Kathy Lohr

Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:32:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

And I'm Linda Wertheimer.

This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow.

S.C. Voters Confer Comeback Title To Mark Sanford

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:08:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Many a politician suffers a setback and recovers. Rarely does a politician endure a scandal and nationwide mockery on the scale of Mark Sanford and still recover.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Sanford did. South Carolina's former governor defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a special election for Congress.

(SOUNDBITE OF SPEECH)

REPRESENTATIVE-ELECT MARK SANFORD: Some guy came up to me the other day. He said: You look a lot like Lazarus.

INSKEEP: Lazarus is described in the Bible as a man Jesus brought back from the dead.

Mark Sanford Wins House Race

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:56:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

In South Carolina tonight, a political comeback. Republican Mark Sanford, who was once mired in scandal as the state's governor, has won a congressional seat in a special election. He has defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a race that attracted national attention. Sanford just delivered his victory speech.

MARK SANFORD: I have a question for you all.

Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C.

Kathy Lohr — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:37:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERK_pExyer8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khs3U1y_XB0

50 Years Later, King's Birmingham 'Letter' Still Resonates

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:46:00 +0000

It's been five decades since Martin Luther King Jr., began writing his famous "Letter From Birmingham Jail," a response to eight white Alabama clergymen who criticized King and worried the civil rights campaign would cause violence. They called King an "extremist" and told blacks they should be patient.

But the time for waiting was over. Birmingham was the perfect place to take a stand.

So King traveled to Alabama in 1963 to attack the culture of racism in the South and the Jim Crow laws that mandated separate facilities for blacks and whites. In January, Gov.

North Dakota Passes Nation's Toughest Abortion Laws

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 20:56:00 +0000

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

You're listening to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News.

North Dakota now has the toughest abortion laws in the nation. That's after the state's governor, Jack Dalrymple, signed three bills into law today.

Abortion Opponents Gear Up For More Court Battles

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 09:39:00 +0000

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Now to a debate over abortion that has escalated after some recent moves by states. The North Dakota legislature just passed a series of bills, including the strictest abortion ban in the country. And lawmakers there voted to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot next year which would end abortion entirely. Earlier this month, Arkansas passed a 12 week ban. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports that more states are debating stricter laws with hopes of getting one of them before the U.S.

Sanford Tries For Comeback In S.C. Election

Kathy Lohr — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:27:00 +0000

Two Democrats and 16 Republicans are running for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District seat in a special election Tuesday. The seat is open because former Rep. Tim Scott was tapped to replace Sen. Jim DeMint, who retired midterm.

The biggest name in the race is former Gov. Mark Sanford, whose infamous affair led to his political downfall.

Arkansas House Overrides Governor's Veto Of Strict Abortion Bill

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

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MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. Today in Arkansas, the country's most restricted ban on abortion survived a veto challenge. The Arkansas House voted to override the Governor's veto. The new law bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. NPR's Kathy Lohr has this story.

KATHY LOHR, BYLINE: The bill called the Arkansas Human Heartbeat Protection Act is set to become law now that the House has overridden the governor's veto.

Manslaughter Charges Upgraded In Florida A&M Hazing Case

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:45:00 +0000

Twelve former members of the Florida A&M marching band are charged in the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion. The charges have now been upgraded to manslaughter. Champion's parents said Tuesday that they are encouraged by the stiffer charges.

New Exhibit Highlights The History Of Early Civil Rights Group

Kathy Lohr — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:03:00 +0000

A new exhibit on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta is bringing civil rights leaders together.

Curators have worked for more than three years to catalog roughly 1,000 boxes of historic documents that tell the story of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an early civil rights group first presided over by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

One person who shows up in several of the photographs in the exhibit is Dorothy Cotton, who was head of the SCLC's Citizens Education Program beginning in the 1960s.

Georgia Death Penalty Under Renewed Scrutiny After 11th-Hour Stay

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:11:00 +0000

A Georgia inmate's execution was halted Tuesday night with less than an hour to go. Prison officials had already given Warren Lee Hill one of the drugs when a federal appeals court stepped in.

Hill has an IQ of 70 and his attorneys have long claimed that he's mentally impaired. His case is now raising questions about Georgia's law, which makes it difficult for defendants to prove they should be exempt from execution.

The 52-year-old Hill is in prison for killing his girlfriend, whom he shot 11 times, in 1986.

Georgia To Show Off Preschool Successes

Kathy Lohr — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:05:00 +0000

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LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

President Obama travels to Atlanta today, where he's announcing the details of a universal preschool plan. Georgia has the oldest universal pre-K program in the country.

In Dallas, Boy Scouts Debate Opening Membership To Gays

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:27:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Leadership of the Boy Scouts of America may take an important vote today. The organization's executive board is wrapping up a meeting in Dallas, and they're talking about whether to drop their policy banning gay leaders and gay scouts.

States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:52:00 +0000

Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Thousands of activists on both sides of the issue are holding rallies marking the day at state capitals across the country.

In the decades since the decision, abortion has been one of the most debated and legislated issues in the nation. And state legislatures, which are increasingly passing laws restricting abortion, have become the debate's key battlegrounds.

South Dakota is one such state.

New Regulations Could Treat Virginia Abortion Clinics Like Hospitals

Kathy Lohr — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:09:00 +0000

This month marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the famed and widely cited case that legalized abortion. Yet across the country, states are continuing to approve restrictions.

With little fanfare, Virginia and Michigan Republican governors recently signed new abortion bills into law. Virginia's Bob McDonnell, in particular, quietly approved clinic regulations adopted by the state's Board of Health three months ago that hold abortion clinics to the same building standards as hospitals.

"Obviously I'm a pro-life governor," McDonnell says.

