Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 5:50 pm
Two days after Chick-fil-A set a one-day sales record thanks to a show of support for company President Dan Cathy and his outspoken stand against same-sex marriage, it's "National Same-Sex Kiss Day" for gay rights activists.
Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 10:23 am
This month we are collecting your stories about the good things Americans are doing to make their community a better place. Some of your contributions will become blog posts and the project will end with a story that weaves together submissions to make a story of Americans by Americans for Americans.
Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne, with a lesson on how to keep calm, sleep in and carry on.
Twenty-one-year-old Jack Oliver went to bed ready to represent Great Britain at the Olympics. That was until the weightlifter overslept by an hour on his big day. He was roused by his coach and got dressed in 30 seconds, he says, and still managed two personal bests, grabbing a fourth place finish. The sleep did me good, he said. I had less time to think about the competition.
Mitt Romney campaigned Thursday in Colorado, the first domestic appearances since returning from his trip to Europe and the Middle East. He huddled with Republican governors who heaped praise on him in Aspen, where he also held a fundraiser. And, NPR's Brian Naylor reports, he addressed a rally in a Denver suburb.
New York City officials are experimenting with a new way to fund social programs normally paid for with tax dollars. New York City officials say the prison intervention program could keep many of the nearly four thousand adolescent males that enter the jail system each year from returning. WNYC's Colby Hamilton reports Goldman Sachs is set to make a nearly $10 million investment in a social impact bond.
Provincetown, at the far tip of Cape Cod, would seem a perfect place to spend a summer day. In the books of author Jon Loomis, Provincetown is also the setting for mystery and murder. In our Crime in the City series, NPR's Linda Wertheimer takes us to "P-town," where she met Loomis a few years back.
Honda's CNG Civic is the only natural gas-fueled sedan currently available in the United States. With so few CNG passenger cars on the road, pumping stations are few and far between.
Credit Tracy Samilton for NPR
Dodge currently offers a CNG-fueled truck. A group of state governors hope Detroit will soon build CNG sedans, as well.
More than 20 state governors are taking an unusual step to boost the natural gas vehicle industry. Independent of the federal government, they're asking Detroit carmakers to build them a new kind of car: a midsize sedan that runs on compressed natural gas instead of gasoline.
The governors are hoping to boost demand for natural gas cars with their collective buying power. Combined, the states say they could ultimately buy thousands of CNG vehicles to replace their current vehicle fleets — if those cars were available.
NASA engineer Adam Steltzner led the team that designed a crazy new approach to landing on Mars.
Credit NASA
This artist's concept shows thrusters firing to steer the spacecraft as it enters Martian atmosphere. The Curiosity rover has traveled for more than seven months inside the spacecraft.
Credit NASA
Friction with the Martian atmosphere helps slow the spacecraft as it descends. It also heats the heat shield. Friction alone accounts for almost all of the deceleration needed for landing.
Credit NASA
A parachute more than 50 feet across pops out, adding a bit more braking as the craft sinks into Mars's lower atmosphere.
Credit NASA
With the heat shield jettisoned, the rover can be seen tucked into the backshell of the spacecraft.
Credit NASA
Rocket thrusters provide the last little bit of deceleration. At the same time, radar clicks on, giving the craft information about its speed and distance from the surface.
Credit NASA
Here's where things get crazy. A new "sky crane" lowers the rover on three cables while hovering above the surface.
Credit NASA
Once the sky crane senses that it's no longer supporting the rover, it releases the cables and flies off to crash-land a safe distance away. Curiosity is now free to explore its new home.
Credit NASA
Airbags: They don't work because Curiosity is much heavier than past rovers.
Credit NASA
This is it! Lowering the rover on a cable makes it easier for the landing system to know when the rover's actually on solid ground.
Credit NASA
Legs. Too unstable; rover will tip over.
Credit NASA
Pallet: A wider base and more legs still isn't enough to overcome stability issue. Too wimpy.
Credit NASA
The Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft will approach Mars at 13,000 mph. The entry, descent and landing process has to guide it to a soft landing.
Who's The Happiest? Researchers studied photos of Olympic medalists to learn who is the happiest. Here, bronze medalist Aliya Mustafina of Russia, gold medalist Gabby Douglas of the U.S., and silver medalist Victoria Komova of Russia pose after the all-around gymnastics final.
Both athletes were U.S. swimmers, both were dripping wet after finishing an Olympics final, and both had just won medals.
The first said, "It's not my normal specialty. ... We went out there and raced tough – and just came up a little short."
The second had a beaming face. He said, "[I] swam my own race. And knew I had a lane, and had an opportunity, and I went for it. It worked out, you know, it's just awesome that I get to go on the podium tonight. Honestly, I'm really proud of myself!"
Look for a review of the new science fiction epic "Total Recall" and you'll see headlines ready Total Makeover. You might recall the 1990 original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. With our review of the remake, here's Kenneth Turan.
Over the next few years, the Affordable Care Act will probably boost demand for nurses to take care of the newly insured, she says, "and I need faculty to teach the practitioners that are going to take care of these uninsured."
Gymnast C.J. Maestas has been tumbling since he was 18 months old. His grandfathers Frank Barela (left) and Frank Maestas have been a lifelong source of support.
As fans around the world are riveted to the 2012 Summer Games in London, one young gymnast already has his sights on 2016.
Albuquerque, N.M., native C.J. Maestas, 20, has been tumbling his entire life. A self-described "hyper" kid who loved to climb on things, C.J. joined his first gymnastics class when he was 18 months old.
"As a little baby, you were always jumping," C.J.'s grandfather Frank Maestas recalls.
