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It's All Politics
3:30 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

In Immigration Debate, 'Undocumented' vs. 'Illegal' Is More Than Just Semantics

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 4:12 pm

On Monday, we pointed to how the bipartisan Gang of Eight senators mostly avoided the term "illegal immigrant" in the language of their immigration reform plan.

It looks like President Obama did the same in his address on the issue the next day.

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Shots - Health News
3:03 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

Why Some Families Won't Qualify For Subsidized Health Insurance

Credit iStockphoto.com

Quite a few families with expensive job-based health insurance may be ineligible for federal subsidies to help them buy cheaper coverage through new online insurance markets, under final rules released Wednesday by the Internal Revenue Service.

The two rules, published by the Treasury Department here and here, uphold earlier proposals outlining what is considered affordable, employer-sponsored coverage.

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Shots - Health News
2:03 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

Bellevue Hospital's Slow Comeback After Superstorm Sandy

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 4:18 pm

When a ferry crashed in lower Manhattan earlier this month, ambulances took dozens of people to hospitals around the island.

Bellevue Hospital took in 31 passengers, but they all had minor injuries. The most seriously hurt patients from the crash went elsewhere. Dr. Suzi Vassallo said that's because Bellevue still can't handle serious traumatic injuries.

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Books
1:51 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

Sotomayor's Memoir Already A Bestseller

Originally published on Thu January 31, 2013 1:27 pm

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor's memoir is riding high, topping the New York Times best-seller list in its first week of sales.

My Beloved World, Sotomayor's account of her path from the tenements of the Bronx to the U.S. Supreme Court, is on track to outdistance even the best-selling books of other justices.

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Around the Nation
12:41 pm
Wed January 30, 2013

Boy Scouts' Repeal Of Gay Ban Mirrors Its Approach To Racial Integration

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 5:10 pm

As Boy Scouts of America mull over whether to allow gay members to openly join, their approach might mirror the leave-it-to-the-locals tack the organization once took in deciding how to tackle the issue of desegregating its Scout troops.

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Wisdom Watch
10:04 am
Wed January 30, 2013

Before Michelle Obama, There Was Ella Jenkins

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 3:39 pm

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

I'm Celeste Headlee and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Michel Martin is away. Now, we want to tell you about a performer who may have been a big part of your life when you were still in short pants, if I can use that expression.

Before there were OzoKidz and Raffi filling packed houses, there was Ella Jenkins. For more than 50 years, she's been using the power of song to educate children and teach them lessons about life and the importance of staying active.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STOP AND GO")

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Around the Nation
10:02 am
Wed January 30, 2013

Black Africans Feeling Left Out

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee. Michel Martin is away. Coming up, we'll talk about how to protect kids' privacy when it comes to social media and how some of the old rules aren't keeping up with new tech. That's in just a few minutes.

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Movies
10:02 am
Wed January 30, 2013

Wu-Tang's RZA On Iron Fists and Westerns

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

Finally, you know those movies you and pull out time and time again when you have nothing else to watch? Our colleagues at WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED regularly ask filmmakers and actors about the movies they never get tired of watching.

Today, one of the founding members of the rap group the Wu-Tang Clan shares one of his favorites.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC, "THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY")

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Technology
9:57 am
Wed January 30, 2013

Keeping Up With Kids' Online Privacy

Credit George Nikitin / AP
Palo Alto High School teacher Esther Wojcicki helps student Allison Wyndham at a computer during class.

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 12:26 pm

"Youth are much savvier about their online privacy than most adults give them credit for," says Rey Junco, a faculty associate at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society. In the final installment of Tell Me More's series Social Me, Junco tells NPR's Michel Martin that research into teenagers' online behavior on sites like Facebook show that they adjust privacy settings and behave in ways that prove "they're very aware of privacy issues."

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The Salt
1:04 am
Wed January 30, 2013

To Maximize Weight Loss, Eat Early in The Day, Not Late

Credit Gaelle Cohen / iStockphoto.com
Front-loading your calories may help you lose weight.

