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The Two-Way
5:21 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

West Virginia Sheriff Shot, Killed Near County Courthouse

Mingo County Sheriff Eugene Crum was shot and killed on Wednesday as he ate his lunch inside his vehicle.

The Charleston Gazette quotes one eyewitness as saying he saw a man pull up to Crum's car and shoot him "right in the head."

The paper adds:

"Tennis Melvin Maynard, 37, of Delbarton, has been arrested in connection to the shooting, according to West Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous.

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National Security
5:19 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

With Eye On Budget, Hagel Seeks Pentagon Changes

Credit Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks wednesday at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C. He warned of deep budget cuts across his department, to put the brakes on spiraling costs and reshape the military for leaner budgets and new challenges.

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 8:50 pm

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, in his first major policy speech, laid out Wednesday how to deal with threats in an era of tight defense budgets.

Hagel has ordered the Pentagon to take a hard look at how many soldiers and sailors it needs and what types of weapons it buys. He says the Pentagon is at war with itself: There are competing and spiraling costs within the military — for aging weapons, and for health and pension benefits for military personnel and retirees.

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It's All Politics
5:07 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Sen. Landrieu's First GOP Rival Sets In Motion Key 2014 Contest

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 5:44 pm

Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, considered among the most vulnerable of the Senate's red-state Democrats facing 2014 re-election, now has at least one potential Republican opponent, Rep. Bill Cassidy, whose congressional district includes Baton Rouge.

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Shots - Health News
5:03 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Side Effects Prompt Patients To Stop Cholesterol Drugs

Credit Mel Evans / AP
Lipitor and other statin drugs are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States.

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 2:57 pm

With one-quarter of adults over age 45 taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, it figures that more than a few people would have trouble sticking with the program.

More than a few, actually.

A big new study of statin use in the real world found that 17 percent of patients taking the pills reported side effects, including muscle pain, nausea, and problems with their liver or nervous system.

That's a lot higher than the 5 to 10 percent reported in the randomized controlled trials that provided evidence for regulatory approval of the medicines.

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World
4:47 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Private Foundations Start To Edge Out Some Countries In International Aid Donations

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 8:50 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

There's been a significant shift in international aid in recent years. Less money is coming from large donor nations and more is coming from private foundations, corporations, even countries that only a few years ago were recipients of aid themselves.

NPR's Jason Beaubien tells us more.

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The Two-Way
4:24 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Responding To North Korea, U.S. Sends Missile Defenses To Guam

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel speaks at the National Defense University at Ft. McNair in Washington, DC.

The United States said it was sending its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System to Guam in the coming weeks.

The move to deploy the missile defense system comes in response to continued heated rhetoric from North Korea. The BBC reports:

"The Pentagon said in a statement the missile system would be moved to Guam as a 'precautionary move to strengthen our regional defence posture against the North Korean regional ballistic missile threat.'

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The Two-Way
3:57 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Dozens Killed In Taliban Attack On Afghan Courthouse

At least 53 people were killed today in Afghanistan after "suicide bombers disguised as Afghan soldiers stormed a courthouse in Farah province in a failed bid to free more than a dozen Taliban," USA Today reports.

The New York Times explains:

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Europe
3:34 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

A Renaissance For 'Pigsticking' In Spain

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 8:50 pm

An ancient hunting ritual is making a comeback in modern Spain: the practice of hunting wild boar on horseback with spears — and no guns. The sport dates to Roman times, and was recently approved and added to Spanish hunting regulations.

Just a 20-minute drive from Spain's capital, you're in the dehesa — oak woodlands, where wild boar, deer and mountain goats roam. Madrid's skyscrapers are on the horizon, but in the forest, ancient traditions still reign.

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The Two-Way
2:48 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

In First Press Conference Since Leg Injury, Louisville's Kevin Ware Says He'll Be OK

Credit Andy Lyons / Getty Images
Kevin Ware of the Louisville Cardinals.

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 7:50 am

In his first press conference since his horrific leg injury, Kevin Ware focused on his team.

"I'll be OK," the 20-year-old University of Louisville basketball player said.

Ware said that he's a quiet guy and that he's thankful for all the support he's received. But his focus always returned to the NCCA basketball tournament.

