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Business
4:31 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Why Unlocking A Cellphone Could Land User In Jail

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Maybe you don't like your mobile phone carrier, but you like your phone and you want to keep it but change providers. An obscure change in federal law makes it illegal to switch without permission from your carrier.

If you have, for example, AT&T, in order to switch to T-Mobile you have to unlock the phone, and AT&T can now stop you from doing that.

The change in the copyright law has some people upset, and they're petitioning the White House for a fix.

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Business
4:31 am
Wed February 20, 2013

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

In its quest to stem its losses, the U.S. Postal Service is venturing into new territory. We are you know, of course, it plans to end certain Saturday mail service to trim costs. But the USPS is also looking into a new revenue stream, which is today's last word in business: fashionable delivery.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

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Middle East
4:31 am
Wed February 20, 2013

'Prisoner X' Raises Questions About Israel's Secrecy

Originally published on Sun February 24, 2013 6:49 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

In Israel the case of Prisoner X is raising new questions about secrecy and censorship. A Mossad agent by the name of Ben Zygier faced secret charges three years ago, was jailed under a false name and committed suicide in prison. From Jerusalem, NPR's Larry Abramson has a story that until recently was kept secret by military censors.

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Sports
4:31 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Oscar Pristorius Faces Another Court Hearing

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne, with Steve Inskeep.

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Business
4:30 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Business News

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a jumbo raise.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MONTAGNE: A new regulatory filing by Bank of America shows its CEO received quite a raise last year. Brian Moynihan got nearly a 75 percent increase in 2012 - a pay package valued at more than $12 million. The previous year he was paid a measly $7 million.

B of A's stock has been performing well, but analysts say the bank still faces issues from the financial crisis. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Business
4:30 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Boeing's Tech Workers Vote To Authorize Strke

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Boeing has won a partial victory in a contract dispute with its engineering union, and that reduces the odds of a strike, as Ashley Gross of member station KPLU in Seattle reports.

ASHLEY GROSS, BYLINE: The engineering union covers two sets of workers - salaried engineers and hourly technical workers. The engineers voted to accept Boeing's final offer. The technical workers rejected it and authorized a strike.

They'll negotiate again before a walkout, but that split vote puts union leaders like Tom McCarty in a tough position.

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Health
4:30 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Being Obese Can Weigh On Employees' Insurance

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

As Yuki just reported, employers are looking very closely at using carrots and sticks to get workers to change their unhealthy ways. Let's learn more now about that provision in the health care law which allows employers to put in place wellness programs aimed at improving health and managing health care costs. Morgan Downey is an advocate for people with obesity. He's also the editor of the Downey Obesity Report.

Thanks for joining us.

MORGAN DOWNEY: Not at all. It's my pleasure.

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Middle East
4:30 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Iran's Presidential Election Could Interfere With Nuclear Talks

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:41 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

President Obama's re-election briefly raised hopes that in a second term the U.S. might be able to engage with Iran, possibly even direct talks between the two countries. Then, harsher rhetoric set in, and now a less ambitious round of talks involving several countries is set to get underway. Iran has long been under pressure over its nuclear program which Western nations suspect is aimed at creating nuclear weapons.

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Monkey See
3:34 am
Wed February 20, 2013

From Louisiana To Versailles, Funding 'Vital Stories, Artfully Told'

Originally published on Thu February 21, 2013 4:01 pm

The movie Beasts of the Southern Wild is a fairy tale of a film. It might not seem to have much in common with documentaries about evangelical Christians in Uganda or the billionaire Koch brothers. But these films were all funded by a not-for-profit group called Cinereach. It was started by a couple of film school graduates who are still in their 20s. And now, with Beasts, it has a nomination for Best Picture at this year's Oscars.

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Working Late: Older Americans On The Job
1:08 am
Wed February 20, 2013

When A Bad Economy Means Working 'Forever'

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 6:34 pm

Increasingly, people are continuing to work past 65. Almost a third of Americans between the ages of 65 and 70 are working, and among those older than 75, about 7 percent are still on the job. In Working Late, a series for Morning Edition, NPR profiles older adults who are still in the workforce.

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Shots - Health News
1:06 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Money Replaces Willpower In Programs Promoting Weight Loss

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 4:23 pm

Sticking to a diet is a challenge for many people, but starting next year, Americans may have an even bigger, financial incentive to keep their weight in check. The new health care law includes a provision that would allow employers with more than 50 employees to require overweight workers who do not exercise to pay more to cover their insurance costs.

