Search results for

In North Korea, profound social change is happening beyond the view of the outside world. The pressure of national ideology has forced women to become the primary breadwinners in many households — dramatically redrawing gender roles in the process.

President Obama might have had the top tweet this year, but a lot of other notable things were said and discussed on Twitter in 2012. Host Michel Martin gets a breakdown of the year's top tweets from Keli Goff of The Root and blogger Viviana Hurtado of The Wise Latina Club.

Also: Hillary Clinton being treated for blood clot; big banks reportedly near settlement over foreclosure abuse accusations; body of Newtown killer is claimed; Venezuela's Chavez suffers new cancer complications; nine killed, 36 injured in Oregon bus crash.

All large classes elected to Congress want to change Washington. The Tea Party has found that there are all kinds of tripwires built into the American system of checks and balances that prevent newcomers from quickly remaking the political culture into their own image.

As a clock tower rings out 12 chimes, people all over the country will scoff a dozen grapes, hoping for good luck. With several seeds per grape and only a couple of seconds to swallow each one, the task is harder than it sounds. And then there's the bit about wearing a gift of red undergarments.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of Fresh Air as a daily national NPR program. This episode looks back at some of the great live musical performances from the show's archive, including songs from Shirley Horn, Loudon Wainwright III, Susannah McCorkle, Nick Lowe and Richard Thompson.

The countdown is on to a new year — and the fiscal changes that are on the other side of midnight. But what else is on the cards economically for 2013, both here and overseas? Guest host Celeste Headlee puts the question to the Wall Street Journal's Sudeep Reddy.

Vice President Joe Biden was meeting late Monday with Senate Democrats to brief them on a proposed deal to stop the sharp tax increases and spending cuts. The Senate may vote on the deal Monday night, but there will be no vote in the House until Tuesday at the earliest.

Some early Europeans toasted to profess their love to young women, while others lifted their arms to honor their kings. Toasting, which dates back to ancient times, is a ritual shrouded in urban legends. But one historian says some of the tall tales are actually true.

In 2012, the nation mourned the deaths of some influential individuals — from singer Whitney Houston to astronaut Neil Armstrong. Talk of the Nation remembers the lives of people who may not have made the front page when they died, but whose lives still made a significant impact.