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Europe
6:34 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Summer Weddings Buoy Economy Of Small Greek Island

The Greek economic crisis has barely grazed the tiny island of Folegandros. It lives off boutique tourism and island weddings that keep its small hotels, windmill houses and tavernas full. Joanna Kakissis sends a postcard of a very multinational wedding on the island.

Politics
6:34 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Kansas Republicans At War With Each Other

Credit John Hanna / AP
"We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us," says Kansas state Sen. Tim Owens, who's facing a tough re-election bid this Tuesday.

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 4:22 pm

Moderate Republicans have come under attack in primaries across the country this year, but the split in the GOP is perhaps older and sharper in Kansas — and it comes to a head Tuesday.

"I think the lines have been drawn in the sand. Bridges have been burned. Everybody is all-in this election," says Jim Denning, one of the conservative candidates for the state's Senate.

The Republican statehouse primary is a savage fight fueled by money from the Koch brothers and labor unions, with big consequences for the citizens of Kansas.

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Around the Nation
6:34 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Park Known For FDR Home Short On Visitors

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's family began vacationing on Campobello Island, in the Bay of Fundy, in the early 1880s. The Roosevelt Campobello International Park used to attract around 150,000 visitors a year, including tours of FDR's home. Maine Public Radio's Jay Field reports it's still trying to recover from economic hard times, while attracting new visitors.

Participation Nation
6:25 am
Sun August 5, 2012

The People's Boutique In Washington, D.C.

Credit Courtesy of Caroline Lacey
Zaniyah sleeps while her mom shops at the Bread for the City boutique.

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 6:26 am

This month we are collecting your stories about the good things Americans are doing to make their community a better place. Some of your contributions will become blog posts and the project will end with a story that weaves together submissions to make a story of Americans by Americans for Americans.

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It's All Politics
6:16 am
Sun August 5, 2012

The Youth Vote 2012: Once Again, With Enthusiasm?

Credit John Raoux / AP
Aubrey Marks (left) helps a University of Central Florida student to register to vote in Orlando, Fla., on July 31.

Christina Sanders, who organizes young voters, has a message for those under-30 with political grievances: "There is no Superman coming."

Trying to convince members of the notoriously non-voting age-group to head to the polls on Nov. 6 for the presidential election, she tells them: "You are a part of the American system."

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Animals
5:11 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Bat Calls Make Eerie Comeback As Techno-Like Beats

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 6:34 am

For the past five years, bats have been disappearing at an alarming rate, falling prey to a mysterious disease called white-nose syndrome. But they're making an eerie comeback in a new audio exhibit at a national park in Vermont. The exhibit features manipulated recordings of bat calls that are funneled through glass vessels hanging from a studio ceiling.

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Joe's Big Idea
5:11 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Scientists Look To Martian Rocks For History Of Life

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:41 am

NASA has sent rovers to explore Mars before. But three words explain what makes this latest mission to Mars so different: location, location, location.

The rover Curiosity is slated to land late Sunday in Gale Crater, near the base of a 3-mile-high mountain with layers like the Grand Canyon. Scientists think those rocks could harbor secrets about the history of water — and life — on the Red Planet.

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Presidential Race
5:10 am
Sun August 5, 2012

Back Scratch? Romney Has An Ally In Indiana

Credit Scott Olson / Getty Images
U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, right, applauds as Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks during a campaign event at Stepto's Bar-B-Q Shack in Evansville, Ind., Saturday.

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 6:48 pm

Republican Mitt Romney campaigned this weekend in a state that has not seen much of either presidential candidate. Nobody considers Indiana a toss-up in the presidential race.

But the Senate contest there is a different story. It's a very close race, and the result could determine which party controls the Senate next year. So Romney showed up at a barbecue shack in Evansville to give the conservative Republican candidate a boost.

'Help Me Elect This Guy'

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Around the Nation
5:06 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

How America's Losing The War On Poverty

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
Members of the Dolan family walk home with bags of food from the Southern Tier Mobile Food Pantry in Oswego, N.Y., in June. Food banks across the nation are reporting giant spikes in demand.

