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National Security
1:00 am
Fri May 4, 2012

Potential Torture Testimony Could Rattle Sept. 11 Case

Credit AFP/Getty Images
A picture posted on the website www.muslm.net in 2009 allegedly shows al-Qaida's Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has claimed to be the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 10:02 am

The man who claims to have orchestrated the Sept. 11 attacks is expected to appear in a military courtroom this Saturday. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other men are supposed to answer formal charges related to their roles in the plot.

Their arraignment will be at Guantanamo Bay, and it is the first step that leads — possibly years from now — to a military trial.

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It's All Politics
4:15 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Political Scientist Asks: Are Obama's Approval Ratings Better Than They Seem?

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 4:19 pm

President Obama's voter-approval ratings certainly have been far from spectacular for much of his presidency, remaining mostly below 50 percent since November of 2009.

But on that dimension he may actually be doing better than it appears, at least based on some statistical modeling of presidential approval ratings conducted by George Washington University political scientist John Sides.

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Africa
3:55 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Diplomats Up Efforts To Avert War Between Sudans

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

Sudan and South Sudan are facing the threat of United Nations sanctions if they fail to stop fighting along their disputed frontier in the Horn of Africa.

A unanimous U.N. Security Council resolution, which condemns the surge of border violence, orders the two Sudans to cease hostilities within two days and resume negotiations within two weeks.

The U.N. resolution endorses an African Union road map it hopes will avert a return to war.

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Planet Money
3:37 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

What American Women Do For Work

Credit Lam Thuy Vo / NPR

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 4:09 pm

Forty years ago, only 1 in 3 American workers was a woman. Today, it's 1 in 2.

You know this already. But it raises interesting, subtler questions: What jobs did all those women get? And how did the gender breakdown change by industry over the past 40 years?

This graph answers those questions.

It shows how the gender breakdown changed in major sectors of the economy between 1972 and 2012.

The size of the circles shows how some sectors grew to include a larger share of the workforce, while others shrank in relative terms.

Two main themes jump out here.

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It's All Politics
3:14 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Do Campaign Ads Seem More Negative This Year? It's Not Just You

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

If you thought the presidential primaries were extraordinarily negative, now there's statistical evidence that you were right.

A new analysis of TV ads finds that 70 percent of the messages were negative — a trend spearheaded by the heavily financed superPACs supporting the candidates. At this point in the 2008 election, 91 percent of TV ads were positive.

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Environment
3:11 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Greenland's Ice Melting More Slowly Than Expected

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 8:50 am

A new study has some reassuring news about how fast Greenland's glaciers are melting away.

Greenland's glaciers hold enough water to raise sea level by 20 feet, and they are melting as the planet warms, so there's a lot at stake.

A few years ago, the Jakobshavn glacier in Greenland really caught people's attention. In short order, this slow-moving stream of ice suddenly doubled its speed. It started dumping a whole lot more ice into the Atlantic. Other glaciers also sped up.

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Business
3:10 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Corn Farmers Hope, Cautiously, For A Bumper Crop

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

It's still too early to predict whether the 2012 corn harvest will set a record, but many corn farmers say the prognosis for a bumper crop is looking pretty good right now.

U.S. farmers are planting more acres of corn this year than they have in any year since the Great Depression. And with a mild spring across much of the nation's Corn Belt, many are hoping this autumn's yield will be one for the record books.

A Crop That 'Will Knock Your Socks Off'

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Europe
3:06 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Will French Election Mark A Reversal Of Austerity?

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

The possibility that French President Nicolas Sarkozy may lose the presidential election Sunday is making waves across Europe. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are the architects of Europe's new fiscal austerity pact.

But the man likely to replace Sarkozy has other ideas.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande — who is favored in opinion polls by several percentage points — says Europe cannot emerge from the crisis based on austerity alone.

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Election 2012
3:06 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

In Utah, GOP House Candidate Out To Make History

Credit Leah Hogsten / The Salt Lake Tribune via AP
Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love speaks at the Republican state convention April 21 in Sandy, Utah.

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

A small-town mayor in Utah is trying to make congressional history.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:02 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Why Do Bike-Share Riders Skip Helmets?

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 8:50 am

If you've ever shaken your head over urban bicyclists' apparent unanimous decision to forgo helmets, you're not far off the mark.

Among users of bike-sharing programs, like Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C., the problem is obvious.

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Music News
2:45 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

'What's Going On': A New Generation Answers

Originally published on Mon May 21, 2012 6:00 pm

The Two-Way
2:11 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Student Forgotten In Holding Cell: 'Changes Have To Be Made'

Credit K. C. Alfred / UT San Diego
Daniel Chong appears at a news conference on Tuesday in San Diego.

