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Author Interviews
3:32 am
Mon February 4, 2013

Sendak's 'Brother's Book': An Elegy, A Farewell

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:09 pm

Maurice Sendak, one of America's most beloved children's book authors, evocatively captured both the wonders and fears of childhood. His books, including Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen and Outside Over There, revolutionized picture books by adding danger and darkness to the genre.

Over the course of his life, Sendak wrote and illustrated more than a dozen widely acclaimed books and illustrated almost 80 more. And although he died last May at 83, Sendak still has one more volume on the way.

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Shots - Health News
3:31 am
Mon February 4, 2013

Shortage Of Brain Tissue Sets Autism Research Back

Originally published on Tue February 5, 2013 8:39 am

Research on autism is being hobbled by a shortage of brain tissue.

The brain tissue comes from people with autism who have died, and it has allowed researchers to make key discoveries about how the disorder affects brain development.

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Health
6:16 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

Health Care Aides Await Labor Decision On Minimum Wage

Originally published on Thu February 7, 2013 4:11 pm

Home health care aides are waiting to find out if they will be entitled to receive minimum wage. A decades-old amendment in labor law means that the workers, approximately 2.5 million people, do not always receive minimum wage or overtime.

The Obama administration has yet to formally approve revisions to the Fair Labor Standards Act that would change that classification.

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Author Interviews
4:33 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

'Disaster Diaries' Will Help You Survive The End Of The World

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:16 pm

From movies about outbreaks, to television shows about zombies, to books about Armageddon, we're in love with the end of the world.

Author Sam Sheridan wants to teach you how to survive it, no matter the catastrophe. His new book is called Disaster Diaries: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse.

He's got the skill set to prepare us: Sheridan's resume includes wilderness firefighting, construction work in the South Pole, and everything in between.

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Health
3:26 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

Got A Superbug? Bring In The Robots

Credit Rebecca Hersher/NPR
Disinfecting robots at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore spray rooms with toxic doses of hydrogen peroxide to kill dangerous drug-resistant bacteria.

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:16 pm

Drug-resistant bacteria are a growing problem at hospitals across the country. The bacteria, such as Staphylococcus and Clostridium difficile, are difficult to prevent and impossible to treat.

"The problem is expanding, and it's going up and up and up," explains Dr. Trish Perl of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. "We're running out of antibiotics to treat, and so the challenge is can we prevent?"

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Animals
3:13 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

Wood Stork's Endangered Status Is Up In The Air

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:16 pm

The last few years have been especially tough in South Florida for wading birds such as egrets, herons, ibises and wood storks that feed and nest in the region's wetlands.

The problem is there are fewer wetlands, and the last few years have been dry, reducing water levels in critical areas.

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The Two-Way
2:32 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

Syrian Activist's Offer Of Talks With Assad Draws Mixed Response

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 2:39 pm

Moaz al-Khatib sent waves through the Syrian activist community this week when he announced via Facebook that he was open to talks with representatives of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime on two conditions: that political prisoners, thought to number in the tens of thousands, be released; and exiled Syrians be able to renew their passports at embassies abroad.

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Movies I've Seen A Million Times
2:20 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

The Movie Jonathan Levine Has 'Seen A Million Times'

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:16 pm

The weekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.

The movie that writer-director Jonathan Levine, whose credits include The Wackness, 50/50 and Warm Bodies — currently playing in theaters — could watch a million times is Hal Ashby's Coming Home.

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The Two-Way
12:49 pm
Sun February 3, 2013

Gun-Control Battle Spills Over To Super Bowl Ads

The Two-Way
11:58 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Coming Monday: A Daily Dose Of 'Book News'

For some months now, many of us at NPR have been enjoying a daily email from our friends here who report about books and the publishing industry. It's a tip sheet with news, and a bit of attitude.

Eyder and several others started saying "hey, we ought to publish this."

So, The Two-Way will.

Annalisa Quinn, who's been writing the notes, sends along this mission statement and a little bit about herself:

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Sports
11:57 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Keeping Those Jerseys Unwashed For The Big Win

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:16 pm

Sports fans and athletes alike are notorious for superstitions. Take Michael Jordan, who would famously wear his North Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform.

