WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast

Even after The Carol Burnett Show ended its 11-year run, Carol Burnett did anything but slow down. She starred on television and performed on Broadway. Burnett also wrote a play with her daughter, Carrie Hamilton, which opened in 2002. But its debut came at a difficult time for Burnett. Not long before, Carrie passed away. Carrie had a turbulent childhood, addicted to drugs and she was in and out of rehab. But once sober and in college, Carrie found that like her mother, she had a talent for performing. Burnett's new memoir is part of a promise Carrie asked of her mother before dying. Carol Burnett joins Diane to talk about being a mother, losing a daughter and her decades-long career.

"The Art of Fielding" is a book about baseball, the great American sport that has served as inspiration for many authors. At the center of the tale is Henry Skrimshander, a superstar shortstop who never makes an error — until he does, and sets into motion his own unraveling. While the action of the novel is on the baseball diamond, the story is as much about life at a liberal arts college, relationships between men and the pursuit of perfection. With literary references from Melville to T.S. Eliot, as many critics have pointed out, it's a baseball novel with something for everyone. From our May Readers' Review, Diane and guests discuss "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach.

In 1775, Boston was a city of 15,000 people packed into a one-mile island. King George was tightening his grip on the colony with new taxes and blockades. British soldiers occupied the city, angering the colonists. And vigilantes roamed the streets, exacting their own justice. In June, the tension exploded at Bunker Hill, one of several unoccupied peaks outside the city. In the bloodiest clash of the Revolutionary War, an unlikely group of citizen soldiers wiped out half the British forces. Their courageous stand changed the course of the American Revolution. From the bestselling author of "Mayflower," a new book on the battle of Bunker Hill.

Barry Manilow has sold more than 80 million records, but for all his success as a pop star, he prefers to be the musician behind the scenes. Barry Manilow joins Diane in the studio to talk about his life and career.

The State Department is preparing its final report on the environmental impact of the Keystone XL pipeline. In a speech last week, President Obama tied his approval of the project to net carbon emissions. The president said "our national interest will be served only if this project does not significantly exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution." A number of analysts interpreted the speech as laying the groundwork for approval. Others are convinced the president was signaling his intended rejection. For this month's Environmental Outlook, Diane and her guests discuss the proposed tar sands pipeline from Canada to the Gulf Coast.

Tens of thousands of visitors are expected to flood the 6,000-acre Gettysburg National Military Park and surrounding town this week to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. The events of July 1-3, 1863, produced more than 50,000 casualties, with an estimated 7,500 soldiers killed. Many historians consider Gettysburg a major turning point of the Civil War after Northern forces turned away a Confederate advance. And in the decades following the conflict, the battleground became a symbol of reconciliation. Diane and her guests discuss the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg and how it's remembered.

The Texas legislature is moving swiftly on a bill that would ban all abortions after 20 weeks and impose new and costly rules on clinics performing the procedures. Yesterday, thousands rallied outside the Texas capital in protest. Last week, Democratic State Sen. Wendy Davis blocked the initial effort to pass the bill with a marathon filibuster that garnered national attention. But Texas is clearly on course to join a number of states which have passed legislation reducing women's access to abortion and reproductive health services.

Along with Coca-Cola, Apple and Disney, LEGO is among the world's most recognized brands. The toy company annually produces its candy-colored plastic bricks at a rate more than five times the world's population. And in 2000, Fortune magazine named LEGO the toy of the century. But the Danish company, which began in 1932 producing wooden cars and ducks, recently stood at the brink of bankruptcy. Facing a digital toy revolution and the new world of partnership and licensing agreements, it tried to re-invent itself. When standard innovation strategies fell short, LEGO found success by "returning to the brick." Diane and her guest, David Robertson, discuss how LEGO conquered the toy industry.

Across Egypt, millions of protestors have taken to the streets calling for the resignation of President Mohammed Morsi. The mass demonstrations mark the one year anniversary of Morsi's inauguration and observers say these new protests rival in size to ones that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak two years ago. The demonstrators speak of many grievances, from the poor economy to lack of public safety. But the overriding concern among Egyptians is their president's failure to reach beyond his Islamic party, the Muslim Brotherhood. Diane and her guests discuss the mass protests in Egypt.

Americans love caffeine, and not just in soda and coffee. Sales in caffeinated energy drinks may reach $19 billion this year. Sales in new caffeinated snacks and candy, like Energy Gummi Bears and Jolt Gum, exceeded $1.6 billion last year. But the Food and Drug Administration is concerned about the potential health impacts of these new caffeinated products, particularly those that appeal to children. The FDA is reviewing reports of six deaths allegedly associated with energy drinks. But companies that make caffeinated food and drinks argue their products are safe and that they don't market to children.

A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories, including: Syrian civil war deaths are said to top 100,000, NSA leaker Edward Snowden remains in limbo at a Moscow airport and President Barack Obama arrives in Africa.

A panel of journalists joins Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories, including: a recap of major Supreme Court decisions, President Barack Obama's new climate agenda and a dramatic filibuster in Texas over abortion.

Americans love caffeine, and not just in soda and coffee. Sales in caffeinated energy drinks may reach $19 billion this year. Sales in new caffeinated snacks and candy, like Energy Gummi Bears and Jolt Gum, exceeded $1.6 billion last year. But the Food and Drug Administration is concerned about the potential health impacts of these new caffeinated products, particularly those that appeal to children. The FDA is reviewing reports of six deaths allegedly associated with energy drinks. But companies that make caffeinated food and drinks argue their products are safe and that they don't market to children.

The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term with some of the most highly-anticipated decisions of the year. It overturned part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act and opened the door to resume same-sex marriages in California. It made race-conscious admissions slightly harder, but not impossible. And it invalidated a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Most of the news this week focused on immediate reactions to the high court's rulings. Now, we begin to contemplate their cultural and political implications. Diane and her guests discuss the practical effects of this week's landmark Supreme Court decisions and what's next for those on all sides of the arguments.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning on two high-profile same-sex marriage cases. The justices voted 5-4 to strike down a key provision in the Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA. DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, even in states where they are legal. The court said "DOMA singles out a class of persons deemed by a state entitled to recognition and protection to enhance their own liberty." The court avoided a ruling on California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. With a 5-4 vote, the court said it lacked jurisdiction to decide the case. A discussion of the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage rulings.