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Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, is reportedly cornered by Pakistani soldiers near the Afghan border. The United States has offered a $25 million reward for the Egyptian-born Zawahiri's capture. Pakistani officials say a fierce battle with al Qaeda fighters is being waged. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

Pakistani authorities say they believe their troops have cornered Osama bin Laden's top deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, near the Afghan-Pakistan border. Pakistani forces are engaged in a fierce battle there with tribal leaders and al Qaeda fighters. U.S. officials say they cannot confirm the reports. Hear NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

A survey by automotive consultant group Planned Perspectives asked suppliers to rank their relationships with the six biggest U.S. auto producers. Toyota finished on top. GM was rated poor.

It's truly been a great year for music, right up to the final months. November gifted us new albums by FKA twigs, Michael Kiwanuka and Mount Eerie.

Biden's novel step of preemptive pardons is meant to protect people from the threat of "unjustified and politically motivated prosecutions."

The evening news anchor had stepped down voluntarily after he said on air that a helicopter he was on had been hit by fire over Iraq. He later admitted he had "misremembered" the episode.

Choosing five favorite recordings is a tall order for any music lover, but especially for Yo-Yo Ma. The musically omnivorous super-cellist picks his top five favorites.

The Pentagon is expected to replace Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez as the top U.S. commander in Iraq. President Bush called Sanchez "exemplary," and officials say his transfer is part of a long-planned reorganization. Nevertheless, the move leaves the impression in some quarters that the administration is not satisfied with Sanchez's performance in Iraq. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

To swipe the immortal lines uttered by Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, a great mystery should take "the lid off life and let [you] look at the works." Maureen Corrigan's picks for the top five crime novels of the year do just that.

Lana Del Rey balanced bleak beauty with real insight, Young Thug's So Much Fun culminated his influence and Bon Iver offered an album just in time for autumn.

Songwriter Felice Bryant dies at age 77 at home in Gatlinburg, Tenn. She collaborated with her husband to pen some of the best-known tunes in country music and early rock 'n' roll. Her songs Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie were Everly Brothers standards, just as Rocky Top became a country standard. NPR's Melissa Block offers a remembrance.

The highway bill signed by President Bush Wednesday is nearly $30 billion richer than what Bush proposed -- and it tops the figure he said he'd veto. The president has said he expects to cut the federal budget deficit in half by 2009, warning that Congress must control spending.

Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill return to a classic sound on their first album in nine years, La Futura.

Farai Chideya pays tribute to Four Tops frontman Levi Stubbs, who died Friday at his Detroit home. He was 72 years old.

NPR's Steven Inskeep talks to ex-CIA officer John Sipher about his skepticism that a bipartisan commission put together by lawmakers will produce a full accounting of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

While six retired military generals have come out in the past weeks calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down, no active generals have followed suit. Time magazine reporter and commentator Douglas Waller offers some historical perspective on speaking out against a senior official.

Does Modern Literature Have Anything to Say?

What are the compelling stories speaking to our times? One of literature’s great Southern authors addresses the question.

Wiley Cash is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of four novels, the founder of This Is Working, an online creative community, and host of the Our State Book Club podcast. He’s the recipient of many literary awards, including the Thomas Wolfe Book Prize, Southern Book Prize, and the American Library Association Book of the Year.

Published in 2021, Cash’s novel When Ghosts Come Home was a national bestseller and one of Amazon’s top 20 books of the year. The Last Ballad, published in 2017, received numerous awards as best book of the year.

He currently teaches creative writing and literature at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. He holds a Ph.D. in American Literature from UL-Lafayette, an M.A. in English from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and a B.A. in Literature from UNC-Asheville.

Moderated by Judy Goldman

Judy Goldman is the author of seven books – three memoirs, two novels, and two collections of poetry. Her latest memoir, Child: A Memoir was named a must-read by Katie Couric Media. Goldman has been published in The Southern Review and Kenyon Review. She has many literary awards, including the Hobson Award for Distinguished Achievement in Arts and Letters.

Connect. Consider. Ignite. The program runs from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM including time for conversation, connections, and Q&A. Book signing to follow.

Jay Z easily led Grammy Award nominations announced Friday with nine, but left-of-center rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Kendrick Lamar were among a group of new stars who took many of the major nominations.

The James Beard award-winning chef was the youngest ever to receive a three-star review from The New York Times. His new memoir, Yes, Chef, explains what it takes to be a master chef — and describes his journey from Ethiopia to Sweden to some of America's finest restaurants.