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The Two-Way
2:23 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

As Uganda Calls Off Search, U.S. Offers $5 Million Bounty For Joseph Kony

Credit STR / AP
Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army has been among the world's most brutal rebel forces for a quarter-century. But the Ugandan group received only sporadic international attention before this week, when an Internet video about Kony went viral. Here, Kony is shown in 2006 in southern Sudan.

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 3:38 pm

There are two significant developments in the search for the Lord's Resistance Army chief Joseph Kony to tell you about today: Uganda announced it was suspending its search for Kony, but at the same time, the United States announced it was offering a $5 million reward for information that leads to his capture.

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Politics
2:19 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Second Chances In American Politics

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. The president talks guns in Colorado. Hillary Clinton supporters talk 2016. And in New York City, six pols busted for talking turkey. It's Wednesday and time for a...

DAN HALLORAN: It's all about how much...

CONAN: ...edition of the political junkie.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDINGS)

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: There you go again.

VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE: When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad: Where's the beef?

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Science
2:18 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

The Remarkable Biodiversity Of Belly Buttons

Originally published on Thu April 4, 2013 10:42 am

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

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On Aging
2:11 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Isolation V. Loneliness: The Difference And Why It Matters

Researchers from University College London followed thousands of people over the age of 52 for seven to eight years to assess the effect of loneliness and isolation. Isolation, not loneliness, may actually shorten people's lives regardless of health or income.

The Picture Show
1:45 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

You Can't Put A Headline On William Klein

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 8:50 pm

Try to put him in a box and he'll find his way out. Still working at nearly 85 years old, William Klein has gone rogue in at least four different fields: abstract painting, photography, filmmaking and commercial copy writing.

Klein now lives in Paris but I caught up with him in New York City — the place where he was born, but no longer has much affinity for. He's just here to promote a new book, William Klein ABC.

When I ask him what he thinks about the city, he says:

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Education
1:38 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

'Anger' In Atlanta As Cheating Scandal Investigated

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 8:01 am

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Later in the program, we will bring you a poetic tweet. That's a poem of 140 characters or less, sent by none other than the celebrated Nikki Giovanni. It's part of our celebration of National Poetry Month, and we'll hear it in a few minutes and you'll find out how you can contribute, too, if you'd like. That's later.

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Beauty Shop
1:38 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Does Leaning In Actually Work For Women At The Starting Line?

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 8:01 am

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Coming up, the New York African Film Festival is getting under way. The festival is in its 20th year now, so we're going to talk about the stories being told by a new generation of African filmmakers. That's coming up.

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Arts & Life
1:38 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Poet Nikki Giovanni Tweets Home, Peace And West Virginia

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 8:01 am

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

And now the latest in our series, Muses and Metaphor. We are celebrating National Poetry Month by hearing your poetic tweets. You have already started sending us poems that are 140 characters or less. Yesterday, we kicked off this series with author, performer and our series curator, Holly Bass.

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The Salt
1:35 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Edible Spray Paint: Give Your Foods The Midas Touch

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 2:42 pm

If that old James Bond villain Goldfinger had been a gourmand, I think I know what tool would be in his kitchen arsenal.

Ess Lack, or Food Finish, is an edible spray paint that turns your meals into metallic bites of luxury. Lobster not decadent enough for you? Why not turn that crustacean golden?

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The Two-Way
1:23 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

It's Set: Jimmy Fallon To Replace Jay Leno On 'Tonight Show' In Spring 2014

Credit Kevin Winter / Getty Images
Jay Leno (left) and Jimmy Fallon at the Golden Globe Awards in January. Next year, Fallon will be taking Leno's place on The Tonight Show, NBC says.

Originally published on Thu April 4, 2013 6:04 am

Here's the official word, courtesy of NBC News' tweets:

-- "JUST IN: Jay Leno will depart NBC's 'Tonight Show' in Spring 2014; Jimmy Fallon to replace, NBC says."

-- "MORE: 'Tonight Show' will return to New York City in 2014; Lorne Michaels will be executive producer."

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Book Reviews
1:16 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

'Burgess Boys' Family Saga Explores The Authenticity Of Imperfection

In 1846, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a famous essay called "The Philosophy of Composition," in which he sounds like an interior decorator. I say that because in the essay, Poe insists that all good writing must strive for what he calls "unity of effect." For Poe, it was important that everything in his short stories — characters, setting, narration — add up to one big "color-me-terrified" impact.

