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Schwarzenegger Case Prompts Question: Why Do Politicians Keep Shocking Us?

Remember those pre-birther, pre-repeal-birthright-citizenship, pre-Tea Party movement days in 2004 when there was actually discussion of amending the Constitution so Arnold Schwarzenegger could run for president? That sure seems like ancient history, doesn't it? The news that Arnold Scharzenegger fathered a child ten years ago with a one-time household employee and that his wife Maria Shriver recently learned of it, causing a split with the former California governor after 25 years of marriage, is certainly the latest shocker in a series of incidents involving politicians behaving badly. Read More Coming as it does after the weekend arrest in New York on rape charges of Dominque Strauss Kahn, the IMF head who had been a strong contender for the French presidency and the release by the Senate ethics committee of its report on the sordid John Ensign affair, it makes you want to grab your lantern, like Diogenes of Athens, and go searching for an honest man. Or, even better, an honest politician. Politicians are probably no more prone to immorality and hypocrisy than the general populace. Divorce courts and prisons are full of non-politicians. So why does it seem so much more shocking when politicians, who are humans after all, get caught out doing wrong? Probably because to be a politician means asking absolute strangers, sometimes in the millions, to trust you. And, amazingly, many of those strangers do. It means selling an image of integrity that may not actually match reality. And it often means impugning the motives or decency of your political opponents in order to boost your vote by dampening theirs. But there's also the intriguing aspect of someone with so much to lose, with so much power, or the potential for it, putting it all at risk through reckless behavior. We saw that kind of behavior with Maria Shriver's uncle, President John Kennedy and with President Bill Clinton. We saw it Sen. Bob Packwood or Oregon who was forced out of the Senate in 1995 for sexually abusing numerous women. And who doubts that we'll keep seeing these incidents that induce bouts of head-shaking until the end of human civilization? Perhaps it just proves that even for those whose ambition for power and discipline to reach the heights far outstrips the average person's, there's something even stronger yet that leads them to endanger everything. It could be human sex drive in some cases or the corrupting force of power. Or both. Or something else. But whatever it is, clearly even the most powerful, driven and highly regarded people are no match for it.

The Last Pew Poll: Obama Holds Edge On Eve Of Election

The final poll released Sunday by the Pew Research Center ahead of Tuesday's election shows President Obama has a 3 percentage point lead over Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney just two days before the general election. Obama leads Romney 48 percent to 45 percent in the poll of 2,709 likely voters, which has a margin of error of 2.2 percentage points. The poll was conducted Oct. 31-Nov. 3. Here's more from the Pew news release: "The survey finds that Obama maintains his modest lead when the probable decisions of undecided voters are taken into account. Our final estimate of the national popular vote is Obama 50 percent and Romney 47 percent, when the undecided vote is allocated between the two candidates based on several indicators and opinions." The results come just a week after a Pew poll showed the two candidates deadlocked at 47 percent among likely voters. That poll was conducted Oct. 24-28, before Superstorm Sandy hit the U.S. East Coast. Pew president Andrew Kohut tells NPR's Guy Raz that the shift back toward Obama was partially because of his handling of the aftermath of the storm. "Two-thirds of the likely voters we questioned said they approved of the way he handled it," Kohut says. "More importantly, 63 percent of the swing voters said they approved of Obama's dealing with this issue." Though Obama has edged ahead, Kohut says it is just that — an edge. "We still have 11 percent of the sample saying 'we could possibly change our mind,' " he says. "This is our projection, and our projections have been pretty good, but there's always the possibility things could change." Among likely voters in the crucial battleground states that both candidates are vying for, the Pew poll found Obama leading 49 percent to 47 percent. The poll adds, however, that voter turnout remains one of the GOP nominee's strengths. Romney's supporters are more engaged in the election and more committed to voting than are Obama's supporters, the poll found. GUY RAZ, HOST: OK, let's go back to that poll I just mentioned. According to the Pew Research Center's final poll - released just a short time ago - President Obama has edged ahead of Mitt Romney, 50 percent to 47 percent. Andy Kohut is Pew's president. He's with me now. And Andy, give us more details about your findings. ANDREW KOHUT: Well, a week ago, among our sample of likely voters, we had 47 percent for Obama... RAZ: Dead even. KOHUT: ...47 percent for Romney. Dead even. Our survey of likely voters finds 48 percent for Obama, 45 percent for Romney - a statistically significant lead. And when we allocate the undecideds based upon a number of indicators in our models, we continue to get a three-point - 50 to 47 - edge for Obama. And that would be our projection of the popular vote, as best we can do it here two days before the election. RAZ: What accounts for the change from last week, when it was a dead heat? KOHUT: Well, part of it probably has to do with Obama's handling of the hurricane. Two-thirds of the likely voters we questioned, said they approved of the way he handled it; even a plurality of Republicans said so. And more importantly, 63 percent of the swing voters said they approved of Obama's dealing with this issue. So that's one thing. Secondly, we've seen since early October - following that first debate - Obama gradually beginning to come back. He had drawn even by last weekend but now, he's edged ahead. And I want to put the emphasis on edge. We still have 11 percent of the sample saying, you know, we could possibly change our mind. And we know from the exit polls - which we'll be looking at Tuesday night - that many people do make up their minds at the last moment. So this is our projection, and our projections have been pretty good. But there's always the possibility that things could change. RAZ: And we should mention: In 2008, you were exactly right. KOHUT: We were exactly right in 2008. We were exactly right in 2004. And in terms of the popular vote for Congress, we were right in '06 and '10. So we have a pretty good record. This is a tougher election, though. People are conflicted about these candidates, and it's harder for the polls to come away with a consensus forecast of where this thing is going. But this is what we find. RAZ: Andy, you guys were interviewing people up until last night; almost 3,000 people - you sampled for this poll. Talk a little bit about strength of support because according to your poll, Obama also leads Romney when it comes to the strength of those who support him. KOHUT: Thirty-nine percent of Obama's supporters say they strongly support him. Only 32 percent of Romney supporters say they strongly support him. Now, in the last 12 national elections - going back to 1960 - in nine of the 12 elections, the candidate who has the most strong support wins the popular vote. The exceptions were Nixon, in 1960; Carter, who didn't win the strong contest but did win the election; and President Bush in 2000, who did not

Australia Apologizes For Kids Shipped To Colonies

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a formal apology Monday for his country's role in Britain's colonial history. Over the course of three centuries, Britain sent tens of thousands of children involuntarily to the colonies. Although they were promised a better life, many were the victims of abuse and neglect. British historian Stephen Constantine says the essence of the policy was to boost Australia's white population.

We Asked People What They Know About Taxes. See If You Know The Answers

Back in 2012, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign suffered a blow when a tape was leaked of him grousing that 47 percent of Americans don't pay federal income tax. It was one of the biggest gaffes of the presidential campaign, but a new poll conducted by Ipsos for NPR suggests that many Americans forgot it. The way Romney characterized those who don't pay federal income taxes is what got him in trouble, but the figure was roughly true. The new poll, however, shows that a majority think that the share of Americans paying no federal income tax is far lower. The poll gave respondents four options — 39 percent said that only 11 percent of Americans pay zero or negative income tax, and 31 percent said that only 27 percent pay zero or negative income tax. Only 21 percent got it right — right now, around 45 percent pay no federal income tax. The poll, released the day before Americans' taxes are due, delved into what Americans know and what they believe is wrong with the U.S. tax code — and what they know is limited and at times contradictory. But this isn't just about pointing out what Americans know and don't know. Rather, there could be important policy implications to Americans' misperceptions about the tax system. For example, this question dovetails with questions about what people think the lowest-income Americans' tax rate should be. Americans underestimate the share of Americans who don't pay federal income taxes Given four choices of how many Americans pay zero or negative federal income taxes (11, 27, 45, or 63 percent), fully 70 percent of poll respondents chose the options under the correct answer, which was 45 percent. Some of these people simply have no taxable income, and others get money back as a result of refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit. (Of course, these people might pay other taxes, like payroll taxes, as well as whatever sales and property taxes their states impose.) Two-thirds of Americans believe lower-income people pay too much income tax (with heavy partisan differences — around 8-in-10 Democrats, 6-in-10 independents, and half of Republicans agreed with that statement). In addition, 60 percent of Americans believe taxes should be lowered for people making $49,000 or less (again, with Democrats and independents being somewhat more likely than Republicans to say those taxes should be lowered). Taking these two ideas together — that people (mistakenly) think very few of their fellow Americans pay zero federal income tax, and that a majority of Americans think low-income people pay too much in income tax — there are a couple of possible conclusions. One is that if more Americans knew how many others do not end up paying federal income taxes, they would say tax rates should stay the same or even be raised. Then again, it's possible that Americans nevertheless would think their poorest fellow citizens do need more money, regardless of how the current tax code looks. That might mean they would advocate expanding the EITC or other tax breaks. When it comes to taxes paid by the rich, things get complicated. We posed the following statement to people as a true or false question: "For the highest earners, the percent of federal income taxes they pay now is significantly higher than it was in 1980." In retrospect, there are multiple ways to interpret this question. If "percent" is taken as "rate" here, the answer is "false." In 1980, the top marginal income tax rate was 70 percent. Today, it's 39.6 percent (something about half of Americans know, per our poll). But if "percent" is taken as "share" here, the answer is "true." That is, the share of federal income tax revenue that the richest Americans pay has gone up since 1980. How does that work? As the Tax Policy Center's Roberton Williams explained to NPR, the share of income going to the rich has climbed in a big way over the last few decades. So how Americans think about this could affect what they think should happen to the top tax rates on the richest. In 1980, the top 10 percent brought in 32 percent of all adjusted gross income, according to the Tax Foundation. In 2013, it was 46 percent. For example, many Americans also believe taxes should be raised on the richest. The top tax bracket starts at $418,400 right now. The poll shows that 70 percent of Americans believe taxes should be raised on people making $250,000 to just under $1 million, and that 75 percent believe they should be raised on people making $1 million or more. That's already a sizable majority, but depending on whether people knew tax rates on the richest had indeed fallen (or, alternately, that the rich now pay a higher share in taxes), it could change what they think should happen to those marginal rates. (Of course, it's also possible that historical rates wouldn't affect their views at all.) Those views differ widely by party; Democrats are much more likely to believe that taxes should be raised on the rich than Republicans. Ame

Tweeted Verse Of The Day: April 7, 2011

By @dailyneurotic: The bees are somewhere creating a world out of pollen musing in sweetness tasting the work of the thoughtless moment. ALLISON KEYES, host: And, next, Muses and Metaphor. (Soundbite of music) KEYES: As part of TELL ME MORE's celebration of National Poetry Month, we've been hearing your poetic tweets. We've been asking you to send us poems that are 140 characters or less through Twitter and hundreds of you have responded. Today we hear a tweet from writer Freda Karpf of Neptune, New Jersey. She blogs at TheDailyNeurotic.com. Now, remember, these are short - only 140 characters each. So, here goes. Ms. FREDA KARPF (Writer, TheDailyNeurotic.com): This is Freda Karpf and this is my tweet. The bees are somewhere creating a world out of pollen, musing in sweetness, tasting the work of the thoughtless moment. KEYES: I told you it was short. Let's play it again. Ms. KARPF: The bees are somewhere creating a world out of pollen, musing in sweetness, tasting the work of the thoughtless moment. KEYES: That's a poetic tweet submitted by Freda Karpf. If you'd like to help us celebrate National Poetry Month, go to Twitter and tweet us your original poetry using fewer than 140 characters. If your poem is chosen, we'll help you record it for us and we will air it sometime this month. Tweet using the hash tag TMMPoetry. You can learn at the TELL ME MORE website. Go to NPR.org, click on the Programs menu and find TELL ME MORE.

Happy Valentine's Day

Before we kick off another news week, we'd be remiss if we didn't wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day. And for those of you have forgotten that it's Feb. 14, this is your wake-up call. Google's taking note of the holiday with one of its special logos — this one merges the company's name with artist Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE sculpture. Meanwhile, our friends over at Deceptive Cadence have a Valentine's Day puzzler that you opera fans will enjoy. And chef Nigella Lawson has do-it-yourself dinner date suggestions. Enjoy.

