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NOEL KING, HOST: Good morning. I'm Noel King. An 88-year-old Houston woman has been wearing the same shirt on the Fourth of July for over 20 years according to the BBC. It's red, white and blue with a blue star and a red star. When her grandson was looking at a schedule of World Cup games, he noticed something - her Fourth of July shirt is the Panamanian flag. She took the news with good humor. Her grandson says she plans to continue wearing the shirt. After all, it's tradition. It's MORNING EDITION. | When her grandson was looking at the World Cup schedule, he noticed that her July Fourth shirt is the Panamanian flag, the BBC reports. She plans to continue wearing the shirt — it's tradition. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with a tale of a stiff upper lip. A British man discovered his car was burning. But, you know the way - keep calm and carry on. He continued driving. Now, he wasn't out of his mind. He understood there was fire, so he drove to a nearby fire station to have fire crews attend to it, joking that his sausages might be burned if he wasn't careful. For the record, the fire department says it's better to leave your car when it bursts into flame. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. | The driver knew his car was on fire but he kept going. For the record, the fire department says it's better to leave your car when it bursts into flame. |
NOEL KING, HOST: Good morning. I'm Noel King. An environmental group in Poland got stuck with a huge phone bill thanks to a stork. EcoLogic Group reportedly tagged the stork with a mobile phone tracker to follow its migration pattern, and migrate it did. The stork flew about 3,700 miles to Sudan and then vanished. But someone in Sudan found the tracker, took out the SIM card, put it in their phone, and the total bill came to about 2,700 bucks - must have been long-distance calls. It's MORNING EDITION. | The group tagged the stork with a mobile phone tracker to follow its migration. It flew some 3,700 miles to Sudan, where someone found the tracker and used the SIM card. The phone bill came to $2,700. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: OK. At first, things seemed pretty bad for Mexico. The Swedish soccer team delivered a swift blow to Mexico in yesterday's World Cup match, beating them 3-0. But then, this happened.</s>UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Cheering).</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: That is the sound of Mexico's fans learning that South Korea had beaten Germany in their match - Germany, the defending World Cup champs.</s>UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting) Bye-bye, Germany. Bye-bye, Germany.</s>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And why does this matter to Mexico? Well, it means that, despite their loss to Sweden, Mexico advances - all thanks to South Korea. Celebrators took to the streets in Mexico City, rushing to the Korean Embassy. The Korean consul general to Mexico came out to greet the crowd and ended up being hoisted onto fans' shoulders.</s>UNIDENTIFIED PEOPLE: (Chanting in Spanish).</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: Fans there are chanting, saying to the consul general, "Korean brother, you are Mexican now." They reportedly made that official by giving him a shot of tequila. | Mexico lost to Sweden in World Cup action on Wednesday. But because South Korea beat defending champions Germany, Mexico gets to advance to the round of 16. Mexican fans are ecstatic. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. So I had no idea what a fatberg was. It's like an iceberg, but it's made of waste that accumulates inside sewers.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: A monster fatberg was found in London's East End. It's a 130-ton chunk of congealed fat, oil and wet wipes. Don't judge me for being interested in this; a piece of it went on display at the Museum of London, and it has been a huge draw. To quote the BBC, "there's even a fatberg musical in the pipeline." It's MORNING EDITION. | The display of waste that accumulates inside sewers has been a huge draw. To quote the BBC, "There's even a fatberg musical — currently in the pipeline. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. Layrd Mahler was driving near Phoenix when a snake slithered out from under his hood and climbed up the windshield, local news reports. Mr. Mahler turned on his wipers, which the snake treated like a carnival ride, swinging happily up and down. You can watch all of this because, inexplicably, Mr. Mahler began taking video while driving, during a snake attack. He finally pulled over, but he never found that snake, who maybe jumped on a plane instead. | A man in Arizona says a snake popped out from under the hood of his car and started to climb up the windshield. It retreated back under the hood and was never found. |
ED GORDON, host: A bit of sad news. Late last week, legendary theater director Lloyd Richards died of heart failure in New York City. Richards may be best known for his direction of the ground-breaking Broadway production of A Raisin in the Sun in 1960, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Diana Sands.</s>ED GORDON, host: He was nominated for a Tony Award - the first of many - and would eventually win in 1987 for directing the August Wilson play, Fences. He helped foster the careers of many playwrights as Dean of the Yale School of Drama and Artistic Director of the Yale Repertory Theater, positions he held for more than a decade. But it was with playwright August Wilson that he would do some of his greatest work.</s>ED GORDON, host: He directed six of Wilson's plays, beginning in 1984 with Ma Rainey's Black Bottom through 1996's Seven Guitars, earning Tony nominations for several of the productions. In 1993, the National Endowment of the Arts awarded him with the American National Medal of the Arts.</s>ED GORDON, host: Richards was 87 years old.</s>ED GORDON, host: Next up on NEWS AND NOTES, the Tour de France is under way, but critics say it's one of the last sports where the color line hasn't been broken. And keeping the blues alive in Tinseltown: an L.A. Club brings the Delta to Hollywood.</s>ED GORDON, host: You're listening to NEWS AND NOTES, from NPR News. | Theater director Lloyd Richards died last week of heart failure in New York City. Richards is perhaps best known for directing the Tony-nominated A Raisin in the Sun starring Sidney Poitier on Broadway. Richards was dean of the Yale School of Drama and director of the Yale Repertory Theater. He directed six of August Wilson's plays and won a Tony Award in 1987 for Fences, his only win, but one of many nominations. He was 87 years old. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: The votes are being counted in Afghanistan after the country's presidential election yesterday. Afghans waited for hours in line to cast their ballots in what will be the country's first peaceful democratic transfer of power. But the election comes after weeks of violence that have taken the lives of Afghan civilians and most recently an award-winning photographer for the Associated Press, Anja Niedringhaus.</s>JAMIE TARABAY: The thing about Anja that everyone - it was unanimous - they all talked about her laughter. She has this really big laugh, you know. It just comes out of her gut. That's how everybody remembers her.</s>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: That's former NPR correspondent Jamie Tarabay, who worked with Niedringhaus in Baghdad covering the Iraq war. Niedringhaus was shot, along with her colleague - veteran AP reporter Kathy Gannon - on Friday. The two journalists were in Khost province, covering the run-up to the election. They were traveling under the protection of Afghan security forces but it was an Afghan police commander who opened fire on their car, wounding Gannon and killing Niedringhaus instantly. Ines Pohl is a German journalist and friend of Niedringhaus.</s>INES POHL: She wasn't as cynical as many war reporters get over the years. She really respected the people. You could see that she was really interested to show the beauty of Afghanistan, and show the human face of the war zone.</s>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Niedringhaus' AP colleague David Guttenfelder said, quote, "what the world knows about Iraq, they largely know because of her pictures and the pictures by the photographers she raised. I know they always asked themselves what would Anja do when they go out with their cameras. I think we all do." | Anja Niedringhaus was killed last week in an attack by an Afghan police commander. She was in Khost province covering the run-up to Saturday's presidential election. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with a sign of devotion to the World Cup. Water authorities in Tokyo noticed a dramatic change last week. Water use suddenly surged 24 percent. Anybody near a television might figure out why. It was halftime of Japan's dramatic 2-1 win against Colombia. The water surge apparently reflected millions of viewers simultaneously flushing. They'd been holding it in so they could keep watching until the break. It's MORNING EDITION. | Anybody near a TV might figure out why. It was halftime in Russia of Japan's dramatic 2-1 win against Colombia. The water surge apparently reflected millions of viewers simultaneously flushing. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. Were you ever trained for CPR? If you haven't been, maybe it's time because apparently even animals can do it. A police dog in Spain was trained in CPR. Video shows the dog demonstrating by pressing its paws on the chest of an officer on the ground. The dog then puts its ear on the officer to listen for a pulse, although it sort of looks like it's giving the man a hug. The video does not show mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It's MORNING EDITION. | A police dog in Spain was trained in CPR. Video shows the dog demonstrating by pressing its paws on the chest of an officer on the ground. The dog then puts its ear on the man to listen for a pulse. |
NOEL KING, HOST: Good morning. I'm Noel King. Over the weekend, firefighters in the town of Henrietta, N.Y., were called to the scene of a car accident. One driver, a pizza delivery man, was injured, but his cargo was intact. They bundled him into an ambulance, decided not to let a good pie go to waste. They delivered it themselves to a confused but delighted customer in his pajamas, and the fire department cracked on Facebook, it's not delivery; it's Di-fire-department (ph). It's MORNING EDITION. | Over the weekend in Henrietta, N.Y., a pizza deliveryman was injured in a car accident but his cargo was intact. Firefighters delivered the pizza to a confused but delighted customer. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. If you're a soccer fan at the World Cup in Russia right now, getting your hands on a cold beer could be proving harder than usual. Apparently, everyone is drinking so much beer in celebration of the beautiful game that Russia is actually running out. According to Reuters, some bars and restaurants in Moscow have gone through all their beer supplies. One bartender said fans drank more than 211 gallons of beer in three days. The sun makes them thirsty, he said. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. It's MORNING EDITION. | According to Reuters, some bars and restaurants in Moscow have gone through all their beer supplies. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. The Chicago Cubs are in first place. So you might say they've been beating the pants off the competition - although maybe use a different phrase if you're anywhere near Wrigley Field. A key relief pitcher for the Cubs, Brandon Morrow, got injured this week taking his pants off. He was pulling his left leg out, and his back spasmed. He told reporters it's frustrating going on the disabled list because of something stupid like taking your pants off. And you're listening to MORNING EDITION. | Chicago Cubs key relief pitcher Brandon Morrow got injured this week taking his pants off. He was pulling his left leg out when he felt a back spasm. He tells reporters the whole thing is frustrating. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with a cop hailed as a hero. Sergeant Stephen Wheeles pulled over a driver not for going too fast but for driving too slowly. The driver was below the 70 mile-per-hour limit with about 20 cars behind. When the officer posted a photo of the slow vehicle on social media, he received a grateful response. Indy car driver Graham Rahal thanked him. Other people asked him to move to their states or propose that he win a Nobel Prize. It's MORNING EDITION. | Sgt. Stephen Wheeles pulled over a driver — not for going too fast — but for driving too slowly. The driver was below the 70 mph limit with approximately 20 cars following behind. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. A restaurant in China offered customers a month of all you can eat. The promotion worked - maybe too well. More than 500 customers a day reportedly started coming to eat and eat and eat. After just two weeks, the restaurant was forced to close. They had racked up $100,000 in debt. They say if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is, right? I guess the promotion should have been all you can eat unless you eat way too much. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. | A restaurant in China offered an all-you-can-eat program for a whole month. It was too good a deal — the restaurant reportedly went out of business within two weeks. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. It was the goal that moved the Earth, quite literally. It happened during the World Cup match between Mexico and reigning Cup champions Germany. About 35 minutes into the game, Hirving Lozano scored for the Mexican team, which sounded like this...</s>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: And it felt like an earthquake because it sort of was. The collective leap of joy by Mexico fans was so huge it was picked up by two seismic monitoring systems. Mexico beat Germany 1-nil. It's MORNING EDITION. | During the World Cup match between Mexico and reigning champions Germany, Hirving Lozano scored, and fans' collective leap of joy was so huge it was picked up by 2 seismic monitoring systems. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with congratulations to Bruce Lorenz, the mayor of Ruso, N.D., the state's smallest incorporated city. He won re-election Tuesday with 100 percent of the vote - 100 percent. All three voters supported him. After the voting, election analysts noted how close the mayor came to suffering from low turnout. He is 86 years old, and he says he completely forgot that Tuesday was election day until his daughter reminded him. | Bruce Lorenz was re-elected as mayor of Ruso, N.D. He got the backing of all three votes cast. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: As we just heard, many Catholics believe that the church under Pope Francis is undergoing a kind of renewal. But one issue that still haunts the Church is the sexual abuse, carried out by priests and historically covered up by church leaders. Yesterday, the pope named eight people to a new panel to confront the abuse, including an Irish woman, who was herself molested by a priest as a child. A spokesman for Pope Francis said he's working to make the protection of minors one of the church's highest priorities. The survivors' network for those abused by priests released a statement criticizing the pope for not punishing church leaders who have covered up abuse. The group says, quote, "It's the continuing courage of victims that gives us hope, not another handpicked church panel."</s>RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: You're listening to NPR News. | Pope Francis has named a woman who was molested as a child by a priest to be part of a panel to help the Church address the sexual abuse of minors. |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Before Bela Lugosi was Count Dracula, the German director F. W. Murnau created his own bloodsucking fiend - a kind of tribute band Dracula that he called Count Orlok - in his 1922 silent film "Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horror." Well, it was a lot less expensive than paying for the rights to film Bram Stoker's "Dracula." Murnau gave his hemoglobin-gobbling villain a bald, skeletal skull, long fingernails like eagles' talons. F. W. Murnau eventually moved to Hollywood. He made some films, but died in a car accident in 1931. He was buried back in German, and over the years, his tomb has become a kind of tourist spot for Satanists. This week, F. W. Murnau's skull was taken from his iron-clad coffin in the Stahnsdorf Cemetery near Berlin. Police are looking for witnesses. They may have to wait until after sunset. | The skull of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, who directed the vampire movie Nosferatu, has disappeared from his grave in Germany. |
