National Public Radio

Dave Navarro Talks "Journalism 101" in This Week in Music Writing

In this week's music writing round-up, we share an account of a night with Dave Navarro, how the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs got free, and why hip-hop may be getting stagnant. If you see a piece of writing you'd think should be included, please let us know.

Another Big Day for Same-Sex Marriage as the Supreme Court Hears Arguments on DOMA

Following yesterday's hearing on California's Proposition 8 (whose decision will likely fall into the hands of swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy), another case is coming through the Supreme Court this morning. The justices are hearing arguments on the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Mar ... More >>

TED Conference Hosts Best Coffee Pop-Up in the World and More Morning Links

The coffee set-up at this year's TED conference includes eight roasters and 38 baristas, and the coffee geeks at Sprudge say it might well be "the best multi-roaster pop-up in the world." The conference kicked off yesterday in Long Beach with a day of presentations from TED fellows (including one by ... More >>

Billboard's New Chart is Smart Like a Velocirapotor (Watch out, Kids!)

Here's a round-up of music stories we're reading this week, clever girl.

The Least Likely Music Headlines of 2013

For the last six months, the Sound of the City Supercomputer (a 1998 Compaq Presario) has been analyzing the structure and content of every pop news headline in the world in order to create a highly detailed predictive model of the music industry. While this project has important practical uses, suc ... More >>

Q&A: The Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne On Stephen Colbert, Ke$ha, And An Inadvertent Game Of Telephone With Lightning Bolt

Flaming Lips leader Wayne Coyne dreams weird and hard and big. What often starts of as a whimsical vision might just end up as a new world record (for the most live concerts in 24 hours) or a limited-edition vinyl release infused with the blood of other artists (as was the case for 2011's The Flamin ... More >>

The Voice Talks To KNPR About the 37 Reasons Why We Hate Las Vegas [AUDIO]

We must admit: when KNPR, the NPR affiliate of Las Vegas, contacted us and asked, "Do you want to come on the air to talk about '37 Reasons Why An Unapologetically Judgmental New Yorkers Hates Las Vegas'?" we were a tad nervous. In fact, the polite, kind and good-natured people at KNPR's State of Ne ... More >>

Sikh Temple Shooting: What You Need To Know About The Wisconsin Massacre (UPDATE)

Yesterday morning, a gunman entered a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis. and opened fire on congregants, killing six and wounding three -- including a police officer who is in critical condition. Since the incident, additional details have emerged about the crime. Here's what we know so far...

Three Good Things: Fermentation, Falooda, Cartoons

1 On Fresh Air, Terry Gross talks about fermented foods with its greatest champion and fetishist, Sandor Katz, who has a new book. When he name checks some of his favorite beverages, Gross says, "I have no idea what you're talking about," and bursts out laughing. [NPR] 2 This cute and weirdly hear ... More >>

15 Things You Didn't Know About Taxis

City officials are considering raising taxi fares by 17 percent, which has made cabbies very happy. Today, the New York Post reports thatcabbies would be made even happier with more money: They want a $1 surcharge during rush hour, up from the current $.50 cost. If a compromise can be reached, t ... More >>

Robert Krulwich Asks, Do We Reset Our Appetites?

NPR's Robert Krulwich examines some data that shows how fish populations have drastically changed in the past 100 years and wonders, do we eat animals into extinction? Or do we unconsciously adjust? Maybe, deep down, we sense that some foods are no longer plentiful so we make it the fashion to eat ... More >>

Winners of the James Beard Foundation's Book, Broadcast and Journalism Awards

The winners of the James Beard Foundation's media awards were announced last night (the glitzy chef awards will be presented tonight and you can follow along here, if you like). Congratulations to all of the winners!