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 8:44 am

You've heard the dieting advice to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper? Well, there's mounting evidence that there's some truth to it.

A new study published in the International Journal of Obesity builds on previous studies that suggest it's best not to eat too many calories late in the day.

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Science
12:59 am
Wed January 30, 2013

When Crime Pays: Prison Can Teach Some To Be Better Criminals

Credit iStockphoto.com
Prison provides an opportunity for networking with more seasoned criminals.

Originally published on Fri February 1, 2013 11:09 am

In popular lore — movies, books and blogs — criminals who go to prison don't come out reformed. They come out worse.

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Sweetness And Light
11:45 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

History Joins The 49ers In Opposing Ray Lewis

Credit Patrick Semansky / AP
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks at a news conference in New Orleans on Monday. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday. It will be Lewis' last game.

Originally published on Thu January 31, 2013 7:09 am

When Secretariat won what was certified to be his last race, I went down onto the track at Woodbine, and gauging where he had crossed the finish line, snatched up the last grass that perhaps the greatest thoroughbred ever had laid hooves to in his career.

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Economy
11:42 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Study: Nearly Half In U.S. Lack Financial Safety Net

Credit Atanas Bezov / iStockphoto.com
Nearly 44 percent of Americans don't have enough savings or other liquid assets to stay out of poverty for more than three months if they lose their income, according to the Corporation for Enterprise Development.

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 9:03 am

In his inaugural address, President Obama talked about a country where even "a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else." But in reality, that's not always the case. A new report finds that one of the biggest obstacles for many Americans is that they don't have the savings or assets they need to help them get ahead.

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Around the Nation
5:43 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Drought Causes Ripple Effect Along Mighty Mississippi River

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 6:30 pm

The persistent drought is raising questions about how the Mississippi River is managed — both upstream and down.

While cargo traffic upriver has gotten lots of attention, the drought is creating a different set of problems downriver at the mouth of the Mississippi, where saltwater has encroached.

An old-fashioned staff river gauge behind the New Orleans district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers shows the Mississippi is running just shy of 6 feet above sea level at the river bend.

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Superstorm Sandy: Before, During And Beyond
3:25 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Sand After Sandy: Scientists Map Sea Floor For Sediment

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

Congress has now agreed to give some $60 billion to states damaged by Hurricane Sandy. A lot will go to Long Island, one of the hardest hit areas. Besides damages to homes and businesses, its system of protective barrier islands and beaches were partially washed away.

Scientists are trying to find out where that sand and sediment went, and whether it can be used to rebuild Long Island's defenses.

In January. On a boat in Long Island Bay.

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National Security
2:28 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Departure Of Guantanamo Head Means Detention Center May Not Close Anytime Soon

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

For the past four years, Ambassador Daniel Fried has been working hard to keep a promise President Obama made on his first day in office: to close the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The detention center is still open, but now it's Fried's office that is closing. NPR's Ari Shapiro has the story.

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Around the Nation
2:27 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

President Obama Renews Push For Immigration Reform, Praises Bipartisan Plan

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

Today, President Obama renewed his push for an overhaul of the nation's immigration laws. He told an audience in Las Vegas that it's time to finally deal with the millions of undocumented immigrants who are living in the shadows now. The president's speech comes one day after a bipartisan group of senators outlined their own plan for immigration reform.

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Law
2:26 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

'E-Verify' Background Check Program A Likely Part Of Any Immigration Reform

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And the borders are not the only focus of immigration enforcement. More and more businesses are using a system called E-Verify to check whether employees are legally authorized to work in the U.S. Both President Obama and the bipartisan working group of senators want to expand that, to make electronic verification mandatory nationwide.

For more on E-Verify, I spoke with Muzaffar Chishti. He's with the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute and he told us E-Verify has come a long way.

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Around the Nation
2:26 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Illegal Immigration Into U.S. Slows At Border Crossings

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

President Obama was in Las Vegas today, making the case for one of his key campaign issues.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: The time has come for common sense, comprehensive immigration reform.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: The time has come.

