Search results for

Forty years ago, Allan Sherman topped the pop charts by replacing the lyrics of folk songs with satires of Jewish American life. And in doing that, he offered a perfect snapshot of what it meant to assimilate.

For America's daily papers, the news hasn't been good: For nearly two decades, newspapers have been losing paid subscribers. And a new report illustrates that circulation is now dropping more quickly than ever.

The Black Eyed Peas are on a roll. They are out on tour supporting a CD that is near the top of the Billboard Album Charts. Monkey Business is the group's second release to win them fans nationwide.

Richard Clarke, who served as the top White House counter-terrorism official under three presidents, says George W. Bush's administration did not consider terrorist threats to be urgent in its first seven months, despite Clarke's urgings. Speaking on Capitol Hill to a national commission investigating U.S. policies before Sept. 11, 2001, Clark said terrorism was given extraordinarily high priority in the Clinton administration. Also Wednesday, CIA Director George Tenet told the panel that terrorist intelligence was not properly integrated among different agencies. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Judi Dench has won major acting awards on both sides of the Atlantic, including the Oscar, the Tony and six Oliviers (England's top theatrical honor). The British actress is famous for Shakespearean roles, but she's also played spy chief M in James Bond films and currently appears in the Vin Diesel science fiction action flick The Chronicles of Riddick. NPR's Susan Stamberg interviews Dench about the art of acting.

Joe Biden topped President Trump by nearly 7 million votes, and 74 votes in the Electoral College, but his victory really was stitched together with narrow margins in key states.

The number one song in Britain is sung by a cartoon character, his name is Bob the Builder and his show appears on the BBC. The song shot to the top of the charts in Britain during the holiday, surpassing Scottish boy-band Westlife and Eminem's "Stan". The cartoon series -- and the song -- will be coming to the States next month. Linda talks with David Sinclair, pop music critic for the Times of London, about the sensation created by the Bob the Builder. (3:30) Bob the Builder is written by Paul Joyce, voiced by actor Neil Morrissey. The Audio CD is "Bob the Builder," from BBC Worldwide Music; ASIN: B00005244T Catalogue Number: WMSS60372.

Billboard reports that last week was the best week for vinyl record sales in three decades. Adele's 30 was the top-selling vinyl album of the year. Taylor Swift's Red also broke vinyl sale records.

The English-Irish pop group One Direction was near the top of the list with their 3-D concert film One Direction: This Is Us. It grossed $17 million in its first three days. The documentary cost $10 million to make.

Frank Stasio talks with jazz pianist Brad Mehldau. Last year, his second CD, The Art of the Trio, Vol. 1, was nominated for a Grammy. He's played in several top jazz festivals across America and abroad, and is scheduled to perform solo concerts at Lincoln Center in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He's also recorded with country music legend Willie Nelson. Brad Mehldau's latest CD is The Art of the Trio, Vol. 2: Live At the Village Vanguard. He spoke to us from member station KCUR in Kansas City.