Arts May 27 Remembering influential AIDS activist Larry Kramer Playwright and pioneering AIDS activist Larry Kramer has died of pneumonia at age 84. He fought for greater resources and awareness of HIV, as well as for gay rights, during the 1980s and 1990s. Kramer was also a novelist and…
Arts May 19 Author Lawrence Wright on ‘eerie parallels’ between the pandemic and his new novel Amid a global pandemic comes a novel about a global pandemic. Lawrence Wright wrote “The End of October” before the new coronavirus was discovered in China, but some of its chapters feel ripped from today’s headlines. Wright joins Jeffrey Brown…
Arts May 18 A music maker sings the coronavirus blues Musician Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen has long met adversity with music. She lost her New Orleans home to Hurricane Katrina and relocated to North Carolina with assistance from the Music Maker Relief Foundation, a group that supports blues musicians. But…
Arts May 13 How Yo-Yo Ma’s ‘Songs of Comfort’ are inspiring musical collaboration The ‘Songs of Comfort’ project world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma launched on social media continues to expand in new directions. Jeffrey Brown looks at the growing collaboration in these mini performances, as tough times bring people together through music -- and…
Arts May 05 Social isolation and stay-at-home orders drive some to learn new skills During this difficult period, some of the millions of Americans stuck at home have turned to new hobbies and do-it-yourself projects to pass the time and redirect their energy. But while such accomplishments can be fulfilling, experts say it's also…
Arts May 01 Trombone Shorty on what happens when New Orleans’ musical heartbeat falls silent Jazz Fest, one of the nation’s liveliest annual music celebrations, should have been full-throttle this week in New Orleans. Instead, the city remains locked down, a hot spot in the COVID-19 pandemic with close to 6,500 cases and over 400…
Arts Apr 29 ‘Disappearing Earth’ author Julia Phillips answers your questions Julia Phillips, author of our April pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions on “Disappearing Earth,” and Jeff announces the May book selection.
Arts Apr 23 Why pandemic represents ‘existential crisis’ for performing artists We look to the arts for entertainment, comfort and pleasure -- but they are also an economic engine. According to government analysis, art accounts for almost $900 billion of GDP and over five million jobs. Now, many of these people…
Science Apr 22 Jane Goodall on animal-human interconnectedness amid the pandemic We mark this 50th anniversary of Earth Day with Jane Goodall, one of the world’s most renowned scientists and environmentalists. A new National Geographic documentary explores her life and work, teaching generations how interconnected we are with the natural world.
Arts Apr 21 What the world looks like when humans stay home As much of the globe continues to stay home to practice social distancing, vibrant cities have gone quiet, and animals are freer to roam. The rare absence of human activity grants us a special glimpse of what the world might…