WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Diane Rehm Show Podcast

The Democratic National Convention gets under way in Charlotte, N.C. Diane and her guests talk about what to expect as the president and his supporters make the case for four more years.

This year marks the bicentennial of Charles Dickens' birth. For decades, scholars have looked to the novelist's childhood to explain his pre-occupation with reform. One historian claims she has found a clue that stayed hidden for nearly two centuries. The Old Strand Workhouse in London was slated for demolition in 2010 when Ruth Richardson joined the campaign to save the building. It was then that she made a connection others seem to have missed: As a child, Charles Dickens had lived just a few doors down from the workhouse that was probably the inspiration for his novel, Oliver Twist. A discussion about Charles Dickens, the workhouse, and the London poor.

"Knowledge is a big subject. Ignorance is bigger...and it is more interesting." These are the words of neuroscientist Stuart Firestein, the chair of Columbia University's biology department. Firestein claims that exploring the unknown is the true engine of science, and says ignorance helps scientists concentrate their research. He compares science to searching for a black cat in a dark room, even though the cat may or may not be in there. Firestein's laboratory investigates the mysteries of the sense of smell and its relation to other brain functions. A discussion of the scientific benefits of ignorance.

From the five states that make up the Deep South, there is just one white Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives — and the Congressman is in jeopardy of losing his seat this November. It's a trend that has been underway for years in many Southern states. Whites are aligning with Republicans, and blacks with Democrats. Political observers say the shift is happening, to some extent, across the country. But the political division along racial lines is most apparent in parts of the South, where an increasingly black Democratic Party is in the political minority. Diane and her guests discuss race and politics in the South.

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called for intervention in Syria at a summit of non-aligned leaders in Iran. German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in China on Thursday as head of the largest German business delegation ever to visit the country. And human rights activists called for the release of a Pakistani Christian girl accused of blasphemy for burning religious texts. Nadia Bilbassy of the Middle East Broadcasting Center, Mark Thompson of Time magazine and Susan Glasser of Foreign Policy magazine join Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.

The Republican National Convention wrapped up in Tampa, Fla., with speeches by GOP candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. A federal court found evidence of discrimination in new Texas voting maps drawn by the state's Republican-controlled legislature. Consumer spending and personal income both rose in July. And astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, died in Cincinnati, Ohio. James Fallows of The Atlantic, Laura Meckler of The Wall Street Journal and syndicated journalist Steve Roberts join Diane for analysis of the week's top national news stories.

From the five states that make up the Deep South, there is just one white Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives — and the Congressman is in jeopardy of losing his seat this November. It's a trend that has been underway for years in many Southern states. Whites are aligning with Republicans, and blacks with Democrats. Political observers say the shift is happening, to some extent, across the country. But the political division along racial lines is most apparent in parts of the South, where an increasingly black Democratic Party is in the political minority. Diane and her guests discuss race and politics in the South.

The conflict in Syria has entered its 18th month with no end in sight. Many now call it a civil war. In a rare television interview yesterday Syrian President Assad said his country was facing a "regional and global war." He indicated the Syrian government would ultimately win. Fighting is occurring across Syria, with some of the heaviest battles in and around Damascus. Thousands of Syrians have been forced to flee. The crush of refugees has risen dramatically this summer. Over the past three months the average number of Syrians fleeing to border nations every day has jumped from 1,000 to 3,000. Diane and her guests talk about the crisis in Syria.

Algebra has long been a required math course for teenagers, but some argue it's not for all students. Differing views on the value of teaching algebra.

Mitt Romney becomes the official GOP presidential nominee and the speeches begin. Please join Diane and guests to discuss the latest developments at the Republican National Convention.

More than three-quarters of the nation's public libraries lend books electronically, a fact that's not widely known among the reading public. While some publishers worry that e-book borrowers don't buy books, a recent study suggests 41 percent of readers purchased the last e-book they borrowed. Guest host Frank Sesno and his guests discuss the current and future role of e-books at our nation's libraries.

Nearly 100,000 people die every year in the U.S. from hospital-borne infections. The most deadly of these are known as "superbugs" for their utter resistance to antibiotic drugs. Last year, one of these superbugs killed six people at the National Institutes of Health and it was months before doctors could locate the source of the infection. New antibiotics are scarce as drug companies consolidate and focus on more profitable drugs. The result is a health care population increasingly vulnerable to untreatable infections. Guest host Frank Sesno and guests discuss the rise in superbugs and what can be done to stop them.

One of the hottest issues in the presidential election is American manufacturing. Both President Barack Obama and his presumptive GOP rival Mitt Romney argue they are the candidate to bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. But some say challenges remain that could stifle manufacturing's growth, including stiff federal regulations. An industry report says major regulations — those costing more than $100 million — could reduce output in 2012 by up to $500 billion. And watchdog groups argue this does not take into account the health, safety and environmental benefits of regulations. A panel joins Diane to discuss different perspectives on manufacturing and regulation.

The Republican National Convention gets underway in Tampa, Fla. Mitt Romney will use the national spotlight as an opportunity to define his candidacy for the American public. Diane and her guests discuss what to expect at the RNC.

President Barack Obama warned Syria on Monday that it could face American military intervention if there were signs it was moving chemical weapons for use. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon announced plans to attend the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran next week. And German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with French President Francois Hollande in Berlin about how to solve the euro zone financial crisis. David Sanger of The New York Times, Michele Kelemen of NPR and Abderrahim Foukara of Al Jazeera join Diane for analysis of the week's top international news stories.