Weekly Standard: Vouching For Medicare Reform

Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard. Social Security's looming deficit can be handled, for the time being, by adjusting benefits a tad downward. Medicaid's runaway spending can be restrained by giving state governors more flexibility in administering the program. These are modest solutions. Medicare is different. It needs a big solution. And there's only one thing that would preserve the best of the American medical system while keeping Medicare's skyrocketing costs from bankrupting the country. It's called "premium support" or "defined contribution." Those are clunky euphemisms for what's really involved: vouchers that would let seniors pick their own health insurance, just as they already choose their provider of prescription drugs. This isn't a new idea. President Clinton's National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare proposed a version of it in 1999. House Republicans endorsed premium support in the little-noticed budget they drafted in 2009. The so-called Debt Reduction Task Force headed by former Republican senator Pete Domenici and Democratic economist Alice Rivlin supported defined contribution last year. Most Republicans in Congress favor Medicare vouchers and say so privately. Now they need to step up publicly in the 2012 budget that Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, will release in early April. Not to do so would be an act of evasion, timidity, and political cowardice. It would prevent a voucher program from emerging front and center on the political agenda. And it would make it difficult for Republican presidential candidates to talk about Medicare vouchers in 2012. The budget will set a ceiling on Medicare spending. That much is clear. A policy statement on how that level of spending would be achieved is not required. But in this case it's necessary to designate vouchers as the preferred method of curbing Medicaid's cost and averting a debt meltdown. Otherwise it will be left to Democrats to speculate darkly about what Republicans would do to Medicare. That wouldn't be pretty. The necessity of Medicare vouchers is buttressed by five facts: (1) Medicare is growing at about 7 percent annually. Medicaid's cost is rising slightly faster, but its growth is easier to control. Social Security's cost increases at roughly 5.8 percent yearly. Those numbers, while alarming, scarcely suggest what's just beginning: an explosion in Medicare's growth. Social Security and Medicaid will have gently rising growth paths over the next 60 years. Medicare's will soar. If unchecked, it will produce a debt crisis all by itself. (2) Supporters of President Obama's health care law tout its pilot projects to reduce Medicare's cost. Nothing wrong there. But we've seen hundreds of such projects over the past 40 years — with minimal impact on Medicare. Few resulted in cost savings. Pilot projects aren't the answer. (3) What has worked is competition. The Medicare prescription drug benefit program, enacted in 2003, has cost 40 percent less than projected. This is due to competition among providers for the business of millions of seniors. The fear that few providers would join the program was unfounded. Dozens have. (4) Medicare's current fee-for-service approach is a magnet for lobbyists. It sets the price for everything from medical devices to health care facilities. When providers face a reduced payment, they lobby furiously to undo it and often succeed. "A voucher system would put downward pressure across the entire spectrum of care," says Michael Cannon of the Cato Institute. Without a fixed schedule of prices, who would providers lobby? Seniors? Not likely. (5) Medicare recipients don't have a strong moral claim to benefits as established in fee-for-service. Andrew Biggs of the American Enterprise Institute has calculated that the average 65-year-old retiree in 2009 had paid $64,971 in Medicare payroll taxes. Minus premiums, the retiree will get $173,886 in lifetime benefits. You can figure out the size of the windfall. Vouchers got a boost last fall when Ryan and Rivlin, both members of the president's fiscal commission, collaborated on what's now known simply as "Ryan-Rivlin." The commission didn't adopt their plan but Republicans should in their budget. Fiscally sensible Democrats would be wise to sign on too. The Ryan-Rivlin plan offers real structural reform, not tinkering. Current beneficiaries and those 55 and older could stick with traditional Medicare. A decade from now, new retirees would get a fixed payment from the government to purchase insurance. The well-to-do would receive a lower subsidy, the sick a higher one if their health worsened. Low-income seniors would get added coverage for out-of-pocket expenses. In the past, the thought of reforming Medicare, one of the most popular government programs ever, has terrified Republicans. That Democrats would attack them for cruelly leaving the elderly without adequate medical care was a certainty (and still is). Th

Dabbling in Virtual Real Estate... and Acronyms

If you welcome financial advice from Romanian-born professor and poet, then here's a story for you. Commentator Andrei Codrescu notes that virtual real estate is the wave of the future, as game players online trade mock properties for real money.

Cities' Goal To Lower Climate Emissions Could Be Blocked By Gas Utilities

A growing number of cities want to restrict the use of gas in buildings to reduce climate emissions. But many states are now considering laws to block that with backing from the natural gas industry.

Tornado Warning May Have Saved Lives

The residents of Greensburg, Kan., had excellent lead time because of developments in storm-warning systems. Meteorologist Don Burgess says a specific warning was issued for the county about 30 minutes before the tornado struck.

Sticking with the Detroit Tigers

In baseball, it's the dog days of summer. A few teams and their fans are in the middle of pennant races. But are fans of teams who have no hopes of reaching the playoffs sticking by them? NPR's Alex Chadwick talks to NPR's Don Gonyea, who cheers for what may soon become the worst team in baseball <EM>ever</EM> -- the Detroit Tigers.

Columnists on Gonzales, Continued

Robert Siegel continues his conversation with political commentators E.J. Dionne and David Brooks about the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. ROBERT SIEGEL, host: This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel back with David Brooks and E.J. Dionne. The subject is Alberto Gonzales. E.J., before the break, I'd asked David about the fact that Alberto Gonzales was very high profile. I think the highest profile Latino appointee to a federal - or nominee to a federal office ever. And what, if anything, is the result of that? Do you see any positive gain for the Republicans here for having taken that step? Mr. E.J. DIONNE (Columnist, The Washington Post): You know, I was talking to someone this afternoon who is a regular watcher of Univision, the Spanish language television station, who noted that there was a trajectory here that when he started, there was great enthusiasm. A fellow Latino in the attorney general job, and by the end, the coverage was exactly the same and just as critical as the coverage elsewhere. And as David said, I think this gets swamped by the immigration bill in terms of the effect on the Latino vote. You know - and I think Gonzales really hurt himself in a lot of these hearings. He said I don't know about what was happening in his own Justice Department about as often as I would say it if you ask me about particle physics. And so it wasn't just that he was somehow involved in these firings of U.S. attorneys for reasons we still don't fully understand, but his only defense was that he was detached. Which is why I think he lost a lot of the Republican's support, as David suggested, because he wasn't - he either wasn't engaged or was using that as a cover up. Neither works very well. SIEGEL: He was not a very good witness… Mr. DIONNE: Yes. SIEGEL: …for his own case. Let's look to the future right now. As Nina Totenberg reported a few minutes ago, the name most mentioned today was that of Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. But he wasn't the only name mentioned. David Brooks, who are some possible attorney generals or attorneys general that you've heard about? Mr. DAVID BROOKS (Columnist, The New York Times): Well, Mr. Clement, as Nina mentioned. Also, Oren Hatch. The senators mentioned - Larry Thompson, who is now, I think, at Pepsi, who worked at the Justice Department early in the Bush administration, who happens to be African American. These are the names thrown out. I'm not sure if they've gotten to the list. They probably have. But one of the debates that's already shaping is how political it should be. There's a general sense that the Justice Department has gotten way too political. And people are talking about the alternative. And the ideal figure is Ed Levi, who is attorney general under Gerald Ford, who is famously non-political. But one thing to be said was - is that the big fights are going to be over executive privilege, as I said. And you've got to know Washington. You've got to know what buttons to push in order to defend the president against a hostile opposition Democratic Congress. And so someone who's totally academic is probably not going to be too successful. And I suspect the president won't pick that sort of person. SIEGEL: On the other hand of it, someone who's academic, presumably, he would have written on the subject of executive privilege and might have some record to be gone after in confirmation hearings. Mr. DIONNE: Well, there are… Mr. BROOKS: I would say that, you know, to get things done in Washington - and this is something the Bush administration is very slow to learn - it really helps to pick somebody who's part of the establishment here, especially in the legal job, where you've got - where you know people personally and you know the propriety of how things get done. And that's something Gonzales, for all his niceness and all his skills, never really knew. SIEGEL: E.J. Mr. DIONNE: First all, there are academics and there are academics. And as Levi, the president, I should say, of the University of Chicago, David's College, was a very effective leader and he was very effective politically. So I think some academics are effective. But I think that if the president wants to avoid ongoing congressional hearings trying to figure out what happened in the Gonzales Justice Department, he's going to be much better off with a less political figure, somebody respected across party lines. Then if he nominates someone who clearly comes out of the Republican camp, then I think we simply go back to the same fight we were having the day before Alberto Gonzales left his job. SIEGEL: Well, often, the last refuge of the president in trouble with the Senate is to nominate a senator or a former senator. And Oren Hatch has been mentioned. Mr. DIONNE: Whose best friend in the Senate is Ted Kennedy, in some ways. So he clearly has some appeal across the aisle. So yes, certain senators could be very

ISIS Declares Caliphate As Iraq Fights To Retake Tikrit

Extremist Sunni group ISIS has announced a plan to rule the territory it has carved out of Iraq and Syria in recent months, in a declaration that touches on public services, salaries and compensation for damages from the violence. The plan was unveiled as Iraq's central Shiite government tries to retake the city of Tikrit, in its first major operation against the insurgents. And it precedes by one day the Iraqi Parliament's first meeting since its April 30 elections; Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has been widely criticized during this crisis, has resisted calls to form a unity government that gives more involvement to Iraqi Sunnis and Kurds. From Baghdad, NPR's Alice Fordham reports: "Backed by irregular Shiite militias, Iraq's army and special forces are fighting for control of Saddam Hussein's hometown, Tikrit. The Sunni-dominated population there is deeply hostile to the Shiite-led government, whom they say has marginalized them. And residents say local tribes are now ruling the town. "An Iraqi military spokesman said that forces were massing in the government-held town of Samarra, backed by newly arrived Russian jets, and would make another push from there for Tikrit soon." The statement ISIS released comes to us via NPR's Deborah Amos (translated by Hania Hansey). It reads, in part, "Salaries will be distributed in the liberated provinces next month, and employees working in all state institutions will receive, along with their salaries, Eid bonuses." It also includes several comments about protecting "state property" — referring to the new Islamic state. And it promises compensation for "any losses sustained as a result of random shelling by the Safavid army." Safavid, we'll note, was a Persian dynasty that ruled Iran and other areas from the 1500s to the 1700s, establishing Shiism as the state religion. The reference echoes accusations that Maliki is a puppet of Tehran (read more about the Sunni-Shiite split in our primer). In Shiite-led Iran, officials say they are willing to help Iraq fight what the country's supreme leader calls the "enemies of Islam" who are behind the violence. From Istanbul, NPR's Peter Kenyon reports: "During comments marking the beginning of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attacked the militants known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as representing what he called 'American-style Islam' and using 'the appearance of Islam' to carry out the bidding of unnamed foreign intelligence agencies. "Separately, an Iranian general Sunday said just like in Syria, Iran is prepared to send military aid to the government in Baghdad. Analysts say Iranian equipment and advisers have already been sent to Iraq, while a shipment of Russian fighter jets arrived in Baghdad over the weekend. "Iran is a strong backer of Shiite control in Iraq, although Iranian leaders have remained relatively quiet on the job being done by the controversial Prime Minister Maliki."

Commentary: Company Time

Commentator Jeremy Richards questions the division of "personal time" and "company time," suggesting that office workers can't possibly work the entire time they spend in their cubicles. Richards lives in Seattle. He comes to us by way of member station KPLU.

Jared Kushner Arrives In Jerusalem To Talk Peace

Presidential envoy Jared Kushner arrives in Jerusalem to take another attempt at restarting peace talks between the Israelis and Palestinians. But relations have gotten even worse recently.

The truth about vultures, with WAYNE GRADY and MIKE WALLACE

<A HREF="http://whyy.org/cgi-bin/bookdisplay.cgi?1433"><IMG SRC="http://whyy.org/logos/BOOK.GIF" border=0 ALIGN=RIGHT></A>The truth about vultures, with WAYNE GRADY and MIKE WALLACE. Grady's new book, "Vulture: Ghastly Gourmet," (Sierra Club Books) describes in words and photographs the life of the vulture. WALLACE is the Los Angeles Zoo's vulture specialist. He is the Curator of Conservation and Science at the zoo, as well as being the Condor Species Survival Program Coordinator for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.12:58:30 NEXT SHOW PROMO (:29) PROMO COPY On the next Fresh Air . . Terry Gross talks with jury consultant JO-ELLAN DIMITRIUS. She's worked on more than 600 trials, including O-J Simpson's and Rodney King's. Later, the truth about vultures, with WAYNE GRADY and MIKE WALLACE. Grady's just written a book on vultures, and Wallace is the Los Angeles Zoo's vulture specialist. That's all coming up on the next Fresh Air.

Tulare County Approves New Dairies

The board of supervisors in the Central Valley county of Tulare took a controversial stand yesterday when it gave the green light to two new dairies, planned across the street from a state park dedicated to the history of California's African-American settlers.