The Worst Moments From SXSW 2012

Over the last few days, Village Voice Media's music editors have been regaling you with stories of the best from Austin's South By Southwest Festival. But with the best must come the worst, and our critics unfortunately came across the following borefests, technical problems, and insults to their in ... More >>

Co. Chef Jim Lahey on Homemade Pizza and Infecting Himself with Hookworms

Jim Lahey revolutionized home bread making with the simple, no-knead technique he perfected at the Sullivan Street Bakery. He then turned his attention to pizza, dishing up inventive pies at Chelsea pizzeria Co. And now you can make Jim's pizza at home. He's got a new cookbook out called My Pizza ... More >>

The 11 Most Infuriating Songs Of 2011, No. 6: Bon Iver, "Holocene"

The Song: Bon Iver, "Holocene" The Crimes: Shapelessness, "atmosphere," wondering if we're all just particles, man, invoking existential music-listening crises. Many of this year's most risible songs had clear reasons for being as irritating as they were—self-impressed "punk"dom, grating whi ... More >>

Inni

Obama Celebrates Pagan Unholy Day

Barack and Michelle Obama spent part of their Saturday night handing out candy to trick-or-treaters on the northern portico of the White House. President Obama doesn't appear to be overwhelmingly in the Halloween spirit, but we're pretty sure he's wearing a studio-quality Green Lantern costume unde ... More >>

Restaurants Filthier in 2011; Danish Royalty Dines with Their Own in New York

​Are you sure you want that doggie bag? The Health Department says that 17 percent more of the city's eateries failed inspection in 2011. [NY Daily News] Zagat announced its top restaurant picks for business travelers. New York makes the list with four, including Le Bernardin and Daniel. [USA ... More >>

Terroir Aims for Wine Bar Domination; A Look at Cider Week

​An upstate New York small business owner is trying to break into the breakfast market with his product, Muesli Fusion, now available in health-food stores in four states. [NPR] With its third location in Murray Hill, the Terroir wine bar mini-empire is announcing its plans for domination, wh ... More >>

The Melt Will Bring Fancy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches to All of America

The Melt​If you thought that fancy grilled cheese sandwiches were endemic only to urban coastal areas with a high concentration of facial hair and earnest whimsy, think again. In August, The Melt, a "fast casual restaurant" business will open the first of what it says will be 500 locations in ... More >>

Buy This Old Mafia File, Found in a New York City Taxi, For $10,000

P. 460: Carlo Gambino​An old Mafia file found in a black bag in the back of a New York City cab in the early '90s containing mug shots, criminal histories, lists of associates, kids' and wives' names, and the favorite hangouts of 843 Mafia members in the '50s and '60s -- a trove of fascinating ... More >>

Organic Food Is Often Grown With Organic Pesticides

Muffet/FlickrBummer.​Well, here's a bit of news guaranteed to make shopping at the Park Slope Food Co-op a little less smug: turns out that even organic produce can contain commercial pesticides.

Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari, Kidnapped Gay Syrian Blogger, Might Be Made Up

Not her?!​The defiant lesbian blogger Amina Abdallah Araf al Omari (a.k.a. Amina Arraf or Amina Abdallah), who was reported kidnapped on her blog "A Gay Girl in Damascus" by a cousin this week, may not exist at all or otherwise has a lot of explaining to do. Her story circulated everywhere fro ... More >>

Did 'Hipsters' Ruin the New York City Census?

​A few months ago it was reported that New York City's (already low) 50 percent return rate on census forms was brought down by "the hipster enclave of Williamsburg, Brooklyn," where only 30 percent filled out the forms that help make important funding decisions. "These young, recent graduates ... More >>

Tomorrow, Hear Grant Achatz Talk About His Life on the Line

​There's an excellent Fresh Air interview with Grant Achatz on the NPR website that's more than worth 43 minutes of your time, but those who would prefer to hear the chef talk in person about his new memoir, Life, on the Line, should get themselves over to the Mid-Manhattan library tomorrow ni ... More >>

I Don't Go Clubbing, I Go Dancing: Cinco De Mayo Spectacular

​It's Cinco de Mayo! We're going to go ahead and admit that we have no idea why Americans celebrate the holiday other than to over-indulge in margaritas, tacos, and cervezas. As it turns out, though, tonight's schedule of dance parties is more than willing to accommodate. If you want to get y ... More >>

English Sparklers May Dazzle Royal Wedding Guests; 200-Year-Old Bubbly Could Go for $82K

