The second installment in the Lord of the Rings story opens in movie theaters Wednesday. Frodo and Gandalf are back in The Two Towers, and NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.
Bob Mondello, who jokes that he was a jinx at the beginning of his critical career — hired to write for every small paper that ever folded in Washington, just as it was about to collapse — saw that jinx broken in 1984 when he came to NPR.
Baby Reindeer was an unexpected hit on Netflix in 2024. Now its creator and star is back, with a series about two boys who become brothers after their mothers fall in love in 1980s Scotland.
Looking for a read that's complicated, gutsy and entertaining? Maureen Corrigan recommends Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke; American Fantasy, by Emma Straub; and Enormous Wings, by Laurie Frankel.
Lawyers made arguments in hearings for two separate lawsuits against President Trump and the Kennedy Center's board this week. Both lawsuits want to halt plans to close the performing arts venue for two years for renovations.
The move likely sets up a battle this fall between incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins and progressive Democrat Graham Platner, who is closely aligned with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.