Connecticut Public Radio

As kids poured into David Coss's AP government and politics class, the conversations had already started.

FBI Director James B. Comey wrote in a Friday memo to Congressional leaders that "the FBI has learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation" of Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email server. The memo sparked a firestorm that rages hotter by the day, resisting all attempts to contain its damage.

It has been 100 years since the Easter Rising in Ireland -- when Irish nationalists rebelled against the British government in Dublin and other parts of the country in 1916. The rebellion eventually led to Irish independence and civil war.

Tribute bands -- bands that emulate famous groups or individual performers -- are a big business. Elvis and The Beatles might be the inspiration for the tribute band trend, but tribute acts have become a subculture all their own.

It’s been two years since Connecticut's former State Veterans Affairs Commissioner Dr. Linda Schwartz was named Assistant Secretary for Policy and Planning at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In that role, her focus has expanded dramatically -- encompassing issues relevant to veterans and their families across all 50 states.

Sana Sarr is 11 years old. He goes to a magnet school in Bridgeport. He's in the sixth grade.

Leonard Cohen's 14th studio album, You Want It Darker, dropped last Friday. Coupled with a new David Remnick profile of Cohen in The New Yorker, the reviews have been pretty gushing. The Nose's take isn't quite as one-note.

The big day is upon us. Halloween is here and one of the traditions is to carve a Jack O'Lantern. I like tradition, but if you're interested in something different this year in Jack O'Lanterns, try decorating some other winter squashes, too.

Ira Glass -- host of This American Life, creator of Serial, professional dancer -- used our show as his prime example in "a principled defense of fun on public radio." And then he called the kind of failure that we aim for many days of each week "where you'll find the future." We want to know more about all that stuff.

There are signs. That's the message Sandy Hook Promise wants to get out to schools -- most teenagers make a warning of some kind before going on a shooting rampage, according to the Centers for Disease Control.