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3:52 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

At 100, Woody Guthrie Still Resonates

Originally published on Fri July 13, 2012 10:16 am

Woody Guthrie would have been 100 years old on Saturday. The singer and songwriter wrote "This Land Is Your Land," among thousands of other songs.

Even though Guthrie died almost 45 years ago, his lyrics and message continue to appeal to new generations of Americans.

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Poverty In America: The Struggle To Get Ahead
3:48 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

To Beat Odds, Poor Single Moms Need Wide Safety Net

Originally published on Fri July 13, 2012 5:51 pm

Single mothers have an especially hard time getting out of poverty. Households headed by single mothers are four times as likely to be poor as are families headed by married couples.

Still, many of these women are trying to get ahead. Some know instinctively what the studies show: Children who grow up in poor families are far more likely to become poor adults.

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The Salt
3:47 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Wake Up Call To Grocery Stores: Young People Shop Around

Credit iStockphoto.com
The millennial generation doesn't shop at the grocery store the way their parents and grandparents do.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 10:31 pm

Supermarkets have spent decades catering to the needs and wants of baby boomers, and now the millennial generation is disappointed with what they're finding at traditional grocery stores, and are shopping elsewhere in greater numbers.

In fact, a new market research report called Trouble in Aisle 5 reports that millennials buy only 41 percent of their food at traditional grocery stores, compared to the boomers' 50 percent.

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The Two-Way
3:35 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

'Wall Street Journal': Seven Years After Burst Bubble, 'The Housing Bust Is Over'

Credit Paul Sakuma / AP
A moving truck is shown at a house that was sold in Palo Alto, Calif. on Tuesday.

The Wall Street Journal is calling it without any couching. The headline:

'The U.S. Housing Bust Is Over'

The lede:

"The housing market has turned—at last.

"The U.S. finally has moved beyond attention-grabbing predictions from housing 'experts' that housing is bottoming. The numbers are now convincing.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:18 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Gene Mutation Offers Clue For Drugs To Stave Off Alzheimer's

Credit U.S. National Institute on Aging / via Wikimedia Commons
A PET scan of the brain of a person with Alzheimer's disease.

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 4:03 pm

Finally, there's some good news about Alzheimer's disease.

It turns out that a few lucky people carry a genetic mutation that greatly reduces their risk of getting the disease, an Icelandic team reports in the journal Nature.

The mutation also seems to protect people who don't have Alzheimer's disease from the cognitive decline that typically occurs with age.

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American Dreams: Then And Now
3:18 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Korean Families Chase Their Dreams In The U.S.

Credit Martin Kaste / NPR
Hyungsoo Kim brought his sons Woosuk (left) and Whoohyun to California from Korea so the boys could get an American public-school education. In "goose families," one parent migrates to an English-speaking country with the children, while the other parent stays in Korea.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 4:33 pm

Eleven-year-old Woosuk Kim sees his mother only three or four times a year. That's because he's part of what Koreans call a "goose family": a family that migrates in search of English-language schooling.

A goose family, Woosuk explains, means "parents — mom and dad — have to be separate for the kids' education."

Woosuk's father brought him and his little brother to America two years ago to attend Hancock Park Elementary, a public school in Los Angeles. The boys' mother stayed in South Korea to keep working.

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The Two-Way
3:04 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

House Votes To Repeal Health Care Law

With a vote of 244 to 185, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives just voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama's signature domestic legislation known colloquially as "Obamacare."

Of course, the vote doesn't matter, because the measure has a very slim chance of being adopted by the Senate.

The AP reports that this is the "33rd time in 18 months that the tea party-infused GOP majority has tried to scrap, defund or scale back the law since grabbing the majority."

The AP adds:

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Shots - Health Blog
2:55 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Firefighters Prevail In Fight for Health Insurance

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 4:33 pm

It all started around a kitchen table in Custer, South Dakota. John Lauer, a 27-year-old seasonal firefighter for an elite U.S.

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Music Reviews
2:54 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Sory Kandia Kouyaté: Guinea's Voice Of Revolution

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 4:33 pm

Sory Kandia Kouyaté was one of the most celebrated singers in West Africa when he died suddenly in 1977. He was just 44, and given his spectacular voice, it's a safe bet that Kouyaté would have been an international star had he lived just a few years longer. Now, some of his finest recordings have been collected on a two-disc retrospective called La Voix de la Révolution.

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The Two-Way
1:50 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Florida A&M President Resigns In Wake Of Hazing Scandal

Credit Gerry Broome / AP
James Ammons in 2006.

