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Our series on popular college courses continues with a class at the Juilliard School that teaches young musicians and artists how to avoid one of their biggest fears: choking under pressure during a performance. NPR's Robert Smith reports.

For most opera critics and fans today, America's reigning soprano is Renée Fleming. In her new autobiography The Inner Voice, Fleming offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at the life of an opera singer. She talk's with NPR's Fred Child.

Four-time Tony winner Audra McDonald has starred on Broadway with a soprano voice that draws comparisons to Barbara Streisand. As she opens the seventh season of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series, she talks about the joys of being onstage.

Three U.N. workers kidnapped in Afghanistan are freed. Afghan Interior Minister Ahmad Jalali made the announcement Tuesday. The workers were helping with the Afghan election won by incumbent President Hamid Karzai. Hear NPR's Paul Brown.

Health officials are urging a crackdown on candies and snacks imported from Mexico because many brands are contaminated by trace levels of lead. But the ban might prove difficult to enforce, because kids love the tart-hot-sweet flavors of Mexican snacks, and street vendors are difficult to regulate.

The falling value of the U.S. dollar has generated a lot of attention among world leaders lately, but what does it really mean for the American economy? Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep and David Wessel of The Wall Street Journal.

A new play about Iraq is drawing strong reviews in New York. Nine Parts of Desire is a solo performance by Iraqi-American actor Heather Raffo, who gives voice to nine different Iraqi women. NPR's Deborah Amos reports.

As Jay Allison — curator of the "Quest for Hidden Kitchens" — says, "If there is a single unifying theme to the hours of phone messages we've received, it's not about food, but fellowship." We end the year by sharing some of the hundreds of messages that have come in to the Hidden Kitchens phone line.

The strongest earthquake in 40 years hit Southeast Asia Sunday morning, setting off tsunamis that killed thousands. Measured at 8.9, the earthquake is the most powerful recorded since a 9.2 quake hit Alaska in 1964.

Gioacchino Rossini, the great opera composer, was also a great gourmand. In fact, the man behind The Barber of Seville retired from composition when he was just 37 and spent the rest of his life — about 40 more years --enjoying food. On this Thanksgiving, NPR's Fred Child celebrates with a tribute to Rossini.