August 4, 2011
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From left to right, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, and House Speaker John Boehner speaks to reporters about the debt crisis showdown during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Inside The Tea Party's Rising Influence
()The 87 new members of the House are the reason the GOP now controls the House. "Nearly 40 percent of them are self-styled 'citizen politicians' who have never held office and who rode into Washington on the Tea Party wave," says journalist Robert Draper.
Recent Interviews
Asia
How Bin Laden's Death Has Affected Al-Qaida
August 2, 2011 CNN's national security analyst Peter Bergen just returned from Pakistan, where he visited the town where Osama bin Laden was killed. He talks about the various conspiracy theories surrounding bin Laden's death — and how al-Qaida has changed in recent years.
Movie Interviews
Gang 'Interrupters' Fight Chicago's Cycle Of Violence
August 1, 2011 Ameena Matthews is a former gang member who now works to stop retaliatory gang violence in some of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods. She is one of the subjects of a new documentary called The Interrupters.
Author Interviews
A Dominatrix Reveals All In 'Whip Smart' Memoir
July 29, 2011 Melissa Febos graduated from college with straight As and a prestigious internship. She also led a secret life as a dominatrix. Her memoir, Whip Smart, which details her time working in a sex dungeon in midtown Manhattan, is now available in paperback.
Remembrances
Remembering Jazz Lyricist And Poet Fran Landesman
July 29, 2011 Landesman, a songwriter and poet who wrote the words to the jazz standard "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," died on July 23. She was 83. Fresh Air remembers the iconoclastic lyricist with highlights from a 1988 interview.
Conflict In Libya
Reporting In Libya And Dodging Bullets, Bombs
July 28, 2011 New York Times reporter C.J. Chivers details what he's witnessed in Libya, where he has covered the battle between Moammar Gadhafi's forces and the opposition. Chivers has traveled with the rebels through dangerous territory and is trying to tell the true story of the war.
Recent Reviews
Music Reviews
New Releases Showcase Lieberson's Vocal Talent
August 2, 2011 Mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson died a little more than five years ago at the height of her career. Classical music critic Lloyd Schwartz says that, just when it seemed we weren't going to hear her sing anything new, some fantastic live performances have just been released for the first time.
Movie Reviews
When Aliens 'Attack' And Fight 'Cowboys'
July 29, 2011 The sci-fi Western Cowboys & Aliens and the low-budget British film Attack the Block both open this weekend. Critic David Edelstein says both movies bring people together from different walks of life — but only one is really worth seeing.
Book Reviews
'Stone Arabia': The Cost Of Artistic Commitment
July 25, 2011 Nik Worth is a failed musician who painstakingly documents his life and non-existent career, leaving his sister to worry about practical things like paying his rent. Dana Spiotta's new novel investigates the long-term costs of an artist's passion.
Spotlight on Country
Blake Shelton: Out Of The Ordinary, A Country Everyman
July 25, 2011 Singer Blake Shelton has just scored his fourth consecutive No. 1 country hit with "Honey Bee," from his just-released album Red River Blue. Rock critic Ken Tucker says the album shows Shelton's playful and unpredictable side.
Music Reviews
Ace Records: New Orleans Hits, Made In Mississippi
July 22, 2011 New Orleans went decades without a homegrown label to document its riches. Rock critic Ed Ward says this explains why many 1950s New Orleans classics were released by Ace Records in Jackson, Miss.
