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The Two-Way
3:08 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Salt Lake City Says It's 'Ready, Willing And Able' To Host Another Olympics

Credit Jacques DeMarthon / AFP/Getty Images
Among the stars of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City was Team USA's Apolo Anton Ohno. The city and Utah want another chance to host the games.

Ten years after jumpstarting Mitt Romney's political career with a widely-praised Winter Olympics, officials in Utah say they're ready to do it all over again.

But there's no word on whether the unemployed Romney is interested in reprising his role as Salt Lake City Olympics chief. He would be 78, after all, when the 2026 games roll around. That's the earliest opportunity for a Winter Olympics in the United States.

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The Two-Way
2:57 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

President Obama Takes To Twitter To Answer Questions On Fiscal Cliff

Credit Pete Souza / White House via Twitter
President Obama answers questions on Twitter.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 5:39 pm

During the presidential campaign, President Obama said that one of things he would do more of during his second term is engage the American people. One attempt at such a thing came on Wednesday, when the White House announced the #My2K Twitter hashtag that they hoped Americans would use to continue debating the "fiscal cliff."

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Shots - Health News
2:42 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Genome Sequencing For Babies Brings Knowledge And Conflicts

Credit iStockphoto.com
By sequencing a newborn's genome, doctors could screen for more genetic conditions. But parents could be confronted with confusing or ambiguous data about their baby's health.

Originally published on Tue December 4, 2012 11:21 am

When Christine Rowan gave birth prematurely in August, her new baby was having problems breathing. So Rowan brought her daughter, Zoe, to the Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., for genetic testing.

"It's funny because when we first had the testing done, we didn't even really think about the fact the testing was going to lay out all of her DNA," says Rowan, 32, who lives in Northern Virginia.

But while Rowan and her husband were waiting for the results, questions started popping into their heads.

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The Two-Way
2:33 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Bridget Hughes Calls Off Search For Her Hat

Credit Facebook.com
Bridget Hughes and her hat, before it went missing.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 3:15 pm

The story of Bridget Hughes' missing hat struck a chord with many. It was the floppy hat her mom wore years ago when she had breast cancer and was having chemotherapy. Mom died when Bridget, now a volunteer preschool teacher in New Mexico, was seven.

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The Two-Way
2:07 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

U.S. Has Growing Concerns About Syria's Chemical Weapon Stockpile

Credit AFP/Getty Images
A man is seen in the al-Amirya neighborhood of the city of Aleppo on Sunday. Syrian artillery and aircraft also battered rebel positions in and around Damascus in an operation to secure the capital.

The United States is increasingly concerned that Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons might be used by the regime of Bashar Assad or that it could fall in the hands of terrorists, as the country's civil war continues.

NPR's Tom Bowman tells our Newscast unit that Syria has one of the largest stockpiles of deadly nerve agents in the Middle East. Tom filed this report:

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NPR Story
2:07 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Why Many Don't Get Tested For HIV

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 3:37 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. This past Saturday marked World AIDS Day, a day to remember the millions lost, the millions who live with the disease, to focus on ways to build on the remarkable progress in treatment and on ways to prevent the spread of HIV.

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NPR Story
2:03 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Fighting Back Against Sexual Assault In The Military

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 3:37 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Last month, the U.S. Air Force released its report on a sexual assault scandal that's shaken the military. Investigation suggests systematic abuse of young female recruits at Lackland Air Base and training facility in San Antonio, Texas. So far, two commanding officers have lost their jobs.

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NPR Story
2:00 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Op-Ed: Go Over The 'Fiscal Cliff'

Originally published on Thu December 13, 2012 2:34 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

And now, The Opinion Page; in fact a first, an Opinion Page series on the latest round of arguments on taxes and spending that have come to national attention under the ominous term the fiscal cliff. At the moment, the White House and congressional Republicans are at an impasse, and if that sounds familiar, that's because they arrived at a similar stalemate last year. When a subsequent supercommittee failed to reach agreement, the clock started ticking.

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Books
1:06 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

A New 'Testament' Told From Mary's Point Of View

In his new novel, The Testament of Mary, Irish writer Colm Toibin imagines Mary's life 20 years after the crucifixion. She is struggling to understand why some people believe Jesus is the son of God, and weighed down by the guilt she feels wondering what she might have done differently to alter — or ease — her son's fate.

