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Hong Kong Police Block Tiananmen Square Vigil, Citing Coronavirus Concerns | For the first time in 30 years, police in Hong Kong have denied permission for organizers to hold an annual vigil for victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Police have cited concerns over the spread of the coronavirus. The rally has been held each year since 1990 to commemorate the lives lost in the June 4, 1989, crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The Chinese military opened fire on citizens who were calling for economic and democratic reforms. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organized the vigil, told the South China Morning Post that alliance members still planned to enter Victoria Park to observe a moment of silence that night. The alliance also asked the public to join an online gathering and light candles across the city. NPR's Emily Feng reported that the move to deny the demonstration comes amid controversy surrounding China's proposed national security law that could limit Hong Kong's autonomy. The potential law has concerned pro-democracy advocates, and as Feng noted, "Legal scholars question whether Beijing has the authority to impose this law on Hong Kong." In justifying an earlier extension of restrictions to June 4, police cited a lingering threat of the spread of the coronavirus, The Guardian reported. "Police believe the event will not only increase participants' chances of contracting the virus, but also threaten citizens' lives and health, thus endangering public safety and affecting the rights of others," police said, according to the newspaper. Lee Cheuk-yan, who chairs the alliance that organized the event, told the South China Morning Post that he believes the government was using the pandemic to shut down the demonstration. "We believe this is totally unreasonable and unscientific, because everything is normal in Hong Kong. They are just using this excuse to suppress our rally," he said, adding that many other facilities had already reopened. |
The Treasury Department Under Steven Mnuchin | While President Trump has drawn the media’s attention, the members of his cabinet have been busy implementing his agenda. Under former Goldman Sachs executive Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury Department has levied sanctions, begun reviews of banking regulations and led Trump’s initiatives to overhaul the tax code. Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson talks about the department’s direction under Mnuchin with Saleha Mohsin (@SalehaMohsin), who covers the Treasury Department for Bloomberg. |
The Younger Affleck Steps into the Spotlight | Last year, actor Casey Affleck starred in two major Hollywood films: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Gone Baby Gone. In The Assassination of Jesse James, Affleck plays Robert Ford, the man who both admires — and eventually kills — the legendary outlaw. The part earned Affleck an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor. In preparing for the film, Affleck came to believe that Ford didn't initially intend to murder James. Rather, telling police where James hid and then succumbing to pressure to kill him was, says Affleck, "a young, rash, impetuous, silly decision." More recently, Affleck played a private investigator pursuing a child-abduction case in the film, Gone Baby Gone, directed by his brother, Ben. Affleck says that he and his brother started acting at an early age, in part because of their mother's friendship with a casting director: "She used to bring Ben and me in ... to be extras in movies when we were in school," remembers Affleck. "I didn't really care much about the movies. I thought, 'Well, this is a day off from school. I can graze over the service table for eight hours.'" Later, Affleck signed up for a summer musical, and though he wasn't a gifted singer, he came away with a more genuine passion for acting: "They cut out all my solos, but it was a lot of fun," he says. "And then the next year, I signed up for the drama class ... I've never really wanted to do anything else since then." Both Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James are now out on DVD. This broadcast originally aired October 29, 2007. |
Internet Information on Hormone Replacement Therapy | After two major studies link hormone replacement therapy to serious health risks like heart disease and breast cancer, millions of menopausal women are reconsidering their options. Many of them are turning to the Internet for answers. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports for <EM>All Things Considered</EM>. (4:30) NPR News provides <A href="http://www.npr.org/news/specials/hrt/index.html">expanded coverage</a>. |
News Brief: Trump Campaigns In Florida And Threatens Mass Deportations | President Trump chose Orlando, Fla., for the official kickoff of his reelection campaign. Also, he tweeted about an intensified immigration enforcement effort. |
Olympic Archers Take A Shot At Love | Taking a cue from Cupid, two gold medal winners in archery are getting married. Perhaps inspired by the Olympic rings, the South Korean couple announced their nuptials just as the games ended. Their romance was sparked during training for the Olympics. |
First Listen: Brass Bed, 'The Secret Will Keep You' | Audio for this feature is no longer available. When the three guys in the Louisiana band Brass Bed hit their late 20s, they came to realize some of life's unsettling truths: Youthful dreams are usually just dreams, the best-laid plans often end in failure or disappointment, and many of the promises of finding joy and comfort later in life come up empty. But on Brass Bed's new album, The Secret Will Keep You, the group doesn't wallow in its new-found grief and malaise so much as celebrate it. The oddly buoyant and utterly captivating album, out April 23, evokes a sad parade of broken hearts, loneliness, death, fear and even madness. Lovers come and go, spirits are crushed, lies are told. But for the most part, Brass Bed maintains at least a veneer of good cheer, complete with sweet harmonies and sprightly beats. What makes the songs so compelling, and what invites multiple listens, are the strange textures and rumbling guitars that lurk in the corners. Taking a page from the Wilco playbook (think Summerteeth or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot), Brass Bed wraps dark themes in sunny melodies, adding a layer of mysterious synth sounds before letting the mix dissolve into glorious chaos. It's part sonic exploration, part infectious pop and part noise rock. The Secret Will Keep You asks more questions than it answers. "Cold Chicory" ponders how to best cope with disillusionment, while "A Bullet for You" questions the use of dreaming and "Back and Forth" wonders whether we can ever truly know ourselves. But the overarching question of the album seems to be life's biggest: What's the point of anything? Nobody knows, of course; life is an endlessly baffling ride, and the best we can hope for are pleasant surprises along the way. The Secret Will Keep You is one of them. |
Man Seated Next To Actress Shamed For Watching Pirated Movie | Bollywood star Kriti Sanon was on a flight to New Delhi when the man seated beside her started watching a pirated copy of her new movie <em>Dilwale</em>. She told her seatmate he'd enjoy it more in a theater. |
Old Ways Disappearing In The New Mongolia | Mongolia, the land of Genghis Khan and nomadic herders, is in the midst of a remarkable transition. Rich in coal, gold and copper, this country of fewer than 3 million people in Central Asia is riding a mineral boom that is expected to more than double its GDP within a decade. The rapid changes simultaneously excite and unnerve many Mongolians, who hope mining can help pull many out of poverty, but worry it will ravage the environment and further erode the nation's distinctive, nomadic identity. Last of four parts Mongolia is a country of tremendous contrasts. Consider this: Two out of every five Mongolians make their living herding goats, sheep and camels. But last year — according to World Bank estimates — Mongolia's economy grew faster than any other on the planet, driven by a mining boom. The Central Asian nation seems to be racing from a nomadic culture to an industrial one practically overnight. To appreciate how this transition — and its inevitable tensions — play out in the lives of ordinary Mongolians, spend a few hours with Bat-Erdene Badam and his family. Bat-Erdene, 47, is a lifelong herder who lives in a ger, or a yurt, in the middle of the Gobi. He spends each spring combing cashmere from his goats. On a recent day, a goat lies stretched out on its side in a ger, its horns tethered to the ground. A fellow herder rakes off tufts of white cashmere with what looks like a gardening tool as the goat yelps in fear. Bat-Erdene sells the cashmere for about $20 a pound. Combings from his 300 goats should bring in more than $6,000 this year. That's decent money in the middle of the Gobi, a mix of moonscape, mountain and increasingly arid grassland in southern Mongolia. But Bat-Erdene's three children have no interest in the family business. "Young people stopped herding animals," says Bat-Erdene, leaning against the wooden gate of a corral filled with goats. "There are lots of employment opportunities for them in the mining business. Therefore, I could probably say that the generation of herders is ending with me." A Mix Of Old And Modern Bat-Erdene heats his felt tent with an iron stove. Rugs cover the dirt floor, and the walls of his corral are constructed of bricks made from goat and sheep droppings. But he also rides a motorcycle, uses a cell phone and watches limited satellite TV on a small black-and-white set powered by solar panels. On a recent day, the romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days plays silently in the background. Bat-Erdene lives with his wife and a high-school-age son. Their daughter attends college in Mongolia's capital, Ulan Bator, about 300 miles away, and their other son, Uuganbaatar, drives a dump truck at a coal mine. "Two or three years ago, my elder son used to help us out," says Bat-Erdene, who wears a gray cap and a brown sweater that zips up the front. "Now, he's really tired of being a herder, because we depend too much on the weather and climatic conditions." Rising temperatures are drying out Mongolia's grasslands, while severe weather is taking a toll as well. In recent years, heavy snow and drought killed more than 400 head of the family's livestock, more than half of their herd at the time. Bat-Erdene says for a new generation, herding seems too unstable. "When someone has a regular job, it doesn't matter if there's severe weather or not," he says. "He can do his work, no matter what." A Blessing And Curse Bat-Erdene's son Uuganbaatar began working at the coal mine about a year ago. He's 22 and, like many young Mongolians, painfully shy. In an interview outside the gates of the mine, he studies a water bottle he's holding and kicks the ground with his black Air Jordans. The mine is completely isolated in the desert, but Uuganbaatar says he has more friends there and there's more to do. "I watch TV," he says. "There's a recreation room with ping-pong and pool and there's a computer room." The camp TV is a big, flat-screen. Uuganbaatar follows sports on the Internet, especially the NBA. His favorite team is the Orlando Magic with its towering center, Dwight Howard. Mining has been good for Uuganbaatar. He makes $500 a month — in a country where the annual per capita GDP is about $2,500 — and Mongolia's mineral reserves are so vast, he could probably spend the next several decades working them. But his father sees mining as a threat. Mines need water to process minerals and the mine that employs his son plans to tap into an aquifer beneath the family's grazing land. The local government had designated the area as protected, but Mongolia's central government has an ownership stake in the mine, and last year, it decided otherwise. Resignation About The Future Bat-Erdene is bracing himself. "It was a very hard hit for us, because it is only going to speed up desertification and we can see how desertification is already moving at a very high speed," he said, surrounded by parched clumps of grass. Rising temperatures and decreasing annual rainfall has led to more sands |
Analyst Provides Primer on Immigration Reform | David Martin, professor of law at the University of Virginia and formerly a general counsel at the INS, explains the terminology being used in the legislative debates around immigration. |
NYC To Shut Down Public Transit | Cities along the East Coast are bracing for Hurricane Irene. New York City's public transportation will shut down around noon on Saturday, says New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. |
Humanity And Technology Merge In Uneven But Intriguing 'Join' | Every day, people get more and more connected — thanks mostly to technology, which has increasingly drawn humanity together in a way that's both heartening and not. In Steve Toutonghi's debut novel Join, he probes those technological connections between individuals in a science-fiction setting, a vision of America where citizens routinely connect to each other using a medium called the quantum personality matrix. Through surgery and science, two or more people are able to fuse their psyches into a single, shared identity, called a join. Toutonghi is well qualified to speculate on such a premise; a tech worker with Silicon Valley credentials, he also has a degree in anthropology. And while that background gives Toutonghi a unique perspective on the way humans interact with technology, Join — as enthralling as it is — suffers from a few disappointing glitches in execution. In a future United States ravaged by megastorms and coastal flooding, Chance is a join — a network of three men and two women sharing five bodies but single, collective consciousness. Their newest addition is a college student named Javier who's just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Death isn't the end when you're joined; after your body gives out, your consciousness lives on in the collective. Still, the death of a drive (as each member of a join is called) is traumatic for the whole — so, in an attempt to prepare for the inevitable, Chance seeks the counsel of Rope, one of the first joins in history, a pioneer who's sunken into alcoholism and self-destruction. The encounter does not go as planned. Before long Chance and its coworker Leap get sucked into a plot that involves unjoined "ferals" who live far below the spired cities of the affluent, and an entity known as Excellence who heads Vitalcorp, the powerful company that licenses the quantum personality matrix — for a hefty fee that regulates an insidious social order. It's a lot to tackle in an average-length novel, but Toutonghi's ambition doesn't stop there. Like the best-known sci-fi author with a background in anthropology, Ursula K. Le Guin, he combines smart, imaginative extrapolation about technology and a deep curiosity about civilization and the human condition. Along the way, he brings up head-spinning questions about individuality, society, ecology, euthanasia, aging, death, immortality, tech industry politics, class, polyamory, and gender identity. He also raises one of sci-fi's oldest quandaries: the consequence of our sometimes headlong rush to embrace scientific progress, not to mention the lag between the development of new tech and our ability to fully comprehend and process it. "An individual choice can seem independent, but if you look at a whole population, thousands, millions of individuals, the outcomes are always predictable," Rope says. It's a chilling observation about the nature of the individual verses the nature of the group, and it lends Join a compelling urgency. The pace isn't quite so urgent. In juggling so many heady themes, Toutonghi opts for huge blocks of exposition and theorization. It's often rendered beautifully — he seems most inspired when writing about science — but it muffles the thriller at the heart of the book. It doesn't help that each of Chance's and Leap's drives, nine in total, are given point-of-view scenes, and that they're attributed to "Chance One," "Leap Three," and so on. The narrative is needlessly cluttered; the dialogue is stiff and dry. And some of Toutonghi's most intriguing themes — particularly those regarding gender and sexuality — cry out for a more thorough exploration. Luckily the sheer scope and richness of ideas mostly make up for the occasionally clunky narrative. Join may not always be a fascinating story, but it's always a fascinating read. Jason Heller is a senior writer at The A.V. Club, a Hugo Award-winning editor and author of the novel Taft 2012. |
Heavy Metal In Kabul? It's The Music, Not The Munitions | When 23-year-old Solomon "Sully" Omar felt the music scene in his native Denver wasn't giving him what he was looking for, he made a radical move. He headed for Kabul, capital of the war-torn country his parents had fled decades ago. "I came here to continue my education and at the same time see what's in the music scene here and bring some of the skills and abilities that I have to the music scene," says Omar. Omar is a member of District Unknown, a full-on metal band whose performance was one of the highlights of the recent Sound Central Festival of alternative music and arts in Kabul. More than 30 bands performed over four days during the third annual event. And if you can imagine it, District Unknown's sweat-inducing set had the hundreds of Afghan spectators on their feet. Omar says he was pleasantly surprised to find an actual music scene when he arrived in Kabul. "I was expecting to find" — he pauses — "nothing." "I didn't know there was like crazy metal and dub step," Omar says. "I really wasn't expecting music to be alive and breathing and well and healthy here in Afghanistan." The Family Returns To Afghanistan Omar's roots are Afghan. He was born and raised in Colorado, where his parents ultimately settled after leaving Afghanistan in the wake of the 1979 Soviet invasion. After the Taliban were driven from power in 2001, Omar's father started traveling back to Afghanistan, where he now works for the University of Massachusetts' Higher Education Project in Kabul. His mother works in Kabul advising female entrepreneurs. His brother and sister both moved to Afghanistan, and Omar was the last of the family to resettle in Kabul. He arrived last August and became the keyboard player, second guitarist and backing vocalist in District Unknown after initially helping them produce some songs. Omar's parents attended the Sound Central Festival, and it was life coming full circle for the family. Omar's father — whom he describes as an artist and former hippie — performed on the very same stage of the French Cultural Center back in the '70s. "My dad is a staunch supporter of my music career," says Omar. "He does want me to finish my school as a first priority." Omar is doing just that. Currently a student at the American University in Kabul, he hopes eventually to study electronic music production at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Omar says it's a different experience performing in front of an Afghan audience. "It's a mix of people who are both huge fans of alternative music and arts, and people who are completely new to it, and I think it makes for a great mix," he says. While he has fans across Kabul who appreciate District Unknown and his DJ work, he does get strange looks from people when he tells his story. "Most people that I tell that I came here, Afghans, they look at me like, 'What? Why?' " he says. But, at least musically speaking, Omar was able to find what he was looking for. "I'm happy here. There is here what I was longing for in the States as a musician — to find a thriving, kind of virgin music scene. That's the most awesome thing I could have wanted," Omar says. "It's not in the perfect circumstances, but I'll take it." |