Remembering Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution

As part of a series of conversations marking 1979 as a seminal year in the Muslim world, Steve Inskeep talks to Iranian-born journalist Kasra Naji about the Islamic Revolution. Naji was a student in Iran at the time and has been in and out of the country since then. He's a special correspondent for BBC Persian Television in London. He also is the author of <em>Ahmadinejad: The Secret History of Iran's Radical Leader.</em>

Nigella Offers Simple Recipes For Holiday Cheer

Embarking on the holiday season can feel like joining a festive army: Decorations must be just so. Gifts must be perfect. Everything gets a little bow on top. But food writer Nigella Lawson says that keeping things warm and welcoming doesn't require endless preparation or complicated dishes. Keep things simple, she says, and serve food that will make you feel good. "I construct my holiday season in a very informal way," Lawson tells Renee Montagne. It's an intentional effort to combat the tendency Lawson sees around this time of year to turn each gathering into a production. "Somehow we've got in our heads the idea that Christmas should be bejeweled and enormously formal, and we should go to great lengths to create spectacular dinners," she says. "Well, that may be very nice, but it's not reality. And that makes people dread having any sort of entertaining plans because it asks too much." Lawson says her ideal holiday meal is "friends over [for] food that maybe you've cooked in advance. " Or else, she says, you can serve "comforting food rather than impressive, status-symbol food." Achieving both of those criteria is Lawson's recipe for a dish that might raise eyebrows at the holidays, but which, by her count, holds up well to the demands of the season: Chocolate chip chili. Lawson says her secret ingredient takes some by surprise. "It sounds odd to say 'put chocolate chips in your chili,' " she says. "But actually, cocoa is used routinely. It just adds a kind of thickness and a velvetiness. ... It's warming food, but it's family food." And Lawson says the dish packs a bonus: "I do think that at this time of year, people are probably going to drink more than they might at other times of the year, so it somehow soaks up some of the seasonal excess." While you're indulging, Lawson suggests pairing her playful take on chili with fully loaded potato skins. Perhaps not a holiday classic, but irresistible nonetheless. Which makes it perfect, Lawson says, for a season that can carry more than its share of stress alongside festivities. "Sometimes if you cook in a complicated way, your tension translates to your guests," explains Lawson. "They'll have a much better time having chili and baked potatoes than they would if you did roast duck with a wild cherry sauce and then had to lie down and cry for a while." Desserts To Share Of course, with some dishes, a new outfit is just what the holidays call for. For dessert, Lawson dresses up Rocky Road, the endlessly malleable kitchen-sink classic — not the ice cream — with candied cherries and amaretti cookies, plus a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Her holiday take on the recipe looks the part — a cross between brownies and fruitcake — and just as important for Lawson, it hits the same pleasure centers as her other comforting holiday food. "It is an indulgent dessert," she says. "You can make it and wrap it and tie it with a little bow, and it makes a great gift. I'm a great believer in edible presents at Christmas. I think it's, in a way, an old-fashioned tradition, but one that probably should be resurrected." Anything to bring friends and family in from the cold, Lawson says, especially when the season is so bright and the food is so friendly. "Somehow people are so predisposed to having a good time, it makes one want to invite them," she says. "It sounds like I'm saying, 'Have a dinner party every night.' But really, I'm just saying, 'Have people round.' " I've always made chili with ground meat and added a dash of cocoa to bolster. This time, I wanted to play a little, to achieve something more along the lines of a dark, spicy-sauced cassoulet: that's to say, together with the beans, I use beef, cut into fairly small chunks, and fiery Spanish sausages. In place of the cocoa there is a sprinkling of dark, dark chocolate chips, which adds real depth and a velvety savoriness. This chili is not for light eaters, but something spicy and substantial that is just what you need to soak up seasonal excess. Under normal conditions, I'd also dollop out an unchiled guacamole with this, but I worry about having avocados sitting around going grungy, so only make this if you know it won't be hanging around: simply mash 3 ripe avocados with 3 finely chopped scallions and add the juice of a lime or two and some salt to taste, stir in 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro, spoon into two or three bowls, and sprinkle a little extra cilantro over. Ingredients 10 (or 5 linked pairs) chorizo sausages (not the salami sort), approx. 1 1/4 lbs3 1/4 lb boneless beef shank, cut into 3/4 inch cubes3 onions (about 1 lb), peeled3 cloves garlic, peeled1 fresh long red chile, seeded1/4 cup vegetable oilSeeds from 3 cardamom pods2 teaspoons ground cumin1 teaspoon ground coriander1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes1/4 cup tomato paste1/4 cup tomato ketchup4 x 15 oz cans red kidney beans, drained3 x 14 oz cans diced tomatoes1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips1

Getting Divorced In The Philippines Where It's Against The Law

NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with freelance journalist Ana Santos about her experience getting divorced in the Philippines, the only country where divorce is illegal.

As More Women Tell Abortion Stories, Both Sides Claim Advantage

Advocates for abortion rights are increasingly calling on women who've had the procedure to tell their stories publicly in an effort to combat the "shame and stigma" around it. Over the past year, abortion activists have talked about their procedures online, in books and at open forums on college campuses. One put her procedure on YouTube to show, she says, a "positive" abortion story. The video went viral. (Her original YouTube video has been taken down and reuploaded here.) But some abortion opponents say more open discussion ultimately helps their side. One group trying to encourage women to tell their abortion stories publicly is the 1 in 3 Campaign. Deb Hauser, who heads Advocates for Youth, the group that launched the campaign, didn't speak of her own abortion for 15 years. But her thinking has changed, she says, as support for abortion rights has softened and opponents have passed a wave of restrictive state laws. "If we are silent, what's left is this void for other people to fill, and they've filled it with a lot of shame and judgment," Hauser says. "We have to make the political the personal now, and we have to stand up and put women's real-life stories in the middle of this dialogue around abortion care or we're gonna lose." The 1 in 3 Campaign staged an eight-hour live-streamed abortion speakout in Washington, D.C., last month. (The group's name stands for the 1 in 3 women who will have an abortion in her lifetime, though the latest CDC stats find the number has dropped slightly.) In the production, dozens of women connect through Skype to tell their stories, although many don't want to be completely public and use only their first name. Liz says she had an abortion after her ex-boyfriend forced himself on her. "I was just 21. I hadn't finished my degree yet. I was living with my mother, and I knew I could not bring that child into the world and give it the life that it deserved," she says. Another woman, Julie, tells of her joy at being pregnant with a second child, only to discover at 20 weeks that the fetus had no brain. She had an abortion, got pregnant again, and then, she says, "lightning does strike twice, and 17 weeks into my subsequent pregnancy with a daughter, I learned that she, too, had the same brain abnormalities." After a second abortion, Julie went on to have two more healthy children. "I'm one of the many faces of abortion. It wasn't an easy decision, but I am so grateful that the choice was mine," she says. But women who regret that choice are also telling their stories. Michael Spielman founded Abort73, a Christian website that aims to educate young adults on what it calls "the injustice of abortion." "I think that the more people are talking about abortion in public, the better it is for abortion-vulnerable children," Spielman says. The Abort73 site has long featured stories of women who have had the procedure. Spielman says many tell of feeling pressured to do it and of regretting it, years — even decades — later. "They wish they could go back. They wish they had not had the abortion. They wish they had the child. I think the finality of it is devastating oftentimes," Spielman says. Even for people who aren't activists, research finds that the decision to tell someone about an abortion is, in a way, political. People tend to share abortion stories with those they think will support them, according to a study by Sarah Cowan, a sociologist at New York University. "The person who has more lenient attitudes with regards to abortion is more likely to learn that the women they know have had abortions," she says. But their peers who oppose abortion rights — even someone in the same social group, she says — are not as likely to be told. By contrast, Cowan found that people are much more likely to share stories about miscarriages, which are less controversial than abortions. "So we have this disconnect between the prevalence of these events and the number of Americans who have heard personal stories about these events," Cowan says. The question remains whether hearing more stories about abortion makes people more accepting. Researchers argue that it's worked that way in race relations and same-sex marriage. But Cowan says there's not much research around abortion. Her own data suggests opinions would change, she says — but it's not at all clear in which direction.

Our Favorite Debate Moments

Hofstra University is hosting the third and final presidential debate tonight. And that gives us a good reason to look back at some memorable moments in previous presidential debates.

Obama Weighs Options For Stimulus Plan

As soon as he's in the White House, president-elect Barrack Obama will press for a significant program to stimulate the economy. He may announce something even more ambitious now that it is clear the economy is in a difficult recession. What can he propose that has the most impact?

Meeting Abuse Victims, Pope Francis Begs Forgiveness

Pope Francis spent parts of Sunday and Monday meeting with six people who had been sexually abused by priests, speaking with them about the lingering effects of their experiences and asking for their forgiveness. The sessions brought the first official meetings with abuse survivors for Francis; his predecessor, Pope Benedict, met with the victims on several occasions. From Rome, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports: "Pope Francis met three women and three men, two each from Britain, Germany and Ireland. He spent about a half-hour with each, listening to their stories of suffering. "Earlier he celebrated Mass, asking for the grace for the church to weep and make reparation for her sons and daughters who betrayed their mission, who abused innocent persons. "Francis said sex abuse of minors is something more than a despicable action; it's like a sacrilegious cult in the church that profaned God. "Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the participants were very moved, but he did not want to share details of the experience. Lombardi also dismissed support groups' criticism that the event was a public relations stunt. He said it was a profound and spiritual encounter and a profound witness of love." More about what the pope said comes from the Vatican news service: "The pope praised the courage of those who spoke up and 'shed light on a terrible darkness in the life of the church.' He said he would not tolerate harm done to a minor by any individual, and he said bishops must 'foster the protection of minors and they will be held accountable.' "

'A Horrific Experience': Police Called On Group Of Black Women Golfers In Pennsylvania

The five black women kicked off the course at the Grandview Golf Club in York, Pennsylvania, last weekend are not sure what happens now. The women, all middle-aged professionals, members of the club and a broader organization for black female golfers called Sisters in the Fairway, were on the second hole when the owner&#8217;s father, Steve Chronister, told them they were playing too slow and offered them a refund to leave. Shaken, they skipped a hole. By the time they got to the 10th, the women were confronted again by Chronister and his son, club owner Jordan, and several other white men and were told to leave. Sandra Thompson, a lawyer and member of the group, began recording. [Youtube] The police were called and the women&#8217;s memberships were rescinded. Jordan Chronister&#8217;s wife later called and apologized. But then in a statement to The Los Angeles Times, the club seemed to take that back. Here & Now&#8216;s Robin Young talks with Myneca Ojo, who was with Thompson when she recorded the video of the confrontation. &#8220;It was a horrific experience,&#8221; Ojo says. &#8220;It was very &#8230; it created a lot of anxiety. We had a lotta high hopes for, you know, participating and contributing to this course.&#8221; Interview Highlights On how the confrontation began &#8220;The rules of the game is that you have to keep pace with the people that are in front of you. When we all as a group approached hole two, there was a group already on the green just finishing up. We saw Steve Chronister actually walking across hole one toward us on hole two. The assumption was that he was coming out to greet us, because he wasn&#8217;t in a cart and he wasn&#8217;t in any distinguishing clothes that indicated that he was connected to the Grandview golf course. And so he approached Karen Crosby and myself, and said, &#8216;I am the owner. You need to pick up the pace.&#8217; &#8221; On what her group was thinking at that point &#8220;You know, just to comply, keep up with everyone. We just skipped hole three and went to four. And so as we approached 10, there were some other players just about ready to tee off. The guys that were standing there with the beers came over to us and said, &#8216;Well, you&#8217;re gonna have to have to leave the course,&#8217; and we&#8217;re like, &#8216;What?&#8217; Three of the women, which were Sandra Harrison, Karen Crosby and Carolyn Dow, were too upset to play anymore. And so they left.&#8221; On how they felt as the men approached &#8220;We can&#8217;t believe this is happening. We felt threatened. They were approaching us. The other guy was holding them back. This has been totally devastating.&#8221; On if it would be justified for the women to be removed from the course if it turned out they were slowing the pace &#8220;Not in the manner in which it occurred. The protocols of the course is that we&#8217;re respectful to each other, we&#8217;re respectful to the players that are ahead of us and we&#8217;re also very respectful to those that are behind us. So our goal always is to keep pace with the people that are in front of us. We finished up eight holes in an hour and 45 minutes, and that was with five players. The rules of the game at that particular course is that you have to finish up 18 holes in four hours and 15 minutes.&#8221; On whether this happened because they were five black women &#8220;Yes, and both equally &#8212; both the gender aspect of it, and the racial aspect of it. I strongly feel that the approach was based on the racial aspect of it. I strongly feel that the perception of them thinking that we were playing slowly was because of the fact that we were women. That is a bias in the sport, is that women play slower.&#8221;

A Muslim Reported Omar Mateen To The FBI Well Before Orlando Shooting

Mohammad Malik knew Omar Mateen long before Mateen shot and killed 49 people in Orlando, Fla. In 2014, he turned Mateen in to the FBI. Malik talks to Rachel Martin about his <em>Washington Post</em> op-ed.

Animal Welfare in Matthew Scully's 'Dominion'

Host Scott Simon talks with Matthew Scully, author of <EM>Dominion</EM> a book on "animal welfare." It's published by St. Martin's Press. Mr. Scully criticizes the factory farm where animals are treated as mere products, and raised and slaughtered in a way that maximizes profits and minimizes decency. Instead Scully argues that humans are morally responsible for protecting animal welfare, and must treat all animals, even those bred for slaughter, in as humane a way as possible.

Advisory Firm Suggests Rupert Murdoch Get The Boot

Shareholder Services, a major investor advisory firm, is urging shareholders to oust Rupert Murdoch and his sons from the board at News Corp. The firm recommended against re-electing 13 of the 15 News Corp. board members when shareholders hold their annual meeting in two weeks.