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The Two-Way
12:32 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

Group Of Internet Trolls Claims Thousands Of Tumblr Blogs Infected By Worm

Credit Tumblr
A screenshot of the Tumblr homepage.

A notorious group of Internet trolls says it has unleashed a worm that has littered Tumblr blogs with inflammatory and racist posts.

According to the technology site The Verge, GNNA, whose full name we can't print in a family blog, says the worm has infected more than 8,000 accounts. The worm spread when users were logged into Tumblr and clicked on a viral — in more ways than one — post that asked for all Tumblr users to "drink bleach and die."

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The Two-Way
12:15 pm
Mon December 3, 2012

'Three Cups Of Tea' Co-Author Took Own Life, Medical Examiner Says

Credit Viking Press

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 3:51 pm

David Oliver Relin, a journalist who had reported from around the world before gaining fame — and getting mired in controversy — as co-author of the best-selling Three Cups of Tea, took his own life when he died on Nov. 15 in Oregon, The New York Times reports.

It got that word from Relin's family.

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NPR Story
11:59 am
Mon December 3, 2012

MILLENNIAL WOMEN CONFIDENT AT WORK

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:13 pm

Telecommuting and flexible schedules are the latest tools for establishing work-life balance. 'Generation Y' women are taking greater advantage of them. Host Michel Martin talks to Laura Sessions Stepp, who has written about the career choices of millennial women in this week's Washington Post Magazine.

NPR Story
11:30 am
Mon December 3, 2012

WHY YOU NEED A WORK 'SPONSOR'

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:13 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. We're going to spend the next few minutes talking about the world of work. Later, we take a look at this week's Washington Post Magazine and we'll speak with a writer who says that the so-called millennial generation, especially the women, really are changing what work looks like.

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NPR Story
11:30 am
Mon December 3, 2012

IS THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OUTDATED?

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:13 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, we will speak with the author of a new study that offers some intriguing insights about why some people move up in the workplace more quickly than others. That conversation is coming up in a few minutes.

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NPR Story
11:30 am
Mon December 3, 2012

BUSTING A CYBERSTALKER

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:13 pm

Carla Franklin was cyberstalked and bullied for years by a man she briefly dated. She has now become an advocate and expert for online harassment. Host Michel Martin talks with Franklin about her experience and cyberstalking laws. *Advisory: This conversation may not be comfortable for all listeners.

The Two-Way
11:21 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge, Is Pregnant

Credit Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
April 29, 2011: Their Royal Highnesses Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after their wedding.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 1:23 pm

Here's the news you've been waiting for, royal watchers:

"The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby, St James's Palace has announced." (BBC News)

That would be Catherine, wife of Prince William (the Duke of Cambridge). They, of course, are the potential future king and queen.

The BBC adds that:

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The Salt
11:05 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Caught: Lobster Cannibals Captured On Film Along Maine Coast

Originally published on Thu December 6, 2012 9:08 am

Step back, lobsters coming through!

This summer lobsters exploded in number along the Maine coast. There were so many crustaceans crawling along the ocean floor – and into fishermen's traps – that lobster prices plummeted. Many fishermen tied up their boats, and a price war even broke out between Canadian and Maine seafood distributors.

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The Two-Way
11:04 am
Mon December 3, 2012

A Syrian Tank Shells Turkey, Yet The Response Is Silence. Why?

Credit Bulent Kilic / AFP/Getty Images
Turkish soldiers stand guard in the town of Akcakale, just across the border from Syria, on Oct. 4. The Turks have often issued stern warnings and retaliated when shooting from the Syrian war has come across their border. But Turkey did not respond to an incident over the weekend.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:28 pm

Whenever the Syrian military fires across the border into Turkey, it threatens to ignite a major confrontation.

But sometimes the Turks choose to play down cross-border attacks on their territory, and an episode Saturday shows how complicated these shootings can be in a war that continues to evolve.

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The Two-Way
9:20 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Murdoch's News Corp. Shuts Down 'The Daily'

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch in February 2011, when The Daily was launched. Now, it's in shutdown mode.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 10:01 am

Saying that "we could not find a large enough audience quickly enough to convince us the business model was sustainable in the long-term," News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch said this morning that The Daily will "cease standalone publication" on Dec. 15.

