Sharply funny 'Janet Planet' perfectly captures the feel of a long, hot summer Writing and directing her first film, playwright Annie Baker exhibits uncanny powers of observation. Not much happens in this mother-daughter movie, but something momentous seems to have taken place. Justin Chang
Fairport Convention band cofounder Richard Thompson looks back on his life in music The British singer/guitarist spoke to Fresh Air in 1994 and '22 about about his formative years and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Terry Gross
Debate between Biden and Trump is expected to be a test of competence and character New York Times political correspondent Shane Goldmacher says the debate will look different from the one four years ago, with no audience and mics that can be muted should things get unwieldy. Tonya Mosley
50 years later, Steely Dan's 'Pretzel Logic' still sounds fresh By 1974, Steely Dan's two albums had helped established the band as a viable business proposition. With Pretzel Logic, they began a quest for studio perfectionism that would last for decades to come. Ken Tucker
Beethoven was a classical and romantic composer, but his body was full of heavy metal Virtuosic pianist and composer Beethoven suffered from several debilitating ailments. A new study suggests lead poisoning may be at least partly to blame. Ari Daniel
More than 60 ice cream products recalled over possible listeria contamination The Food and Drug Administration says more than 60 products made by Totally Cool Inc. of Owings Mills, Md., are part of the recall, including brands such as Hershey's, Friendly's, Chipwich and Jeni's. Joe Hernandez
3 exhilarating songs showcase music genres being explored in new ways Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs' “Dare To Dream," Tommy Richman's "Million Dollar Baby" and Jeff and Steven McDonald's “Born Innocent" feature spontaneous sounds rooted in deep knowledge of the past. Ken Tucker
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Michelle Buteau decided: 'I better start living' Buteau says covering the news of the 2001 terrorist attacks crystalized her desire to go into comedy. She stars in the film Babes and in the Netflix series Survival of the Thickest. Tonya Mosley
Stuck in a rut? How to appreciate your life again, according to science After a while, even the most exciting relationships, jobs and environments lose their spark. But cognitive neuroscientist Tali Sharot says it's possible to fall back in love with life's small joys. Andrew Limbong
Another monolith appeared near Las Vegas. Who's behind these mysterious objects? Metallic prisms have been appearing across the world since one was found in Utah in 2020, but in many cases it’s still unclear who created them and why. Joe Hernandez