Many Prisoners Still Held in Iraq | Many Iraqi prisoners are still being held, showing that Saddam Hussein's announcement that he would release prisoners looks like a propaganda ploy. NPR's Vickie O'Hara reports. |
Masses Converge On D.C.'s Inaugural Events | Transportation is one of Washington D. C.'s biggest concerns. Streets, bridges, parkways and entire swaths of Washington and neighboring Virginia are shut down to private auto traffic. |
Anger Grows In Hong Kong Over China, New Leader | China's President Hu Jintao has sworn in a new leader for Hong Kong amid huge public protests.The island is marking the 15th anniversary of its return to Chinese sovereignty, but mistrust toward China is at its highest level since Hong Kong's handover in 1997. Sunday morning began with the pomp of a flag-raising ceremony, and a fly-past by helicopters bearing the Hong Kong and national Chinese flags. Then Hong Kong's new leader, self-made millionaire Leung Chun-ying, took his oath of office. He gave his inaugural speech in Mandarin, the official language of China's Communist rulers and not spoken by most locals. "I will honor the pledges I have made to uphold justice, protect the rights of people, safeguard the rule of law, clean government, freedom and democracy, which are Hong Kong's core values," he said. "At the same time, I myself will set an example of honesty and self-restraint to others." For his part, President Hu warned against interference in Hong Kong's affairs by foreign forces. He also drew attention to the challenges facing the next leader. "We have to be aware of the fact that there remains deep conflicts and problems in Hong Kong society, which could affect Hong Kong's long-term development over the next five years," he said. China's role in Hong Kong is increasingly unpopular. Thousands of protesters marched through the streets today. Organizers say that 400,000 people joined the march, which would be equivalent to more than 5 percent of Hong Kong's population. The police estimate was far fewer - 55,000 - but that figure only accounted for protesters in Victoria Park. It didn't include people who joined the march as it wended its way across the island. Facing such widespread public criticism, the new government of Leung Chun-ying issued a statement, reiterating the government's respect for peoples' rights to protest and their freedom of expression. "The Chief Executive and his team will honor their pledge to hold themselves accountable to the people," the statement said. "They will go to the districts to listen to people's views and aspirations and work together with them to address the deep-rooted problems in a pragmatic manner, improve people's livelihood and promote harmony and stability in society." Many remain skeptical. A survey by the University of Hong Kong shows that mistrust toward Beijing is at a post-handover high of 37 percent. Meanwhile, another survey showed Hong Kong people who identify themselves primarily as Chinese citizens was at a 13-year low. Hu's trip has been highly stage-managed, with demonstrators largely being kept a distance. He was heckled as he began his speech Sunday morning, but the protester was removed. However, the only other spontaneous moment happened when a local reporter pressed him on the bloodshed of June 4, 1989. "President Hu," shouted out Rex Hon Yiu-ting from Apple Daily newspaper, "Have you heard Hong Kong people hope for a reappraisal of June the Fourth? Have you heard?" There was no answer. The journalist was subsequently detained by police for 15 minutes, for being "too noisy." But Hong Kong's public is making a noise. There's anger at the swelling wealth gap and fear at China's growing influence. According to one survey carried out by the South China Morning Post, almost two-thirds of respondents believed Hong Kong has become a worse place since the handover 15 years ago. Colonial nostalgia was evident at Sunday's protest, with one sign reading, "The queen made us the Pearl of the Orient. But the party has ruined it." Small clusters of young people waved flags dating back from Hong Kong's period as a British colony. Twenty-year-old Marco Wong wrapped himself in one. "This flag represents what we want. This is not an ultimate goal, going back to being British," he says. "However, what we missed out, we want it back. We were just 5, 6-years-old when we lost it." Not all feel this way. Among the protesters, many are pursuing their own causes. But there are widespread calls for the resignation of new leader Leung. He was chosen after his main contender, civil servant Henry Tang, fell into disgrace following a scandal involving an illegally built basement at his house. Leung vowed he himself had followed the law — but it's now emerged he has six illegal structures at his $64-million luxury house. He's a surveyor by trade. "I think he's a liar. He is a liar. That's all," says 20-year-old Mei Tong, who is livid. Legislator Albert Ho from the Democratic Party is trying to mount a court challenge against Leung. This may seem like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted, but Ho himself made a doomed bid for the top job and feels it is his responsibility to act. "That is the spirit of Hong Kong and Hong Kong people," Ho says. "We must have courage to speak truth to power. One day, if we are found to have lost such courage, the value of Hong Kong could no longer be protected." Sunday was an outpouring of emotion. The hurly-burly of Hong Kon |
'Picayune' Editor on New Orleans Recovery | Jed Horne, an editor = at <em>The New Orleans Times-Picayune,</em> talks about the city's = continuing struggle to start again. Also offering their observations: = Patrina Peters, a life-long resident of the Lower Ninth Ward who is = featured in Horne's book <em>Breach of Faith</em> and Charlotte Lewis = who just returned to the city after 11 months. =20 |
New Pope to Confront Cultural Divisions in Church | Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the archbishop of Los Angeles, discusses how a new pope will have to handle an institution riddled with cultural and geographic divisions. |
House Republicans Sue AG Holder Over 'Fast And Furious' Documents | House Republicans have gone through with their promise: The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has filed a lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder, claiming that he is under contempt for failing to turn over documents related to the failed gun-walking operation Fast and Furious. Fox News reports they filed the civil case today. Fox adds: "That decision is expected to be challenged in the court case. "Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., ranking Democrat on the oversight committee, released a brief statement Monday chastising his GOP colleagues over the suit. "'It seems clear that House Republican leaders do not want to resolve the contempt issue and prefer to generate unnecessary conflict with the administration as the election nears,' Cummings said. 'Unfortunately, the American public suffers as House Republicans disregard the real work that needs to be done.'" The White House has claimed executive privilege over these documents, arguing the documents and emails Republicans seek show internal deliberations after the operation became public. Despite that, back in June, the House found Holder in contempt and gave the panel authority to sue the attorney general in civil court. A day after the House made that decision, Holder's Justice Department refused to move forward with the contempt charge, which brings us to this civil suit. The chairman of the oversight committee Rep. Darrell Issa said in a statement today that this suit alleges President Obama has overstepped his authority by claiming privilege and is asking the court to compel Holder to produce the documents. "After promising an unprecedented level of transparency, the President is attempting to expand the reach of executive privilege to obstruct the truth about the reckless conduct that contributed to the death of a Border Patrol Agent and countless Mexican citizens," Issa said. The Obama administration has repeatedly called this a politically motivated attack by Republicans. |
Private Judge Handles Aniston-Pitt Divorce | Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt finalized their divorce Tuesday thanks to Jill Robbins, a private judge. By using her services, Pitt and Aniston were able to keep the proceedings private. They were also able to expedite the divorce. |
Jose Barriero: A New Fight for American Indians | Commentator Jose Barreiro, senior editor with <EM>Indian Country Today</EM> newspaper in Canastota, N.Y., says when it comes to racist treatment, American Indians have endured many hardships. And, Barreiro assures there's a new battle on the horizon. |
Bud Powell: 'The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2' | [MUSIC] MURRAY HORWITZ, American Film Institute: Before bebop, the most influential pianists were orchestral. Their voicings encompassed the full effects of a big jazz band. But the most influential pianist in mid-century jazz moved away from that approach. A.B. Spellman, you're going to tell us about the importance of Bud Powell. A.B. SPELLMAN, National Endowment for the Arts: Yes, Murray. One could argue that Bud Powell influenced more pianists than any one else. More than any of his contemporaries, Powell adapted the innovations of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie to the piano. [MUSIC] SPELLMAN: Art Tatum, who was at his peak in the '40s, had exhausted those two-handed, top-to-bottom stride runs. So Powell, though influenced by Tatum, went into a different direction. He accompanied himself with spare chords in his left hand, while his right hand did an inside of dissection of those chords with elaborate runs. [MUSIC] SPELLMAN: A less fluid, but very provocative solo was on one of the early uses of Latin rhythms in bebop, "Un Poco Loco." Here, Bud uses some chords that sound like his mentor, Thelonious Monk. [MUSIC] HORWITZ: Bud Powell is joined on these CDs by some of the greatest musicians in jazz history, and most of them were kids at the time of these recordings. There's 19-year-old Sonny Rollins, the incomparable drummer Max Roach, the trumpeter Fats Navarro (who was heavily influenced by Bud Powell), and many others. SPELLMAN: Be warned, there are a lot of alternate takes on these CDs, and SONY/Blue Note could have made a perfect good single CD with this material. But the alternates contain some great music and the solos are not overly repetitive. These takes are valuable when you consider that Bud Powell rarely recorded his compositions more than once. HORWITZ: So The Amazing Bud Powell, Volumes I & II is essential music. It will be an indispensable part of your NPR Basic Jazz Record Library. For NPR Jazz, I'm Murray Horwitz. SPELLMAN: And, I'm A.B. Spellman. |
Fed Chair Bernanke Boosts House GOP On Spending Cuts | House Republicans received substantial political cover Tuesday for their goal of reducing federal spending during the current fiscal year by $61 billion when Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke disputed dire warnings by private economists that those cuts could severely damage the economic recovery. Responding to a question from a Democratic senator in testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, Bernanke said the central bank's economists predict a much smaller negative impact on the economy from the cuts than what was forecast by experts at both Goldman Sachs and Moody Analytics. In contrast to Goldman Sachs' prediction that the cuts could reduce the gross domestic product by as much as two percentage points, Bernanke said his economists foresee a reduction of less than half that. Read More And Bernanke said the estimate of some of those private economists of as many as 700,000 in job losses from the cuts was significantly higher than the numbers Fed economists arrived at. House Republicans quickly seized on Bernanke's statement as support during Tuesday's House debate on a new stopgap spending bill to keep the federal government from partly shutting down Friday. Republicans had earlier rejected the private economists' warnings, citing one who agreed with them, John Taylor of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. But Bernanke provided a far bigger cudgel for Republicans to use against Democrats. Here's Bernanke's exchange with Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat. REED: ... Chairman Bernanke, I assume you're familiar with two recent reports by Moody's Analytics and Goldman Sachs which talked about the proposed House Republican budget. Their conclusion is that, if passed without modifications, there could be as much as a 2 percent decrease in the growth next year going forward and as many as 700,000 jobs lost because of the contraction of spending at the federal level. Do you agree with those — that analysis? BERNANKE: If that's referring to a $60 billion cut, obviously, that would be contractionary to some extent. But our analysis doesn't get a number — doesn't give a number that high. REED: Well, the proposed cut this year is $100 billion in the House. Is that what you use for your projections going forward? BERNANKE: We are assuming 60 (billion dollars) and 40 (billion dollars) next year which will be the 100 billion (dollars) over the fiscal year. And we also assume a normal spend-out the way — you know, the impact is not immediate, but it's spent out overtime, the reduction is effective over time. And we get, I have to say, a smaller impact than that. I'm not quite sure where that -- REED: What is your impact? BERNANKE: Several tenths on GDP. REED: And jobs? BERNANKE: I don't have that number, but it would be certainly much less than 700,000. REED: And that is the — I just want to understand what the-- the assumed cut would be in this year, because some of the things we've heard in the House proposal, it's a hundred billion dollar cut for this year. BERNANKE: For this year. REED: Which would be $40 billion larger than you would --that you're using as a parameter? BERNANKE: Well, then I would multiply it, you know, by one time — you know, two-thirds greater. But I still — I still don't — I'm happy to send you our analysis, senator, but I frankly don't understand where — 2 percent is an enormous effect. Two percent of the GDP is 300 billion (dollars) right there. So assuming a multiplier of one, you know, 60 (billion dollars) to a hundred billion (dollars) is not sufficient to get to that level. But it would, of course, have the effect of reducing growth on the margin, certainly. REED: It would have the effect of reducing growth, which would — again, the question is how much, which will be contradicting or at least a countervailing force to your stimulus effects of QE2. BERNANKE: To some extent, that's right. And that's why I have been trying to emphasize — and I know that this Congress will be looking at this — the need to think about the budget issue not as a current year issue, because obviously, whatever can be done — 60 billion (dollars) is not going to have much impact on the long-run imbalances in our economy and fiscal policy. I think it's much more effective, both in terms of the short-term effects on the economy but also in terms of longer-term sustainability and confidence, to address the budget deficits over at least a 5- to10-year window, not simply within — next few quarters. REED: Well, I agree with you. But the issue that confronts us is this year's budget and next year's budget. That's an issue dujour, literally. MR. BERNANKE: Right. REED: Again, my presumption is the last quarter, GDP was originally estimated at 3.2 percent, downgraded to about 2.8 percent. Is that your rough understanding, too? BERNANKE: That's what the Bureau of Economic Analysis said, yes. REED: And their conclusion was a lot of that was a result of contraction in spending |
