NPR News

Pages

Author Interviews
5:40 am
Sat March 9, 2013

Living A Life Of Joy 'Until I Say Good-Bye'

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 8:18 am

Susan Spencer-Wendel knows how to spend a year.

She left her job as an award-winning criminal courts reporter for The Palm Beach Post and went to the Yukon to see the northern lights. Then to Cyprus, to meet family that she never knew. She and her husband, John, took their children on trips on which her daughter got to try on wedding dresses and Susan got kissed by a dolphin.

Read more
Africa
5:39 am
Sat March 9, 2013

A Big Battle Over A Tiny Isle In The Nile

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 8:18 am

It's not easy to get to Qursaya island, a tiny bit of land in the middle of the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt's capital. You have to take a boat from the riverbank. There are no cars on the island, and it's only had running water for a few years.

It's a quiet 70-acre patch of agricultural land amid a megacity, where mooing cows provide the soundtrack, and farmers and fishermen have lived for generations.

But not all is as bucolic as it seems: The island is at the heart of a yearslong legal battle between those farmers and the government.

Read more
Asia
5:39 am
Sat March 9, 2013

How Credible Are North Korea's Threats?

Originally published on Wed March 13, 2013 8:18 am

When it comes to talking a big game, no one does it better than the North Koreans.

Just this week, Pyongyang vowed to turn Seoul, the capital of archrival South Korea, into a "sea of fire," promised to launch a "pre-emptive strike on the headquarters of the aggressors" (read: the United States) and called on its army to "annihilate the enemy."

Read more
The Two-Way
5:02 am
Sat March 9, 2013

With Hagel In Afghanistan, Explosion Hits Near Defense Ministry

Credit Massoud Hossaini / AFP/Getty Images
Afghanistan National Army soldiers and security personnel walk at the site of a suicide attack next to the Ministry of Defense main gate in Kabul on Saturday.

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 2:38 pm

A bomb exploded near the Defense Ministry in Kabul on Saturday morning as U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel was visiting in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility, calling it a message to the new Pentagon chief.

Update At 10:49 a.m. ET: Hagel Not Surprised

Hagel was nowhere near the attack, but the AP reports he heard the blast:

Read more
Music Interviews
6:09 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Dave Grohl Finds Music's Human Element — In A Machine

Credit Sami Ansari / Courtesy of the artist
Dave Grohl reunited with his old friend Butch Vig (at console), the producer of Nirvana's Nevermind, for the making of Sound City: Real to Reel.
The Two-Way
6:07 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

'World's Best Restaurant' Blamed For 67 Diners' Illnesses

Credit Keld Navntoft / AFP/Getty Images
The famed Noma restaurant in Copenhagen has been blamed for more than 60 of its diners falling ill. Investigators say an illness spread from the staff to the customers.

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 12:12 pm

Noma, the Danish eatery that has won fans with its innovative approach to Nordic cuisine, and won Restaurant magazine's "World's Best Restaurant" title the past three years, is getting some unwelcome press, after dozens of people who ate at the Copenhagen restaurant fell sick.

Update: Monday, March 11

Read more
Around the Nation
6:03 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Death Cafes Breathe Life Into Conversations About Dying

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 1:20 pm

We live knowing that everything dies. Like the sun, it's a fact of life. And like the sun, we tend not to look right at it. Unless you've experienced a recent death, it's probably not something you discuss. But a new movement is trying to change that, with a serving of tea and cake.

The fear of death haunts us like nothing else. And it makes sense. All other fears — such as public speaking, centipedes and heights — pale in comparison. So we don't really talk about it.

Read more
The Two-Way
6:01 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

French Mother On Trial For Sending Her Son, Jihad, To School With 'Bomb' Shirt

Credit Anne-Christine Poujoulat / AFP/Getty Images
Bouchra Bagour, left, leaves a court house with her lawyer Gaelle Genoun.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 6:14 pm

A French mother was in court Wednesday for what she says was a simple birthday celebration but what the government alleges is a clear provocation, an allusion to terrorism.

The BBC reports that Bouchra Bagour, 35, has been charged with "glorifying crime" after she sent her three-year-old son — named Jihad — to school wearing a T-shirt that read "I am a bomb" and "Born on 11 September."

The BBC adds:

Read more
Music
5:03 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Can You Make Sad Songs Sound Happy (And Vice-Versa)?

Credit Album cover
Michael Stipe broods on the cover of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" single. Earlier this year, a remarkably cheery-sounding major-key version of the song appeared online.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 7:15 pm

Around the Nation
4:43 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

In Chicago, Dueling Ads Over The Meaning Of 'Jihad'

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 6:03 pm

There is an advertising battle going on over the Arabic term jihad. In Chicago, a group has launched a bus and subway ad campaign meant to reclaim the term jihad from another series of ads that presents jihadists as violent.