LYNN NEARY, HOST: An American has been named as the new president of the World Bank. He's Jim Yong Kim. Currently president of Dartmouth College, he's an immigrant success story, having come to America as a child from Korea. Kim's selection continues a decades-long tradition of having a U.S. citizen lead the World Bank. But that tradition maybe wavering. Kim only took the bank's top job after overcoming a serious international effort to place a non-American in the position for the first time.</s>LYNN NEARY, HOST: NPR's Jackie Northam reports.</s>JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: The 52-year-old Kim is a physician and anthropologist who has spent much of his career focusing on global health issues. He co-founded Partners in Health, which works in developing countries and he headed the HIV/AIDS department at the World Health Organization. Kim often extols the importance of getting hands-on experience, whatever the issue.</s>JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: But there were questions by some of the World Bank's 187 member nations, as well as former bank executives, and economists, whether Kim was up to running the huge international financial institution, which loans billions of dollars each year to developing nations. And there was a campaign to break from a more than 60-year-old tradition of having a U.S. citizen as World Bank president and allowing someone from another country to take the helm.</s>JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Kim beat out Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a respected former finance minister from Nigeria. But for the first time, the decision was not unanimous. Kim assumes his new post on July 1st, replacing another American, Robert Zoellick.</s>JACKIE NORTHAM, BYLINE: Jackie Northam, NPR News, Washington. | Jim Yong Kim, 52, who immigrated from Korea at age five, is currently the president of Dartmouth College. He faced an international campaign challenging his nomination to lead the massive global development bank. Kim's selection continues a decades-long tradition of having a U.S. citizen lead the World Bank. |
MICHELE NORRIS, host: While what happened in Jaisani remains unresolved, we turn to another Iraq story in a slightly different format than you might be used to.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Unidentified Woman #1 (Actor): (As character) There was a surprise attack on our convoy, suicide car bomb. The insurgents were on us in seconds.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Unidentified Woman #2 (Actor): (As character) Oh, my god.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Unidentified Woman #1: (As character) Franklin dragged the wounded men to safety while under fire. He saved 14 soldiers.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Unidentified Man #7 (Actor): (As character) Yeah, well, I didn't save everyone, did I?</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Well, who was the one who apparently couldn't be saved? The daytime soap opera "All My Children" wants you to tune in to find out. Soap opera fans won't be surprised to discover the missing soldier didn't really die in Iraq, and that he will dramatically appear sometime during the holiday season.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Here's the real twist. The show is looking for an actual Iraq war veteran to play the role, and vets from all over the country have applied. While the Iraq war has been a polarizing subject, the casting director for "All My Children," Judy Blye Wilson, says this storyline is about love, not war.</s>Ms. JUDY BLYE WILSON (Casting Director, "All My Children"): I think this is really a love story. It's a story about a male and a female getting back together again. It makes no statement to this particular war or any other one. It's a love story. It's a romance story.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, host: Wilson says the next step is to winnow down the scores of applicants. A chosen few will be invited to New York for auditions. | It's a move that might be inspired by the Oscar-winning movie The Best Years of Our Lives. The popular daytime soap opera All My Children is looking for an Iraq war veteran to play the role of a, well, Iraq war veteran. |
SUSAN STAMBERG, host: So you get home from a trip to South Carolina, you plop down your duffel bag, and the next day you start to unpack it, and wham, you're bitten by a rattlesnake.</s>SUSAN STAMBERG, host: That was Andrew Bacas' rude homecoming in Arlington County, Virginia this week. Mr. Bacas is a high-school crew coach. He'd just driven back from a spring break conditioning trip when he got bitten. He had the presence of mind to quickly re-zip his bag with the snake inside, and then he called 911.</s>SUSAN STAMBERG, host: After a trip to the hospital and some anti-venom, he's now recovering. As for the snake, rescue workers decided to freeze it. They used a 10-foot pole to unzip the bag a bit, and then they inserted the nozzle of a fire extinguisher. The remains were identified as a canebrake rattlesnake, one of the deadliest in this country.</s>SUSAN STAMBERG, host: Fortunately from Mr. Bacas, it was a juvenile whose venom doesn't pack the wallop of an adult. Now, how the snake hitched a ride in Andrew Bacas' luggage remains a mystery. | A man in Virginia returned home from a trip, started to unpack and was bitten by a rattlesnake that was in his duffel bag. He managed to zip the bag back up and call 911 — and is now recovering. How the snake — identified as a deadly canebrake rattler — got in his bag is still a mystery. |
LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: NPR's business news starts with a new executive at Oracle.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: The high-tech company has hired Mark Hurd as a co-president. Just last month, Hurd was the chief executive at Hewlett-Packard, one of Oracle's big competitors.</s>CEO: IBM.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: Westin had been ABC's news chief since 1997. He recently had to cut a quarter of the news staff, and there are reports that the company is facing more layoffs. | Oracle has hired Mark Hurd as a co-president. Just last month, Hurd was the chief executive at Hewlett-Packard. He resigned that job after a scandal involving a female contractor with the company. And another shakeup — this one in television — ABC is looking for someone to lead its news division. David Westin abruptly quit the job Monday night. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. Gilbert, Minn., has a drinking problem. Police say intoxicated residents have been acting confused and flying into windows, a particular risk for birds. Yes, The Washington Post writes that a frost caused berries in Gilbert to ferment earlier than usual, and berry-eating birds have been getting drunk. One person wrote on the police department's Facebook page, there goes the chance of any bird from northern Minnesota ever being on the Supreme Court. | Gilbert Police Chief Ty Techar says an early frost means the birds have been "getting a little more 'tipsy' than normal" on fermented berries. |
SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Measles was eliminated in the year 2000 from the United States, but a lot can change in a few years. Today, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention says the infection rate is at a 20-year high for measles. There have been 288 cases reported for the first five months of 2014. A couple of weeks ago we spoke to William Schaffner, who teaches preventive medicine at the Vanderbilt University, about this very issue and he told us the huge factor in the outbreak is a lack of vaccinations.</s>WILLIAM SCHAFFNER: The measles outbreaks are clearly occurring in populations whose parents have withheld their children from immunization. They remain susceptible. Some of those children then travel abroad, encounter measles, bring it back into the United States. They become ill, and then it spreads among other unvaccinated children. And those children frequently live in similar neighborhoods or attend the same schools.</s>SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Now this is confirmed by the CDC, whose scientists believe that many of the outbreaks occurred after people travelled to the Philippines, which is experiencing a large outbreak of the disease. Ninety percent of all measles cases in the United States occur in people who are not immunized. Public health officials say the best way to avoid contracting measles is to get vaccinated. | The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that measles outbreaks in the United States are now at a 20-year high, with 288 cases reported in the first five months of 2014. |
NOEL KING, HOST: Good morning. I'm Noel King. A brewery in Charlotte, N.C., had its company van stolen. The unknown brewing company posted a reward offer on Facebook to whoever found it. The reward - a keg party. It took a whopping 42 minutes for the van to be found. Maybe the reward helped. Maybe it was the giant company logo that's painted on the side of the van. One Facebook commenter wrote, sounds like all we need to do to have a keg party is hide your van from you. | The reward? A keg party. It took only 42 minutes for the van to be found. Maybe the reward helped. Maybe it was the giant company logo that's painted on the side of the van. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Now let's say goodbye to a familiar voice. Maybe just saying goodbye is not the way if you're seeing off the voice of the Los Angeles Dodgers, maybe you should say this...</s>VIN SCULLY: High fly ball in the right field. She is gone.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Vin Scully called a game winning homerun in the 1988 World Series.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It was a moment in one of his 67 seasons stretching back to 1950.</s>VIN SCULLY: I have said enough for a lifetime. And for the last time, I wish you all a very pleasant good afternoon.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Scully called the final game as the Dodgers played the San Francisco Giants. Both teams relocated from New York City to California in 1958. And this is an incredible fact - Vin Scully was calling Dodgers games even before they moved.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: The whole world changed around his broadcast booth, but Vin Scully remained. Along the way, he called the first perfect game pitched in a World Series in 1956. He also called Hank Aaron's historic 714 home run as he was beating Babe Ruth's record in 1974.</s>VIN SCULLY: I'm deadly serious when I say this. What I sense is I've been there watching men accomplish, watching no-hitters, watching perfect games, et cetera, et cetera. And all I did was be blessed to have the opportunity to broadcast it. So my last day will not be a sad day - not for me at all. It will be a Thanksgiving Day because I owe the Lord a great deal.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And baseball fans say thank you to Vin Scully.</s>DANNY KAYE: (Singing) So I say D. I say D-O, D-O-D, D-O-D-G, D-O-D-G-E-R-S, team, team. | Vin Scully, who has been calling games for the Dodgers since 1950, is retiring at age 88. He called his final game Sunday at AT&T Park, the home of the LA Dodgers' rival, the San Francisco Giants. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. A steakhouse in Ann Arbor, Mich., got a little too excited rooting for the home team. Ruth's Chris Steakhouse said when Michigan played Rutgers, people could get a percentage discount equal to the winning margin. Then Michigan won 78 to nothing, which could have been 78 percent off. The steakhouse is now leaning on the fine print that limits the discount to 50 percent, but it has still booked all of its reservations for days to come. It's MORNING EDITION. | When Michigan played Rutgers, people could get a percentage discount equal to the winning margin. Michigan won 78-0 which meant 78 percent off. But fine print limits the discount to 50 percent off. |
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: We will not rush, and we will not be rushed. Those were the words of Secretary of State John Kerry in Vienna today as he announced that talks on Iran's nuclear program will go on. In other words, it's a virtual certainty that an agreement will not be delivered to Congress by today's deadline. NPR's Peter Kenyon has more.</s>PETER KENYON, BYLINE: For much of the day leaks emanating from the Palatial hotel where the talks are taking place suggested that there was still a chance Iran and six world powers would announce an accord in time to deliver this complicated, technical deal to Capitol Hill today. It now appears that won't happen, which triggers an extension of the time lawmakers will have to consider and criticize any deal from 30 to 60 days. Kerry told reporters that negotiators remained focused on getting a deal strong enough to withstand scrutiny not just in Congress, but around the world and one that could last for decades. But he also said while they shouldn't leave simply because the clock strikes midnight, these talks cannot be open-ended.</s>JOHN KERRY: President Obama made it very clear to me last night. You can't wait forever for the decision to be made. We know that. If the tough decisions don't get made, we are absolutely prepared to call an end to this process.</s>PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Later, a senior Iranian official told reporters that the international side had changed positions on a range of proposals. The officials said it could turn out to be a small glitch, but it could also be a major setback for the talks. Both sides want a good deal, but on issues such as verifying that Iran is keeping its nuclear commitments, a U.N. arms embargo and sanctions relief, there are very different definitions of what a good deal might be. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Vienna. | Secretary of State John Kerry says there's progress in nuclear talks with Iran but no deal yet. He says the U.S. won't be rushed. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Lonely hearts in Los Angeles could meet sweethearts underground this Valentine's Day. The City of Angels plays Cupid, hosting speed dating sessions aboard its Metro Red Line. Interested passengers can wear pink wristbands and board cars adorned with red hearts. After two minutes, they're free to find a new seatmate. Or, if the mini-date really goes off the rails, they can get off and wait for the next train.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: It's MORNING EDITION. | Passengers interested in speeding dating can wear pink wristbands and board cars adorned with red hearts. After two minutes, they're free to find a new seatmate. Or, if the mini-date really goes off the rails — they can get off and wait for the next train. |
LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: Today, the man who managed the fund for 9-11 victims and pay packages for executives at bailed out companies officially takes over the BP claims process.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: Kenneth Feinberg will administer the $20 billion fund set to compensate oil-spill victims.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, host: And as NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports, the process is already under fire for being unfair.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: Kenneth Feinberg says he will make interim payments to eligible individuals within 48 hours. Business claims will be paid within a week. But exactly who is eligible and how much they will get remains a bit fuzzy. Still, shrimpers and charter boat captains will have a much easier time making their case than a hotel owner whose property is 25 miles from the Gulf.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: After the interim payments are made, Feinberg will begin working on final payments for long-term losses. To get that money, he told NPR in an interview, claimants will give up the right to sue.</s>Mr. KENNETH FEINBERG (Attorney, Administrator of BP Claims Fund): If you accept a final payment, you are releasing BP.</s>Mr. KENNETH FEINBERG (Attorney, Administrator of BP Claims Fund): Unidentified Woman: Mm-hmm.</s>Mr. KENNETH FEINBERG (Attorney, Administrator of BP Claims Fund): Whether you're releasing other defendants, I haven't decided.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: Many claimants were asked to aid in the clean-up effort, and many are furious that Feinberg, not BP, decided that the money they earned will be deducted from their compensation package. Claimants say that means they will have essentially worked to clean up BP's mess for free.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: Wendy Kaufman, NPR News. | Beginning Monday, the claims process for people affected by the BP oil spill might get a little easier. It at least has some firmer rules. Kenneth Feinberg, the private administrator hired by BP to handle the claims, takes over responsibility for the payouts. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with China to the rescue in Europe.</s>MONTAGNE: Chinese officials are on a mission to Europe. Spain's leading daily newspaper reports that Beijing is prepared to buy six billion euros, or nearly $8 billion of Spanish government debt. This number has not been confirmed by Chinese officials, but the country has stated its willingness to buy Spanish debt.</s>MONTAGNE: This comes as Spain struggles to sell government bonds in the financial markets. Investors are worried about Spain's finances, and that is driving up interest rates that Spain must pay. China has been buying more and more EU government debt and expanding its influence in Europe. | Spain's leading daily newspaper reports that Beijing is prepared to buy nearly $8 billion of Spain's government debt. This number has not been confirmed by Chinese officials, but the country has stated its willingness to buy Spanish debt. |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host: NPR's Frank Langfitt reports on the prospects.</s>FRANK LANGFITT: Joe Main, the government's head of Mine Safety, told a House hearing yesterday that proposed legislation would make it easier for the government to shut down dangerous mines and better protect whistleblowers.</s>JOE MAIN: Many miners won't speak up about safety problems for fear of losing their jobs. We are resolved to changing that culture of fear.</s>FRANK LANGFITT: George Miller, a California Democrat who oversees the House Education and Labor Committee, summed up the view of many.</s>GEORGE MILLER: The fact of the matter is the current law isn't working.</s>FRANK LANGFITT: But Congressman John Kline, a Republican from Minnesota, cautioned against making new laws before several investigations determine what caused the explosion last April at a Massey Energy mine.</s>JOHN KLINE: Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Washington. | For the second time in four years, Congress is considering tougher mine safety laws after 29 men were killed this spring in a massive explosion in West Virginia. Mine Safety and Health Administration director Joe Main told lawmakers the bill would bring "a culture of safety" to the industry. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: After a fence-jumping incident at the White House in September, a government panel was ordered to take a close look at the U.S. Secret Service. They found that the agency guarding the president lacks leadership, is understaffed and has poorly trained officers. Here's NPR's Brian Naylor.</s>BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: The panel's findings serve to highlight the well-documented problems of the Secret Service. They were exposed when an Army veteran climbed over the White House fence and made it all the way to the East Room of the building before he was stopped. First, the panel says a new fence needs to be built around the White House grounds as soon as possible, one that's taller and with features to deter future fence-climbers.</s>BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: But the report says the problems facing the Secret Service go deeper than a new fence. In plain language, the panel found an organization starved for leadership. It recommends the next director come from outside the agency. A common critique panel members heard was the service is too insular. It says training has fallen far below acceptable levels, both for the agents who protect the president and for the uniformed officers who guard the grounds. And it says more agents and officers are needed. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, appearing on MSNBC yesterday, called the recommendations astute, thorough and fair.</s>JEH JOHNSON: There are more fundamental, systemic issues with the Secret Service that I think need to be addressed and that cannot be addressed overnight.</s>BRIAN NAYLOR, BYLINE: But Johnson says Homeland Security is committed to changing the Secret Service and ensuring that it has what it needs to get the job done. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington. | Experts have determined that the Secret Service needs more money, better training and a leader from outside the organization, according to a report released by the Department of Homeland Security. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with Toyota turning a profit.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: In more normal economic times, news that Toyota made a quarterly profit would not draw much attention. Used to be, they always did that. But Toyota's announcement today that it made more than $200 million the past three months did surprise some analysts.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The world's largest carmaker has been losing billions in recent months in the global downtown. The company is still expected to be in the red for its current financial year, but those losses are now expected to be only about half of what was previously forecast. And again, the latest report shows them, for a few months, making a profit.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Toyota, like many other carmakers, has benefited from government stimulus plans that have encouraged car buying in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Honda and Nissan have also said recently that they see their business improving in the coming months. | Toyota Motor has announced a surprise profit last quarter. The world's largest car company attributed the unexpected good news to government measures aimed at boosting sales of environmentally-friendly cars and other vehicles. Toyota is expected to be in the red for its current financial year, but those losses are expected to be only about half of what was previously forecast. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Greene. Bill McLeod was elected county judge in Houston three months ago, and he's already resigned, though without meaning to. He posted online that he would love to, one day, run for state Supreme Court, not realizing what's in the state constitution. It says for a county judge to announce candidacy for another office means automatic resignation. KHOU-TV reports county commissioners do have the power to replace judges, so they could replace Judge McLeod with Judge McLeod. | Bill McLeod posted that he would one day love to run for Texas' supreme court. The state's constitution says for a county judge to announce candidacy for another office means automatic resignation. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news starts with China in Afghanistan.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Afghanistan's government is signing off on a deal with the Chinese state oil company. China's National Petroleum Corporation would be the first foreign company to produce oil in Afghanistan. The Afghan government says the 25-year-deal could create jobs and help develop oil reserves in the northeastern part of the country.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: For China, this agreement could mean a new source of energy. China is already Afghanistan's largest foreign investor, in fact. A few years ago, a Chinese metals company won the rights to develop a giant copper mine in Afghanistan. | China's National Petroleum Corporation would be the first foreign company to produce oil in Afghanistan. The Afghan government says the 25-year-deal could create jobs and help develop oil reserves in the northeast part of the country. |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. The people of Seattle are puzzled by a mystery unfolding underground: the world's biggest tunneling machine is stuck about 75 feet under street level where it's digging a nearly two-mile-long highway right under downtown Seattle. As NPR's Martin Kaste reports, engineers say it'll take until January to figure out what is causing the block.</s>MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: They call the machine Bertha, and it has a circular cutting face five stories high, with special attachments for chewing up boulders. But only 1,000 feet into the job, it seems to have encountered an object that refuses to yield. Seattleites have had fun guessing what that might be - a sunken ship, a Native curse, Jimmy Hoffa. But project manager Chris Dixon won't be drawn into that game.</s>CHRIS DIXON: I wouldn't bet on it being one thing or the other thing.</s>MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Though Dixon admits the situation is mysterious.</s>CHRIS DIXON: Theoretically, there shouldn't be any obstructions at that depth. But I guess there were several channels that went down through the native soils before they filled this area. So, we could...</s>MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Like river channels.</s>CHRIS DIXON: Yeah. So, we could have encountered something that was dumped into a deep channel through that area. But, again, we don't won't know what it is until we do an investigation.</s>MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: But on a tunneling machine, you can't just open a window to see what's ahead. Crews at street level are now drilling ten wells to pump the ground water away from Bertha. The idea is to relieve the pressure enough to make things a little more hospitable for the workers when they finally crawl out of specialized hatches to inspect the situation. And there's a chance they'll find no mystery object at all. It may just be that Bertha's just broken. Martin Kaste, NPR News, Seattle. | In Seattle, an underground mystery has halted the digging of a new highway tunnel underneath downtown. The world's largest tunneling machine ground to a halt two weeks ago, and engineers are still trying to figure out why. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: NPR's business news starts with: somebody restock the shelves.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: Apple says it sold more than 5 million of its new iPhone 5s over the weekend. The company says it has now run out of its initial stock. On its debut weekend, the iPhone 5 sold better than the last version of the iPhone. But sales were not quite as strong as many analyst expectations, and there are concerns about Apple's ability to keep up with demand.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: This comes amid a labor dispute that has temporarily closed a Foxconn assembly plant in northern China. Foxconn produces Apple products. It is unclear if that labor disputes will disrupt Apple's supply chain. | Apple says it sold more than 5 million of its new IPhone over the weekend. The iPhone 5 sold better than the last version. But sales were not as strong as many analyst expectations, and there are concerns about Apple's ability to keep up with demand. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne with news that some things never change. Los Angeles has the worst traffic in the country. Washington, D.C. is second. That's according to the data company Inrix.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: Wait. Hold on a second, Renee. You deal with the worst traffic in the country, and this week you flew all the way across the country to host our show from the second worst?</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Well, yes, I guess I did. But switching from a midnight commute to a 3 a.m. drive to work is nice. And for all of you stuck in traffic, enjoy listening to MORNING EDITION. | NPR's Renee Montagne leaves her West Coast post to host in D.C. this week. That means she's hopping from the worst commute in the country to the second worst. |
ALEX CHADWICK, host: Chief Justice Rehnquist was known as a great legal intellect; also, as a man with a sly sense of humor. Both are evident in these remarks which he made six years ago. This was after he presided as judge in the US Senate during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton. And at the end of that proceeding, he left the senators with these words.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Chief Justice WILLIAM REHNQUIST: The chair wishes to make a brief statement, without objection, I trust.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Chief Justice REHNQUIST: More than a month ago I first came here to preside over the Senate, sitting as a court of impeachment. I was a stranger to the great majority of you. I underwent the sort of culture shock that naturally occurs when one moves from the very structured environment of the Supreme Court to what I shall call, for want of a better phrase, `the more free-formed environment of the Senate.'</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I leave you now a wiser, but not a sadder, man. I have been impressed by the manner in which the majority leader and the minority leader have agreed on procedural rules in spite of the differences that separate their two parties on matters of substance. I've been impressed by the quality of the debate in closed session on the entire question of impeachment as provided for in the Constitution. Agreed-upon procedures for airing substantive divisions must be the hallmark of any great deliberative body.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: Our work as a court of impeachment is now done. I leave you with the hope that our several paths may cross again under happier circumstances.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: The late Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Rehnquist, speaking to the Senate in 1999. Mr. Rehnquist died Saturday at the age of 80. He'll be buried on Wednesday at Arlington National Cemetery.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: I'm Alex Chadwick. NPR's DAY TO DAY continues. | One of the most historic moments in Chief Justice William Rehnquist's tenure came in 1999 as he presided over the Senate impeachment trial of then-President Bill Clinton. We hear Rehnquist's concluding remarks at that proceeding. |
MICHELE NORRIS, Host: For people living with cancer, the world changes in many ways. One of those ways involves sound. One of our listeners tells us about a particular sound and her family's experience with cancer in a segment we call Sound Clips.</s>JANET JONES: I am Janet Jones in Conway, Arkansas. This is a tiny sound.</s>JANET JONES: It was coming from a small, leather bag suspended by a web strap around my husband, Jim's, neck.</s>JANET JONES: It was the sound of the small, computerized pump that forces a poison into an IV line that feeds into my husband's arm: chemotherapy, administered by continuous infusion, pumping in around the clock, seven days a week.</s>JANET JONES: Where Jim goes, the fanny pack, worn seat-belt style, goes. In the quiet of our bedroom, I rouse in the night to hear the reassuring hum of the pump. It is the sound of the best efforts of medical science and caring doctors. It is the sound of the force of a powerful chemical bathing tumors in its irresistible liquor that confuses the cells so they die. For us, and for so many others, it is the sound of hope.</s>MICHELE NORRIS, Host: Janet Jones of Conway, Arkansas and the chemo pump her husband uses. We want to let you know, NPR commentator Leroy Sievers blogs and podcasts about his experience with cancer at our Web site, npr.org. There's also more about our interest in sounds at our Web site. Go to npr.org and type in sound clips in the search box. | Listener Janet Jones of Conway, Ark., tell us about, and let's us listen to, the chemo pump her husband uses. |