Evening Primrose Oil No Match For Eczema's Itch

Eczema is an itchy and, to some, an embarrassing skin ailment. Typical medial treatments like cortisone are less than ideal. So some people have turned to evening primrose oil, a remedy made from the seeds of a yellow wildlflower that are rich in the essential fatty acid gamma-linolenic acid. There's only problem: evening primrose oil doesn't seem to work. A review of studies that tested the effectiveness of evening primrose oil found that it offered no improvement of symptoms compared with placebos like olive oil or paraffin oil. The supplement is taken orally in capsules. The review looked at 19 studies testing evening primrose oil. Eight others tested borage oil, another plant-based remedy. They involved almost 16,000 adults and children in 12 countries. None of the studies found any benefit from evening primrose oil or borage oil. While eczema is common, affecting as many as 20 percent of childrenm, most outgrow it. But the itchy, swollen skin can be uncomfortable and unsightly. The study authors don't hold out much hope that more research will find some benefit, saying that the strength of these studies makes it hard to justify further testing. They also note that evening primrose oil can keep blood from clotting and can be dangerous in people taking blood thinners, and that borage contains a compound that can be toxic to the liver. The report was published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, which is considered the gold standard for evidence-based medicine. As dietary supplements, alternative remedies like evening primrose oil aren't tested for safety and efficacy with the rigor that's applied to prescription medications. Since 1998 the National Institutes of Health has put millions of dollars into studying popular alternative remedies — from yoga to chelation — to see if they work. The National Center for Conventional and Alternative Medicine's current budget is $128 million a year. So, the good news is that we're finally getting the kinds of studies that will help people make informed choices about alternative remedies. The not-so-good news, at least if you're selling evening primrose oil, is that those kinds of studies may show that it's not all it has been cracked up to be.

Congress Unites To Demand Answers From Trump On Russian Bounties In Afghanistan

Updated at 9:51 p.m. ET Members of Congress in both parties demanded answers on Monday about reported bounties paid by Russian operatives to Afghan insurgents for targeting American troops. The stories appeared to have taken even the most senior lawmakers off guard, and they said they wanted briefings soon from the Defense Department and the intelligence community. "I think it is absolutely essential that we get the information and be able to judge its credibility," said Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. The story is unfolding along two parallel tracks in Washington, based on two key questions: First, what actually has taken place — and have any American troops been killed as a result of Russian-sponsored targeted action? And second: Who knew what about the reporting on these allegations that has flowed up from the operational level in Afghanistan? The White House tried to defend itself over the weekend on both counts, arguing that senior intelligence officials aren't convinced about the reliability of the reports and that they never reached President Trump or Vice President Pence personally. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who usually receives some of the most sensitive intelligence briefings as a member of the so-called Gang of Eight leaders in Congress, said she too hadn't been informed and sent a letter Monday requesting a briefing for all members of the House soon. She also said she relayed that request directly to Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe and CIA Director Gina Haspel in calls Monday evening. In statements Monday evening, Ratcliffe and Haspel said they will continue to look into the matter and will brief the president and congressional leaders at the appropriate time. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called for a briefing for all members of the Senate. Pelosi cited reports in The New York Times and The Washington Post that suggested that Trump has been aware of the bounty practice since earlier this year but he and his deputies haven't acted in response. "The administration's disturbing silence and inaction endanger the lives of our troops and our coalition partners," she wrote. Another top House lawmaker demanding more information was Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, Republicans' No. 3 leader in the chamber. Limited briefings White House officials briefed a limited number of House Republicans on Monday. Cheney; Thornberry; Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah; Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana; Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas; Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York; Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois attended, a White House official said. There was no immediate explanation for how and why this particular group of lawmakers was chosen and not others. A group of House Democrats was expected to travel to the White House on Tuesday with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. McCaul and Kinzinger said in a joint statement that they'd been told that "there is an ongoing review to determine the accuracy of [the bounty targeting] reports, and we believe it is important to let this review take place before any retaliatory actions are taken." If U.S. officials ultimately are satisfied that they've proven what they suspect is happening, Trump must act, the lawmakers said. "There are already those who are politicizing this issue. However we cannot let politics overshadow a truth that Republicans and Democrats alike can agree on: [Russian President Vladimir Putin's] regime cannot be trusted," McCaul and Kinzinger said. "If the intelligence review process verifies the reports, we strongly encourage the administration to take swift and serious action to hold the Putin regime accountable." In an interview with NPR, McCaul said the president was not briefed because "they like the information to be verified across the intelligence community." Banks used a Twitter thread after the briefing to attack the newspapers for reporting the bounty allegations because he said they'd revealed an ongoing intelligence investigation — one that he said now might never be resolved because it has become public. "The real scandal: We'll likely never know the truth..." he wrote. That characterization of the reality inside the secret intelligence world was different from the one offered earlier by McEnany, who suggested that American spies don't agree about what they've uncovered or what it means. McEnany told reporters there was "no consensus" about the allegations within the intelligence community and that it also includes some "dissenting opinions." McEnany also suggested that intelligence officials decided to keep the bounty payment allegations below Trump's level until they were "verified," as she put it, but those details were not clear. Sen. Ben Sasse, who was not part of the briefing, said he heard concern from military families in his state, Nebraska, and the country. "What we're talking about here is putting a target of crosshairs on the backs of Ameri

Dollar Hits New Low as Economic Woes Continue

The U.S. dollar hit an all-time low against the Euro on Thursday. The dollar's slide followed comments by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that he's prepared to lower interest rates again.

Haitian Prime Minister Vows Corruption Won't Eat Into Aid Funds

Now that the U.S., European Union and other major players have pledged about $5.3 billion in aid for Haiti to help that stricken nation recover from its devastating Jan. 12 earthquake, the question naturally occurs: Will the money be spent wisely? And, since Haiti has long been known as a place where a select few often lined their pockets with money at the expense of a very poor population, can that nation's government assure the rest of the world that corruption won't eat into the funds? All Things Considered's Michele Norris posed those questions to Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive earlier today. His answer? Haiti, Bellerive said, has no choice but to crack down on corruption to get the money to those who need it. "We have ... a big opportunity to build a new country, a different country," he said. "We are building support around that idea. ... We are going to have some fights. But I believe we are on the right side of history." Here's part of their conversation, starting with Michele: Much more will be on today's All Things Considered. Click here to find an NPR station that broadcasts or streams the show. Later, the as-broadcast version of the discussion will be posted here.

Washington Honors Ford, Prepares for Change

It's a busy week in Washington as 2007 begins. Tuesday, President Bush leads the nation at a memorial service to honor the late President Ford. And Thursday, the 110th Congress is sworn in, with the Democrats taking charge of both chambers. NPR's Senior Washington Editor, Ron Elving, talks to Melissa Block about what Washington can expect this week and in the months to come. MELISSA BLOCK, Host: Ron, let's start with tomorrow's big event. That's the funeral service for former President Ford. RON ELVING: Very few of the leading folks from the administration or Congress or other dignitaries were there and it was, of course, a holiday weekend. Most of these people were traveling or at home. And tomorrow there'll be a lot of effort to make up for that and after the funeral the body will be flown back to Grand Rapids, Michigan for one more private service and then lying in repose and internment Wednesday at the Ford Presidential Library in Grand Rapids. BLOCK: And as we mentioned, Congress will be under new management also this week. Tell us about the ceremony that will kick off the 110th Congress. ELVING: And right after that, the younger children up in the galleries start to go bad and so they wrap things up and there's a lot of picture taking and people go home. BLOCK: And Democrats on the House side have pledged a busy first week. What's on the agenda? ELVING: It's hours of floor business time. And they will be talking about minimum wage, pay-as-you-go rules for budgeting, adopting all the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. Quite a few things they want to do in a big hurry in the next several weeks. BLOCK: And one more item on that agenda is a bill that would undo part of the new Medicare prescription drug plan. ELVING: That's correct and there's not at this point a great deal of agreement as to whether or not you can really achieve these savings but they are going to try to save money through group bargaining. This is something that the Democrats promised throughout the 2006 campaign.

The Top 5 Chopin And Schumann Albums of 2010

A particularly good year for pianists, 2010 marked the bicentenaries of both Frederic Chopin and Robert Schumann, inspiring new interpretations of their compositions. Though both composers experienced health problems and lived relatively short lives -- Chopin died at 39 and Schumann at 46 -- they crafted a large number of piano works that are performed and enjoyed to this day. This year, their colorful, expressive compositions sparkled at the hands of an impressive crop of pianists. The Gilmore Award-winning Russian-American Kirill Gerstein finds the right introspection in Schumann's Humoreske, while Angela Hewitt explores the composer's sweet and dreamy side in Kinderszenen. The young Pole Rafal Blechacz is ideally suited to his countryman Chopin's concertos, while the mercurial Stephen Hough concentrates on Chopin's final masterworks. And, rounding out the list, Chopin specialist Louis Lortie tackles the composer's nocturnes and scherzos.

Olympics Scandal: New Allegations

Host Bob Edwards talks to NPR''s Howard Berkes about new developments in the Salt Lake City Olympics scandal.

McClatchy Digs Into Goldman Sachs' Dealings In Subprime Mortgages

"Goldman Sachs: Low Road To High Finance." That's the name McClatchy Newspapers has given to a multi-media report, based on five months of investigation, into "how Wall Street colossus Goldman Sachs peddled billions of dollars in shaky securities tied to subprime mortgages on unsuspecting pension funds, insurance companies and other investors when it concluded that the housing bubble would burst." The firm tells McClatchy reporters it had no duty to tell those investors about what it thought was going to happen to the housing market. Check out the report and see if you agree.

Portraits Of Libya's Relentless Rebels

I arrived a few days after Moammar Gadhafi's army was pushed out of eastern Libya in a series of bloody clashes. I expected to find conflict; instead, I found a carnival. A glorious whirlwind of flags, prayers and chants, martyr stories and burned-out government buildings. People went to bed at 6 a.m.; Al-Jazeera was projected on the wall 24-7; fishermen threw tomato cans full of dynamite into the stormy sea; and cars honked incessantly. But as time wore on, and Gadhafi consolidated the power he still had, the people of eastern Libya realized they had opened a Pandora's box of violence from which they could never go back. And so they prepared for war. A war to liberate their country. These anonymous portraits show some of Libya's warriors in the checkpoint town of Ajdabiya in early March. They are soldiers and laborers, businessman and unemployed youth. More than 15,000 volunteered in Benghazi, and thousands more made their way here on their own. I hope these portraits show some of the fear, but mostly the determination felt by the rebels. At one of the morgues I saw a man, his eyes frozen open, his face a mask of horror. Men touched his head, and kissed his face. "This morning he left his home, he could not see any more of his people die," I was told. Without even a weapon he hitchhiked to the front until he got to the fighting. He wanted to die, the men said — his children could not grow up without the freedom he knew. Another man met a similar fate, but survived. When I first took his photograph, he had just leapt out of a truck into the crowd at the checkpoint, his body layered in commando gear and confidence. People pressed close to touch him, laughing — also confident. But the next evening I found him in a field hospital: his face covered in ash, unable to speak, shell shocked from an airstrike at sunset on the road to Tripoli. I stood at the gate until dark watching young men and old veterans charge toward their fate against almost impossible odds. "He will have to kill every last one of us," a volunteer told me. "We are fighting for freedom. He is fighting for nothing." See more of Trevor Snapp's photography here.

