Terry Gross

Actor, producer and director Danny DeVito was first known for his role as Louie on the TV comedy Taxi. He directed War of the Roses, Hoffa and Death to Smoochy, and produced Erin Brockovich and Pulp Fiction. DeVito is now starring in Deck the Halls.

Nicholas Blanford is the Beirut correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. His new book, Killing Mr. Lebanon, is about the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Jazz singer Anita O'Day died last week of a heart attack at the age of 87. She was known for her distinctive legato style, the result of a botched childhood tonsillectomy that left her without vibrato. O'Day made her name with the bands of Gene Krupa and Stan Kenton, and later had success as a solo performer.