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In addition to being one of country music’s biggest icons, Dolly Parton is also a prolific philanthropist.
One of the most important causes she’s dedicated herself to is child literacy, which she does through both the work of her non-profit organization the Imagination Library, as well as by being a writer of children’s books.
Parton newest book Billy the Kid Makes It Big! and she spoke with NPR’s Melissa Block about writing for children, standing up to bullies, and why her program to deliver books to children meant so much to her dad.
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No matter how you measure it, there is a lot of parking in the U.S. According to some estimates there are as many as six parking spaces for every car. Put another way, America devotes more square footage to storing cars than housing people.

Henry Grabar walks through how we got here, and what Americans have sacrificed on the altar of parking. From affordable housing to walkable neighborhoods to untold hours spent circling the block, hunting for a free spot.

His new book is Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.

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Sudan’s capital city Khartoum has been embroiled in a vicious urban battle between rival armies for nearly two weeks.

With the country on the brink of collapse, Residents Muhjah Khateeb, and her son have to make the difficult decision to leave their home and everything they have, behind. We hear excerpts from the audio diary that Khateeb recorded as they undertook the harrowing journey.

NPR’s Emmanuel Akinwotu reported her story.

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Jonathan Mitchell devised the legal strategy behind SB 8, a near-total ban on abortion in Texas. That legislation pioneered the idea of allowing private citizens to file lawsuits against people they suspected of helping provide access to abortion.

Mitchell is also involved in similar efforts by conservative activists in other states. NPR’S Sarah McCammon profiles the Austin, Texas-based attorney.

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A new advisory out this week from the US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy has deemed loneliness a public health challenge that needs immediate attention. And some of those most severely affected are young people.

But it’s not just loneliness. Across the country, kids are struggling with challenges to their mental health – from social isolation to poor grades at school.

NPR’s Sarah McCammon speaks to Lisa Damour, a psychologist, and author of the book “The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents”, about what’s going on with kids and how they can be helped.

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has put the Supreme Court, again, under scrutiny. Reports show that conservative billionaire Harlan Crow paid boarding school tuition for Justice Thomas’ grand-nephew.

Revelations about the private dealings of other supreme court justices are shaking the already fragile public confidence in the institution.

NPR’s Sacha Pfeiffer speaks with independent Sen. Angus King of Maine about what needs to be done in order to create a binding code of conduct for the Supreme Court.

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Union writers in Hollywood have put down their pens and reached for picket signs, after the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers failed to reach an agreement on a new contract.

Some television shows and movies with finished scripts can continue filming, but other productions, like late-night talk shows, may soon be in reruns.

NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly speaks with TV writer and WGA captain Jeane Phan Wong about what union members want and what’s getting in the way.

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Eastwind Books in Berkeley, California, has closed its doors. It was one of the oldest Asian-American bookstores in the country.
For decades, the store functioned as a cultural hub, not only for the Asian-American community, but for a variety of marginalized groups.
NPR’s Ailsa Chang spoke with co-owner Harvey Dong about the bookstore’s history and legacy.
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Lots of colleges and universities have announced tuition hikes for the upcoming school year, just as inflation is taking a bite out of many families’ budgets.

Still, NPR’s Elissa Nadworny explains that the real cost of college for most students has actually been falling for the past few years, after decades of growth.

But college is still very expensive, and it can feel out of reach for some students. Two Washington, D.C. high school students explain how they’re trying to make the math work.

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Earlier this week, nobody was surprised when President Joe Biden officially announced he is running for re-election. Framing it as a battle for the soul of the country, Biden did not mention Republican frontrunner Donald Trump by name but he took aim at “MAGA extremists”.

At 80, Biden is already the oldest president in US history, and even among Democrats it’s become an issue. And while some hoped a younger candidate might emerge – and maybe that person would be Vice President Kamala Harris, she has faced doubts from within the party as well.

Host Sarah McCammon talks with NPR’s White House correspondent Scott Detrow about the potential hurdles facing Biden and Harris on the road to reelection. And Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham weighs in on why some people will criticize Kamala Harris no matter what she does.