Talk of the Nation on KUER 1

Mon - Thu, Noon - 2pm
Neal Conan, Monday - Thursday. Ira Flatow, Friday
Mike Anderson

When Americans want to be a part of the national conversation, they turn to Talk of the Nation, NPR's midday news-talk show. Journalist Neal Conan leads a productive exchange of ideas and opinions on the issues that dominate the news landscape. From politics and public service to education, religion, music and healthcare, Talk of the Nation offers call-in listeners the opportunity to join enlightening discussions with decision-makers, authors, academicians, and artists from around the world.

Local Host(s): 
Mike Anderson
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Composer ID: 
5182a64de1c85e3e649c2326|5182a647e1c85e3e649c231b

Podcasts

  • Monday, May 6, 2013 11:00am
    Job seekers often rely on friends, family members and other connections to land jobs. Nancy DiTomaso, professor at Rutgers Business School, explains her research that shows that such seemingly harmless favoritism in networking is driving black unemployment in the U.S.
  • Monday, April 29, 2013 11:00am
    The Boston Police Department and cooperating law enforcement entities were praised for working together to track down suspects in the marathon bombings. Boston Globe columnist Joan Vennochi asks whether police could have done more in the months, weeks, and even hours before the explosions.
  • Monday, April 22, 2013 11:00am
    Investigators in the Boston Marathon bombings were able to identify the suspects using footage from surveillance cameras. Some believe that this shows the need for surveillance cameras in public spaces, while others believe that such cameras encroach on our civil liberties.
  • Monday, April 15, 2013 11:00am
    Chilean poet Pablo Neruda was exhumed in early April, with the goal of discovering whether the poet's death was from prostate cancer or poison. In a The New York Times op-ed, Amherst College professor Ilan Stavans argues that Neruda's legacy is more important than the way he died.
  • Monday, April 8, 2013 11:00am
    Law professor Thane Rosenbaum says it's time for Americans to be honest about the role revenge plays in our lives. "The distinction between justice and vengeance is false," he writes in The Chronicle of Higher Education. "A call for justice is always a cry for revenge."

Pages

NPR Story
9:41 am
Fri March 15, 2013

'Bones' Inspires A New Generation Of Crime Fighters

Originally published on Fri March 15, 2013 11:03 am

Kathy Reichs, the writer and scientist behind the TV show Bones, is back with a new novel for young adults. Code: A Virals Novel stars Tory Brennan, great-niece of Reich's famed crime-solving heroine Tempe Brennan. Reichs discusses the book, co-written with Brendan Reichs.

Arts & Life
12:44 pm
Thu March 14, 2013

How Dictionary Searches Define Readers

After Vice President Joe Biden used the term "malarkey" in a 2012 debate, searches for the word in online dictionaries surged. Now that dictionaries are readily available with a mouse click or finger tap, dictionary publishers can track the correlation between word searches and current events.

From Our Listeners
12:22 pm
Thu March 14, 2013

Letters: Social Mobility, Romantic Comedies

Originally published on Thu March 14, 2013 12:38 pm

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including social mobility, romantic comedies, and Japan's recovery from the earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Asia
12:22 pm
Thu March 14, 2013

North Korea's Threats Grow More Ominous

Originally published on Thu March 14, 2013 12:38 pm

North Korea scrapped the 1953 armistice agreement that ended the Korean War, escalating fears of a preemptive nuclear attack on the U.S. Tuft University Korean studies professor Sung-Yoon Lee discusses this precarious moment for North Korea, its neighbors and the international community.

Law
12:22 pm
Thu March 14, 2013

'Cannibal Cop' Case: The Line Between Fantasy And Crime

Originally published on Thu March 14, 2013 12:38 pm

Jurors in a New York federal court found a former New York City police officer guilty of plotting to kidnap and cook his wife and other women. The defense argued that Gilberto Valle never acted on his fantasies, and described the verdict as a case of thought prosecution.

Religion
2:18 pm
Wed March 13, 2013

Cardinals Elect Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio As New Pope

Cardinals at the Vatican chose Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the new pope. He will take the papal name Francis and is the first pope from South America. NPR's Neal Conan talks with guests about the significance of the event around the world.

Politics
11:40 am
Wed March 13, 2013

Second Chances In American Politics

Originally published on Wed March 13, 2013 1:57 pm

From the ongoing budget battle to Sen. Carl Levin's retirement announcement, NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics. NPR's Phillip Reeves provides an update from Rome as cardinals elected a new pope.