Africa
4:43 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Police Officers Caught In The Middle Go On Strike In Egypt

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 6:03 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block. Now to Egypt, where police officers are on strike.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTESTERS)

Read more
Sports
4:43 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Chicago Blackhawks Continue Remarkable NHL Winning Streak

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 6:03 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. The Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League have done something remarkable. They've gone half of the current season, 24 games, without losing in regulation time. Here to talk about that feat and other hockey news is sportswriter Stephen Fatsis. Hey there, Stephen.

STEPHEN FATSIS, BYLINE: Hey, Audie.

Read more
The Two-Way
4:26 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

In Kenyan Election, Kenyatta Holds On To Razor-Thin Margin

Credit Simon Maina / AFP/Getty Images
A supporter celebrates on March 6, 2013 at a polling station in the Mathare slum of Nairobi.

Originally published on Sat March 9, 2013 11:47 am

Update at 7:04 p.m. ET. All Votes Counted:

With all the votes in, Kenya's election commission says Uhuru Kenyatta appears to have won with the slimmest of margins. Kenyatta got 50.03 percent of the vote, the AP reports.

Reuters adds:

"Kenyatta, who faces international charges of crimes against humanity, secured 6,173,433 votes out of a total of 12,338,667 ballots cast, indicating that he had secured the more than 50 percent of votes needed for a first round win."

Read more
The Two-Way
4:13 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Alabama's Contentious Education Bill In Limbo As Courts Review Cases

Credit Dave Martin / AP
Gov. Robert Bentley talks with reporters in his office, one day after Alabama Republicans adopted legislation to provide state tax credits to attend private schools.

A week after a sweeping and controversial education bill was adopted by the Alabama Legislature, the measure is on hold, with a circuit judge and the state's supreme court reviewing separate lawsuits filed over it. Democrats say Republicans broke the rules when they inserted school choice language into a bill that was originally meant to give school districts flexibility in meeting standards.

Read more
Shots - Health News
4:04 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Flu Risk And Weather: It's Not The Heat, It's The Humidity

As winter wanes into spring, flu season wanes, too. But while people get the flu when it's cold in the United States, in Senegal they're getting sick when it's hot.

It's a puzzle that's baffled scientists for decades. Now, they think they might be have an explanation, though it's not a straightforward one.

Read more
It's All Politics
3:26 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

When A Good Jobs Report Is Bad For Political Spin

Credit Richard Drew / AP
Trader Warren Meyers works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Stocks opened higher after the government reported a burst of hiring last month that sent the unemployment rate to a four-year low. But both the White House and congressional Republicans reacted to the news in less than celebratory fashion.

The February jobs report was just the latest proof that the economy doesn't really care how much it confounds the messaging strategies of Washington's political class.

News that the economy created 236,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, its lowest level in more than four years, caught nearly everyone by surprise after economists forecast perhaps 171,000 new jobs.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:04 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Bulgaria Expresses 'Regret' For Holocaust Deportation Of Jews

For the first time, the Bulgarian National Assembly is expressing "regret" for deporting more than 11,000 Jews to German death camps.

The declaration passed today is truly bitter sweet, because while it calls the deportations a "criminal act," it also praises Bulgarian citizens and politicians for saving more than 48,000 Jews during the Holocaust.

The BBC explains:

Read more
The Two-Way
2:44 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

In Syria's Complicated War, U.N. Peacekeepers Become Pawns

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images
U.N. peacekeepers cross a checkpoint in the Golan Heights on Friday. Syrian rebels seized 21 peacekeepers from the Philippines and are insisting that Syrian troops leave the area.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 4:11 pm

The Syrian civil war keeps getting more complicated, and the seizure of 21 United Nations peacekeepers has again raised concern that the fighting could spread turmoil in the region.

The rebels fighting President Bashar Assad's regime are a mixed lot that include secular fighters calling for democracy, as well as Muslim fundamentalists who want to impose Islamic law.

A rebel faction calling itself the Martyrs of Yarmouk Brigade says it seized the peacekeepers on Wednesday.

Read more
U.S.
2:38 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Does Crime Drop When Immigrants Move In?

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 6:03 pm

As lawmakers in Washington continue to negotiate over immigration policies, they'll have to grapple with a fundamental disagreement about the link between immigrants and crime.

Elected officials from Pennsylvania to Arizona have argued that undocumented immigrants contribute to higher crime rates, but some social scientists tell a different story. They argue that first-generation immigrants actually make their communities safer — and they point to some of the nation's biggest cities as proof.