On Super Bowl Sunday, fans on both sides of the country are engaging in some odd behavior: donning unwashed jerseys, sporting fresh facial hair and sitting in that oh-so-special spot.

While the routines may seem silly, superstitions may actually have helped us evolve as a species.

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The Two-Way
11:14 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Man Charged In Death Of 'American Sniper' Author

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 3:40 pm

A 25-year-old man has been charged with killing the author of American Sniper and another person at a Texas gun range.

Former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle wrote American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, a best-seller that detailed his more than 150 kills of insurgents between 1999 and 2009. He also set up FITCO Cares, a nonprofit that helps soldiers deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.

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The Two-Way
9:56 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Iraq Attack Kills 15, Wounds 90

Credit Emad Matti / AP
Iraqi security forces inspect the scene of a bombing in Kirkuk, 180 miles north of Baghdad on Sunday.

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 2:16 pm

Update at 1:32 p.m. ET. Toll Rises:

The death toll from the coordinated attacks in the oil-rich city of Kirkuk has risen: The BBC says at least 16 people are dead, while Al Jazeera puts the number at at least 30.

Our original post:

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The Two-Way
8:57 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Foreign Minister Says Iran Is Open To Talks With U.S.

Credit Tobias Hase / AP
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi speaks to reporters on the third day of the 49th Munich Security Conference on Sunday.

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 5:24 pm

Iran's foreign minister on Sunday welcomed Vice President Joe Biden's comments that the U.S. was willing to hold direct talks with the Islamic republic over its nuclear program.

"We have no red line for bilateral negotiations when it comes to negotiating over a particular subject," Ali Akbar Salehi said at a security conference in Munich, Germany. "If the subject is the nuclear file, yes, we are ready for negotiations but we have to make sure ... that the other side this time comes with authentic intention, with a fair and real intention to resolve the issue."

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The Record
8:28 am
Sun February 3, 2013

A Small-Time Wordsmith Hits It Big In Nashville

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 6:21 pm

Monkey See
8:23 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Choosing Sides: How To Pick Between The Ravens And The 49ers

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 10:13 am

Headlines were circulating last week about how, as Slate put it, "almost everybody" is rooting for the San Francisco 49ers over the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's Super Bowl. Of course, it turns out that what this actually meant was more like "substantially more than half of the area of the country is included within counties in which more people like the 49ers on Facebook than like the Ravens on Facebook."

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The Two-Way
5:42 am
Sun February 3, 2013

In China, A Breath Of Fresh Air (In A Can)

Credit Mark Wong / EPA /LANDOV
Chinese businessman Chen Guangbiao (center) gives cans of fresh air produced by his factory to passersby for free in a financial district in Beijing.

In response to the growing concern over China's air pollution, a theatrical Chinese entrepreneur is selling cans of fresh air.

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Commentary
5:28 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Super Bowl Cheat Sheet: Key Phrases To Keep You In The Game

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 8:22 am

Sure, you can go to a Super Bowl party and be That Guy. The one who gleefully lectures the crowd on the merits of running the inverted veer out of the pistol in order to freeze the weak-side backer.

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Afghanistan
5:21 am
Sun February 3, 2013

From A Land Where Music Was Banned — To Carnegie Hall

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 3:49 pm

In Afghanistan, there was no sound of music when the Taliban ruled from 1996 to 2001. The Islamist militants destroyed music CDs and instruments and even jailed musicians.

Today, there are music schools and young Afghans playing in public. And, this weekend, 48 Afghan boys and girls are traveling to the U.S. to perform at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

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National Security
5:11 am
Sun February 3, 2013

Panetta: 'My Mission Has Always Been To Keep The Country Safe'

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 3:49 pm

For more than 40 years, Leon Panetta has split his life on two coasts: his home in California and his work in Washington, D.C. It's a career that included 16 years in Congress, stints as White House chief of staff for President Clinton, and as the head of the CIA and the Pentagon under President Obama.

As Panetta prepares to leave his job as defense secretary, he sat down with Rachel Martin, host of Weekend Edition Sunday, to talk about his years in Washington and serving in the Obama administration.

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Medical Treatments
4:49 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

FDA Challenges Stem Cell Companies As Patients Run Out Of Time

Credit U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Scientists have seen promise in the potential of stem cells, but not everyone agrees stem cell replacement therapy is ready for prime time.

