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The Two-Way
12:10 pm
Tue March 5, 2013

U.S. Speedskating Investigating Sexual Abuse Allegations

Credit Rick Bowmer / AP
Speedskater Bridie Farrell competing last Friday in Kearns, Utah. Now 31, she says she was 15 when a much older teammate began sexually abusing her.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 3:17 pm

Yet another scandal has hit U.S. Speedskating (USS), which governs the sport with the biggest haul of winter Olympic medals for Team USA.

The USS board announced Monday night that it is investigating allegations of sexual abuse involving short track silver medalist Andy Gabel, now 48, who also once served as president of USS.

"U.S. Speedskating will not tolerate abuse of any kind and we intend to investigate these claims, and any others that arise, thoroughly," the group said in a written statement.

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The Salt
11:44 am
Tue March 5, 2013

From Crock-Pots to 'Cook-Overs': Your Dinnertime Confessional Tips

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 3:14 pm

We touched a nerve recently when we asked about dinnertime as part of On the Run, our series exploring how crucial everyday decisions are made about food and exercise.

"No matter how close a relationship I develop with the Crock-Pot," wrote mom Celeste Higgins, it's still hard to get dinner on the table before 8 p.m.

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The Two-Way
11:40 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Study Finds Climate Change To Open Arctic Sea Routes By 2050

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 1:22 pm

Climate change will make commercial shipping possible from North America to Russia or Asia over the North Pole by the middle of the century, a new study says.

Two researchers at the University of California ran seven different climate models simulating two classes of vessels to see if they could make a relatively ice-free passage through the Arctic Ocean. In each case, the sea routes are sufficiently clear after 2049, they say.

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Governing
11:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Can Michigan Right The Ship For Detroit?

If Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has his way, Detroit will become the sixth and largest city there to come under state control. But steering a city out of crisis can be a tricky task. Host Michel Martin speaks with Jerome Vaughn, of WDET, and Robert Bobb, a former emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools, about the situation.

The Two-Way
11:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Interactive: Compare Your Commute To Nation's Longest

Credit WNYC
The average travel time to work in the United States tops 25 minutes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Move around the map or enter your town or zip code to find commute times for your area.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 1:36 pm

Are you a "mega-commuter"?

That's a term used by the U.S. Census Bureau to describe people who commute at least 90 minutes and 50 miles to work. Nearly 600,000 Americans spend that much time in vehicles, carpool lanes, and trains and buses each day, according to the bureau.

This interactive map, created by WNYC, shows commute times, by ZIP code, across the country. Zoom into your area to see how your commute compares:

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Your Money
11:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Financial Advisors Selling Bogus Advice?

Skipping $4 lattes will save you some money — but buying into bogus financial advice won't. Finance journalist, Helaine Olen says many of the so-called 'financial experts' are selling you advice to make themselves rich. She discusses her book, Pound Foolish: Exposing the Dark Side of the Personal Finance Industry with host Michel Martin.

Economy
11:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Not Having Kids Bad For The Economy?

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 12:03 pm

Fewer Americans are having babies. Instead, many are putting their careers or savings accounts first. But experts say the country's low birthrate could be disastrous for the economy. Host Michel Martin examines the trend with her parenting roundtable.

Shots - Health News
11:09 am
Tue March 5, 2013

A Costly Catch-22 In States Forgoing Medicaid Expansion

Credit Rick Bowmer / AP
Outside the office of Utah Gov. Herbert Friday, Betsy Ogden lays paper chains on a pile symbolizing uninsured state residents who would be covered by a Medicaid expansion.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 12:08 pm

Poor adults who live in states that don't go along with the federal health overhaul's expansion of Medicaid face a double whammy.

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The Two-Way
10:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Pilot Reports Seeing Drone In Sky Near JFK

Credit Spencer Platt / Getty Images
A jet taking off from JFK Airport in New York City last month. On Monday, a pilot reported seeing a drone in the air near the airport.

The pilot of an Alitalia pilot flying into New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport told controllers Monday afternoon that he had spotted "a drone aircraft" 1,500 feet high in the sky and approximately 5 miles west of the airport.

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The Two-Way
10:21 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Justin Bieber Apologizes For Delay In Start Of London Concert

Credit Jim Dyson / Getty Images
Justin Bieber performs live at 02 Arena on Monday.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 10:42 am

Screaming, crying fans are par for the course if you're teen idol Justin Bieber. But this is a bit different.

