Search results for

Hurricane Rita is gaining strength as it crosses the Gulf of Mexico, with current sustained wind speeds topping 135 miles per hour. Forecasters expect the Category Four storm to hit the Gulf coast of Texas or western Louisiana by early Saturday.

Farai Chideya talks with music writers Tom Terrell and Christina Roden about "Legends of African Music" — a collection of some of the continent's top artists featured in this month's Global Rhythm magazine.

A car bomb explodes near the Baghdad police station, wounding at least 14 people and damaging the offices of the U.S.-appointed police chief. The blast comes four days after an explosion at a Najaf mosque killed a top Shiite cleric and at least 80 others. Hear NPR's Ivan Watson and Fawaz Gerges of Sarah Lawrence College.

Voters headed to the polls Tuesday for statewide primaries in Ohio and Indiana. In Ohio, an open Senate contest has top billing.

Military officials deny that the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, knew about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in American custody. Reports in The Washington Post described prospective testimony that would place Sanchez as a witness of some abuses. The story brought stern denials from the Pentagon. Hear NPR's Libby Lewis.

Tom Terrell has a review of a new boxed set of reggae music that spans 1960-1975. The four CDs include music from top artists such as The Wailers and Jimmy Cliff, and lesser-known singers from reggae's early beginnings.

HBO ran over the competition at last night's Emmy Awards, taking 16 awards. The cable channel's Angels in America, a mini-series about the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, took seven honors. The Sopranos won for best drama. Sarah Jessica Parker and Kelsey Grammer took top comedy acting honors.

Boeing's former chief financial officer pleads guilty in the growing scandal over the firm's defense contracts with the federal government. A top Air Force officer has also pled guilty in the investigation into favoritism in military acquisitions. NPR's David Schaper reports.

Bob Dylan's new album, Modern Times, hit the top of the record charts last week. Now 65, the singer-songwriter continues to explore blues and older pop styles with lyrics that frequently contain contemporary references.

Gas prices are soaring across the country, but particularly in California. Fuel in the San Francisco Bay Area has topped $3, though the hike has not caused an attendant spike in public transportation ridership.