Month: October 2024

New York is known for its street food vendors. NPR spent time with a recently arrived migrant who is hitting the streets to sell for the first time, but has to overcome his crippling shyness.

Renowned soul and gospel singer Cissy Houston has died. She was part of a extraordinary musical family that included Dionne Warwick and her superstar daughter, Whitney Houston.

(Image credit: Michael Buckner)

Many music lovers consider Ives, who died in 1954, to be the first truly great American composer. A new recording by pianist Donald Berman is a major addition to the Ives discography.

Will Ferrell and his longtime friend and former SNL writing partner Harper Steele traveled from New York to California, talking along the way about Steele coming out as a trans woman.

As Halloween approaches, it’s time to start thinking about costumes for the upcoming festivities. But first, NPR wants to hear about your favorite unique holiday traditions.

(Image credit: Rob Stothard)

Donald Trump is lying next to you in the bed, wearing snug cotton pajamas printed to look like his signature blue suit. You want to tell him a few things you think he ought to know, but his fake snoring drowns you out.

A software engineer in San Francisco is putting a new spin on surveillance technology. The Bop Spotter uses a jury-rigged, solar powered android phone running the song identifier app Shazam to quietly listen in on and record what music passersby are listening to.

The off-beat psycho dramedy A Different Man follows Edward (Sebastian Stan), an aspiring actor living with facial disfigurement. He takes an opportunity to try a new procedure and reconstruct his appearance. But then, he encounters a guy with the same condition he once had, and who lives a fun, fulfilling life. To put it mildly, Edward now has some regrets.

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NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with Puzzlemaster Will Shortz and KUOW listener John Weaver of Tacoma, Wash.