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Author Interviews
1:09 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

A Father Tells The Story Of His Son's Struggle To Stay 'Clean'

Why do we imprison people who are addicted to illegal drugs instead of treating them for their addiction? That question is at the heart of David Sheff's new book Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America's Greatest Tragedy. It reports the latest medical and scientific research about addiction and recovery, which, Sheff says, shows that drug addicts are gravely ill, afflicted with a chronic, progressive and often terminal disease.

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Television
1:04 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

This Spring, Rejoice At Rebirth Of 'Mad Men'

Credit Frank Ockenfels / AMC
We won't give away any of the details about his personal life, but we can say that the two-hour season premiere of Mad Men shows Don Draper (Jon Hamm, right, with John Slattery's Roger Sterling) as his silver tongue fails him.

For decades, when broadcast television called the shots and dominated the TV landscape, the biggest event of the year was "the fall season," when networks would unveil their new shows and return with fresh episodes of old favorites. But now, because of cable and satellite TV, the fall season isn't the only game in town.

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The Two-Way
12:53 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

'Best Jobs In North Korea' Pay $62 A Month; Now They're Diplomatic Pawns

Credit Yonhap News / EPA /LANDOV
An undated file photo showing a general view of the North-South industrial complex in the North Korean city of Kaesong.

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 2:03 pm

  • From 'All Things Considered': North Korea expert Aidan Foster-Carter

At an industrial park where they build appliances and other products for companies from South Korea, 55,000 North Koreans typically earn about $62 each a month, a North Korea expert tells NPR.

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It's All Politics
12:30 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Gun Control Prospects Recede As Politics Swamp Momentum

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 2:37 pm

President Obama's campaign for new federal gun control laws takes him to Colorado on Wednesday, and next week back to Connecticut, where the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre renewed the nation's fraught conversation about guns.

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Shots - Health News
12:26 pm
Wed April 3, 2013

Administration Hits Pause On Health Exchanges For Small Businesses

Credit iStockphoto.com
Shops and other small firms may be open, but health insurance exchanges will take a little longer before they're ready to offer a full range of health plans for small business customers.

Originally published on Fri April 5, 2013 2:58 pm

The Obama administration is delaying the start of a key piece of the Affordable Care Act. Workers in small businesses will have to wait an additional year to be able to choose from more than one plan in the marketplaces that start next January.

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The Two-Way
9:22 am
Wed April 3, 2013

All Clear In Berlin After 220-Pound WWII-Era Bomb Is Diffused

Credit Tobias Schwarz / Reuters /Landov
Safe and secure: The bomb after it was defused Wednesday in Berlin.

Originally published on Wed April 3, 2013 12:52 pm

From Berlin, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson tells us that:

An unexploded bomb from World War II was successfully defused Wednesday. Its discovery Tuesday night near the city's main railway station forced trains to divert and snarled traffic in the German capital.

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The Two-Way
8:49 am
Wed April 3, 2013

Job Growth Slowed In March, Survey Signals

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
The scene at a job fair in Manhattan on March 6.

There were 158,000 more jobs on private employers' payrolls in March than in February, the latest ADP National Employment Report estimates.

The gain was less than economists expected, Reuters reports. They thought ADP would say there had been a 200,000-jobs increase.

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Health Care
8:19 am
Wed April 3, 2013

White House Delays Part Of Health Care Law

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The Obama administration is delaying the start of a key piece of the Affordable Care Act - the national healthcare law. Workers in small businesses will have to wait an additional year to be able to choose from more than one plan in the new online marketplace that start next January. NPR's Julie Rovner reports that the change might dampen enthusiasm, at least at the start. But not everyone thinks that's a bad thing.

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The Two-Way
8:06 am
Wed April 3, 2013

Book News: Author And Wife Of Amazon CEO Defends Online Retailer

Credit Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images
Mackenzie Bezos and Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive officer of Amazon.com attend the "Schiaparelli And Prada: Impossible Conversations" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

  • Mackenzie Bezos, the author of the novel Traps and the wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, defended the company publicly for the first time to The Times [paywall protected], calling it "great for authors and books." She herself is not published by Amazon.
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