MICHELE NORRIS, Host: As Eleanor Beardsley reports, he was ousted for making a series of bizarre anti-Semitic remarks, some of which were caught on video.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Fifty-year-old designer John Galliano was suspended by Christian Dior last Friday after a couple filed charges against him with the police, saying Galliano had insulted them using racist and anti-Semitic remarks. What turned that suspension into today's full-fledged dismissal was this...</s>JOHN GALLIANO: (beep)</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Video of another altercation was posted on the website of the British newspaper, The Sun. It shows Galliano using foul language to insult bar patrons. He calls them ugly. And then in a slurred voice he says...</s>JOHN GALLIANO: Unidentified Woman: Oh my god.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Jessica Michault is online style editor at the Herald Tribune newspaper.</s>JESSICA MICHAULT: It's absolutely a shock to the world of fashion. John Galliano was one of the icons of the fashion industry. He has defined Dior for the last 10 years, really transformed it, made it what it is today.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: One of Christian Dior's directors condemned Galliano's behavior, saying the company had no tolerance for racism and anti-Semitism.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Called fashion's bad boy for his flamboyant and provocative style, the extravagantly dressed Galliano usually parades down the catwalks himself. He may have done that for the last time, says fashion critic Michault.</s>JESSICA MICHAULT: The fashion world really is forgiving. It's very common in the industry for there to be problems with alcohol. But the idea of saying, you know, I love Hitler, that is not something that you can recover from.</s>ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris. | The British fashion designer John Galliano was fired by Christian Dior today. His dismissal came after complaints that he had shouted anti-Semitic comments at people in a Paris bar during the city's fashion week. |
JENNIFER LUDDEN, host: The space agency is guarding against another hazard besides foam. Last year, the shuttle Discovery had a close encounter with a bird. It was a vulture.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Entirely aside from the unpleasant symbolism, it could have caused a serious accident, so NASA convened a panel of experts to reduce the risk of hitting them.</s>JENNIFER LUDDEN, host: It proposed making the Kennedy Space Center a less attractive vulture habitat. The plan's called Road Kill Roundup.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: NASA removed raccoons, possums, armadillos, turtles, alligators, and other creatures that could become vulture food.</s>JENNIFER LUDDEN, host: The roundup involves top minds in wildlife management. Those offering expertise even included a specialist from Disney's Animal Kingdom.</s>THE TOKENS (Musical Group): (Singing) In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight. | NASA has addressed many problems in the year since shuttle Discovery last flew, and one involves vultures. During last summer's launch, a vulture struck Discovery's fuel tank. It did not cause major damage. But NASA has set up a "road kill roundup" program to clear as many carcasses as possible from the site in hopes of cutting off the vultures' food supply. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And I'm Renee Montagne.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Russian soldiers are still in Georgia and that is threatening a cease-fire agreement signed on Tuesday. President Bush has offered new support to Georgia. Yesterday he said the U.S. is sending a huge aid package to help Georgians who are displaced by the conflict. He's also sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help pressure the Russians to abide by the cease-fire.</s>Ms. CONDOLEEZZA RICE (U.S. Secretary of State): I've heard the Russian president say that his military operations are over. I am saying that it is time for the Russian president to be true to his word.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Rice spoke yesterday at the State Department. She met today with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered the peace deal. She then continues on to Georgia. | President Bush has offered new support to Georgia, saying the U.S. is sending a huge aid package to help Georgians displaced by the conflict. He is also sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to help pressure the Russians to abide by the cease-fire. She'll also visit France, whose president helped to broker the truce. |
TONY COX, host: From NPR News, this is NEWS & NOTES. I'm Tony Cox in for Farai Chideya who is away this week.</s>TONY COX, host: Happy Monday, everybody. We thought we'd get the week started right with a good show for you today. In just a minute, we'll talk dollars and cents with a good friend of NEWS & NOTES, Julianne Malveaux. And later, we continue our monthlong series on hip-hop with a look at violence in music. We'll talk to rapper icon Master P in studio about why he suddenly changed his tunes.</s>TONY COX, host: But first, it's time for a few headlines. Today, we start on the frontlines in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to a story today from The Associated Press, black military enlistment has taken a nosedive. Compared to 2001, nearly 40 percent fewer African-Americans signed on the dotted line last year. That number includes both active duty and reserve recruits. The Army's hardest hit, blacks make up - made up 23 percent of recruits in 2000 that number down now to a modest 12 percent. Experts are at a lost as to why exactly African-Americans are no longer enlisting, but they say the drop has been padded in part by a hike in other minority sign-ups especially among Hispanics.</s>TONY COX, host: Our second headline takes us to Malibu, California, where rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has put his seven-bedroom mansion on the auction block. The sale comes after Knight filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. For those of you who do not know Knight, he founded Death Row Records, a driving force behind rap's increasingly violent image. Later in the show, we'll be taking a closer look at that image and whether or not violent music tells the truth of street life or creates its own violent truth. | Tony Cox runs through the day's headlines, including news that African-American military enlistment is down nearly 40 percent and that rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight has put his Malibu mansion up for sale as part of a wide-ranging bankruptcy settlement. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news starts with good news for Boeing's battery maker.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: When all Boeing 787 Dreamliners were grounded for electrical issues, it sent the stock of the company that makes the plane's batteries into a tailspin. Now that company, GS Yuasa, is seeing its stock bounce back. Yesterday, the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau cleared the firm of all responsibility for Boeing's electrical issues. Boeing will announce its fourth-quarter earnings - by the way - later today. | When all Boeing 787 Dreamliners were grounded for electrical issues, it sent the stock of the company that makes the plane's batteries into a tailspin. Now that company, GS Yuasa, is seeing its stock bounce back. The Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau cleared the company of all responsibility for Boeing's electrical issues. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news starts with some profits de-friending Facebook.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Weeks ahead of an initial public stock offering, Facebook yesterday released its first quarter profits, and they are down - 12 percent from a year ago. At the same time, company expenses have almost doubled. Facebook attributes some of that to market expansion, which requires more employees and infrastructure.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Facebook also announced yesterday the purchase of over 600 patents from Microsoft for $550 million. | Weeks ahead of its initial public offering, Facebook released its first quarter profits Monday, and they are down 12 percent from a year ago. At the same time, company expenses have nearly doubled. Facebook attributes some of that to market expansion, which requires more employees and infrastructure. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with a Hawaiian plan for electric cars.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: When we think of American cars, we think of Detroit, of course. But part of the automotive future could be in Hawaii. Yesterday, the state's Republican governor announced a plan to create an electric car network throughout the islands by the year 2012. The state is working with a Silicon Valley company that will build tens of thousands of battery recharging points. Hawaii's drivers pay some of the highest gas prices in the nation. | Hawaii's Republican Gov. Linda Lingle has announced plans to create an electric car recharging network throughout the islands by 2012. The state is working with a Silicon Valley company that will build tens of thousands of battery recharging points throughout the islands. Many in Hawaii would like to see the plan put in place because drivers there pay some of the highest gas prices in the nation. |
MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: There are good games in baseball, great games in baseball. And then, there is perfection.</s>DAVE SIMS: Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez, the 2-2. He got it. 34 years, 119 games, it's finally happened, a perfect game by a Seattle Mariner. It was done by the king, Felix Hernandez.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Dave Sims of Root Sports made the call, as Hernandez threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays in yesterday's one-to-nothing victory. That means in nine innings, three batters per inning, not one Tampa Bay player reached base - not a hit, not a walk, not on an error, 27 up, 27 down.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Hernandez joins an exclusive club alongside the likes of Cy Young and Sandy Koufax. In more than a century, only 23 perfect games have been pitched in the Major Leagues. Remarkably, three of those games have come this season. Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox did it against the Mariners in April.</s>DAVE SIMS: He's going to throw it down. It's a perfect game for Philip Humber.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Dave Sims called that game on Fox. Then came San Francisco Giants pitcher Matt Cain. He threw a perfect game in June against the Houston Astros.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: Richard Justice is a columnist for MLB.com and has covered baseball for three decades. He says it is astounding the way perfect games are piling up.</s>RICHARD JUSTICE: We had 17 in the first 110 years of Major League Baseball and we've had six in the last four years. So, people all over the sport are looking for explanations. And I'm not sure to have three in one year there is a good one, other than maybe the perfect conditions and the right pitcher doing a great thing.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: So, in a sport where errors are methodically noted and so many things can go wrong, hats off to Hernandez and the rest who have pitched perfectly. | Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game Wednesday in a 1 to 0 victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. That makes it the third perfect game this season. Melissa Block has more. |
JAMES HATTORI, host: Time now for a dip into our mailbag.</s>JAMES HATTORI, host: Our story on the former boy band Hanson brought back a decade-old memory for Lindsay Barker(ph) of Stuarts Draft, Virginia. She writes: I attended the Hoard tour, a music festival devoted to the indie alternative rock sound. The performances that afternoon and evening had their ups and downs but the amphitheater was packed for Blues Traveler's performance at the end of the night. Halfway through their set, Blue Traveler front man John Popper brought out the group that had performed in that venue the previous night, Hanson.</s>JAMES HATTORI, host: They were predictably greeted with jeers and boos. This was most assuredly not their crowd. But they took it all with good grace and got down to playing -"MmmBop," of course. After 30 seconds, the catcall stopped. After a minute, the crowd was tapping its collective toe. By the end of the first chorus, they had won over the entire audience and we all whooped like teenyboppers as they grinned at us and waved goodbye.</s>JAMES HATTORI, host: Ms. Barker concludes, I had new respect for those three young men on that day. To win over a hostile mob several thousand strong takes guts, talent and some real stage presence. Thank you for reminding us that they are still out there, still talented and still the kind of guys you wouldn't mind dating your niece.</s>JAMES HATTORI, host: Since we aired our interview with Hanson, one of the band members has met another more serious challenge. Isaac Hanson was hospitalized in Dallas this week. A blood clot caused his right arm to swell during a concert. He underwent surgery on Thursday and he walked out of the hospital the very next day. Isaac Hanson's arm remains bandaged but he can't be feeling too bad. He and his brothers plan to resume their tour tomorrow night in Knoxville, Tennessee. | We hear a response to last week's interview with the band Hanson. The show sparked the memory of one listener who attended a concert where Hanson faced a skeptical audience. |
ANDREA SEABROOK, host: For NPR news, it's All Things Considered. I'm Andrea Seabrook. It's time for the closing arguments. The case, Obama versus McCain, it goes to the jury on Tuesday. Later in the show, we'll get in to the side arguments, the polls, the victory parties, even the weather. First, though, we'll let each candidate make his case. On one side, Barack Obama speaking today in Columbus, Ohio. On the other, John McCain in the Philadelphia suburb of Wallingford, Pennsylvania. Gentlemen, the floor is yours.</s>Senator JOHN MCCAIN (Republican, Arizona; 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee): I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here.</s>Senator BARACK OBAMA (Democrat, Illinois; 2008 Democratic Presidential Nominee): The choice in this election isn't between tax cuts and no tax cuts. Both John McCain and I are promising tax cuts. It's about whether you believe we should only reward wealth, or should we also give a break to workers and honor the work that creates wealth.</s>Senator JOHN MCCAIN (Republican, Arizona; 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee): We've learned more about Senator Obama's real goals for our country over the last two weeks than we learned over the past two years, and that's only because Joe the Plumber asked him a question. That's when Senator Obama revealed he, quote, "wants to spread the wealth around."</s>Senator BARACK OBAMA (Democrat, Illinois; 2008 Democratic Presidential Nominee): What they're not listening to is what else I said, which is that when everybody has a shot, when we grow the economy from the bottom up, then everybody does better. That's what happened when Bill Clinton was president.</s>Senator JOHN MCCAIN (Republican, Arizona; 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee): I have been tested. Senator Obama hasn't.</s>Senator BARACK OBAMA (Democrat, Illinois; 2008 Democratic Presidential Nominee): I can take two more days of attacks from my opponents, but the American people can't take four more years of this economic mess. | Just two days before Election Day, Barack Obama and John McCain are zipping through the battleground states, making their final arguments. Host Andrea Seabrook presents a few of their closing thoughts from the campaign trail today. |
LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Whether you favor him or not, you can count on Senator Robert Byrd to seize the drama of a moment. And that remained true when Byrd stepped on the Senate floor yesterday to respond to allegations of dogfighting.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Barbaric. Barbaric. Let that word resound from hill to hill, and from mountain to mountain, from valley to valley.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Sports columnist Jeff Schultz is tracking this story for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: Anybody who knows anything about marketing or endorsements or selling shoes knows it has nothing to do with whether a guy is innocent or guilty in a court of law. It's all about whether someone could sell shoes or not.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Vick's future with the Atlanta Falcons may depend in part on whether he can sell tickets. Now, he has survived some past controversies, but now that he's indicted, Jeff Shultz said it's noteworthy that Vick remains on the team.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: I think if this wasn't Michael Vick, if it was a backup tackle or a kicker or somebody else who didn't have either the talent or the star power, or ticket-selling ability that Michael Vick has, I think he would be gone by now.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Whether it's in the shoe market or the market for tickets, the public may pass judgment on Michael Vick just as surely as the legal system does. | Michael Vick of the National Football League's Atlanta Falcons is one of four men accused of a role in an illegal dogfighting ring. Endorser Nike says it will continue its deal with Vick, but will delay the release of a new shoe. |
