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After he helped to develop the bluesy, driving hard bop style in the '50s and '60s, his funkier commercial hit recordings shaped black pop music through the advent of hip-hop. A committed music educator, the Detroit native was 80 when he died last week.

Look for more of what President Obama exhibited three weeks ago at his inaugural address: a challenge to Congressional Republicans, and a focus on the economy, immigration, gun control and climate change.

Call it diversity or a lack of consensus, but no single act dominated this year's awards. Instead, the Grammys spread the love, though rock bands — including The Black Keys and fun. — fared well.

The annual jazz competition for young musicians, which featured saxophonists in 2013, was a bit predictable — at least in the semifinal round. But given the particular displays of talent on stage, is that necessarily a bad thing?

Aaron Alexis, who police say killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard, had a troubled service record and showed signs of mental instability. But the former Navy reservist's past did not prevent him from obtaining a secret-level security clearance or access card.

Shannon is a bank manager who likes to gamble. That's a problem.

Two white supremacist prison gangs have fallen under suspicion in recent high-profile slayings in Colorado and Texas. Experts say prison gangs of all races and ethnicities have evolved in recent years to include more activity outside the walls.

Pop quiz: what do you get when you combine a talking penguin, a man with a bird beak for a face and an interrupting dragon? The answer, surprisingly, is a writing guide: Jeff VanderMeer's Wonderbook. VanderMeer tells NPR intern Colin Dwyer about his collaboration with illustrators and his imaginative, character-driven approach to teaching writing.

Nashville the city, Nashville the TV show, close-harmony groups and two financially viable, independent-minded singers have shattered country music's glass ceiling — and the year's only half over.

With dominant themes of hunger, class conflict and poverty, popular teen books like The Hunger Games and Divergent mirror today's fragile economic climate. Critic Marcela Valdes says the books reflect real-world fears, but their fanastical elements can also help young readers escape what might be a gloomy financial reality at home.