WAMU-FM: WAMU: The Kojo Nnamdi Show Podcast

DO BRAIN TRAINING GAMES WORK?: An explosion of brain training games and apps has people spotting patterns, adding numbers and remembering sequences in hopes of boosting their mental fitness. A new study finds that a modest amount of brain training can improve cognitive speed, reasoning and memory, with effects lasting as long as a decade. But skeptics say many of the claims we hear are largely hype, and that even if you grow more proficient at a specific game or task, there's no larger benefit. We explore the popularity of brain games and the questions about their effectiveness. (52 min.)

FOREIGN FOOD AID AND THE FARM BILL: The farm bill recently signed into law by President Barack Obama took years to clear Congress - and triggered showdowns over everything from food stamps to agricultural subsidies. But this sprawling piece of legislation isn't a purely domestic matter: it includes provisions affecting international food aid efforts that are a plank of American foreign policy. We explore where food aid fits into U.S. diplomatic strategy, and how this new legislation affects, and doesn't affect, the status quo. (52 min.)

HOW NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT AFFECTS OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY: The question of whether gentrification is a positive or negative force in a community often dominates development discussions in D.C. But new and old research in sociology and urban planning paints city neighborhoods as more complex microcosms than these polarizing debates indicate. With the help of researchers who have looked closely at how cities evolve at the neighborhood level, we consider local development in a new light, asking what kind of neighborhood dynamics help create strong communities and how they can be achieved. (52 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR - FEB. 7, 2014: D.C. lawmakers take steps to decriminalize marijuana in the District. Virginia's new governor courts lawmakers from the other side of the aisle — with booze. And the Maryland Senate moves to ban sales of grain alcohol in the Old Line State. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)

JENNIFER SENIOR: "ALL JOY AND NO FUN: THE PARADOX OF MODERN PARENTHOOD": Countless studies, scholarly articles and self-help books have considered the effect parents have on their children at every stage of their lives. But what about the effect kids have on their parents? Relationships, careers, hobbies and habits all change as soon as a child comes on the scene — for better and worse. Journalist Jennifer Senior dives into the world of modern parenthood, discovering rich rewards and vexing challenges alike. (52 min.)

CHEATING SCANDALS ROCK THE MILITARY: Earlier this week, the Navy disclosed the suspension of 30 sailors suspected of cheating on exams qualifying them to operate nuclear reactors. This follows investigations into Naval officers accused of trading secrets for sex and money, 92 suspensions tied to cheating on nuclear exams in the Air Force and a recruiting scandal in the National Guard, among others. We explore how the Pentagon is responding to what appears to be a systemic problem, and how these headline-grabbing scandals will affect civilian confidence in the military. (15 min.) POWER AFRICA: BRIDGING ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY: Nearly two-thirds of the population of sub-Saharan Africa does not have access to electricity, and service is often unreliable for those who do. The Obama administration has pledged $7 billion to fund infrastructure projects in several African nations. As more companies look at locating in these developing countries, we consider the value of U.S. infrastructure investments. (35 min.)

POLITICAL SHOWDOWN OVER FISHING SEASON IN MARYLAND: The Maryland General Assembly is deeply divided over a proposed law that would transform fisheries management in the state. Bill 145 would allow the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, or DNR, to open, close or modify the fishing season with 48 hours notice. Now, an already tense policy battle is morphing into a political drama, after lawmakers held up the nomination of the interim director of DNR. We get the latest from Annapolis. (23 min.) CHINESE NEW YEAR FOOD TRADITIONS : The New Year, or Spring Festival, is the biggest holiday celebrated in Chinese culture. The celebration begins with the first full moon and lasts 15 days, and involves family meals, fireworks and gifts. Many of the traditional foods eaten at this time of year symbolize good fortune: eating uncut noodles means a long life, and dumplings resembling the shape of ancient Chinese coins suggest prosperity. We explore how the Chinese New Year is celebrated in communities around the world. (26 min.)

D.C.'S EVOLVING COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY DEBATE : District lawmakers want to create a new publicly-funded college scholarship program for low-income high school graduates. But many fear a proposed "D.C. Promise" program — which was tentatively approved by the D.C. Council on Tuesday — could ultimately undermine existing federal scholarship programs for D.C. teens. We explore the future of college support programs in the District. (14 min.) THE STRUGGLE TO BOOST GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY : The rocky launch of Healthcare.gov raised new questions about government efficiency and the Department of Health and Human Services is working on answers. Officials there are encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation through a model they hope can be exported to other agencies. But as many "re-inventing government" initiatives over the years have shown--and as many federals worker can attest--changing the culture in a federal bureaucracy can be tough. Kojo explores the challenges of making government more efficient and effective. (38 min.)

