One in twenty-eight children in America has a parent behind bars. And now, for the first time, a muppet does too.P is for Prison: Sesame Street and Overpopulation in America's JailsThe beloved children's program has a new initiative, called "Little Children, Big Challenges," that helps parents and caregivers support children with a parent behind bars.

Designer Randy Gregory has started a Tumblr for his "100 Ways to Improve the NYC Subway" — one idea a day, from odor detectors to a LaGuardia AirTrain. Brian Lehrer had him on the show this morning to discuss his ideas and whether the MTA will consider any of them. Listen:Improvements to the New York Subwayimprovesubway.tumblr.comFor the next 100 Days, I will propose various improvements to the New York City Subway, which in...

QUESTION OF THE DAY: Rockaway Beach is the most expensive beach in America to maintain. Do you think it makes sense to keep investing money to replace lost sand? Leave a comment or call 855-8-MY-WNYC and leave a message.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on same-sex marriage this week. Here's a look back at some of the major cases that have shaped the legal conversation on same-sex marriage:

Sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll – that pretty well sums up the early years at MTV, at least according to some of the station’s earliest on-air personalities. Two of the station’s original VJs talk about the new oral history:

We asked Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway a bunch of questions about Bloomberg's proposed composting initiative. And yes, there's a question about roaches.Explainer: The Mayor's Proposed Food Scrap Recycling InitiativeNew York may be joining cities like Toronto, San Francisco and Seattle in implementing a citywide composting initiative meant to cut down on waste.

The NYC high school graduation rate dropped slightly to 60.4%. See how different schools are performing compared to the city average:

The New York Public Library has a "Daddy & Me" program that keeps incarcerated fathers in touch with their children through reading. Jose Melendez, a recent participant, tells Brian Lehrer about the impact the program has had on his relationship with his daughter.Libraries: Rikers Islandwww.wnyc.orgNick Higgins, associate director for outreach services at the NYPL, talks about NYPL's programs at local jails.

BAM South—a 32-story, mixed-use apartment building and cultural center—is set to move forward after delays.

A new Bloomberg plan aims to require food composting in New York City. Do you compost your food scraps? What advice do you have for New Yorkers on composting in the big city? Leave a comment or call 855-8-MY-WNYC and leave a message.Bloomberg Plan Aims to Require Food Compostingwww.nytimes.comThe Bloomberg administration plans to announce shortly that it is hiring a composting plant to handle 100,000 tons of food scraps a year, or about 10 percent of the city’s residential food waste.

Snowden will be answering reader questions at The Guardian at 11am ET.What would you #AskSnowden?

FEMA has scaled back high-wave flood zones in NJ and NYC after homeowners and elected officials objected, because those areas carry much higher reconstruction costs and higher flood insurance rates. See the earlier proposal compared to the latest maps: wny.cc/12B0xMf

Spend some time with our YouTube channel this afternoon. We bring you breaking new bands performing live in our studio every week, stories about urban life, and exclusive interviews with authors, actors, and chefs. Our channel showcases video stories for the web, inspired by radio.on YouTubeBreaking bands, New York characters, secret places. WNYC delivers New York City.

Christiane Amanpour talked to Brian Lehrer this morning about what's next in Syria, elections in Iran, and continued unrest in Turkey.Why Are We Intervening in Syria?www.wnyc.orgThe Obama administration reports that the chemical weapons "red line" in Syria has been crossed. Christiane Amanpour discusses what comes next.

A new report commissioned by the developers of Barclays Center shows fans using transit or walking most of the time. That's by design—there are just 541 parking spots at Barclays, which is near 11 subway lines.Mumford and Sons Fans Take the Subway to Barclays.A breakdown of whose fans used transit to get to the arena.

Beginning today in 1927 WNYC chief announcer Tommy Cowan follows aviator Charles Lindbergh around the city for 36 hours.WNYC Archives & Preservation - The Earliest Identifiable WNYC Recording: Lindbergh at City Hall...Col. Charles A. Lindbergh receives a medal of valor from New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker, June 13, 1927. The aviator stood in front of the WNYC and network microphones, having just garnered tributes in Washington, D.C. for his historic non-stop solo flight across the Atlant...

New Sounds - New Orleans on the Mindwww.wnyc.orgIn the vein of a New Orleans party, here is "Big Talk" - newly released extras and outtakes from Red Baraat’s "Shruggy Ji" sessions, plus some remixes.

Although John Williams wrote his 'Superman: The Movie' score forty years after the creation of Superman in 1938, his iconic music has become inextricably linked to the entire Superman myth.Scoring A Myth: Superman's Sonic HistoryHear the heroic and legendary sounds of the iconic superhero throughout the 20th — and now, 21st — century.

Gov. Chris Christie Slow-Jammed the News Last Nightwww.wnyc.orgNew Jersey Governor Chris Christie appeared Wednesday on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to 'Slow Jam' his case for a special election.

Ed Pilkington, chief correspondent on the Bradley Manning trial for the Guardian, is one of the few journalists to attend nearly every pre-trial hearing. He talked to Brian Lehrer this morning about the case.The Bradley Manning TrialEd Pilkington talks about the court-martial trial of PFC. Bradley Manning, accused of leaking sensitive information to WikiLeaks.

Bloomberg's climate plan calls for instant flood walls, like those used in the Netherlands.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: The New York Attorney General is meeting with cell phone makers to discuss the rise in thefts. Have you had your cell phone stolen? What happened? And what are you doing to prevent losing your cell phone in the future? Leave a comment here or call 855-8-MY-WNYC and leave a message.Cell Phone Makers Meet with New York AGAt the end of last year, the NYPD reported more than 15,000 thousand thefts of cell phones.