Christian Coalition's Influence on the Wane

The Christian Coalition, once a powerful conservative lobbying group, has suffered a number of defections by state chapters this year. The latest came Wednesday when the Alabama chapter cut ties. NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams analyzes the reasons behind the group's decline and what the latest polls are saying about voter attitudes when it comes to religion and politics. MADELEINE BRAND, host: The Christian Coalition is losing members and political clout. This week, the Alabama chapter announced it's cutting ties with the national organization and dropping the name, saying the Christian Coalition is no longer focused on such key issues as abortion and same-sex marriage. The Christian Coalition once had considerable influence in Washington and a presence in all 50 states - no longer. Here to explain why is NPR's senior correspondent Juan Williams. He joins us every Friday. Hi, Juan. JUAN WILLIAMS reporting: How are you, Madeleine? BRAND: Fine, thank you. So in the 1990s, under Ralph Reed, the Christian Coalition was quite a powerful lobbying group. What happened? WILLIAMS: Well, Reed left in '97, I believe, and also Pat Robertson, who had been the founder - it was founded back in '89. And Robertson left in 2002, turned over the leadership of the group. So kind of the feature personalities, the driving personalities were gone. But there were also some deeper problems. For example, there was questions raised by the Internal Revenue Service about the tax exempt status of the group and how they were getting involved in political support for groups through distribution of voter guides, political surveys at churches. And so that created tensions between the Christian Coalition headquarters and the various state chapters. And there was a sense that there was, you know what? There's same-sex marriage, there's abortion, there are issues that everybody agrees on. Once that fell away, I think the group's power has fallen away. BRAND: Hmm. And let's talk about religion and politics in general. A new poll was released yesterday by the Pew Research Center, looking at Americans' attitudes about the intersection of religion and politics. And what are the take-away headlines from that? WILLIAMS: The take-away headline, the big one, I would say, is that, you know, 69 percent of Americans say liberals have gone too far in keeping religion out of schools and government. And the Democratic Party, gosh, just 26 percent say the Democratic Party is friendly to religion. So the Democratic Party continues to have trouble when it comes to religion and people who feel that their religious faith is important to them. But on the other side - this is so interesting to me, Madeleine - what you find is that people who are Christian conservatives have reservations. According to them, you know, about half the public expresses weariness about the ability of the Christian conservative movement to force their values onto politicians. And so that's not good for the Right, if you will. But of course the Right remains much larger. White evangelical Christians, according to Pew, make up 24 percent of the population, share the same core beliefs, and as a result are able to act as a group. And politicians react to them and woo them for the their votes as a group. BRAND: Well, it's interesting. This poll surveyed this one figure that - they asked the question, is the Republican Party friendly to religion? And Catholics and white evangelical Protestants - the core of the Christian right - the decline was 14 percentage points from last year, in terms of whether or not they thought the Republican Party was friendly to religion. WILLIAMS: Right. But you've got to remember that's people who are worried about things like the Terri Schiavo case and thinking, you know what, the Republicans should have done more. So they're reacting out of anger at what most people, I think, in the country without regard to their sentiments on religion would regard as a pro-life administration in Washington. There are people who even want more. BRAND: So is this going to be a problem for Republicans in coming elections? WILLIAMS: It's not that those people are going to go - be so disaffected they go to the Democratic side of the political aisle, Madeleine. But it is the case that they might be less active, and therefore less likely to go to the polls. And of course an activated base was the basis of President Bush's re-election just in 2004. And as we go towards the mid-term elections, it's bad news when you see that your base isn't exercised and energized about getting out to vote. BRAND: NPR senior correspondent Juan Williams. Thank you, Juan. WILLIAMS: You're welcome, Madeleine.

Study Finds Life Expectancy 12 Years Shorter In Certain Cleveland Neighborhoods

A new study has found that, in some parts of Cleveland, people live 12 years less on average than people less than 10 miles away. Here & Now&#8217;s Robin Young visited a neighborhood clinic to see some of the health issues hitting poorer neighborhoods. She spoke with patient Molly Hileman and Dr. Heidi Gullett. Guests Molly Hileman, patient at neighborhood Family Practice in Cleveland. Dr. Heidi Gullett, assistant professor and associate program director at the department of family medicine and community health at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Two Views of Iraq's Future

Two men dicussing elections and a new government for Iraq highlight fundamental disagreements on the form such basic underpinnings of democracy should take. Both want elections, but part ways on what would be the best way to hold them. They also disagree on the role that Islam should play in Iraq's political future. NPR's Emily Harris reports.

What Would Rob Do to Lose 10 Pounds in 2009?

Up until my mid 20's, I was one of those lucky guys who could down a milkshake, burger, and fries and then laugh about how fast my metabolism could burn it away. I never quite made it to the Michael Phelps 10,000 calories a day plan, but I didn't really have to think too hard about staying in shape. The pinnacle of my athletic experience came in 2003 when I ran the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, California. Since then, it's been a slow slide down a few notches on my belt. It's not that I don't want to exercise; I just have a lot going on with my new daddy duties which makes it hard to figure out when to fit it in. Thankfully, my new pudge is nothing too alarming at this point. I haven't had to make any wardrobe changes yet, but I'd like to start this new year by trying to get into some better habits so I can hopefully reverse the trend. Fortunately, my older brother, who is very into fitness and weight training, was able to point me in the right direction. He actually subscribes to more than one muscle magazine. He said the best person to talk to about dropping those extra lbs. is Mark Rippetoe. Rippetoe has literally changed my brother's life. I figure anyone that can do that is worth a call. Click above to hear my conversation with Rippetoe. In my podcast next week I'll be talking over Rippetoe's tips with NPR's David Kestenbaum, but in the meantime if you have a comment on anything he said in the interview, feel free to post.

T. Rex Protein Evidence Links Dinosaurs to Birds

In recent years, the link between ancient dinosaurs and present-day birds has become fairly widely accepted among paleontologists. Now, analysis of proteins found in a scrap of collagen from a 68-million-year-old Tyrannosaurus rex leg bone provides strong evidence for the idea that dinosaurs are the ancestors of modern-day birds. Researchers compared collagen-protein sequences from 21 living organisms to proteins recovered from mastodon and T. rex fossils, and used the data to help draw a molecular family tree showing the relationships between dinosaurs and modern animals. "We determined that T. rex, in fact, grouped with birds — ostrich and chicken — better than any other organism that we studied," said John Asara, one of the authors of a paper on the analysis published in the journal Science. "We also show that it groups better with birds than modern reptiles, such as alligators and green anole lizards." Paleontologist Mary Higby Schweitzer talks about the finding and what it means for our understanding of evolution. IRA FLATOW, host: You're listening to Talk of the Nation: Science Friday. I'm Ira Flatow. A brief program note. Neal Conan is back next Wednesday on Talk of the Nation, and he's broadcasting live from the Newseum, the new museum in Washington dedicated to the news. And if you're going to be in D.C., and you want free tickets to the audience, to be in the audience for that live broadcast of Talk of the Nation send an email to tickets@npr.org. So, tickets@npr.org, and you can sit in the audience. If you want to be in our audience today, our phone number 1-800-989-8255. Also, we're in Second Life and for the first time, we're now in Second Life teen grid. If you're a teenager, only teenagers allowed in the teen grid. If you're a teenager, you want to hear the show in Second Life and ask questions with avatars. You can head over to the Eye4you Alliance Island and talk to other avatars to send us some questions. And for the rest of the hour we're going to pick up on a story that you may have heard here just about a year ago. Last April, scientists announced the discovery of soft tissue preserved deep inside a fossilized 68-million-year-old T. Rex bone. That was a feat in itself finding that soft tissue. And at that time a paleontologist and a chemist joined forces to show that the tissue was the dinosaur's collagen protein. And now they've had the chance to study those dino proteins searching for evolutionary links between dinosaurs and living animals. And their paper is out in today's issue of the journal Science. And joining us now to talk about dinosaurs and their closest living relatives, the birds, is one of the paper's authors. Mary Higby Schweitzer is an associate professor of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Science at NC State University, North Carolina State, and an associate curator of Paleontology at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. And she joins us from our office at NC State. Welcome back to the program. Professor MARY HIGBY SCHWEITZER (Associate Professor, Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Science, North Carolina State University): Well, thanks. Thanks for having me. FLATOW: When we talked last year, you and your colleague John Asara at Harvard had shown that the soft tissue you recovered from that 68-million-year-old T. Rex was collagen, right? Prof. SCHWEITZER: That is what we did show you. FLATOW: And since then you've done a more analysis and you worked out the similarities between dinosaur protein and some protein in living animals. Tell us what you found. Prof. SCHWEITZER: Well, the first paper that we reported was basically producing the sequences, verifying the sequences by a couple of different methods that mass spectrometrists would be familiar with. And then doing a blast database search to see overall similarities. And it certainly did match - it was definite that it was collagen sequence and it did match with more closely with birds than anything else. So, what we did in this paper that was just published yesterday in Science, we did a more rigorous analysis using a whole bunch of different algorithms, different ways that computers can model repeating evolutionary methodologies. And this show that by four or five different types of analyses that our colleague Chris Organ performed, he was able to build phylogenetic trees, basically family trees of vertebrae history based upon these collagen sequences. And it's cool. FLATOW: Yeah, it's cool. Tell us what you found about the trees, how so they're related, they were - they have the same collagen types as birds. All kinds of birds? Prof. SCHWEITZER: Well, we are somewhat hampered by the fact that there aren't very many things in the commercial database that we can compare with because it's overwhelmingly dominated by mammals, imagine that. And so, you have a lot of chicken species, you have a lot of bird - you know, the birds that are in this - the data

'National Enquirer' Publisher Looks To Sell Magazines

Host Ailsa Chang speaks to NPR's David Folkenflik about the news that American Media intends to sell its tabloids, including <em>National Enquirer</em>.

South Africa Considers Legalizing Domestic Rhino Horn Trade

Conservationists are sounding the alarm over a South African proposal that would legalize and regulate the domestic trade of rhinoceros horn, as well as allow some limited exports. A public comment period ended last week on the draft regulations from the Department of Environmental Affairs, published on Feb. 8 in the official government gazette. "South African rhino breeders want the government to legalize the sale so, they say, they can flood the market and decrease the cost of rhino horn," reporter Peter Granitz in Pretoria tells NPR's Newscast unit. "They argue that would drive down demand for poached rhinos." However, Granitz says conservationists opposed to the regulation say this "makes no sense because there's no domestic demand. Any horn sold locally would be smuggled to Asia, where demand for rhino horn is booming." The proposed regulation would legalize domestic trade of rhino horn, and allow for foreigners with a permit to export no more than two horns for "personal purposes." The draft did not elaborate on what "personal purposes" means. Individuals traveling with horns may only go through the O.R. Tambo International Airport and may not take them in their hand baggage. They must present freight agents with genetic profile information of each horn, according to the regulations. A separate proposed regulation would ban powdering a rhino horn for a period of three years, noting that powdered horn is more difficult to identify and easier to smuggle. "The public comments need to be reviewed, and Parliament would need to pass a law. So any change could take several months," Granitz reports. South Africa imposed a moratorium on the domestic trade of rhino horn in 2009. The issue has been in the courts on and off for years. Poaching is a huge problem in South Africa, with more than 1,000 rhinos poached in 2016, according to government figures. "These criminal gangs are armed to the teeth, well-funded and part of transnational syndicates who will stop at nothing to get their hands on rhino horn," said Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa. She said the government was cracking down on poaching, beefing up security and arresting perpetrators. "Banning the trade in horn has made the horn more and more and more valuable. Had we never banned it, the price of horn would never have got to where it is now," John Hume, a rhino breeder in South Africa, told The Associated Press. But conservationists say the envisioned rhino horn trade system actually empowers criminals. As the Species Survival Network wrote, the legal trade "provides a cover for illegal exports" and is difficult to enforce. Rhino horn is in high demand for its use in traditional Asian medicine, though rhino advocates argue it has no medicinal value. Demand has driven up the price — a French zoo that was victim to a recent poaching attack said that in 2015, a kilogram of rhino horn sold on the black market for nearly $54,000. In what is believed to be a first in Europe, poachers entered France's Thoiry Zoo on March 7, killed a white rhinoceros and sawed off his horn. "Zoos around the world should be on alert. I think all rhinos are under threat whether they're in zoos or in the wild. " CeCe Sieffert of the International Rhino Foundation told NPR. "And so if the trend continues, we might lose rhinos in our lifetime."

The Teacher Who Trumped CNN

NPR's Mike Pesca is following the Virginia Senate race and has this dispatch from Democrat Jim Webb's campaign party in Arlington, Va.: "There is wifi here in the hotel ballroom and some of the Webb supporters have brought laptops. What this means is that Ken, whose nametag further id’s him as "ken the teacher" has trumped Wolf (Wolf Blitzer of CNN) as an official news source. Ken is logged on directly to the state board of elections site. The rest of the crowd has to rely on CNN, which is being broadcast to the assembled crowd and is about a minute and a half to two minutes behind Ken's laptop. "CNN may be the worldwide leader; Ken is the ballroom leader."

