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Around the Nation
3:38 am
Sat January 19, 2013

Newtown Debates The Future Of Sandy Hook School

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 10:58 am

After the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December, the town arranged for students to go to school at a building in the neighboring town of Monroe. Now, Newtown is deliberating what to do with the building where the shootings took place and whether to build a new school.

Newtown officials held a second public meeting Friday night to hear what community members think should happen to the school.

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StoryCorps
3:38 am
Sat January 19, 2013

A Soldier's Battle Lost After Returning Home

Credit Courtesy of Judy Pilgrim
Lance Pilgrim with his parents, Randy and Judy, at the pre-deployment ceremony at Fort Sill, Okla., in January 2003.

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 5:13 am

Spc. Lance Pilgrim was among the first Army troops to enter Iraq in March 2003. Eventually, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and died from an accidental overdose in 2007 at the age of 26.

His father, Randy Pilgrim, says he first realized something was wrong when his son broke down at the sight of an animal that had been run over. The image had triggered the memory of a traumatic time overseas.

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Music News
12:03 am
Sat January 19, 2013

Jin, 'The Chinese Kid Who Raps,' Grows Up

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 5:25 pm

Music Interviews
12:03 am
Sat January 19, 2013

A Bagpipe-Slinging Spaniard Finds A Home In New York Jazz

Credit Courtesy of the artist
On the new album Migrations, Cristina Pato plays the gaita, a bagpipe from her native region of Galicia in northwest Spain.

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 12:18 pm

Cristina Pato is a jazz pianist from Spain who also plays flute and sings. But on her new album, Migrations, there's a striking sound not often heard in jazz: a bagpipe. Pato has been playing the traditional gaita (pronounced "GY-tah"), a version of the bagpipe from her native region of Galicia, since she was 4 years old.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
4:44 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Melinda Gates Plays Not My Job

Credit Courtesy Melinda Gates

Originally published on Tue January 22, 2013 10:19 am

Back in the early 1990s, Melinda French was a rising star at a software company when the boss asked her out on a date. This was complicated because he was her boss, and frankly, he was kind of a nerd. But they fell in love and got married, and decided to raise a family, retire from the business, and in their spare time give away more money to charity than anyone else in the history of the world.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
4:44 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Limericks

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 9:50 am

Carl reads three news-related limericks: Sober Ice; Yelling Bellied Warblers; the Pol Pot of Pop.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
4:44 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Panel Round Two

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 9:50 am

More questions for the panel: The Tale of Two Kelly Hildabrandts; Heads Roll at O'Hare.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
4:43 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Who's Carl This Time?

Originally published on Tue January 22, 2013 10:19 am

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell, and here's your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl.

(APPLAUSE)

SAGAL: Thank you everybody. Thank you so much. We have a great show for you today. Later on, we've got Melinda Gates joining us, talking about...

(APPLAUSE)

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Around the Nation
3:14 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Stink Bug's Resurfacing May Squash Farmers' Hopes For A Strong 2013

Credit Matt Rourke / AP
The stink bug population is six times larger this year than last.

If you live along the East Coast, there's a pretty good chance that stink bugs may be lurking in your attic or even behind your curtains. The invasive insects from Asia, which exude a rubber-like stench when you crush them, are a nuisance for you, but a serious pest for farmers.

Crop producers received a reprieve from the bugs in 2012, but the insects may be coming back and with a greater spread of attack.

Bob Black says he was not in a good place in 2010.

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U.S.
3:09 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

N.Y. Governor Flexes Political Muscle To Pass Tough Gun Law

Credit Mike Groll / AP
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a new gun control law in Albany on Tuesday. It's the nation's first gun law enacted since the December school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

On Tuesday, New York became the first state in the nation to pass a tough new gun control law. Gov. Andrew Cuomo convinced his state's Legislature to act, even before President Obama took executive action to limit access to guns.

The governor's legislative victory followed his impassioned State of the State address earlier this month, delivered the first day of the 2013 legislative session.

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It's All Politics
3:09 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

For Cartoonists Who Cover Obama: Four More Ears

Four years ago, when the nation's first African-American president was inaugurated, even conservative editorial cartoonists marked the moment with reverence.