ROBERT SIEGEL, host: Pakistan is defending the security of its nuclear arms program. Many, including the U.S., have worried that it is vulnerable. Today, Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gillani sought to calm those fears and to reprimand those who question Pakistan's ability to safeguard the arsenal.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, host: NPR's Julie McCarthy tells us more.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: Prime Minister Gillani was addressing the National Command Authority, which controls Pakistan's strategic nuclear forces. He said his country will pursue the policy of credible minimal deterrence as a responsible nuclear state. We will never pursue aggressive nuclear posturing or misadventure, he said.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: But what worries capitals in the West and the East is that Islamist militants would try to steal a nuclear weapon in transit, or insert sympathizers into nuclear laboratories or fuel reprocessing plants.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: Gillani said media reports had speculated on both the possibility of sabotage and the existence of foreign plans to take over Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. He said any such designs would be thwarted by the armed forces of the country.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: But the prime minister also acknowledged that the covert U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden that Pakistan's armed forces missed and the brazen attack on the Mehran naval base in Karachi had raised concerns about the safety and security of Pakistan's strategic assets.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: Pakistani and U.S. officials have said Pakistan does have a robust, multi-layered command and control system. The prime minister added that the propaganda onslaught against Pakistan would not deter it from proceeding with its nuclear program, which is reportedly growing faster than any other.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: For most Pakistanis, their nuclear scientists are heroes who restored parity with their arch-rival India and catapulted Pakistan into the world's elite club of nuclear powers.</s>JULIE MCCARTHY: Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad. | Amid international concerns that terrorists might seize Pakistan's nuclear materials, and amid Pakistani concerns that the U.S. might seize them, Islamabad has issued a strong statement declaring that the weapons are safe. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with GM's early payback.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Not sure anybody really expected this. General Motors is set to announce it is paying back billions of dollars in government bailout money and doing it earlier than the original June deadline. The Detroit Free Press reports that GM's chief executive, Ed Whitacre will announce tomorrow the company will pay nearly $5 billion that his company owes Washington and about a billion dollars that it owes the Canadian government.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The emergency loans helped the automaker get through the financial crisis and bankruptcy. Now, GM wants to lessen its financial dependence on the government. GM's reputation suffered when it went to the government for cash. Ford, by contrast, did not take bailout money and its brand got a boost. | General Motors reportedly is set to announce it's paying back billions of dollars in government bailout money earlier than the original June deadline. The emergency loans helped the automaker get through the financial crisis and bankruptcy. The company is expected to officially announce the repayment on Wednesday. |
MELISSA BLOCK, host: It's time now for your letters. There were opinions aplenty on my conversation with history professor Robert Allison yesterday about Sarah Palin and Paul Revere. Palin has been taking heat for some off-the-cuff remarks she made last week about Paul Revere's midnight ride. But Professor Allison said that while Palin did take a few liberties, she largely got the story right.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Well, Mike Divergillio(ph) of Bolingbrook, Illinois, writes: Will wonders never cease? NPR was actually fair to Sarah Palin. I know there are not many Palin fans there at NPR, but the interview about her Revere comments was truly - dare I say it - fair and balanced.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: But Victoria Crompton, of New Haven, Connecticut, was not impressed. She writes this: No one expects politicians to be historians but they should have at least an accurate sense of history. I have taught United States history for 37 years and I would not accept Ms. Palin's remarks as correct responses from any of my high school students.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Finally, on Friday, we aired a story by NPR's Wade Goodwyn about the enduring popularity of the accordion in the Hispanic, Cajun and Creole communities of Texas. Scott Segal(ph) of San Francisco writes: I smiled the whole way through this one. This is NPR at its best. Thank you.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: And Jim Lundstrom(ph), of Menasha, Wisconsin, writes: Wade's piece was a brilliantly told slice of cultural history, and struck a very happy note while stuck in a car on a steamy Friday afternoon.</s>MELISSA BLOCK, host: Thanks to all of you who wrote in and please keep those letters coming. Just go to NPR.org and click on Contact Us. | Melissa Block reads emails from listeners. |
STEVE INSKEEP, Host: For today's last word in business, we'll follow up on what might be the latest in air travel. Last week, the CEO of the European discount carrier Ryanair said he might install coin slots on the doors of airline toilets and make passengers pay to go to the bathroom in flight.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: Naturally, there was a big stink about this. The airline issued a statement assuring angry passengers, politicians and consumer advocates that while this plan has been discussed internally, there are no immediately to introduce it.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: In a statement, the airline says the idea comes simply from its, quote, "obsession with cutting costs. Charging for the toilet might lower ticket prices for everybody, including those who don't have to use the facilities." Ryanair is often on the cutting edge of airline cost-saving techniques. In fact, it's planning to eliminate check-in counters.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: From now on, all passengers would check in online, at home, where the bathroom is free. That's the business news for MORNING EDITION on NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: And I'm Steve Inskeep. | The head of Ryanair has suggested the idea of pay toilets. Michael O'Leary said future passengers on his European no-frills airline might be obliged to insert a British pound coin before using the restroom. The airline's staff wasn't sure if he was joking. O'Leary pioneered charging airline customers to check bags, to use a check-in desk and to use a credit or debit card to make an on-line booking. |
DANIEL SCHORR: The atmosphere after the State of the Union last night brought back to mind 1995, when President Clinton after sharp Democratic reverses in the Congressional election told a news conference that under the Constitution, he was still relevant.</s>NORRIS: NPR's senior analyst, Daniel Schorr.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: It also recalls 2004, when a reelected President Bush told a news conference that he had earned political capital in the campaign that he now planned to spend on issues dear to him, like social security, tax reform and the war against terrorism.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: That capital has now run out, and the speech last night, professionally crafted though it was, reflected the bruising rejection of the president in most of the opinion polls and more significantly in the November election.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: There are now growing demands that the American military extricate itself from a conflict that increasingly looks like a Sunni/Shiite civil war. The usual practice is for a president in trouble on the domestic front to shift his emphasis to the international scene.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: In this case, the speech was almost evenly divided between domestic initiatives like health care, social security, energy and immigration and the foreign scene, meaning Iraq, the inescapable subject. But there was no sign that he had changed many minds.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: He talked of trying to avert a nightmare scenario of facing the defeat that would be grievous and far reaching, and he appealed to Congress and the public to give him one last chance to win with his new strategy featuring a temporary military reinforcement.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: But that is falling on deaf ears. Today, a Senate Foreign Relations Committee, acting by design immediately after the State of the Union, approved by a vote of 12-9 a resolution saying that an escalation of American troop strength is against the national interest. The resolution is what is called non-binding, that is not obliging the administration to do anything. But it makes President Bush look like a lame duck, indeed.</s>DANIEL SCHORR: This is Daniel Schorr. | NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr offers his review of President Bush's State of the Union address Tuesday night — and remarks on the president's current lack of political capital. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Baltimore's residents were on edge last night. Early in the evening, a group of cars drove up to a line of police protecting the remains of a charred CVS. They honked horns, revved engines and eventually drove away. But one man, who didn't give his name, felt trapped by those police.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Look how they got us blocked off. This is our neighborhood. Would you go downtown in Baltimore? You go to the Inner Harbor, and you see they got the National Guard down there protecting white Baltimore.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Another man, named Lasean Robinson, was carrying a yellow sign that read, justice for Freddie Gray.</s>LASEAN ROBINSON: This is rebellion. This is years of frustration. This community has been ignored and would've continued to be ignored had not this happened. And it probably will, after this, you know, blows over, become ignored again.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Robinson is an academic adviser at Morgan State University. He hopes the riots will inspire people in the community to make things better - a sentiment echoed by teacher Katia Stokes (ph).</s>KATIA STOKES: I'm not waiting for Superman. I'm here, you know, with my sweats on and my tennis - it has to be us. We don't have to wait for someone else to come in and save and do something. This is our city. We have to - we have to do something about it.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And with that, helicopters above announced a curfew.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: It is 10 p.m. The curfew is in effect until 5 a.m.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And most of Baltimore stayed indoors. | A curfew went into effect Tuesday night in Baltimore in hopes of controlling violent outbursts. Riots Monday left at least 20 officers injured and several buildings damaged. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning. I'm David Green. So I ran 17 miles, and all I got was this T-shirt. That's what runners at the Bangkok half-marathon might be saying. You might know a half-marathon is about 13 miles long, but organizers in Bangkok accidentally had runners take a wrong turn, adding four miles to the race. The Jogging Association of Thailand has apologized and now offered runners at T-shirt emblazoned with the actual distance they ran. You know, I'm really sorry this segment has gone on longer than I thought it would. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. | Runners in Bangkok entered a half-marathon. Race organizers, however, accidentally had the runners take a wrong turn, adding four miles to the race. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: If you live in the Mexican State of Sonora, you may not name your next child Facebook, one of 60 baby names state officials banned, all of them used at least once, but no more. You can't call a child Martian, as someone did, nor can use Circumcision or Lady Di or Juan Calzone, which translates as Juan Panties. Officials say the names put kids at the risk of bullying. But really, I'm not sure who would mess with a kid who really was named Rambo.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: It's MORNING EDITION. | If you live in the Mexican state of Sonora, you may not name your next child Facebook. That's one of sixty baby names state officials banned. Other names banned included Lady Di and Circumcision. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with Ford's troubles in Asia.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Ford said last night it may have to slow or stop production in Asia because of a parts shortage from Japan. The U.S. automaker has temporarily halted operations in the United States and Europe because it cannot get parts from Japanese factories affected by the earthquake and the tsunami. And now, Ford is talking about its plans in Asia.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Ford plants in countries like China, Australia and Vietnam use components made in Japan. | Ford announced it might have to slow or stop production in Asia because of parts shortages from Japan. Ford has temporarily halted operations at some U.S. and European facilities because it can't get parts from Japanese factories affected by the earthquake and tsunami. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's Business News starts with layoffs at Wal-Mart.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Regular Wal-Mart stores still have growing sales, but the giant retailer is cutting more than 11,000 jobs at its Sam's Club warehouse stores. Most of the people losing their positions have been conducting in-store products demonstrations.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: A Wal-Mart spokesperson told the New York Times the layoffs are not a cost-cutting measure, strictly speaking. The company has decided to outsource these jobs in the hope that a separate marketing company will do a better job and boost sales. Sam's Club faces tough competition from Costco. And earlier this month, Wal-Mart announced plans to close 10 Sam's Club stores. | Wal-Mart says it's cutting about 10 percent of the workforce at it warehouse club stores. About 10,000 members of the demonstration department are being let go, mostly part-time workers. The company is also cutting its new business membership representative positions, affecting about two staffers per store. Sam's Club faces tough competition from Costco. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And it's a showdown today for people arguing whether or not the U.S. economy is heading into recession. This morning the government releases a new number for economic growth. Growth is already dancing around zero, so even a small change up or down could tip the scales.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: NPR's Elaine Korry reports.</s>ELAINE KORRY: Right now fourth quarter expansion is pegged at a measly 0.6 percent. Pretty close to the R word. Economist Mark Englund with Action Economics in Boulder says the bears, who seem to be a majority these days, are expecting a revision downward.</s>Mr. MARK ENGLUND (Economist): For people that are claiming that we're going into a recession, if we can get a negative number for GDP in the fourth quarter, they're going to be pretty emboldened and I think we're going to see an I-told-you-so from them.</s>ELAINE KORRY: On the other hand, says Englund, most economists who were surveyed predicted a slight revision upward.</s>Mr. MARK ENGLUND (Economist): And if we end up with a positive number, an even stronger number than the .6 they reported, that really takes the wind out of the sails for the collapsion theory and we might be seeing perhaps a bounce later in the year.</s>ELAINE KORRY: Either way, there's no doubt the economy is struggling. In a report to Congress, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said he stands ready to cut interest rates again to shore up the weak economy. He cited concerns over the subprime mortgage crisis and a softening labor market. The Fed has cut rates fives times since September and most economists are expecting another half percentage point reduction in mid-March.</s>ELAINE KORRY: Elaine Korry, NPR News. | The government is releasing a revised figure for fourth-quarter growth Thursday. The initial estimate was a very weak 0.6 percent. The new figure will finally determine if the U.S. economy is headed into recession. |
STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Now, the nation's only satellite radio service, Sirius XM, faces bankruptcy. This comes after these two companies, Sirius and XM, waged a major struggle to get their merger approved. Now, the company could file for Chapter 11 as early as next week. And we have more this morning from NPR's David Folkenflik.</s>DAVID FOLKENFLIK: The combination of XM and Sirius brought together radio channels for the NFL, Major League Baseball, NPR News, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and, of course, shock jock Howard Stern, who has a $100 million-a-year deal. Here was Stern this week, audibly leering at an Australian singer who survived the troubled US Airway's flight that landed safely on the Hudson River.</s>M: I'm thinking about stuff like that. You've got my mind going, baby. Don't mean to make you blush.</s>DAVID FOLKENFLIK: Sirius XM is still growing, with nearly 19 million subscribers paying $12.95 each month for a 130-plus channels. But the company's debt has ballooned, and its stock price ended yesterday at just 7 cents a share. A $175 million debt payment is due next Tuesday, and Sirius XM does not really have the cash. The company did not respond to requests for comment. But back in November, CEO Mel Karmazin told investors the February payment was very much on his mind.</s>M: We are hopeful and confident of shortly announcing refinancing of that trunch(ph).</s>DAVID FOLKENFLIK: David Folkenflik, NPR News, New York. | Sirius XM Radio Inc., which has $3.25 billion in debt, faces a deadline next week to repay $175 million. With credit hard to come by, the satellite radio company has few options and could be forced into bankruptcy. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Earlier generations of science-fiction films fretted about nuclear radiation or alien invasion. What powers Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" is a more up-to-date concern. Film critic Kenneth Turan has this review.</s>KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Interstellar" has the rarest beast in the Hollywood jungle. It's a mass audience picture that's intelligent as well as epic. It's as interested in emotional moments as immersive visuals, which is saying a lot. "Interstellar" is a near-future story of an intergalactic search for other planets that might support life and the way we've become accustomed to. Matthew McConaughey stars as Cooper, a former test pilot who is now a farmer struggling to raise his two children. Cooper follows a hunch and finds a secret underground bunker where a group of government scientists, led by Michael Caine, know that Earth's days are numbered.</s>MICHAEL CAINE: (As Professor Brand) We must confront the reality that nothing in our solar system can help us.</s>KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: The scientists have discovered a wormhole near Saturn, a shortcut through space and time to a totally different galaxy, and an interstellar expedition is being mounted to check it out. The only thing missing is, yes, an experienced pilot. Cooper is beyond eager to take this on, but there's a catch - he'd have to leave his family behind. And they might die by the time he returns - if he returns at all. A fellow crew member played by Anne Hathaway sums it up.</s>ANNE HATHAWAY: (As Amelia) You might have to decide between seeing your children again and the future of the human race.</s>KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Interstellar" is impressive to look at, but its greatest accomplishment is that all those visuals don't stand in the way of the personal dimension. This is a story that understands that the qualities that make us human are the most special effects of all. | Earlier generations of science fiction fretted about nuclear radiation or alien invasion. What powers Interstellar is an up-to-date concern about the viability of Earth as home for the human race. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This instrumental version of Wham!'s hit "Careless Whisper" won't be heard publicly anymore in Iran now that that country has taken a really hard line on Western culture. TV programs in Iran often use songs by artists such as George Michael, Kenny G and The Eagles as background music. Yesterday Iran's president banned Western music on radio and TV. He's insisting that a recent ruling by the Supreme Cultural Revolutionary Council be enforced. To wit, indecent and Western music must be kept off the air in Iran. It was back in 1979 that the Islamic revolution first outlawed popular music as un-Islamic.</s>THE EAGLES: (Singing) Welcome to the Hotel California. Such a lovely place, such a lovely place, such a lovely face.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This is NPR News. | Iran's hard-line president has banned all Western music from the country's state radio and television stations. It's a reminder of the 1979 Islamic revolution, when popular music was outlawed as un-Islamic. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: We've been watching violence on the streets of Baltimore.</s>MAYOR STEPHANIE RAWLINGS-BLAKE: Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs who are trying to tear down what so many have fought for.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: That's how Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake described people protesting a death in police custody. The police commissioner is Anthony Batts.</s>ANTHONY BATTS: This is not protesting. This is not your First Amendment rights. This is just criminal acts doing damage to a community that is challenged in some ways that do not need this and do not need to be harmed in a way that we have today.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: The commissioner spoke after the death of Freddie Gray. He was arrested after making eye contact with an officer and running away. He died in police custody and was buried yesterday. And soon afterward, people gathered in one of the most scenic parts of Baltimore. The Mondawmin Mall is near Druid Hill Park. It's a district of greenery and 19th-century buildings.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: And yesterday, it was a place where people threw cinderblocks at police and looted the mall. A 22-year-old who gave his name as Mo Jackson gave his version of what happened.</s>MO JACKSON: Police came and blocked off everything. An animal that's blocked off is going to - you feel me? - they're going to want a way to get out, so people start moving. Police start getting more aggressive. Before anything happened, they started firing smokescreens and all that. It made everything violent.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Dozens of arrests were made across the city as violence continued into the evening. The police commissioner said 15 officers were injured, but that, quote, "all will be OK." Authorities are hoping their city will be, too. | A day of mourning in Baltimore gave way to looting and violent protests. Just hours after Monday's funeral of a black man who was fatally injured in police custody, hundreds faced off with police. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news starts with Chevron charged in Brazil.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Brazilian authorities filed charges yesterday against oil companies Chevron and Transocean and 16 of their top executives over an offshore oil spill last November. If convicted, the executives could get up to 31 years in jail. Chevron, by the way, calls these charges outrageous. | Brazil filed charges Wednesday against oil companies Chevron and Transocean, and 16 of their top executives, over an offshore oil spill in November. If convicted, the executives could get up to 31 years in jail. Chevron calls the charges "outrageous." |
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: Good morning. I'm Rachel Martin. If you follow soccer, you know Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the world. And its star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, is basically a god among men on the field. He's talented, also good looking, which is why the internet went crazy when a new bust of Ronaldo was unveiled in his home country of Portugal. It depicts the star as less than godlike. Some likened it to a Picasso painting or Sloth from "The Goonies." How do you say schadenfreude in Portuguese? It's MORNING EDITION. | Cristiano Ronaldo is a talented and good looking soccer star from Real Madrid. A statue unveiled in his home country of Portugal attracted widespread criticism; some likened it to a Picasso painting. |
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: Judging by pictures in the newspapers this week, you might think what happened in Egypt was oddly like our Fourth of July celebrations. In the United States, we celebrate our founding documents - the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the early Amendments, the Bill of Rights. We celebrate with crowds, speeches and fireworks.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: In Egypt, when the first elected president, Mohamed Morsi, was removed from office and the constitution annulled, there were also crowds and fireworks. Of course, the new constitution, drafted by Islamists, with strong religious content, alarmed many Egyptians. Still, the idea of annulling a constitution is almost as shocking to Americans as the military removing a president. President Obama pointed out that the Egyptian constitution provided for replacing a president with an election. But the crowds in Cairo were impatient and the Army decided to move. Now, there are uncertain, dangerous times ahead for Egypt as it attempts to stabilize its government and stop the economic free fall.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: We have had frightening and uncertain periods in our country where we faced what we call a constitutional crisis. The Civil War resolved the worst of these by force, but the constitution itself settled another when President Richard Nixon resigned, rather than face impeachment and removal as provided in that document. Some among us believe the Constitution should be sacred, unchanged. Most Americans have at one time or another supported a change. Our Constitution has been both firm and flexible and has served us well. We hope Egypt's next draft works better for them.</s>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: You're listening to NPR News. | Judging by pictures in the newspapers this week, you might think what happened in Egypt was oddly like our Fourth of July celebrations. Guest host Linda Wertheimer reflects on the importance of founding documents in light of the July 4th holiday and a coup that threw out Egypt's new constitution. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: Good morning, I'm David Greene. In a classic "Star Wars" moment, Darth Vader tells Luke Skywalker...</s>JAMES EARL JONES: (As Darth Vader) Your destiny lies with me.</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: And speaking of destiny, a newlywed couple decided to forgo their first dance in favor of a light saber battle. They grabbed the colorful space swords from beneath the head table at the reception and clashed on the dance floor. At one point in the battle, the groom dropped his saber - a metaphor for how this marriage is going to go? May the force be with him. It's MORNING EDITION. | The couple grabbed the space swords from beneath the head table and clashed on the dance floor. At one point in the battle, the groom dropped his saber. A metaphor for how his marriage is gonna go? |
RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: NPR's business news starts with overdraft fees.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: The study also finds many banks still charge customers multiple times on a single overdraft. | Bank overdraft fees were supposed to drop after new rules went into effect last year. But a study from the Consumer Federation of America finds that at the nation's largest banks, the median overdraft fee remains $35, the same as last year. The study also finds many banks still charge customers multiple times on a single overdraft. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: The iPad may be Apple's newest offering, but when the company announced quarter's earnings, yesterday, one of the stars of the show wasnt just the company's hot new tablet computer, it was an old stalwart.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: NPR's Laura Sydell reports.</s>LAURA SYDELL: Apple's income rose 78 percent over last year at this time, to three and a quarter billion dollars. The company sold over three million iPads and is edging up on two million iPhone 4s. But it was the sale of good old Mac computers that took analysts like Gartner's Mike McGuire by surprise.</s>Mr. MIKE MCGUIRE (Research vice president, Gartner, Inc): In the hullabaloo and all the news about the iPad in the last quarter, and then the iPhone 4, and then everything after the iPhone 4 launched, people forget they still sell computers.</s>LAURA SYDELL: Some analysts also believe that the iPad, which let's users surf the website, read email and books and do other tasks, might have slowed the sale of Apple computers, but that clearly wasnt the case. The company sold three-and-a-half million computers, up about a third, over last year.</s>LAURA SYDELL: Looking ahead, analyst McGuire wonders if bad press about reception problems with the iPhone 4 will hurt sales as it launches in other markets around the world.</s>Mr. MIKE MCGUIRE (Research vice president, Gartner, Inc): Will everybody in the other markets be as focused on the last month, as we in the U.S. have been?</s>LAURA SYDELL: During a conference call, COO Tim Cook didnt seem to think that the bad press was hurting sales in the U.S. Cook says that iPhone 4s are flying off the shelves as fast as Apple can make them. Cook also emphasized that the company had not made too few of the phones on purpose to create a shortage just to get buzz.</s>LAURA SYDELL: Laura Sydell, NPR News, San Francisco. | Despite all the bad press about reception problems with the iPhone 4, Apple's third-quarter results beat Wall Street expectations. The key was unexpectedly strong computer sales. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news begins with a slam dunk for Bitcoins.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Pro basketball's Sacramento Kings will now accept Bitcoins, the electronic currency, as payment for just about everything, from court-side seats, to a DeMarcus Cousins jersey. The Kings are the first major professional sports team to accept the virtual currency.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: As of yesterday, Bitcoins could be used to purchase merchandise sold in the team shop at the Sleep Train Arena. Fans will be able to make online purchases, including game tickets, with Bitcoins by March 1st. | The NBA team will accept Bitcoins as payment for just about everything — from court-side seats to team souvenirs. The Kings are the first major professional sports team to accept the virtual currency. |
