Talk of the Nation

Topics from the Most Recent Show

• Obama Delivers Much-Anticipated Berlin Speech
  Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama spoke in Germany Thursday to a crowd that Berlin police estimated at more than 200,000. NPR Washington Editor Ron Elving and Constanze Stelzenmuller, director of the German Marshall Fund in Berlin, discuss how his remarks will be received in Europe and in the U.S.
• Howard Engel: 'The Man Who Forgot How To Read'
  Mystery writer Howard Engel woke up one morning terrified to find that he couldn't read the words in the newspaper. In his new memoir, Engel describes living with a rare condition called word blindness, which leaves him able to write, but unable to read.
• Are Hero Movies Losing Their Superpowers?
  This summer has offered a feast of superhero flicks &mdash; from <em>Iron Man</em>, to <em>The Incredible Hulk</em>, to <em>The Dark Knight</em>. But despite their box-office success, <em>New York Times</em> film critic A.O. Scott warns that comic book movies may have hit their peak this summer &mdash; and that it will all be disappointing sequels from here.
• Hype Aside, How Bad Is The Economy?
  Adam Davidson, NPR business correspondent, and Paul Maeder, co-founder of Highland Capital, offer some perspective on the current economic landscape. How have gas prices, the housing market and Wall Street's highs and lows affected you this summer?
• In A Photoshop Age, Can You Believe Your Eyes?
  As it gets ever easier to doctor images, will the photograph lose its credibility? A digitally manipulated photo of an Iranian missile launch recently made its way onto major news Web sites, raising concerns about whether images can be trusted. Guests discuss the long history of altered images.
• Ambassador Recalls 1995 Meeting With Karadzic
  After living as a fugitive for more than a decade, former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was arrested Monday on charges related to genocide and war crimes during the Bosnian war. U.S. Ambassador Richard Holbrooke discusses a meeting he had with Karadzic in 1995.
• Obama In Iraq, Media Bias and the Veepstakes
  In this week's edition of <em>The Political Junkie,</em> guests discuss Barack Obama's visit to Iraq and John McCain's insistence that he was right to support the troop surge. Also: charges of pro-Obama media bias, and the latest word on top candidates for VP.
• 'Save Our Starbucks!': Caffeine-Addicted Fight Back
  Loyal Starbucks customers may be forced to walk an extra block or two to satisfy their frappuccino cravings; the chain has announced that it will be closing 600 stores around the country. Coffee drinkers aren't taking the news lying down &mdash; at SaveOurStarbucks.com, dedicated customers are fighting to keep their neighborhood stores open.
• Jalapenos The Latest Culprit In Salmonella Search
  On Monday, government inspectors had a big break in their search for the elusive cause of a nationwide salmonella outbreak. They discovered a strain of bacteria on a single Mexican-grown jalapeno pepper in a distribution facility in south Texas.
• No Expense Spared On Nation's Pets
  From chemotherapy to psychiatric evaluations to estate planning, pet owners spend thousands each year to pamper their furry companions. How far have you gone for your pet? And where do you draw the line?
• Bank Failure: As American As Apple Pie?
  In a recent op-ed for the <em>Los Angeles Times</em>, historian Jane Kamensky describes America's roller-coaster relationship with banking. In "Boom and Bust: It's The American Way," she writes that the "rapid oscillation between confidence and panic in the banking sector is nearly as old as the United States."
• Critics Question Israel's Prisoner Swap
  Israeli officials freed five Hezbollah militants on Wednesday in exchange for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured and killed by the militant group in 2006. Guests and callers weigh in on the controversial deal, which some people have criticized as a lopsided exchange.
• Is The Joker More Interesting Than Batman?
  Critics have widely praised Heath Ledger's interpretation of the role of "The Joker" in the latest Batman movie. <em>Washington Post</em> staff writer Hank Stuever even argues that Ledger has redefined the green-haired, clown-like villain to create a character more compelling and relevant than Batman himself.
• Interpreter Details Detention In 'My Guantanamo'
  After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, Mahvish Rukhsana Khan &mdash; whose parents are Afghan immigrants &mdash; wanted to do something that would help both America and Afghanistan. She became an interpreter for lawyers representing detainees at Guantanamo Bay.
• When Should Financial Independence Begin?
  Writer Melody Serafino recently found that most of her post-college peers in New York City live off their parents. In her <em>Newsweek</em> op-ed "Subsidized In The City" she writes, "Financial independence means social freedom and absolute control over my own life. Yet among my peers, I seem to be the only one who feels this way."