Morning Edition

NYC Mayoral Candidate Uses Wrong Skyline On His Homepage

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:01:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm David Greene. Some photos on Twitter ended Anthony Weiner's congressional career. The latest online image, not quite as damaging. Weiner launched his campaign yesterday to be mayor of New York City, and a gorgeous city skyline showed up on his homepage: the skyline of Pittsburgh, my home town. I'm honored if the Web designer is impressed with our city's skyline.

Still, it's pretty embarrassing for a New York mayoral candidate, although I guess Weiner has been through worse. It's MORNING EDITION.

Germany's Beer Makers Come Against Fracking

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 10:56:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne.

Fracking may have met its match in Germany, where beer makers have lined against it. Fracking, of course, is a way of bringing up natural gas by pumping water and chemicals into the ground. Germany's powerful beer industry is concerned fracking would pollute groundwater. Half of Germany's 1,300 brewers have their own wells and say the pure water is the essence of their famous beers. And if there's one thing Germans take seriously, its beer. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

The Last Word In Business

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And our last word in business today, quite a tongue lashing for McDonald's.

Financial Markets In The News

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And for the past few months, global stock markets appeared to be on an escalator going up, relentlessly reaching new highs. This week, that ride seems to be over - or maybe not. To find out, we turn, as we often do, to David Wessel, he's the economics editor of The Wall Street Journal.

Good morning.

DAVID WESSEL: Good morning, Renee.

MONTAGNE: David, put the stock markets into perspective for us. Apart from the day-to-day ups and downs, which we have been seeing, how have the markets been doing?

WESSEL: Well, they've been doing pretty darn well.

Political Attacks Ramp Up In U.S. Senate Race In Mass.

Tovia Smith — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:29:00 +0000

In Massachusetts, what's been a relatively lackluster campaign to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry is heating up. Veteran Democratic Rep. Ed Markey is running against Republican Gabriel Gomez, a businessman and former Navy SEAL. Gomez is a political newcomer.

Besides Predicting Weather, Okla. Storm Center Attracts Tourists

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:14:00 +0000

Monday's tornado in Moore, Okla., killed 24 people and caused an estimated $2.2 billion worth of damage. As the community reflects on what happened, one question is: How did so many manage to survive such devastating destruction?

Lifelong Oklahoman Kristi Freeman has seen her share of tornadoes, but she says the twister that tore through her neighborhood Monday was something else.

"This tornado was like a monster. It was like something that was alive. It destroyed your peace, your comfort," she says.

China's Air Pollution: Is The Government Willing To Act?

Frank Langfitt — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:11:00 +0000
Denise Mauzerall arrived in Beijing this year at a time that was both horrifying and illuminating.

Can This Man Bring Silicon Valley To Yangon?

Robert Smith — Fri, 24 May 2013 07:18:00 +0000
Like a proud father, Nay Aung opens up his MacBook Air to show me the Myanmar travel website he has built. But we wait 30 seconds for the site to load, and nothing happens.
"Today is a particularly bad day for Internet," he says. This is life in Myanmar today: Even an Internet entrepreneur can't always get online.

Guava Paste And Tamarind? What To Do With Weird Food Gifts

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:49:00 +0000
This is an installment of NPR's ongoing Cook Your Cupboard, a food series about improvising with what you have on hand. Have a food that has you stumped? Submit a photo and we'll ask chefs about our favorites.
Harrison Gowdy of Dayton, Ohio, has developed a reputation among friends and family of liking everything and wasting nothing.
"Sometimes I'll even find things like Swiss chard dropped off on my doorstep," she says.

Military Moms: A Bond Borne From Shared Loss

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:46:00 +0000
In 1991, Kentucky residents Sally Edwards and Lue Hutchinson had sons serving in the Gulf War. Sally's son, Jack, was a Marine captain. Lue's son, Tom Butts, was a staff sergeant in the Army. The two men never knew each other, but today, their mothers are best friends.
Both soldiers were killed in February of 1991. Jack was 34. "They were the cover for a medical mission.

