A lot has gone down in the last year or so, and all of the overlapping events have caused our heads to spin. Too often, these events are talked about in ways that are over most of our heads, making it all too easy to ignore the current crisis. But understanding key details is essential to avoiding a sense of helplessness, and Alex Blumberg from This American Life and NPR’s Adam Davidson have Read more

$250 Billion Bank Investment: President Bush announced this morning that the government plans to invest $250 billion into banks, a move that he says is essential to stabilize the financial system. In exchange for the money the government will get an equity stake in the banks. It's the plan promoted by economists in the excellent This American Life episode explaining the crisis. Henry Paulson Read more

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue. In addition to my selections below, you can also check out the dreamboat special that is Leatherheads and Simon Pegg's comedy Run, Fat Boy, Run. Sex and the City: The Movie Well, the big day has arrived: Read more

I can't tell you how much fun I had at the Tribeca Film Festival this year. In addition to making new friends, I saw some terrific (if quirky) movies, like The Wackness, Trucker, and Bart Got a Room. I also gave a word of warning for the bleak and disturbing Savage Grace which still makes me feel kinda icky. I saw The Life Before Our Eyes, a movie adapted from my April book club selection and I Read more

The gorgeous, intimate television version of This American Life was one of the most pleasant surprises of last TV season. All my fears about how the radio show would translate to the big screen were erased by the end of the first installment, and the short, six-episode season left me wanting more. The show returns for its second season this coming Sunday, May 4, and — as host and indie icon Read more

I was excited last year when This American Life, my favorite radio show, came to Showtime. Seeing how the show's audio-only stories translated to a visual medium was totally fascinating. Now, on May 1, there will be a chance to see This American Life on an even bigger screen, as it comes to theaters nationwide for one night only. The theater version will be like the show's occasional touring Read more

I've already told you my thoughts on the drama and comedy nominations for this year's Emmy awards. But I didn't want to neglect the many, many other categories, so I've picked out a few of the best, worst, and most bizarre: Wow, I guess I should have watched "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," huh? Seventeen nominations, and I've got nothing intelligent to say. The single greatest category in this Read more