2010 November | Here & Now

Music from Monday’s show included artists like Dntel, Led Zeppelin and Charles Mingus.

In May of 2009, the citizens of Allen, Texas voted to build a $60 million stadium for their high school football team. Is this a case of “Friday Night Lights” gone wrong or an important economic investment?

While the turkey is the centerpiece of most Thanksgiving Day tables, Here & Now resident chef, Kathy Gunst, says it’s the side dishes that people really look forward to. She shares some of her favorites, from mashed parsnips with pears to butternut squash gratin.

From carrot cake whoopie pies to butternut squash gratin, H&N resident chef Kathy Gunst shares some out of the box recipes.

House Republicans this week voted down an extension of jobless benefits that expire at the end of the month, and Senate Democrats are trying to agree on a tax cut plan that has enough votes to pass once Congress returns from Thanksgiving break.

Afghanistan will be the key topic as NATO leaders begin a summit today in Portugal. President Barack Obama is certain to be quizzed about the U.S. exit strategy, which includes an effort to persuade thousands of Taliban fighters to lay down their arms and change sides.

Music from Friday’s show included sounds from the Gabrieli String Quartet and Freddie Hubbard.

Thanksgiving travelers will face enhanced screening at airports, including the Transportation Security Administration’s full body scanners and a more aggressive pat-down procedure. Some travelers say the new measures are a fundamental violation of privacy, but federal officials say they’re necessary to prevent a terrorist attack.

Anglo Irish Bank was flying high during Ireland’s boom years, but it fell hard when real estate prices crashed in 2008. The former head of the bank has since left Ireland for the U.S., where he filed for bankruptcy protection as Irish taxpayers were bailing out his bank.

Both sides of the abortion debate are producing license plates displaying their messages.But should states be in the business of producing political statements on license plates at all?

Music from Thursday’s show includes sounds from Paul Simon, Air and Dean & Britta.

Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney release their memoirs early next year. What are they and other neoconservatives who pushed for the Iraq War in the Bush Administration saying now?

General Motors is expected to raise more than $23 billion today, more than a year after declaring bankruptcy and receiving a $50 billion federal bailout, a portion of which the company will return today. What does GM’s return to life mean for the automaker, the taxpayer and the economy?

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1″ hits theaters at midnight tonight. So what do members of the so-called “Harry Potter Generation,” who grew up with the wizard, think of the new film?

Music from Wednesday’s show includes sounds from The Lickets and Volcano Choir.

Here & Now literary critic Steve Almond has some suggestions for good books to cuddle up with as winter approaches.

As the Irish government steps in to save three failing banks, the European Union is worried that Ireland’s financial crisis will spread to other European nations. The BBC’s Evan Davis has the story of the Celtic Tiger that is no more.

Newly-elected lawmakers swept into power by demanding that the government cut spending. But how would you tackle the country’s budget crisis? New York Times reporter David Leonhardt walks us through the options and possible consequences of streamlining the federal budget.

A driver serving a 10 year sentence for manslaughter for hitting and killing a 14-year-old cyclist, has sued the victim’s parents for not making the boy wear a helmet. Michelle Cruz, a Connecticut state victim advocate, joins us to discuss the case.

Air passenger rights groups are calling on people to boycott the Transportation Security Administration’s new full body scanners next Wednesday, the busiest travel day of the year. The groups object to the scans, which allow screeners to see right through a person’s clothes.