Originally published on Mon August 6, 2012 12:53 pm

While President Obama and Gov. Romney battle for the hearts and minds of the middle class this election season, there's a huge swath of Americans that are largely ignored. It's the poor, and their ranks are growing.

According to a recent survey by The Associated Press, the number of Americans living at or below the poverty line will reach its highest point since President Johnson made his famous declaration of war on poverty in 1964.

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Sports
3:52 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

That's No Swimsuit, That's A Racing System

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 5:24 am

In 2008, Speedo got too good at making swimsuits.

Ninety-eight percent of medal winners that year wore the company's LZR Racer, a zip-sealed full-body suit that carried many top athletes — including Michael Phelps — to gold.

But after those games, the sport's international governing body changed the rules to outlaw the LZR by banning zippers and restricting mens' suit coverage from the navel to the knees. So Speedo went back to the drawing board and spent years developing what's now known as the Fastskin3 system.

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Author Interviews
3:52 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

The Thomas Eagleton Affair Haunts Candidates Today

Originally published on Mon August 6, 2012 11:51 am

Sometime before the end of the month, when Republicans hold their convention in Tampa, Fla., Mitt Romney will announce his vice presidential running mate.

There's a good chance the finalists for that spot are wading through mountains of paperwork, and answering deeply personal questions about finances, past statements, friendships — and medical history.

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Analysis
3:52 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Week In News: Presidential Race

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 5:30 pm

Transcript

GUY RAZ, HOST:

It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Guy Raz.

(SOUNDBITE OF POLITICAL AD)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: He tried. You tried. It's OK to make a change.

RAZ: Part of a TV ad paid for by the Republican National Committee co-opting the theme of change from Barack Obama's 2008 campaign and using it against him. James Fallows of The Atlantic joins us now as he does most Saturdays. Hello, Jim.

JAMES FALLOWS: Hello, Guy.

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Sports
3:52 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Phelps Picks Up Gold In 'Final' Race Of His Career

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 5:30 pm

Michael Phelps swam what he says was his last Olympic race: the men's 4x100 medley relay. NPR's Howard Berkes, who was in London, tells host Guy Raz about the race.

The Torch
3:04 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Phelps Wins His 18th Gold Medal, As His Olympic Career Ends

Credit Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images
One more time: American swimmer Michael Phelps dives in to swim the butterfly leg of the men's medley relay Saturday. Phelps' team won the Olympic gold medal, giving him 22 overall and 18 gold when he leaves the London Games.

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 3:32 pm

Swimming the final race of his Olympic career, Michael Phelps gilded his resume just a bit more, helping the U.S. men's 4x100m medley relay team claim the gold medal at London's aquatic center. Phelps turned away a surprising challenge from the Japanese team, which had the lead when he went into the water to swim butterfly, the relay's third leg.

It was the 18th gold medal of Phelps' record-setting Olympic career. He leaves the London 2012 Games with 22 Olympic medals overall.

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The Torch
2:41 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Swimming: U.S. Women Set A World Record As They Take Gold

Credit Clive Rose / Getty Images
U.S. gold medallists (L-R) Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Dana Volmer, and Allison Schmitt pose on the podium after their world-record 4x100m medley relay final.

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 3:30 pm

Swimming in London's Aquatic Center, the U.S. women's 4x100m medley relay team set a new world record in winning a gold medal, with Allison Schmitt swimming freestyle to anchor a relay that finished two seconds ahead of the competition, at 3:52.05.

All four members of the women's relay team had previously won gold in their events: Dana Vollmer (butterfly), Missy Franklin (backstroke), Rebecca Soni (breaststroke), and Schmitt.

The victory gave Franklin, 17, four gold medals and one bronze in the London 2012 Games.

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The Torch
2:21 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Williams Sisters Advance To Gold Medal Game In London

It's been a big day for Serena Williams. First, she started the day by winning her first individual Olympic gold medal. Then she earned a chance for another gold in the women's doubles match, playing with her sister, Venus. The pair defeated the Russian team of Nadia Petrova and Maria Kirilenko, 7-5, 6-4.

