Jacki Lyden reads some of this week's listener letters. Among the topics: Walter Cronkite's memories of covering the assassination of John F. Kennedy, Beethoven's Symphony No.9 and women watching football.
Longtime listeners recognize Jacki Lyden's voice from her frequent work as a substitute host on NPR. As a journalist who has been with NPR since 1979, Lyden regards herself first and foremost as a storyteller and looks for the distinctive human voice in a huge range of national and international stories.
Defense secretary Pete Hegseth will appear on the Hill on Tuesday. He's looking for a $350 billion funding boost, as the war Iran once again flares up with no end in sight.
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., about the escalating war in the Middle East and the testimony of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in front of a Senate panel on Tuesday.