NPR Blogs

WATCH: Moore Tornado As Seen From Space

Eyder Peralta — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:23:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNYO5n3aQp4

African Cities Test The Limits Of Living With Livestock

Eliza Barclay — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:18:00 +0000

Raising chickens has become so fashionable among some urban Americans that there's now a market for chicken diapers, as we reported this month.

For a bit of a reality check, let's consider what it means to raise urban livestock in the developing world, where people are poorer and hungrier, and cities are much more densely populated.

The Scramble At Moore Medical Center As The Tornado Hit

Maureen Chowdhury — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:14:00 +0000

A massive tornado swept through the Oklahoma City area Monday afternoon, leaving ruin in its path.

Moore Medical Center, which stood directly in the tornado's path, was devastated. But the workers, patients and their families in the hospital escaped.

Nick Stremble, a registered nurse and manager at the hospital, told Shots Tuesday what he saw.

"My ER is destroyed," he said. "My department was at the Moore Medical Center.

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

Allison Aubrey — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:09:00 +0000

A controversial petition by the dairy industry to allow milk sweetened with aspartame or other alternative sweeteners to be labeled on the front of the carton simply as MILK is drawing criticism from the nation's leading group of nutritionists.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging the FDA to reject the petition, which we first told you about<

'Arrested Development' Leads The Charge For Old Brands In New Media

Neda Ulaby — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:44:00 +0000

Arrested Development returning via Netflix? Just another old-media brand reviving itself on new media.

The TV show, which originally ran on Fox from 2003 to 2006 and unveils new episodes on Netflix next weekend, finds itself in splendid company. Radiohead, Louis C.K., Veronica Mars — all found their audiences with promotion and distribution from big studios and networks. Radiohead was signed to a major music label. Louis C.K. enjoyed HBO specials and TV shows.

A Catch For Insurers That Cut Deductibles For Healthy People

Michelle Andrews — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Health insurance deductibles typically only go one direction: up.

It's not unusual for people these days to be responsible for paying thousands of dollars in medical claims before most plan benefits kick in.

Rewards to policyholders for claims that don't meet the annual deductible can be a boon for healthy people.

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey to becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for nearly eight years.

One of the new device's most striking features is the ability to run multiple apps at once — and to split a TV screen into different tasks.

Gandhi Artifacts Could Fetch Steep Prices At Auction

Scott Neuman — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:12:00 +0000

Artifacts that once belonged to Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Indian independence leader who took a vow of poverty, could fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

A pair of sandals, a shawl, a drinking cup, Gandhi's will and various other documents associated with the leader are all up for auction. Guide prices range from £200 for "a rare British Parliament paper declaring Gandhi a terrorist" dating from 1932, to £40,000 for his will.

Vertical 'Pinkhouses:' The Future Of Urban Farming?

Michaeleen Doucleff — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:16:00 +0000

The idea of vertical farming is all the rage right now. Architects and engineers have come up with spectacular concepts for lofty buildings that could function as urban food centers of the future.

In Sweden, for example, they're planning a 177-foot skyscraper to farm leafy greens at the edge of each floor.

Court Backs Withholding 'Potent' Images Of Bin Laden's Body

Scott Neuman — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:13:00 +0000

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday in favor of the government's decision to keep photos and video of the May 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden a secret, rebuffing a conservative watchdog group that had sought their release.

A three-judge panel of the U.S.

Overturned: Former Guatemalan Dictator's Genocide Conviction

Korva Coleman — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:01:00 +0000

A federal court in Guatemala has thrown out the genocide conviction of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, which had been called a breakthrough in the region's human rights.

NPR's Carrie Kahn reports that "all trial evidence and testimony as of April 19th, the date a trial judge was removed from the case, must be re-entered."

The ruling late Monday came 10 days after a three judge tribunal sentenced 86-year-old Rios Montt to 80 years in prison: 50 years for genocide against the Ixil Mayan people, who were considered enemies of the Guatemalan state, and an additional 30 years for crimes agai

Oklahoma's GOP Senators Find Themselves In Tornado Aid Bind

Liz Halloran — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:57:00 +0000

Even as President Obama was declaring that tornado-devastated Oklahoma would get "everything it needs right away," the state's most vociferous critic of federal emergency aid vowed that he, too, would push for assistance "without delay."

Yet Republican Sen. Tom Coburn's position on federal aid came under close scrutiny in the hours after the tragedy.

Let's Get Creative And Redefine The Meaning Of Religion

Adam Frank — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:56:00 +0000

We all know how the battle lines shake out: evangelical vs. scientist, believer vs. atheist. The culture war defined as science vs. religion is so overheated that it seems to be more of a caricature than a coherent, useful discussion.

Dolphins Find 19th Century Navy Torpedo In Pacific Ocean

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:43:00 +0000

A rare piece of America's military history was located this spring, when dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program located an unusual artifact: a torpedo from the 19th century. Discovered during a training exercise in the ocean near San Diego, the torpedo will eventually make its way to a museum.

The bottlenose dolphins were honing their ability to find underwater mines when the discovery was made. The torpedo did not have a warhead, Navy officials say.

"The Howell torpedo, one of the first self-propelled torpedoes developed and used by the U.S.

A Mother And Daughter Confront Their Breast Cancer Risk

Tell Me More Staff — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:00 +0000

Hollywood superstar Angelina Jolie has been in the headlines, by her own choice for a change.

Genetic testing showed she was at high risk for breast cancer, so she decided to have a double mastectomy to improve her odds.