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: If you're about to book your safari to take in the great zebra and wildebeest migration from the Serengeti to Kenya's Masai Mara Reserve, hold off.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: This year, there is an easier and cheaper way.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Just to let everyone know, we are here and broadcasting live from the Masai Mara in Kenya.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: We can see some zebras and some wildebeests, some buffaloes, elephants.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: That's from a feed that was on the live video streaming app Periscope today. A group called HerdTracker is leading the project from the banks of the Mara River.</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: That's where we reached HerdTracker's Carel Verhoef. He says after people see these videos, maybe they will book that trip.</s>CAREL VERHOEF: That's why we're here, to show a little bit of what Kenya has to offer to the world.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: But where there are wildebeests, don't expect Wi-Fi. The cost of presenting this live video stream from the Masai Mara...</s>CAREL VERHOEF: Thirty-eight dollars per minute of live broadcast.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Thirty-eight dollars per minute.</s>CAREL VERHOEF: Yes, the more remote you are the higher the cost.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: (Laughter).</s>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: The broadcast will continue twice a day through October 5. Viewer discretion is advised.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: There are crocodiles in the Mara River. It can get gory.</s>TWILLIE AND MORAKE: (Singing in foreign language). | For the first time, the great migration of nearly 2 million wildebeest, gazelle and zebras to Kenya will be broadcast online. Carl Verhoef, co-founder of HerdTracker, will guide the live-streamed safari. |
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Who says nobody dreams big anymore?</s>MATT NEGRIN: I want to write about what it's like to never leave the Mall of America.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: That's Matt Negrin. He's a comedy writer in New York. This week, he learned that there is a job just right for him at this country's largest mall, the Mall of America.</s>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Dan Jasper is vice president there.</s>DAN JASPER: We're having a writer-in-residence contest.</s>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The mall turns 25 this summer, and they're hiring a writer-in-residence as part of the celebration. They already have 500 entries.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: As Thoreau once took inspiration from Walden Pond, one lucky writer will have the chance to go to the mall and live deliberately.</s>DAN JASPER: Have five days on the mall. They can interact with shoppers or ride a roller coaster or swim with sharks, be immersed into the life and the excitement of the mall and get to write whatever they really feel like that pertains somehow to Mall of America.</s>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: Writer Matt Negrin put one additional condition on his application.</s>MATT NEGRIN: I want to make sure, should you select me as your writer-in-residence, that a security guard is assigned to my person 24 hours a day. Not to protect me, but to stop me from trying to escape the Mall of America.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: One note. The terms and conditions say that the writer's work must not be inaccurate, derogatory, incompatible with, inconsistent with or otherwise contradictory to the Mall of America's desired presentation. Art isn't easy.</s>AUDIE CORNISH, HOST: The application closes March 10. Good luck. | The Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minn., is the largest mall in the United States, and it is now looking for a writer-in-residence. |
KELLY MCEVERS, HOST: Good morning. I'm Kelly McEvers. Finding time to pray is a big deal when you're the worldwide leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Francis, who reportedly wakes up at 4:30 in the morning to make sure he isn't rushed. But on a recent visit to South Korea, the Pope decided to skip his evening prayers so he could bless disabled children and elderly people. I came by helicopter, the pope told a crowd, and if we don't take off in time, we might smash into a mountain. It's MORNING EDITION. | The Vatican says the pope ran out of time during a stop to bless disabled children and the elderly. The pope told the crowd if the helicopter doesn't take off on time, we might smash into a mountain. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And the president-elect is naming more of the people he wants to run the federal bureaucracy. Senator Hillary Clinton is widely expected to become secretary of state. If confirmed, she would work with other key figures expected to be announced later this morning.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The ambassador to the United Nations is expected to be Susan Rice. The new secretary of state will know her, since Rice was a leading diplomat in her husband's administration, the Clinton administration. The White House national security adviser is expected to be a retired Marine Corps general. James Jones was an Obama adviser during the campaign.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And Mr. Obama will keep on for a while longer the current secretary of defense, Robert Gates. He's the man who oversaw the surge in Iraq. Now he'll be charged with bringing troops home from there or sending them to Afghanistan instead. Mr. Obama says he intends to end the war in Iraq, but the president-elect plans to increase American involvement in Afghanistan where the Taliban is growing in strength. | President-elect Barack Obama is set to unveil his national security team Monday. It's expected that former rival Hillary Clinton will be named secretary of state and Robert Gates will stay on as defense secretary. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: NPR Business News starts with a gloomy week on Broadway.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Talks between the producers' league and the stagehands' union broke off late last night. They had spent all day Saturday and Sunday talking when producers told the union that its offer wasn't, quote, "good enough." No further talks had been scheduled, so the League of American Theaters and Producers announced it's canceling this week's performances.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Big hits like "The Lion King" and "Chicago" are among the more than two dozen shows that won't go on. Shutting the shows down in what is traditionally one of Broadway's best weeks will cost Broadway and New York millions. | Labor problems prompt the League of American Theaters and Producers to cancel Broadway performances during the traditionally profitable Thanksgiving week. Talks on Saturday and Sunday with the stagehands' union ended without agreement — and with no schedule for more negotiations. |
GUY RAZ, host: We're a day away from announcing the winner of the latest round of our Three-Minute Fiction contest. You sent us nearly 4,000 short stories this round. Each one had to include these four words:</s>Ms. ANN PATCHETT (Author): Plant, button, trick, fly.</s>GUY RAZ, host: That's our judge this round, novelist Ann Patchett. To hear Ann read the winning story and to hear what happened to those four words, tune in tomorrow same time same place. | We're sorting through the more than 5,000 stories that listeners entered in this round of our Three-Minute Fiction writing contest. |
DEBORAH AMOS, Host: It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Deborah Amos.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: And I'm Steve Inskeep. All this morning, we're bringing you updates on the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday. It was a magnitude seven quake, and it was centered just a few miles from Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.</s>DEBORAH AMOS, Host: We're told that homes went sliding down hillsides in a city where many buildings are unsafe even in normal times. And this quake was strong enough to wreck many of the city's landmarks. Even the presidential palace crumbled, and the local headquarters of the United Nations collapsed. Electricity is out.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, Host: Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and its infrastructure is weak even on good days. Parts of the country still haven't recovered from floods a year ago. The U.S. State Department and the military are coordinating American relief plans, and are being joined by many private relief agencies as well as other nations. And we will keep you updated as we learn more. | The magnitude 7.0 earthquake was strong enough to wreck many of the landmarks in the Haitian capital Port-Au-Prince. Even the presidential palace crumbled, and the local headquarters of the United Nations collapsed. Parts of the country still haven't recovered from floods a year ago. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Our business news starts with Microsoft scoring big with videogames. The world's largest software maker posted strong revenues, thanks to sales of its X-box videogame console as well as database software. Microsoft's quarterly profit totaled about $2.6 billion. That's lower than last year.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: The company took a hit from delays in bringing out new Office software programs, like Vista, which will be released in stores next Tuesday.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: And the U.S. can run into trouble with international trade regulators over its attempt to crack down on Internet gambling. The government of Antigua and the U.S. are waiting a ruling from the World Trade Organization on that issue.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: The economy of the Caribbean island depends on gambling and Antigua argues that U.S. restrictions violate free trade rules. Antigua's has been battling the U.S. for four years over a case involving online horse race betting. The WTO ruled against a U.S. ban on that and is reportedly criticizing the U.S. for not complying. | Microsoft's quarterly profit of $2.6 billion is down from the same period a year ago. Sales of its X-box video game console helped, but delays in bringing out new office software programs hurt. Meanwhile, Antigua's complaints about a U.S. bid to curb Internet gambling head for a World Trade Organization hearing. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And when the clock is moved ahead next weekend, a lot of people will find themselves getting up in the dark. But then, more Americans seem to be getting up before dawn, anyway.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: The Wall Street Journal reports a number of indicators: a major East Coast utility has had its biggest spike in usage between the hours of five and seven in the morning. A supplier of water for 13 states, Aqua America, reports that its customers are up and flushing earlier.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Businesses are responding to the trend. Staples is now opening many of its office supply stores at seven instead of eight, and both CNN and CNBC have gotten the news--both networks have moved their morning shows an hour earlier.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: We're here for you about as early as you can stand it. This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And I'm Renee Montagne. | The Wall Street Journal reports that a growing number of people are waking up early. More Americans are out of bed pre-dawn, and utility companies have noticed. Television networks are also taking note of the trend. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with a fight over health care costs.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: California's top insurance watchdog is asking one of the state's biggest health companies to delay a planned rate increase. The increase would affect almost 200,000 policyholders. For some people, the rate hike by Blue Shield of California would be as high as 59 percent. It would be the third rate hike since last fall.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius voiced her concerns in Washington, where Republicans in Congress are pushing to repeal the new health care law.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Blue Shield says the increase is not related to health care overhauls in Washington. The company says it's facing higher prices from health care providers, increased use from policyholders and healthier people dropping their coverage. | California's top insurance watchdog is asking one of his state's biggest health insurers to delay a planned rate increase for nearly 200,000 policyholders. For some, the rate hike by Blue Shield of California would be as high as 59 percent. It would be the third hike since last fall. Blue Shield says the increases are not related to health care overhaul. |
ARI SHAPIRO, Host: NPR's business news starts with Libya and oil.</s>ARI SHAPIRO, Host: Sanctions are also in effect and the Wall Street Journal reports, today, that oil companies and Wall Street banks have stopped trading crude oil with Libya. | Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner is in Germany discussing ways to put more financial pressure on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. When Ghadafi began attacking Libyan citizens last month, the U.S. and other nations froze his family's assets. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Another annual Independence Day tradition took place on Coney Island: the 38th Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest.</s>UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: Joey. Joey. Joey.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Something like 40,000 people cheered on the winner. Joey Chestnut broke his own world record, downing 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes. Once just a quirky holiday event, competitive hot dog eating now draws big crowds and bite-by- bite coverage on ESPN.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Unbelievable. And the winner of the women's contest, Sonya Thomas. She took the crown by eating 45 hot dogs. At just 98 pounds, Sonya Thomas is an unlikely competitor. But even before the contests were divided by gender, she said she held her own.</s>SONYA THOMAS: When I competed with men, I never won the first place. The highest one I get is second. But when they separate divisions, I got three straight wins, competition.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: The secret to her success?</s>SONYA THOMAS: You know what? I like to compete, and I love to eat, too.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: Along with the glory, the winners each took home a $10,000 prize, which should cover the costs of the antacids they'll be needing.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST: It's MORNING EDITION. | It wouldn't be the Fourth of July holiday without a hot dog eating contest. The 38th Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest was held on Coney Island Thursday. Joey Chestnut won the men's division and Sonya Thomas was the women's champion. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with that Russian gas dispute.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Russia still is not sending any natural gas to its neighbor Ukraine, and European leaders are now holding emergency talks about this. Russia and Ukraine cannot agree on gas prices, and that appears to be disrupting supplies to Europe. Europe depends on a lot of Russian gas, most of which travels through Ukraine on its way to those other European countries. And last week Russia cut off the supply to Ukraine.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Now Russia is accusing Ukraine of stealing gas intended for other European countries, a charge the Ukraine denies. Several European countries, though, are reporting reduced gas supplies. And this whole incident is provoking memories from three years ago. That's when Russia cut off gas supplies for a day and prompted accusations that Moscow was using its energy supplies as a political weapon. | Russia and Ukraine still can't agree on natural gas prices, and that appears to be disrupting supplies to Europe. European leaders are holding emergency talks in Brussels. Europe is heavily dependent on Russian gas, most of which travels through Ukraine on its way to European markets. Russia last week cut off supplies to Ukraine, and now Russia accuses Ukraine of stealing gas intended for European markets. Ukraine denies that. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's business news starts with soaring gold prices.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Maybe not a good week to buy your loved one a gold chain. Gold prices hit a new record this week - sort of. An ounce of gold reached $1,362 before slipping slightly. Now, way back in 1980, gold hit $800 an ounce, and if you adjust that price for inflation, it would work out to $2,200 today. So strictly speaking, $1,362 isn't a record but its really, really high, and gold prices are up sharply this year.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's Wendy Kaufman tells us what's driving this surge.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: The high price of gold reflects worry about inflation, the decline in the value of the dollar, and general uneasiness about the economy. Yesterday, there was some surprising and relatively good economic news, and that prompted investors to sell gold.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: New unemployment claims were down last week and if that trend continues and the economy picks up, the Federal Reserve is less likely to pump additional money into the economy - a move that could increase inflation and weaken the dollar. In short, when the economy is improving, gold is less attractive as a hedge against inflation and a declining dollar. Still, consumers with old rings and gold chains to sell are reaping the benefits of the high price of gold.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: Brian Lurie is the co-owner of Yuppie Pawn in suburban Seattle.</s>Mr. BRIAN LURIE (Co-owner, Yuppie Pawn): Couple of years ago, we were paying three and four dollars a gram, now we are paying 10, 11, 12, 13 dollars. Were paying more.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: As to where the commodity price of gold is headed, some analysts predict it could top $2,000 an ounce within a few years.</s>WENDY KAUFMAN: Wendy Kaufman, NPR News. | Investors who have watched the price of gold soar in recent weeks did some selling Thursday. The price of Gold is more than $1,300 an ounce. The high price of gold reflects worry about inflation, the decline in the value of the dollar and general uneasiness about the economy. |
