Eleanor Beardsley

In France, A Renewed Push To Return Art Looted By Nazis

Eleanor Beardsley — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:37:00 +0000

During World War II, the Nazis plundered tens of thousands of works of art from the private collections of European Jews, many living in France. About 75 percent of the artwork that came back to France from Germany at the end of the war has been returned to their rightful owners.

But there are still approximately 2,000 art objects that remain unclaimed.

Bombing Suspects' Chechen Roots Weigh Heavy On Nation' Refugees

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The Tsarnaev brothers are among tens of thousands of Chechens whose families have sought asylum abroad after two brutal wars with Russia. About 10 percent of the entire Chechen population now lives in Europe. France has one of the largest communities. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley spoke with Chechens in Paris to see how they're reaction to the attack in Boston.

AICHAT: (Foreign language spoken)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: (Foreign language spoken)

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: I meet the two young Chechen refugees at a cafe near the Gare de Lyon.

Routine On U.S. Racetracks, Horse Doping Is Banned In Europe

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 20:48:00 +0000

At the famous Hippodrome de Longchamp just outside of Paris this month, crowds came to cheer and bet on the sleek thoroughbreds that opened horse racing season by galloping down the verdant turf course.

Horse racing in Europe is different from the sport in the U.S., from the shape and surface of the track to race distances and the season itself. Another big difference is doping.

Drugs are not allowed in European horse races. But in America, they aren't just legal, they're widely used — particularly furosemide, better known as Lasix.

Versailles Gets Spiffed-Up On Its Day Off

Eleanor Beardsley — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 07:04:00 +0000

With nearly 7 million visitors a year, the Chateau of Versailles in France is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world. But one day a week, it's closed.

So what happens at Versailles on its day off? A spa day, of sorts — involving cleaning and conservation work.

Catherine Pegard, president of Versailles, says the palace is always caught between history and modernity.

"There's always an equilibrium to be struck between preserving the history of the palace and operating in the 21st century, a constant pull between conservation and creation," she says.

As Global Chains Move In, The Champs Elysees Gets A New Look

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:59:00 +0000

Once known as the most beautiful avenue in the world, the Champs Elysees is changing. Some Parisians fear it's starting to look like any American shopping mall as high rents and global chains steadily alter its appearance.

"We just try to keep a sort of diversity on the Champs Elysees, with the cinemas, with restaurants, with cafes and shops," says Deputy Mayor Lynn Cohen-Solal. "We don't think the laws of the natural market, the free market, make for a good Champs Elysees."

Cohen-Solal says the Champs Elysees is being transformed by those skyrocketing rents.

U.S. Boss Offers Blunt Critique; French Workers Give Fiery Response

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:19:00 +0000

The battle between an American capitalist and a French socialist official has prompted chuckles — and heated debate — on both sides of the Atlantic. The exchange highlights some humorous stereotypes and reveals real differences between the economic cultures of France and the United States.

A leaked letter from Maurice Taylor, CEO of the Illinois-based Titan tire company, ignited the controversy.

In Algeria, Sahara Attack Revives A Fear Of Renewed Terrorism

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:57:00 +0000

When Muslim extremists overran an oil and gas facility in Algeria's Sahara desert last month, Algerians saw the drama through the lens of their own painful history.

The news that terrorists had seized the In Amenas oil and gas plant stunned people in Algiers, the Algerian capital, who thought they'd seen the last of such attacks.

For most of the 1990s, a brutal civil war between Islamists and the military engulfed the country. More than 150,000 Algerians — mostly civilians — lost their lives in the violence.

A Murder Deepens Tunisia's Political Crisis

Eleanor Beardsley — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 08:40:00 +0000

The political crisis in Tunisia is deepening after last week's murder of a prominent secular politician. Tunisians are increasingly divided over their country's government and future, just two years after collectively overthrowing the dictator in a popular revolution.

The murder of outspoken politician Chokri Belaid shocked Tunisians to their core. Tens of thousands of people turned out to bury him Friday in the main cemetery in Tunis, the capital.

Chaos Follows Funeral For Slain Leader In Tunisia

Eleanor Beardsley — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:28:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

We want to go live now to the nation of Tunisia, where tens of thousands of people turned out today for the funeral of an assassinated opposition leader. Political tensions turned violent as young men clashed with police. The scene was a reminder of the precariousness of the situation in Tunisia - two years after the Arab Spring revolution began there. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley was at the funeral and joins me on the line. And Eleanor, what was the scene at this funeral?

