Talk of the Nation

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention young people — ages 13 to 24 — accounted for more than a quarter of new HIV infections in the U.S. in 2010. More than half don't know that they're infected. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force posted a draft recommendation that doctors include HIV testing as part of routine screening for all people aged 15 to 65.

Hundreds of thousands of high school students enroll in Advanced Placement classes each year, with hopes to strengthen high school transcripts. In a piece for the Atlantic, former college professor and high school teacher John Tierney argues that AP courses don't deliver their promised benefits.

House Speaker John Boehner said it himself: "Obamacare is the law of the land." But what does that mean for patients--and their doctors and nurses? Ira Flatow and guests map out the road ahead for the Affordable Care Act, and when insurance exchanges, employer rewards for exercise and other features of the law take effect.

This month the book club takes to the skies with the Tom Wolfe classic The Right Stuff, a behind-the-curtain look at the 20th century's most famous test pilots--including Chuck Yeager. Yeager joins the club to talk about his long career, and what he considers "the right stuff."

Photographer James Balog on Climate Change and 'Chasing Ice' — In the new documentary "Chasing Ice," photographer James Balog attempts to capture how the world's glaciers are being affected by climate change. As the film debuts across the country, Balog discusses the project, and what needs to be done to save Earth's shrinking glaciers.

A few years ago, Science Friday, in collaboration with microbiologist Vince Fischetti and his lab at The Rockefeller University, conducted an experiment looking into a perennial holiday concern: will alcohol kill bacteria in homemade eggnog? We bring you the results. Please note: the sample size in this study is rather small, a single batch of nog.

As President Barack Obama prepares to enter a second term, he faces a host of foreign policy issues. Syria presents an immediate crisis, China poses a strategic challenge and tensions with Iran continue to escalate.

When the 113th Congress convenes in January, it will include more women than ever before: 81 female members of the House, and 20 female senators. Wilson Center director, president and CEO Jane Harman discusses how female leadership influences politics and the workplace.

For decades, the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were locked in a checkmate that brought the countries to the brink of nuclear war. Now, a new multipolar landscape exists where at least nine countries have nuclear weapons and China is projected to become the world's largest economy.

One of the most well-known American women in China is someone many Americans have never heard of. Jessica Beinecke is host of OMG! Meiyu, an English-language learning Web show produced by Voice of America. Her offbeat videos have racked up more than 15 million views over the past year.

According to the World Health Organization, about 36 million people worldwide currently suffer from some degree of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. Experts predict the number is set to double by 2030. Most families and health care systems are largely unprepared.

Ralph Reed, founder of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, discusses the role of social conservatives in the GOP politics. Incoming congressman Rick Nolan talks about his return to the House after more than thirty years. NPR's Political Junkie Ken Rudin recaps the week in politics.

When Parton told her high-school classmates that she planned to go to Nashville and become a star, the whole class burst into laughter. In her book Dream More, Parton explains the principles behind her success and describes how she became one of the best-selling recording artists of all time.

A report from the National Council on Disability finds that parents with physical or mental disabilities have a greater risk of losing custody of their children. The study says that the U.S. legal system needs to provide more support for these parents.

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including first-person shooter video games and the StoryCorps' National Day of Listening.