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

Daniel Chong, a California college senior, was forgotten in a federal holding cell without food or water for five days.

Today, he told All Things Considered's Audie Cornish that the five days tested his sanity and his resolve to live.

"I didn't stay sane," Chong said. "Eventually, by the second or third night ... I went completely insane and was just trying to get a grip on reality, on what's happening to me."

Chong said at one point he thought about using his glasses to cut into his arm and kill himself.

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The Salt
1:36 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

How To Tip-Toe Into The Hot Sauce Craze

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

If you listen to my story above, you'll know that hot sauce production is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States.

And you'll learn that research finds chili-heads — people who love the burn of spicy food — tend to have a penchant for sensation-seeking. Think rollercoasters and action flicks.

So you wanna jump in, but you're new to the hot sauce world?

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The Two-Way
1:14 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Reports: Facebook Will Set IPO Pricing After Markets Close

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 2:45 pm

Update at 4:39 p.m. ET. $28 To $35:

The AP reports that Facebook has set a price range for its initial public offering between $28 and $35.

The AP adds:

"At the high end, this could raise as much as $11.8 billion. That's much higher than any other Internet IPO in the past, even Google Inc. in 2004."

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Movie Reviews
12:57 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

'The Avengers': Superheroic Popcorn Fun At Its Best

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 8:43 am

That crashing sound you'll hear emanating from cineplexes this weekend will be the sound of comic-book superheroes smashing box-office records.

Actually, the smashing started last weekend, when Marvel's The Avengers opened in 39 territories around the world, scooping up a cool $178 million in three days. And with legions of fans having already bought advance tickets in the U.S., it's a pretty sure bet the box-office bonanza will continue as the film opens in more than 4,000 North American theaters.

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The Two-Way
12:47 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Finish This Sentence: 'Before I Die, I Want To ...'

Credit Candy Chang
From the Before I Die wall in New Orleans.

Artist Candy Chang turned the wall of an abandoned house in New Orleans into "a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them."

And since putting up that public art project in February 2011, "Before I Die" walls have spread to at least 19 cities around the world. Friday, a wall goes up in Denver.

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It's All Politics
12:43 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Democrats Keep Getting Dinged For Hitting GOP On Women's Health, Loans

Credit MoveOn.org

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 1:00 pm

Democrats keep getting dinged by media fact checkers for attacking Republicans for allegedly wanting to strip money from preventive health programs to pay for to keep the interest rates on some student loans from doubling this summer.

But that hasn't stopped progressives from continuing to make the claim. The latest comes in a new full-page MoveOn.org ad in Politico. The ad reads in part:

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NPR Story
12:16 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

'Be Richer' By Learning From Parents' Mistakes

Credit iStockphoto.com
Money — how to make it, and what to do with it when you have it — can be problematic for recent graduates.

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 9:29 am

College seniors graduating in 2012 face a sluggish economy, bleak job prospects and a mountain of student loan debt. To make matters worse, many don't have the first clue about how to manage their personal finances.

Author Zac Bissonnette, a recent college graduate himself, learned how to handle money by watching his parents' mistakes and ignoring most of their advice. He put himself through college without loans, scholarships or help from his parents.

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The Two-Way
12:14 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

VIDEO: Lioness Tries To 'Eat' Baby Dressed In Zebra Hoodie

Credit YouTube
A lioness tries to "eat" a baby.

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 12:21 pm

Religion
12:14 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Nuns And The Vatican: A Clash Decades In Making

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 2:42 pm

When Harvard divinity professor Harvey Cox arranged to meet with Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the Vatican in 1988, a group of nuns thought he was wasting his time.

"I was chatting and having dinner with a number of Dominican sisters who were staying there for a 30-day retreat," Cox says. "They were incredulous that I wanted to bother seeing Ratzinger. 'Why do you want to do that?' they asked. 'Who pays any attention to him?' "

Flash forward a few decades, and nuns are more than paying attention.

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Shots - Health Blog
11:44 am
Thu May 3, 2012

CDC Says Helmets Are No Match For Tornadoes, But They Might Not Hurt

Credit Courtesy of the Stewart family
Noah Stewart shelters in the closet just 15 minutes before an April 2011 tornado demolished his house. Wearing the helmet may have saved his life, one doctor says.

Can a helmet protect you in a tornado?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says there's no research on how effective helmets are in preventing head injuries during tornadoes.

