Weekend All Things Considered

Boom Or Bust? Saving Rhode Island's 'Superman' Building

editor — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:58:00 +0000

Rhode Island is home to beautiful beaches, top-notch universities and a thriving arts scene.

Deke Sharon Makes A Cappella Cool Again

editor — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:58:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExW80sXsHs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q573_hDhTbE

The Movie Katie Aselton Has 'Seen A Million Times'

Lily Percy — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:09:00 +0000

The weekends on All Things Considered series Movies I've Seen A Million Times features filmmakers, actors, writers and directors talking about the movies that they never get tired of watching.

Actor-director Katie Aselton's credits include the TV show The League, and the films Jeff, Who Lives At Home and Black Rock— currently in theaters and on VOD.

Unacceptable Anger From 'The Woman Upstairs'

NPR Staff — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:09:00 +0000
The main character of Claire Messud's novel, The Woman Upstairs, is a good woman. Nora is a 37-year-old elementary school teacher — responsible, kind and reliable. She is also very, very angry.
Her dreams of being an artist have been suppressed; she is seething inside with rage and resentment. But she keeps her anger in until she meets another woman who has everything she does not: a husband, a child and a successful art career. And then everything begins to unravel.

Three-Minute Fiction: 'Ten Ring Fingers' And 'Ghost Words'

editor — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:54:00 +0000
NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Ten Ring Fingers by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and Ghost Words by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass. You can read their full stories below and find other stories on our Three-Minute Fiction page or on Facebook.

New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper

Bob Mondello — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:14:00 +0000
The opening sequence of J.J. Abram's new entry in the Star Trek universe has all the ingredients of the classic franchise.
There's Kirk and his crew bellowing on the bridge, everyone worrying about the prime directive and our favorite Vulcan trapped in a volcano.
OK, I'm in. I may not be a fanboy anymore, but I sure was in my youth, and having these guys in their youths again is just as cool at the outset as it was last time.
Chris Pine's baby-Shatner is spitting his lines while Zachary Quinto channels his inner Nimoy.

Alzheimer's Cases Rise, But Hope Remains

editor — Sat, 18 May 2013 21:27:00 +0000
More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, and the National Institute on Aging estimates that that number is going to triple by 2050 — in part due to aging baby boomers.
The cost of coping with the disease — currently estimated at $215 billion — is projected to rise to half a trillion dollars by 2050.

'Waiting To Be Heard' No More, Amanda Knox Speaks Out

editor — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000
When 20-year-old Amanda Knox left for Italy in August 2007, it was supposed to be a carefree year studying abroad.
No one could have foreseen it ending in her being accused, tried and convicted in the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher.
The case, and Knox, became an international media sensation.
"I think that there was a lot of fantasy projected onto me," she tells weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden.

Three-Minute Fiction Reading: 'Plum Baby'

editor — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000
NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads Plum Baby by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore. You can read the full story below and find other stories on our Three-Minute Fiction page or on Facebook.
Copyright 2013 NPR.

Internships: Low-Paid, Unpaid Or Just Plain Illegal?

NPR Staff — Sat, 18 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000
Summer is almost here, and with it comes the army of interns marching into countless American workplaces. Yet what was once an opportunity for the inexperienced is becoming a front-line labor issue.
More and more, unpaid and low-paid interns are feeling their labor is being exploited. Some are even willing to push back — with lawsuits.
One of the most high profile intern-versus-employer lawsuits suffered a setback last week that could have implications for other cases.

Draco Rosa: A Pop Survivor Returns From The Brink, With Friends

Mandalit del Barco — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:03:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHRjWauwpvE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3UVw3a7qIQ

'Venus And Serena': An Extraordinary Story, Told On Film

Elizabeth Blair — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:58:00 +0000
It's Cinderella plus Jackie Robinson times two. When Venus and Serena Williams burst onto the lily-white world of tennis, they changed the game and made history: They were sisters. From a poor neighborhood. Who brought unprecedented power to the game. And both reached No. 1.
Their journey is the subject of a new documentary called Venus and Serena, showing in select theaters around the country.
"It's not just about sports," says co-director Maiken Baird. "I think of it as the great American story. It's rich with family, sisterhood, race, hard work and tenaciousness."

Michigan LGBT Youth Center Does Outreach With A Dance 'Hook'

Kyle Norris — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:03:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4M8Av-SnPA

Boston Bombings Prompt Fresh Look At Unsolved Murders

Joel Rose — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:00 +0000
An unsolved triple murder in the Boston suburbs is getting a closer look in the wake of the marathon bombings. One of the victims may have been a friend of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. That's prompting authorities to revisit the 2011 case.
The murders took place in Waltham, Mass. On Sept. 12, 2011, police responded to a house in the leafy suburb a few miles west of Boston.
"They went to the second floor and saw a very graphic crime scene — three dead bodies in the apartment," said Gerry Leone, who was then district attorney for Middlesex County.

Daft Punk On 'The Soul That A Musician Can Bring'

editor — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:24:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NV6Rdv1a3I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYDvxo-M0OQ

Why Is Psychiatry's New Manual So Much Like The Old One?

Jon Hamilton — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:24:00 +0000
The American Psychiatric Association is about to release an updated version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The DSM helps mental health professionals decide who has problems such as depression, anxiety and schizophrenia.
Psychiatry's new manual, DSM-5, has been nearly 20 years in the making. During that time, scientists have learned a lot about the brain.

Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate

Peter Overby — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:01:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l2s_q_kfrU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdYjp8-RMwA

Women In Combat: Some Lessons From Israel's Military

Larry Abramson — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:51:00 +0000
As the U.S. moves to open up combat positions to women, it's catching up with other countries that have been doing it for years.
But the experience in these countries, including Israel, suggests that access to combat jobs doesn't lead directly to equal treatment within the ranks.
In Israel, most men and women perform compulsory military service.

A Songwriter And An Army Dad Share One Touching Story

editor — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:52:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCSMCgqlc-0

Take Your Seat, The 'No Photography' Sign Is Lit

Martin Kaste — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:39:00 +0000
You probably saw this bit of Internet virality earlier this week — showing a woman getting kicked off an American Airlines flight for channeling Whitney Houston.
What caught our attention was the sound of flight attendants repeatedly ordering passengers not to take pictures or (presumably) videos.
Apparently, it's an official rule at American Airlines:
"The use of still and video cameras, fil

White House Addresses Benghazi Emails, IRS Audits

Scott Horsley — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:57:00 +0000
Transcript
MELISSA BLOCK, BYLINE: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.
AUDIE CORNISH, BYLINE: And I'm Audie Cornish.
The Obama administration is doing some intensive damage control this evening. Tonight, the president announced that the acting commissioner of the IRS, Steven Miller, is being pushed out over heightened scrutiny given to Tea Party groups and other conservative organizations.
Earlier today, the White House also released 100 pages of emails in hopes of quieting a lingering controversy over last year's deadly attack at the U.S.

IRS Inspector General Faults 'Ineffective Management'

Scott Horsley — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:02:00 +0000
Audie Cornish talks to Scott Horsley about the IRS Inspector General's report on the agency's audit of conservative groups.

How A Florida Medical School Cares For Communities In Need

Greg Allen — Tue, 14 May 2013 23:15:00 +0000
If it's a Monday, you can usually find Dr. David Brown parked next to a lake in Miami, spending the day inside a 36-foot-long RV. He's not on vacation.
Brown is chief of family medicine at Florida International University's medical school. The RV is the school's mobile health clinic.
Every Monday it's parked at the Royal Country Mobile Home Park in northwest Miami-Dade County. "It's a beautiful place right here," he says.

With No Unified Database, Many Murder Victims Remain Nameless

Daysha Eaton — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:11:00 +0000
A serial killer who committed suicide in an Alaska jail last year confessed to murdering at least 11 people across the country. But Israel Keyes didn't name names, and investigators trying to figure out who he killed are running into a major stumbling block: There is no unified, mandatory national database for missing persons.
One of the few known victims was Anchorage resident Samantha Koenig. She was selling coffee at an espresso stand outside a gym when Keyes abducted and killed her.

Baseball's 'Most Durable Batboy' Marks 55 Years On The Field

editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:25:00 +0000
The University of Memphis baseball team plays its final home game of the season Tuesday. In addition to rooting for the players, Memphis fans will cheer for someone else: batboy Stan Bronson Jr.
But "boy" is a relative term. Bronson is 84, and this year he celebrates his 55th year in the honorary position with the University of Memphis Tigers.

A Sign of Disunity? Iranian Candidates Jockey For Position

Peter Kenyon — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:57:00 +0000
Nearly 700 presidential hopefuls have thrown their names into the ring for Iran's June 14 presidential elections. But two last-minute entrants have altered the shape of the already-chaotic race: a former president once dismissed as a has-been and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.
Although not exactly a free-for-all, analysts say, there's a clear sense that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has failed to unify the political elite behind a single establishment candidate.

U.S. Obtained AP Journalists' Phone Records

Audie Cornish — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:27:00 +0000
Transcript
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Today we learned of some news from the Associated Press in which the AP is at the center of the story. The newswire service reports that the Justice Department secretly obtained two months of editors and reporters' phone records from last year as part of a government investigation. Late today, the Justice Department issued a statement saying it strives to strike a balance between the need for information in criminal cases and the rights of individuals and news organizations.
NPR's Carrie Johnson joins me now with more.

Supreme Court Sides With Monsanto In Seed Patent Case

Nina Totenberg — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:47:00 +0000
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that when farmers use patented seed for more than one planting in violation of their licensing agreements, they are liable for damages.
Billed as David vs. Goliath, the case pitted an Indiana farmer against the agribusiness behemoth Monsanto.
Almost all the soybean farmers in the U.S. use seed that is genetically altered to be resistant to weed killers like Roundup. That allows farmers to spray for weeds without killing the soybeans.

ABC's Live Streaming Aimed At Keeping Cable Cords Intact

editor — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:00:00 +0000
There's another way television is moving online. Starting Tuesday, ABC will let viewers in New York and Philadelphia watch their local stations over the Internet.

As Stigma Eases, Single Motherhood In Mexico Is On The Rise

Carrie Kahn — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:15:00 +0000
On her daily route delivering laundry in her working-class neighborhood in southern Mexico City, Maria Carlotta Santa Maria, or Mari, as she is known, seems to know everyone: the mailman, the woman on the corner selling salty nuts, and her favorite greetings are for the guys at the corner gas station.
Mari is the kind of person that can make this inhospitable and overwhelming megacity seem almost small and friendly.