All Things Considered on KCCU

How 'Black Beauty' Changed The Way We See Horses

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"The best thing that ever happened to horses was that they ceased to be the automobiles and trucks of their day," says author Jane Smiley. "The automobile was invented and horses became pets, companion animals, leisure animals and so in general they became better treated.

By Michele Norris

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 10:45 pm

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NPR's Backseat Book Club is back! And we begin this round of reading adventures with a cherished classic: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Generations of children and adults have loved this book. With vivid detail and simple, yet lyrical prose, Black Beauty describes both the cruelty and kindness that an ebony-colored horse experiences through his lifetime — from the open pastures in the English countryside to the cobblestone grit of 19th-century England.

10:09 am

Fri November 2, 2012

China's Assertive Behavior Makes Neighbors Wary

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China is currently involved in several disputes with its neighbors over small islands, many of them uninhabited. Here, Chinese fishing boats sail off the island province of Hainan in the South China Sea in July.

Credit Mark Ralston / AFP/Getty Images

Chinese demonstrators carry their nation's flag during an anti-Japanese protest outside the Japanese Embassy in Beijing on Sept. 15. The countries are involved in a dispute over the Diaoyu Islands, known as the Senkaku Islands in Japanese.

Credit STR / Reuters /Landov

As part of a demonstration against Japan, a Chinese protester destroys a Japanese-model police car in Shenzhen in southern China on Aug. 19.

Credit STR / AFP/Getty Images

China's first aircraft carrier, shown here in the northeastern port of Dalian, was officially put into service on Sept. 25. The carrier is seen as a symbol of China's growing military might.

By Louisa Lim

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 9:20 pm

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As China's global stature grows, Beijing appears to be flexing its muscles more frequently on the international stage. As part of NPR's series on China this week, correspondents Louisa Lim and Frank Langfitt are looking at this evolving foreign policy. From Beijing, Louisa examines the forces driving China's policy, while Frank reports on why China's neighbors are feeling increasingly edgy.

By Louisa Lim

5:41 pm

Thu November 1, 2012

In Key Senate Races, Outside Groups Outpace Candidates' Ad Spending

Credit Tony Dejak / AP

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (right), D-Ohio, debates his Republican challenger, Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, at the City Club in Cleveland on Oct. 15.

By Tamara Keith

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 6:52 pm

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Most of the attention heading into Election Day may be on the presidential race, but the stakes are also high in the battle for the U.S. Senate, where there are close contests in about a dozen states.

According to an NPR analysis of Kantar Media CMAG data, outside groups are spending more than $100 million blanketing the airwaves. This won't come as a surprise if you live in a state with a competitive Senate race.

4:35 pm

Thu November 1, 2012

New Yorkers Struggle With Limited Transit Options

By Robert Smith

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 5:42 pm

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New Yorkers were ready to get back to work on Thursday, but the region's transportation system wasn't ready to handle all of them. At bus and subway stops there were long lines and frustration, while drivers had their own long waits for the city's bridges and tunnels.

Around the Nation

3:39 pm

Thu November 1, 2012

In Flooded New Jersey, No Oversight For Levees

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An emergency responder helps residents of Little Ferry, N.J., after their neighborhood was flooded due to Superstorm Sandy.

By Joe Palca

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 5:42 pm

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Residents of Moonachie and Little Ferry, N.J., are beginning to clear the damage after their communities were inundated by floodwaters. The flooding occurred when a system of levees and berms was unable to control the storm surge pushed ashore by Superstorm Sandy.

Geologist Jeffrey Mount of the University of California, Davis, isn't surprised. "There really are only two kinds of levees," he says, "those that have failed, and those that will fail."

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Mon-Fri 4 to 6 p.m. and Weekends at 4 and 5 p.m.

Robert Siegel, Melissa Block, Michele Norris
Clinton Wieden and Mitch Watson

On May 3, 1971, at 5 p.m., All Things Considered debuted on 90 public radio stations.

In the 40 years 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 Robert Siegel, Michele Norris and Melissa Block. In 1977, ATC expanded to seven days a week with a one-hour show on Saturdays and Sundays, currently hosted by Guy Raz. During 2012, while Michele is focusing on other reporting assignments, Weekend Edition Sunday host Audie Cornish will fill in for her in the host chair.

Local Host(s):

Clinton Wieden, Mitch Watson

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News/Talk

Composer ID:

5182890ae1c8782104877dd9|518288ffe1c8782104877dcb

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NPR's Backseat Book Club

2:16 pm

Fri November 2, 2012