Mythili Rao

It may not surprise you to learn that American students dread math. But it might surprise you to learn just how young students are when math anxiety kicks in. New research from New Yo...

In the past several months, President Obama has been making a quiet push to change the face of the nation's judicial system with a slow and steady stream of diverse nominees for fed...

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s deeply polarizing president, died Tuesday.  He was 58. His death leaves open questions about the future of the country-- and about the real impact of his le...

They’re called “qualified private activity bonds,” and they’re intended to encourage public works through a tax break. In reality, though, they often go to subsidize private project...

Wendell Pierce, best known for his role as Bunk in the HBO series "The Wire," is starting a chain of grocery stores in New Orleans as a means of revitalizing the city.

Cities like New Orleans and Pittsburgh have benefited from major economic investments and new business models. But writer Chuck Thompson thinks this isn't always a good thing. He's th...

In her new book, "The New Mind of the South," author Tracy Thompson explains how she felt compelled to return to her Southern upbringing to piece back together the history she learned...

With Detroit falling deeper into debt and the local government helpless to respond, governor Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency in the city on Friday. The next step is to appo...

Even if you're relatively secure about your health and waistline, it's been impossible to completely miss the buzz around the major diet trends of recent years. But is all this nutr...

It was 1958. In the midst of the Cold War, the inaugural Tchaikovsky International Competition took place in Moscow. Amid a climate of fear and mutual suspicion between Americans and ...

Pope Benedict the sixteenth gives up the papacy today, leaving the world's 1.1 billion Catholics without a religious leader. How will the next one be chosen?

The Supreme Court fight over the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is just the latest struggle in a battle over civil rights that stretches back more than a century in this country. It's a st...

Federal stimulus programs have poured more than $7 billion into reaching rural areas, but at least 19 million Americans still lack high-speed internet access. One of those communitie...

In the West, music can offer the chance to escape and liberate oneself from the present troubles of life. But in Mali, Islamic extremists have been cracking down on music and the coun...

3D printing is a dynamic new technology that promises to revolutionize how we manufacture and create things. Still in its early stages of development, it’s already being used to make ...

In South Africa,  the drama surrounding Oscar Pistorius — the first runner with prosthetic legs to compete alongside able-bodied sprinters in the Olympics — continues. Here's why hi...

As part of our ongoing series on the value of letter-writing, we asked you to tell us about letters that have brought bad news — and whether those letters changed your life.

It was 1954 and Dr. Fredric Wertham was testifying before Congress. "Are there any bad effects of comic books?  I may say here on this subject there is practically no controversy," he...

Anything can happen. That's the essential spark that makes life — surprising. We've been asking you for your stories about your near death experiences. Cindy in Portland shared the story about a close call on the way to work. Kyle in Brooklyn encountered a bear while camping. And Aaron fell asleep behind the wheel while working several jobs. Those are just a few of the close calls you shared with us.

Listeners have been calling, emailing and texting us with stories about their most cherished letters -- missives from parents, grandparents, lovers and friends that have changed yo...