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France is deep in debate, wondering if there's a resurgence of an old colonial racism, or if people have just become more tolerant of bigots. The questions stem from a series of race-based taunts against Justice Minister Christiane Taubira, who is black.

Also: Barnes & Noble makes up with Simon & Schuster; Amazon crashes; Margaret Atwood on optimism.

It is not a marching song. It is not necessarily defiant. It is a promise.

From the White House and the Supreme Court on down, gay rights advocates have won a string of victories this year. Many Americans remain opposed to same-sex marriage, but support for gays and gay marriage has been rising — particularly among young people.

Kathie Lee Gifford is best-known to millions of people as the perky morning TV host, who spent years paired with Regis Philbin and is now on the Today show. But Gifford has written the script and lyrics for a new Broadway musical, Scandalous: The Life and Trials of Aimee Semple McPherson. How will Gifford fare in the pressure cooker of Broadway?

"Ours is not a bloodline, but a text line," say father-daughter author team Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzberger. Their new book, Jews And Words, explores the significance of text in the Jewish tradition. "For thousands of years, we Jews had nothing but books," Oz says. "They became part of the family life."

Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained tells the story of a freed slave on a mission to save his wife. Critic Stephanie Zacharek says the dialogue and action — and performances from Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz — give the film an edge that could only come from Tarantino. (Recommended)

In Blue Caprice, the onetime Grey's Anatomy star portrays a man modeled on one of the 2002 Beltway snipers. He talks with NPR's Scott Simon about the challenges of humanizing a character capable of the inhuman.

Stories that titillate, amuse or arouse flash-in-the-pan outrage may be more widely read and shared than solid information. Celebrity and scandals have always attracted media attention, but in the Internet age, the balance is shifting more toward entertainment.

The punter says his outspoken support of same-sex marriage got him fired, but adds that he has no regrets. He tells NPR's Michel Martin: "If you're not willing to speak out for the rights of other people, then who do you expect to speak out for you when it's your turn?"