Ryan Benk

A new first in a career spanning 7 decades: Cher now has a Christmas album. NPR's Scott Simon talks with the singer/actress/icon about why she's finally recorded one.

The Kensington neighborhood in Philadelphia has been dealing with an opioid crisis for years. A drug known as "tranq" is further complicating an already fraught situation.

NPR's Scott Simon asks Keegan-Michael and Elle Key about their new book, "The History of Sketch Comedy."

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Rachel Harrison about her new horror novel, "Black Sheep," which asks what must be sacrificed in order to go home again.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with researcher Joe Johnson and musician Jake Blount about the new Library of Congress guide to African American banjo music resources in its collection.

Scientists at University of California Berkeley have recreated a Pink Floyd song using previously recorded brain waves. In the process, they've learned a lot about how the brain processes music.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe and bestselling author Daniel Kraus speak about his new thriller, "Whalefall."

NPR's Scott Simon talks to Black Opry founder Holly G. about Jason Aldean's latest single and the fight to recognize Black contributions to country music.

NPR Tiny Desk Contest entrant Nicolle Horbath composed songs about the pandemic but gave them a bossa nova twist.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to soul singer Bettye LaVette about her new album, "LaVette!" and her years of performing on the club circuit.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks to actor Robert Englund about his new documentary, "In Hollywood Dreams and Nightmares:The Robert Englund Story" in which he explains why he doesn't fear being a genre icon.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to author Mike Bockoven about his new book "Killing It," a darkly funny story about four standup comedians who face literal death in a comedy club.

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Alex Aviña, of Arizona State University, about the history of US troops along the border with Mexico. 1,500 service members will be deployed this week.

A Nigerian teen obsessed with the West comes of age in a dangerous country. NPR's Camila Domonoske talks with Stephen Buoro about his comic novel, "The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa."

As members of the Writers Guild of America wrap up voting on whether to authorize a strike, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks to two writers about the changing content landscape in Hollywood.

A Victorian mansion on a Lake Erie island and half-sisters with a terrifying legacy: NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Rachel Eve Moulton about her new horror novel, "The Insatiable Volt Sisters."

The brand-name version of the once-daily pill that is 99% effective at preventing HIV used to cost upwards of $1,800 a month. Federal guidance now makes getting the drug with insurance cheaper.

Fifty-two years ago, police raided the Stonewall Inn in New York which catered to LGBTQ customers. COVID-19 almost closed the bar, but during Pride Month, people have been celebrating there.

It's been 40 years since the first U.S. AIDS cases were were reported, and some who experienced the early years of the crisis say the effects of denialism then have carried into the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new British TV drama looks at the lives of gay men in London at the very start of the AIDS crisis — back when no one wanted to stop the party, and no one thought the virus could touch them.