Author Interviews
9:51 am
Thu December 27, 2012

R.A. Dickey On 'Winding Up' As A Knuckleballer

Credit courtesy of the author
R.A. Dickey currently plays for the New York Mets. He was previously with the Seattle Mariners, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers.

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 10:18 am

As part of our year-end wrap up, we are sharing the best Fresh Air interviews of 2012. This interview was originally broadcast on April 10, 2012.

Most pitchers in the majors stick to fastballs, curveballs, sliders and change-ups when facing batters at the plate.

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The Two-Way
9:47 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Sen. Reid: Looks Like We're Headed Over The 'Fiscal Cliff'

Credit Karen Bleier / AFP/Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., addresses reporters about ongoing discussions about the so-called fiscal cliff on Dec. 18.

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 1:18 pm

Even as Air Force One was about to land in suburban Maryland this morning — bringing President Obama back from his vacation in Hawaii to resume negotiations aimed at avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff of automatic tax increases and spending cuts — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was on the floor of the Senate warning that a dive off that cliff seems inevitable.

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Race
9:42 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Census Bureau Rethinks The Best Way To Measure Race

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A crowd crosses the street in midtown Manhattan.

Possible revisions to how the decennial census asks questions about race and ethnicity have raised concerns among some groups that any changes could reduce their population count and thus weaken their electoral clout.

The Census Bureau is considering numerous changes to the 2020 survey in an effort to improve the responses of minorities and more accurately classify Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern and multiracial populations.

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KTEP Local
9:00 am
Thu December 27, 2012

DESERT DIARIES: Rocks


Rocks.  Aired Dec. 27, 2012.

Shots - Health News
8:39 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Random Acts Of Kindness Can Make Kids More Popular

Credit iStockphoto.com
A hug is good for Mom, and good for her daughter.

In the aftermath of Christmas, a parent could be forgiven for thinking that materialism has trumped human kindness.

Take heart. Children can easily become kinder and more helpful. And that behavior makes them more positive, more accepting and more popular.

At least that's how it worked for fourth- and fifth-graders in Vancouver, Canada. Researchers there have been studying empathy and altruism in schoolchildren for decades.

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The Two-Way
8:38 am
Thu December 27, 2012

EPA Administrator Jackson Stepping Down

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is stepping down.

The Associated Press reports that:

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The Two-Way
8:15 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Consumer Confidence Dips; New Home Sales Rise

American consumers aren't feeling quite as confident this month as they were in November.

The widely watched Consumer Confidence Index from the private Conference Board declined to 65.1 in December from 71.5 the month before. It also fell slightly in November from October.

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The Salt
7:51 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Hospital Bids Bye-Bye To Big Macs, Others May Follow Suit

Originally published on Thu December 27, 2012 11:25 am

The McDonald's at the Truman Medical Centers' main campus in Kansas City, Mo., has closed, ending an epic, two-decade stint inside the hospital and making it the fifth health facility in the past few years to give the Big Mac the boot.

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The Two-Way
7:33 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Help Writer Dennis Lehane Find His Dog And You'll Be In His Next Book

Credit Facebook.com
Tessa is missing in Brookline, Mass.

Originally published on Fri December 28, 2012 4:58 am

(Note at 7 a.m. ET, Dec. 28: Lehane's Facebook page continues to post updates — and as of now, Tessa remains missing.)

Our original post:

Mystery writer Dennis Lehane is asking for help in solving a case that's very important to him:

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The Two-Way
6:57 am
Thu December 27, 2012

Top Stories: Wintry Blast, 'Fiscal Cliff' Talks

Credit Jeff Swensen / Getty Images
Snow-covered roads in Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

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