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NPR's Robert Siegel talks with writer John Le Carre, also known as David Cornwell, about his latest novel, Absolute Friends. It's the story of two friends, one British, one German, who met as intelligence agents during the Cold War. Le Carre explains how that friendship -- and the writer's own conscience -- is tested by post-Cold War realities and the current conflict in Iraq.

Miracle -- a film about the 1980 American Olympic hockey victory over a powerhouse Soviet team -- opens in theaters. Hear NPR's Scott Simon, Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Ron Rapoport and New York Times entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell.

Before Frank Sinatra sang "My Way" into the American musical lexicon, a French singer-songwriter had his own version of the ballad. Twenty-five years after his death, Claude Francois is still drawing fans to his former home, which has been turned into a museum. NPR's Nick Spicer reports.

The Village Voice releases its annual Pazz & Jop poll, which surveys the nation's rock critics on the best new music. Over the last three decades, the poll has developed a reputation for spotting emerging talent overlooked by the Grammys. NPR's Bob Edwards discusses this year's survey results with Village Voice music editor Robert Christgau.

Filipino poet Nick Carbó grew up in Manila, surrounded by American pop culture. He now writes about the oddness of being Asian in America. For Intersections, a Morning Edition series about artists and their inspirations, Carbó describes how John Wayne and other U.S. cultural icons helped shape his witty, often subversive point of view.

NPR's Michele Norris talks with Stephen Webber, Berklee College of Music professor and author of Turntable Technique: The Art of the DJ. Webber teaches students to use the turntable as a musical instrument in a class he says is the first of its kind at a college of music. Webber demonstrates DJ techniques -- scratching, juggling beats and crabbing -- using turntables and a mixer.

Supporters say the measure empowers parents to have a say in what their children learn. Critics argue it will harm LGBTQ kids. President Biden slammed the bill, which has Gov. Ron DeSantis' support.

For the past several years, recordings of symphony orchestras on major record labels have dwindled. In an effort to get their performances out to the public, some orchestras have started releasing records themselves. Joel Rose of member station WHYY reports.

Crimson Gold, a film by Jafar Panahi, won awards at the Cannes Film Festival this year. But its critical view of class divisions in contemporary Iranian society has left it banned in Iran. NPR's Bob Mondello offers a review.

Elmore Leonard doesn't care to be characterized as a mystery writer. The author of Get Shorty, Maximum Bob and 52 Pickup, says he writes crime novels that delve into the bad-guy characters from the get-go rather than having them suddenly appear in the last act. NPR's Brian Naylor interviews the best-selling author on Weekend Edition Sunday.