'56 Thunderbird Renews 70-Year-Old Sweethearts

Here's a story about a daughter giving daddy his Thunderbird back. Half a century ago, high-school sweethearts Clyde and Betty Jackson, of Edgefield, S.C., took it on their honeymoon to Daytona Beach, Fla. A few years later they stopped driving it, and it sat rusting in their shed. But not anymore — the couple's daughter restored the car to surprise her dad, and now the couple are reliving their honeymoon. Host Scott Simon talks to Clyde and Betty Jackson on a break from joyriding around Daytona. SCOTT SIMON, host: Maybe you remember that Beach Boys tune about daddy taking the T-Bird away. Now here's a story about a daughter who gave her daddy his Thunderbird back. It's white, a '56 model. And half a century ago high-school sweethearts Clyde and Betty Jackson, of Edgefield, South Carolina took it on their honeymoon to Daytona Beach, Florida. They stopped driving it a few years later. It sat rusting in their shed. But now the couple's daughter has restored the car to surprise her father, and the Jacksons are reliving their honeymoon. They're on the phone from a hotel in Daytona Beach. Thanks so much for being with us. Mr. CLYDE JACKSON: Well, thank you for having us on your program. SIMON: So it was just rusting in the shed and your daughter decided to surprise you? Mr. JACKSON: Yes. She faked a car show and hired my barbershop chorus and quartet to sing for the show, and after it was all over they said, we've got one more presentation to make, and I caught a glimpse of a little white T-bird rolling out of a hanger and coming around front, and the guy pulled up in front of me and walked up to me with the keys and says, Mr. Jackson, here's the keys to your car, and I said, I wish it was. Mine's in a shed up in Edgefield. He said, no, no, no, this is your car, Jane restored it for you, and here it is. And my, what a surprise. SIMON: What's it like, 50 years after your honeymoon in Daytona? Mr. JACKSON: We're enjoying it. We went to the band shell the other night, which we did while we were down here in 1959, and this time they were doing the big-band music, and we even got up and danced at the end. SIMON: Could we talk to Mrs. Jackson for a moment? Mr. JACKSON: Yes, yes, yes. Ms. BETTY JACKSON: Hello, how are you? SIMON: I'm fine, thanks. You must be Betty Jackson. Ms. JACKSON: Yes, I am Betty. SIMON: And happy honeymoon, all over again. Ms. JACKSON: Oh, well, thank you. We have been honeymooning now for several weeks and celebrating. Our daughter first started us with a nice reception at her home, and then the following week we had a barbecue in the backyard, and the barbershop chorus sang to me a couple songs like, you know, "Always," and then one new one that they learned was "Put on Your Old Gray Bonnet with the Blue Ribbon On It," and it goes on to say about I'm going to hitch up old Dobbin to the shay and we'll drive through the fields of clover on our golden wedding day. So this was really, really neat because it was especially a 50th anniversary song. SIMON: You know, I confess to you, Ms. Jackson. I think when we got interested in the story, we kind of thought of it as a story about the Thunderbird, but now that I've met both of you, I think it's a story of your romance over 50 years. Ms. JACKSON: Well, yes, it has been. We were high school sweethearts, and I just always put Clyde before my own once in thoughts and whatever, and I've always said we always get along pretty well with everything until we start working in our yard. (Soundbite of laughter) Ms. JACKSON: And that's when he wants just to be able to mow everything down and put the weed-killer on it. SIMON: Betty Jackson, do you and your husband have a song? Ms. JACKSON: Do we have a song, Clyde? Clyde says "I'll Be Loving You Always." SIMON: You wouldn't like to sing it, would you? Ms. JACKSON: I would not, but I might let Clyde sing it for you. SIMON: We'd love to hear Clyde Jackson sing. Ms. JACKSON: Okay, well, let's see if he'll sing a line or two for you. Hold on. Mr. JACKSON: Hey, you put me on the spot now. SIMON: Well, I'll tell you why I ask. It just, it strikes me that you, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson, have such a wonderful romantic story together for over 50 years. I'm just hoping that your voice will pass a little of that magic along. (Soundbite of laughter) Mr. JACKSON: (Singing) I'll be loving you always with a love that's true always, not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year, but always. SIMON: Well, Mr. Jackson, thanks so much. Mr. JACKSON: Thank you, sir. SIMON: Clyde and Betty Jackson, on their second honeymoon in Daytona Beach, Florida. They drove their old '56 T-Bird there. (Soundbite of song, "I'll Be Loving You Always") Ms. BILLIE HOLIDAY (Singer): (Singing) Not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year but always. SIMON: You're listening to Billie Holiday on WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News.

U.S. Shoots Down Iranian Drone After Iran Says It Seized Small Tanker In Persian Gulf

Iran announced on Thursday it seized a small tanker in the Persian Gulf, highlighting the ongoing tensions at sea as the U.S. tries to find ways to secure the waterway.

Medal Of Honor Recipient Reflects On Honor And Loss

The Battle of Wanat is one of the bloodiest battles of the war in Afghanistan. Nine American soldiers were killed and more than two dozen were wounded when hundreds of insurgents assaulted the Army outpost they were building in Waygal Valley on July 13, 2008. It was just after 4 o’clock that morning when the American soldiers were blasted with machine guns, rocket propelled grenades and hand grenades. &#8220;It belongs to every man there that day and I&#8217;ll accept it on behalf of the team. It&#8217;s not mine.&#8221; Sgt. Ryan Pitts was one of the wounded. But he is credited with helping the American soldiers hold on to Outpost Topside that day. He couldn&#8217;t even walk because he had been hit in the thigh, but he manned a machine gun and kept hurling grenades until help arrived. For those actions, Ryan Pitts, who was born in Massachusetts and now lives in New Hampshire, will receive the Medal of Honor at the White House on July 21. He will be the ninth living recipient of the Medal of Honor for bravery in Afghanistan or Iraq. Seven medals have been awarded posthumously. &#8220;Initially I wasn&#8217;t happy, didn&#8217;t really feel like I deserved it,&#8221; Pitts told Here & Now&#8217;s Jeremy Hobson on receiving the news that he would be honored. &#8220;But time has allowed me to process it. And this was a team effort. It belongs to every man there that day and I&#8217;ll accept it on behalf of the team. It&#8217;s not mine.&#8221; The Battle of Wanat is one of the most controversial and studied battle of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. There were questions about whether the men building the outpost had enough supplies, whether their commanding officers had left them vulnerable to attack, whether the soldiers setting up the outpost had themselves made mistakes. Ryan Pitts, now retired from the Army, says it&#8217;s important to put this battle into the context of U.S. strategy at the time, which was to build these outposts in the remote parts of the country to be closer to the Afghan people. It was also, he says, the strategy of the insurgents to attack these outposts, as they did in Wanat on July 13, 2008. The soldiers killed that day were: 1st Lt. Jonathan Brostrom, 24 Sgt. Israel Garcia, 24 Cpl. Jonathan Ayers, 24 Cpl. Jason Bogar, 25 Cpl. Jason Hovater, 24 Cpl. Matthew Phillips, 27 Cpl. Pruitt Rainey, 22 Cpl. Gunnar Zwilling, 20 Spc. Sergio Abad, 21 Ryan Pitts recites their names from memory. Guest Ryan Pitts, retired Army sergeant who will receive the Medal of Honor for his bravery in the War in Afghanistan.

Mobile App Designed To Prevent Pregnancy Gets EU Approval

There are more than a dozen medically approved methods of birth control, including condoms, the pill and implants. Now for the first time, a cell phone app has been certified as a method of birth control in the European Union. Its creator, Elina Berglund, is a particle physicist who was part of the team that won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013. Not long after she helped discover the elusive subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, she left her job and went searching for answers to a different mystery: how to create an app to prevent pregnancy. Berglund had relied on a hormonal birth control implant for ten years, but she and her husband were thinking about having kids and wanted a natural way to avoid pregnancy. None of the existing apps met her standards, so the couple used math to create one. She says programming the app wasn't that different from particle physics. "Instead of looking for the Higgs particle, you're looking at women's temperatures and fertility data, which is a lot of fun," she says. Berglund and her husband launched the app, Natural Cycles, in Sweden in 2014. It relies on a woman's recorded daily temperature — taken with a highly accurate thermometer — and details about menstruation to determine fertility. On days where the risk of pregnancy is high, a red light indicates you should avoid intercourse or use protection to prevent pregnancy. A green light means the risk of pregnancy is low. Fertility tracking isn't a new idea. Dr. Paula Castaño, an OB-GYN at Columbia University, says women have been charting their periods forever. "We've just had to use initially paper calendars, and then calendars on our phones, and ultimately now specific apps that can help us do that." Castaño says, in general, menstrual cycle tracking apps are popular. There are more than a thousand to choose from, and women download them for different reasons. "It could be you just want to know when is my next period going to come, and is that going to coincide with my vacation, or can I use it to help avoid pregnancy or plan for a pregnancy," Castaño says. The Natural Cycles app stands out because it is the world's first to get approval by a European health agency as a contraceptive. In a clinical study of 4,000 women who used the app — along with a very sensitive thermometer called a basal body thermometer — the results were much better than traditional fertility-based awareness methods. Only seven out of 100 women got pregnant compared to about 24 out of 100 using the rhythm or calendar method. It's still significantly less effective than other forms of birth control. "You could argue that the app may be comparable to someone who may not be taking the pill very consistently or accurately," says Dr. Ellen Wilson, an OB-GYN at the University of Texas Southwestern. "But if you take the pill on a regular basis and don't miss any, I don't think you're going to have a natural family planning method that is going to compare." Used perfectly, the pill has an effectiveness rate of 99.7 percent; however, factoring in actual use, the effectiveness rate drops to 92 percent. That's compared to 93 percent for the Natural Cycles app. The effectiveness rate of long-acting birth control, like an intrauterine device (IUD), is nearly 100 percent, and there's no need to avoid intercourse for days or even weeks of the month. Dr. Castaño points out some women want a natural alternative. "So it's great for them to have something that they can use that's based on some sound medical evidence," she says. "Very few apps even have that." Natural Cycles has more than 300,000 users. It costs about $10 dollars per month, although most users pay yearly at a lower rate that includes a basal body thermometer. There are no ads, and Berglund says personal data isn't shared with any third parties. So far, most of the women who have signed up live in Northern Europe, but Berglund has her eyes on the U.S. She says the goal isn't to replace other forms of birth control, but to provide a more accurate, mathematical update to an ancient option. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: There are more than a dozen medically approved methods of birth control - condoms, the pill, implants and now your phone. For the first time, an app has been certified as a method of birth control in the European Union. One of the creators is a particle physicist from Switzerland. Lauren Silverman reports from our member station KERA. LAUREN SILVERMAN, BYLINE: Elina Berglund isn't just any physicist. She was on the team that won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013. Not long after, she left her friends at the lab in Geneva and set out to work on an app to prevent pregnancy. ELINA BERGLUND: I basically locked myself in our apartment for one year to finalize the algorithm and the app. So I think I went a little bit crazy that year not having any colleagues to talk to. SILVERMAN: Berglund had used a hormonal birth control implant for a decade, but she and her husband were thinking about having a

Michelle Obama Urges Grads To Give Back

First Lady Michelle Obama gave the commencement address to the first full senior class at the University of California, Merced. We'll hear what words of advice Mrs. Obama offered to the class as they embark on careers in one of the toughest economies ever. Sasha Khoka reports for member station KQED.

Jupiter And Saturn To Unite In Night Sky

On Monday, Jupiter and Saturn will look as if they are merging in the night sky. This hasn't happened in nearly 400 years.

New York Marchers Shout Views in Streets

NPR's Robert Smith reports on the anti and pro-war demonstrations that occurred today in New York City.

Conficker Computer Worm Activates April 1

Estimates of the number of computers infected with the Conficker worm run from 1 million to 12 million. The malware's deadline is April 1, 2009, but no one really knows what will actually happen to the infected computers. Larry Magid, tech analyst for CBS News and CNET, has been following and reporting on the Conficker worm's spread. In a podcast for CNET, he talked with an Internet security expert about the dangers and how computer users can protect their machines.

India's Anti-Graft Crusader Agrees To Public Fast

A renowned Indian anti-corruption crusader has struck a deal with police to hold a 15-day public hunger strike against graft. The deal ends a bizarre standoff at a New Delhi prison where the activist's brief detention had turned into a sit-in protest. Renee Montagne talks to Amol Sharma, who's been covering the story for <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>.

Fly Golden Eagle: 'Stepping Stone'

Making music in a band is always and experiment. The players throw different elements into the enzymatic mix, let it all bubble together, and come up with a new compound every time. Recording these interactions for something as self-promotional as a music video can feel intrusive, like freezing something volatile. But a creative team can have fun with this awkward encounter. Fly Golden Eagle is one of Nashville's most dynamic young rock bands. Joshua Shoemaker is one of the town's most sought-after filmmakers. Their latest collaboration puts a scientific spin on the video-making process – Shoemaker actually appears among the crew wearing pseudo-Hazmat suits as singer-songwriter Ben Trimble and the rest of the band impassively smash through the bluesy, brawling "Stepping Stone," from Fly Golden Eagle's new album Quartz Bijou. Shoemaker thought of the suits before America's current wave of virus-panic took hold; the video's commentary on today's news is coincidental. "We wanted to pull the curtain back on this video and use the production as part of the aesthetic, but for all the crew to remain as anonymous as possible," Shoemaker explained in an email. "The idea was that we were exposing a bigger picture- a band performing a song with a crew producing a video because of the necessity for media and how that can overlap or hinder artistic expression. I think it's most explicit in the shot where we see me pushing the dolly in front of the vocal shot as Ben sings, 'Me and my friends do whatever the f-- we gotta do to get paid.' It was important for Ben to look in the camera and address the viewer the whole time. We could have made this a 'music video,' but it was also important to us to do it live and make it as real as possible. This is all one take. No cut-ins. This is what was happening in the room." The video's frame draws the viewer in and also creates a subtle mood of alienation. At its heart, however, is Fly Golden Eagle's dynamic interplay – and awe-inspiring fashion sense. "Fly Golden Eagle is such an amazing band to work with because they're so in tune with their image and style," Shoemaker said. "Ben is so hands-on with everything they put out, so working with him is even more so a collaboration than normal." Call it better living through psychedelia – this experiment paid off.

