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What NPR critics are watching, reading and listening to this weekend

Friday, May 27, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: reality television, Eurovision compilations and more.

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In Dua Lipa's ever-expanding world, 'there's no time limit and there's no what-ifs'

Thursday, April 28, 2022

The pop star is returning to stages two years after releasing an acclaimed second album, Future Nostalgia, and being forced like everyone else to hunker down for the long chill.

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Cypress Hill's impact comes into focus in new documentary

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Cypress Hill's '90s sensational hit "Insane in the Brain" is also the title of a new Showtime documentary out this week about the hip-hop group.

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How tensions between the police and media boiled over one chaotic night in LA

Thursday, March 31, 2022

The LAPD detained at least 16 journalists covering a protest in March 2021, a low point in a year of increasing mistrust and hostilities between police departments and the media.

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A year ago tensions between the press and police erupted in Los Angeles

Friday, March 25, 2022

At a homeless encampment, police cracked down on protesters and journalists. Press advocates say that night of chaos was the capstone on tensions that had been building for years.

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What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend reading and viewing

Friday, February 18, 2022

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: The Secret History, a Futurama reboot and more.

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Here's what's behind the Wordle c-r-a-z-e

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

It's a simple game to guess a five-letter word. People on social media have been very enthusiastic about sharing how well they did.

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Encore: Looking back on the legacy of 'Shaft,' 50 years later

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

The film Shaft was released 50 years ago this week and heralded what came to be known as Blaxploitation cinema. The genre has a checkered legacy — and inspired Oscar-winning music.

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European Official: We Have A 'Moral Duty' To Help Afghan Refugees

Friday, September 17, 2021

Officials from the European Union are discussing how to help the growing number of Afghan refugees seeking refuge on the continent.

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What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Friday, August 27, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Enlightened, "Vax That Thang Up."

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What's Making Us Happy: A Guide For Your Weekend Watching, Listening And Reading

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. Today it's the Fear Street trilogy, Biz Markie's "Just a Friend," and Viet Thanh Nguyen's book, The Committed.

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Looking Back On The Legacy Of 'Shaft,' 50 Years Later

Friday, July 02, 2021

"Shaft" was released 50 years ago this week. The film heralded what came to be known as Blaxploitation cinema, a genre with a chequered legacy that also created inspired, Oscar-winning music.

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Michael Mann's 'Heat' At 25: A Newly Relevant Study In Loneliness

Saturday, September 05, 2020

Like many of us, Marc Rivers has watched a lot of movies during self-isolation. But it was a 25-year old crime drama about emotional isolation that offered him the greatest comfort.

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A Year After Toni Morrison's Death, Her Visions Of Love Stay With Us

Wednesday, August 05, 2020

Love is central to the work of Toni Morrison — she brought love to her examinations of Black life, and love itself was her enduring subject. But love isn't always a good or joyous thing in her work.

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A Houston Doctor On His Hospital's 'Deadliest Week' So Far

Friday, July 31, 2020

Dr. Joseph Varon, chief of critical care at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, says his staff is overworked, exhausted and emotionally drained.

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'Luce' And Waves' Boost Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s Career

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Kelvin Harrison Jr. has two breakout roles this year in Luce, and the new film Waves which will rolls out in theaters this weekend. The New Orleans native has very quickly become an indie darling.

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'Double Indemnity' Is 75, But Anklets (And Film Noir) Are Forever

Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Double Indemnity is classic film noir: Men in fedoras walk mean streets shrouded in shadow and women are sometimes the sirens to beckon them to their doom. It's a film — and a genre — that endures.

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A Tribe Called Quest's 'Electric Relaxation' Celebrates 25 Years

Monday, March 11, 2019

The song "Electric Relaxation" from the hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest officially hit the airwaves 25 years ago this month. The single came off their classic album, Midnight Marauders.

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Beyond 'Shallow': A Look At The Oscars Picks For Best Original Song

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson breaks down the 2019 Oscar nominees for best original song.

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The Eagles Have The Best-Selling Album Of All Time ... For Now

Monday, August 20, 2018

The Eagles' 1976 compilation album, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, has surpassed Michael Jackson's Thriller for the title of best-selling album of all time.

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