Olbermann-O'Reilly Battle Climbs Up the Ranks | Olbermann called him a "sicko". O'Reilly started a petition to have Olbermann kicked off the air. It began as a classic broadcast feud between two big egos — Keith Olbermann of MSNBC and Bill O'Reilly of Fox News. Now it's escalated, involving the corporate bigwigs at Fox and NBC-parent company GE. Even the White House has weighed in. ALEX CHADWICK, host: This is Day to Day. I'm Alex Chadwick. MADELEINE BRAND, host: I'm Madeleine Brand. In a few minutes, he admits that he invented portions of his best-selling memoir. Now, the author of "A Million Little Pieces" is back with a novel. It's a big take on Los Angeles. A conversation with James Frey coming up. CHADWICK: First, the beginnings of a classic broadcast feud. (Soundbite of TV show "Countdown with Keith Olbermann") Mr. KEITH OLBERMANN (Host, "Countdown with Keith Olbermann"): Bill O'Reilly has left the human race, the worst person in the world. CHADWICK: That's MSNBC's Keith Olbermann attacking cable competitor Bill O'Reilly of Fox News. And there was return fire, but O'Reilly was after the corporation that employs Keith Olbermann. (Soundbite of TV show "The O'Reilly Factor") Mr. BILL O'REILLY (Host, "The O'Reilly Factor"): Is General Electric, the parent company of NBC, doing business with Iran, and did they do business with the bin Laden family after 9/11? CHADWICK: It's a spat between two big egos, and now the White House is criticizing NBC as well. Here with us, NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. David, what is going on here? DAVID FOLKENFLIK: You know, the other night I was watching "Gladiator" on TV, and it was like a cable news fight broke out. We've seen this coming for awhile. Keith Olbermann has won ratings on MSNBC by voicing this antiwar sensibility, really taking on the Bush administration rhetorically. But he's also done it by beating up on the leading cable news figure in the country and that's Bill O'Reilly, who's got by far the top ratings at Fox News. He's made it kind of personal. He's gone after him with, the worst person in the world. The clip that we played was relatively mild by comparison to what he does some nights. Olbermann's made it very personal, and he's won gains among liberals who are tired of the seeming conservative dominance of the cable news world. O'Reilly has responded, and it's interesting, O'Reilly doesn't want to ever mention Olbermann by name. So what they've done instead is they've gone after other figures at NBC. They climbed the corporate ladder, they've gone all the way to the top, as we could tell, with General Electric's CEO Jeffrey Immelt, criticizing him for some business the company has in Iran. CHADWICK: Well, OK. Let's get to this White House letter because there also is a letter from the counselor to President Bush. His name is Ed Gillespie, and he kind of gets into this. He's writing a letter yesterday, very critical of NBC and correspondent Richard Engel, who had interviewed the president a couple of days ago. FOLKENFLIK: That's right. Engel had asked President Bush whether the president had intended his remarks at the 60th anniversary of the creation of Israel, at the Israeli Knesset, to refer to Senator Obama, when he warned against talks with enemies being a form of appeasement. (Soundbite of interview) Mr. RICHARD ENGEL (Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC News): Were you referring to Senator Barack Obama? President GEORGE W. BUSH: You know, my policies haven't changed, but evidently the political calendar has. FOLKENFLIK: He didn't include the rest of the answer, which went on to say, "Your question was a little bit wrong, Richard." The president's counselor, Ed Gillespie, essentially said this was horribly misrepresented, this claim that the president had intended to attack Senator Obama, and nothing of the sort was intended. But I've got to say, having looked at both the edited version and the original interview, I'm not sure I would have taken that away. CHADWICK: I just was interested to see this letter from the White House to NBC. I haven't seen a letter like this to a broadcast news operation in decades. FOLKENFLIK: Yeah. It does really bring to mind some of the senior White House, call it interference, call it pressure from the Vietnam era and, you know, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon administration complaints to network executives. It does seem to be an effort in some ways to undercut a little bit NBC's standing - NBC the network, after all, that first called what was happening in Iraq a civil war among the television networks. You know, NBC is linked to MSNBC, its cable sibling. And the White House and Fox, in these separate but seemingly linked attacks, is saying, look, the liberal-slanting MSNBC is somehow dragging down the credibility of NBC's correspondents and anchors. And I think that can be a concern for MSNBC and NBC, even as the cable channel has had some success with that formula. CHADWICK: A link, you say, between the White House letter and thi |
'We Call It The Human Zoo': An Uneasy Stroll Through The 'Big Brother' House | The house where Big Brother locks people up every summer is not a house, of course. It's a very big soundstage attached to a very small "yard" of matted plastic grass that bakes in the sun. The hot tub is almost despondently bare-bones, like the one you might find at a thirty-nine dollar motel where "HOT" and "TUB" are the biggest words on the sign you can see from the interstate. I tour the house -- no, the stage -- no, the set, the great big set -- with a small group of ten critics or so. We're all wearing black, because if you wear white, you can show up like a ghost to the contestants on the other side of more than 100 two-way mirrors that are the all-seeing eyes of the operation. Wearing white lets them see you. You're only supposed to see them. Nobody talks to the contestants, ever, except producers, who invisibly boom and crackle over the PA system. The crew -- it takes more than 200 people to make this show, we're told -- roams around behind the "camera ring" of one-way mirrors, filming contestants who are arguing, or in the shower, or having sex, or engaging in some kind of bizarre organized competition, or more likely lying around with nothing to do except think about the fact that at least someone's watching them. At least their fifteen minutes will last all summer. Executive Producer Allison Grodner tells us that the producers call it "the human zoo." I try not to flinch. In the yard and on the other side of the mirrors, after the jump. We see that backyard first, while the contestants -- who do not, and will not, have any idea we're here -- are "locked down" inside the house. They're in there, so we're out here. The yard is so much smaller than it seems on TV. It's surrounded by walls. It's blazingly hot. The pool is a pool in name only -- the water is real, which is more than can be said for the grass, but it's only big enough for a little directionless splashing around in your bikini. Or maybe for bringing your body temperature down so you don't get heat stroke. A giant camera arm throws a shadow as it swings across the little box of open sky. We visit the control room, where something like 10 people stare at a giant bank of monitors. They're deciding which cameras to record, which stories to follow, where to go next. Two "loggers" record everything that happens, minute by minute, so everyone can find the right place on the tape later. There are loggers at four in the morning. There are loggers when everyone is sleeping. The zoo is on the record. We walk a long, dark corridor where cameramen (in black, of course) are lined up filming the competition taking place in the yard. Now we're in here, and they're out there. We stand beside the cameras and peer out at the contestants who are squinting in the sun. Dark and cool in here, bright and hot out there. The urge to tap on the glass is almost overwhelming. But we couldn't feed the animals even if we wanted to. We step into the house. This is our first trip to the other side of the glass, where we see mirrors instead of windows, and it's unnerving. A lot of windows are just a beautiful view. A lot of mirrors are induced claustrophobia. Everywhere you look, there is that startle moment, because you are staring back at yourself, and maybe someone on the other side is staring at you, too, but you'd never know. This, it occurs to me, accounts for at least some of the bizarre behavior these people exhibit; it's an uneasy feeling even when nobody is actually filming you, or watching you on the Internet, or seeing several shots of you on that bank of monitors. It's like strolling around the giraffe enclosure after closing time -- you might be behind the walls, but it doesn't make you a giraffe. The biggest surprise about the house is how dirty it is. Thirteen people originally moved into this pretend house; ten still live here. They have very little to do with their time, and they still don't clean the bathroom. The show does not clean up after them. Cleanliness is what the show calls a "roommate issue." When we are there, there is a saucepan full of cold cooked rice on the stove, and a smaller pan of something floating in red liquid -- apricots? Potatoes? There is half-eaten fish on the counter. They were just here. We're looking at their dirty dishes, we're taking note of the shocking number of towels strewn everywhere, and we're in their bedrooms, where their open suitcases spill out onto the floor. They generally live several people to a room, and it has about the appearance you'd expect from a place straddling the line between "hostel" and "flophouse." They're not thinking about the cameras anymore, it strikes me, because if they were, they'd at least clean the kitchen. Really, they were just here. It's like they fled, or they were evacuated. I've seen that one guy on TV, and now these are his sneakers I am trying not to trip over while he's outside. He pushed each one off with the other foot, and he left them here by the bed, and now I'm here, an |
Special Report: Who Is Volodymyr Zelenskiy? | What do we know about the man on the other end of that infamous phone conversation that's now led to an impeachment inquiry? His name is Volodymyr Zelenskiy and he's the president of Ukraine. Before entering politics, Zelenskiy had a successful career as a comedian and actor. |
South Africans Mourn Mandela, Celebrate His Life | South Africa's official period of mourning for former President Nelson Mandela will culminate in his funeral a week from Sunday. Mandela's death left South Africans with "a sense of profound and enduring loss," says the nation"s president, Jacob Zuma. His compatriots, as well as foreign visitors, are flocking in homage to the Mandela homes in Soweto and Johannesburg. |
Dangers for Journalists in Baghdad's 'Green Zone' | If you were a reporter in Baghdad looking to cover the trial of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, you'd need to get into the secured militarized area called "the green zone." That's also where you'd find the new Iraqi parliament and briefings by American officials. But recently, getting into that Green Zone has been one of the more dangerous assignments facing the hundreds of journalists in the Iraqi capital. They drive up in armored cars along a boulevard of restaurants and cigarette stands. The journalists are supposed to stop somewhere, though it's not been clear precisely where, short of the intersection that leads to Checkpoint Three --- and then walk up to it. There are a lot of risks for journalists on that walk. They feel exposed to potential snipers or kidnappers. But it's dangerous for the soldiers securing the checkpoint, too. A nearby police station was bombed several months ago. A suicide bomber detonated a charge at the intersection two weeks ago. These tensions have made the checkpoint more dangerous still. Journalists share this passage with Iraqi citizens heading to the Green Zone, where the government agencies are. Private contractors can enter elsewhere more quickly. But the reporters have to walk that stretch with their hands visible and empty, badges prominently displayed, and then enter a winding path of sandbags, concrete barriers and razor wire. Iraqi or U.S. soldiers frequently fire "warning shots" above the heads of anyone whom they perceive as a possible threat. ABC and CBS News crews were recently shot at, and a CBS car was hit. Bullets flew at NPR News Producer JJ Sutherland recently -- and he found he had company when he wandered into a press conference. "The first words out of the spokesman for the embassy was, ‘Raise your hand if you were shot at today.’ And the consensus was, it is not a matter of if, it is a matter of when a journalist will be killed," Sutherland said. The problems at Checkpoint Three have persisted for many months. But some journalists say it's become more dangerous in recent weeks as the American military has given Iraqi forces more security responsibilities. Steve Butler, foreign editor of Knight-Ridder newspapers, says one of his reporters was recently confronted by Iraqi troops. "Two soldiers were pointing guns at the car," Butler said. "One was saying stop, the other was saying go. It obviously created a very dangerous situation." News organizations have asked military officers for clear-cut procedures to follow -- and suggested they be allowed to enter the Green Zone the way private contractors do. "We are looking at ways to try to help alleviate the problems and the security concerns for the media," said Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, the director of the military's press center in the green zone. "They are in progress at this time. We can’t weaken our overall force protection level just to accommodate a select group of people." In June, Human Rights Watch came up with proposed reforms after studying civilian deaths at American checkpoints in Iraq. An American military inquiry into the killing of an Italian agent made similar points back in April. Joel Campagna of the Committee to Protect Journalists says needed changes haven't been made. "The failure to implement these very basic safeguards would indicate an indifference to the safety of all civilians, including members of the media," Campagna said. Several journalists in Baghdad say they would follow almost any procedures mandated by the military. NPR producer JJ Sutherland said he's been confused about where reporters can safely leave their cars when approaching the checkpoint. "I received an e-mail from a major who said, ‘Oh, here’s a safe spot to be dropped off.’ The day after, our correspondent, Anne Garrels, was dropped off at basically that point and warning shots were fired off at her head," Sutherland said. Senator John Warner, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, recently pressed Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to look into the problem. And e-mails between American public affairs officers in Baghdad obtained by NPR suggest the military is seeking solutions. But a few hinted the real question was one of image. For instance, Captain Chris Watt wrote, "I suspect it's only a matter of time before someone bags a reporter and gains unwanted public attention. As you all know, in the media, perception is reality -- even if we're right, we need to find a happy medium for all or find the magic words to answer the press when they ask publicly why we're shooting at the media." Captain Watt wrote that note to Lt. Col Boylan and Major Jennifer Snyder. Major Snyder spoke to NPR from Baghdad. She said the e-mails do not reflect any lack of concern for the safety of media professionals there. And early this morning, just a few hours after the interview with Major Snyder, and just a few short hours before this story was set to be broadcast, there was much activity in front o |
Iraq's Weapons Declaration Under Review | U.S. and U.N. officials continue their analysis of the 12,000-page dossier on Iraq's weapons program. And within Iraq, the pace of the inspections is increasing with more inspectors arriving in Baghdad. NPR's Bob Edwards speaks with <EM>New York Times</EM> correspondent John Burns. |
A New Orleans-Style Send-Off for Katrina and Rita | Residents of the French Quarter stage a classic New Orleans funeral parade for a visitor they're glad has departed: Hurricane Katrina. "People feel bad about losing things and loved ones," says New Orleans native Ray Kern. "But part of spirit of New Orleans tradition is we have a period of mourning and then you cut it loose... cut the spirit loose." Reveler Ian McNulty said the parade was badly needed to relieve the drudgery of cleaning up the city. "The correct setting for a New Orleanian is to be out in the sun wearing ridiculous clothing, drinking and having fun, and carousing with strangers and loved ones -- not scrubbing mold out of the basement of your house," he says. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: NPR's Mandalit del Barco went along with a group of die-hard New Orleans residents the other day as they tried to revive the spirit of their city. They held a parade in the French Quarter. (Soundbite of music) MANDALIT DEL BARCO reporting: The procession began as jazz funerals in New Orleans have always done, with a sad, slow march down Bourbon Street, a mock funeral for the two hurricanes. (Soundbite of music) Mr. LEROY JONES: The dirge is a very slow lament. It's usually the type of song that you play when they're bringing the body out of the church or from the funeral parlor. And we're going to bury Katrina, and we're going to bury Rita, and we're going to bring this town back to life. (Soundbite of music) DEL BARCO: Jazz trumpeter Leroy Jones led a ragtag group of musicians who've just returned to New Orleans. Mr. JONES: Most of the musicians are gone, most of the people are gone. The French Quarter looks very vibrant for the most part. But if you drive a little bit, major portions of the city--there's no one there. There's still no electricity, there's still no water. It's like a ghost town. DEL BARCO: So for New Orleans native Ray Kern, the parade marked the passing of a storm. Mr. RAY KERN: I mean, still people are going to feel bad about losing a lot of things and loved ones, and--but part of New Orleans tradition is we have some period of mourning, and then we cut it loose--you know, cut the spirit loose. (Soundbite of music) DEL BARCO: The parade became an irreverent celebration satirizing the disaster with a special grand marshal. Unidentified Man #1: I'm Count FEMA. I'm all tied up in red tape here. DEL BARCO: A fake coffin is drawn by a mule that had been rescued by the National Guard during the storm. Costumed revelers tossed Mardi Gras beads to clean-up crews, rescue workers and soldiers boozing it up on their day off. They passed a moldy refrigerator discarded along the route. Unidentified Man #2: Yeah, it stinks. (Laughs) DEL BARCO: Reveler Ian McNolte(ph) said the parade was badly needed to relieve the drudgery of cleaning up the city. Mr. IAN McNOLTE: This puts us back into our natural habitat. The correct setting for a New Orleanian is to be out in the sun wearing ridiculous clothing, drinking and having fun and carousing with strangers and loved ones, not scrubbing mold out of the basement of your house. DEL BARCO: Mandalit del Barco, NPR News, New Orleans. Unidentified Man #3: And that's the way we do it down in New Orleans. (Soundbite of music) MELISSA BLOCK (Host): You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. |