Read more
Economy
1:59 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

5 Things The Jobs Report Tells Us About The Economy (Or Not)

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
The job market showed strong growth in February. But questions about low wages, consumer debt and government austerity cloud the sunny picture.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 3:02 pm

If you enjoy having a good argument, Friday's report on the labor market gives you plenty to chew over. Find a debate partner and let's get started.

Read more
The Two-Way
1:43 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

South Dakota Governor Signs Law Allowing Guns In Schools

Credit Jim Urquhart / Reuters /Landov
After training, teachers and other staffers in South Dakota could choose to bring guns with them to school if their districts want to set up "sentinel" programs.

South Dakota on Friday became what's "believed to be the first state to pass a law that specifically allows teachers to carry firearms," as The New York Times writes.

Read more
The Two-Way
1:22 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

John Brennan Is Sworn In As CIA Director

Credit David Lienemann / The White House
Vice President Joe Biden swears in CIA Director John Brennan in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 8, 2013.

During a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, John Brennan was sworn in as the director of the Central Intelligence Office by Vice President Joe Biden.

According to the White House, Brennan took his oath by putting his hand "on an original draft of the Constitution, dating from 1787, which has George Washington's personal handwriting and annotations on it."

The AP reports that with Brennan, President Obama's national security team is set for a second term.

Read more
The Two-Way
1:09 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Citizens Of Nitro, W.V., Watch Town's Bridge Blow Up

Credit YouTube
An image taken from a video depicts a section of the Dick Henderson Memorial Bridge in Nitro, WV, being demolished by a controlled explosion Friday.
All Tech Considered
1:01 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

In Open Source Rocket Competition, Collaboration Takes Off

Credit Sunglass
A screenshot shows how a team would track changes to its rocket project on a Sunglass platform.

Here's the challenge: Build a rocket engine. Don't worry, you don't need much.

At the SXSW festival in Austin on Saturday, startup companies DIYRockets and Sunglass are launching a competition to create 3-D-printed rocket engines with open source (read: free) technology.

Read more
Shots - Health News
12:53 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Could A 'Brain Pacemaker' Someday Treat Severe Anorexia?

Originally published on Tue March 12, 2013 10:23 am

Many people who get anorexia recover after therapy and counseling. But in about 20 to 30 percent of cases, the disease becomes a chronic condition that gets tougher and tougher to treat.

Right now, doctors have few options for helping these patients, mostly women, whose disease can be crippling or fatal.

Read more
The Two-Way
12:37 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Presidents, Dignataries Gather For Hugo Chávez's Funeral

Credit AP
In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Cuba's President Raul Castro salutes as he stands next to the coffin containing the body of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 1:42 pm

Presidents and dignitaries from around the globe are gathered in Caracas this morning to pay their final respects to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

CBS News reports:

Read more
Author Interviews
12:37 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

The History Of The FBI's Secret 'Enemies' List

Credit Bob Mulligan / AFP/Getty Images
John Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation gives a speech on November 17, 1953, in Washington.

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 1:00 pm

This interview was originally broadcast on Feb. 14, 2012.

Four years after Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Tim Weiner published Legacy of Ashes, his detailed history of the CIA, he received a call from a lawyer in Washington, D.C.

Read more
NPR Story
12:26 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

'Nightmare Bacteria' Defy Even Last-Ditch Drugs

Originally published on Thu March 21, 2013 3:04 pm

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Now for nightmare bacteria. They defy all our antibiotics, even our latest drugs. This week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that strains of these completely drug-resistant bacteria have quadrupled in the last decade or so, and the bugs have been lurking around in hospitals, hundreds of hospitals around the nation.

Read more
NPR Story
12:26 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

Can the Anti-Aging Secret Be Found in...Red Wine?

Originally published on Thu March 21, 2013 3:04 pm

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY, I'm Ira Flatow. Here's some news to raise a glass to: the idea that red wine may help us live longer and healthier lives. Well, it got a new boost this week. According to a team of researchers, a compound found in the skin of grapes could be an antidote to aging by slowing down the process and even fending off disease and inflammation associated with getting old. It's the topic of a new study published this week in the journal Science.

Read more
NPR Story
12:26 pm
Fri March 8, 2013

When The Earth Swallows

Originally published on Fri March 8, 2013 1:54 pm

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Ira Flatow. By now I'm sure you've heard about the real-life nightmare of a Florida man named Jeff Bush. As he lay sleeping last week, a gaping hole opened beneath his home, swallowing him alive. His body was never found. The search has now been called off, and the sinkhole that devoured him is now his grave.

Read more

Pages