ALEX CHADWICK, host: A new survey finds the number of Americans planning summer vacations is at a 30 year low. Gas prices probably have something to do that. A gallon is pushing four dollars.</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: But world oil prices have actually fallen in recent days. Industry analysts say there's a drop in U.S. demand. Could it be we are acting on gas saving tips like these from AAA's Troy Green?</s>Mr. TROY GREEN (Public Relations Manager, AAA): You want to combine your errands and trips if possible making sure that the grocery store, the cleaners, everything is within the same area. Also you want to make sure you maintain the proper air pressure in your tires. And finally avoid driving aggressively.</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: What are people doing about high gas prices? Carpooling?</s>MADELEINE BRAND, host: Are they riding the bus? Are they biking? Skipping that side trip to Starbucks on the way into work?</s>ALEX CHADWICK, host: We want to hear from you. Drop us an email. Go to npr.org, and click Contact Us, and please put "gas tips" in the subject line. | Gas prices are causing more and more people to cancel summer vacations. We want your gas saving tips. What are you doing — or not doing — now that gas is pushing $4 per gallon? |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: As we heard a moment ago, the candidates are already preparing for Pennsylvania. It's only six weeks away, but given the frantic pace in the primary so far, six weeks might seem like a long time to wait.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Here, then, are some facts about Pennsylvania you might be hearing over and over again in the next six weeks, but you heard it here first. Right, Steve?</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Absolutely. The candidates are competing for the state that contains the Steel City and the City of Brotherly Love.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: If Pennsylvania were an independent country, its economy would rank as the 17th largest in the world - just ahead a Belgium, but beyond the Netherlands.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: Oh, poor Netherlands. Among American states, Pennsylvania ranks 18th in agricultural production, but first in mushrooms.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: The state toy is the Slinky.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: And that song you're hearing is the "Pennsylvania Polka." Stay tuned to NPR News for lots and lots and lots more about Pennsylvania. For complete results from Mississippi and other primary states, just go to npr.org/elections. | The Democratic presidential candidates have six weeks to prepare for Pennsylvania's primary. So it's time to get to know the Keystone State a bit better. For example, it ranks 18th in agriculture production but first in mushrooms. Steve Inskeep and Renee Montagne share some Pennsylvania facts. |
MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host: NPR's business news starts with new fuel efficiency standards.</s>MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host: Today the Obama administration finalizes new rules today that will require the auto industry to make cars and trucks with better gas mileage. The new rules should, over the six years, increase in fuel efficiency by more than 40 percent. It's the most significant increase in standards since the '70s. The aim is to reduce environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the need for oil. | President Obama announces new rules Thursday that will force the auto industry to make cars and trucks with better gas mileage. The new rules should bring more than a 40 percent increase in fuel efficiency over the next six years. It will be the most significant increase in efficiency standards since the '70s. |
DAVID GREENE, HOST: To other news, now Hulu is on the auction block. A number of companies and investors are vying to buy the popular video streaming site which features shows like "Family Guy" and "Saturday Night Live."</s>DAVID GREENE, HOST: NPR's Dan Bobkoff has more.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: There are two ways Hulu could go: it could be the future of television, watching the shows you want when you want them. Or, it could just end up a supplement to the traditional cable television we've had for years. Which path it takes depends on who buys Hulu.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Time Warner Cable and DirecTV are among those said to be competing. Conceivably, either could bundle Hulu with their TV packages, making it less appealing to those who have cancelled cable.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: On the other side, Yahoo is reportedly interested as well. It's looking to compete with Google, which owns YouTube. Bids have also come in from private equity firms, including Providence Equity, which is backing an offer from a former News Corporation executive.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Brett Sappington is with the market research firm Parks Associates.</s>BRETT SAPPINGTON: Depending on who acquires it, that could change the type of content that Hulu specializes in. It could also change the balance of what content is free and what content is paid for.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Some shows on Hulu are free, but paid subscribers get access to more programming. Hulu is currently controlled by the News Corporation, which owns Fox, and the Walt Disney Company. Comcast also has a stake.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Hulu won't say if it's profitable, but it generated nearly $700 million in revenue last year. It has four million paid subscribers, and is among the 15 most popular websites.</s>DAN BOBKOFF, BYLINE: Dan Bobkoff, NPR News. | Multiple companies — from Time Warner Cable to Yahoo — are said to be interested in acquiring Hulu. The site streams TV shows and movies online. Some shows on Hulu are free, but paid subscribers get access to more programming. |
STEVE INSKEEP, host: It was two years ago today that financial markets were in crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Congress and the Bush administration were scrambling to stabilize the situation, and one of their answers was the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP. Today, the TARP's Congressional Oversight Panel issues a report card on the program.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, host: NPR's John Ydstie reports.</s>JOHN YDSTIE: The $700 billion TARP program was used to rescue banks, auto companies and a major insurance firm. Now with the program's authority set to expire October 3rd, the Oversight Panel is assessing its effectiveness. The panel concludes that while the program did help stabilize financial markets and quell the crisis, it has not achieved other goals specified in its Congressional mandate, like helping struggling homeowners.</s>JOHN YDSTIE: Here's the panel's Deputy Chairman Damon Silvers in a conference call with reporters.</s>Mr. DAMON SILVERS (Deputy Chairman, TARP's Congressional Oversight Panel): Since it was authorized, 7.1 million homeowners have received foreclosure notices.</s>JOHN YDSTIE: Silvers says the TARP has also been ineffective in protecting retirement accounts, home values and promoting jobs and economic growth, which are other goals for the program. The Oversight Panel also found that the Treasury Department's lack of transparency and failure to communicate the TARP's purpose eroded confidence in government action.</s>Mr. DAMON SILVERS (Deputy Chairman, TARP's Congressional Oversight Panel): The TARP's unpopularity may have cost the government some of its ability to respond to future financial crisis.</s>JOHN YDSTIE: While the TARP is winding down, some of the programs it spawned will continue. The Oversight Panel shuts down in April.</s>JOHN YDSTIE: John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington. | The panel Congress appointed to watch over TARP expenditures is out with another report. This one on the eve of the expiration of the Treasury Department's controversial bank bailout fund. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep with a story of an exceptionally low-speed chase. A giant desert tortoise made a run for it outside Los Angeles. It's native to the southern Sahara but was being kept in a private home. It is not clear how the tortoise crept away, but once it was found, it did not lead a chase worthy of those old LA shows. Two officers wrestled the 150-pound creature into custody, though they said their handcuffs were of little use. You're listening to MORNING EDITION. | The tortoise made a run for it outside Los Angeles. It's not clear how it crept away, but once it was found, the tortoise did not lead a chase worthy of those old LA cop shows. |
STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: NPR's business news starts with the future of streaming TV.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Apple and Comcast are in preliminary talks about creating a streaming television service, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Journal says a deal between the world's most valuable company and the nation's largest cable provider would mark a new level of collaboration between a tech company and a cable company.</s>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: If the deal goes through, Apple users would be able to stream live and on-demand programming stored in the cloud servers. The deal would also give Apple priority on Comcast's cable to ensure that it bypasses congestion on the Web. The Journal reports these talks are still in the early stages. | Apple users would be able to stream live and on-demand programming stored in cloud servers, according to The Wall Street Journal. Talks are still in the early stages. |
ROBERT SIEGEL, Host: The continued clashes between Congress and the White House these days have senior news analyst Daniel Schorr thinking, can this be what the framers of the Constitution had in mind?</s>DANIEL SCHORR: This is Daniel Schorr. | NPR Senior News Analyst Daniel Schorr comments on the utter lack of comity among Republicans and Democrats and a president who has just about reached former President Richard Nixon's low point in approval ratings. It is not what the framers of the Constitution had in mind, Schorr says. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And our last word in business today is caffeine creations. After three jittery days of competition, the 10th Annual World Barista Championship selected its winner yesterday. Baristas from 52 countries vied to make the best espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink. The winner is Gwilym Davies of the United Kingdom. He was presented with his title by last year's champion, Stephen Morrissey.</s>Mr. STEPHEN MORRISSEY (Former World Barista Champion): You are the new World Barista Champion. How do you feel?</s>Mr. GWILYM DAVIES (World Barista Champion): I'm - I'm puzzled. I'm waiting, I'm waiting to just wake up.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Davies, decked out in a tweed vest and a traditional British cap, caffeinates his customers from a small roadside cart in East London.</s>Mr. GWILYM DAVIES (World Barista Champion): I built a good relationship with the local roaster and enjoy the interaction with the customers. Now, part of that's just the fun, part of it's to help educate, push this specialty coffee industry forward, and pouring in front of them is a great tool.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: Gwilym Davies, while pouring cappuccinos for the judges. He'll have a chance to perfect his art with prizes that include a new espresso machine and a new coffee grinder.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And that's the business news on MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne. | After three jittery days of competition, the 10th Annual World Barista Championship selected its winner on Sunday. Baristas from 52 countries vied to make the best espresso, cappuccino and a signature drink. The winner is Gwilym Davies of the United Kingdom. |
LIANE HANSEN, host: Have you been puzzling about the latest news from North Korea? Humorist Andy Borowitz has.</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: ANDY BOROWITZ reporting:</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: News reports out of Asia indicate that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il hasn't been seen in public for over a month. This has led some to speculate that his regime is in crisis, and he might be stepping down soon.</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: Well, as much as I'd love to see the guy with the nutty sunglasses go, I have another explanation. It's August, and much like President Bush, Kim Jong Il is at his ranch. Think about it. You can't refine uranium and fire off test missiles 12 months out of the year. Totalitarian madmen need a break, just like the rest of us.</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: Who's to say that Kim Jong Il isn't spending the month tooling around in an SUV and clearing brush? Besides, if the North Korean dictator is really as unstable as some people say he is, do we really want him going into the office in August, when his shrink is on vacation? I sure don't.</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: This brings me to another public figure who hasn't been seen this month: Suri Cruise. Now, to all those who have been clamoring for visual evidence of the legendary Tom-kitten, let me say this. Leave Suri alone. Much like being president of North Korea, being the child of Tom Cruise is an exhausting, full-time job. She deserves August off, at her ranch. Trust me, Suri is going to come roaring back in September - tan, rested and ready.</s>LIANE HANSEN, host: Humorist Andy Borowitz is the author of a new book entitled The Republican Playbook. | "Totalitarian madmen" and celebribabies need a break, says humorist Borowitz, mulling the curious lack of public appearances this summer by North Korea's reclusive leader and lil' TomKitten. Perhaps they're following President Bush's example and chillaxing at the ranch. |
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: In Mexico, drug violence is a chronic problem in the city of Monterrey. When a gunfight erupted outside a kindergarten classroom there a few days, the teacher knew exactly how to respond. In an episode the teacher managed to videotape, she led the kids in a song about chocolate droplets falling from the sky.</s>Ms. MARTA RIVERA ALANIS (Teacher): (Spanish spoken and sung)</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: That's teacher Marta Rivera Alanis, calming her students during a shootout in Monterrey, Mexico. Yesterday, the state government awarded her a prize for bravery.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This is NPR News. | A kindergarten teacher in northern Mexico was honored Monday for her courage after a video showed her calmly instructing children to duck and cover as gunfire rattled outside their school. |