Opinion: NPR Needs Better Labeling Of Opinion Content On Social Media | Update: Four days after this column was published, NPR changed its policy. According to a July 2 memo from Sara Goo, an NPR managing editor who oversees digital content, to the newsroom, "opinion content published on NPR.org must now include 'Opinion:' as the first word of the headline." She wrote: "Our content published on NPR.org is distributed beyond the site to third parties, such as Apple News, Flipboard and station websites that may not be able to display the 'Opinion' label that appears on NPR.org story pages. In addition, social media allow people to share headlines without context or the 'Opinion' label." The new headline policy, she said, will remain in place until NPR can address those issues. As public trust in media outlets has been taking a worrying drop in recent years, researchers have been trying to figure out the causes. One element they've zeroed in on: Many Americans have a hard time distinguishing between factual reporting and opinion pieces, as the Pew Research Center has found. Another recent study, the Gallup and Knight Foundation's 2017 Survey on Trust, Media and Democracy, found that Americans estimate that 80 percent of the news they see on social media is biased. And perceived bias, of course, leads back to that issue of trust. News organizations that want to preserve trust in their work need to be vigilant about addressing these issues. Among other things, that means clearly labeling opinion pieces as "Opinion." NPR made that change last July. I praised NPR's new labels at the time of the change. But I am concerned that NPR has not yet completely revised the way it shares opinion pieces on social media, an issue I raised in a column that ran in March. Since that time, NPR has made one good change to address this issue. When NPR's own social media team posts opinion pieces on Facebook, they now do make sure that the headlines include language that makes it clear that it is an "Opinion" piece. But there's still a hole in NPR's system. If a Facebook user wants to share a story from npr.org to her or his personal Facebook page, there's nothing that indicates that it's an opinion piece when it shows up there. Likewise, tweets do not include any "Opinion" labeling unless the person posting the piece adds context in the text of the tweet itself. The issue arose with this opinion piece from the novelist and essayist Monique Truong that ran Sunday. The tweet that went out under the @NPRFood Twitter account was simply the headline on the piece: "The Hypocrisy Of Eating At Mexican Restaurants" followed by a link. Because the system is automated, many NPR member stations posted the same tweet on their own timelines. I'm not surprised that some people saw that headline as representing the opinion of NPR itself, not that of an individual contributor, and immediately raised concerns about bias. Andrea Kissack, NPR's senior supervising editor overseeing the Science Desk, told me that the tweet was sent out automatically and that the autotweet function for @NPRFood has now been turned off until the labeling issue is solved. Other news outlets make clear in their tweets when they are linking to opinion pieces, so NPR should be able to, too. It could add "Opinion" to the headlines. Here's an example from The Washington Post: Or it could write tweets that include the contributor's name upfront. Here's an example from The New York Times: Sara Goo, an NPR managing editor who oversees digital content, told me that she is looking into the issues. She added that she has also had conversations with Facebook about putting a bold "Opinion" label on all such content, from NPR and others, just as there is now a Facebook label for "Breaking News." "It seems like this is an industrywide problem," she said. "People have a hard time determining the difference" between opinion pieces and straight news and "the more helpful we can be the better," she said. NPR does not run a great many opinion pieces but, as I reported before, that amount is slowly growing (although it also got rid of a science opinion blog, 13.7). If it is going to continue to run opinion pieces, then clearly distinguishing them — in tweets and other social media as well as all other aspects of its work — is an urgent necessity. |
Scientists Optimistic Over Fat Buster | Researchers have found a way to melt fat in mice, and they're hoping the results can one day be applied to humans. Although many potential fat solutions have come along in the past few years, scientists are particularly optimistic about a drug that selectively kills the blood vessels that nourish fat cells. NPR's Richard Knox reports. |
Massachusetts Governor: Reinstate Death Penalty | Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney wants to reinstate the state's death penalty. Romney, a Republican, says scientific advances will prevent innocent people from being executed. Opponents disagree. Audie Cornish of member station WBUR reports. |
Pleasant Hills, Calf., Is Looking For A New City Clerk | The previous clerk quit. In an email announcing her resignation, she said the job was "atrocious" and "incredibly depressing." |
Fat Tuesday, California Style | The sun is up, the polls are opening across the Golden State, and for political watchers one of the most interesting California primaries in modern times is finally here.
It¿s going to be a long day, especially for the political operatives who have pulled marathon days in support of both presidential candidates and ballot measure campaigns. [...] |
Russian Plutonium Production | NPR's Mike Shuster reports that Russia's government has agreed in principle to stop producing plutonium from the waste generated by its civilian nuclear power plants. In exchange, the United States would provide Russia with $100 million in financial aid. The aid money would be spent on a new storage facility to house spent nuclear fuel and on research into new types of reactors and nuclear fuels from which bomb-grade plutonium would be more difficult to extract. However, Russia would first have to agree to stop helping Iran build nuclear power reactors. |
Easy-Listening 'Muzak' Reborn As 'Mood Media' | The company once known as "Muzak," famous for its music often played in elevators and waiting rooms, is now changing its brand name to "Mood." Audie Cornish and Robert Siegel have more. |
2 Writers Comment On Presidential Debate | Steve Inskeep talks to two commentators from either side of the political divide about Tuesday night's presidential debate. Liberal Jonathan Chait is with <em>New York Magazine</em> and conservative Jonah Goldberg is editor at large for <em>National Review Online</em>. |
'What Happens When A President And Congress Go To War?' | The leaders of the impeachment inquiry in the House have issued subpoenas to several members of the Trump administration—and the White House lawyer has told them not to comply. In our system of checks and balances, what power does Congress have to force them to comply? 'New York Times Magazine' staff writer Emily Bazelon says, "The question is, what it really means to be held in contempt of Congress these days." In the past, "Congress would hold you in contempt; they'd send the Sergeant at Arms to come arrest you and you could be jailed, but we haven't seen Congress take that kind of aggressive enforcement action since 1935." |
Remembering Dr. Josefina Magno, Hospice Pioneer | Dr. Josefina B. Magno, an oncologist who helped found one of the first hospices in the United States and pioneered the spread of the service for terminally ill patients, died recently at 83. Hear Magno's colleague Pat Pastore and NPR's Linda Wertheimer. |
The Afghan Government Retains Significant Military Capabilities, CIA Chief Says | In an exclusive NPR interview, CIA Director William Burns addresses Taliban advances in Afghanistan, and what U.S. intelligence can do once the U.S. military leaves the country. |
Hillary Clinton Campaigns With Likely Vice Presidential Pick Tim Kaine | Lots of names appear on Hillary Clinton's vice presidential vetting lists. One name sits atop the most buzzed about list: Tim Kaine. A U.S. senator and former governor from Virginia, Kaine is an easy campaigner, fluent in Spanish and popular in his critical swing state. He and Clinton campaigned together Thursday. |
Postmaster General Asks Congress For Help | The U.S. Postal Service was established in the eighteenth century. And it is now trying to figure out how to survive in the twenty-first. The postmaster general took his dire case to a Senate committee Tuesday. He said if Congress doesn't act fast, the Postal Service won't be able to keep paying its bills. Robert Siegel talks to NPR's Tamara Keith. |
Tribal, State Police Unite Against Crime in Nebraska | Nebraska authorities are allowing tribal police from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota to patrol the neighboring town of Whiteclay, Neb. It's an effort to curb soaring alcoholism, crime and abuse on the reservation. South Dakota Public Radio's Charles Michael Ray reports. |
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona On Schools Reopening, Student Debt And Standardized Tests | Miguel Cardona has been the Secretary of Education for… a month. But he’s already had plenty to keep him busy – with pressure on all sides to figure out how to reopen schools while keeping teachers and kids safe. He’s toured school districts across the U.S. as part of an effort to support education stakeholders during the reopening process. When will school in America reopen fully? And how will it look different going forward? |
Michigan Governor Talks Flint, Detroit Public Schools And Trump | The state of Michigan has a $460 million dollar budget hole, according to new estimates released yesterday, and also will have to find a way to cut that much out of its budgets for 2016 and 2017. That could have a major impact on the amount of money available to help Flint, which is still very much in the midst of the water crisis, and the Detroit Public Schools, which are mired in debt, and set to run out of money in June. Here & Now’s Robin Young talks to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder about how he’s handled the situations in Flint and with the Detroit Public Schools, and how he plans to prioritize both going forward, given the state’s budget shortfall. Interview Highlights: Gov. Rick Snyder Has the Flint water crisis changed your views on how to run government? “It is a terrible crisis and we have been working hard to fix it. This was a failure of government at multiple levels, and particularly the state level. We really had a case where water quality experts that had been with the state for decades, and in one case made some poor decisions and essentially $150 a day of chemicals weren’t added to help protect the pipes. We’ve got a lot of great people working for the state, but this was a failure point.” Do you think you were too isolated, looking at spreadsheets and numbers instead of communicating with actual people? “Again, as a separate question, I think there were communication issues that we need to improve, and we take a lot of steps to make improvements in that. I’ve made it clear that, again these people were on my watch, I’m responsible for the whole state so I took responsibility for that and we’ve done a number of steps in terms of putting improvement performance measures in place to make sure that it doesn’t happen again. I made it clear in the state of the state, I want to hear about these issues and I need to hear about them so we can take prompt action to address them.” What will you do to restore peoples’ faith in you as governor? “You just keep working. You just keep working on putting solutions in place and moving forward, and that’s what’s been happening. We’re seeing a lot of progress in Flint with respect to Medicaid waiver program that I think was an excellent program. We’ve replaced fixtures in the schools, again, we’re continuing to provide emergency supplies, we’ve improved nutrition opportunities in terms of food bank, we’ve done things with early childhood education programs, we’re working on economic development programs to bring more jobs to Flint and in Detroit there’s been a solid proposal for a solution for some time and we’re working through the legislative process. You just work hard on solving the issues and moving forward.” Guest
Rick Snyder, Michigan governor. He tweets @onetoughnerd. |
Colombian Drug War Reviewed on Capitol Hill | Colombia's vice president seeks to persuade key U.S. lawmakers that the South American nation is making progress in a war against rebel drug traffickers. Many are skeptical. Colombia is the third-largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. NPR's David Welna reports. |
Results In The Florida Race For Governor Concludes | In Florida the election, more than a week later, is slowly drawing to a close. Mitchell Berger, Special Counsel for Florida Democrats discusses the results and their broader implications. |
Iraq Responds To Iran's Missile Attack On 2 Military Bases | The country most affected by the escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran is Iraq. Iran has made the latest move — launching missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces at bases in Iraq. |
Knightley's Domestic Violence PSA Censored — For Violence | In early April, the UK charity Women's Aid, which battles domestic violence, released this public service announcement, directed by Atonement director Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley. Without showing graphic violence you couldn't see on any crime procedural any night of the week, Wright creates a genuinely disturbing two-minute film that unsettles precisely because it's shot so straightforwardly. The violence late in the piece isn't carefully choreographed with shifting angles and amped-up music; it's a woman being kicked, and it's far more disturbing for its simplicity. But now, Clearcast, the body that's responsible for approving ads for British television, has reportedly decided that the PSA is not suitable for television unless they cut the end. You know, the part with the domestic violence in it. I can't speak to the amount of violence that's been allowed in commercials in the UK in the past, but what makes this ad so disturbing is precisely the fact that it takes violence seriously and presents it as terrifying rather than balletic or devoid of consequences. I was curious to see whether Clearcast has guidelines that explain why it might be making this decision. The guidelines, after the jump... Read More >> The Clearcast notes on violence state that "violence, cruelty and injury are themes which must be handled with great care and only in cases where they can be justified are they likely to be acceptable. These cases are likely to arise in public service messages, newsreel footage, film trailers and some charity advertising." What is the meaning of this exception if it is not for this? Remarkably, the next note states that "leeway" may be given to violence in theatrical trailers. As to advertising video games, it says, "Clips from such games can often include realistic portrayals of violence, crime etc. and such material, particularly when the setting is an urban environment, is likely to attract tougher timing restrictions than more fantasy-based games." So if you want to realistically depict violence to sell a movie or a video game, you may get "leeway" or a "timing restriction" (as far as when the thing can be shown). But if you want to realistically depict relatively brief violent behavior to fight actual violence, you are entirely out of luck? I must admit, they have me stumped. |
A Collection Of Christian Artifacts Unlike Any Other | You could say Washington, D.C. is also America’s museum capital. And this week, a new collection opens to the public. Just south of the National Mall, the Museum of the Bible will welcome visitors to a $500 million facility that uses a mix of art, technology and lavish architecture to educate guests about Christianity’s sacred text. The museum is funded, in part, by the conservative Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, a crafts franchise that successfully sued the federal government over religious objections to contraceptives as outlined in the Affordable Care Act. A new book, “Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby,” outlines how the evangelical Greens grew their wealth and power alongside a collection of antiquities, many of which are on display in the new museum. GUESTS David Trobisch, Director of collections, Museum of the Bible Candida Moss, Edward Cadbury Professor of Theology, University of Birmingham; co-author, “Bible Nation: The United States of Hobby Lobby” Mikaela Lefrak, Reporter/producer, WAMU For more, visit https://the1a.org. © 2017 WAMU 88.5 – American University Radio. |
The Republican Race, Beyond Iowa | We've been helping our friends at It's All Politics on the big story of the morning, which, as you've no doubt heard, is that after a nail-biter of a night, Mitt Romney took the Iowa primary by eight votes. Rick Santorum pulled a surprising turn around to end up second. Here's some of the territory we've covered on IAP: -- "Iowa Offers Little Clarity For GOP Field" -- "Can Santorum Translate His Iowa Triumph Into N.H. Success?" -- "'Iowa And Beyond': Listen To A Special NPR Podcast" -- "Poll: Iowa Gives Santorum Small Boost In N.H." -- "McCain Expected To Endorse Mitt Romney" |
Syrian Rebel Commander: 'We Need A Lot Of Things' | Gen. Salim Idris is the commander of the Free Syrian Army. Robert Siegel talks to the General about the rebels' needs for weapons, their strategy in fighting the administration and their definition of success. |