Not Just A Fashion Hot Spot: Paris Is Also The Capital Of Dog Mess

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 12:43:00 +0000

This essay by NPR correspondent Eleanor Beardsley was borne out of the personal exasperation of living in a beautiful city with one thing she found very, very wrong.

When you walk down the grand boulevards of the City of Light, you have to be careful where you step.

Every day, my senses are assaulted by the piles I have to dodge in the Parisian streets. There are the fresh ones that leave me feeling angry, and the ones from the previous days that have begun to smear down the street on the bottoms of people's shoes.

About a year ago, I began to get really worked up about it.

French Twitter Lawsuit Pits Free Speech Against Hate Speech

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 21:43:00 +0000

A French judge will decide this week if Twitter must hand over the identities of users sending anti-Semitic tweets. The case, brought against Twitter by a Jewish student organization, pits America's free speech guarantees against Europe's laws banning hate speech.

The controversy began in October, when the French Union of Jewish Students threatened to sue Twitter to get the names of people posting anti-Semitic tweets with the hashtag #unbonjuif, or "a good Jew."

"If I type 'un bon Juif' ...

Algeria Hostage-Taking Could Be Retaliation For France's Actions In Mali

Eleanor Beardsley — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 22:04:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish.

Algerian Islamists attacked an oil and gas field at dawn this morning in the desert on the border with Libya. They claim to have taken nearly 200 people hostage.

France To Send More Troops To Mali To Combat Islamist Militants

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:47:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

The French defense minister says France is preparing for a possible land assault in Mali, so it plans to increase its troop levels to 2,500. Back home in France, authorities are girding for possible terrorist attacks in response to their intervention. Eleanor Beardsley has that story from Paris.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: (Foreign language spoken)

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: For the fifth day, France awoke to news about French bombing raids against Islamist radicals overnight in Mali.

Thousands In France Protest Gay Marriage

Eleanor Beardsley — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:33:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Paris yesterday to protest government efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. The demonstration was considered one of the largest in years. The government of President Francois Hollande says it will go ahead anyway. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reports.

ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: They came from every corner of France, by car, bus and specially reserved high speed train.

Same-Sex Marriage And Adoption: Unresolved Issues In France

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 10:22:00 +0000

France is known as a tolerant country on many social issues, yet the country is embroiled in a debate about same-sex marriage and adoption.

President Francois Hollande is following through on a campaign promise to bring full rights to gay couples.

Gerard Depardieu's Tax Flight Stirs Fierce Debate In France

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:59:00 +0000

Gerard Depardieu, one of France's most iconic and beloved film stars, is now at the center of a national uproar over French taxes and patriotism.

Depardieu, who has been in around 200 films, says he's moving to Belgium to avoid paying a new 75 percent tax on the superwealthy. The move has divided the country and has focused attention on the Socialist government's controversial new tax policy.

The uproar began just before Christmas, when it came to light that Depardieu bought a home in Nechin, a drab Belgian village less than a mile over the French border.

In A French Village, Protection From The Apocalypse

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 08:25:00 +0000

Friday is the last day of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mayan calendar, sparking talk about the possible end of the world. About two years ago, a rumor began circulating on the Internet that the French village of Bugarach, population 200, would be the only place to survive this apocalypse.

But despite many news stories of people flocking to the village, less than two weeks before "doomsday," there was no one on the streets.

In France, Free Birth Control For Girls At Age 15

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 15:59:00 +0000

Beginning next year, young women in France between the ages of 15 and 18 will have access to birth control free of charge, and without parental notification. The French government says the new measure is intended to reduce pregnancies in this age group that result from a mixture of ignorance, taboo and lack of access to contraception.

One place where information is available on birth control, abortion and sexual abuse is a family planning clinic in a gritty neighborhood in the east of Paris.

On a recent day, a counselor talks with a handful of teenage girls in a sitting room.

Getting The Royal Treatment En Route To Versailles

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 10:28:00 +0000

The opulence of the court of Louis XIV ... on a commuter train from Paris?

That's the surprise awaiting some lucky visitors to the Palace of Versailles.

Pencils Down? French Plan Would End Homework

Eleanor Beardsley — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 10:58:00 +0000

In the name of equality, the French government has proposed doing away with homework in elementary and junior high school. French President Francois Hollande argues that homework penalizes children with difficult home situations, but even the people whom the proposal is supposed to help disagree.