The hazing scandal at Florida A&M University has cost the university president his job, the AP is reporting.

James Ammons submitted his resignation today just after the parents of Robert Champion added the university to a wrongful death lawsuit.

Champion, an A&M drum major in the famed "Marching 100" band, died in November after going through a violent hazing ritual on parked bus. Eleven marching band members have been charged.

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The Two-Way
1:31 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

An Amazing Life: Robert de La Rochefoucauld, World War II Saboteur

Credit Amazon.com

As brother Jim Memmott tweeted: "Good heavens, what a life."

Read this New York Times obituary of Robert de La Rochefoucauld and we bet you'll say something like that too. As the Times writes, in World War II the French count's exploits as an agent for the British:

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Presidential Race
1:26 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Where They Stand: Obama, Romney On Immigration

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 2:51 pm

Below are President Obama's and Republican challenger Mitt Romney's policies and proposals regarding immigration. NPR will be comparing the two candidates on various issues in the run-up to the November election. If you have suggestions for other issues you'd like us to explore, please leave a note in the comments section below.

DREAM Act:

Obama:

Supports; also endorses letting foreign students stay in U.S. after college graduation.

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Europe
1:23 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

In France, The (Abandoned) Dog Days Of Summer

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 4:33 pm

For Europeans, it's not uncommon to take a whole month of vacation in the summer. But the season can be a deadly time for the many pets left behind — permanently.

The abandonment of domestic animals by vacationers is a scourge in many countries across Europe. And in France, this summer isn't likely to be different despite campaigns by animal-rights groups against the practice.

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The Two-Way
12:55 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

That's 'Gnathia Marleyi' To You: Scientist Names New Species After Bob Marley

Credit Ann Marie Coile / Arkansas State University
Male gnathiids.

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 3:00 pm

We're not quite sure what to make of it. Is it an honor? Is it an insult?

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It's All Politics
12:44 pm
Wed July 11, 2012

Romney Absorbs Boos, Tells NAACP That Democrats Have Failed Blacks

Credit Pat Sullivan / AP
Mitt Romney speaks at the NAACP annual convention Wednesday in Houston.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 2:02 pm

The Two-Way
11:39 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Kim Dotcom, Megaupload Founder, Offers To Extradite Himself

Credit Michael Bradley / AFP/Getty Images
Megaupload boss Kim Dotcom, left, leaves court after he was granted bail in the in Auckland, New Zealand.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 12:31 pm

Kim Dotcom, the founder of Megaupload, now says he's ready to fly himself to the United States to face charges and forgo what could be a lengthy extradition process.

As you might expect, Dotcom made the offer of self-extradition on Twitter, saying:

"Hey DOJ, we will go to the US. No need for extradition. We want bail, funds unfrozen for lawyers & living expenses."

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The Two-Way
11:37 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Heir To Billions May Have Lived With Wife's Body For Days In Britain

Credit Alan Davidson / AP
Eva Rausing, right, and her husband Hans Kristian Rausing in 1996.

"Detectives are investigating whether one of the heirs to the Tetra Pak drinks carton fortune lived with his wife's body for up to a week after her death in their Belgravia mansion in London," The Guardian reports.

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Economy
11:04 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Did The Great Recession Bring Back The 1930s?

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 1:00 pm

The long economic downturn that began in late 2007 came to be known at the Great Recession –- the worst period since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Even though both events were momentous enough to earn the word "great" as a modifier, they really are not comparable, according to recent research by economist Mark Vaughan, a fellow at the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy at Washington University in St. Louis.

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The Salt
10:55 am
Wed July 11, 2012

U.S. Pig And Cattle Producers Trying To Crush Egg Bill

Credit Matt Cardy / Getty Images
Egg producers and the Humane Society agree on a bill to require larger chicken cages, but the pork and beef industries fear they're next and are fighting it.

Originally published on Fri July 13, 2012 7:54 am

Remember our reports a few months ago on the odd couple who struck an innovative compromise between egg producers and animal welfare activists? (Here's a hint: The deal calls for egg producers to replace their standard cages with new "enriched" accommodations, complete with perches and nest boxes where chickens can lay their eggs.)

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The Two-Way
10:15 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Heartbreak Again As 520 More Genocide Victims Are Buried In Srebrenica

Credit Marko Drobnjakovic / AP
Earlier today, a woman cried next to the coffin of her relative at the Potocari memorial complex near Srebrenica.

