2010 December | Here & Now

After passing a compromise tax cut bill, Congress now turns its attention to debating a nuclear arms treaty with Russia, ending the military’s ban on openly gay servicemembers, and providing citizenship to young immigrants who join the military or attend college.

Former PBS host Molly O’Neill traveled the country collecting family recipes for ten years. She’s featured hundreds of them in her new book, “One Big Table.” You can find recipes for the original deviled egg, truffled potato, cinnamon halibut, Robin Young’s mother’s tuna casserole and more here.

It’s the time of year when kids ask questions like, “How does Santa travel the world in one night?” Or, “Can reindeer really fly?” Professor Tim Slover set out to find answers and the result is the radio drama and book “The Christmas Chronicles.”

How did the free smart phone application “Smurf’s Village” become one of the highest grossing apps in the iTunes Store? Turns out the kids’ game may be free, but unbeknownst to many parents, to build a virtual “Smurf Village” you have to pay very real dollars for “Smurf Berries.”

Friday we heard music from Volcano Choir, Steve Earle, Medeski, Martin and Wood and more.

The last residents have moved out of Chicago’s Cabrini Green public housing projects. But are residents better off in new housing?

Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman has trained his lens on everything from meat processing plants to ballet. His latest film takes us to a Texas boxing gym.

Scientists believe if the so-called “warrior gene” is non-functioning in men, they may be more prone to violent behavior. Former rocker Henry Rollins got tested for the new documentary, “Explorer:Born To Rage.”

On Thursday we heard music from the Lickets, Harry Allen and more.

Forget foam fingers, the Minnesota Vikings are handing out snow shovels to fans this week, after the collapse of the Metrodome forced the team to an outside field.

A White House review of the Afghanistan War concludes that this year’s troop surge has diminished the influence of al-Qaida and the Taliban, though gains are fragile.

Right now, only people who die in hospitals can donate their organs. But the city of New York has begun an experiment to collect organs from donors who die at home.

On Wednesday we heard music from Auld Lang Syne, Judy Garland and more.

Do you have a “furkid,” or a pet that you treat as a child? And does dressing your pet up for Halloween or having your dog sit on Santa’s lap cross a line?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is threatening to keep the Senate in session through Christmas if there’s too much unfinished business. We take a look at what’s on the agenda.

Western museums have been under pressure to return ancient artifacts to the countries where they were found, but one expert says that’s not always best for the public.

Two journalists tracked down the first person ever diagnosed with autism to see what his case shows about the challenges facing adults with the disorder.

As the legal calculations over WikiLeaks continue, the BBC’s Nick Bryant reports that in Assange’s homeland of Australia, a debate is raging over his exploits.

Officially, the U.S. doesn’t negotiate with terrorists, but veteran foreign correspondent Thanassis Cambanis says talking to these groups could help end wars.

Farmers in Florida are searching for creative ways to save their crops: some are flying helicopters over fields to push warmer air back to the ground, others are using ground heaters.