Donna Summer, who sang some of the most memorable anthems of the disco era from "Love to Love You Baby" to "Bad Girls," has died after a long battle with cancer. She had a top 40 hit every year from 1976 to 1984, including the song she once told NPR she'd perform till the very end, "Last Dance."
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