NPR : World Cafe

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Guitar God Richard Thompson Plays 'Electric,' Acoustic

Richard Thompson started playing in "The British Byrds," Fairport Convention, when he was only 17. Here, he talks about the band's youthful ambition and his subsequent work as a guitarist-for-hire for the likes of Nick Drake — all before the remarkable solo career that leads us to his new album, Electric, recorded in Nashville with guitarist Buddy Miller producing.

We hear the story behind "The Snow Goose," a ballad made more stark played on acoustic guitar. We and our World Cafe studio audience never tire of Thompson's playing, as his World Cafe visits hit double digits.

This World Cafe segment originally aired on Feb. 26, 2013.

Copyright 2013 WXPN-FM. To see more, visit http://www.xpn.org/.

NPR

Three-Minute Fiction Readings: 'Geometry' And 'Snowflake'

NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Snowflake by Winona Wendth of Lancaster, Mass., and Geometry by Eugenie Montague of Los Angeles.
NPR

Gals Who Grill: What Will It Take For Women To Man The Q?

The grill "is the one and only male-dominated appliance in America," says a researcher who recently crunched the numbers. He found that men are more than twice as likely as women to be the primary grillers at home. One reason? Grilling can feel like a form of recreation.
NPR

IRS Hearings Highlight Ambiguity Of Nonprofits In Politics

The congressional hearings about the IRS's handling of Tea Party applications for tax-exempt status raise the question of why and how tax-exempt groups engage in politics in the first place.
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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