​English sparkling wines are getting so good that they might be served at the royal wedding, as they were at Queen Elizabeth II's 80th birthday party. [NY Times] Meanwhile, beer happy guests at the royal wedding won't be too pleased to learn that no suds will be served at the event. [NPR] A ... More >>

Planned Parenthood Care Chart vs. NPR Spending Chart

​After last night's late budget compromise and extension, Planned Parenthood has been protected from any government spending cuts (so far). Yesterday, the Washington Post's Ezra Klein posted a graph from Planned Parenthood demonstrating what activities they perform (abortion is excluded from f ... More >>

Transocean, Firm Behind Exploding Gulf Rig, Gives Execs Bonuses for 'Best Safety Year'

The explosion of Deepwater Horizon​As we head toward the one-year anniversary of the start of the BP spill in the Gulf (that was April 20, 2010, in case you've forgotten), it's almost as though we've completely forgotten about that old oil spill in the Gulf. Out of sight, out of mind! BP is pe ... More >>

Huffington Post Hires Handful, Ditches AOL-ers; NPR Videos 'Inappropriately Edited'

​Since becoming a pair with his company's $315 million purchase of The Huffington Post, AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and HuffPo founder Arianna Huffington have overseen the cutting of hundreds of content providers on the parent company's side, with Armstrong presiding over the laying off of over 2,00 ... More >>

Lara Logan Covers New York Post Again; Spy Magazine Now Online For Free

Day 2​If the (little) reporting and (excessive) analysis surrounding Lara Logan's assault in Egypt have taught us anything, it's that most people are somewhat insensitive or otherwise unprepared and unable to talk about rape without offending, and the Internet can be an awful place. Also, expl ... More >>

Bristol Palin Memoir Is Allegedly Happening; Derrick Oaks Is Your New Subway Hero; 40 States Are Freezing

​• Bristol Palin, 20-year-old daughter of Sarah Palin and no longer teen mom (or Dancing With the Stars contender), has a memoir in the works. Of course she does! It's apparently 304 pages and currently titled "Untitled Bristol Palin Memoir," according to Amazon, where forums are busy discus ... More >>

As States Crack Down on Meth-Like "Bath Salts," What Are Your Remaining Legal Highs?

​Perhaps you've seen the tiny packets of intriguing substances with mysterious, floaty names like "Cloud 9," "Ivory Snow," and "Blue Silk," in your local convenience store or bodega or go-to gas station. Perhaps you've been curious; perhaps you've even purchased them and experienced what they ... More >>

Wael Ghonim Helps Reignite Protests in Egypt

via​Wael Ghonim, the Google marketing executive in the Middle East and North Africa, was freed yesterday after being held by the Egyptian government for nearly two weeks. Today, he was back in Tahrir Square demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak. An NPR reporter credits Ghonim wi ... More >>

Stream PJ Harvey's Let England Shake, And Hope She Adds Another Terminal 5 Show

​James Blake has probably got Album Everyone Will Be Talking About This Week honors all sewn up for now, but roundabout next Tuesday a nation's fawning eyes will turn to PJ Harvey's fantastic Let England Shake, far from the screamiest entry in her 20-year catalog (!), but among the bleakest, h ... More >>

Fake Blueberries Plague Our Food Products; Cook Gets Jail Time for Putting Body Hair in Cop's Sandwich

​An investigation has been launched into what caused a mysterious greenish-yellow goo to fall from the skies in Snyder, New York. Turns out, it might be the poo of seagulls who dined on McDonald's fries. [Daily Mail] Chengdu province is hoping to capitalize on the popularity of spicy Sichuan ... More >>

Download Bootlegs Of All 13 Sets From globalFEST 2011

Kinda makes you wonder what the Pedrito Martinez Group sounds like. Pic by Ben Jay.​Last week's globalFEST 2011 blowout at Webster Hall packed 13 acts from Brazil, India, Cuba, Mali, Sengal, Hawaii, Honduras, France, Egypt, Colombia, Peru, the Congo, and New York City onto three stages, a stag ... More >>

The Most Overlooked Tracks of 2010: The Bad Plus, CocoRosie, Parenthetical Girls

​Our look back at all things 2010 continues this week as we highlight some of the year's most overlooked tracks. In this edition: songs from the gallery, more or less.