Saddam's Half-Brother Decapitated During Hanging | Iraqis began the day hearing unconfirmed reports that Awad al Bandar and Barzan al Tikriti, the two men scheduled to die with Saddam Hussein for crimes against humanity, had been executed. Ali Dabbagh, the government spokesman, said that the sentence had been carried out according to the law with a limited number of people watching, including a prosecutor and a doctor. Dabbagh said that everyone in the execution chamber was searched to ensure they weren't carrying cameras, and they all signed an agreement not to chant slogans or behave inappropriately. Dabbagh said there were no violations but then added one detail. "In a rare incident," Dabbagh said, "the head of the convict Barzan was separated from his body during the execution." Dabbagh called it an act of God. But many Sunnis didn't see it that way. Arab and Iraqi TV stations flooded their broadcasts with the news. Sunni leaders interviewed on air accused the government of violating the law. They claimed that Barzan's body was mutilated, and demanded to see a video of the recording. Amid the uproar Dabbagh hastily called a second news conference to show reporters a video of the execution. Bandar and Barzan were in orange jumpsuits, standing side by side. Bandar recited Muslim prayers as executioners placed black hoods over both their heads and looped thick ropes around their necks. Then the trap door opened and the two men fell simultaneously. But while Bandar's body remained suspended in the air, the rope bearing Barzan snapped back up. His headless corpse dropped to the floor, and the severed head landed several feet away. Dabbagh said he didn't want to show the video, but said he had to because of the outcry over the decapitation. Barzan and Bandar were among the most reviled figures of Saddam's regime. They were tried along with Saddam and four others for the deaths of 148 Shiites after a failed assassination attempt against Saddam in 1982. Barzan, Saddam's half brother, led the intelligence effort to find the would-be assassins. He oversaw interrogation and torture of the suspects. Some of the men and boys arrested died under torture before making it to court. |
LIVE CHAT: Follow The Debate With NPR's Politics Team | Fifteen Republican presidential candidates debated Wednesday night in California — the second Republican debate this season. NPR's live debate chat is now closed, but you can see the archived chat below and post in the comments at the bottom of the page. |
Tulsa, Okla., Schools Plan To Use Latest Stimulus To Expand Learning Opportunities | NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Jorge Robles, chief financial officer for Tulsa Public Schools about plans for using the latest stimulus funding for expanded learning opportunities. |
Vermont's Marble Mecca: A Worthy Swimming Hole For Cliff-Jumping Pilgrims | <em>All Things Considered</em> is taking listeners on a tour of the best swimming holes in the country — including one in Dorset, Vt., where an old marble quarry now attracts swan divers and belly floppers. |
Let's Rush To Judgment: 'Flight' | The trailer for Flight focuses heavily on footage of the plane going down with Denzel Washington at the controls. Not only do we see it streaking through the sky upside down, but it's implied that he somehow manages to land it mostly safely in spite of a massive engine failure. I have to admit: I can't actually tell what's going on in this movie. Once he gets back, there seems to be some kind of a witch hunt out to get him, based on the fact that he has alcohol in his system, but if in fact he saved the people aboard, why would anyone be out to get him? Everyone in the trailer seems to agree that the plane failed and it wasn't his fault. It's like watching half a trailer for a movie about a man up against terrible odds, but it's not clear why the odds are terrible. What's the opposing force here? If he saved people, who's trying to nail him? Don't get me wrong: it's a better approach to making a trailer than telling everything that's happening. Maybe it's a sign of inventiveness. Maybe they're specifically trying to foil rushing to judgment based on a movie trailer — imagine that. The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis, who did Forrest Gump and Cast Away with Tom Hanks, but who also did Back To The Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? And there's no doubt about the cast. Don Cheadle as a crusading lawyer seems like a pretty good idea, and while I can't tell quite what John Goodman is up to, it's probably something good, right? And Melissa Leo! |
Protesters Swarm Michigan Capitol Amid Showdown Over Governor's Emergency Powers | Hundreds of protesters — some of them armed with rifles — massed outside Michigan's Capitol building Thursday to denounce the state's stay-at-home orders. At the same time, lawmakers and the state's governor faced off in a battle over the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the second time in roughly two weeks, protesters defied social distancing guidelines and took to the Capitol lawn over emergency declarations that have closed down many of the state's nonessential businesses and largely confined Michigan residents to their homes. Many of the demonstrators carried signs reading "Free Michigan" as they called out Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who extended the emergency order through May 15. A contingent of gun-wielding men even filed into the legislative building as lawmakers considered ways to restrain the governor's powers — especially her ability to extend an emergency declaration. One protester, Tim Rugg, a firefighter from Oakland County, Mich., likened Whitmer's recent extension of the stay-at-home order to a "tyrannical takeover." "Yeah, there's a virus, but it's more of a politician problem that it's gotten this far. There's no reason for us to be locked down. She's trashing our state," Rugg told member station Michigan Radio. Michigan had more than 41,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 3,700 people have died in the state because of the disease as of Thursday, according to Michigan Radio. Other demonstrators took the governor to task over the economic repercussions of shuttering nonessential businesses, including Teresa Goodman, a grocery store worker who said she once backed the restrictions. "There are so many people that are not as lucky as us to be able to still have a paycheck right now, and they can't feed their families because of trivial orders that are violating their constitutional rights," Goodman told Michigan Radio. President Trump also tweeted his apparent support for the protesters. As the protest went on, Republican lawmakers and Whitmer duked it out for control over how the state should handle the COVID-19 pandemic. Lawmakers in both chambers of the Republican-controlled Legislature declined to approve extending Michigan's state of emergency Thursday. Instead, they passed a resolution that would allow them to take the governor to court over her authority to handle the state's response to the coronavirus crisis. "We can no longer allow one person to make decisions for 10 million people," said Michigan Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey. Despite those objections, Whitmer issued a new round of executive orders Thursday night that extend a state of emergency through May 28. In a televised town hall event, Whitmer responded to lawmakers's effort to sue her. "Right now is not the time for politics. Right now is the time to do the next right thing," Whitmer said. "And that is continuing the stay-home orders ... continuing the state of emergency." |
'Left Alone,' Oliver Mtukudzi Sees Music As Therapy | Zimbabwean musician Oliver Mtukudzi will be 61 this year, and his latest album, Sarawoga, is his 61st. It is also, perhaps, his most personal. Sarawoga, which means "left alone," is a poignant response to the death of his son Sam in 2010. He tells Tell Me More guest host Celeste Headlee that Sam was "more a friend than a son." Both musicians, father and son played, traveled, toured and composed together. "The only way to console myself is to carry on doing what we loved doing most," he says. "Sitting down [to] cry and mourn — I think it would have killed me." Instead, Tuku — as he is known to his fans — has thrown himself into performing his brand of "Tuku music" across the world. Interview Highlights On dealing with the death of his son "If I went back onstage and did what we did, it could, at least, make me feel satisfied. I'd get satisfaction out of that, than sitting down and just thinking of him. I was trying to celebrate the 21 years I've had with him. "I'm not sure people understand what it meant to be able to perform with your own son, doing the same job, doing what you love doing most, both of you. I don't think people will get to understand the depth of the love that's in the art world." On what "Tuku music" is "According to me, 'Tuku music' is African music born of Zimbabwe. That's it. But my fans rather call it 'Tuku music' because they can't place my music. They hear all these elements in the song, so they thought, 'Tuku music.' " On how his music has changed over the decades "The only difference that has come into my music that I've come to realize is quality. Because the guitars I used then, in the '70s, '80s, and the equipment of recording studios that we used then, there's a great change. And now things can be done much easier. "I remember we used to perform using a 100-watt amplifier in a stadium. But people were satisfied. It was OK. But you can't do that today. Because the ear of today needs more power." On how things have changed since he wrote "Todii" to fight the stigma of HIV and AIDS "I'm glad to say the song has served its purpose. Because the song was designed to at least trigger discussion among us people, about the disease. It's a song that was full of questions, with no solution at all. And all those questions started making people talk about the disease, and try and take the stigma away from it." On whether he shied away from talking about Zimbabwe's forthcoming elections "I don't know what's politics. I didn't shy at all. I don't know what politics is. But I know what music is, and what music does to that next person. I know that music unites people. Music gives hope. And music is a way of life. That I know. But what politics is? I don't know." "It's a pity that the world outside our borders concentrates on a handful of people who have their own personal interests. Come to Zimbabwe and see, and experience, what really Zimbabwe is." On his role as a musician "I'm blessed enough to understand why I do what I do. If you understand your purpose, then it shouldn't be a burden at all. It should be a commitment of what you're supposed to be doing to serve that next heart; to heal that broken heart — which is why God gave you the talent; which is the purpose of giving life to the people." |
A Latvian Photographer Never Lets Down His Guard | Latvia is in the midst of a financial transition. The country has had "the fastest growing economy in the EU for the last two years," Pauls Raudseps, an economics commentator for the Latvian news magazine IR, said recently on Morning Edition. With this flurry of economic activity, photographer Reinis Hofmanis started documenting guard booths on the construction sites in Latvia's capital city, Riga, as part of his series Territory. Based in Riga, he was drawn to the booths' architecture and claustrophobic feeling while he was working on another project about borders in urban areas. "My idea was to explore the thin border between private and public space in urban landscape," Hofmanis said via email. Most of the sites Hofmanis photographed will be office buildings or parking lots for private investors spurred by Latvia's growing economy. The guards are visible from the public road, where Hofmanis photographed, but their private shacks isolate them within the landscape. Seeing glimpses of the guards through foggy windows creates a sense of tension in Hofmanis' images. Each of the photos captures the moment when the guard has spotted or is approaching the photographer. Occasionally a guard would leave his space to ask Hofmanis what he was up to. Sometimes the interactions were warm, and he would listen to the guard tell stories after photographing. Other guards weren't as pleasant. "[One] guard came out and threatened to break my camera," said Hofmanis, who tried to explain he was photographing on public land, but the guard wouldn't change his mind. Hofmanis came back later in the week and photographed a different guard in the same spot. Hofmanis said he will challenge these private and public lines as Latvia's economy continues to expand and construction carries on, just as guards will continue to protect their private spaces. Hofmanis' work will be part of an exhibition titled "A Sense of Place. Contemporary Latvian Photography," from Oct. 17 to Nov. 10 at the AusstellungsHalle 1a in Frankfurt, Germany. The exhibition is part of the European Cultural Days of the European Central Bank — Latvia 2013 program. |
N.C. Law Balances Same-Sex Marriage With Religious Freedom | As marriage equality supporters celebrate, opponents of same-sex marriages are considering how to proceed. Some say legislation is one way to balance religious liberties with equal protections. |
Bombers Who Carried Out Attacks In Sri Lanka Were 'Well-Educated,' Official Says | A husband and wife. A pair of brothers from a wealthy, upper-class family. A man with a law degree. Another who studied in the United Kingdom and did postgraduate work in Australia, before coming home to settle down in his native Sri Lanka. Those are the profiles emerging Wednesday, according to Sri Lankan officials and local media, of the suicide bombers who killed more than 350 people in sophisticated, coordinated attacks on churches and hotels there on Easter Sunday. If the Islamic State's claim of responsibility is true, it would be the group's deadliest terror attack. Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, Deputy Defense Minister Ruwan Wijewardene said most of the attackers were "well-educated" and came from "middle-class" backgrounds. "We believe that one of the suicide bombers studied in the U.K. and then maybe later on did his postgraduate in Australia, before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka," he said. The U.S. ambassador to Sri Lanka, Alaina Teplitz, called it "incredibly tragic" that intelligence warnings about the suicide bombers' plans appear to have been missed. "Clearly there was some failure in the system," Teplitz told reporters in the capital Colombo. The FBI and U.S. military are helping to investigate, she said. While local officials admitted prior warnings had been received, the information did not reach the highest levels of Sri Lanka's government, lawmakers said. Teplitz said U.S. officials had not been made aware either. Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has vowed to replace top defense and intelligence officials, and local media are reporting he has asked the country's police chief and defense secretary to resign. In parliament, lawmakers traded barbs Wednesday, accusing one another of playing politics with intelligence, and even of supporting a domestic Islamist group that was virtually unknown before this week. Information coming from lawmakers and government officials since Sunday has often been contradictory. Even before the attacks, Sri Lankan politics were in a state of disarray. Last October, Sirisena sparked a constitutional crisis by firing Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and later appointing a former president and strongman, Mahinda Rajapaksa, to replace him. That move was eventually rejected by Sri Lankan courts and many lawmakers, and the original prime minister was eventually reinstated. But Sirisena held control of the country's security apparatus and police — a decision that sparked anger among opposition lawmakers. "By unlawfully holding on to the law-and-order portfolio, the president has now become the first person who should take responsibility for these attacks that could have been prevented," lawmaker M.A. Sumanthiran, who belongs to an opposition Tamil party, told parliament Wednesday. The attacks hit almost 10 years to the day since the end of Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war. It was a secular, ethnic conflict that left several tens of thousands dead. At its height, suicide bombers struck many times in the capital Colombo. But the country has, until now, had no known Muslim extremist movement. On Wednesday, police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara told reporters that there were actually nine suicide bombers, not seven, as officials had previously said. The female bomber was the wife of another bomber, he said. She exploded herself along with her two children as police moved in to search a house they were in, in the aftermath of the attacks, Gunasekara said. Three police officers also died in that blast. At least 60 people have been arrested so far, Gunasekara also said. Another official, defense minister Ruwan Wijewardene, on Wednesday backed off claims that the Easter attacks were in retaliation for shootings last month at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. He told reporters that the mosque attacks may have been a motivation but that there was no direct evidence of that. NPR producer Sushmita Pathak contributed to this report. |
Affirmative Action for Whites? | Vivianne Njoku is an artist living in Washington D.C., who shares her experience of being denied admission to the high school of her dreams because of the color of her skin. |
Vending Machines Move Beyond the Candy Bar | The ubiquitous vending machine has long sold snacks to office workers and people on the move. Now they're selling bigger consumer goods in "robotic stores." These are machines that sell items such as iPods, and they may be appearing in a mall near you. |
