Although it always seems fashionable to forecast the downfall of classical music, enterprising musicians both young and not so young continue to make deeply satisfying recordings. For this visit to weekends on All Things Considered, I was delighted to uncover the little known (at least in this country) Jorge Luis Prats, a terrifically talented Cuban pianist whose once uncertain career appears to be resurging — at 55, he has signed a handsome record deal. Then there's The Knights, a young chamber orchestra with a postmodern take on Schubert.
News of a possible way out of the diplomatic impasse over Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng has again overshadowed other events in Beijing. The Chinese Foreign ministry says Chen might be allowed to leave China to study abroad. Meanwhile about 200 U.S. officials from the State Department and the U.S. Treasury are in China to discuss other matters vital to the U.S.-China relationship.
The Labor Department issued its monthly employment report on Friday and the news wasn't good. Payrolls did increase with 115,000 positions but that was less than the month before and far less than what most economists were expecting.
Pam and Robert Champion hold their son's drum major hat from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Robert Champion Jr. died after a hazing incident in November.
Credit Don Juan Moore / AP
Champion performs during halftime of a game against Howard University on Oct. 8. Champion became ill and died due to a hazing incident after a game the following month.
Charges filed this week against 13 people in connection with a hazing death at Florida A&M University have thrust the hazing culture into the spotlight.
Florida has one of the toughest anti-hazing laws in the country, but legal experts say prosecuting the crime can be tricky.
State attorney Lawson Lamar, who is leading the prosecution in the death of drum major Robert Champion, acknowledges the case is complicated.
It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
And I'm Robert Siegel. Fans of British drama will find pleasure in a film arriving on these shores today. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" follows a group of British retirees who move to India looking for a more affordable life.
Detail of cover art from the 1974 album Marvin Gaye Live!
Credit Becky Lettenberger / NPR
Left to right: Youth Radio participants Evan Childress, 21; Brandon McFarland, 26; Rayana Godfrey, 18; and Skylar Tye Bryant, 18, pose in front of a portrait of Marvin Gaye at the Washington, D.C., restaurant Marvin.
If you listen to my story above, you'll know that hot sauce production is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States.
And you'll learn that research finds chili-heads — people who love the burn of spicy food — tend to have a penchant for sensation-seeking. Think rollercoasters and action flicks.
So you wanna jump in, but you're new to the hot sauce world?
When The World Needs Saving: Marvel superheroes Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are the world's last line of defense — but that doesn't mean they get along.
Credit Walt Disney Pictures
When The World Needs Saving: Marvel superheroes Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) are the world's last line of defense — but that doesn't mean they get along.
Credit Walt Disney Pictures
S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) appeared in earlier Marvel movies only in cameos, but he takes on a central role as he brings the Avengers together.
That crashing sound you'll hear emanating from cineplexes this weekend will be the sound of comic-book superheroes smashing box-office records.
Actually, the smashing started last weekend, when Marvel's The Avengers opened in 39 territories around the world, scooping up a cool $178 million in three days. And with legions of fans having already bought advance tickets in the U.S., it's a pretty sure bet the box-office bonanza will continue as the film opens in more than 4,000 North American theaters.
Prosecutors have filed charges against 13 people allegedly involved in the hazing death of Florida A&M University student Robert Champion, authorities said on Wednesday.
