2011 January | Here & Now

The House of Representatives opens debate on repealing the President’s healthcare law. But what would a repeal mean for several provisions that have already kicked in?

Rumi, the 13th century Muslim mystic, is now America’s bestselling poet. Why do Americans love his poetry? And how do Muslims feel about his writing, which celebrates dancing, love and wine?

After delaying the start of legislative business last week because of the Tucson shootings, the House of Representatives gets back to work this week.

Voting has ended in Sudan over whether the Christian south will secede from the Arab north. The south is widely expected to separate, but it’s not clear what will happen with the contested, oil-rich area called Abyei.

Rabbi Hyman Schachtel famously said in the 60s that “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” Now one psychologist says going out and getting what you want may actually increase happiness.

On Monday we heard sounds from The Sea and Cake, My Morning Jacket and more.

In his book “April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King Jr.’s Death And How It Changed America,” author Michael Eric Dyson writes about how blacks and whites have shaped their own different images of the late civil rights leader.

There’s buzz over electric cars at the Detroit Auto Show this week. You can watch a video of our tour through Boston in one, we had a little trouble finding a charging station.

At the Detroit Auto Show, small, fuel efficient cars are all the talk. Toyota is unveiling a wagon-style Prius spinoff, Mercedes is showing all-electric and hydrogen fueled cars and Ford has an all-electric hatchback. But despite the buzz over electric, it will be years before they become mainstream.

One-day sales of handguns in Arizona jumped 60 percent on January 10th — the Monday after the Arizona shooting that left six people dead and 14 injured, including Congressman Gabrielle Giffords. We speak to a gun store employee about the surge in gun sales and Arizona gun laws.

The NY Jets have been giving their rival, the New England Patriots, a whalloping – at least when it comes to trash talk. This weekend, the two teams meet for Round Two of the playoffs. We look at the eight teams playing this weekend, who are vying for their chance at the Super Bowl.

We heard from The Lickets, Sonny Rollins and more.

Though we don’t rely on steam for power anymore, something of a steam powered revival is underway. But it’s taking place in art galleries instead of the factory floor.

Community colleges around the country offer green training programs for jobs like solar panel installation and wind turbine upkeep. But some students are finding those jobs hard to come by when they graduate?

MIT Professor Sherry Turkle was an early enthusiast for new interactive technologies. But after watching children play with robots, and adults romanticize their smart phones, she says it’s time to take a step back.

Do you use your cell phone while a waiter is waiting? Do you text while talking to your friends? What is good etiquette in the age of smart phones and Facebook?

Today we heard music from Sonny Rollins, Peter Dixon, and more.

With its insistence on total abstinence, Alcoholics Anonymous is one of the most effective treatment programs for alcoholism. Journalist Clancy Martin takes a look at the inner workings of the organization and its Twelve Step program.

Concerns from students, professors and campus police about accused Tuscon shooter Jared Loughner are outlined in 51 pages of documents released by the school.

Sarah Palin stirred controversy this week when she used the highly-charged term “blood libel” to fire back at critics in the media. She say they are unfairly trying to draw a connection between her campaign rhetoric and the deadly shooting spree.