Riding 'The Beast': Alt.Latino Interviews Salvadoran Journalist Oscar Martinez

This week on Alt.Latino we are doing something different. Instead of music, we're offering you a story, or rather the story of hundreds of thousands of people, as recorded by Salvadoran journalist Oscar Martinez. In his new book The Beast, Martinez narrates his eight journeys on top of the freight trains known as La Bestia, on which hundreds of thousands of migrants travel every year across Mexico and up to the U.S. border. It's a treacherous journey plagued with gang violence, kidnapping, human trafficking, government corruption and the physical dangers inherent in riding for days atop a train. Nonetheless, as Central America is increasingly submerged in drug-related violence, a growing number of Hondurans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Nicaraguans are making this infernal trek. Recent research shows a drastic decrease in immigration from Mexico, while immigration from Central America almost doubled between 2011 and 2012. On Alt.Latino we pride ourselves in being more than just a show about good music: We are a show about Latin culture, society and issues, especially those that don't always get their due. And we felt this was one topic that deserved special attention. Although this week's show is focused more on the stories than on the music, Martinez did curate a list of songs to go with The Beast, which you can find below.

Vanessa Parr On World Cafe

Normally when a guest sits down for a World Cafe interview, our producers or I help them adjust their microphone to the correct distance and angle. And if a piece of technology is misbehaving, we'll sort it out and hopefully our guest will be none the wiser. Not Vanessa Parr. On the day she visited the World Cafe studio, Parr couldn't resist adjusting her own mic to absolute perfection and helping us troubleshoot some finicky recording software. Call it an occupational hazard for someone who is used to making other people sound their very best day in and day out. In her career as both an assistant and as a lead engineer, Parr has worked on records with the likes of Elton John, Lucinda Williams, The Smashing Pumpkins, John Mayer, the Dixie Chicks and more. Parr trained at Berklee College of Music where one of her professors was the late Terry Becker (one of the few early female engineers) who worked with the likes of Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. Parr started her own professional career at the famed Village Studios in Los Angeles where she started as a runner getting coffee. She climbed her way up to staff engineer and spent time working alongside legendary producer T-Bone Burnett. Parr has faced questions like: How do you hold it together and work when you're standing next to your heroes? How do you help an artist when they get creatively stuck? And what do you do if things get a little tense or musicians bicker in studio? Listen in the player as Parr plays some of the music she has helped craft and takes us to the other side of the glass to illuminate an intricate part of the recording process we enjoy the results of but don't often think about.

Obama Says He Enjoys Skeet Shooting; Doubtful Lawmaker Challenges Him

One short exchange in a long New Republic interview of President Obama has gotten much attention: New Republic: "Have you ever fired a gun? Obama: "Yes, in fact, up at Camp David, we do skeet shooting all the time." The president went on to say he has "a profound respect for the traditions of hunting that trace back in this country for generations." Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., has stepped forward to say she has her doubts. "If he is a skeet shooter why have we not heard of this, why have we not seen photos, why has he not referenced it at any point in time?" during the debate over gun laws, she asked Monday night on CNN. Then Blackburn issued a challenge: "I think he should invite me to Camp David and I'll go skeet shooting with him and I bet I'll beat him." At the White House on Monday, spokesman Jay Carney said he does not know how often the president has gone shooting at Camp David. As for whether there are pictures, Carney said he has not seen any. And, he added, when the president goes to Camp David, "he goes to spend time with his family and friends and relax, not to produce photographs." On the White House Flickr pages, there are photos of the president at Camp David playing basketball, watching a tennis match and shooting pool. Keep an eye out for photos of him with a shotgun. After all, the White House did release the president's "long-form" birth certificate to try to quiet the "birthers."

Philip Shenon, Scrutinizing the 9/11 Investigation

Missed evidence, ignored clues, political considerations--did the 9/11 Commission really issue the definitive report on the September 2001 terror attacks? In his new book, The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation, New York Times investigative journalist Philip Shenon scrutinizes those charged with analyzing the terror attacks and uncovers new information about the commission's complicated relationship with the Bush White House

Romney's Pick Of Ryan Hasn't Changed Race, Polls Signal

Two new polls come to much the same conclusion about the 2012 presidential campaign: -- "Heading into next week's Republican convention, Mitt Romney remains within striking distance of President Barack Obama but faces steep challenges in inducing voters to warm up to him as a candidate, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll has found. Mr. Romney's choice of Rep. Paul Ryan as his running mate has stirred excitement within the GOP that he can defeat the president. But the poll found little evidence the pick will affect the election, beyond helping unify Mr. Romney's conservative base." -- "For all the attention it got, Republican Mitt Romney's selection of Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his running mate has not altered the race against President Barack Obama. The campaign remains neck and neck with less than three months to go, a new AP-GfK poll shows." Both national polls of registered voters show races with differences that are well within their margins of error: -- The AP-GfK survey shows the Obama/Biden ticket with 47 percent support to Romney/Ryan's 46 percent. The Associated Press writes that is "not much changed from a June AP-GfK survey, when the split was 47 percent for the president to 44 percent for Romney." -- In the Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, Obama/Biden led Romney/Ryan 48 percent to 44 percent — "about the same as a month earlier." Romney announced On Aug. 11 that he had asked Ryan to join the GOP ticket. As always, it's important to remember that these types of polls are snapshots in time that ask voters which candidate they support today. Election Day, of course, isn't until Nov. 6 and a lot can change between now and then. Our colleagues at It's All Politics are following the campaign here.

Hungary Sends Refugees To Shipping Container Camp Along Serbian Border

Hungary is closing all of its refugee camps across the country, and sending asylum seekers to a camp on the border with Serbia where they will live in converted shipping containers while their cases are processed.

Pianist John Perry Makes

Pianist John Perry makes his way through the forests of Aspen. His performance of Schumann's Forest Scenes (Waldscenen) was recorded June 26th at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. (Aspen Music Festival Audio Recording Institute)

The Impact of an Aging Workforce

Retiring baby boomers are taking with them years of institutional memory in many fields. It's an issue raised by David DeLong, author of <EM>Lost Knowledge: Confronting the Threat of an Aging Workforce</EM>. Hear DeLong and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

Double Take 'Toons: Payday Blues?

A survey finds that 76 percent of Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Lisa Benson doesn't see much hope for improvement, while John Cole thinks the charges on debit-card paychecks are making it worse.

Doctor Behind Asperger's Syndrome Subject To Name Change

In the book "Asperger's Children: The Origins of Autism in Nazi Vienna," Edith Sheffer writes about the doctor who first diagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. Sheffer tells NPR's Michel Martin how Hans Asperger's Nazi ties were hidden for years.

Maine Things Considered 10/24/06

Anthem rate hike request aired at public hearing; Husson College board gives go ahead to school of pharmacy; horse racing boosted by revenue from Bangor racino; and Whoopie Pie Lady on the road in Woolich. <br />

A Book That Will Change 'Your Medical Mind'

Even the youngest among us have had to make difficult medical decisions. Perhaps we've had to choose between two doctors with very different opinions, or decide whether to treat a condition with a pill or with diet, exercise and natural remedies. Some of us have had to make even bigger decisions and help loved ones do the same. In a country where medical treatment is seldom free and often expensive, deciding how to treat a health condition can be nearly as taxing as the condition itself. Adding to the pressure is the fact that many of us are seen by doctors who don't have the time to properly help us weigh our options. This complex and often exasperating reality is the driving force behind Your Medical Mind, a collaboration between Jerome Groopman, the oncologist, New Yorker staff writer and author of the 2008 best-seller How Doctors Think, and his wife Pamela Hartzband, an endocrinologist and equally sharp observer of the medical world. The quest of this conscientious pair is to shed more light on how our minds approach medicine and, using real patients' stories, to help us make appropriate choices when it's demanded of us. Part psychological study and part self-help book, Your Medical Mind doesn't provide answers but, rather, insights into navigating the increasingly daunting and dysfunctional world of medicine. The authors frame each chapter around one patient, each of whom is facing a strikingly different diagnosis. For example, Susan Powell has high blood pressure; Patrick Baptiste, diabetes and the thyroid condition Graves' disease; Mary Quinn, biliary cancer; and Paul Peterson, a muscle disease called polymyositis. Elements of their frustration-filled stories will likely be familiar to readers, a reality both reassuring and disconcerting. Peterson, for example, found that doctors were "repeatedly failing to come up with my diagnosis," though to do so would have only required "a simple blood test." Peterson and Quinn are confronted with the inescapable protocol of hospitals so concerned with efficiency that it causes nearly every step of treatment to be standardized and formalized. Groopman and Hartzband highlight the rigidity of the medical community because they want to improve it. As was the case with How Doctors Think, Your Medical Mind should prove as useful to MDs and medical students as it is to patients. The authors' own philosophy is borrowed from the early 20th-century physician Sir William Osler, who believed that "when trying to unravel a complex medical diagnosis, you should listen carefully to the patient, because he is telling you the answer." In other words, Groopman and Hartzband's desire is for doctors to be more patient, and for patients — whom the authors broadly categorized as either "doubters" or "believers" — to be better informed. In reality, we as patients cover a wide spectrum, and our place on that spectrum might change depending on what we're being treated for. In a chapter focused on prostate cancer survivor Matt Conlin, Groopman and Hartzband suggest that where cancer and other serious illnesses are involved, skeptics often become believers. Conlin certainly had faith in medicine, but that only got him so far. He ended up speaking "with 20 different physicians expert in the field of prostate cancer" before choosing a treatment option. Indeed, our role as patient can and should often feel like a job, even if it's a frustrating one. We are dealing with an "uncertain science," as the authors call medicine, in a situation where an "exact science" would be so much more helpful. Certainly, Groopman and Hartzband would hate to see medicine into "mathematics." In their refreshing view, the individuality of the patient should be valued above all else, and embracing the vagaries of medicine, rather than trying to standardize it, is the key to better treatment and better health.

Minority As Majority

Ina Jaffe reports that new Census information indicates that ethnic minorities will now constitute an majority of California residents.

Culturetopia: Franzen's 'Freedom,' the Scissor Sisters and More....

Jonathan Franzen's latest novel; a children's book from Edwidge Danicat; the music of filmmaker Fatih Akin; the Scissor Sisters' latest; Nat King Cole en Espa?ol.

Global Markets Respond to Credit Squeeze

Asian stocks fell sharply, as fallout from the growing credit crunch stretched from France's largest publicly owned bank to the largest home-mortgage lender in the U.S. Amid the decline, the Bank of Japan says it injected more than $8 billion into money markets.

Lots Of Goals, Upsets And A Penalty Shootout: Euro 2020 Is Just Heating Up

NPR's Ari Shapiro checks in with Luis Miguel Echegaray of CBS Sports about the upcoming quarter finals of the European Soccer Tournament.

Obama's Visit To Myanmar: Too Much, Too Soon?

When President Obama sets off to Asia this weekend to highlight his so-called pivot to the region, he will make a bit of history: Obama will become the first sitting U.S. president to visit Myanmar. The country, also known as Burma, was a pariah state for decades, ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship. That is changing, and the Obama administration has encouraged a dramatic reform process in the country. But it may be too early for a victory lap. Aung Din, a Burmese exile in Washington, D.C., says the U.S. response to the changes in his homeland has been much more than enough. The Obama administration has suspended most sanctions and sent an ambassador to Myanmar. But Aung Din says this is not the right time for Obama to go. "I think the United States government response is too much, too fast, and too generous," he says. The former student leader says he believes there are still more than 300 political prisoners in Myanmar and an increasing number of displaced people from ethnic conflicts and communal violence. He also doesn't sound confident in the reforms promoted by President Thein Sein. "His reform process is not good enough to get the credit or acknowledgment or endorsement from President Obama yet," Aung Din says. "He still needs to do a lot." 'Shooting The Rapids' Obama will also attend a regional summit in Cambodia and visit Thailand on his trip. In Myanmar, he'll meet with Thein Sein and will visit Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy activist who is now a member of parliament. The Obama administration sees its engagement with Myanmar as a major success of its "pivot" to Asia. But Michael Green of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says the president needs to be more circumspect. "I think if the president goes to Burma not as a victory lap to sort of champion this intriguing and fascinating piece of the pivot, but rather as an opportunity to encourage and push for more reform and acknowledge what has to be done, I think it will be a successful trip," Green says. He says the trip could be a boost for Thein Sein, as well as for Suu Kyi, who is said to be less than enthusiastic about the timing of Obama's visit. "In an odd way, the general and the lady are on this life raft shooting the rapids together, and we need them to keep at it," Green says. Suu Kyi is often referred to as "the lady." 'At The Very Beginning' Tom Malinowski, Washington director of Human Rights Watch, says there are many risks. "Burma's really at the very beginning of that process. It could still be derailed by a military that does not want to give up power, by ethnic violence," Malinowski says. "And a lot of the things that the United States has been asking the government to do in the last few months, they've not done." He says the government of Myanmar has doled out political prisoners to win international favor — rather than keeping its promise to release them all. Malinowski also says no one, not even Suu Kyi, has helped tamp down a conflict that has left hundreds dead and tens of thousands on the run. "We've seen in the last few months a virus of ethnic and religious hatred spread through Burma, directed at Muslims in general and the Rohingya people living in the Arakan [Rakhine] state in particular," Malinowski says. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Obama will discuss that conflict, and will call for calm and meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue of stateless Muslims in Myanmar. The future of the country is not certain, she says, and Obama will have much to talk about while he's there. LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: The government of Myanmar announced today it intends to release hundreds of prisoners as a goodwill gesture ahead of President Obama's historic trip there on Monday. STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Mr. Obama will be the first sitting president to visit the Southeast Asian nation. It was a pariah state for decades, ruled by a ruthless military dictatorship. WERTHEIMER: Recently, the country also known as Burma has seen encouraging signs of democratic reform, which the U.S. has actively encouraged. But, as NPR's Michele Kelemen reports, it may be too early for a victory lap. MICHELE KELEMEN, BYLINE: Aung Din, a Burmese exile here in Washington, says the U.S. response to the changes in his homeland have been much more than enough. The Obama administration has suspended most sanctions and sent an ambassador to Myanmar. He says this is not the right time for President Obama to go. AUNG DIN: The response from the United States government is much more than enough. The United States government response is too much, too fast and too generous. KELEMEN: The former student leader believes there are still more than 300 political prisoners in Myanmar, and an increasing number of displaced people from ethnic conflicts and communal violence. And Aung Din doesn't sound very confident in the reforms promoted by Myanmar's President Thein Sein. DIN: His reform process is not good enough to get the credit

Will Oscars Give Film Biz a Boost?

Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony is seen as a potential B-12 shot for a film industry that was slowed by a three-month writers' strike.

From Anonymous To Media Star To Unemployed In A Week

If you're following the Syrian debate, there's a good chance you've come across Elizabeth O'Bagy, an analyst on the Syrian war, who went from obscure think tank analyst to media darling to unemployed in roughly a week. Here's how she did it. O'Bagy, 26, was a senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington. Her specialty, the Syrian rebels, received only periodic flickers of attention. Then came the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack in Syria, followed by President Obama's declared intent to carry out a military strike in Syria. Suddenly, O'Bagy, who has spent considerable time with the rebels, was a very hot commodity. Everyone, it seemed, wanted to know more about the rebels. In an Aug. 30 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, O'Bagy challenged the conventional wisdom that the rebel forces are increasingly dominated by Islamic extremists. "Moderate opposition forces — a collection of groups known as the Free Syrian Army — continue to lead the fight against the Syrian regime," she wrote. Overnight, O'Bagy was a fixture on news programs, offering her take on the Syrian war, which included a Sept. 6 interview on NPR's Morning Edition. Her comments often sparked a strong response, pro and con. Secretary of State John Kerry and Sen. John McCain both favorably cited her work during congressional hearings. Critics claimed she was helping push the U.S. into a Middle East quagmire. Then, as quickly as her star rose, a backlash began to emerge. In an interview on Fox News and in other appearances, she came under criticism for serving as a both an independent analyst at her institute and for working on a contractual basis with an advocacy group that supports the Syrian opposition, the Syrian Emergency Task Force. That group subcontracts with the U.S. and British governments to provide aid to the Syrian opposition. O'Bagy insisted there was no conflict. "I have never tried to hide that Ive worked closely with opposition & rebel commanders," she said on Twitter. "Thats what allows me to travel more safely in Syria." "I'm not trying to trick America here. I'm just trying to show a different side to the conflict that few people have the chance to see," she added, according to Politico. But on Wednesday, O'Bagy was fired for another reason: The Institute for the Study of War said she had falsely claimed a Ph.D. in Arab studies. "The Institute for the Study of War has learned and confirmed that, contrary to her representations, Ms. Elizabeth O'Bagy does not in fact have a Ph.D. degree from Georgetown University," the institute said in a statement. "ISW has accordingly terminated Ms. O'Bagy's employment, effective immediately."

A Call to Action, in Honoring Rosa Parks

Commentator John McCann says the best way to honor Rosa Parks is by becoming a leader in one's own community. McCann is a columnist for the <EM>Herald-Sun</EM> newspaper in Durham, N.C.

2013 Winter Music Preview

On this edition of the program, All Songs Considered hosts Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton invite a gaggle of other NPR Music peeps on the show to share some of the records they're most looking forward to in 2013. Hear new music from Low, fierce world rhythms from Red Baraat, a traditional latin love song from Ileana Cabra, a marriage of hip-hop and new jazz from Jose James, trippy electronica from FaltyDL, rapper Earl Sweatshirt and more! Low Album: Invisible Way Song: Plastic Cup Phosphorescent Album: Muchacho Song: Song For Zula Red Baraat Album: Shruggy Ji Song: Dama Dam Mast Qalandar The Black Twig Pickers Album: Rough Carpenters Song: Rough Carpenters FaltyDL Album: Hardcourage Song: She Sleeps (Ed MacFarlane) Earl Sweatshirt Album: Chum (Single) Song: Chum Jose James Album: No Beginning No End Song: It's All Over Your Body Ileana Mercedes Cabra Album: La Pared/The Wall Song: La Pared/The Wall Josh Ritter Album: The Beast In Its Tracks Song: New Lover

In Pranks And Fake Signs, 'Obvious Plant' Sows Mischief At Retailers

Jeff Wysaski talks to NPR's Ari Shapiro about his Tumblr, Obvious Plant, where he posts photos of mischief like his latest prank: fake Black Friday ads that he tacked to a bulletin board at Target.

Sacha Baron Cohen's 'Who Is America?' Continues To Generate Controversy

Sacha Baron Cohen&#8217;s &#8220;Who Is America?&#8221; traps its subjects &#8212; often right-wing politicians and activists &#8212; and gets them to say and do outrageous things like endorsing a gun training program for toddlers or shouting racist slurs to avoid being kidnapped by ISIS. Here & Now&#8216;s Robin Young gets NPR TV critic Eric Deggans&#8216; (@Deggans) take on the Showtime series.

Slate's Medical Examiner: Chickenpox Vaccine Risks

The chickenpox vaccine has been a boon to American children for the last 10 years, but it may have an unintended consequence -- putting adults at higher risk for shingles, a related illness. Madeleine Brand speaks with Yale University professor, pediatrician and <em>Slate</em> contributor Sydney Spiesel about the chickenpox virus and the risks of the vaccine.

After A Free Fall, Zimbabwe Finds A Bit Of Stability

When hyperinflation spiraled out of control in Zimbabwe in 2008, huge numbers of citizens flocked across the border to find jobs, and escape food and water shortages. That economic nightmare came on top of years of decline. While the country still hasn't fully recovered, Zimbabwe is much more stable and economic life is picking up, at least for some. On Robert Mugabe Road in the capital Harare, taxi drivers shout out their destinations. Street vendors sell leather belts and cellphone accessories to passersby. Reginald Kaskete, a cab driver, says Harare today is much different than it was just a few years ago, when the grocery stores were empty and there was no gasoline. "Now we have got everything — food, petrol — everything is picking up," he says. Zimbabwe's inflation rate topped 79 billion percent in late 2008, according to the Washington-based CATO Institute. The country switched to the U.S. dollar — a move that experts say greatly stabilized the economy. Like many cab drivers, Kaskete now keeps a stack of old Zimbabwean dollars in his car to show tourists what it was like during hyperinflation. "I've got a 100,000, a 25 million, a 10,000," he says as he flips through the worthless notes. Food On The Shelves In a small convenience store nearby, Blessing Chivandile stands by the cash register. He says that during the country's financial meltdown he couldn't get any food or goods to sell. He even had trouble feeding his family. "The shop was empty, we had to scramble for sugar, cooking oil," he says. "It was traumatic." Now, with the economy stabilized, his foreign suppliers are willing to sell to him again. The shelves are stocked with fresh fruit, snacks and drinks, and a steady stream of customers moves through," he says. "Now we can afford to hire people and do business." Tony Hawkins, a professor of economics at the University of Zimbabwe, says Zimbabwe's economy shrank by roughly 40 percent in the years leading up to 2008. He says it has since recouped about half of what it lost, thanks largely to two trends in the mining industry. Mining Revives Economy "One was there have been very strong markets for our main exports — particularly gold and platinum — and the other was the discovery and exploitation of diamonds," Hawkins says. But he adds that the economy is only doing well relative to how badly it was doing before. Zimbabwe still has massive debt and roughly 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Hawkins says the country's agriculture sector, which was once among Africa's strongest, hasn't recovered from a failed land reform policy under which thousands of white commercial farmers were forcibly evicted from land they owned. "We are now a substantial net importer of food, whereas we used to be self-sufficient," he says. To make matters worse, President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party recently sent shock waves through the mining industry when it announced plans for a government takeover of foreign mining companies. It's part of a so-called "indigenization" program, allegedly designed to distribute wealth to Zimbabwe's millions of poor and unemployed. But Derek Matyszak, a lawyer who advises mining companies, says the government isn't actually seizing control of any businesses. "What the government is trying to do at the moment is to strong-arm mining companies into parting with cash that they can hand out to the communities, and look — Zanu PF is bringing you some money," he says. But analysts say the government's actions are scaring foreign investors and threatening Zimbabwe's economic recovery. Back in downtown Harare, 32-year-old Declay Alfondega sells candy and pirated movies on the side of the road. He says he keeps hearing about Zimbabwe's economic recovery, but he doesn't know what all the talk is about. "We are not getting food. No food. Even right now. Things are there in the shops," he says, but they are too expensive. He doubts that for people like himself things in Zimbabwe will get better anytime soon. RACHEL MARTIN, HOST: This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Rachel Martin. The southern African nation of Zimbabwe is still emerging from economic collapse. The country's decline was fueled by hyperinflation, which spiraled out of control in 2008. Huge numbers of Zimbabweans flocked across the border to find jobs and escape food and water shortages. But as Anders Kelto reports from the capital, Harare, things are finally picking up - for some. ANDERS KELTO, BYLINE: On Robert Mugabe Road, taxi drivers shout out their destinations. Street vendors sell leather belts and cell phone accessories to people walking by. Reginald Kaskete, a cab driver, says Harare today is much different than it was just a few years ago when the grocery stores were empty and there was no gasoline. REGINALD KASKETE: Now we have got everything - food, petrol - everything is picking up. KELTO: Zimbabwe's inflation rate topped 79 billion percent in late 2008, according to the Washington-based CATO Institute

Dressing Traditions Collide at Thanksgiving

Host Debbie Elliott shares her holiday angst about preparing Thanksgiving dinner far from her family in the South. Her dilemma centers around the cornbread dressing.

Olympic Results: Germany Leads Medal Count

At the Winter Olympics, it was a weekend of high drama. High winds scuttled the finals of the men's downhill and women's giant slalom. And the U.S. won its first medal in men's luge singles.

GOP Governors: The Likeliest To Reach The White House

You don't need me to tell you that the Republican brand has not been doing so well lately. They've lost more than 50 House and 14 Senate seats in the last two election cycles, and polls show the public souring on the GOP like never before ... at least in recent political history. There is a widely expressed feeling that, far more so than with congressional Republicans, the party needs to look to its 22 governors to find its future. One person on the list, Mark Sanford, didn't do his chances much good this week. That leaves 21 others. I've decided, in a completely unscientific, data-free exercise, to rate the GOP governors in terms of their likelihood of ever reaching the White House (not necessarily in 2012, but sometime in the future). I readily concede that my list will not universally be agreed on. You may completely dismiss it. I confess I don't share the optimism about the national future of Alaska's Sarah Palin as many Republicans do. And note that I have Nevada's Jim Gibbons last on the list -- even below Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is constitutionally ineligible. Here it is. Let me know where you agree or disagree. 1. Tim Pawlenty (MN)2. Jon Huntsman (UT)3. Haley Barbour (MS)4. Bobby Jindal (LA)5. Charlie Crist (FL)6. Mitch Daniels (IN)7. Sarah Palin (AK)8. Rick Perry (TX)9. Mark Sanford (SC)10. Jodi Rell (CT)11. Bob Riley (AL)12. Sonny Perdue (GA)13. Mike Rounds (SD)14. John Hoeven (ND)15. Butch Otter (ID)16. Dave Heineman (NE)17. Jim Douglas (VT)18. Don Carcieri (RI)19. Linda Lingle (HI)20. Jan Brewer (AZ)21. Arnold Schwarzenegger (CA)22. Jim Gibbons (NV)

Emperor Of The North

Liane speaks with Professor John Cech (CHEK) about his novel, "A Rush of Dreamers: Being the Remarkable Story of Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico." (Marlowe and Company, 1997). The novel is based on the true story of Joshua Norton, who, after losing his fortune during the gold rush, proclaimed himself emperor in San Francisco. Residents embraced their new monarch, and his legacy lives on.