Some employers, inspired in part by the success of shows like The Biggest Loser, are already designing weight-loss programs that use money to succeed where willpower has failed.

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All Tech Considered
1:04 am
Wed February 20, 2013

In New York, Taxi Apps Raise Objections From Competitors

Credit Richard Drew / AP
New York City rules will soon permit yellow cab drivers to accept rides through smartphone apps.

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 7:56 am

Even people who've never been to New York can tell you how to hail one of the iconic yellow cabs there. You just raise an arm and flag one down.

But the city wants to change that. Following the lead of cities like San Francisco and Washington, D.C., New York wants to permit passengers to use smartphone apps to find a cab.

Since Mayor La Guardia established New York's modern taxi system in 1937, there have been two big innovations in cab hailing: the whistle and the red light bulb on top of apartment building awnings.

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Asia
1:03 am
Wed February 20, 2013

Controversial Cleric Stirs Protests Upon Return To Pakistan

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 6:34 pm

In Pakistan, a controversial Muslim cleric has been shaking up the political scene.

Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri returned to his home country late last year, after spending eight years in Canada. Since coming back, he has ignited a disgruntled electorate and has left many people wondering what exactly his plans are.

On a recent day, a lively drum band wandered among a crowd of about 15,000 Pakistanis gathered in the eastern city of Faisalabad for a rally organized by Qadri.

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Kitchen Window
11:56 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Be Prepared: Girl Scout Cookie Cooking May Surprise You

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 12:44 pm

I'm not the first to develop recipes using Girl Scout cookies. About 20 years ago, I saw an article in a newspaper using Girl Scout cookies to make cakes. I made one of the recipes, and it came out almost as pretty as the paper's picture, and it tasted really good.

I was hooked. But before I could get started in the kitchen baking and cooking with Girl Scout cookies, I had a hurdle to get over. I had to decide whether I wanted to eat the cookies I ordered shortly after I received them — or delay gratification and experiment with them. It was a tough choice.

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Sweetness And Light
8:03 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Reminders Flood In: Athletes Are People, Not Heroes

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 2:08 pm

These have certainly been dispiriting times for those who admire athletes, who proclaim that sports build character. The horrendous shooting by Oscar Pistorius is of course, in a category mercifully unapproached since the O.J. Simpson case, but the Whole Earth Catalog of recent examples of athletic character-building is certainly noteworthy.

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Shots - Health News
4:18 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

How The Sequester Could Affect Health Care

Credit Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA/Landov
On Tuesday, President Obama urged congressional action to prevent automatic spending cuts scheduled to begin on March 1.

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:56 pm

It's looking increasingly likely that $85 billion of automatic federal budget cuts known as a sequester will come to pass if Congress doesn't act by March 1.

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The Two-Way
3:57 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Booker-Winning Author's Remarks About Kate Middleton Play Out In U.K. Media

Credit Matt Dunham / AP
The Duchess of Cambridge receives a bouquet of flowers, as she leaves after a visit to Hope House in London on Tuesday. The former Kate Middleton appeared unaffected by the controversy surrounding remarks made by author Hilary Mantel.

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 1:05 pm

Booker Prize-winning author Hilary Mantel is facing criticism over remarks about the former Kate Middleton in a recent speech.

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The Two-Way
3:47 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

After Snafu, Mississippi Ratifies Amendment Abolishing Slavery

Credit DreamWorks/Twentieth Century Fox
The actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the film Lincoln.

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 5:24 pm

The movie Lincoln inspired a Mississippi citizen to push the state to correct a clerical error that kept the state from officially ratifying the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

NPR's Debbie Elliott sent this report to our Newscast unit:

"In 1865, Mississippi was among the states that rejected the 13th amendment. But in 1995 lawmakers voted to change that. Problem was the state never sent official word to the U.S. archivist, so the ratification was never recorded.

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It's All Politics
3:30 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Supreme Court Takes Case That Could Puncture A Key Campaign Cash Limit

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to campaign-finance laws that could open the door to further money in politics beyond what Citizens United achieved.

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:48 pm

Barely three years after the Supreme Court's landmark Citizens United ruling, which liberated corporations to spend freely in elections, the justices say they'll take up another campaign finance case — this time aiming at one of the limits on the "hard money" that goes directly to candidates and party committees.

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Politics
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Obama Paints Bleak Picture Of Life After Automatic Government Spending Cuts

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

On Tuesday, President Obama continued his campaign against the automatic across-the-board budget cuts set to take effect on March 1.