Custom Orders Build Retailers' Brand Loyalty

Kathy Lohr — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:16:00 +0000

It wasn't long ago that all consumers went to retail stores to buy things. These days, of course, you can get just about anything online. Some companies are now taking that shopping experience to the next level, allowing customers to design almost anything individually — from a trench coat to a batch of M&M's.

Lindsay Stewart, a senior at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School in Atlanta, is a Converse fan — and an avid Converse custom designer.

Georgia Town Makes Claim For Fruitcake Capital Of The World

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:51:00 +0000

In the small town of Claxton, Ga., two bakeries make more than 4 million pounds of fruitcake each year. Both bakeries say Claxton is the fruitcake capital of the world, despite a similar claim made by a company in Corsicana, Texas.

"We actually begin with a blend of golden and natural raisins," says Dale Parker, vice president of Claxton Bakery, the larger of the town's two fruitcake companies.

To Trim Down, Spelman Trades Sports For Fitness

Kathy Lohr — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:58:00 +0000

For the past decade, Spelman College, a historically black women's school in Atlanta, has fielded NCAA teams in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball and other sports. But when its small Division III conference started dwindling, college President Beverly Tatum says the school decided it was time to change focus.

"We have to ask ourselves: What is the cost of the program and who is benefiting? How many people are benefiting?

'We Didn't Do Enough' To Protect S.C. Tax Records

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 11:02:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Here is a story that's has people in South Carolina on edge. Foreign hackers recently broke into the state's Department of Revenue and stole the records of 3.8 million individual taxpayers and nearly three-quarters of a million businesses. The breach affects everyone who filed an electronic tax return in South Carolina going back to 1998. NPR's Kathy Lohr has the story.

KATHY LOHR, BYLINE: South Carolina officials have been scrambling since they told the public last month that a hacker gained access to taxpayer records.

Fingerprint Scans Create Unease For Poor Parents

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:59:00 +0000

Some Mississippi parents are learning a new routine when they drop their kids off at day care centers that are taking part in a new pilot program aimed at combating fraud and saving the state money.

Under the program, the state scans parents' fingerprints to capture biometric information, and that information is turned into a number.

2012 Election Highlights Divide Over Abortion

Kathy Lohr — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:51:00 +0000

In an election that highlighted the political divide over abortion, female voters turned out to be a key to victory for President Obama.

Public outcry over Republican Todd Akin's comments on "legitimate rape" ultimately gave Democrat Claire McCaskill a U.S. Senate victory in Missouri.

Crews Work To Restore Power, And Explain The Delay

Kathy Lohr — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:12:00 +0000

More than 8 million people lost power after Superstorm Sandy. Five days later, 2.5 million are still waiting as power companies across the region continue to say that restoring power is more complicated than it seems.

The storm packed a one-two punch.

Undocumented Students Take Education Underground

Kathy Lohr — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 20:59:00 +0000

About 35 students meet every Sunday at an undisclosed location in Georgia to study. They are undocumented and banned from attending some of the most prestigious colleges in the state.

Georgia is one of three states to bar undocumented students from attending schools. But a group of professors at the University of Georgia has created a fledgling school to provide a place for students to learn.

They call it Freedom University, named after the schools set up during the civil rights era to teach African-Americans in the Deep South.

Atlanta Symphony Musicians Ratify New Contract

Kathy Lohr — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:50:00 +0000

When the two sides couldn't reach an agreement last month, players were locked out of the Woodruff Arts Center. With the season set to begin in just one week, the musicians approved a deal with $5 million in concessions.

Court: Army Corps Not Liable For Katrina Floods

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:06:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

This week, a federal appeals court said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cannot be held liable for the catastrophic flooding that took place in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports on a setback for hundreds of homeowners who sued.

KATHY LOHR: The Mississippi River Gulf Outlet, known as MRGO, was a shortcut between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The plaintiffs contend the shipping channel was not maintained properly, that it increased the storm surge from Hurricane Katrina.

FAMU Adjusts To Games Without Marching Band

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:06:00 +0000

Florida A&M University played its first home game of the season Saturday — without its famous Marching 100 band for the first time in decades. The band was suspended for the year after drum major Robert Champion died as a result of a band hazing incident. The incident took place after the last football game of the 2011 season.

This year's suspension has left a void at Rattler football games. Just about everyone in Bragg Memorial Stadium for the first home game was talking about it.

"When you think of FAMU, you think of the Marching 100.

Some Florida Seniors Divided On '47 Percent'

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:14:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

The fundraiser where the Romney video was recorded was held in Florida. And today, in that politically important state, reaction was mixed about Romney's unscripted remarks. NPR's Kathy Lohr gathered some views from people at a retirement community.

KATHY LOHR, BYLINE: At Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, seniors gathered for breakfast, worked out in exercise classes and listened to radio or watched TV where they first heard Romney's remarks. Many in this group are part of the 47 percent who Romney said pay no income taxes and rely on the government.

Atlanta Symphony Locked Out

Kathy Lohr — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:31:00 +0000

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and its musicians are at an impasse. The players' contract expired at the end of last month. The symphony is facing a $20 million budget deficit, and it's seeking millions in concessions from the musicians. Both sides say they want to reach an agreement, but they've left the bargaining table, putting the orchestra's 68th season in jeopardy.

The musicians are locked out of their home at the Woodruff Arts Center.

Writer Has A Down-Home Feel For Atlanta's Dark Side

Kathy Lohr — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:58:00 +0000

Best-selling crime novelist Karin Slaughter (yes, that's her real name) grew up just south of Atlanta in the 1970s and '80s, when the city saw some of its most gruesome crimes: A rash of child murders in which dozens of African-American children disappeared, their bodies turning up in nearby woods and rivers.