Opinion

National

Roe v. Wade at 40: A Look at Its Legacy

2:27pm January 24, 2013

Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion, just turned 40. Host Neal Conan speaks with Linda Greenhouse, who covered the Supreme Court and writes in a New York Times opinion piece that it was about "the rights of doctors...acting in what they considered to be the best interest of their patients."

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Sports

Sports Calendar's Black Hole Gives Us Time To Reflect On Sportswriters

8:13am January 23, 2013

by Frank Deford

Aside from basketball, it's a pretty quiet sports week, which means, it's a pretty quiet week for sportswriters. Commentator Frank Deford says it's a perfect opportunity to recognize their work, and cut them some slack.

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Love Of Football May Kick America Down The Path Of Ruination

5:37am January 16, 2013

by Frank Deford

Enthusiasm for sport can be a convenient cover to excuse the worst in us, says Frank Deford, because concussions for young men are the price of our love for football.

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The Big Picture: The Takeaway From 'Django Unchained'

2:58pm January 14, 2013

Quentin Tarantino's latest film is proving to be one of his most controversial. Django Unchained has drawn admiration and condemnation from critics, and has sparked debates about history, race and violence. NPR's Celeste Headlee reads from a variey of opinion pieces about the film.

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There are those who say the phrase "the whole nine yards" comes from a joke about a prodigiously well-endowed Scotsman who gets his kilt caught in a door.

Arts

'The Whole Nine Yards' Of What?

2:25pm January 14, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

There are many theories about where the expression comes from — among them square-riggers with three masts, the amount of cloth in the queen's bridal train, the Shroud of Turin, and a prodigiously well-endowed Scotsman who gets his kilt caught in a door.

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Cheating Might Buy Home Runs, But No Hall Of Fame

1:23pm January 14, 2013

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon muses on momentous news this week — the Baseball Writers Association elected no one to the Hall of Fame. The shutout might be a classic reminder that cheating sometimes brings quick riches, but it can't buy respect.

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Books
Arts

No Going Back: A Hard Look At Bipolar Disorder

6:11pm January 11, 2013

by Ellen Forney

Juliann Garey's novel, Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See, is a searing exploration of mental illness. Author Ellen Forney says it's a vivid and accurate depiction of bipolar disorder.

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Craig Childs walks in the desert surrounding the Colorado River delta.

The True Weight Of Water

8:35am January 11, 2013

by Craig Childs

A recent report from the Department of the Interior suggests that the Colorado River is drying out. But commentator Craig Childs says sometimes the answers are simpler than they seem.

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Books
Arts

'A Life In Friendships' Is A Life Well-Lived

6:31pm January 09, 2013

by Meg Wolitzer

Susanna Sonnenberg's life has been full of interesting women, and in a new memoir she tells their stories. Reviewer Meg Wolitzer says that She Matters: A Life in Friendships is a beautifully written book about the bonds, and the boundary issues, between women.

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Law professor Mike Seidman argues that it's time to reexamine the role of the Constitution.

Op-Ed: We The People Should Throw Out The Constitution

11:01am January 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

One of the cornerstones of American democracy is the pledge that every federal officer takes to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. In a piece in The New York Times, law professor Mike Seidman argues that it's time to re-examine the role the document plays in American society.

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