One of France's most beloved songwriters, Moustaki died Thursday in Nice after a long illness. He was known for infusing French song with sounds from around the world.

TV is still a huge topic of conversation on and offline, according to recent research. In fact, conversation about TV is growing in the last few years. And face-to-face word of mouth still has tremendous power when it comes to attracting new viewers to a show. TV still seems to be the most influential medium when it comes to shaping American culture.

The amazing tale of two sisters from a poor neighborhood — who play tennis unlike anyone before them and each reach No. 1 in the world — is one we're not likely to see again.

In Washington's Ward 7, where only 33 percent of students graduate from high school, a program called Life Pieces to Masterpieces is sending nearly 100 percent of its graduates to college or post-secondary education.

A bit like an IQ test measures intelligence, the Torrance Test and others like it measure creative ability. They help figure out when investments pay off, and they can draw attention to hidden problems, like why elementary kids are scoring better than high school students.

The Turnaround Arts Initiative is using an ambitious arts curriculum to try and turn eight low-performing schools around. Celebrities like Kerry Washington and Yo-Yo Ma have signed on to help encourage kids, but the program's success will ultimately be measured in test scores.

The 23-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist, who has been compared to Adele, swept critics after her TV debut. One said her voice seemed to make time stand still. This story aired originally on Morning Edition on Nov. 5, 2012.

The most frequently produced play in America these days is a semiautobiographical look at class divides in the modern U.S. David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People explores what can happen when two kids from the same neighborhood grow up to become two very different adults.

The National Football League could coast nicely on its colossal audience. But as NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, execs have turned their attention to the nation's children, targeting them with NFL Rush Zone: Season of the Guardians, an animated TV show co-produced with Nickelodeon.

One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of a lynching. But they might not realize that he's also tied to an iconic event in America's history.

Robin and his brothers Barry and Maurice Gibb racked up dozens of hit songs in their five decade career. Gibb died after a long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery, his spokesperson confirmed via a statement.

TV challenge: How to fill the time slot dominated for decades by The Oprah Winfrey Show? There's no clear answer, whether you're a TV station manager or the person in charge of channel surfing at a nail salon.