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 10:30 am

Americans seeking stem cell replacement therapy hope the process can heal them of myriad diseases, and a 2011 report by the Baker Institute estimated the industry could bring in $16 billion in revenue by 2020.

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Sports
4:49 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Inside The Training Room: Uncovering Football's Scars

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 6:41 pm

On the eve of Super Bowl Sunday, host Laura Sullivan speaks with former NFL lineman Tre Johnson and writer Tom Junod, whose piece in this month's Esquire takes readers into the training room, where players recover from their many injuries. And in many ways, those injuries last a lifetime.

Music Interviews
4:27 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Wayne Shorter On Jazz: 'How Do You Rehearse The Unknown?'

Credit Robert Ascroft / Courtesy of the artist
Wayne Shorter turns 80 this year. His newest album is called Without a Net.

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 6:41 pm

The New York Times doesn't mince words when it writes, "Wayne Shorter is generally acknowledged to be jazz's greatest living composer."

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The Two-Way
4:07 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Turkish Left-Wing Group Claims Responsibility For U.S. Embassy Blast

Credit AP
Mourners gather in Ankara on Saturday by the coffin of Mustafa Akarsu, who was killed in the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Turkey's capital on Friday.

A radical left-wing group is calling Friday's attack on the U.S. Embassy in Turkey "an act of self-sacrifice" against the U.S. The suicide bombing killed an embassy guard and injured several others.

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The Two-Way
1:56 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Direct Talks With Iran? Biden Says It's Possible

Credit Matthias Schrader / AP
Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the Security Conference in Munich, Germany, on Saturday.

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 2:53 pm

Vice President Joe Biden says the United States is ready to hold direct talks with Iran over its nuclear program — provided that the country's top leader is serious about such discussions.

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The Two-Way
1:02 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Powerful Quake Rocks Northern Japan; No Reported Damage

The Japanese Meteorological Agency says an extremely strong earthquake rattled the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido on Saturday. The magnitude was 6.4. The U.S. Geological Survey's report puts the tremor at a higher magnitude of 6.9; the epicenter was very deep, about 65 miles below ground, near the city of Obihiro. That's about 120 miles east of Hokkaido's largest city, Sapporo.

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The Two-Way
12:33 pm
Sat February 2, 2013

Yes, He Did: Obama Shoots Skeet

Credit Pete Souza / The White House
President Obama shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 4.

Originally published on Sun February 3, 2013 9:01 am

The White House has released proof that President Obama really did shoot skeet — at least once — at the Maryland presidential retreat, last summer.

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The Two-Way
10:45 am
Sat February 2, 2013

Spring Is Nigh! Punxsutawney Phil Predicts An Early End To Winter

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
Punxsutawney Phil climbs on the shoulder of handler John Griffiths. The groundhog did not see his shadow during the 127th Groundhog Day Celebration in Punxsutawney, Pa., on Saturday.

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 6:42 am

"An early spring for you and me," is this year's prediction from Punxsutawney Phil, the premiere Groundhog Day forecaster.

With an estimated 35,000 spectators watching him Saturday morning, the groundhog — or as he is known to his followers, "the seer of seers" — did not see his shadow.

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The Two-Way
10:32 am
Sat February 2, 2013

'Vive Francois Hollande!' France's President Visits Mali

Credit Jerome Delay / AP
French President Francois Hollande is surrounded by well-wishers on his short visit to Timbuktu, Mali, on Saturday.

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 11:15 am

The security situation in Northern Mali has improved with the arrival of the French military last month, so French president Francois Hollande traveled there Saturday for a one-day visit. He didn't stay in the southern capital, Bamako, which has remained under Malian government control, but instead flew north to the ancient city of Timbuktu to meet residents and thank French troops for their work in ousting Islamist rebels from the historic city.

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Fresh Air Weekend
9:03 am
Sat February 2, 2013

Fresh Air Weekend: Spacey, Fincher And Macy

Credit Patrick Harbron / Netflix
Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright star in the new Netflix original series House of Cards, which premieres Feb. 1.

Originally published on Sat February 2, 2013 10:53 am

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

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