Ryan Benk

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to soul singer Bettye LaVette about her new album, "LaVette!" and her years of performing on the club circuit.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to actor Robert Englund about his new documentary, "In Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares:The Robert Englund Story" in which he explains why he doesn't fear being a genre icon.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to author Mike Bockoven about his new book "Killing It," a darkly funny story about four standup comedians who face literal death in a comedy club.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Alex Aviña, of Arizona State University, about the history of US troops along the border with Mexico. 1,500 service members will be deployed this week.

A Nigerian teen obsessed with the West comes of age in a dangerous country. NPR's Camila Domonoske talks with Stephen Buoro about his comic novel, "The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa."

As members of the Writers Guild of America wrap up voting on whether to authorize a strike, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to two writers about the changing content landscape in Hollywood.

A Victorian mansion on a Lake Erie island and half-sisters with a terrifying legacy: NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Rachel Eve Moulton about her new horror novel, "The Insatiable Volt Sisters."

The brand-name version of the once-daily pill that is 99% effective at preventing HIV used to cost upwards of $1,800 a month. Federal guidance now makes getting the drug with insurance cheaper.

Fifty-two years ago, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York which catered to LGBTQ customers. COVID-19 almost closed the bar, but during Pride Month, people have been celebrating there.

It's been 40 years since the first U.S. AIDS cases were were reported, and some who experienced the early years of the crisis say the effects of denialism then have carried into the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new British TV drama looks at the lives of gay men in London at the very start of the AIDS crisis — back when no one wanted to stop the party, and no one thought the virus could touch them.

The new owner of a building in Geneva, N.Y., found a walled-off room — sealed by drywall and lost to time. There he discovered century-old photographs and equipment — and a mystery.

Rep. James Clyburn says it's time for "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" to be honored as the national hymn, and on Jan. 13, he filed a bill to try to make that official.

It was a tough year. NPR's Morning Edition asked what helped get you to 2021. Some people turned to art or letter writing. And others found escape by following a steer named Crouton online.

Journalists based in Colombia, South Africa and Indonesia talk about how the Black Lives Matter movement inspired activists abroad this year.

A conservation technician at the Toledo Zoo recently discovered the Tasmanian Devils had biofluorescent ears, eyes and snout. It's not exactly clear what purpose the trait serves in mammals.

In a new book, Chris Stedman asks what it means to be real in a time when humans are interacting in digital spaces more than ever.

Asian American voter turnout was up 91% on Election Day 2020 compared to 2016. Aisha Yaqoob Mahmood with Asian Americans Advancing Justice's Atlanta chapter describes how activists made that happen.

NPR's David Greene speaks with the singer and multi-instrumentalist about his new album, exploring his roots in Colombia and the influence of his late mother on his music.

Both the Trump and Biden campaigns are competing for voters in key swing states like Pennsylvania. But is either of the major parties trying to engage Black voters in cities like Pittsburgh?