NPR News

Pages

The Salt
5:18 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

African Cities Test The Limits Of Living With Livestock

Credit Gianluigi Guercia / AFP/Getty Images
Sheep graze in the street last year in Cairo.

Raising chickens has become so fashionable among some urban Americans that there's now a market for chicken diapers, as we reported this month.

Read more
Shots - Health News
5:14 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

The Scramble At Moore Medical Center As The Tornado Hit

Credit Alonzo Adams / AP
A Moore Medical Center patient sits in the parking lot after a tornado damaged the hospital on Monday.

A massive tornado swept through the Oklahoma City area Monday afternoon, leaving ruin in its path.

Moore Medical Center, which stood directly in the tornado's path, was devastated. But the workers, patients and their families in the hospital escaped.

Nick Stremble, a registered nurse and manager at the hospital, told Shots Tuesday what he saw.

Read more
The Salt
5:09 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

Credit Eric Miller / AP
Morgan Barnett, 7, drinks from containers of 1 percent milk and chocolate milk during lunch at a school in St. Paul, Minn., in 2006.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 4:01 pm

A controversial petition by the dairy industry to allow milk sweetened with aspartame or other alternative sweeteners to be labeled on the front of the carton simply as MILK is drawing criticism from the nation's leading group of nutritionists.

Read more
The Two-Way
4:32 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Credit Ted S. Warren / AP
The new Xbox One entertainment and gaming system was unveiled Tuesday by Microsoft. The console includes live TV and advanced voice commands.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 12:44 pm

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey to becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for nearly eight years.

Read more
The Salt
4:01 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Vertical 'Pinkhouses:' The Future Of Urban Farming?

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 5:58 pm

The idea of vertical farming is all the rage right now. Architects and engineers have come up with spectacular concepts for lofty buildings that could function as urban food centers of the future.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:55 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Oklahoma's GOP Senators Find Themselves In Tornado Aid Bind

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 5:07 pm

Even as President Obama was declaring that tornado-devastated Oklahoma would get "everything it needs right away," the state's most vociferous critic of federal emergency aid vowed that he, too, would push for assistance "without delay."

Read more
Shots - Health News
3:54 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

A Catch For Insurers That Cut Deductibles For Healthy People

Credit iStockphoto.com
How much is my deductible?

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:38 pm

Health insurance deductibles typically only go one direction: up.

It's not unusual for people these days to be responsible for paying thousands of dollars in medical claims before most plan benefits kick in.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:47 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Gandhi Artifacts Could Fetch Steep Prices At Auction

Credit AFP/Getty Images
A picture of Gandhi taken on July 24, 1931 in New Delhi.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:12 pm

Artifacts that once belonged to Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian independence leader who took a vow of poverty, could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

Read more
Monkey See
3:37 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

'Arrested Development' Leads The Charge For Old Brands In New Media

Credit Sam Urdank / AP
David Cross and Portia de Rossi in a scene from Arrested Development, which returns on Netflix on May 26.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 5:43 pm

Arrested Development returning via Netflix? Just another old-media brand reviving itself on new media.

The TV show, which originally ran on Fox from 2003 to 2006 and unveils new episodes on Netflix next weekend, finds itself in splendid company. Radiohead, Louis C.K., Veronica Mars — all found their audiences with promotion and distribution from big studios and networks. Radiohead was signed to a major music label. Louis C.K. enjoyed HBO specials and TV shows. And Veronica Mars ran on two TV networks for three years.

Read more
The Two-Way
2:32 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Dolphins Find 19th Century Navy Torpedo In Pacific Ocean

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:43 pm

A rare piece of America's military history was located this spring, when dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program located an unusual artifact: a torpedo from the 19th century. Discovered during a training exercise in the ocean near San Diego, the torpedo will eventually make its way to a museum.

The bottlenose dolphins were honing their ability to find underwater mines when the discovery was made. The torpedo did not have a warhead, Navy officials say.

Read more
Political Junkie
2:30 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Why Don't We Pay (More/Any) Attention To Los Angeles Mayoral Elections?

