Listeners write in about a recent interview with Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and our remembrance of singer Dakota Staton.
FARAI CHIDEYA, host: It's time again for your letters, and here with me is producer Christopher Johnson. Hey, Christopher.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Hey, Farai.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: What have we got?</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Well, Cal Lauper(ph) from Dallas wrote in about our interview with Delaware Senator Joseph Biden. Now Biden is a Democrat running for the White House. And Lauper said, the interview really made me see a side of Biden I didn't know. Ms. Chideya seemed to genuinely welcome the senator. However, her closing joke, lecturing the senator about the word articulate and touching hair was in questionable taste.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Okay, Farai, so here's some of that conversation you had with Biden.</s>Senator JOSEPH BIDEN (Democrat, Delaware): Younger African-Americans who may not have known Joe Biden might think that, God almighty, this guy is just, you know, dissing other black leaders. That's simply not the case.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Well, I will tell you. On the campaign trail, never touch a black person's hair without asking first and never use the word articulate. But I think you figured the second part out.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: That's unsolicited advice.</s>Senator JOSEPH BIDEN (Democrat, Delaware): I never touched anybody's hair on the campaign trail. I don't have much myself.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Okay, Farai. Defend yourself.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Well I think that Senator Joseph Biden, having been in the Senate for 34 years, has dealt with a lot worse than this. I think it's a great joke within the context of the black community and I'm sure the senator can take it. If not, he can write us a letter too.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: On Tuesday, we highlighted how the Innocence Project used DNA testing to exonerate 200 wrongfully convicted U.S. prisoners. James Lang(ph) of Miami Shores, Florida, wrote in to say this: good program segment, but missing a key statistic. The 200 wrongfuls are what percent of all cases with DNA evidence?</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Well, James, that is a tough one. All that we know is that the 200 exonerations are one-tenth of all the exonerations by the Innocence Project. But the issue you're asking about is tough to track, given the uneven state of DNA evidence and its preservation.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Okay, let's go a little lighter now. On Monday, comedian Darryl Littleton told us why there are no black shock jocks.</s>Ms. DARRYL LITTLETON (Comedian): There are no black shock jocks, and for good reason. Black people don't play that. Put the wrong person's name on your grill and your show will be gone. Not because of ratings, but because they can't find your loose-lipped carcass.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: Urging Littleton to get his facts straight, Kenneth Laddie(ph) of Queens, New York, wrote to say: I guess he didn't hear the distinctive plane crash sound effect that got a black DJ fired from the New York hip-hop station, Hot 97. And he also didn't hear a popular DJ threatening another DJ's family. This is the work of shock jock Star, also known as Troi Torain.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: Now Kenneth, as you know, Troi Torain is no longer on the air. That is consistent with Littleton's commentary. You can check it out at npr.org/NEWS & NOTES.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: And a number of you wrote to say that you enjoyed our obit of Dakota Staton despite a big booboo. Let's let Louise Alamayo(ph) speak for the group. He wrote: I was saddened to hear the news of Ms. Staton's passing, but it wasn't helped by the fact that your story of same ended with the singing of Nancy Wilson and not Dakota Staton. Nancy is wonderful and I'm sure she loved the singing of Dakota, but it strikes me as disrespectful that you made this mistake. If possible, please try to correct it.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: And yes, Dakota Staton did record "Someone to Watch Over Me." That was back in 1959. But iTunes has posted Nancy Wilson's version under Dakota's name at the site. NPR's music library has already written iTunes about that one. We tried to find Staton singing "Someone to Watch Over Me," but it's hard. So sorry, Louise, but here's the best we could do. Dakota again singing "The Late Late Show."</s>Ms. DAKOTA STATON (Singer): (Singing) Gee, it's cozy in the park tonight when you cuddle up and hold me tight. Stars above they seem to know we are putting on the late, late show.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: And that's it for Letters today, but don't let that stop you from writing or calling.</s>FARAI CHIDEYA, host: You can leave a voicemail for us at 202-408-3330. That's 202-408-3330. And to e-mail just log on to npr.org and click on Contact Us. It helps a lot if you tell us where you're writing from and how we should say your name. So until we meet again, that's Letters. Thanks, Christopher.</s>CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON: No problem, Farai.