Scott Carrier is a Peabody award winning radio journalist who takes the time to really interview and listen to folks other journalist tend to not take seriously. Like those men in Oregon who are occupying federal land. Anne Strainchamps asked Scott what the men there were like.
Erik Prince defends Edward Snowden. He says the US should drastically cut military spending. He believes the US War of Terror has gone too far. His biggest regret in life? Working for the State Department. And that's just the tip of the iceberg from this uncut Steve Paulson interview with the founder of Blackwater - a group many say was the leading mercenary organization in the world.
Burkhard Bilger tells Steve Paulson how to catch catfish with your bare hands; describes the delights of eating squirrel brains; and chronicles the exploits of some Southern marbles champions - the Rolly Holers.
Diederick Van Eck talks about Vincent Van Gogh's paintings as his inspiration for his album "Van Gogh by Van Eck".
Rehman here. This story quite literally hit close to home for me. I grew up just about an hour away from the suburb it takes place in, and until working on this story, I never would have imagined that building a mosque could be so controversial, especially in a place as cosmopolitan as Chicago. Standing under its massive dome, I was struck by the odd realization that a building could simultaneously be a haven and source of community for some, and symbol of fear and hatred for others. Though the story took place more than a decade ago, it seems we’re still wrestling with many of the same questions around religious inclusion and American identity.
NPR religion reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty is a practicing Christian who interviewed mystics, skeptics and a wide range of scientists to see if her faith could really stand up to the latest scientific research.
The last word goes to Dr. Seuss. His Sneetches found out the hard way about trying to follow the latest fads.
Bob Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker, recommends E.O. Wilson's "The Meaning of Human Existence."
