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The trial of three women in the Russian punk group Pussy Riot set off a global wave of support that, in almost every case, connects music to political protest.

The Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Bishops are pushing back against what they perceive as threats to the Catholic Church's core beliefs. While some Catholics are uncomfortable with the changes under way, others say they are overdue.

After his remarks about rape and pregnancy, Missouri Republican Todd Akin faces an uphill climb in his Senate contest against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill. One expert says that to attract moderate voters, Akin must steer the conversation to the economy.

http://66.225.205.104/JR20091002.mp3 Everybody in Charlotte knows Lake Norman and Lake Wylie, but those popular boating spots are actually part of a…

Adding a foreign word to your vocabulary is like adding foreign attire to your wardrobe. Sometimes you do it because it's practical and sometimes just because you think it looks cool. Linguist Geoff Nunberg says Americans' use of "spot on" falls somewhere between affectation and flash.

The country's love of sheep had the perfect ingredients for an American Idol-style reality show. Khar Bii ("This Sheep") began as a joke but has blossomed into a success story and a television show that is now in its fourth season, with loyal, record audiences nationwide.

In the final days before the election, the parties are doubling down on their convictions. Long-term demographics, however, suggest shifts in America's electorate that could mean big challenges for the Republican Party in coming years — but also could offer some new opportunities.

An experimental vaccine for malaria reduces infants' risk of the disease by about a third. That's less than researchers had hoped for, given the vaccine's effectiveness in toddlers, but doctors say it's enough to prevent many high fevers, seizures and deaths in a lot of African children.

Yes, the gingerbread house is still here, and so are magic winter strawberries. But this is a world where young women and small children are delicacies, too. They're fattened for roasting, sliced up for serving, and cut up into stew.

With the election settled, Washington and Wall Street are focused on whether Congress and a re-elected president can avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." Renee Montagne talks to David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, about the automatic budget cuts and tax hikes that would happen if an agreement can't be reached by early in the new year.

Young novelist Tom Rob Smith captures the oppressive atmosphere of the former Soviet Union even though he was just a child when the Communist nation broke apart.

In March 2003, reporter Evan Wright was in central Iraq with Marines leading the charge toward Baghdad. He captured his experience in "The Killer Elite," this year's winner of the National Magazine Award for "Excellence in Reporting." NPR's Jennifer Ludden speaks with Wright.

In his award-winning profile "The Confessions of Bob Greene," writer Bill Zehme chronicles the fall from grace of the former Chicago Tribune columnist. Zehme speaks with NPR's Jennifer Ludden in the second of a series of interviews with National Magazine Award Winners.

Shin Dong-hyuk is the only person known to have been born in North Korea's prison camps and gotten out alive. Journalist Blaine Harden tells the story of Shin's daring escape.

The National Book Award fiction nominations have caused a small controversy this year over their obscurity. Should the best book in America be one that you have never heard of?

Directed by Amy Poehler, the new Netflix film longs to stretch beyond its limits to be an inclusive look at feminism in teenagers, but its story works best when it keeps its ambitions modest.

The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office has reopened an investigation into the 2013 death of Black teenager Kendrick Johnson. His family has long challenged the state's initial finding of no foul play.

People tend to stare at Kevin Michael Connolly: He's cute, fit, funny and a champion skier. The stares are usually inspired by something else, though; Connolly was born without legs. With his memoir, Double Take, out now in paperback Connolly talks with NPR's Scott Simon about dealing with unwanted public attention — and the benefits of skateboarding.

One of the bestselling children's books of 1845 is back on bookstore shelves. Der Struwwelpeter is a short-story collection written to frighten youngsters into good behavior. It influenced contemporary works such as Where the Wild Things Are, but is it really right for children?

In the last century, Basque people fleeing Francisco Franco's dictatorship flocked to America. "Hidden Kitchens" explores their world of outdoor, below-the-ground, Dutch oven cooking traditions.