As Scott Stantis, now of the Chicago Tribune, tells All Things Considered host Audie Cornish: "There are times in our history where we can just take half a step back from our partisanship and revel in the history and wonder of something."

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It's All Politics
1:40 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Speechwriters: After Bland First Inaugural, Second Is Tougher For Obama

Credit Ron Edmonds / AP
President Obama gives his first inaugural address on Jan. 20, 2009.

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 3:09 pm

A presidential inauguration is an event defined by huge, sweeping optics: the National Mall full of cheering Americans; a grandiose platform in front of the Capitol building; the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. And the centerpiece: a speech.

On Monday, President Obama will give his second inaugural address — and he faces a challenge in crafting a speech for this moment.

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The Two-Way
1:34 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Republicans Offer Three-Month Increase In Debt Ceiling

Credit Kevin Dietsch / UPI /Landov
As workers prepare the Capitol for Monday's inaugural ceremony, there's word that Congress might not get into another battle over the debt ceiling.

In a move that could head off another bruising battle over increasing the nation's debt ceiling, GOP leaders in the House plan to approve a three-month increase in the nation's borrowing authority next week, NPR's S.V. Date reports.

But, he tells our Newscast Desk, Republicans want to tie a longer-term increase to the passage of a budget that cuts spending.

His report continues:

"The plan comes from Majority Leader Eric Cantor as House Republicans wrap up a retreat in Southern Virginia.

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The Two-Way
1:34 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Listen Carefully Or You'll Miss It: We've Got Justice Thomas On Tape

Credit Jim Lo Scalzo / EPA /Landov
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
  • Justice Thomas' voice comes in around the 13-second mark

As it does each Friday, the Supreme Court has released audio recordings of the week's oral arguments.

Which means we can now hear what it was like when Justice Clarence Thomas broke his seven-year silence.

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The Two-Way
1:18 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

More Tears For Notre Dame's 'Fake Tragedy' Than A Real Girl's Death?

Credit ABCNews.go.com
Lizzy Seeberg, in a family photo broadcast by ABC News.

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 4:03 pm

The bizarre story of Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o and the girlfriend he now says never existed has exploded on to news sites and TV channels this week.

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The Two-Way
1:06 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Grand Jury Indicts Ray Nagin On Corruption Charges

Credit Chris Graythen / Getty Images
Mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted on 21 corruption charges by a federal grand jury. They include "conspiracy to deprive citizens of honest services."

Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin has been indicted on 21 counts of bribery and other corruption charges by a federal grand jury. When he became the city's mayor in 2002, Nagin, a former cable TV executive, promised to revive New Orleans' economy, and its trust in the city's government.

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History
1:00 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Don't Know Much About Inaugurations?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

We are hoping your best dress is ready and your tux is pressed because President Barack Obama will be sworn in for a second term on Monday. But even if you don't plan to attend any of the events, you can dress up and watch at home.

And here to get us ready is Kenneth C. Davis. He is the author of the best-selling "'Don't Know Much About" series of books. His latest is "Don't Know Much About the American Presidents." And he's with us now.

Welcome and Happy New Year to you.

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History
1:00 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. We are heading into inauguration weekend and in a moment we will hear about some of the great and not-so-great moments of inaugurations past.

Along with the public ceremonies that are a part of the presidential inauguration, many people, including the president, will also be honoring the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. this weekend, and on Monday, when his birthday is observed as a national holiday.

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Faith Matters
1:00 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

What Te'o And A Former Mormon Leader Have In Common

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now it's time for Faith Matters. That's the part of the program where we talk about matters of faith and spirituality, and as you just heard, the Barber Shop guys were talking about the very strange story involving Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o. He's in the news because the story of his girlfriend's tragic death and the girlfriend herself turned out to be a hoax.

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Barbershop
1:00 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Was Armstrong's Apology Sincere?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, ahead of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday and inauguration date both being observed on Monday, we will hear about some of the less well known speeches made by the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.. And some of the less well known bits of history around presidential inaugurations. That will all be later in the program.