After a Monday concert at London's O2 Arena that reportedly started two hours late, the 19-year-old pop star has been forced to apologize for upsetting disappointed young concertgoers and their angry parents.

In a series of tweets Tuesday, Bieber issued his mea culpa:

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Krulwich Wonders...
10:11 am
Tue March 5, 2013

How To Produce A Billion Flowers On The Very Same Day

Originally published on Mon March 4, 2013 12:49 pm

Shots - Health News
10:08 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Often A Health Care Laggard, U.S. Shines In Cancer Treatment

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 7:04 am

When it comes to the state of the nation's health, the U.S. seems to get one poor grade after another. Despite spending more on health care, we've been slipping behind other high-income countries for life expectancy and healthy living.

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The Two-Way
10:01 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Will It Hit A New High? Dow Flirts With Record

Credit Brendan McDermid / Reuters /Landov
A trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange earlier this week.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 5:36 pm

Update at 4:09 p.m. ET. A New Record:

The Dow Industrials finished in record territory today. Gaining 89 points, it closed at 14,253.77, its highest level since Oct. 9,2007.

That is, the Dow has recovered all the losses it suffered during the Great Recession.

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The Two-Way
9:34 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Man Linked To Hit-And-Run Deaths Of Parents And Baby Has Long Rap Sheet

Credit Reuters /Landov
Julio Acevedo, the suspect in a car crash that killed a couple and later the baby that the pregnant mother was carrying, in an undated New York Police Department photo.

The man who authorities want to question about Sunday's hit-and-run car crash in Brooklyn that killed a young couple and the baby that the 21-year-old pregnant mother was carrying has "a history of violence and a prior drunken driving arrest," The Associated Press writes.

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The Two-Way
8:44 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Venezuela's Chavez Takes Turn For the Worse

Credit Uncredited / AP
A "proof of life" photo shows Chavez with his daughters, released Feb. 15 by Miraflores Presidential Press Office.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 9:10 am

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has been battling cancer for months, is in a "very delicate" condition, with breathing difficulties and a severe respiratory infection, a government statement says.

The statement, read out Monday by Minister of Communications Ernesto Villegas, spells out the 58-year-old socialist leader's decline since his December surgery in Cuba for an unspecified cancer in the pelvic area:

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The Two-Way
8:38 am
Tue March 5, 2013

At The Vatican, 'No Rush' To Set Conclave; And A Fake Bishop Tries To Get In

Credit Vincenzo Pinto / AFP/Getty Images
That's not a real bishop on the left: A man later identified as Ralph Napierski of Germany (at left) posed with Cardinal Sergio Sebiastiana and others on Monday at the Vatican. Napierski was an imposter. He was later escorted from the area by Swiss Guards.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 11:17 am

Roman Catholic cardinals are in "no rush" to set the date for the start of their conclave that will choose the next pope, a Vatican spokesman told reporters Tuesday.

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Around the Nation
7:15 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Wash. Lawmaker Apologizes For Cyclist Comment

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Renee Montagne. When Washington state lawmakers proposed a new tax on bikes, the owner of several bike shops protested and ended up in an email argument with a Republican lawmaker, who shot back a novel claim.

State Sen. Ed Orcutt argued that cyclists pollute just by breathing. It is true that a heavy breathing cyclist will emit more carbon dioxide than a person who's just sitting. Orcutt did reconsider, and apologized.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

World
7:05 am
Tue March 5, 2013

U.S.: Diplomats Shouldn't Drink Before Budget Meeting

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep with a call for a reform at the United Nations.

Joseph M. Torsella represents the United States on the U.N. budget committee. He says it's a tough budget process, complicated by diplomats who show up drunk. Ambassador Torsella made, quote, "the modest proposal that the negotiating room should be inebriation-free." He says he wants this, even though sloshed negotiators have provided the U.S. with, quote, "strategic opportunities." It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

The Two-Way
7:00 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Book News: Male Authors Still Get Far More Coverage, Survey Shows

Credit Evan Agostini / Getty Images
Author Jennifer Weiner, who has been outspoken about gender bias in book coverage in the media, pictured in 2005.

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

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Business
5:18 am
Tue March 5, 2013

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 7:27 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And our last word in business is, no more working in your pajamas. Best Buy says it's ending its flexible work program, calling its corporate employees back to the office.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is getting to be a trend. The move comes after Yahoo stirred debate for ending its work-from-home program. A Best Buy spokesperson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the hope is that quote, "all-hands-on-deck approach will lead to collaboration."