Arts & Life
12:37 pm
Tue March 12, 2013

Backstage At The Bolshoi Ballet

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 2:29 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan.

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Energy
12:03 pm
Tue March 12, 2013

As Natural Gas Creeps In, King Coal's Reign Fades

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 2:29 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. In many parts of the country, coal has been king for many years, but that's changing. Ten years ago, coal fired half the U.S. electrical power plants. Now that's about a third and dropping. As coal companies switch to cheaper and cleaner natural gas, some coal companies in the east are closing mines and laying off workers.

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Medical Treatments
11:59 am
Tue March 12, 2013

A Clinical Dilemma: Prescribing Pot To Patients

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 2:29 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan, in Washington. In 18 states and the District of Columbia, marijuana is medicine by popular vote. A lot of doctors don't see it that way. They say pot presents problems that include potency, efficacy, corruption, and of course it's still illegal under federal law.

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NPR Story
12:01 pm
Mon March 11, 2013

The 'Nasty Effect': How Comments Color Comprehension

Credit iStockphoto.com
Researchers found that exposure to uncivil comments can polarize opinion on news issues.

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 3:56 pm

At its best, the Web is a place for unlimited exchange of ideas. But Web-savvy news junkies have known for a long time that reader feedback can often turn nasty. Now a study in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication suggests that rude comments on articles can even change the way we interpret the news.

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NPR Story
12:01 pm
Mon March 11, 2013

Japan's Broken Coast Struggles To Recover

Originally published on Mon March 11, 2013 1:53 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

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NPR Story
12:01 pm
Mon March 11, 2013

Op-Ed: We Need More Aaron Swartz-Style Hacktivism

Originally published on Mon March 11, 2013 1:58 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan.

And now the Opinion Page. The release of millions of academic papers by Internet activist Aaron Swartz raised many questions about how much access the public should have to scholarship, questions that took on new dimensions after his suicide. At the time of his death, Swartz faced federal charges of wire fraud and violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

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NPR Story
10:26 am
Fri March 8, 2013

'Nightmare Bacteria' Defy Even Last-Ditch Drugs

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 11:58 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Now for nightmare bacteria. They defy all our antibiotics, even our latest drugs. This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that strains of these completely drug-resistant bacteria have quadrupled in the last decade or so, and the bugs have been lurking around in hospitals, hundreds of hospitals around the nation.

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NPR Story
10:26 am
Fri March 8, 2013

Can the Anti-Aging Secret Be Found in...Red Wine?

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 11:03 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY, I'm Ira Flatow. Here's some news to raise a glass to: the idea that red wine may help us live longer and healthier lives. Well, it got a new boost this week. According to a team of researchers, a compound found in the skin of grapes could be an antidote to aging by slowing down the process and even fending off disease and inflammation associated with getting old. It's the topic of a new study published this week in the journal Science.

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NPR Story
10:26 am
Fri March 8, 2013

When The Earth Swallows

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 11:54 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. By now I'm sure you've heard about the real-life nightmare of a Florida man named Jeff Bush. As he lay sleeping last week, a gaping hole opened beneath his home, swallowing him alive. His body was never found. The search has now been called off, and the sinkhole that devoured him is now his grave.

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Politics
12:11 pm
Thu March 7, 2013

Famous Filibusters Throughout History

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

Yesterday, Republican Senator Rand Paul, of Kentucky, filibustered the Senate floor for nearly 13 hours in protest of the administration's use of drones.

SENATOR RAND PAUL: This is not about partisanship. I have allowed the president to pick his political appointees, but I will not sit quietly and let him shred the Constitution. I cannot sit at my desk quietly and let the president say that he will kill Americans on American soil who are not actively attacking a country.

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Health Care
12:07 pm
Thu March 7, 2013

How To Track And Attack A Superbug

Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 12:30 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary in Washington. The Centers for Disease Control is warning of another deadly superbug. This one, known as CRE, ultimately left seven patients dead after an outbreak in 2011 at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. CDC director Tom Frieden has called the bug a nightmare bacteria. It can resist even the strongest antibiotics.

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Economy
12:00 pm
Thu March 7, 2013

Social Mobility: Is The American Dream Slipping Away?

Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 12:34 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary, in Washington. Neal Conan is away. It's an American story as old as Horatio Alger: Hard work, determination and presto, you can change your station in life. But increasingly many Americans find themselves stuck where they are on the economic ladder, that American dream just out of reach.