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The Salt
12:59 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

Mexican Mole Has Many Flavors, Many Mothers

Originally published on Thu January 24, 2013 7:33 am

As with so many iconic dishes in a country's culinary heritage, Mexican mole has a creation tale.

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Monkey See
12:45 pm
Fri January 18, 2013

I've Heard That Somewhere: 'Glee' Covers 'Baby Got Back,' And It Sounds ... Familiar

Credit Kwaku Alston / Fox
The cast of Glee, which is in its fourth season on Fox.
Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz
11:45 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Chick Corea On Piano Jazz

Credit Chick Corea Productions
Chick Corea.

Keyboard player and composer Chick Corea was born Armando Anthony Corea in Chelsea, Mass., on June 12, 1941. His father, a Dixieland trumpet player, introduced Corea to jazz at an early age. By the time he was 4, Corea had begun studying the piano and played regular jazz gigs in high school. After graduation, he moved to New York to study music at Columbia and then Juilliard.

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The Two-Way
11:31 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Teacher Evaluation Impasse Costs New York City Hundreds Of Millions

In New York City, the failure to agree on a plan for evaluating its teachers is being widely criticized, especially because it means the city will now miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars in state financing.

At stake was $250 million in state aid, and another $200 million in grants, according to WNYC's Schoolbook education blog.

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Theater
11:03 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Dementia Takes The Stage In 'The Other Place'

In the Broadway play The Other Place actress Laurie Metcalf ("Jackie" on the TV show "Roseanne") plays a scientist suffering from the dementia she studies. Playwright Sharr White discusses the play and the challenge of presenting complicated science on a theater stage.

It's All Politics
10:59 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Inauguration Mashup: The Speech In 11 Easy Steps

Credit NPR
An 11-step guide to the perfect inauguration speech

Originally published on Sat January 19, 2013 4:29 am

May the eagles of democracy soar above the covenant that binds our great nation in an era of new beginning ... or something.

Have you ever watched an inaugural address and wondered: How DO those guys (because they're always guys) do it? Well, we've prepared this handy guide so you, too, can give a speech like the chief executive.

Our instructions are based on a century of recorded footage. William McKinley's address was the first to be recorded by a "motion picture camera" (in 1897). Calvin Coolidge was the first to be broadcast over the radio (in 1925).

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Movies
10:32 am
Fri January 18, 2013

'Mama': A Good Old-Fashioned Horror Movie

Originally published on Tue January 22, 2013 11:29 am

I was weaned on horror movies and love them inordinately, but the genre has gone to the dogs — and to the muscle-bound werewolves, hormonal vampires, flesh-eating zombies, machete-wielding psychos, etc. It's also depressing how most modern horror pictures have unhappy nihilist endings in which everyone dies and the demons pop back up, unvanquished — partly because studios think happy endings are too soft, but mostly because they need their monsters for so-called franchises.

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The Two-Way
9:36 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Body Exhumed Of Lottery Winner Who Suffered Cyanide-Related Death

Credit / AP
Urooj Khan, with his winning lottery ticket. Not long after this photo was taken, he was dead.

The remains of Urooj Khan, the Chicago man who last July died one day after his $425,000 check from the Illinois lottery was cut, were exhumed today, the Chicago Tribune reports.

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The Two-Way
9:18 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Toyota Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuits Linked With Sudden Acceleration Problems

Credit Jae C. Hong / AP

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 1:35 pm

Toyota has agreed to settle lawsuits with the relatives of two people killed in one of their vehicles, allegedly after the engine suddenly accelerated. Paul Van Alfen and Charlene Jones Lloyd died near Wendover, Utah in 2010 when their Toyota Camry crashed into a wall.

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Opinion
9:10 am
Fri January 18, 2013

Lance Armstrong, Tragic Hero? Not Exactly

Originally published on Fri January 18, 2013 9:44 am

Annalisa Quinn is a freelance writer for NPR Books.

Lance Armstrong, in the interview Thursday night with Oprah Winfrey in which he admitted to doping, understood the role that storytelling played in his fall: "You win the Tour de France seven times, you have a happy marriage, you have children. It's just this mythic, perfect story. And it wasn't true."

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