On May 3, 1971, at 5 p.m., All Things Considered debuted on 90 public radio stations.
In the more than four decades since, almost everything about the program has changed, from the hosts, producers, editors and reporters to the length of the program, the equipment used and even the audience.
However there is one thing that remains the same: each show consists of the biggest stories of the day, thoughtful commentaries, insightful features on the quirky and the mainstream in arts and life, music and entertainment, all brought alive through sound.
All Things Considered is the most listened-to, afternoon drive-time, news radio program in the country. Every weekday the two-hour show is hosted by Ailsa Chang, Audie Cornish, Mary Louise Kelly, and Ari Shapiro. In 1977, ATC expanded to seven days a week with a one-hour show on Saturdays and Sundays, which is hosted by Michel Martin.
During each broadcast, stories and reports come to listeners from NPR reporters and correspondents based throughout the United States and the world. The hosts interview newsmakers and contribute their own reporting. Rounding out the mix are the disparate voices of a variety of commentators.
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Gay young adults have one of the highest rates of suicide attempts, and kids who are rejected by their parents have the most problems. New research says when a parent is neutral about a son or daughter being gay, or even only mildly critical, that goes a long way in reducing a child's risk. -
Bars like Whitlow's on Wilson near Washington, D.C., are drawing crowds with an increasingly popular video game called Rock Band. Players can take the stage as rock stars — singing or playing guitar, drums or bass to their favorite hits. -
These days, stories about Detroit paint the American auto mecca as a city that's lost its way. But for the remaining residents of the shrinking city, it's also an urban frontier of the imagination. -
Herbie Hancock's album is now considered one of the defining moments in jazz fusion. The Library of Congress is preserving the album in its musical collection as one of the country's most culturally significant audio recordings. Hancock and producer David Rubinson reflect on the album's creation and long-lasting impact. -
The Bielski brothers gave shelter and protection to Polish Jews who, like them, fled into the region's forests and swamps to escape German persecution. Director Edward Zwick's new film tells their story, but why hasn't it been heard until now?
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A day-long Israeli bombardment of Hamas police and security compounds across the Gaza Strip has left more than two hundred Palestinians dead and several hundred wounded. It was the single bloodiest day of fighting in Gaza in years. NPR's Eric Westervelt joins host Jacki Lyden from Jerusalem.
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John Maltese and his father spent years tracking down the wax cylinders recorded in the 1890s by businessman Julius Block. Maltese finally found them in St. Petersburg, Russia, and traveled there with record producer Ward Marston. The fruit of the long, careful process of restoring the recordings, The Dawn of Recording, is available this week.
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As of Jan. 2, being caught with less than an ounce of pot in Massachusetts will result only in a $100 civil fine. District Attorney David F. Capeless, president of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association, says the law has many loopholes and is in its present form, in effect, legalization of marijuana.
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As cleanup continues on the giant sludge spill from a Tennessee coal plant, government officials are trying to figure out how much of a disaster it is. It could pose a hazard to people and the environment.
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Frank Miller, who became known for bringing new depth to Batman in the '80s and expanding the audience for graphic novels, has directed The Spirit, created by comic-book pioneer Will Eisner. Miller says the key to keeping the movie dark is its tone.