'Monsieur Mayonnaise': The Sandwich King Who Saved Jewish Children From Nazis | There's enough material in the life of Philippe Mora to warrant not just one movie, but maybe three or four. His career as the director of more than 40 films, for instance, including the Dennis Hopper outlaw flick Mad Dog Morgan. His prolific history as a visual artist — including the time the stench from his rotting-meat statue raised the hackles of Princess Margaret. His relationship with legendary French mime Marcel Marceau, who also happened to be his godfather, or with the up-and-coming musician Eric Clapton, who also happened to be his roommate. But it is Mora's origins — complete with his dazzlingly kooky family — that take center stage in Monsieur Mayonnaise, the documentary from director Trevor Graham that premiered in February at the Berlinale Film Festival. And its star may not even be Mora himself, but a life-saving baguette, slathered in mayonnaise. Graham's film reaches way back into Mora family history to tell the story of Philippe's mother, a visual artist born in France to Lithuanian Jewish Eastern-European immigrants, and his father, a German Jewish member of the French Resistance, both of whom later became prominent figures in the Melbourne arts scene. Mayonnaise depicts the Moras' years in hiding and their efforts to resist the forces of 20th-century European fascism. If that sounds like a recipe for tragedy, take heart. Graham tells the Moras' story just as the Moras themselves would: vividly, optimistically and with unflagging good humor. And a love of food and art delivers this family, and the film, out of the recesses of despair. "All kids want to know what their parents don't want them to know," Mora said after the premiere in Berlin, part of the Berlinale's annual Culinary Cinema series. He described growing up in a "historically sanitized" environment, in a family that maintained a certain joie de vivre and declined to dwell on — or even discuss — their experiences during World War II. The desire to look deeper into his family's past, Mora said, sprung from his interest in finding answers — both about his own family history, and about the atrocities committed under the Third Reich. "I don't know whether the answers exist or not, but you've got to ask the question," Mora said later in an interview with NPR. Mora's friendship with Graham blossomed, as many 21st-century friendships do, over Facebook. (And in true 21st-century terms, they describe theirs as a "bromance.") Mora had begun to investigate his family history, fearful of missing the opportunity to speak with some of its aging major players, and he posted his findings publicly. Graham's interest was piqued, and he reached out to Mora about making a film. In Mayonnaise, we meet Mora in the depths of his research, documenting in a comic book the family stories he unearths. The multi-generational, multi-continental saga comes together in a collage of archival footage, modern-day interviews with Mora and his mother, Mirka, and comic-book panels hand-painted by Mora himself. From his family, Mora absorbed the message that the film delivers so affably to its audience: "Love the good things in life ... like art and mayonnaise." And oh, the mayonnaise! Hellmann's this is not: Deeply, French-ly yellow, the beloved Mora condiment gets whisked up onscreen by Mirka herself — with great enthusiasm, and in seemingly industrial quantity. Mora knew that his father, Georges, who died in 1992, had earned the curious nickname "Monsieur Mayonnaise" during the war. But it wasn't until he was an adult that he learned why — from none other than Marcel Marceau himself. Mayonnaise, it turns out, was the key ingredient in a cunning little trick Georges devised to save the lives of Jewish children: Georges slipped resistance documents and passports (wrapped in wax paper) into baguette sandwiches and slathered them with mayonnaise. The Gestapo, he reasoned, wouldn't inspect the sandwiches too closely — they wouldn't want to get mayo on their gloved fingers. Graham, who also hails from Australia, is a veteran of the Berlinale and of culinary cinema. His last entry in the festival, 2013's Make Hummus Not War, examined the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of the popular chickpea paste, of which both nations claim ownership. Mora, too, has made something of a career chewing over the same themes that emerge in Mayonnaise. At the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, Mora's documentary Swastika provoked one of the most violent responses in Cannes history. Appalled that Mora had humanized Adolf Hitler — the film features home footage of the Führer playing with children and discussing Gone With the Wind with Eva Braun — audience members began to shout and throw things at the screen. According to Mora, the ruckus became so heated that a member of Cannes personnel had to yell into the agitated crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Cannes film festival, not a beer hall." Mayonnaise's premiere in Berlin transpired far more peaceably. A four-course dinner orc |
Allergies and Asthma | Allergies and Asthma — As many as 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, and 20 million others have asthma. The potential triggers are everywhere - from pollen to peanuts - and the impact can sometimes be deadly. Why have allergy and asthma rates, especially in children, risen so dramatically in recent years? The program explores the causes, prevention and treatment of allergies and asthma. |
Brahms 2nd from Buffalo | After the twenty-year struggle it took to complete his first symphony, Brahms' second must have been a breeze. He completed it in just one summer. From a concert last season at Kleinhans Hall in Buffalo, we'll hear JoAnn Falletta conducting the Buffalo Philharmonic in Brahms' Symphony No. 2. |
In 'Treme,' New Orleans' Music Is Everything | In David Simon's HBO series Treme, the music is almost as important as the people picking up the pieces after hurricane Katrina. As a trombone player, a disc jockey, a restauranteur, a bartender, a lawyer and many others try to put their lives back together, their stories unfold to a remarkable soundtrack. Music is everywhere: on the radio, in the streets, in bars and clubs. Several musicians also make cameos throughout the series, including Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello and Kermit Ruffins. Blake Leyh, music supervisor for Treme, talks about the critical role of music in the series. NEAL CONAN, host: David Simon's new series on HBO, "Treme," explores the lives of the residents of New Orleans three months after the Hurricane Katrina, as a trombone player, a disk jockey, a restaurateur, a bartender, a lawyer and many others try to put their lives back together. Their stories unfold to a remarkable soundtrack. Music is the glue that holds the show together: On the radio, in bars and clubs and, of course, in the streets. The show begins with a parade, a second line. (Soundbite of TV show, "Treme") (Soundbite of song, "I Feel Like Funkin' It Up") CONAN: Rebirth Brass Band, playing "I Feel Like Funkin' It Up" from the HBO series "Treme." Blake Leyh is the composer and sound designer. He's also music supervisor of "Treme," a position he also held on David Simon's previous HBO hit series, "The Wire." If you're watching "Treme" and have questions about the music, give us a call: 800-989-8255. Email us: [email protected]. You can also join the conversation online. That's at npr.org. Click on TALK OF THE NATION. Blake Leyh is in our New York bureau. Nice to have you on TALK OF THE NATION today. Mr. BLAKE LEYH (Composer and Sound Designer; Music supervisor, "Treme"): Hello. Nice to be here. CONAN: And who picks the music? Is it you, or is it the musicians? Or is this scripted? Mr. LEYH: Well, it's a combination of me and the writers, mostly. It's a collaborative of effort. But all of the music that is going to be played live on the show has to be picked in advance, so the musicians don't really pick that themselves. We usually pick it for them. CONAN: And they're supposed to be spontaneously playing it? Mr. LEYH: That's right. CONAN: That's where the acting comes in. Mr. LEYH: Yeah. I mean, but, you know, the whole approach of the show -I mean, people have remarked on how real everything feels. And one of the primary ways we achieve that is to, as much as possible, have people just doing what they normally do. So the scene that you just played the excerpt from, there's a brass band and maybe 20 dancers and 70 extras. And all of those people are just doing what they normally do. They normally do that. They play that music in the street and dance and parade. And the only thing in that scene that's not normally there would be Wendell Pierce playing the trombone. He's an actor who's introduced with the situation, but everyone else is doing what they normally do. CONAN: And that's a tune that you would expect to hear them play. Mr. LEYH : Yeah. They play it on almost every second line they do, every parade. CONAN: And it's - writers, it's interesting, always want to put in a lot of dialogue in character development and explication and all that sort of thing. Music takes up time. Do you find them trying to crowd it out, or do you find them trying to put it in? Mr. LEYH: I think another thing that's very unusual about the show compared to other movies and television shows I've seen is that the music is very integrated into the story. So whenever we are hearing music performed live, there's a reason for it to be happening. A character that we care about is there playing the music or watching the music. And usually, the music only is a sort of brief interlude. We almost never get to see a whole song played. Though we wanted to avoid the other end of the spectrum, which is when, like in an Elvis movie, when everyone stops what they're doing and they just play a whole song, and the song ends, then everyone the action picks up again. We try and keep the story and the music woven together in a way, so it's all of one continuous piece. CONAN: And everybody is passionate about the music, partly because they make their living at it. You mentioned the actor Wendell Pierce. He plays Antoine Batiste, the trombone player, and appears to be, well, really, really good. Mr. LEYH: Appears to be is the key phrase there. I mean, yeah, Wendell has been taking trombone lessons now since we first knew we were going to be doing the show. But he doesn't actually play his own parts. It's one of the few pieces of artistic license and fabrication that exists. CONAN: Was that a discussion beforehand, that you could have somebody be playing and accomplished - I mean, this is important to who he is - an accomplished musician that doesn't actually play. Mr. LEYH: Yeah. I mean there - well, there's whole range of t |
Crossing the BLVD: A Poem to a Haitian Brother | Haitian-American activist Ray Laforest reads a poem about his brother Tije, who died mysteriously in Haiti in the late 1990s. Judith Sloan, Scott Johnson and Warren Lehrer produced the piece from the book and audio CD <EM>Crossing the BLVD</EM>. |
News Brief: Biden News Conference, AstraZeneca Vaccine, Gun Debate | President Biden holds his first solo news conference Thursday. AstraZeneca releases new data on the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine. Post shooting, Colorado Democrats consider assault weapons ban. |
10 Years On, Clergy Abuse Scandal Still Reverberates | The <em>Boston Globe</em> broke the story of sex abuse within the Catholic Church's Boston diocese, and a systematic cover up, in 2002. Since then, hundreds of victims have come forward with their stories. After resistance, the Church changed course, but many complain it hasn't gone far enough. |
The Science And Ethics Of Research On Chimps | The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio, Texas is one of only a handful of sites around the world that conduct medical research on great apes. Scientists say their research is conducted humanely, but many animal rights groups say testing on chimps is unneeded and unethical. |
Trump Celebrates Health Vote Win With Jubilant Republicans | NPR White House correspondent Scott Horsley (@HorsleyScott) joins Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson to discuss President Trump’s news conference after a bill overhauling the Affordable Care Act passed the House on Thursday. With reporting from The Associated Press |
FedEx Is Breaking Up With Amazon, Ending Ground-Shipping Contract | Federal Express is increasingly seeing Amazon as a competitor in the shipping business. FedEx announced Wednesday that it is ending its ground-shipping contract with Amazon. |
Mexico's High Court Overturns Murder Conviction Of Man Jailed For 23 Years | Mexico's Supreme Court has overturned the 1992 murder conviction of a dual citizen of Mexico and the U.S. who authorities now say was found guilty based entirely on a confession derived from torture. Alfonso Martin del Campo Dodd has been in a Mexican prison for 23 years after the brutal stabbing deaths of his sister and brother in law. He was sentenced to 50 years. But Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled 4-1 that he should be freed "in light of the proof that torture was used to obtain his confession in the two crimes, without there being any other incriminatory evidence." The court said police tortured Martin del Campo Dodd into confessing to the killings using a plastic bag placed over his head. The court cited administrative proceedings later filed against one of the officers who interrogated him. According to The Associated Press: "The couple were stabbed to death in their Mexico City home. Martin del Campo Dodd was at the home and said two masked assailants kidnapped him and stuffed him into the trunk of a car, which they later abandoned. "He signed a confession to the killings, but later claimed he did it under torture. He was sentenced to 50 years behind bars for the murder." During a long-fought legal battle, supporters of Martin del Campo Dodd argued his innocence, citing serious error during the investigation, including hair and skin found under the victims' nails that did not match the DNA of the defendant. "They also said that there had been irregularities in the way the investigation had been carried out, such as the fact that the victims' clothes and bed linen had been burned the same day of the crime 'for hygienic purposes,'" the BBC says. The AP says: "Lawyers for the dead couple's now-grown daughters criticized Wednesday's ruling, saying it was a blow to victims' rights. "'This is an offense to the victims,' said Samuel Gonzalez, a former top anti-drug prosecutor who has helped defend victims' rights. "'The victims did not get justice.'" |
Surprise Pothole Claims 8 Vintage Corvettes | A huge sinkhole opened beneath part of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., swallowing eight cars. Robert Siegel talks to Katie Frassinelli, the museum's communications manager. |
Civilian Life Transition Harder For African-American Vets? | For some veterans, the war is not over when they come home. Host Michel Martin speaks with two former servicemen, Benjamin Fleury-Steiner and Leo Dunson, about some of the difficulties African-American veterans face after returning to civilian life. |
Sally Semrad's Alt-Country Road Trip | Texas native Sally Semrad always dreamed of being a musician. So several years ago, she packed up her red guitar and moved to Los Angeles to follow that dream. Her debut CD <EM>Left of Me</EM> is a fusion of Texas-style country and California roots-rock. Listen to tracks from the CD, and hear her conversation with </EM>All Things Considered</EM> guest host Liane Hansen. (8:00) The CD is on Stanley Recordings, available from <a href="http://cdbaby.com" target="_blank">http://cdbaby.com</a>. More information about Sally Semrad is at <a href="http://stanleyrecordings.com" target="_blank">http://stanleyrecordings.com</a>. |
Army's Planned Troop Reductions Concern Military Communities | The Army is preparing to cut 40,000 soldiers as part of defense spending cuts. We visit Hinesville, Ga., which depends heavily on nearby Fort Stewart, one of the places to be scaled back. |
After Admitting To Doping, Cyclist Hamilton Surrenders His Gold Medal | As we've reported cyclist Tyler Hamilton made waves when he told CBS News' 60 Minutes that he had seen Lance Armstrong inject himself with a performance-enhancing drug. Hamilton, 40, also admitted to doping himself, and, today, the New York Times reports that he has voluntarily surrendered his 2004 Olympic Gold Medal to the United States Anti-Doping Agency. The Times received confirmation from the International Olympic Committee: "The I.O.C. has been in touch with Usada, which indicated that the athlete has already rendered his gold medal — Athens 2004 time-trial race — and that they are currently pursuing an inquiry," Emmanuelle Moreau, a spokeswoman for the I.O.C., wrote in an e-mail. "The I.O.C. has taken note of Hamilton's confession and will, of course, study any potential Games-related implications." Usada confirmed in a statement Friday that Hamilton had returned the medal and said, "We will continue to work with the I.O.C. and the U.S.O.C. as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation." |
Maryland Investigates Russian National's Links To State Elections Software | Top Maryland lawmakers announced Friday they were informed by the FBI about links between a Russian oligarch and the software company that services parts of the state's voter registration systems. Officials said there is no evidence of a breach in the system, but wanted to keep the public informed. State officials said the connections were alarming enough to ask the state's attorney general to review the contract Maryland has with the company. "We don't have any idea whether they meddled in the elections at all," Maryland House Speaker Michael Busch said during a Friday press conference. "We just know that there's Russian investment into the vendor system that we use to operate our elections." The revelation came just hours after the Department of Justice announced indictments against a dozen Russian nationals for a range of charges in connection with hacking during the 2016 presidential campaign. In a joint statement released earlier Friday, Busch and Maryland's Senate President Mike Miller said they became aware of links between Russia and the voter systems a day earlier. "We were briefed late yesterday [Thursday], along with Gov. Hogan, [that the vendor] was purchased by a Russian investor in 2015, without the knowledge of state officials," the statement said. Nikki Charlson, the deputy administrator for Maryland's State Board of Elections, said in a statement that her office will work to confirm that no fraudulent actions have taken place. The statement also gave more details about the vendor ByteGrid LLC. "[The] FBI gave this office important information about a vendor the State Board of Election uses to host various election systems. This vendor - ByteGrid LLC - hosts the statewide voter registration, candidacy, and election management system, the online voter registration system, online ballot delivery system, and unofficial election night results website. According to the FBI, ByteGrid LLC is financed by AltPoint Capital Partners, whose fund manager is a Russian and its largest investor is a Russian oligarch named Vladimir Potanin." Potanin is said to be "very close" to Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Busch, but that it does not appear Potanin is guilty of any wrongdoing. Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, in a statement, echoed calls by Miller and Busch, both Democrats, for the state's board of election to evaluate and address any vulnerabilities within its system. "While the information relayed to us did not indicate that any wrongdoing or criminal acts have been discovered, we are fast approaching an election in November, and even the appearance of the potential for bad actors to have any influence on our election infrastructure could undermine public trust in the integrity of our election system," Hogan said. Hogan joined Busch and Miller in writing a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen requesting that the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications provide the state with technical support in auditing the state's voter systems network. |