The Americans will next face the Czech team of Hlavackova and Kradecka in the Olympic final, Sunday at 7 a.m. ET.

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Religion
1:11 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Jewish 'Super Bowl' Praises Years Of Talmudic Study

Credit Mel Evans / AP
Orthodox Jews celebrate Siyum HaShas by dancing and singing at MetLife stadium in New Jersey on Wednesday.

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 5:30 pm

The Torch
1:04 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

U.S. Women Win Silver In First Team Pursuit Event

Credit Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Dotsie Bausch, Jennie Reed and Sarah Hammer of the United States ride in a heat against Australia on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Velodrome in London, England. The Americans took silver in the final.

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 1:17 pm

The U.S. team won the silver medal in the inaugural women's team pursuit event of the Summer Olympics, finishing behind Great Britain in the final.

The British team set a new world record of 3:14.051 as they claimed the gold medal. The Americans finished 5 seconds behind them. Canada won the bronze-medal matchup, beating Australia in London's velodrome.

The American team of Sarah Hammer, Dotsie Bausch, and Lauren Tamayo averaged a speed of 54.073 Km/h, or 33.5 mph, on the track.

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The Torch
12:18 pm
Sat August 4, 2012

Bryan Brothers Win Doubles Gold At London Olympics

Credit Luis Acosta / AFP/Getty Images
American doubles team Mike Bryan (top) and Bob Bryan celebrate after defeating France's Michael Llodra and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the men's doubles gold medal match of the London 2012 Olympic Games, at the All England Tennis Club.

The U.S. men's doubles team of Bob and Mike Bryan won their first Olympic gold medal Saturday, beating France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Michael Llodra, 6-1, 7-6 (6-2), in a game that was far more entertaining than its score might suggest. Both teams played creative and focused tennis, sustaining fast-paced volleys and inventing shots that delighted the crowd at Centre Court.

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The Torch
10:33 am
Sat August 4, 2012

U.S. Flag Gets Blown Away At Tennis Medal Ceremony

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 10:41 am

One minute, the American flag was flying in the wind. The next, it was flying away.

That was the scene Saturday at Wimbledon, after Serena Williams won the gold medal in women's single tennis, beating Russia's Maria Sharapova.

It was a gorgeous day at Centre Court, with the sun shining on the athletes standing on the podium, and America's national anthem playing to end the medal ceremony. But then, the flag simply fell from its post.

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The Torch
9:48 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Serena Williams Wins Olympic Gold, Beating Sharapova 6-1, 6-0

Credit Luis Acosta / AFP/Getty Images
Serena Williams hits a return to Russia's Maria Sharapova during their final tennis match in the 2012 London Olympic Games at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon. Williams won, 6-0, 6-1.

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 11:21 am

American Serena Williams stormed her way to an Olympic gold medal Saturday, dominating the final against Maria Sharapova of Russia. It is the first individual gold medal for Williams, who has twice won in Olympic doubles.

Williams won the first set, 6-0, in only 30 minutes. She hit only a handful of unforced errors in each set, and feasted on Sharapova's second serve. She won the second set by 6-1, with the entire match taking only a bit more than an hour to complete.

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The Torch
9:00 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Let's Catch Up: U.S. Gold In Rifle Event; And A Badminton Bronze

Credit Marwan Naamani / AFP/Getty Images
American gold medalist Jamie Lynn Gray celebrates on the podium after winning the 50m rifle 3 positions women final at the Royal Artillery Barracks in London.

Good morning. As we start Day 8 of the London Olympics, big news is already happening. We posted earlier about Oscar Pistorius's historic run in the men's 400 meters, for instance. If you'd like to catch up on yesterday's events, check out our Day in Photos gallery. Here's what's been happening today:

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The Torch
8:14 am
Sat August 4, 2012

For Nigeria's Basketball Fans, U.S. Blowout Can't Dampen Spirits

Credit Vickie Walton-James / NPR
Nigerian fan Ifeoluwa Akande holds his country's flag as he watches Nigeria's basketball team lose to the United States by a record 83 points.