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:36 pm

Horace Greeley may have suggested at one point that going west might be a good idea, but he probably wouldn't be happy to see what's going on with Los Angeles as of late. The Dodgers are in last place in the National League West, the Angels are hovering near the bottom of the American League West, and the Lakers' appearance in the playoffs was brutally short. Even Jimmy Fallon and NBC are bringing The Tonight Show back to Manhattan, deserting some place called Burbank after 40 years.

Read more
The Two-Way
2:19 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Court Backs Withholding Of 'Potent' Images Of Bin Laden's Body

Credit Getty Images
Pakistanis, along with international and local media, gather outside Osama bin Laden's compound, a day after the successful raid by U.S. Special Forces in May 2011.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 3:13 pm

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in favor of the government's decision to keep photos and video of the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden a secret, rebuffing a conservative watchdog group that had sought their release.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington accepted a White House assertion that releasing the images, including death photos of bin Laden, could spark violence and risk the lives of Americans abroad.

Read more
Around the Nation
2:14 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

When Tornadoes Are A Way Of Life

Monday's tornado tore through parts of Oklahoma City at 200 miles per hour and killed at least 24 people. Many more are missing orinjured. Guest host Jennifer Ludden talks to KOSU reporter Michael Cross and to meteorologist Paul Douglas about why it's so hard to track tornadoes.

Business
2:07 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Apple, Tech Giants And An Industrial-Age Tax Code

Apple CEO Timothy Cook made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, testifying after congressional investigators revealed that Apple avoided billions in taxes. Reporter Charles Duhigg of The New York Times and guest host Jennifer Ludden talk about how, as Duhigg writes, "technology giants have taken advantage of tax codes written for an industrial age."

Read more
Humans
2:05 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

The Art And Science Of Motivation

Transcript

JENNIFER LUDDEN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Jennifer Ludden in Washington. Neal Conan is away. It's graduation season, and that means 20-somethings and parents sitting through long commencement ceremonies while the older and wiser give advice. Here's comedian Stephen Colbert speaking at the University of Virginia.

Read more
Law
2:03 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Would Lowering The Drunk Driving Threshold Make Us Safer?

Transcript

JENNIFER LUDDEN, HOST:

Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended lowering the blood alcohol content threshold for drunken driving from .08 to .05. The NTSB argues this could save millions of lives each year, but critics beg to differ. Some say lack of enforcement is the problem. Others point to our casual attitude about drinking and driving. Meanwhile, lowering the threshold could have implications for law enforcement, bartenders, maybe your dinner party.

Read more
Parallels
1:58 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

China Builds Museums ... But Will The Visitors Come?

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 5:43 pm

Shanghai did something last fall that few other cities on the planet could have even considered. It opened two massive art museums right across the river from one another on the same day.

The grand openings put an exclamation point on China's staggering museum building boom. In recent years, about 100 museums have opened annually here, peaking at nearly 400 in 2011, according to the Chinese Society of Museums.

Read more
Shots - Health News
1:53 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

A Mother And Daughter Confront Their Breast Cancer Risk

Credit Courtesy of Regina Brett
Regina Brett

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 8:07 am

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has been in the headlines, by her own choice for a change.

Genetic testing showed she was at high risk for breast cancer, so she decided to have a double mastectomy to improve her odds. She revealed her choice, and the thinking behind it, in a recent op-ed in The New York Times.

Read more
Parenting
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Getting Rid Of My Breasts, A Lot Of People Didn't Understand

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. They say it takes a village to raise a child, but maybe you just need a few moms in your corner. Every week, we check in with a diverse group of parents for their common sense and savvy advice.

Today, though, we are talking about a difficult decision that both mothers and daughters face, sometimes together. It's the question of whether to get genetic testing for breast cancer and what to do when you find out that you are at high risk.

Read more
Technology
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

My Social Security Number Is Posted Where?

Credit Matt Anzur / Scripps Howard News Service
The private information Linda Mendez submitted to get discount cellphone service appeared on a publicly accessible website.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:26 pm

Sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of applicants to a government phone program was exposed to the public on the Internet, according to a new investigative report from Scripps Howard News Service.

The federal program is called Lifeline, and it reimburses phone companies for providing service to low-income Americans.

Read more
Money Coach
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Market At Record Highs, Why Is Investment At Record Lows?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We're going to switch gears now and take another look at the stock market. Last week about the same time, we talked about how the Dow has been hitting record highs, but did you know that stock ownership in this country is at record lows? According to a recent Gallup poll, only about half of Americans, 52 percent, now own stocks. That's the lowest level since Gallup started tracking that number back in 1998.

