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Between labor conflicts and the constantly changing landscape of what even constitutes television, this is going to be a tricky year for predictions. We have some anyway.

Presidential hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama debated the issues Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn. Did they stick to the facts? Steve Inskeep finds out from a team of reporters: NPR's Jim Zarroli, David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal and NPR's Julie Rovner, Richard Harris, Michele Kelemen and David Schaper.

The new George Clooney movie, The Men Who Stare at Goats, is filled with tough-to-believe notions. Here's one — the U.S. Army teaching one of its squads how to walk through walls. Or how about stopping the hearts of goats just by staring at them? Sounds crazy, but author Jon Ronson tells host Guy Raz that the Army really tried those techniques and others in the late '70s and early '80s. Ronson wrote the book that became the basis for the movie.

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with author C.K. Chau about her new book, Good Fortune — a Pride and Prejudice retelling with some delicious twists set in Chinatown in New York City during the early 2000s.

For the past 80 years, the Man of Steel has endured in books, movies, radio serials, comic books and cartoons. "Americans embrace Superman partly because he captured so many things that are part of our psyche and part of our sense of ourselves," says biographer Larry Tye.

NPR's Rodney Carmichael speaks with André 3000 about his new album New Blue Sun.

Allison Jones is known for casting actors who look like real people — and who are naturally funny. One of her hardest conversations? Telling Bob Odenkirk he didn't get Michael Scott in The Office.

In ranked choice voting, a voter picks a favorite candidate, a second favorite and so on — instead of just one candidate. Voting reform is gaining popularity amid fears about threats to democracy.

William Dodd served for four years as the ambassador to Germany before resigning — after repeated clashes with both Nazi Party officials and the State Department. Erik Larson chronicles Dodd's time in Berlin in his new book, In the Garden of Beasts.

Jay-Z is one of the most successful hip-hop artists of all time. On Fresh Air, he discusses growing up in Brooklyn surrounded by drugs and violence, and the stories behind many of his famous songs.