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The Two-Way
8:32 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Top Stories: 'Fiscal Cliff' Talks Continue; Clinton Warns Syria

Credit Mahmoud Khaled / AFP/Getty Images
Hundreds of supporters of Egypt's president Mohammed Morsi protested outside a top Egyptian court Sunday in Cairo.
The Two-Way
8:02 am
Mon December 3, 2012

His Holiness Comes To Twitter: Pope Benedict Is '@Pontifex'

Credit Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images
Pope Benedict XVI. He'll be spreading the word on Twitter.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 12:29 pm

Starting Dec. 12, the Vatican says, Pope Benedict XVI will be on Twitter to answer questions about faith.

His Holiness will be posting as @Pontifex.

"The handle is a good one. It means 'pope' and it also means 'bridge builder'," Greg Burke, senior media adviser to the Vatican, tells Reuters.

Can he say a lot in 140 characters or less?

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The Two-Way
7:35 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Homeless Man Given Boots By NYC Police Officer Chooses To Go Barefoot Again

Credit Jennifer Foster / NYPD via Facebook
The photo that touched many hearts: New York City Police Officer Lawrence DePrimo gives a shoeless man a pair of boots on a frigid night last month. That man was later identified as 54-year-old Jeffrey Hillman.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 8:34 am

"Those shoes are hidden. They are worth a lot of money."

With those few words, 54-year-old Jeffrey Hillman says a lot.

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Animals
7:31 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Russian School Kids Entertain Lion Cub

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. An elementary school pet is typically an animal that can be kept in a terrarium or a small cage, like say a hamster. For a few hours, some Russian village kids cared for a far wilder creature - a lion cub they found in a field after it escaped from the trunk of a car. Waiting for police to come and take it to a local zoo, the kids played with it in the gym. The cub reportedly swiped the air but did not bite. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Around the Nation
7:18 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Virginia Man Bowls Perfect Game

With a modified wheelchair and a $20 bowling ball from a yard sale, a Virginia man rolled a perfect game last week. George Holscher had 12 strikes in a row, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Holscher is the second wheelchair bowler on record to rack up 300 points.

Middle East
4:57 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Israeli Settlement Plan

Originally published on Thu December 20, 2012 3:19 pm

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

For years the United States has urged the Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a peace accord based on a two-state solution. Well, there are growing concerns within the international community that the chances of that ever happening are dimming.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Palestinians angered Israel last week by securing a symbolically important vote at the United Nations General Assembly, upgrading their status from a non-member entity to a non-member state. Israel responded with reprisals.

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Business
4:57 am
Mon December 3, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 7:11 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Well, the subject of our last word in business today may not change the world, but it is kind of snazzy. It is called the Air Umbrella. Now, picture an umbrella handle and nothing else, sort of like a wand.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Yeah. We are entering a magic world, here. That wand apparently keeps you dry by releasing a shield of air. The tech website Mashable says it's still a design concept, but in theory, you could adjust the power and size of your invisible air shield depending on how heavily it's raining.

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Middle East
4:57 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Egypt's Judges Go On Strike

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 5:12 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi, who took power last June, is facing a rebellion against his rule. It all started with a set of controversial decrees by the president that put him above the law until a constitution is in place. That move has polarized the country. Judges are on strike and critics say the president is pushing through an illegitimate constitution.

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It's All Politics
3:26 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Pick A Number: Let's Play 'Cap Those Deductions'

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
In the presidential debate on Oct. 16, Mitt Romney presented a hypothetical way to cap deductions and raise revenue.

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 8:35 am

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says it's up to congressional Republicans to take the next step in budget talks to avoid the pending automatic spending cuts and tax increases at the end of the year.

Appearing on the Sunday talk shows, Geithner said there's "no path to an agreement" until Republicans are willing to accept higher tax rates on the rich.

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All Tech Considered
3:24 am
Mon December 3, 2012

In Eye Control, A Promise To Let Your Tablet Go Hands-Free

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 4:57 am

Monkey See
3:23 am
Mon December 3, 2012

Neil deGrasse Tyson Helps His New 'Bud' Superman Get A Glimpse Of Home

Originally published on Mon December 3, 2012 8:29 am

On Monday's Morning Edition, Hayden Planetarium director and pop-culture go-to science guy Neil deGrasse Tyson tells NPR's David Greene the story of how he came to lend a hand to Superman.

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