Television talk show host Wendy Williams is known for pushing the envelope and dishing the dirt on celebs. But her rise to fame wasn't always glamorous. Host Michel Martin speaks with Williams about her career, battle with addiction and new book Ask Wendy.

A dance band called Dur-Dur Band ruled the nightclub scene in 1980s Mogadishu, thanks to a unique sound made possible by access to Western culture and instruments.

One expert says the administration is operating drones with a "kill-not-capture" policy, adding that you don't get intelligence from those killed. But there's also a human toll — from the pilots who remotely operate the drones to those people who live in the areas that are targeted.

Bill Cheng's debut novel, Southern Cross the Dog, is full of mythical characters who feel like they rose right out of the Mississippi Swamp, and narratives that churn and swirl like the river itself. Cheng calls the novel "a love note to those old blues players."

When he first moved to Washington, D.C., White House faith adviser Jonathan DuBois had heard people in the nation's capital weren't serious about their religious beliefs. Instead, he found how those in the public eye keep a private faith.

The Texas alt-country outfit has been spoofing politics, religion and romance for as long as most Austinites can remember.

How we navigate one another's space is an important and nuanced part of communicating. Two authors observe how this dynamic plays out in Cairo and Sao Paulo.

The humorist has made a name as a playwright, novelist, columnist and screenwriter. Now he's turned his attention to the Young Adult market with an update of the Cinderella story — starring a young girl from a trailer park.

Omar Deghayes is one of hundreds of former detainees who have been released from the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay over the past several years. In his years as a detainee, he went on three hunger strikes and says he understands what current prisoners are going through.

Some hold the straight edge of the tortilla chip and dip the point; others do the opposite. But if you're willing to step out of the box, The Sporkful's Dan Pashman has a technique that could help boost the reputation of one controversial chip.

The U.S. says it will consider arming the rebels if it can confirm Bashar Assad's regime used the nerve gas sarin in recent attacks. But there's a danger that any weapons the U.S. provides could fall into the wrong hands.

Illustrator Ralph Steadman had never heard of Hunter S. Thompson before he flew to Churchill Downs on assignment to cover the Kentucky Derby. But after an unforgettable, booze-ridden weekend with the writer, Steadman's life was never the same.

For this round of our short story contest, write a piece of original fiction in which a character finds something he or she has no intention of returning.

The comedian's new book, Dad Is Fat, chronicles life in a two-bedroom Manhattan apartment with five little kids. Gaffigan says having children has made him a better comedian — and living in the city has helped him raise better kids.

Your inbox overflows with spam, so what else is new? But have you ever wondered how junk email got its name? And where all of it comes from? Finn Burton, author of Spam: A Shadow History of the Internet describes the spam business, how it's become a criminal enterprise and how you can protect yourself online.

The award-winning songwriter speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the value of melody, and writing a song about rain for a movie scene that had none.

This weekend, Kevin Krigger will be the first black jockey in the Kentucky Derby in more than a decade. If he wins, he'll be the first African-American to do so since 1902.

The burden for retirement planning has shifted dramatically, from traditional pensions run by experts to 401(k)s that require decisions by "gravely undereducated investors, Vanguard founder John Bogle says. He says the government should set minimum standards to protect retirement plans.

For decades, Alexis Martinez, born Arthur, had to mask her transgender identity by "being as macho as I could be." But in a visit to StoryCorps, she tells her daughter how, with her family's acceptance, she's finally been able to live as a woman full-time.

A decade after the Dixie Chicks' frontwoman came out against the Iraq War — the response to which brought the band's career to a halt — Maines returns with her solo debut, Mother.