Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon speak to Nahid Siamdoust, assistant professor of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, about the role of rap in protests and political dissent in Iran.

President Biden will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping Monday for the first time since taking office. The encounter comes while mistrust between the countries is running particularly deep.

Social media company Twitter has withdrawn its Twitter Blue program just days after its launch. Users complained it made it difficult to determine which accounts were authentic.

Sen. Mark Kelly has won reelection in Arizona's Senate race, defeating Trump-backed Republican challenger Blake Masters. That makes Democrats more likely to retain control of the Senate.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Swedish author Johanne Lykke Holm about her new novel, "Strega".

NPR's Scott Simon talks with librarian and writer Tracie D. Hall, head of the American Library Association. She'll receive a lifetime achievement award at the National Book Awards next week.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report about how the redrawing of Congressional districts throughout the country affected the outcome of midterm elections.

In the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson there's joy in the streets. Ukrainians celebrated late into the night to mark the pullout of Russian troops after eight months of occupation.

A recent study in the journal Scientific Reports found that hearing or seeing birds can have a positive benefit on one's mental health.

Republicans endorsed by former President Trump fared poorly in this week's midterm elections, a sign that his influence may be waning or becoming counterproductive.

There is humanity in the evidence that a Stone Age child was interred wrapped in a cloak and with a dog.

A tip line championed by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has been quietly shut down. It was intended for parents to report "inherently divisive practices" in schools.

George Booth, known for decades of wacky cartoons in the "New Yorker," died this week at the age of 96.

Two teens make posters with a mysterious phrase, and end up starting something they can't finish. NPR's Scott Simon talks with Kevin Wilson about his new novel, "Now Is Not the Time to Panic."

Game six of the World Series, controversy in the NBA over a player's anti-Semitic social media post, and players are asked to leave politics aside during the upcoming soccer World Cup in Qatar.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Douglas Keith of the Brennan Center for Justice about why money is pouring into state judicial campaigns.

A look at what voters and candidates are talking about just days before the final votes are cast in this ongoing election season.

Millions of Ukrainians are without electricity after Russian strikes and a major battle is brewing over the port city of Kherson.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to the man who puts "weird" both in his name and the new tongue-in-cheek biopic about him: "Weird" Al Yankovic.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to author Claire Alexander about her new book "Meredith, Alone." When the book opens, its protagonist hasn't left her house in 1,214 days.