Week In Politics: The Looming Spending Cuts Edge Closer | <em>Weekend Edition Sunday</em> host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR National Political correspondent Mara Liasson about the week in politics, including the looming spending cuts facing Congress and the administration's urging of the Supreme Court to strike down a key part of the Defense of Marriage Act. |
Kaiju Big Battel: Wrestling Meets Godzilla | Old-time professional wrestling fans nostalgic for the days when camp was king and characters like Junkyard Dog and Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka ruled the squared circle have a whole new set of heroes to cheer for -- on the Kaiju Big Battel wrestling circuit. Think of Kaiju Big Battel as the horrific spawn of Japanese monster movies and the WWF ("Kaiju" means "monster" in Japanese). It's a tongue-firmly-in-cheek contest of "athletes" wearing patently silly costumes, looking to give their opponent a solid (and likely pre-ordained) smackdown. In the mythology of Kaiju, the matches are part of the balance of the universe, where earthly forces of good counter evil creatures invading our planet, bent on world domination. Or something like that... Day to Day technology contributor Xeni Jardin recently infiltrated this underground wrestling circuit, filled with far-out science-fiction characters with names like Silver Potato, Gomi Man and Louden Noxious. She was witness to the coming-out party of Kaiju's rising star: Dr. Cube, a "human-genius-turned-quasi-monster" who, with his evil army, continues his quest for world domination. |
Army Will Pay Most of Halliburton Subsidiary's Costs | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reimbursing a Halliburton subsidiary for almost all disputed charges from a no-bid contract to repair equipment and supply fuel in Iraq. Pentagon auditors had questioned $250 million in charges from Kellogg Brown & Root, but the Army now says it will penalize the company $10 million. |
Jury Convicts Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard On 12 Felony Ethics Charges | Alabama House Speaker Mike Hubbard has been ousted from office and could face up to decades in prison after a jury found him guilty on 12 of the 23 ethics charges. Hubbard was taken into custody after the jury returned its verdict Friday night in Opelika, Ala. Hubbard was accused of using both his speakership and his position as chair of the Alabama Republican Party for personal financial gain, by allegedly funneling money to his private businesses, Craftmaster Printers and the broadcast company Auburn Network. Prosecutors say Hubbard used the power of his office to improperly benefit his companies and clients and to try to obtain $2.3 million worth of work, investments and financial favors, as MacKenzie Bates of Alabama Public Radio tells our Newscast unit. As NPR's Debbie Elliot pointed out, it's ironic that he's being accused of violating "an ethics law that he championed shortly after he orchestrated the Republican supermajority in the Alabama State House." Hubbard's 12-day trial marks the latest development in the saga of political scandals plaguing Alabama, involving three top elected officials, including Hubbard and current Gov. Robert Bentley. Bentley — who's facing impeachment proceedings for his inappropriate relationship with a top political aide — and former Gov. Bob Riley both testified, as did Hubbard, in his own defense. "We hope this verdict tonight will restore some of the confidence in the people in the state of Alabama that public officials at all levels in the state of Alabama will be held accountable for their actions," acting Attorney Gen. Van Davis said. As Troy Public Radio's Kyle Gassiott reports, the 12 charges include "voting on legislation with a conflict of interest, using his office for personal gain through a consulting contract and lobbying the governor's office for his consulting clients." Gassiott adds that the now former House speaker faces a prison term of up to 20 years for each count. From the start, Hubbard has denied the charges. He and his team of lawyers argue that Hubbard's transactions were legal because they complied with ethical standards in business dealings, and were carried out between longtime friends. The defense say they plan to appeal the convictions. Hubbard's sentencing is set for July 8. |
'Far Side' Cartoonist Gary Larson | <EM>The Complete Far Side 1980-1994</EM> hits stores this week. It's a two-volume hardcover set that includes every <EM>Far Side</EM> cartoon ever syndicated. <EM>The Far Side</EM> thrived for 14 years and appeared in more than 1,900 newspapers worldwide. Larson has published more than 20 books featuring his cartoons. In 1994, Larson completed his first animated film <EM>Gary Larson's Tales from the Far Side.</EM> His second animated film, <EM>Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side II,</EM> has appeared at the Telluride Film Festival. He lives in Seattle. |
In Idaho, Banks Sue Hard-Hit Homeowners | Month in and month out, Idaho's foreclosure rate remains one of the highest in the nation. Some former homeowners are finding themselves in an even tighter spot than they thought was possible. They've lost their homes and wrecked their credit ratings, yet, as StateImpact Idaho's Molly Messick reports, lenders are still pursuing them for the debt that remains. |
Hockey Fact Bag With Retta | It's the Stanley Cup of public radio bags: Fact Bag. In this hockey-themed edition, Los Angeles Kings fan and Good Girls star Retta joins Ophira Eisenberg and Jonathan Coulton to discuss three NHL trivia questions, one for each period in a regulation game. Will they guess the answers, or will they be sent to the penalty box? Heard on Retta: Tweet Yo' Self. |
Lawsuit Alleges CARES Act Excludes U.S. Citizen Children Of Undocumented Immigrants | U.S. citizen children of undocumented parents who are excluded from the $2 trillion federal coronavirus relief package filed a federal class-action lawsuit Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Maryland by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center along with CASA, a nonprofit immigrant rights organization serving the Washington, D.C.-area and Pennsylvania, on behalf of seven children, ranging in age from 7 months old to 9 years old, and their parents. "My daughter is a U.S. citizen," said Carmen, the mother of one child in the lawsuit who did not want to give her full name because of her immigration status. "Just as any other U.S. citizen child, my daughter deserves to have equal rights," especially during this pandemic, Carmen said. "It's an injustice." As job losses continue to increase nationwide due to the public health pandemic, the federal government's enormous Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, signed into law March 27, provides an economic lifeline to millions of people who pay taxes using their Social Security number instead of the individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN, used by Carmen and many other undocumented immigrants. Every eligible individual receives a $1,200 check if the person has an income of less than $75,000 per year, or $2,400 if a couple files taxes jointly. If the income is higher, the amount varies. Individual taxpayers' children also qualify for $500 per child under the age of 17. Carmen said she pays income tax every year using her ITIN. Before the pandemic she worked two jobs in the food industry — one at a catering company and another at a pizzeria. "This is the first time I'm home without an income," she said. "I'm using my voice to advocate on behalf of my daughter." Carmen came to the U.S. from Lima, Peru, in 2001. She said she's concerned about her and her daughter's future in this pandemic. "It's a hard reality we are living," she said, pleading with public officials not to abandon children like hers during the crisis. "I hope their hearts soften and their minds open to see that our children are also the future of the country." Mary McCord is the lead attorney for the class-action lawsuit. "The lawsuit is based on the equal protection violation of the CARES Act that discriminates and excludes U.S. children," said McCord, a visiting professor at Georgetown University Law Center. "It's one thing to discriminate against the undocumented immigrants, which our system does, but it's a whole different thing to discriminate against U.S. citizen children." McCord estimates there are millions of children of undocumented immigrants in the country and said that these youths are being "treated as second-class citizens" with the denial of the CARES Act benefit. More importantly, McCord said, it's nonsensical to deny these U.S. citizen children the benefit of the relief package because they already qualify for other public benefit programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP benefits, as well as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF. "Under the Constitution, U.S. citizens cannot be discriminated against based on alienage," McCord said. "These children have no say in who they're born to, and yet they're being treated differently than other U.S. citizen children. And that's why so many of the other public benefits programs still do cover U.S. citizen children, because otherwise it would be discriminatory." Nicholas Katz, CASA's senior manager of legal services, said the way the CARES Act is being implemented runs counter to its promise. "The purpose of the CARES Act is to help the most vulnerable members of our society during this difficult time," Katz said in written statements. "Immigrants make up almost a fifth of [front-line] workers during this pandemic. It is an absolute outrage that we are relying on immigrant families to care for our loved ones and provide our essential supplies and yet denying their children the support they are entitled to as U.S. citizens." This case doesn't have a precedent, though two lawsuits in Maryland and Illinois have been filed against the U.S. government on behalf of couples of mixed immigration status. They were denied CARES Act relief because one of them is an undocumented immigrant, while the other is a U.S. citizen. |
The Author Of 'The Exorcist,' William Peter Blatty, Dies At 89 | The author of the novel <em>The Exorcist</em>, William Peter Blatty, has died at the age of 89. Scott Simon spoke with him in 2011 about the novel — and he said he never meant for it to be so scary. |
Why Elephants Pose A Threat To Rohingya Refugees | Foyes Ullah's first thought was — burglars! It was 2 in the morning in a crowded part of the Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, and a commotion had just jolted him awake. People outside were yelling. The walls of his shelter were trembling. He could hear bamboo snapping as if someone were ripping apart a neighboring hut. His neighbor was screaming, "Who is hitting my house? Who is there? But no one was responding," Ullah says. He wanted to go outside but his wife stopped him, saying, "They will kill you." It sounded as if the whole neighborhood had woken up. People were yelling, "There are robbers!" Then Ullah heard a sound: "EEEK." And he knew it was an elephant. When Ullah finally came outside, he says the elephant was knocking down everything in the camp, including shelters made of tarps and woven bamboo mats tied to bamboo frames. The elephant had plowed through several huts and was eating from a pot of rice that it had spilled over. "One of the men here saw the elephant," Ullah says. "He pulled the tail of the elephant, and the elephant just turned and went away. It was then that Ullah discovered that the elephant had stepped on his neighbor's chest, killing him. Ullah's neighbor was one of 14 people, all but one of them refugees, who have been killed by elephants over the past year and a half in and around the camps. The most recent fatality was in February. Asian elephants can weigh up to 12,000 pounds. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the species as endangered. In Bangladesh, there are only a few hundred left in a couple of areas in the wild. And one of those areas is exactly where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are now taking shelter in sprawling refugee camps. Late in 2017, nearly 700,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar to escape brutal attacks by government security forces and pro-government militias. To deal with the elephant problem, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, has helped set up elephant response brigades among the refugees. "We are not traditionally an organization that gets involved in conservation," says Paul McCallion, a senior energy and environment officer working out of the UNHCR office in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh. "We are involved with the elephants here simply due to the fact that their migratory path has been cut off with the influx of refugees." The elephants end up in the camps, McCallion says, because they're instinctively trying to follow a path they've taken in the past. "It's just in their DNA, and they will keep naturally trying to take that route." He says the elephants travel each year back and forth between Myanmar and Bangladesh foraging on local vegetation. But as the Rohingya refugee camps have expanded, the settlements have taken over areas where the elephants used to graze and blocked them from getting to other grazing spots. McCallion says the elephants aren't naturally aggressive. The fatal encounters usually occur, he says, when an elephant ends up cornered in a camp: "The elephant can feel trapped. It can feel confused once it's behind the shelters. The danger is when the elephant ends up in the midst of a camp and doesn't know how to get out. That's when it gets to a stage where the animal could react in a very aggressive way." The main goal of the elephant response teams is to keep the animals out of the camps in the first place. Dotted around the camps are tall, thatched watchtowers on spindly bamboo frames. They look like fire lookouts or guard towers. Noor Salam, who's 33, is with the elephant response team in an area known as Camp 4 Extension. He is dressed in the official uniform of what UNHCR officials call a "tusk force" — a blue T-shirt and dark track suit bottoms. He says the towers are used to watch for elephants that might be approaching the settlement. If an elephant does enter the camp, Salam and his colleagues use whistles to summon more members of the team. "In the training, we were taught to surround the elephant on three sides," Salam says. "We leave one area open for the elephant to move back toward the edge of the camp." The team members wave fluorescent flags and blast sirens from handheld megaphones at the elephants to drive them away. At night they shine large lights while making lots of noise. Salam says before the response teams were formed, the refugees would yell at the elephants and bang pots to drive them away, but it was often chaotic. The noise and the commotion would often upset the elephants even more. And it didn't keep them away. "This is the elephant's land," Salam says. "They're going to keep coming back here." But the response teams have been effective. Since Salam's team was formed in Camp 4 Extension last year, there haven't been any fatal elephant incursions in his part of the camp. |
Astronaut Scott Kelly On Capturing Earth's 'Infinite Wonder' From Outer Space | Scott Kelly holds the American record for the most consecutive days in space, spending 340 of them in orbit aboard the International Space Station before returning to Earth in March 2016. Kelly took hundreds of photographs while he was in space, many of which he shares in his new book “Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut’s Photographs from a Year in Space.” “Photography is a big part of the job, we get a lot of training in it,” Kelly tells Here & Now‘s Jeremy Hobson. “But it really wasn’t until I was living on the space station for long periods of time that I developed not only a little bit of a skill for it, but also a love for taking pictures — particularly pictures that have some artistic value to them.” Speed was one challenge Kelly says he had to overcome to ensure Earth was ready for its close-up: The space station moves at around 17,500 miles per hour, or about 5 miles per second. “It takes a while to develop a good technique — I think months, actually,” he says. “Sometimes you get blurry pictures, but other times you get pictures … that I think people find mesmerizing and interesting.” One of Kelly’s favorite spots to shoot from space? “The Bahamas is amazingly beautiful. It’s the most expansive area of brilliantly blue water on our planet,” he says. “I always enjoy getting pictures of the Bahamas — I enjoy visiting there, too, [it’s] also a beautiful place up close.” Interview Highlights On the kinds of photos he took and the techniques involved in taking them “The pictures that I became kind of known for a little bit were these pictures that we called ‘Earth art,’ so trying to make a wall-worthy image of planet Earth, using Earth as a subject matter. The way I would do that is I would use a really long lens, a telephoto lens, and choose interesting spots of the Earth. But we are going really fast: 17,500 miles an hour, which is 5 miles a second. You’ve got to move the camera really quickly and really steadily.” On the physical challenges that come along with being in space “In the absence of gravity, the fluid in our bodies shifts, redistributes itself. So your head feels like it’s full a little bit, or people often feel congested — big-headed astronaut is not just about our egos. It’s also about the fact that your head swells up. It’s not particularly comfortable. It never actually goes away, believe it or not. It gets better over time, but even at the end of a year, I still had a little bit [of a] swollen head. “The carbon dioxide, when it’s the lowest it can be on the space station, it’s about 10 times what it is on Earth, 10 times higher, which is not comfortable. I think that also causes some congestion and eye irritation, when it gets really high I think it has a little bit of an effect on your ability to perform at a high level. It kind of gives you a little bit of a mental deficit, maybe. “Our skin in space doesn’t respond to that environment very well in a lot of people, so a lot of people get weird rashes and other things on different parts of their body.” On overcoming symptoms after his return from orbit “I didn’t feel well when I returned, after being in space for a year. I quickly got over the the worst symptoms, which was like stiffness and fatigue and swelling of my legs and nausea, and a little bit of dizziness. I got over those kind of things within a few weeks. But now, I don’t have any symptoms of being in space for a year. “I do have some structural changes in … the physiology of my eyes, which is not completely uncommon for people that spend extended periods of time in space. I have some genetic changes: 7 percent of my gene expression had changed, actually more than that had changed in space, but when I came back, 7 percent, last I checked, still hadn’t returned to normal. Gene expression is DNA, RNA proteins, those things that are very important to our physiology, and what makes a cell become a liver cell versus an eyeball cell had either turned itself on or turned itself off. We’re trying to still understand — [we] don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing. But I don’t have any physical symptoms of that.” On the most difficult thing to deal with emotionally while spending hundreds of days aboard the space station “It’s being physically detached from your family, loved ones, friends, people in general. Even though I liked all the people I was in space with, [there was] not a whole lot of variety. “The other thing that is I think challenging is just the fact that you can’t go outside. You can’t be in the sun, there’s no rain, no wind. The environment within the space station never changes. You can’t leave. It’s not particu |