The American men's basketball team has faced criticism for Thursday night's 156-73 blowout victory over Nigeria at the London Olympics. At the arena, NPR editor Vickie Walton-James spoke to Nigerian fans, to learn what they thought about being on the wrong end of a record score:

The vaunted USA Dream Team scored more points Thursday than any other team in an Olympic basketball game. The previous record was set in 1988, when Brazil scored 138 points to Egypt's 85.

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The Salt
7:43 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Red Planet, Green Thumb: How A NASA Scientist Engineers His Garden

Originally published on Mon October 15, 2012 10:10 am

Most mornings, space engineer Adam Steltzner wakes up at about 3 a.m., and before he can coax his tired body back to sleep, his mind takes over. And he starts to worry.

Eventually Steltzner gives up on sleep and heads into his garden where, just as first light reveals the sky, all that thinking can turn into doing. And finally, a little peace.

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Middle East
7:09 am
Sat August 4, 2012

On Syria's Newest Battleground: The Rebels' View

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

Transcript

SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:

For more on what's happening on the ground in the Syrian city of Aleppo, we reached Abdul Rahman Abu Hothyfa. Throughout the conflict in Syria, he has been the spokesperson for an administrative organization called the Union of Coordinators of Aleppo. I asked him who makes up that group.

ABDUL RAHMAN ABU HOTHYFA: We represent a large sector of the people on the ground. We are like the - a group of young people and activists. So whatever new accident or something happens, we (unintelligible) each other.

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Middle East
7:07 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Syrian President's Cousin Denounces Violence

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

Transcript

SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:

One man who's been watching developments in Syria more closely than most, has a curiously familiar-sounding name. Ribal al-Assad is President Bashar al-Assad's first cousin. He also supports efforts to depose him. His view, from exile in London, is grim.

RIBAL AL-ASSAD: Everybody is arming. Everybody is following violence. Nobody wants to sit together and have dialogue. Everybody is really, in to win. Everybody is really after power. This could lead to the disintegration of Syria and its society, and everybody will lose out.

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Middle East
7:07 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Rebels In Syria Respond To Crescendo Of Criticism

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

For the second weekend in a row, observers are predicting a major government offensive against rebels in Syria's largest city, Aleppo. Fierce fighting has also been reported in parts of the capital, Damascus. Allegations of atrocities on both sides of the conflict have prompted a crescendo of criticism from the outside world.

Both sides claim to have gained the upper hand in the fighting over Aleppo, the country's commercial hub and the main city in the north. The government said last week that it had killed many rebels in Aleppo and would soon restore peace to the city.

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Economy
6:32 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Economists Cautiously Applaud Jobs Report

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

Transcript

SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Susan Stamberg in for Scott Simon. In an encouraging sign for the U.S. economy, the Labor Department told us yesterday that the country gained 163,000 jobs in July. That was better than expected but not all signs are pointing up. In a separate government survey, the unemployment rate increased slightly to 8.3 percent. NPR's Chris Arnold is at a gathering of economists in northern Maine. He sent this report.

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Africa
6:32 am
Sat August 4, 2012

South Sudan, Young And In Need, Visited By Clinton

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

Transcript

SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Susan Stamberg. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on a seven-country trip through Africa, talking about strengthening democracies, building economic growth. Yesterday, she dropped in South Sudan - that's the world's newest country - to encourage the infant nation. But she warned of so many challenges ahead. NPR's John Burnett was in South Sudan when the secretary was, and he joins us now on the line from Nairobi. Hi, John.

JOHN BURNETT, BYLINE: Hey, Susan.

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Animals
6:32 am
Sat August 4, 2012

Bee Professionals Help Canadian In Sticky Situation

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 10:43 am

Transcript

SUSAN STAMBERG, HOST:

A homeowner in the town of Varney, Ontario found herself in what you might call a sticky situation not long ago when she discovered honey dripping from her kitchen ceiling. Turns out, there were some 80,000 bees nesting between floors. Loretta Yates called a pest control company to help her out. They told her they couldn't really take care of it, so they called in an expert. Dave Schuit is the beekeeper and co-owner of Saugeen Country Honey. He's on the line with us. Now, Mr. Schuit, tell us about this distress call that you got.

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