Read more
Law
1:02 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

The Difficulties Of Proving Racial Profiling

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. We'd like to start today by mentioning that, as you would imagine, NPR is continuing to follow developments concerning that deadly tornado that struck Oklahoma yesterday. We hope you will stay tuned to your public radio station or check our website, npr.org, for the latest updates.

Read more
The Two-Way
12:52 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

VIDEO: Tears Flow As Mom Finds Son After Tornado

Credit The Oklahoman
When Trenda Purcell found her son Kamden, her joy — and tears — erupted.

We don't need to say much. Just watch this video from The Oklahoman of Trenda Purcell's reunion Monday with her 8-year-old son Kamden, who she found safe and sound after the tornado that swept through Moore, Okla.

Read more
Movie Interviews
12:51 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Soderbergh's Liberace, 'Behind The Candelabra'

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 6:45 pm

Director Steven Soderbergh had been looking for a way to frame a film about the extravagant entertainer Liberace for years when a friend recommended the book Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace.

The book — a memoir — is by Scott Thorson, who for five years was Liberace's lover, though that wasn't publicly disclosed at the time.

Read more
Code Switch
12:48 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Who Becomes The Face Of A Horrific Attack?

The spate of headlines that drew them to our attention has died down. Yet I still find myself thinking about the faces of a certain 19-year-old man and his elder brother, accused by police of bringing about a tragic end to what should have been a day of joy and celebration.

Read more
The Two-Way
12:47 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

JPMorgan Shareholders Vote To Keep Dimon As Chairman, CEO

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during testimony on Capitol Hill.

JPMorgan Chase shareholders voted on Tuesday to allow Jamie Dimon to continue being their chairman and CEO.

The AP reports:

"At the bank's annual meeting, 32 percent of shareholders voted for a measure that would have required the bank to split the roles. Had the measure succeeded, Dimon would have had to relinquish the role of chairman.

Read more
The Two-Way
12:28 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

'Tornado Emergency': A Rare, Dire Warning Born In Oklahoma

Credit Brett Deering / Getty Images
Piles of debris and cars lie around a home destroyed by a tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.

If you were watching news coverage on Monday, before a monster EF-4 tornado barreled through Moore, Okla., you probably heard the term "tornado emergency."

The warning is used rarely by forecasters to flag the deadliest of situations.

Read more
Parallels
11:58 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Socks Are Optional As Pakistan Grapples With Power Cuts

Credit Ilyas Sheikh / EPA/Landov
Protesters march against prolonged power outages in Faisalabad, Pakistan, last month. The country faces power outages of more than 18 hours a day in some parts of the country.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 1:11 pm

Pakistanis have coped with — even rioted — over the country's frequent power cuts. Now, the government is feeling the impact, too. The country's caretaker prime minister has banned air conditioners in government offices and instituted a dress code for civil servants. Among his recommendations: no socks.

Read more
The Two-Way
11:40 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Big Changes At U.S. Speedskating Body, But Scandals Linger

Credit Rick Bowmer / AP
Speedskaters practiced for the U.S. Single Distance Short Track Speedskating Championships in Kearns, Utah, last year.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 12:56 pm

Rebellious athletes, drained budgets, dysfunctional management and a string of embarrassing scandals forced a major reorganization of U.S. Speedskating over the weekend.

The group governs a sport that has produced 85 Winter Olympic medals for the United States — more than any other sport. But persistent turmoil threatened continued success in the next Games, just nine months away in Sochi, Russia.

The changes leave USS with a smaller board and without numerous committees that have permitted parochial interests to meddle in the governance of the sport.

Read more
Business
11:13 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Kids Pitch Business Ideas To Warren Buffett

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Tumblrese.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And today's last word in business is: almost millionaires.

INSKEEP: Warren Buffett took time yesterday to listen to kids pitching potential new enterprises. These are kids who competed through Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, a Web and cable series featuring a cartoon.

(SOUNDBITE OF WEB CARTOON, "SECRET MILLIONAIRES CLUB")

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

WARREN BUFFETT: Hey, kids, Warren Buffett here. A successful business is always trying new things.

Read more

Pages