Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's new film, 'Never Look Away,' tells the story of an artist who grows up in Nazi Germany, comes of age in East Germany and travels to the West to find freedom for himself and his art.

Jane Mayer's explosive new 'New Yorker' article reveals that Fox News killed the Stormy Daniels story in 2016 before the election to protect Donald Trump, and that President Trump tried to order the Justice Department to file a lawsuit to stop AT&T from acquiring Time Warner — a deal that would hurt Fox News. Mayer talks about the "revolving door" between Fox News and the Trump White House with Terry Gross.

We mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Mario Puzo's novel 'The Godfather' by listening back to our '96 interview with Puzo and our '16 interview with director Francis Ford Coppola, who adapted the novel into the iconic film.

Film critic Justin Chang reviews the new 'Captain Marvel,' starring Brie Larson.

Original broadcast date: August 25, 2017. How much of who we are is biology? How much is learned? And how much can we change? This hour, TED speakers on how genes and experience collaborate — and compete — to make us who we are. TED speakers include neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, epigeneticist Moshe Szyf, pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, and psychologist Brian Little.

Paul Manafort was sentenced to 47 months in prison. House Democrats vote on a resolution that both does and does not publicly rebuke one of their members. And multiple 2020 contenders announce that will not be running for president. This episode: White House correspondent Tamara Keith, White House reporter Ayesha Rascoe, Congressional correspondent Susan Davis, and justice correspondent Ryan Lucas. Email the show at [email protected]. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.

Past administrations have had favored members of the press, says 'New Yorker' investigative reporter Jane Mayer, "but nothing where someone is so close in that they are coordinating on a daily basis with the president." Mayer's explosive new report reveals that Fox News killed the Stormy Daniels story in 2016 before the election to protect Donald Trump, and that President Trump tried to order the Justice Department to file a lawsuit to stop AT&T from acquiring Time Warner — a deal that would hurt Fox News. Mayer talks about the "revolving door" between Fox News and the Trump White House with Terry Gross.

The film 'Never Look Away' is about a painter who is first exposed to modern art as child growing up in Nazi Germany. His aunt takes him to an exhibit of modern art curated by Nazis, meant to show what degenerate art looks like — the kind of art the Nazis banned. By the time the boy becomes an art student, Russian communists have taken over East Germany where he lives, and all art is expected to be propaganda, showing images of happy working people. Later, he flees to West Germany and attends an art school known to be avant garde. The artists there consider representational painting—the kind of painting he does—to be obsolete.

Implicit in the movie are questions like: Why make art? And who is it for? The movie is inspired by the life of Gerhard Richter, one of the most famous German painters of his generation. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, who wrote and directed the film, spoke with Terry Gross.

The House Judiciary Committee launched a broad investigation into President Trump's inner circle Monday, targeting figures who have worked in his administration and for the Trump Organization businesses. This episode: Congressional correspondent Scott Detrow, White House correspondent Tamara Keith, political reporter Tim Mak, and political editor Domenico Montanaro. Email the show at [email protected]. Find and support your local public radio station at npr.org/stations.

Journalist Alex Kotlowitz spent a summer in Chicago chronicling people whose lives were changed or lost due to gun violence. He likens the trauma of living with gun violence to the PTSD some veterans experience. "Once you've had one act of violence around you it's hard to escape it, and so I just wanted to get at how the violence gets in people's bones," he says. His book is 'An American Summer.'

Also, Ken Tucker reviews Maren Morris' new album 'Girl.'

Pediatrician Thomas Boyce has treated children who seem to be completely unflappable and unfazed by their surroundings — as well as those who are extremely sensitive to their environments. Over the years, he began to liken these two types of children to two very different flowers: dandelions and orchids. He talks about his research and gives advice on how to parent "orchid children." Boyce's book is 'The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive.'

Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews the true crime story 'Say Nothing' by Patrick Radden Keefe, which takes place during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

Pamela Adlon directs, co-writes and stars in the FX comedy series 'Better Things,' which begins its third season on Thursday. The show centers on a single working mother of three daughters who is also trying to help her elderly mother and keep her acting career alive. Adlon tells Terry Gross about her decision to continue making 'Better Things' after cutting ties with series co-creator Louis C.K.

TV critic David Bianculli reviews the HBO documentary 'Leaving Neverland,' which explores whether Michael Jackson used his fame and money to seduce young boys and their families into enabling a hidden pattern of serial pedophilia.

Filmmaker Yoruba Richen's documentary, 'The Green Book: Guide to Freedom,' tells the story of the manual, first published in 1936, that helped African-Americans find safe places to stay, eat, shop and do business on the road.