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Asia
5:18 am
Tue March 5, 2013

National People's Congress Opens, Prepares For Leadership Change

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 6:54 am

On the opening day Tuesday, Premier Wen Jiabao delivered his version of the State of the Union address. He's due to step down next week. The annual legislative meeting marks the official transition to power of a new leadership team under Xi Jinping.

Business
5:18 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Business News

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 7:25 am

Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission show if William Johnson is fired when the new owners take over, he'll walk away with a golden parachute worth $56 million. When you tack on stock payouts and deferred compensation benefits, he could get more than $200 million.

It's All Politics
3:42 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Four Things To Know About The Next Big Budget Battle

Credit Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP
Congress has until March 27 to pass a Continuing Resolution. If it doesn't, the government will run out of money and will likely shut down.

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 8:50 am

Now that the sequester has taken effect, there's a new phrase that keeps popping up in Washington: the "continuing resolution." If Congress doesn't pass a continuing resolution by March 27, the government will run out of money and will likely shut down. Here's a list of four things you might want to know about how a continuing resolution works and how it might soften the blow of the sequester.

1. Exactly what is a "continuing resolution"?

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Author Interviews
3:40 am
Tue March 5, 2013

'Wave' Tells A True Story Of Survival And Loss In The 2004 Tsunami

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 7:56 am

On Dec. 26, 2004, Sonali Deraniyagala was vacationing with her husband, her two sons and her parents in Yala, Sri Lanka. The day was just beginning when she and a friend noticed that something strange was happening in the ocean. Within a matter of minutes, the sea had wiped out life as she had known it. In a new memoir, called simply Wave, she recalls her experience with the tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people, including her own family.

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Joe's Big Idea
3:39 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Wanna Play? Computer Gamers Help Push Frontier Of Brain Research

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 3:39 pm

People can get pretty addicted to computer games. By some estimates, residents of planet Earth spend 3 billion hours per week playing them. Now some scientists are hoping to make use of all that human capital and harness it for a good cause.

Right now I'm at the novice level of a game called EyeWire, trying to color in a nerve cell in a cartoon drawing of a slice of tissue. EyeWire is designed to solve a real science problem — it aims to chart the billions of nerve connections in the brain.

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Author Interviews
3:38 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Skipping Out On College And 'Hacking Your Education'

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 5:18 am

The cost of college can range from $60,000 for a state university to four times as much at some private colleges. The total student debt in the U.S. now tops credit card debt. So a lot of people are asking: Is college really worth it?

There are several famous and staggeringly successful college dropouts, including Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison. You may not end up with fat wallets like them, but Dale Stephens says you can find a different education path.

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Your Money
3:35 am
Tue March 5, 2013

For Baby Boomers, Lessons In Financial Basics

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Mon April 1, 2013 1:54 pm

The oldest of the baby boomers came of age in the 1960s and are beginning to retire. Their younger cohorts are still putting kids through college and building careers. Baby boomers are a giant portion of the population — 78 million people, by one estimate.

They grew up in an era of rising living standards, but the Great Recession destroyed any sense of financial security — and many nest eggs. Financial planner Tim Maurer outlines a variety of issues boomers face.

Who is a baby boomer, and what defines their financial situations?

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Author Interviews
3:34 am
Tue March 5, 2013

Jeb Bush: Legal Residency, Not Citizenship, For Illegal Immigrants

Originally published on Tue March 5, 2013 8:44 am

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the son and brother of presidents, says the United States should overhaul its laws to make immigration easier and to give illegal immigrants a way to legal residence, not citizenship.

Bush lays out his plan with co-author Clint Bolick in the new book Immigration Wars. Bush tells NPR's Steve Inskeep that they propose legalizing undocumented immigrants "after there is a recognition that if people come here illegally, they have to pay a fine or do community service [and] make sure they don't commit any serious crimes."

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The Two-Way
6:48 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

Long Lines At TSA: Maybe Not a Good Omen For Spring Break Travel

Credit Ryan McCammon / via Facebook
The scene at Salt Lake City International Airport.

The Transportation Security Administration today would not confirm there were any unusual delays in air travel caused by budget cuts.

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The Two-Way
6:40 pm
Mon March 4, 2013

Fannie And Freddie Announce Plans To Merge Some Operations

Originally published on Mon March 4, 2013 7:00 pm

The government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced today that they would try to merge some of the operations the two companies currently perform separately.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

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