Arwa Gunja

In the days before President Obama’s State of the Union address, we asked listeners to send us their take...about the state of their refrigerator. Does what's in your fridge indicate who you are and how you're doing? One listener gave us his answer via a video and description of the contents of his icebox. 

Transportation infrastructure is key to any country's economic success; Afghanistan is no exception. While the U.S. has made significant headway in helping Afghan officials develop roads, bridges and public transportation, Col. Ted Hodgson says much more can and should be done. Col. Hodgson works for the logistics directorate at U.S. Central Command. He joins us to discuss what progress has been made in building Afghanistan's infrastructure and the local impact of infrastructure projects.

A year ago, the Supreme Court decided on one of the most controversial campaign finance cases in recent history: Citizens United. The Court ruled 5-4 in favor of lifting a ban on corporate spending on political campaigns. Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas were two of the judges who concurred with the opinion of the court. Now, a liberal group, Common Cause, has filed a petition arguing that Scalia and Thomas should be taken off campaign finance cases. 

Next week, President Barack Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union address. We can expect to hear him lay out his roadmap for the next two years. Leading up to his address, we’re talking with some key political observers about the direction in which the president should and must move in his remaining time in office.

On the heels of Defense Secretary Robert Gates' visit to China last week, President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao will discuss the evolving relationship between each country's military this weeek. Gates urged the need for both countries to strengthen their military ties and keep one another informed about all their military capabilities. However, historically, China's military has been reluctant to take part in meetings with their U.S. counterparts.

For the second time in the company’s history, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is going on medical leave. A year and a half ago, Jobs underwent a liver transplant, and recovered from pancreatic cancer in 2004. The company's most recent earnings report will also be released today. Both announcements come at a time when Apple is facing some of its toughest competition from smaller tech challengers as well as fellow titans like Google. Thus far Steve Jobs has been synonymous with Apple — an often essential part of the brand. What is the possible future of Apple without Steve Jobs?

At 82 years old, Carlos Fuentes has worn many hats. He was the Mexican ambassador to France in the late ‘70s, but his passion has always been writing.  As a contemporary of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Fuentes returns to magical realism in his latest novel, “Destiny and Desire,” in which he reflects on the state of modern Mexico and its endemic violence.

Conservatives from across the country have convened in Washington this week to elect the next Republican National Committee Chair. With the 2012 presidential election right around the corner, Republican officials are looking for a leader who can rally the base, attract new voters and, of course, raise money. Michael Steele, the current RNC chair, doesn't seem to have enough support to win a second term, although he has in some ways raised the profile of the office during his term. What else does the RNC Chair need to ensure a GOP win in 2012?

On the 10th anniversary of Wikipedia, we're looking at how useful the user-generated encyclopedia is by giving you a quiz about public radio. Answer the following questions as best you can using Wikipedia. We'll announce results on the air. Thanks!

At the end of the month, President Barack Obama will deliver his annual State of the Union address. At that time, we can expect to hear him lay out his roadmap for the next two years. In the weeks leading up to his address, we'll talk with some key political observers about direction the president should and must move in while he's still in office. Today we speak with Roger Hodge, author of "The Mendacity of Hope: Barack Obama and the Betrayal of American Liberalism." Hodge is a fierce liberal critic of the president, and says Obama must focus on economic stimulus and job creation and end policies that kill jobs and attack our civil liberties.

Scientists have long wondered why humans are the only species that cries for emotional reasons. It turns out that our tears may convey much more than just sadness, grief or anger. In a new study, scientists have proved that more complicated chemical reactions may be at play, like subduing male arousal.

The Labor Department is expected to release December unemployment numbers this morning. And there are rumors the president may also announce a new chief economic adviser to replace Lawrence Summers. Unemployment is likely to remain hovering around 10 percent, but the report is expected to show positive growth from a moth ago when unemployment rose to 9.8 percent from 9.6 percent. And last week, the new claims for jobless benefits increased, while the average number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance declined — a sign of a recovering economy.

Bank of America announced a $2.8 billion settlement with Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae on Monday. The American-owned firms demanded that Bank of America buy back mortgages whose quality was misrepresented by Countrywide, which is owned by Bank of America. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times analyzes the implications of the settlement.

When is what the world knows as an iconic moment, perhaps not an iconic moment? On April 9, 2003, a large statue of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was taken down by U.S. security forces in Baghdad's Firdos Square. The two-hour toppling took place in front of the Palestine Hotel, where journalists from around the world had been staying. And many reporters hailed it as a sign the U.S. was prevailing in the war and bringing Iraqis closer to liberation.

On this last day of 2010 we revisit the story taking place in Ciudad Juarez, in Mexico. It's a story that we've been sad to return to repeatedly, not just this last year, but over the last four years. Yesterday we heard reports of four more dead in the longstanding Mexican drug war between drug cartels and border troops. Gunmen believed to be linked to the cartels killed four police officers and a doctor in coordinated attacks around the nearby city of Monterrey.

Pianist and composer Billy Taylor died of heart failure on Tuesday, at the age of 89. The award-winning jazz advocate and scholar is recognized for penning compelling commentary in his jazz compositions during the civil rights era. But he's also known for being a giant in the teaching world of jazz — literally putting some of his peers on a truck and taking them around New York City to perform and teach the world that jazz is America’s classical music.

After 75 years, the era of processing Kodak's iconic color film will come to an end. Only one Kodachrome processing machine in the world remains in public use, and by the close of business today, it will be shut down for the final time. Though not without a mad rush in the last months from photographers around the world who wanted their last rolls developed. The machine sits in Dwayne’s Photo, a family-run business located in Parsons, Kansas. We talk with the store's general manager, Grant Steinly, about the end of the Kodachrome era.

Female Muslims in America have achieved levels of success and prestige unmatched elsewhere in the world, according to a story by our partner, The New York Times, on the growing presence of Muslim women in America. Muslim women's roles have become more and more prominent since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Will America's political environment allow for Muslim women to be leaders for their faith?

The siege at the Battle of Vicksburg, in Mississippi, was a crucial victory for Union forces, and catastrophic defeat for the Confederates. On the day of the battle, one Confederate general sent a coded message in a bottle to Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, who was under siege in Vicksburg. The message was never received, and before this year, it had never been deciphered. Catherine Wright, collections manager at The Museum of the Confederacy, took on the challenge of deciphering the message. Confirmed by two cryptographers, the message reads, in part: “You can expect no help from this side of the river.”

Winter storms along the East Coast affected scheduled NFL games over the weekend. The Vikings-Eagles game was postponed because of the weather, perhaps having the largest impact on fantasy football championships, many of which were this weekend. But the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys all went forward with their games. To recap the weekend in football, we talk with Nando DiFino, sports writer for The Wall Street Journal.