But, in what looks like a first, the agency says, in effect, that it's not out of the question that they might help.

Last year, tornadoes claimed the lives of more than 500 people in the U.S. Some safety advocates say protecting your head with a sturdy helmet could help reduce injuries and deaths.

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The Two-Way
11:40 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Syrian Security Forces Attack Aleppo University

Credit AFP/Getty Images
A handout picture released by the Syrian opposition's Shaam News Network shows anti-regime graffiti sprayed on the walls of Aleppo University.

Syrian security forces stormed Aleppo University today, killing at least four. The incident underlines the continued violence in the country and signals that the unrest is spreading to cities that had remained peaceful.

Reuters reports that security personelle were joined by students wielding knives to attack a protest calling for the ouster of President Bashar Assad. Reuters reports:

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National Security
11:36 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Bin Laden Papers Show Him Frustrated, Marginalized

Credit Sajjad Qayyum / AFP/Getty Images
Pakistanis walk past the rubble of bin Laden's demolished compound this week.

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 12:50 pm

Documents found at Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan reveal an al-Qaida leader who had come to feel marginalized and frustrated with actions taken by affiliated terror groups he had helped inspire.

The man responsible for the 9/11 terror attacks is seen struggling to limit attacks that killed mostly Muslims, and to keep the international jihad movement focused on what he viewed as the main target: the United States.

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The Two-Way
11:23 am
Thu May 3, 2012

With Chen's Fate Uncertain, Online 'Dark Glasses' Campaign Continues

Credit ichenguangcheng.blogspot.com
The Dark Glasses blog.

Before his escape from house arrest, his stay at the U.S. embassy in Beijing and now his plea that he be allowed to go to the U.S., Chinese legal activist Chen Guangcheng was the focus of a "Dark Glasses" campaign aimed at drawing attention to his plight.

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Around the Nation
11:12 am
Thu May 3, 2012

What's So Compelling About Skyscrapers

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 11:56 am

After the terrorist attacks that brought down the twin towers in Manhattan, many said it was the end of an era for skyscrapers. New York City proved them wrong. The building constructed to replace the towers, 1 World Trade Center, has risen above 1,250 feet and surpassed the Empire State Building as the tallest in New York.

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Around the Nation
11:12 am
Thu May 3, 2012

OWS: A Case Study In Social Movements

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 12:16 pm

On May Day, the Occupy Wall Street movement re-emerged to try to reestablish its message and place in the national conversation. Thousands marched in New York City, Oakland and other cities, then quickly faded from national view. Guests consider what sustains social movements, and why some fail.

On Aging
11:12 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Confronting Your Crown: Male Pattern Baldness

Credit Max Nash / AFP/Getty Images
"Macho types are inspired by the likes of Jason Statham," pictured here, writes Daniel Jones.

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 8:33 am

Men dealing with male pattern baldness have decisions to make — go with a comb over, take medication, get hair plugs or a toupee, or do nothing at all.

When New York Times contributing editor Daniel Jones started losing his hair, he chose what he considers a "cooler alternative" — head shaving.

"Losing your hair," he tells NPR's Neal Conan, "is a little bit like a girlfriend who's sort of drifting away, and you're clinging to her as she goes off and sees other people. ... It gets worse and worse. So it's better to take some sort of pre-emptive move."

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The Two-Way
10:40 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Congressman Calls For Hearing On Google Street View Data Collection

Credit Daniel Mihailescu / AFP/Getty Images
The camera mounted on a Google Street View car used to photograph whole streets obscures part of the U.S. Internet giant's logo.

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 10:59 am

Google may be facing new investigations into its Street View program, which collected 600 gigabytes of personal data including e-mails, passwords, pictures and web searches while its vehicles roamed the streets.

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The Record
10:29 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Dudes Act Like A Lady: 'Call Me Maybe' Takes Over YouTube

Credit Vanessa Heins / Courtesy of the artist
Released in December, Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" has been rising on the charts — it reaches no. 5 this week — and winning the hearts of fans on YouTube.

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 5:51 pm

Movie Reviews
9:54 am
Thu May 3, 2012

'The Avengers': A Marvel-ous Whedonesque Ride

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 4:29 pm

Two spheres merge in The Avengers: the Marvel Comics universe and the Whedonverse, fans' name for the nerdy wisecracking existentialist superhero world of writer-director Joss Whedon.

The Whedon cult is smaller but maybe more fervent, inspiring academic conferences on such subjects as free will vs. determinism in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I find a lot of Whedon's banter self-consciously smart-alecky, but I love how he can spoof his subjects without robbing them of stature.

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