Igor Stravinsky's 'Rite Of Spring' Counterrevolution

editor — Fri, 24 May 2013 06:03:00 +0000
As the 100th anniversary of Igor Stravinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring approaches, commentator Miles Hoffman reminds us that — as earthshaking as that infamous debut was — the composer soon branched out into a variety of musical styles that would surprise his fans and critics.
Hoffman says that, up until the infamous (and riotous) Rite of Spring debut — on May 29, 1913 — the public had never heard anything like it

Why You Have To Scratch That Itch

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:27:00 +0000
Everybody itches. Sometimes itch serves as a useful warning signal — there's a bug on your back! But sometimes itch arises for no apparent reason, and can be a torment.
Think of the itchy skin disorder eczema, or the constant itching caused by some cancers. "A very high percentage of people who're on dialysis for chronic kidney disease develop severe itch that's very difficult to manage," says Dr.

Octogenarian Rivals Race To Top Of Mount Everest

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:25:00 +0000
Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. Five years ago, at the age of 75, a Japanese mountaineer raced a 76-year-old Nepalese climber to the top of Mount Everest. Japan's Yuichiro Miura lost. This morning, in an epic rematch, the now 80-year-old Miura won, becoming the oldest person ever to reach the summit. But that record may not last. Next week, his Nepalese rival, at 81, plans to make the ascent again. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

New Jersey Officials Wrap Up 'Operation Swill'

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:19:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Good morning, I'm David Greene with a story of mistaken identity - at the bar. New Jersey officials have wrapped up an operation called Operation Swill that target bars who are trying to pull a fast one. They'll charge for good booze but actually pour the cheap stuff in your glass. They've caught 29 bars red-faced; 13 of those TGI Fridays. The operation involved confidential informants, gizmos to test out liquor, and more than 100 agents. I would say this was some top shelf police work.
You're listening to MORNING EDITION.

Director Lin Shifts The Identity Of 'Fast & Furious'

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:51:00 +0000
The movie Fast & Furious 6 hits theaters tomorrow. It is director Justin Lin's fourth film in the franchise, and is far different from his very first film, Shopping for Fangs, which starred a young John Cho and became a cult classic among Asian-American indie film fans.
Or is it so different?
The action-packed, billion-dollar movie franchise follows a crew of daredevil street racers who go from being criminals to being heroes.

Obama Speech Expected To Touch On Drones, Guantanamo

Dina Temple-Raston — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:44:00 +0000
Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And I'm David Greene.
For months now, the Obama administration has promised to reveal more about America's secret drone program, and today could be the day. The president will speak this afternoon at the National Defense University, and he's planning to discuss America's fight against terrorism.

IRS Official's Silence Riles House Committee Members

Peter Overby — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:00 +0000
Transcript
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
The IRS has admitted to targeting conservative groups seeking tax exempt status. And yesterday at a House hearing the IRS director of exempt organizations said, quote: "I have not done anything wrong." She then declined to testify.

Disappointed By School Closing Vote, Union Targets Elected Officials

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:00 +0000
A day after school officials approved shutting down 50 schools, the Chicago Teachers Union and community activists say they'll hold a voter registration and education campaign. The union is agitated that Mayor Rahm Emanuel, school board members and some lawmakers failed to listen to parents, teachers and others who called for the schools to remain open.
Before they voted yes on the sweeping school closure plan, school board members faced a torrent of criticism Wednesday.

Business News

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
NPR's business news begins with a big payback to the Fed.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
GREENE: Three years ago President Obama's green energy loan program gave a $455 million federal loan to electric carmaker Tesla. Critics bashed the loan as risky. Yesterday, Tesla announced it had paid that loan back in full - and early. The company was one of five carmakers to get money into the program. Tesla was first to repay it. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Poor Materials Cited In Bangladesh Building Collapse

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:32:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And let's turn to another story that we've been following, the aftermath of that factory collapse in Bangladesh last month. In a report out today, the Bangladeshi government says the Rana Plaza factory was, quote, "a disaster waiting to happen."
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
The government report says the building was not constructed to withstand the weight and vibrations of factory work, and the ground was not fit for a multi-story building.