The Supreme Court struck down gene patenting today. Last month, On the Media looked at how private companies will still own genetic information.On The Media - Challenging A Monopoly on Genetic InformationDr. Robert Nussbaum is less worried about the owning of genes and more concerned about the monopoly that private companies have over genetic intellectual property.

Today in 1955 New York State Attorney General Jacob Javits on comic book smut and pornography in the empire state. He also says what he'd do if elected Governor.Campus Press Conference - Jacob JavitsThis episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate. Marvin Sleeper hosts. Attorney General Javits answers questions. Panelists: Larry Barrett, Bob Feinberg, Martin Birmingham, and Ray Shroate. Questions: Critique of the Harriman adm...

Live now!The Soundcheck Blog - Live Tonight At 7 PM ET: Tig Notaro, Jeff Richmond, Robert Randolph And...soundcheck.wnyc.orgJoin Soundcheck for an evening with comedian Tig Notaro, 30 Rock composer and producer Jeff Richmond and the high energy, pedal steel-led ensemble Robert Randolph & The Family Band.

The FDNY is trying to rescue two workers trapped on a broken scaffold atop the 46-story Hearst Tower in Midtown. Watch live:

David Letterman really likes asking musicians if they own their drums. (via Splitsider)David Letterman: "Are Those Your Drums?"A collection of clips of David Letterman asking drummers if their drums are rented.

“Drugs are not as dangerous as we have made them out to be. I'm trying to get people to use the data, the empirical evidence, and when you do that, you realize that we have been lied to, the public has been lied to.” An expert re-examines addiction and drug policy.Poverty, Race and Addictionwww.wnyc.orgColumbia neuroscientist Carl Hart rethinks addiction.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: The Leonard Lopate Show is talking single-child families today. Who do you think is better off—only children or children with siblings? Leave a comment and tune in at noon for the conversation:

Are you experiencing regular problems with the bike share system? The city has refused to answer questions about glitches, but our research shows about 10% of the docks appear to fail each day.Ten Percent of Citi Bike Docks Appear to Fail Each Daywww.wnyc.orgThe nation's largest bike share is beta testing a new software system.

Today in 1951 WNYC broadcast the dedication of the new St. George ferry terminal on Staten Island. Robert Moses on a substitute for a narrows bridge which is too expensive at this time.Miscellaneous - Dedication of St. George Ferry TerminalThis episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate. Speeches celebrating the new ferry terminal. Focus on transportation in and around Staten Island. Audio courtesy of the NYC Municipal Archives WNYC CollectionWNYC archives id: 6954...

Today on WNYC in 1965: The inspiration for Dr. Strangelove struts his stuff!Annotations: The NEH Preservation Project - Herman Kahn on World Annihilation, 1965Herman Kahn addresses the members of the Overseas Press Club about "The Likelihood of Nuclear War at Some Point in the 20th Century," proclaiming the outlook is safer and calmer than five years before.

"It's simply not the story we thought it was in the beginning." Wired editor Kim Zetter on the ever changing PRISM story.On The Media - The Ever Changing Story of the PRISM ProgramWhile the early reports described a program that had unilateral, unfettered access to companies like Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft, subsequent reports made the program look significantly less intrusive.

"We all knew fair and balanced was a sham. We used to call it stirring up the crazies." Fox News mole Joe Muto talks to On the Media.On The Media - The Fox News Molewww.onthemedia.orgLast year, an anonymous Fox News employee started writing for the news and gossip website, Gawker.

Hollywood has always loved bad girls. But girls are really going wild this movie season. Spring Breakers, Violet & Daisy and Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring all feature nihilistic girls willing to break the law, and sometimes kill, for what they want. Studio 360 looks at why Hollywood is in the middle of a bad girl moment.Studio 360 - Hollywood's Bad-Girl SummerSince there have been movies, there have been bad girls. But girls are really going wild this movie season.

Tonight on Spinning on Air: Music by father and son, Tim and Jeff Buckley. 8PM on 93.9 FM.Spinning on Air - Father & Son: Tim & Jeff Buckleywww.wnyc.orgTim Buckley wrote and sang beautiful, adventurous songs in the late 1960s and early '70s. He was just 19 when his son Jeff was born, and Tim was only 28 when he died of a drug overdose in 1975. Jeff Buckley didn't grow up with his father, and apparently they met only once. Jeff also wrote and sang b...

Today on WNYC in 1947: Teeth, curium, queen bees, psych warefare, jelly & more!Headlines in Chemistry - [Stronger Teeth for Children]www.wnyc.orgThis episode is from the WNYC archives. It may contain language which is no longer politically or socially appropriate. -Phosphorus may aid in stronger teeth for children, pregnant mother's diets should be rich in this nutrient. -First visible amount of curium had been obtained in pure form by Isado...

Joss Whedon talks 'Much Ado About Nothing' on Studio 360 this week: “It was my wife’s idea. She knew that the best vacation I could possibly take, after a fairly grueling shoot, was to create something with my dear friends that I love very much, in a house that I love very much, with a text that I’ve loved since I was a kid.” Listen:

On The Media - Is Snowden a Hero, Traitor, or Something Elsewww.onthemedia.orgHero or traitor? Brooke examines that dichotomy and suggests another way to think about Snowden.

Studio 360 - Rooting for the Bad Guy: Michael Shannonwww.studio360.orgMichael Shannon is known for playing unhinged crazies, and he’s had a good year of it.

NSA? How about wiretapping in the 1950's...WNYC Archives & Preservation - The Evil in EavesdroppingLong before FISA and PRISM, New York State politicians struggled with maintaining the delicate balance between personal privacy and public safety.