Fresh Air

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Fresh Air features daily reports and reviews from critics and commentators on music, books, movies, and other cultural phenomena that invade the national psyche.

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Last Updated: July 24, 2008 12:02 pm

Comparing The Candidates' Tax Proposals

Parsing the presidential candidates' tax plans is necessary to understanding their general takes on the economy. Economist Len Burman has been doing just that. He is a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, which has just released a report comparing the candidates' proposed tax policies.

Jason Furman, Shaping Obama's Economic Agenda

Jason Furman has been given the task of formulating Barack Obama's economic policy. He's the presidential hopeful's top economic adviser, and he will talk about where Obama stands on the most pressing economic issues.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin: The Man Behind McCain's Economic Plan

To win this coming election, presidential candidate John McCain must prove that he is as strong on the economy as he is on military and foreign affairs. His senior economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, discusses McCain's approach to economic policy.

A Band Of 'Brothers' And A Barrel Of Laughs

The team behind the car-racing comedy Talladega Nights is taking another lap. Director Adam McKay and actors Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly talk about their new film, Step Brothers, and the laughs they had making it.

New Silver Jews Album A 'Strange Victory'

Rock critic Ken Tucker reviews the new Silver Jews album, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. The band is fronted by singer, songwriter, poet and occasional cartoonist David Berman.

Probing China's Changing Character

What happens when an entrenched culture suddenly opts for rapid change and the upheaval of centuries of cherished tradition? Maureen Corrigan finds some answers in two new works of nonfiction.

Soldier-Poet Brian Turner, Framing War In Verse

For soldier Brian Turner, words have the impact of bullets. His poems provide a first- person account of war; The New York Times praised their "attention to both the terrors and the beauty he found among Iraq's ruins."

In Iraq, Tactical Theory Put Into Practice

Lt. Col. John Nagl wrote the textbook on counterinsurgency — literally. Nagl was part of the team that drafted a U.S. Army field manual on counterinsurgency. Having completed his tour in Iraq, Nagl talks about how military theory was put into practice in the region.

Flying High Again With 'The Hawk'

Fresh Air's jazz critic has a listen to a re-issue of The Hawk Flies High, the 1957 album from tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins — who's often credited with legitimizing that instrument in the jazz world.

Nolan, Bale: 'Batman' Franchise's New Dynamic Duo

The Dark Knight is the most successful film of the summer. Director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale can take much of the credit: They've revived a flagging franchise, offering a fresher, darker look at a legend.

Carol Levine, Championing The Caregiver's Cause

Health care advocate Carol Levine has looked out for the interests of the housebound both at work and at home. For 17 years, she cared for her husband, who had been seriously injured in a car accident. He died recently, and Levine is left coping with a renewed sense of loss.

Celebrating A Dutch Mystery Writer's Varied Life

Mystery novelist Janwillem Van de Wetering was once a motorcycle gang member in South Africa, an aspiring monk in Kyoto, Japan and a policeman in Amsterdam. The Dutch author of The Hollow-Eyed Angel, The Blond Baboon and The Maine Massacre died July 4 at the age of 77.

Remembering Sweetheart Songstress Jo Stafford

Jo Stafford was a favorite entertainer of soldiers during World War II. Stafford and her husband, pianist Paul Weston, also performed a bad cabaret act as their alter egos, Jonathan and Darlene Edwards. Stafford died of congestive heart failure Wednesday. She was 90.

Matt Weiner's 'Mad Men,' A Dazzling Product

Two Golden Globe wins, 16 Emmy nominations, and a new season on its way: The AMC television drama Mad Men seems on its way to making itself a household name. Celebrating its success is creator Matt Weiner.