Vajpayee/Clinton Meeting on Nuclear Arms | NPR's Michael Sullivan reports on the visit of India's Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the United States. Vajpayee who arrived Wednesday for a four-day official stay in the capital is scheduled to meet President Clinton on tomorrow. The visit is expected to present an optimistic note on the issue of Kashmir and nuclear arms. |
Colin Powell: Mideast Peace 'Roadmap' Still in Play | Secretary of State Colin Powell says the peace "roadmap" for Israel and the Palestinian territories is still the most viable route to a true resolution of hostilities. This week, the Bush administration reduced a loan package for Israel to signal U.S. concern over the building of additional settlements. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports. |
After Parkland, Young Voters Were Galvanized, Activists Vow To 'Continue To Organize' | After 17 people were killed in a school shooting in Parkland, Fla. earlier this year, students emerged as a driving force behind the gun control debate. Numbers are still being crunched, but early figures indicate turnout in the midterms among young voters jumped this year. And gun policy may have played a key role in, if not mobilizing, this bloc — and at the very least getting this cohort engaged in the electoral process. Gun violence is a problem that is ubiquitous in the U.S. and mass shootings are becoming increasingly more commonplace. On Wednesday, a dozen people were killed at a country music bar in Thousand Oaks, Calif. That shooting came just a few days after one at a Tallahassee yoga studio, and a week before that a gunman killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue. These incidents were just in the past two weeks. Alessia Modjarrad, a freshman at Indiana University, voted for the first time in this week's midterms. She said she worked hard to get what she calls "gun sense" candidates elected, but her efforts fell a little short. "Unfortunately Liz Watson, the campaign I was volunteering for, and Sen. Joe Donnelly both lost a seat," Modjarrad said. Congressional candidate Liz Watson, a Democrat, fell short trying to unseat incumbent Rep. Trey Hollingsworth, R-Ind., while Donnelly, who was seeking a second term, had his Indiana Senate seat flipped when Republican Mike Braun bested him. Modjarrad is disappointed by those losses but optimistic about the fact that Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and will be sending a record number of women to the 116th Congress next year. "So all in all a win, but not enough," Modjarrad said. "2020 can't come soon enough." Shaping gun policy is an important issue for her. "I think that if the Democrats want to keep not only the support from young voters, but this enthusiasm from young voters, then they're going to need to work with young voters to start drafting gun sense legislation," she said. According to data released Wednesday from Tufts University's Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, estimates show about a third of young people ages 18 through 29 turned out to vote in the midterms. While these figures are not definitive because most states have not certified their election tallies, the signs are encouraging. If the figures hold true, it would mean millions more young people showed up to the polls than in 2014. John Della Volpe, the director of polling at Harvard's Institute of Politics, says the issue of gun violence is critical to understanding the enthusiasm of young voters this time around. "It's a central motivating factor in the awakening of this generation, for sure," Della Volpe said. Della Volpe said he spent much of the summer conducting focus groups and meetings with young Americans across the country. He said out of 16 issues that were determined to be the most pressing for the nation to address, from immigration to criminal justice reform to health care, one issue kept topping the list. "In every single way that I can measure, school shootings was actually No. 1," Della Volpe said. "Gun violence was in the top five, but school shooting in particular is what stood out for a majority of young Americans." Della Volpe and others credit the March For Our Lives movement for helping to register young voters and keeping the gun issue alive throughout 2018. Matt Deitsch graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland a few years before the shooting, but he has two siblings who survived the Feb. 14 massacre. He is frustrated that no major gun laws have passed on a federal level and that so many shootings have taken place since the one at his alma mater. "People should not be dying in America because they're going to go to a Madden tournament or go grocery shopping, or just be Jewish and practice their religion or just be black in America," Deitsch said. "But that is what is happening because we have complacent leadership." Deitsch is the chief strategist of March For Our Lives and said the gun control fight doesn't end with the election. "I think a lot of our work is going to be to continue to organize. We have to hold this Congress accountable." |
Week In Review With Daniel Schorr | This week automakers failed to get a bailout package approved by Congress. Now the White House says it will step in to save the car industry from collapse. Meanwhile, the governor of Illinois became the center of scandal, accused of trying to sell the Senate seat that was previously filled by President-elect Barack Obama. Host Scott Simon reviews the week's news with NPR News Analyst Daniel Schorr. SCOTT SIMON, host: This is Weekend Edition from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon. This week, no auto bailout package approved in Congress. White House now says it will have to step in. Meanwhile, the governor of Illinois became the center of a scandal when he was accused of trying to sell the Senate seat that was recently held by President-elect Barack Obama. Joining me now is NPR senior analyst Daniel Schorr. Hello, Dan. DANIEL SCHORR: Hi, Scott. SIMON: And first, let's begin - I know you're raring to get to the Blagojevich story, but let's get to the auto industry first, if we can. Congress came up with a $14 billion package... SCHORR: Right. SIMON: This week. The administration supported the bill, the House passed it, but then it did not find support in the Senate, chiefly among Republicans there. How did this break down, particularly when you have an administration supporting it? SCHORR: Well, it didn't find enough support in the Senate to pass. It needed 60 votes in order to toss the filibuster, and that they didn't succeed in doing. What was outstanding about this thing was that it was the Senate Republicans who did it in spite of the fact that President Bush was the one who favored it, and it's sort a sign of the very, very flagging influence that the president has. And so it went down the drain. SIMON: So when the administration says it's got to get involved to try and preserve some kind of bailout package, what can they do? SCHORR: Well, the indications are that they're going to resort to the so-called TARP - Troubled Assets Recovery Program - the $700 billion which was meant for the financial industry, a large part of which - half of which, I think, has already been labeled out. Now they will probably turn to this fund which the president had earlier said he would not do, turn to this fund to get the necessary $14 billion to save the auto industry. SIMON: And what are the prospects for something being done by the end of the year? SCHORR: Very, very little. I mean, already, I think President-elect Obama is in touch with Congress on what to do after. The new conference(ph) will be in two weeks before the inaugural. SIMON: Mm hmm. SCHORR: And the president-elect wants to use that time to mount some kind of package for very, very soon after he becomes president. SIMON: Meanwhile, there were more discouraging indicators of the nation's economic health this week, weren't there? SCHORR: Yes. I don't want to reel them off, but you know, unemployment is up and consumption is down and it seems to be getting worse and worse. It's not as though it's bad and it's reached bottom. It is reaching further all the time, and every new statistic says it's worse than we thought. SIMON: OK. So let's get to Governor Blagojevich... SCHORR: Thank you. SIMON: He was taken into custody shortly before dawn, accused, among other things, of trying to sell that Senate seat that had been President-elect Obama's. His chief of staff, who was also accused in the scandal, has since resigned. There certainly have been calls - including by President-elect Obama - for Governor Blagojevich to resign... SCHORR: Yes. SIMON: And now the attorney general of Illinois has indicated that she's going to go to the state Supreme Court to try and... SCHORR: Right. SIMON: Have Governor Blagojevich declared unable to serve. SCHORR: Yeah. And if that doesn't work, then the idea is to call a special election, which will cost $30 million or so, but to simply establish a new election in order to replace the governor even though he has so far, at least, refused to resign. SIMON: What are some of the political implications for this? SCHORR: Well, the way I look at this, there's something quite amazing here. Blagojevich is now, what, the fourth Illinois governor to get into legal trouble, most of them ending up in jail at some point. SIMON: The immediate past governor of Illinois, George Ryan. SCHORR: Right. And so, what gets into these people that makes them do it? What's it take into(ph) a Senator Stevens that makes him say, fix up my house for a quarter of a million dollars and don't bother me with details? There is a word that keeps coming into my mind, and that word is entitlement. We usually use the word entitlement for Social Security, Medicare, the things which we owe to people, but this is the entitlement of politicians who believe that they are owed something because they won an election and whatever they do is all right. I think of this as the worst kind of entitlement that I could dream of. SIMON: President-elect Obama named mor |
Zapping Inmates To Control Them: Harmless Or Torture? | Los Angeles authorities have unveiled a new high-tech device designed to control rowdy inmates: a mechanism that blasts millimeter beams that simulate intense heat. At the Pitchess Detention Center, north of Los Angeles, officials recently showed off their latest tool, which resembles a supersized dental X-ray machine with a flat screen on top. It works like something out of Star Trek. "You know when they set their phasers to stun, they did that so they didn't kill people? Well, that's exactly what this is. It does stun you," says Mike Booen, a vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems. The company built the device for the Los Angeles County Jail, a scaled-down version of what it designed for the military. "I don't care if you're the meanest, toughest person in the world," he says, "this will get your attention and make your brain focus on making it stop, rather than doing whatever you were planning on doing." The Pain Riots are nothing new at this jail. The Pitchess Detention Center has a history of bloody inmate violence. In fact, the latest brawl between 200 inmates broke out two days after the Raytheon device was unveiled. Dave Judge, the operation deputy for the sheriff's department, says the machine is more effective than their usual methods of firing rubber bullets and tear gas grenades. "This is tame; this is mild," Judge says." This is a great way to intervene without causing any harm. The nice thing about this is it allows you to intervene at a distance." With the remote-controlled device, he says, guards can focus on specific targets using a monitor and a joystick. Raytheon's Booen says the device sends out millimeter waves, creating a harmless, but intense sensation. "It penetrates about a 64th of an inch under your skin," Booen explains. "That's about where your pain receptacles are. So it's what it would feel like if you just opened up the doors of a blast furnace. You feel this wave of heat immediately." Recently, the sheriff's deputies had a field day testing the device on the media. "Ow!" yelled Estrella TV reporter Andres Herrera, a nervous volunteer, as he got zapped from across the room. "Holy smokes!" cried Brian Day, a reporter with the Pasadena Star, as he flinched from the pain and jumped out of the way. "At first, it's a warmth," he says. "Then it becomes an intense burning sensation real quick." When I volunteered, the guards hit me first in the arm, and stronger, in the neck. Ten minutes later, I swear I could still feel the pain. "That's the mind and that's the memory," Judge says. "We all tend to imprint a discomfort. So you burn that sensation in your mind, which is a positive thing, because we want individuals to remember that. So if they're inclined to do [something wrong], they think twice and not do it." Protests Over The Taser Three years ago, the Department of Defense demonstrated a bigger version of the device it considered using. During one simulation, it repelled a pretend group of protesters with the "Active Denial System" direct energy weapon mounted on a military vehicle. The U.S. Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Programs reportedly never actually used the device in Afghanistan, but a spokeswoman says they are considering related technology. Now, Los Angeles has been given a smaller, civilian version of the same device free. But the ACLU says that's a bad idea. "We're going to use people in the jails as guinea pigs for some mega arms builder to test their device," ACLU attorney Peter Eliasberg says. He sent a letter to L.A. Sheriff Lee Baca asking him to reconsider using what he says has the potential to be a torture device. "These weapons are always sold as safe, they're new, they're high tech, nobody gets hurt," Eliasberg says sarcastically. "We heard that about Tasers, and yet what we subsequently find is that, in fact, Tasers cause heart attacks with people if they're repeatedly jolted." Eliasberg says some tests of the millimeter device have badly burned people with repeated zaps. And he notes that Los Angeles deputies have a documented history of abusing inmates. Eliasberg suggests a better solution would be to prevent the overcrowded conditions that trigger jail riots in the first place. LINDA WERTHEIMER, Host: A civil rights group is upset over a new non-lethal weapon that's being deployed at a troubled jail in Los Angeles County. The device shoots a beam of high frequency energy, supposedly harmless but extremely painful. The jail says it's better than using bullets and billy clubs to put down an inmate riot. But critics say the device may not be as safe as advertised. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports. MANDALIT DEL BARCO: Locked inside the Pitchess Detention Center north of L.A., officials showed off their latest tool for subduing rioting inmates. It resembles a supersized dental X-ray machine with a flat screen on top. And it works something like out of "Star Trek." MIKE BOOEN: You know, when they set their phasers to stun, they did that so that they didn't kil |
James McCartney On World Cafe | As son of Paul McCartney, the former Beatle and one of the most commercially successful songwriters of all time, it should come as no surprise that James McCartney has the music in him. The singer, songwriter and sculptor has been involved with his father's career for some time, contributing to solo albums and even accompanying Sir Paul on tour. James' debut release, Available Light, came out last September, and is, as James describes it, "basically rock 'n' roll, clean sounding and vocal." He spent the last 10 years working on the songs, including time in and out of the recording studio with father Paul and David Kahne. Hear tracks from the EP in this edition of World Cafe. |
Job Applicants Find Position Titles Confusing | One of the many challenges in finding the right job these days can be just figuring out what recruiters are actually offering. A website compiled a list of the most ridiculous job titles, after a number of applicants complained that they didn't understand what the positions entailed. You can't blame them for being confused. A paper boy is now a "media distribution officer." |