Talk of the Nation

Monday - Friday at 2 pm
Neal Conan

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Talk of the Nation® links the headlines with what's on people's minds, providing a springboard for listeners and experts to exchange ideas and pose critical questions about major events in the news and the world around them. Each day, Talk of the Nation combines the award-winning resources of NPR News with the vital participation of listeners. The result is a spirited and productive exchange of knowledge and insight that delves deeply into the news and ideas of the day.

Monday through Thursday, host Neal Conan invites callers to discuss areas of topical interest, including politics and public service, education, religion, music, and healthcare. Talk of the Nation goes behind the headlines with decision-makers, authors, thinkers, artists, and listeners around the world, who become part of the conversation by calling 1-800-989-TALK.

 

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Politics
2:11 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Political Junkie Roundup: Money And The NAACP

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 2:34 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. The president pivots to taxes, Romney says he's just ducking the jobs number, and Palin pleads for partisan passion. It's Wednesday and time for a...

SARAH PALIN: Hair on fire...

CONAN: Edition of the political junkie.

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?

SENATOR BARRY GOLDWATER: Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice.

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NPR Story
2:31 pm
Tue July 10, 2012

Bad Book Review Sparks Fictional Friendship

Credit Liv Friis-larsen / iStockphoto.com
Patrick Somerville set up a real email address for his character, Ben, who he describes as "kind of a wayfaring pothead version of Will Shortz."

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 10:38 am

On July 2, The New York Times ran a review of author Patrick Somerville's book This Bright River. It was not a flattering assessment. Film and literary critic Janet Maslin described the starting point as "generic" and the destination as "soggy."

When Somerville read the review, he realized the whole thing hinged on a factual error: Maslin mixed up two characters from the very beginning, confusing which one got hit in the head.

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Economy
2:07 pm
Tue July 10, 2012

Downward Mobility A Modern Economic Reality

Originally published on Tue July 10, 2012 2:54 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Last week's disappointing jobs numbers offer little hope of change anytime soon for the millions of long-term unemployed and underemployed Americans. For too many, this crisis has extended so long that cherished plans have been set aside and sights lowered: owning a home maybe, a college fund for the kids, family vacations.

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Middle East
2:07 pm
Tue July 10, 2012

Fighting In Syria Takes Harsh Human Toll

Originally published on Tue July 10, 2012 2:57 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

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From Our Listeners
2:07 pm
Tue July 10, 2012

Letters: Health Care Law And Extreme Anxiety

Originally published on Tue July 10, 2012 2:59 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

It's Tuesday, and time to read from your comments.

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Around the Nation
2:07 pm
Tue July 10, 2012

Intense Heat Has Lasting Impact Across U.S.

Originally published on Tue July 10, 2012 3:10 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Heat in the summertime is usually not news, but this year is more than a little out of the ordinary. The first six months of 2012 is already on the books as the warmest half-year on record according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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NPR Story
2:31 pm
Mon July 9, 2012

Joy Harjo's 'Crazy Brave' Path To Finding Her Voice

Originally published on Tue July 10, 2012 2:51 pm

In her new memoir, Joy Harjo recounts how her early years — a difficult childhood with an alcoholic father and abusive stepfather, and the hardships of teen motherhood — caused her to suppress her artistic gifts and nearly brought her to her breaking point. "It was the spirit of poetry," she writes in Crazy Brave, "who reached out and found me as I stood there at the doorway between panic and love."

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Around the Nation
1:59 pm
Mon July 9, 2012

Storms Hurt Grid And Power Companies' Credibility

Originally published on Mon July 9, 2012 4:42 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. At the end of last month, a line of powerful storms left millions without electricity in the midst of record-breaking heat. The storms killed some as trees fell on houses and cars, then the heat took more lives as people sweltered without fans or air conditioning.

The heat wave's broken, the power's back on for most, but the widespread outages left many frustrated and angry. What took so long? Can't we protect power lines? And what about the crews who arrive to help out?

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Opinion
1:59 pm
Mon July 9, 2012

Op-Ed: Now's The Time For A Candid Candidate

Originally published on Mon July 9, 2012 4:42 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

And now, the Opinion Page. The ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes famously carried a lantern in daylight in hopes of finding an honest man. In an op-ed in Sunday's Washington Post, Kathleen Hall Jamieson embarked on an even more changeling quest: a search for an honest politician. Now more than ever, she wrote, with a public highly anxious about the economy and worn down after years of promises that things would get better, the time is ripe for a candid candidate.

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Middle East
1:59 pm
Mon July 9, 2012

Reporting From Yemen Amid Ongoing Drone Attacks

Originally published on Mon July 9, 2012 4:42 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

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Science
1:55 pm
Fri July 6, 2012

At Long Last, The Higgs Particle... Maybe

This week physicists announced the discovery of the long-sought-after Higgs boson--or at least something that looks a lot like it. Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll explains why the tiny particle is so fundamental to our understanding of the universe, and why it took 50 years to find it.

Health
1:48 pm
Fri July 6, 2012

What's Your IQ On SPF?

In an unscientific survey of Times Square, Science Friday found that not one passerby could explain how sunscreen works. Dermatologist Jennifer Linder explains that and other basics of sun protection, including the meaning of SPF, and whether sunscreen blocks vitamin D production.

Food
1:43 pm
Fri July 6, 2012

Relishing The Science Of The BBQ

From mayonnaise myth-busters to a ketchup jar that never jams, the grill pit is a hot bed of scientific research. Ira and Flora talk with food safety specialist Angela Fraser talks safe picnic protocol; MIT's Kripa Varanasi explains his "LiquiGlide" condiment container; and fermentation expert Bob Hutkins of University of Nebraska salutes the pickle.

Books
1:38 pm
Fri July 6, 2012

SciFri Book Club Talks Silent Spring

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

I hope you're having your cup of coffee, your beverage of choice, maybe a little snack, sitting in your comfy reading or driving chair, settled in now because the first meeting of the SCIENCE FRIDAY Book Club is about to go underway. And for our first book, we have chosen the Rachel Carson classic "Silent Spring."

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Science
1:35 pm
Fri July 6, 2012

Peering Into The Dark Side Of Scientific Discovery

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. Now picture this: You're one of the many graduate students working round the clock in a university lab on a series of seemingly dead-end experiments, until one day, you strike gold. It turns out, you've discovered the cure to a mysterious disease which will save the lives of millions around the world.

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