National

U.S. student loan debt tops $1 trillion, and young people face disproportionately high unemployment. Writer Joel Kotkin points to these numbers when he claims today's millennial generation is getting the short end of the stick. Kotkin speaks with Tell Me More host Michel Martin about his Newsweek/Daily Beast article on what he calls the "screwed generation."

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, Frederic Yonnet is taking the harmonica to new places. We'll tell you more in just a few minutes.

But first, as we mentioned earlier, the Democratic National Convention starts this week, where the hope is that the president and his party can rally his Democratic base and energize voters, which they did so successfully four years ago.

As a tropical storm was gathering strength last week, fears were growing that the fierce winds might knock out Gulf Coast refineries, send gasoline prices soaring and seriously damage the U.S. economy.

But when Hurricane Isaac slammed into the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, it was only a Category 1 hurricane, far weaker than Katrina, the monster storm that hit seven years ago.

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY; I'm Ira Flatow. Five years ago this month, the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis collapsed, sending a full load of rush-hour traffic into the Mississippi River. The disaster injured nearly 150 people, killed 13. The bridge was literally falling apart.

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY, I'm Ira Flatow. If you have a smartphone or a tablet, you might want to pay attention to this story because last week a jury in California reached a verdict in a major patent battle case between electronics makers Apple and Samsung, a fight over the way their mobile devices worked and looked.

NPR's Ron Elving and Ken Rudin discuss highlights of the Republican National Convention — the speeches, the delegates, and what it all means for this year's election. In other news, Rep. Ben Quayle loses the GOP congressional primary in Arizona. Does that signal the end of his political career?

And borrowing from the Republican convention slogan that grew out of a statement from President Obama on the campaign trail, it's the "We Built It" edition of the "It's All Politics" podcast.

Read Aloud Delaware — headed by Executive Director Mary Hirschbiel and more than 800 volunteers — is making a noticeable impact in Wilmington.

When you read to the same children time and again, Mary says, "you see changes in their vocabulary, their ability to answer in complete sentences, and gradually the ability to have a conversation."

Mitt Romney accepted the GOP nomination for president Thursday night at the Republican National Convention, promising to create jobs and boost the economy. Host Michel Martin checks in with Corey Ealons; he's a former communications adviser to the Obama administration; and with Ron Christie, a former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Throughout this election, both Republicans and Democrats have focused on a common theme: a successful America. But that vision seems to be different for each party. Host Michel Martin hears from delegates and others at the Republican National Convention about what success for America means to them.

President Obama was the first Democrat in a generation to win in North Carolina, in 2008. Now, the city of Charlotte, North Carolina is gearing up to launch the Democratic National Convention, beginning Tuesday. Host Michel Martin speaks with Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx about how his city is preparing.