Daily Schedule

Frontline correspondent Martin Smith talks about his investigation into Steven A. Cohen and his firm, SAC Capital. Chang-Rae Lee talks about his new novel, On Such a Full Sea, set in a future America that strictly stratified by class. Gary Shteyngart discusses his memoir, Little Failure, about leaving the Soviet Union for the United States in the late 1970s. We’ll get a preview of the 10th annual Winter Jazz Fest with composer and musician Henry Threadgill and pianist Jason Moran.

Your morning companion from NPR and the WNYC Newsroom, with world news, local features, and weather updates.

While some are calling for NSA leaker Edward Snowden to be granted clemency, Slate’s Fred Kaplan disagrees. He explains his position. Plus: The new City Council convenes to pick a new...

The Peabody Award-winning program features Terry Gross’ fearless and insightful interviews with big names in pop culture, politics and the arts.

A wrap-up of the day’s news, with features and interviews about the latest developments in New York City and around the world, from NPR and the WNYC newsroom.

A wrap-up of the day’s news, with features and interviews about the latest developments in New York City and around the world, from NPR and the WNYC newsroom.

In this episode: For the first time in Billboard chart history, no black artists topped Billboard’s Hot 100 singles chart in all of 2013. Perhaps even more shocking: For 44 out of 56 weeks of 2013, white artists topped the R&B chart. We look at how and why this happened with pop chart writer Chris Molanphy and political analyst and writer Keli Goff.

Then: Born in Benin, based in Brooklyn, but a true citizen of the world, singer Angelique Kidjo numbers Desmond Tutu and Bill Clinton among her friends. She plays songs from her latest album Eve live in the Soundcheck studio, talks about her new memoir about a life in music and as a UNICEF ambassador.

And: Last week, rapper Rick Ross sued the pop band LMFAO over a lyric in their mega-hit “Party Rock Anthem” -- “Every day I’m shufflin’” -- because it’s similar to his famous lyric “Every day I’m hustlin’.” Soundcheck talks with our copyright go-to, intellectual property lawyer Jonathan Reichman (a.k.a. The Copy Cat) about whether Ross has any legal ground to stand on.

For this New Sounds, listen to John Schaefer's completely personal and opinionated look at the ten best new music releases of 2013. There will probably be something by a Russian pianist/composer and a Tibetan singer, perhaps some music from a guitarist/composer who also plays in the National, and a vocalist/composer who practically creates choruses of herself.  Also, listen for music from the IDM world with gamelan-like percussion, as well as Indo-jazz music from a South Asian suite.