Martha Brockenbrough, the founder of National Grammar Day and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, tells host Rachel Martin about what she has referred to as an "apostrophe catastrophe." The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has a policy against possessive apostrophes in the names of places. The reason, The Wall Street Journal reports, is that the apostrophe quote implies private ownership of a public space.
Several high schools had to cancel their proms in 1963, during a time of tumultuous civil rights protests across the South, and in Birmingham, Ala., particularly. Fifty years later, some of those African-American students finally got the chance to dance the night away. Gigi Douban reports.
Their country isn't an easy place for anyone to make a living, but it's a downright hostile environment for those with disabilities. Support has mostly come from nonprofits, but activists are pressing the government to take action.
In this week's Sunday Conversation, host Rachel Martin speaks with Detective Sgt. Joe Matthews, who worked for decades on the Adam Walsh murder investigation in Florida. She will speak to him about how the case changed overtime, how it affected him personally and professionally, and how it feels to close a case that he worked on for so long.
Host Rachel Martin talks with Levis archivist Lynn Downey about the brand's 140th anniversary this month.
The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.
Host Rachel Martin talks with Ramez Maluf, professor of journalism at Lebanese American University in Beirut, about different views in Arab media on the Syrian conflict.
This week, the final roster for candidates in Iran's presidential election will be announced by the country's religious Guardian Council. Host Rachel Martin talks with Iranian-American Rutgers professor Hooshang Amirahmadi about his candidacy.
Two years ago on May 19, President Obama called for a new chapter in American diplomacy, promising to make it a top priority to support democracy and human rights in a changing Middle East. Some experts say that the U.S. has failed to live up to that commitment in places like Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. The conflict in Syria has also opened a darker chapter in the Arab uprisings.
We've already met Jesse and Celine, twice. In the 1995 film Before Sunset, they had a romantic encounter in Vienna. Nine years later, they found each other in Paris. In this third film, their relationship has progressed another nine years. The romance hasn't left, says director Richard Linklater, it's simply changed.
Controversies dominated this past week's political headlines, leaving the Obama White House on the defensive, trying to contain any lasting damage. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mara Liasson.
Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Mike Pesca about wrestling. The Iran and U.S. teams were supposed to face off in Los Angeles, and the sport is battling to stay in the Olympics.
Less than two years ago, she was a receptionist honing her phone-answering skills at a music organization in Birmingham, England. Now, she's got a record deal and critical acclaim, and she's touring the U.S.
Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.
In this week's Sunday Conversation, host Rachel Martin speaks with Col. Jeannie Leavitt, the Air Force's first female fighter pilot, about gender in the Air Force. Leavitt is also the first female fighter wing commander, and she has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.