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Education
2:21 pm
Tue January 29, 2013

Union Backs 'Bar Exam' For Teachers

Credit Rebecca Cook / Reuters/Landov
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, says a bar exam for K-12 teachers would test a person's knowledge based on the subject he or she was hired to teach.

Originally published on Mon February 4, 2013 12:29 pm

The system for preparing and licensing teachers in the U.S. is in such disarray that the American Federation of Teachers is proposing a "bar exam" similar to the one lawyers have to pass before they can practice.

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The Impact of War
11:56 am
Tue January 29, 2013

War And Foreign Policy Through The Eyes Of Vietnam Veterans

Credit Win McNamee / Getty Images
During the Vietnam War, more than 58,000 Americans died, as well as more than 2 million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians.

Originally published on Wed January 30, 2013 1:25 pm

Sen. John Kerry was confirmed Tuesday by the Senate to become the next secretary of state. Former Sen. Chuck Hagel awaits his turn before the Senate Armed Services Committee to become secretary of defense.

Both men are decorated Vietnam War veterans, and their critics and supporters point to their experiences in Vietnam as essential to their qualifications.

Hagel volunteered to serve in Vietnam and was wounded twice. Kerry commanded a swift boat in the Mekong Delta, and on his return home, he angrily threw away his decorations to protest the war.

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The Two-Way
11:53 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Those 'Hygienic' Toilet Seats At O'Hare May Not Be So Clean

Credit Karen Bleier / AFP/Getty Images
A concourse at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

If you have to go while at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, then you need to know this:

"Motorized 'hygienic seats' that a controversial new janitorial contractor installed recently at O'Hare Airport are not very hygienic after all," the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

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Parenting
10:13 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Social Media: OMG! Do Parents Get It?

From tablets and iPhones to Twitter and Instagram, technology is changing the way children interact with the world. Host Michel Martin talks with a roundtable of parents about encouraging digital exploration, while keeping kids safe.

Education
10:08 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Topping College Graduate Rates, Is It Worth It?

President Obama wants the nation to produce 8 million more college graduates by the year 2020. But can it be done, and how much would it cost? Host Michel Martin puts those questions to Anthony Carnevale, Director and Research Professor of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

The Salt
10:02 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Why Chicken Wings Dominate Super Bowl Snack Time

Take a look at this remarkable graph — is it the stock market? Home sales?

Nope. Click on the blue box in the lower right-hand corner and you'll see that the blue line tracks the number of chicken wings that Americans bought at grocery stores over the last year. See that mighty surge of wing-buying in early February? Apparently, you just cannot have a Super Bowl party without chicken wings — millions and millions of chicken wings.

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Technology
9:59 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Finding Learning Tools In Digital Footprints

Credit Bebeto Matthews / AP
Nkomo Morris, a teacher at Brooklyn's Art and Media High School, works on her classroom computer in New York.

Originally published on Tue January 29, 2013 10:10 am

Throughout Tell Me More's series, "Social Me," Rey Junco shares the research he's done as a faculty associate at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society into how how young people interact online.

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The Salt
8:33 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Raw Beef Kibbeh Blamed In Salmonella Outbreak. Is Steak Tartare Next?

Credit iStockphoto.com
A traditional steak tartare with egg, onion and capers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is amplifying recommendations it's made for years: Don't eat raw or undercooked ground beef. And the call may take on new significance in the wake of reports released last week about a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella in which nearly half the victims reported eating a raw ground beef dish at the same restaurant.

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Law
2:03 am
Tue January 29, 2013

Armed 'Good Guys' And The Realities Of Facing A Gunman

Originally published on Tue January 29, 2013 6:18 pm

As the nation ponders how to stop the next mass shooting, the gun rights movement offers a straight-forward formula, laid out famously by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre.

"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," LaPierre said last month, as his group responded to the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn.

One Man's Story

In Washington state, one such "good guy" — a private citizen who drew his gun in defense of others — paid a heavy price.

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Around the Nation
3:16 pm
Mon January 28, 2013

Unbridled Kentuckians Decide It's Time For A Kick-Ass New Slogan

Originally published on Mon January 28, 2013 4:23 pm

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