Jun 12th, 2006 · The Supreme Court rules that death-row inmates may challenge lethal injection as an unnecessarily cruel -- and thus unconstitutional -- punishment. The unanimous decision came on the same day the court expanded inmates' ability to challenge their convictions in federal court based on new DNA evidence.
Feb 8th, 2006 · Gen-Xers love "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel, while their parents prefer "At Last" as sung by Etta James. Those are two of the most popular tunes NPR listeners selected in a recent NPR.org online poll on Valentine's Day music. Hear the songs and read the stories behind them.
Feb 7th, 2006 · The 2006 NASCAR racing season revs up later this month with the Daytona 500. It's estimated the sport draws more crowds than any other live event, and NASCAR officials say some 75 million Americans are fans. Day to Day senior producer Steve Proffitt recently traveled to Las Vegas to meet a NASCAR driver and his crew as they tuned their cars for this year's circuit.
Jan 24th, 2006 · Abortion rights activists are still urging senators not to vote in favor of sending Judge Alito to the Supreme Court. But as Marsha Greenberger, co-president of the National Women's Law Center, discusses, they are now fine-tuning their strategy.
Jan 10th, 2006 · The Itsy Bitsy Spider better watch out: The young people of Syracuse, N.Y. are singing some new tunes. An engaging music teacher is expanding the schoolroom repertoire -- to include classic tunes by Sam Cooke and other, non-Disney characters. Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers introduces us to Mr. Songflower Man.
Jan 8th, 2006 · Okkervil River is a body of water near St. Petersburg in Russia. It's also the name of a band based in Austin, Texas. Its songwriter and singer draws from the primal violence heard in some traditional folk tunes and the blues.
Dec 24th, 2005 · Every November and December, arts organizations around the country compete for the lucrative "family holiday entertainment" dollar. A production based on Irving Berlin's tunes is aiming to be musical theater's newest seasonal tradition.
Dec 20th, 2005 · Musician and writer David Was recounts how the man who wrote "The Christmas Song," jazz crooning legend Mel Torme, was pursuaded to record one of Was' very unconventional tunes -- a song that would later become part of Torme's act.