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One of the most recognized and recognizable musicians of the postwar era — the piano player whose "Take Five" was a pop hit — died Wednesday, one day shy of 92.

College athletics and academics are often at odds. One professor says it's time to end the charade and let athletes major in what they love - sports. Host Michel Martin speaks with Professor David Pargman of Florida State University, about why he thinks his proposal is more honest than what colleges are currently doing.

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with actor Larry Marshall and playwright Cheryl West about Pullman Porter Blues, a play that tells the story of three generations of African-American railway porters in 1937.

The U.S. birth rate is at the lowest level ever recorded, according to the Pew Research Center. One contributing factor is a sharp drop in the number of immigrant women having babies. Host Michel Martin discusses the trend with Pew researcher Gretchen Livingston and with Maria Gomez of Mary's Center, an immigrant social services organization.

Funeral services were held for Kansas City Chiefs football player Jovan Belcher and his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins this week. Belcher fatally shot Perkins before killing himself in front of his coach. The Barbershop guys weigh in on the tragedy and whether it says something larger about the culture of professional sports.

Many parents and even doctors think whooping cough is a disease of the past. But nearly every state saw an increase in cases last year. To find out what parents should know about the disease, host Michel Martin talks with pediatrician Leslie Walker. They're joined by Mariah Bianchi, whose son died from whooping cough.

Tired of seeing young people unemployed or underemployed? Young people currently suffer from one of the highest jobless rates in the nation. Host Michel Martin speaks with Robert Lerman of the Urban Institute about solving youth unemployment through apprenticeships.

Critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new, seven-disc Charles Mingus box set chronicling the jazz legend's mid-'60s live performances. The records, Whitehead says, "can be a little raw, as if the explosive music caught the engineers by surprise."

From a traditional blessing to a children's dance, hear a violin address the African diaspora — and a trumpet tell a bedtime story.

Formell performs epic music and poetry, magical and real, about the Afro-Caribbean experience.