Scientific Tooth Fairies Investigate Neanderthal Breast-Feeding

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47:00 +0000
When it comes to weaning, humans are weird.
Our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, breast-feed their offspring for several years. Some baby orangutans nurse until they are 7 years old.
But modern humans wean much earlier. In preindustrial societies, babies stop nursing after about two years. Which raises the question: How did we get that way?

Oklahoma's Gov. Fallin On Life-Saving, Recovery Efforts

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And I'm David Greene. We now know the tornado that struck the city of Moore, Okla., on Monday was an EF5, with winds over 200 miles an hour. That designation is the strongest possible rating for a tornado. Federal, state and local teams are on the ground this morning, cleaning up debris and tending to survivors.

Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
And I'm Linda Wertheimer.
This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow.

Parking Industry Tries To Make Your Life Easier

Kenny Malone — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Finding a parking space, probably not at the top of the list of things you like to do. Well, experts in parking think they might be able to change that. One key, they say, is for developers to think about the parking experience when they're designing malls or apartment complexes, instead of just treating it as an afterthought.
This came up in Florida this week, at the International Parking Institute's annual conference. Reporter Kenny Malone, from member station WLRN, was there.
KENNY MALONE, BYLINE: Let's go ahead and address this head-on.

Battle Lines Harden In Debate Over Blame For IRS Controversy

Peter Overby — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
Lawmakers are demanding to know what went wrong and who is to blame at the IRS. Two Senate committees held hearings yesterday on the agency's aggressive handling of applications from conservative groups who were seeking tax-exemption. A top IRS official facing a House committee, today, intends to invoke her Fifth Amendment right not to testify. NPR's Peter Overby reports.
PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: Lois Lerner heads up the section on tax-exempt organizations.

Drummer Waits For Gas, Uses Time Along Highway To Practice

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. A drummer in Baltimore pulled off the interstate yesterday, out of gas. So he pulled his drum kit out of the trunk and sat up on the shoulder and played along with traffic. When a state trooper pulled up, drummer boy explained he was just biding his time until help arrived, practicing his chops. He got away without a ticket and with the gift of gas from the highway department. Rock on. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

'Morning Edition' Listeners Get Their Feathers In A Bunch

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Good morning, I'm David Greene.
Well, our wings have been clipped by some listeners. Yesterday, we told you about how some scientists in Canada saw their research crops destroyed by geese. We used the term Canadian geese. Listeners like Frank Kohn said we got that wrong.
FRANK KOHN: They're not Canadian geese. They're Canada geese because they don't hold passports, as far as I know, and it's not a nationality. It's a species name.
GREENE: OK, we learned our lesson. It is still Canadian bacon though, right? You're listening to MORNING EDITION.

House, Senate Consider Cuts In Food Stamp Program

Pam Fessler — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:00 +0000
Transcript
LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
And I'm David Greene. Good morning. Food stamps are used by one in seven Americans. The average recipient receives about $133 a month. Now if that sounds hard to live on, the House and Senate are considering steep cuts in food stamp program - or SNAP benefits, as they're known - as part of a major farm bill. Depending on one's perspective, the cuts would either reform the program by closing loopholes, or cause severe hardship for hungry children and senior citizens.

Court Rules Vacation Rental Site Illegal In New York

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:32:00 +0000
Transcript
DAVID GREENE, HOST:
Here's some news for travelers. If you can't afford - or don't want to pay the price for - a hotel room, maybe you've used the cheap lodging site Airbnb. If so, you have to take New York City off your list. The popular website has suffered a major setback in court.

Why Apple (And Lots Of Other Companies) Wound Up In Ireland

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:07:00 +0000
Apple was criticized in a Senate committee hearing Tuesday for using complex accounting to minimize the corporate taxes it pays.