It's 5:30 p.m. and getting dark outside, as kids pour out of Gutenberg Elementary School in Paris 15th arrondissement. Parents and other caregivers wait outside to collect their children. Aissata Toure, 20, is here with her younger sister in tow. She's come to pick up her 7-year-old son.

Glitzy Burgundy Wine Auction Taps Celebrities

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:43:00 +0000

For the last century and a half, the wine season in France's grape-growing region of Burgundy has revolved around one major commercial event. On the third Sunday in November, hundreds of barrels of the recent harvest are sold to the highest bidder in a charity wine auction. The historic event, which took place this year on Nov. 18, has evolved into an A-list rendezvous for the power players in the international wine industry.

The wine auction at the Hospices de Beaune began in 1851 as a pure Burgundian affair.

Burgundy's Yield Fails To Meet Grape Expectations

Eleanor Beardsley — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 20:36:00 +0000

Neat rows of grapevines run down the slopes of the Cotes de Beaune, all the way to the gravel driveway at Chateau de Corton Andre.

European Union Protests Google's New Privacy Policy

Eleanor Beardsley — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 21:50:00 +0000

Parisian dance professor Charlotte King says she needs Google for her job and life, but she doesn't trust the world's top Web search engine.

"When I'm doing some research, the day after I have some proposition of products, of stores, of places, and it's really espionage. I was spied on. I don't want that. It's unacceptable," King says.

That viewpoint resonates in Europe.

With Topless Protests, 'Sextremists' March In Paris

Eleanor Beardsley — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 21:25:00 +0000

Sometimes, less is more.

That's certainly the thinking of the Ukrainian feminist movement Femen, best known for its bare-breasted protests in its home country. Now it has brought its self-described "sextremism" to Paris, opening its first international training camp and wasting no time attracting new recruits, causes and attention.

On a recent sunny morning, seven young women stride purposefully toward the stone facade of France's Justice Ministry. Suddenly they throw their coats to the ground.

Urban Parisian Vines Produce Wine With A Drop Of History

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:03:00 +0000

In America, vineyards are usually tucked in out-of-the-way rural areas, among country lanes.

New French President Sees Popularity Crash

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:17:00 +0000

Just five months after electing President Francois Hollande, many French are now despairing that he cannot deliver on the vision they voted for. What's worse, some wonder if Hollande has a plan at all.

The new president's ratings have plummeted, and his once-lauded "steady approach" is now perceived as dithering.

Protesters shouting "Resistance!" in the streets of Paris this month included people who voted for him and now feel betrayed.

Bouillabaisse: From Humble Beginnings To High-Class Tourist Meal

Eleanor Beardsley — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 10:37:00 +0000

The southern French city of Marseille on the Mediterranean Sea has long been famous for its spicy fish soup, known as bouillabaisse. The soup started as a poor man's meal, made with leftover fish scraps, but these days, it's evolved to the point that it can run connoisseurs about $75 for a generously sized meal.

"In the first part, you make a soup with all these different little fish. With vegetables, tomatoes, onion, garlic, fennel, olive oil, saffron. And after, we cook the six different fish in the soup. It's very big.

Tunisians Battle Over The Meaning Of Free Expression

Eleanor Beardsley — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 07:28:00 +0000

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring last year, and many regard it as the most Western-looking nation in the Arab world. Yet it's also waging a roaring debate over how to define freedom of expression in an evolving society.

Tunisian protesters attacked the U.S. Embassy recently in response to the anti-Muslim video Innocence of Muslims.

Poverty, Segregation Fuel Marseille Crime Wave

Eleanor Beardsley — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 20:17:00 +0000

Drug and gang violence in Marseille, France's second largest city, has gotten so out of control that one local politician has called for the army to be sent in to restore order.

The proposal shocked the French and President Francois Hollande. Now, the French government is making the city a top priority.

Reporter Karim Baila spent two months in Marseille filming a documentary for French television on the city's troubles. He says he wanted to understand what was at the root of the violence stalking his native city.

Tunisians Fear Protests Scared Away Tourists

Eleanor Beardsley — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 10:56:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep.

Let's catch up now on protests that have swept through nation after nation in response to an anti-Islamic film. And today, we go to Tunisia. It was the first nation to stage a successful uprising in the Arab Spring.