Talk of the Nation

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88.5-3

Monday - Thursday

2:00 pm

When Americans want to be a part of the national conversation, they turn to Talk of the Nation, NPR's midday news-talk show.

Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and health care, Talk of the Nation offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with decision-makers, authors, academicians, and artists from around the world.

Find more information about Talk of the Nation.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

'Cannibal Cop' Case: The Line Between Fantasy And Crime

Jurors in a New York federal court found a former New York City police officer guilty of plotting to kidnap and cook his wife and other women. The defense argued that Gilberto Valle never acted on his fantasies, and described the verdict as a case of thought prosecution.

Cardinals Elect Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio As New Pope

Cardinals at the Vatican chose Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope. He will take the papal name Francis and is the first pope from South America. NPR's Neal Conan talks with guests about the significance of the event around the world.

Monday, March 11, 2013

The 'Nasty Effect': How Comments Color Comprehension

At its best, the Web is a place for unlimited exchange of ideas. The uncivil discourse that unfolds in comments sections can be poisonous. A study in the Journal of Computer Mediated Communication suggests that rude comments on news stories can change the way we understand reporting.

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hugo Chavez: The Legacy Of A Polarizing Leader

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died Tuesday after struggling with cancer for nearly two years. The polarizing leader will be remembered both as a champion of the poor, and as a leader who consolidated power in his office. New Yorker staff writer Jon Lee Anderson talks about what life was like during his nearly 14 years in power.

After Chavez, What's Next For Venezuela

Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez died Tuesday in Caracas, leaving many unanswered questions about the future of the country. Julia Sweig, director for Latin America studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, talks about the impact "Chavismo" had on Venezuela and the world.

The Political Fallout Of Sequestration

Both parties are pointing fingers and laying blame for sequestration, a series of automatic government spending cuts went into effect last week. Political Junkie Ken Rudin and Rob Levinson, senior analyst with Bloomberg Government, discuss the political fallout from the across-the-board cuts.

Answering The Call: The Lives Of 911 Dispatchers

A woman at a California retirement home died in February after a staff nurse refused to perform CPR, despite the pleas of a 911 dispatcher. The nurse claims she was following workplace policy. Dispatchers are often in the position of many questions were raised about the role of dispatchers in medical emergencies.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Asylum Suitcases, Found And Photographed

A photographer peers into the past — and into old suitcases from an abandoned asylum.

Op-Ed: There's An App For Everything, And That's A Problem

Technology companies are constantly developing new apps and tools to make our lives easier. In an op-ed for The New York Times Evgeny Morozov, author of To Save Everything, Click Here, argues that Silicon Valley's quest for perfectionism is problematic.

State Of Emergency: Cities In Financial Crisis

With at least $14 billion in long-term liabilities and $327 million in debt, Detroit has declared a financial emergency. Several cities have tried this approach before, and the results have been mixed.

The Papal Conclave And The Future Of The Catholic Church

More than 100 Cardinals from around the world started meeting Monday at the Vatican to begin the process of choosing a new pope. This comes after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. The Cardinals are tasked with choosing the man who could reshape the future of the Catholic Church.

Friday, March 1, 2013

Mapping The Effects Of The Sequester On Science

On Friday March 1, automatic cuts known as the 'sequester' go into effect across the federal budget. Michael Lubell of the American Physical Society discusses what scientific programs will likely be affected, in fields from medical research to renewable energy development.

Talking Science With The House Committee Chair

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, discusses the nation's top science priorities, including the importance of research on how to protect Earth from dangerous asteroids. But in a tight budgetary climate, who will pay?

A Natural Particle Accelerator, Far Above The Planet

In 1958, James Van Allen described two belts of radiation that surround Earth. Daniel Baker says that when a satellite was launched to study the belts in 2012, it saw a third belt form, which lasted for about a month before being blasted away by an interplanetary shock wave.

Seeking A Grain Of Truth In "Whole Grain" Labels

Whole wheat, stone-ground, multi-grain. Have food labels got you confused? Joanne Slavin, a nutrition professor at the University of Minnesota, and David Ludwig, a pediatrician and obesity doctor at Boston Children's Hospital, discuss the meaning of "whole grain," and whether intact grains like wheat berries pack more nutritional punch than their ground-up counterparts, such as whole wheat flour.

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Arts & Culture

NPR

James Gandolfini Dies; 'Sopranos' Actor Was 51

Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has reportedly died. Variety magazine reports that he suffered a "sudden stroke." The cause of death is not yet known with certainty, but HBO says the actor may have suffered a heart attack.

Food

NPR

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

The prize is sometimes called the "Nobel Prize for food and agriculture." And this year's winners include Monsanto executive Robert Fraley, a pioneer in genetically engineered crops. If there's a single person who personifies the company's controversial role in American agriculture, it's probably Fraley.

Politics

NPR

How Ted Cruz's Father Shaped His Views On Immigration

The Texas senator says giving a path to citizenship to immigrants in the U.S. illegally would be unfair to immigrants who followed the rules, like his own father, 74-year-old Rafael Bienvenido Cruz. He portrays his dad as a kind of Cuban Horatio Alger.

Technology

NPR

In More Cities, A Camera On Every Corner, Park And Sidewalk

A growing number of cities are using surveillance cameras in the hope of fighting crime, but all that video is almost useless without powerful search tools to sort the material. The municipal camera trend is proving to be big business for companies that design video analytics software.

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Talk of the Nation

Arts & Culture

James Gandolfini Dies; 'Sopranos' Actor Was 51

Food

And The Winner Of The World Food Prize Is ... The Man From Monsanto

Politics

How Ted Cruz's Father Shaped His Views On Immigration

Technology

In More Cities, A Camera On Every Corner, Park And Sidewalk

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