NPR Staff

Cammie O'Reilly lost her mother when she was a baby — so she seeks out maternal support from female inmates. Author Jerry Spinelli says the book was inspired by a real-life story from his hometown.

Researchers Andrew Papachristos and Gary Slutkin have started to look at gun violence as a public health epidemic, and how to take a holistic approach and reinterpret the problem.

Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and Lisa Morrison Butler, Chicago's Commissioner of the Department of Family and Support Services, discuss the recent spike of violence in the city.

Chicago Police Board President Lori Lightfoot discusses the rise in gun-related deaths in the city. She says the Chicago Police Department can't tackle the problem on its own.

To help us understand why so many young men contribute to Chicago's violence and gang problems we speak with former members, Andre Evans, Edwin Day and Mario Hardiman.

Congressman Danny Davis is a Democrat representing Illinois's 7th District, which includes some Chicago neighborhoods hardest hit by gun violence. His own grandson was shot and killed last November.

Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith have been a trio since childhood, but like any long-term relationship, it's taken work. They joined NPR's Ari Shapiro to talk about their unique bond.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York says he is open to compromise but wants to hold a hard line on protecting his party's priorities. And he is going to use the incoming president's words against him.

The musician and Snapchat advice guru says his communication style is meant to resonate with young audiences. "Sometimes we've got to get somebody to translate in a different way," he says.

As a teenager, Kayla Wilson talked to her grandma about her mom's incarceration in 2006. Now an adult, she and her mom discuss those days and how the experience changed them.

In Roane County, Tenn., a special recovery court works to combat the area's addiction problem by getting addicts into treatment instead of jail.

Gay's new short story collection explores women's lives and issues of race, class and sex. But she says the book could easily have been called Difficult Men.

Many of us feel stuck at one point or another: in the wrong city, the wrong job, or the wrong relationship. Self help gurus have offered lots of advice — but here's a new idea, from the tech world.

Dear Sugar Radio is a podcast offering "radical empathy" and advice for the lost, lonely and heartsick. Today the hosts hear from a woman wondering whether her fiancé's porn addiction can be helped.

By day, Nicola Berlinsky and sisters Lisa Pimentel and Joanie Pimentel are colleagues at an elementary school. By night, they're bandmates — in a group they ironically named No Small Children.

More Native Americans are revisiting indigenous ingredients and methods of cooking. It's a natural calling for chefs, like Navajo Freddie Bitsoie, who have found themselves in a cultural tug of war.

The Grey's Anatomy co-star tells NPR's Michel Martin he's seen the effects of his actions in the public consciousness and discourse. He says he's inspired by black women and the black LGBTQ community.

Dear Sugar Radio is a podcast offering "radical empathy" and advice for the lost, lonely and heartsick. On this episode, the hosts talk about a touchy subject: physical appearance and weight.

Researchers have found new clues to how bats communicate. And it turns out they tend to argue — a lot. The research could lead to a broader understanding of animal communication.

Ron Rapoport, himself the recipient of the Ring Lardner Award for sportswriting, has collected the legendary columnist's work in a new book. Lardner wrote about sport, but also his family and travels.