Rob Harvilla's Top 10 Singles of 2010

​Not every great song this year was released by Katy Perry. From a snarling avant-electro NPR lecture to a haunted-house posse cut to a ludicrously profane viral sensation, here are 10 examples. "Teenage Dream" might still be better than all of these, though. Better get this started before I c ... More >>

The Ten Best Cookbooks of 2010, According to Everyone Else

winosandfoodies.com​ It's the end of the year, time for best-of roundups. Rather than create our own list of the top cookbooks of 2010, we took a look at everyone else's and determined which books overlapped the most. So without further ado, here are the 10 cookbooks you should have read by ... More >>

Facebook Predicts You Will Break Up in Two and a Half Weeks

​Some of us break up all willy-nilly, whenever we feel like it. But others among us are predictable. We like to break up at specific times of year. And we then, predictably, like to let Facebook know about that. Hence this fascinating "Peak Break-Up Times" calendar from David McCandless and Le ... More >>

Morning Links: Heroin Bust in Hell's Kitchen; Less-Popular Obama Won't Cave on Tax Cuts; Adventures in Bikram with Lady Gaga

​• Happy Friday! The heroin den formerly located at 417 W. 43rd St., inside, as the New York Post puts it, a "Next to Normal-seeming ground-floor duplex," (wink, wink! groan, groan) has been busted and a stash worth $6.5 million has been seized. Note: when the neighbors move in and put black ... More >>

The Cherpumple: A Turducken for Your Sweet Tooth; Nutrition Prof Goes on Twinkie Diet & Loses 27 Lbs.

​Top chefs are opening restaurants in the Caribbean, including Alain Ducasse, who opened Mix on the Beach at the W Retreat & Spa in Puerto Rico, and Eric Ripert, who has Blue by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton in Grand Cayman. [NY Times] Researchers are looking into what makes people love cer ... More >>

Morning Links: Charlie Sheen's "Hooker" Was a Porn Star; D.C. Metro Bomb Plotter Arrested; Kidnapping Attempt in the East Village

​• Charlie Sheen's mystery "hooker" was actually a porn star, "Capri Anderson," who's "adamant she's not a working girl," according to TMZ, and was very upset to be identified as such. Her dad, of course, had no idea what she did for a living. [NYP]

The U.S. Is More Corrupt Than 21 Other Countries, Which Is All Bernie Madoff's Fault

​The most and least corrupt nations have been "diagnosed" by Transparency International in their 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the "perceived levels of public sector corruption" in 178 countries around the world. Corruption levels go from "very clean" to "highly corrupt" an ... More >>

Dear Tony Perkins: You Are a Terrible, Ignorant Human Who Will Hopefully Die Loveless and Alone

​Dear Tony Perkins: Hopefully our readers don't know who you are until now, but just to be clear, you are the former Louisiana congressman who is now the president of an uber-right evangelical Christian organization called the Family Research Council, where you pose as a responsible moral au ... More >>

Morning Links: White House Christmas Ornaments in Peril; Time Warner Visitors Getting Handsy With Nude Statue

The 2009 tree, with ornaments.​• Wyoming is having trouble finishing their ornaments for the White House Christmas tree this year. They have only 1,600 of the 5,000 they're responsible for. Apparently these ornaments have to be handmade, weatherproof, a foot tall, and in a Western theme. And ... More >>

Canadian sex-ed comics are, like everything Candian, hilariously reasonable

​ Each Thursday, your Crap Archivist brings you the finest in forgotten and bewildering crap culled from basements, thrift stores, estate sales and flea markets. I do this for one reason: Knowledge is power. Big Break Comics Author: Paul McNally (words) and Chris Hlady (pencils/color/desig ... More >>

FIGHT TO WRITE

Journalists discuss the dangers of reporting in Mexico

Which Apple Bakes Best?

We're smack in the middle of apple season (and baking season). Here, NPR's Guy Raz gets together with cookbook author Nancy Baggett to find out which apples best retain their flavor and texture when baked. Although Granny Smiths are often cited as good baking apples, Raz and Bagett find that those ... More >>