Talk of the Nation

Over the last two weeks, Talk of the Nation has featured Oscar-nominated filmmakers from the "Best Documentary Feature" category. To wrap up the series, NPR arts critic Bob Mondello discusses how the Oscar business works and shares his favorites from this year's nominees.

The critically acclaimed film Zero Dark Thirty has reinvigorated the debate around the interrogation techniques used during the Bush administration's war on terror. Host Neal Conan discusses the film's depiction of interrogations and what U.S. and international law says about the techniques used during the Bush era.

UNESCO declared Feb. 13 World Radio Day to recognize the crucial role radio plays in organizing and informing communities. To celebrate the day, we'd like to hear from our listeners: What's the radio moment that changed your life?

The week-long manhunt for ex-L.A. police officer Christopher Dorner, recently led to a cabin in Big Bear, which, after an exchange of gunfire, burst into flames, leaving a body inside. Host Neal Conan discusses law enforcement tactics employed and how social media was used during the search.

NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin discusses Tuesday night's big speeches — President Obama's State of the Union; Sen. Marco Rubio's GOP response and GOP Sen. Rand Paul's Tea Party take — with Paul Glastris, editor-in-chief of The Washington Monthly and Peter Robinson of the Hoover Institution.

Since the recent discovery and ID of Richard III's bones under a Leicester parking lot, historians have been debating his legacy. Was Richard really the evil despot that Shakespeare made him out to be? Or was the real Richard a sensible domestic leader and the victim of a classic family struggle?

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listeners' comments on previous show topics, including the experience of drawing a gun, the evolution of TV villains and America's new boom towns.

Without a deal by March 1, across-the-board federal spending cuts will kick in — including deep cuts to the nation's defense budget. Michele Flournoy, former undersecretary of defense for policy, and NPR's Tom Bowman discuss what sequestration might mean for the U.S. military.

European officials say players and referees have fixed the outcome of hundreds of soccer games in recent years. The scandal has exposed the organized crime rings that cash in on cheating and has heightened scrutiny of the ethical questions that arise at the intersection of gambling and sports.

The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss North Korea's latest nuclear test. Any specific U.N. response depends largely on China, North Korea's primary trading partner. Former CIA China analyst Christopher Johnson weighs in on China's options and their potential influence on a coordinated international response.

How To Survive A Plague details the struggle of HIV/AIDS activists as they fight for better care and access to new medicines in the early days of the crisis. Join NPR's Neal Conan for a conversation with the film's director and producer, David France.

The discovery of oil and natural gas in Wyoming, Colorado and North Dakota has created a new generation of boomtowns. The explosive growth generated by the oil and gas drilling is often accompanied by an influx of new labor. The small towns near the fields wrestle to balance the economic advantages of the boom with the dramatic changes it brings to these tight-knit communities.

Pope Benedict XVI, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, unexpectedly announced Monday that he will resign at the end of the month. With his resignation comes speculation about his tenure, potential successors and the future of the Catholic Church. Rocco Palmo, who runs the blog Whispers in the Loggia, explores the pope's legacy and what's ahead for the Catholic Church.

Fighting in Damascus has escalated, and the U.N. says 5,000 Syrian refugees are fleeing every day. The humanitarian crisis is growing along the borders with Turkey and Lebanon, and Israel launched its first airstrike inside Syria on Wednesday, reportedly targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah.

The Invisible War looks at the ongoing issue of sexual assault in the military. Victims document the unsettling repercussions of reporting their assault within the military adjudication system. Part of an ongoing series of conversations with Oscar nominated documentary filmmakers.