Morning Cram

From NPR: The Internet makes collecting and even investing in art much more accessible to ordinary people. As part of his adventures in investing, NPR's Uri Berliner pays $450 for an abstract flower study he's only seen online. Is it an investment or a painting he's just happy to have hang on his wall?

From NPR: The capital of Northern Ireland is no longer the city of snipers that it was before the Good Friday Agreement, but novelist Stuart Neville still draws inspiration from the decades of violence. In The Ghosts of Belfast, he examines the shattered life of an IRA killer in the aftermath of The Troubles.

From NPR: Bobbie Hanvey is a prolific photojournalist and radio interviewer from Northern Ireland. His son Steafán is a musician, currently on tour in America. Father and son reflect on the Troubles, art, and their relationship in a video featuring their photos and music.

From NPR: When parents aren't sure how to approach a difficult subject, they sometimes turn to other media — and Linda Ellerbee is happy to lend a hand. She's been the host of Nickelodeon's NickNews for 22 years, and her one rule of thumb is don't dumb it down.

From NPR: No, your eyes aren't fooling you: Prices for burger and steak meat have been going up this summer. Why? The ongoing drought in the Midwest has created a shortage of feed, raising expenses for ranchers and forcing some to cull their herds. And economists don't expect the beef price hikes to let up this year.