On this "17th anniversary of Europe's worst massacre since World War II," 30,000 people gathered in Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, today to bury 520 more victims of the 1995 slaughter there.

And as The Associated Press says, "the annual ritual was as heartbreaking as ever."

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Shots - Health Blog
9:05 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Why You Should Keep Medicines Out Of Summer Heat

Credit iStockphoto.com
When the outside temperature feels like a fever, your medicines are at risk.

As record-breaking temperatures sweep the nation, it's hard to keep anything cool, especially if the power goes out.

And, try as you might, it's hard to find health products — from prescription drugs to over-the-counter pain relievers — that don't caution against storage in high temperatures.

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The Two-Way
9:01 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Romney To NAACP: If You Knew My Heart, I Would Get Your Vote

Credit Evan Vucci / AP
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney during his address to the NAACP's annual convention this morning in Houston.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 10:53 am

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney told the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People this morning that his policies would be good for all Americans and that those of President Obama have not helped the nation's poorest people.

And, he told delegates to the NAACP's annual convention in Houston, "if it were possible to fully communicate what I believe is in the real, enduring best interest of African-American families, you would vote for me for president."

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It's All Politics
8:53 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Office Pressured To Release Details About Condition

Credit M. Spencer Green / AP
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., thanks supporters at his primary election night party in Chicago on March 20.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 9:09 pm

A source close to Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., says his staff or doctors could provide more information on the condition of the congressman as early as today, NPR's David Schaper reports.

Jackson took a leave of absence a month ago, but his office has been vague about the circumstances.

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The Two-Way
8:36 am
Wed July 11, 2012

JPMorgan Will Move To 'Clawback' Millions From Execs Who Bungled Billions

Credit John MacDougall / AFP/Getty Images
Another kind of claws at work. Meanwhile, JPMorgan is going to see if legal steps will let it "clawback" some money paid to executives.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 9:20 am

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon predicted this would happen: The bank "plans to reclaim millions of dollars in stock from executives at the center of the trading blunder that shocked Wall Street," The Wall Street Journal reports

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The Two-Way
7:32 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Holy Cow! Family Finds Baseball Card Collection That May Fetch $3 Million

Credit Heritage Auctions
Two of the most valuable cards in the collection: Ty Cobb (left) and Honus "Hans" Wagner.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 4:33 pm

"My grandfather stuck it in the attic a hundred years ago and here it is now, a blessing to his grandchildren."

A blessing for sure.

As the Toledo Blade reports, when Karl Kissner and his cousins were clearing out his grandfather's home in Defiance, Ohio, on Feb. 29 they came across a box of very rare and very valuable baseball cards.

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The Two-Way
6:53 am
Wed July 11, 2012

In Scranton, Pa., City Workers Sue Over Having Wages Slashed

Credit Jeff Brady / NPR
Roger Leonard, a heavy equipment operator for the city of Scranton, Pa., saw his pay plunge to $340 from about $900 for two weeks' work after the mayor cut city-employee pay to minimum wage.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 9:32 am

The city of Scranton, Penn. now faces two federal lawsuits over a decision last week to slash public employee's pay to minimum wage. Unions representing the city's workers also are asking Lackawanna County Judge Michael Barrasse to hold Mayor Chris Doherty in contempt of court.

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Around the Nation
6:33 am
Wed July 11, 2012

City Of Brotherly Love Has A Different Kind Of Cupid

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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The Two-Way
6:22 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Episcopal Church OKs Same-Sex Blessings; Largest U.S. Denomination To Do So

Credit Craig Ruttle / AFP/Getty Images
The rings of Michael Johnson and Michael Roberts of New York City stood ready before their marriage ceremony at the Manhattan City Clerk's Office in July 2011.

Originally published on Wed July 11, 2012 10:54 am

With a vote Tuesday evening by its House of Deputies, the Episcopal Church became the largest U.S. denomination so far "to officially sanction same-sex relationships," as CNN's Belief blog writes.

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Around the Nation
6:11 am
Wed July 11, 2012

eHarmony Has An App For When A Date Goes South

The app simulates a rescue phone call. The app can show a telephone number — a coworker's, your mother's — and a photo of the supposed caller. Although it can't guarantee your date will believe the fake excuse.

NPR Story
4:09 am
Wed July 11, 2012

Google Expected To Pay Fine In Privacy Setting Case

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some other news. Google and the Federal Trade Commission are near a deal that could result the largest fine for privacy violations ever imposed by that agency.

NPR's Steve Henn has the story.

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