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NPR Story
12:00 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Hugo Chavez: The Legacy Of A Polarizing Leader

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 12:12 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

Read more
NPR Story
12:00 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

The Political Fallout Of Sequestration

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 12:05 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary in Washington. Jeb Bush switches his views, Romney remarks on his regrets, and the president says he can't call on the force. It's Wednesday and time for...

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: A Jedi mind meld...

NEARY: Edition of the political junkie.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDINGS)

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: There you go again.

VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE: When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad: Where's the beef?

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NPR Story
12:00 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

After Chavez, What's Next For Venezuela

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 1:53 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary.

And as I've just mentioned, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died Tuesday. He led his country for 14 years. A passionate defender of the poor, Chavez had closed ties with Cuba's Fidel Castro, but alienated the United States with his socialist agenda. His politics reverberated throughout the region.

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NPR Story
11:42 am
Tue March 5, 2013

What A Mississippi Baby Can Tell HIV Researchers

Originally published on Mon March 18, 2013 12:53 pm

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

Now this week, doctors announced a breakthrough in HIV research. A Mississippi toddler who was born with the virus appears to have been cured. Doctors credit an aggressive regimen of anti-retroviral drugs administered just after the girl was born. This is the second well-documented case of someone being cured. The other involved a middle-aged San Francisco man who received a bone marrow transplant from a donor who was genetically resistant to HIV.

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NPR Story
11:42 am
Tue March 5, 2013

A Shifting Tide For Gay Athletes In Professional Sports

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 6:45 am

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Ari Shapiro, in Washington. Neal Conan is away. Last week, two pro football players asked the Supreme Court to support same-sex marriage. It was an unusual moment for the NFL. Not long ago, nobody in pro sports talked publicly about sexual orientation, and now the issue seems to be everywhere.

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NPR Story
11:42 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Drones Come Home, Privacy Concerns Fly High

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 6:45 am

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Ari Shapiro in Washington, filling in for Neal Conan. It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope, it's an unmanned aircraft, also called a drone. Some can be as small as a microwave. Others can recognize a tennis shoe from 60,000 feet above the ground. And now, law enforcement agencies across the country are getting approval from the federal government to use these mechanical eyeballs here in the U.S.

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Economy
12:15 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

State Of Emergency: Cities In Financial Crisis

Originally published on Mon March 4, 2013 12:37 pm

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Ari Shapiro in Washington; Neal Conan is away. Year by year, cities are raising fees and cutting public services to stay out of financial trouble. For some cities, that's just not enough. Detroit projects a $200 million deficit this year, and the city owes $14 billion in long-term obligations. The state's Republican Governor Rick Snyder says there's probably no city more financially challenged in the entire United States.

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The Picture Show
12:10 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

Asylum Suitcases, Found And Photographed

Credit Jon Crispin
Freda Bowker suitcase, part of the New York State Museum collection of suitcases from the Willard Asylum

Ed. Note: This article was originally published Nov. 2, 2011.

Photographer Jon Crispin has a fascination with things that are left behind. Those are his exact words. "Even as a kid I was trying to get into places I shouldn't go," he says on the phone.

In the '80s he was basically given free rein to document abandoned asylums in New York state. He has also worked closely and often with the New York State Museum, including on some Sept. 11 preservation projects.

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Opinion
12:09 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

Op-Ed: There's An App For Everything, And That's A Problem

Originally published on Mon March 11, 2013 12:58 pm

Transcript

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

And now for the Opinion Page. Technology has always promised to fix our imperfections. In this 1950s TV ad, G.E. swore that a new refrigerator-freezer combo would make a housewife's problems disappear.

(SOUNDBITE OF ADVERTISEMENT)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: We didn't have all this storage space in the door or conveniences like a butter conditioner, sliding shelves.

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NPR Story
9:39 am
Fri March 1, 2013

A Natural Particle Accelerator, Far Above The Planet

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 11:03 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Far above the Earth's surface, two doughnuts of radiation surround the planet, charged particles zipping around in stable belts - that's the shape of them - and they were discovered in 1958 by James Van Allen and now bear his name. They are the Van Allen Belts.

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NPR Story
9:39 am
Fri March 1, 2013

Robert Langer, Father Of Invention

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 11:03 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Robert Langer is sort of a modern-day Thomas Edison. He holds over 800 patents. He's launched two dozen startups making an eclectic variety of stuff from tumor-zapping nanoparticles to biosensors and blood tests, synthetic spinal cords, even anti-frizz hair products, all of this originating from the same lab. And recently, President Obama awarded him the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He's already won the National Medal of Science, after all.

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