Technology
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Report: Chinese Government Hackers Behind Dozens Of Attacks On U.S. Companies

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

The Chinese army is the source of a persistent and prolific cyber espionage unit, whose hackers have attacked dozens of U.S. corporations and government agencies. That's the conclusion of a lengthy report released today by the computer security firm Mandiant. Mandiant says the hacking campaign goes back at least to 2006 and it targeted industries strategic to China's growth, including IT, energy and aerospace.

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Movie Interviews
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

In 'Kings Point,' The Sunny Promise Of Retirement Gathers Clouds

Originally published on Thu February 21, 2013 4:01 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This week on our program, we're going to hear from the directors of the five films nominated for Best Short Documentary at the Oscars, from life in the throes of breast cancer to life as a can collector on the streets of New York.

My co-host Audie Cornish begins with a conversation with the filmmaker of "Kings Point," a documentary about the not-so-golden times in a retirement community in Florida.

(SOUNDBITE OF MOVIE, "KINGS POINT")

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Education
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Some 'Cyber Schools' Falling Short Of Their Sales Pitch

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And now some news from the world of online education. So-called cyber schools appear to be falling short of their sales pitch. The largest are run by a for-profit company called K12, which has made a big business of virtual education. Now, poor standardized test scores have captured the attention of state lawmakers around the country. Blake Farmer of member station WPLN in Nashville has this story about K12's failing grades.

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Law
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Gun Control An Emotional Issue For Citizens, Lawmakers In Colorado

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

Colorado's Legislature is poised to pass sweeping gun reform. The House passed bills that limit high-capacity magazines and require background checks on private gun sales. The bills will now be debated in the Senate, which promises bills of its own. Colorado has experienced two of the worst mass shootings in the nation, the latest in July 2012.

Around the Nation
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Ex-LAPD Officer May Have Stalked Targets Before Killing Spree

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

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

We're learning more about the actions of Christopher Dorner, the former police officer turned fugitive in Southern California. Today, police in Los Angeles said they believe he stalked LAPD officers and their families before he began his alleged killing rampage. Authorities say Dorner killed himself last week during a violent standoff in the mountains east of L.A. NPR's Kirk Siegler has this update.

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National Security
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Gen. John Allen To Retire, Not Pursue NATO Commander Nomination

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block. The Marine general poised to lead all NATO forces has decided to resign. General John Allen served 38 years in the military, including as the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. But his long career will also be remembered for his peripheral role in a recent scandal. Here's NPR's Tom Bowman.

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Afghanistan
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Civilian Casualties In Afghan War Dip For First Time In Six Years

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

The U.N. reports that for the first time in six years, casualties in the Afghan war have decreased. There was sharp drop in the number of dead and wounded attributed to attacks by Afghan government and Western forces.

Pop Culture
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Celebrated British Writer Derides Kate Middleton As 'Shop-Window Mannequin'

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

One of Britain's most celebrated authors has launched a withering attack on the Duchess of Cambridge, the pregnant wife of Prince William, branding her a "shop-window mannequin" with a plastic smile whose only role in life is to breed. Prime Minister David Cameron described award-winning writer Hilary Mantel as "misguided" after she likened the former Kate Middleton to a "machine made" doll, devoid of personality.

Sports
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Spanish Doctor Accused Of Helping Athletes Dope, Botching Treatments

Originally published on Tue February 19, 2013 4:42 pm

Lance Armstrong's ex-teammate testified Tuesday at the trial of a Spanish doctor accused of masterminding one of the world's largest doping rings. Tyler Hamilton, who was stripped of his 2004 Olympic gold for doping, says he was a client of Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. He described secret meetings with the doctor at the side of a highway in Spain, and how he and the doctor used secret telephones to arrange blood transfusions. Hamilton told the court that one 2004 transfusion from Fuentes went bad, and turned his urine black.

Europe
3:24 pm
Tue February 19, 2013

Airport Diamond Thieves May Have Had Inside Help

Originally published on Wed February 20, 2013 11:21 am

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

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

Authorities in Belgium have an expensive mystery to solve. Last night, on the Brussels airport tarmac, masked gunmen attacked an armored vehicle as it was loading diamonds onto a plane. They made off with an estimated $50 million worth of uncut diamonds.

As we hear from NPR's Eleanor Beardsley, the attack was meticulously planned, leading some to believe the thieves had help from the inside.

(SOUNDBITE OF NEWSCAST)

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