WAMU 88.5 : The Diane Rehm Show

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A Conversation With Singer, Actor And Dancer Ben Vereen

October 23, 2012
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Ben Vereen has had a decades-long career as an actor, singer and dancer. An early high note came when he played Chicken George in "Roots," one of the most-watched TV miniseries ever in the United States. He has starred in numerous Broadway musicals, winning a Tony award in 1973 for his role in "Pippin." Vereen's world came to a halt when, in one day, he had a car accident, a stroke and then was hit by a truck. After intensive rehab, he came back with force -- and new appreciation for life. While in D.C. to receive an award for his raising awareness about diabetes, a condition he was diagnosed with five years ago, he talks with Diane about his life and career.

Arts & Culture

NPR

More Time Together, Though 'Midnight' Looms

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke return for the third in Richard Linklater's loosely peerless Before series, and they've never been more persuasive — nor has the storytelling. (Recommended)

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

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