CRACK: THE DRUG THAT CONSUMED THE NATION'S CAPITAL: For the past two decades, neighborhoods across Washington, D.C., have changed at breakneck speed. But underneath steep drops in crime and waves of new residents that came with those changes, many of these neighborhoods still bear the scars of the crack cocaine epidemic that consumed the district just a few decades ago. Kojo explores the legacy of the drug epidemic that ripped Washington, D.C., apart just a few decades ago with voices featured in WAMU 88.5's recent series on the story. (13 min.) ALCATRAZ 11: VIETNAM'S "DEFIANT" POWS: For years during the Vietnam War, hundreds of prisoners-of-war endured brutal treatment at Vietnam's Hoa Lo prison, also known as the "Hanoi Hilton." To evade their captors' ruthless quest for intelligence, 11 men developed a system of stealth communication and strict adherence to U.S. military code — resistance that eventually landed them at an isolated jail known as "Alcatraz." Kojo hears the story of the men who fought the Vietnam war from Alcatraz, and discusses efforts on the home front that would permanently change America's treatment of POWs. (38 min.)

COMPUTER GUYS AND GAL: Michael's craft store and Yahoo join the list of companies whose customer data has been hacked. Apple celebrates 30 years of making computers and more. And your router or "smart" refrigerator could be linked to a malicious botnet sending out spam. The Computer Guys and Gal are here to explore the latest news in technology. (52 min.)

JOHN RIZZO: THIRTY YEARS AS THE CIA'S LAWYER: In the years following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the CIA developed a new counter-terrorism program, keeping detainees in secret remote locations known as "black sites" and using controversial interrogation techniques, including waterboarding. And, as acting general counsel of the CIA, John Rizzo signed off on those and other moves. He joins us to discuss his three-decade career with the agency during which he faced scandal and controversy as one of its chief lawyers. (52 min.)

HEROIN: TRENDS LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY: Academy Award-winning actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman died yesterday from an apparent heroin overdose, highlighting a resurgence in the use of the drug nationally. It's a trend evident locally, as deaths around our region tied to heroin make headlines. Last summer, a McLean, Va., high school student died after injecting heroin while on a common antihistamine. We look at what's fueling the rise in use, particularly among teens and young adults in this region. (16 min.) AFTER "DR. V": TRANSGENDER REPRESENTATION IN SPORTS: It started as an investigative story about a "scientifically superior" golf club. But when "Dr. V's Magic Putter" revealed — without her consent — that the inventor was transgender, the article quickly morphed into a cautionary tale about media coverage of the transgender community. Kojo explores the ethics questions raised by the story, and how organized sports leagues have tried to accommodate trans athletes. (34 min.)

THE POLITICS HOUR - JAN. 31, 2014: A shopping mall shooting rattles communities in Maryland. The death of a D.C. employee reopens concerns about the city's emergency services. And Virginia lawmakers spar over everything from textbook language to hunting on Sundays. Join us for our weekly review of the politics, policies and personalities of the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. (52 min.)

WHAT'S AT STAKE IN EL SALVADOR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION : Voters go to the polls in El Salvador on Feb. 2, and Washington's large Salvadoran community will be watching closely. This is the first election in which emigres can vote by absentee ballot. But it's also a contest for the direction of a nation with a tepid economy that relies heavily on remittances from Salvadorans in the U.S. Kojo examines the challenges facing El Salvador and asks how the election will affect the Washington region's largest immigrant community. (21 min.) VIRGINIA TEXTBOOK TWEAK STIRS NAMING DISPUTE OVER ASIAN SEA: A two-word tweak to Virginia's public school textbooks has sparked a fiery debate in the General Assembly and reignited a longstanding international feud. A Senate bill would require Virginia's texts to note that the Sea of Japan is also known as the "East Sea." The move has angered Japan, pitting its high-powered lobbyists against the local Korean-American community. Kojo explores the power of a name, and finds out what's next in this sensitive dispute. (23 min.)

SHAPING THE CITY: ARCHITECTURE AND EMPTY SPACES: Washington is experiencing an ongoing development boom, with parking lots and empty storefronts giving way to multi-story apartment buildings and big-box retail all over the region. But does a hot real estate market allow for unbuilt spaces like public plazas, community gardens and single-story structures? We explore how city planners, residents, and private developers negotiate what does — and doesn't — get built. (52 min.)