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France, Germany, Ukraine and Russia signed a peace accord several years ago that was never fully implemented. It may prove to be the off-ramp which will end the Ukraine crisis.

NPR's Adrian Florido speaks with Jose Cintron, a middle school teacher in Puerto Rico, about the teachers' ongoing strikes to demand better wages and pensions.

The celesta, an instrument invented in 1896, gets its name for its "celestial," tinkling sound. It provides the distinctive music that accompanies the dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. NPR's Bob Edwards discusses the instrument with Morning Edition music commentator Miles Hoffman, and Lambert Orkis of the National Symphony plays some celesta riffs.

Democrats like Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock are under pressure. President Biden's approval numbers are low, his legislative agenda has stalled, and control of Congress is up for grabs this fall.

African-American voters in Alabama say a Supreme Court decision dilutes their voting power. Republican leaders say race should not be the predominant factor for drawing congressional district lines.

Director Tim Burton's new film Big Fish stars Albert Finney as a fable-making father whose stories have caused his son to doubt his every word. NPR's Bob Mondello offers a review.

The Justice Department's federal civil rights case against the men who killed Ahmaud Arbery began this week. Here's a look at that trial and the civil rights agenda for Department of Justice in 2022.

Several Democratic-led states are rolling back coronavirus restrictions in the face of public wariness as the omicron surge eases. Federal health officials advise those restrictions are still needed.

A new translation of Leo Tolstoy's Hadji Murad is published. During the 1851 Chechen revolt against the Russians, Murad was a Muslim tribal chieftain. Leo Tolstoy was then a young man in the Russian Army. NPR’s Alan Cheuse has a review.

Apple Computer is expected to announce that its i-Tunes music downloading service will become available for users of Windows-based personal computers. Analysts say Apple should expect intense competition from similar services. Jason Lopez reports.

Singer Kainani Kahaunaele discusses the title track of her debut CD, called Na'u 'Oe. Kahaunaele wrote the song as part of a Hawaiian language project that incorporated Hawaiian poetry and composition. The song is a tribute to her grandmother, who raised her on the island of Kauai.

Author Julie Orringer's first book is a volume of short stories called How to Breathe Underwater. She addresses the inherent difficulties of growing up -- especially when the awkwardness of life is affected by death and disease. Orringer speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep.

A history professor hired by The New York Times recommends that a 1932 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Times journalist Walter Duranty should be rescinded. Duranty received the prize for articles he wrote covering Josef Stalin’s transformation of the Soviet Union. NPR's Melissa Block talks with professor Mark von Hagen.

Three new films draw inspiration from the deadly 1999 rampage by a pair of teenagers at Columbine High School in Colorado. David Darcy reports.

The new season of the show 24 begins Tuesday night. The show's creators say that having each hour-long episode reflect an hour in the life of CIA agent Jack Bauer allows them to make it up as they go along. Main plot elements this season include a drug cartel and biological weapons. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Joel Surnow, a writer and co-creator of the FOX series.

On the event of the publication of the Nobel laureate's memoirs, commentator and independent radio producer Katie Davis recalls first meeting Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1983.

Nowadays, most of us regard candy as a guilty pleasure, but during the Great Depression, sugary confections were marketed as healthy and inexpensive meals. That's just one of the interesting tidbits author Beth Kimmerle shares in her new book, Candy: The Sweet History. NPR's Michele Norris talks with Kimmerle.

In 1983, millions of Americans gathered to watch a made-for-TV movie depicting life after a nuclear attack on a small town in Kansas. The Day After aired at the height of the Cold War. Many see it as a great -- if somewhat campy -- achievement in nuclear-freeze paranoia. The director and others reflect on the movie's legacy. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

Gary Larson created more than 4,000 cartoons for The Far Side, and they've all been collected in a hefty new anthology. Yet the artist still has trouble explaining what his strange, world-of-their-own panels are about. Hear Larson describe a cartoon he wishes he had drawn, along with other excerpts of his interview with NPR's Bob Edwards.

A Family Circle: The Boudins and the Aristocracy of the Left tells the story of a family that includes poet Jean Boudin, journalist I.F. Stone and political radical Kathy Boudin. Kathy Boudin was recently released from prison for her part in a 1981 armored truck heist organized by the Weathermen. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with author Susan Braudy.

Novelist Nick Hornby's new book, Songbook, contains a collection of essays about Hornby's favorite pop tunes. It includes a meditation on a reggae version of "Puff the Magic Dragon." The unusual song is a favorite of Hornby's autistic son, and it teaches him something about his passion for music. Hear Hornby and NPR's Renee Montagne.

Neo, Trinity and Morpheus return to the nation's movie screens in The Matrix Revolutions, the final installment in the Matrix trilogy from the Wachowski brothers. The movie premieres Wednesday night. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

The classic French horror film Eyes Without A Face is back in theaters after 45 years on the shelf. Los Angeles Times movie critic Kenneth Turan offers a review.

A new documentary, Bus 174 tells the story of a Brazilian bus hijacking three years ago. The event, broadcast live, riveted South Americans to their televisions. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

Martin Amis's Yellow Dog is a satirical take on contemporary British life, with a cast of characters described in the book as "high-IQ morons." Yellow Dog ruffled feathers this past summer in Great Britain; it is now widely available in the United States. Alan Cheuse has a review.