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Economy
11:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

What's The Priority: Unemployment Or Deficit?

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. I'm Michel Martin. Later in the program, Superstorm Sandy might've turned out the lights along the East Coast, but Twitter was ablaze with comments. We want to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly that Sandy brought out on social media. We'll have that conversation in a few minutes.

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Digital Life
11:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Why Some Spread Misinformation In Disasters

Superstorm Sandy turned out the lights along the Eastern Seaboard, but Twitter was ablaze with comments. Host Michel Martin looks at the good, the bad, and the ugly of social media during Sandy, including intentional hoaxes. She speaks with Rey Junco of the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society about why some users spread misinformation.

Barbershop
11:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

The Politics Of Superstorm Sandy

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 3:22 pm

Host Michel Martin and the Barbershop guys weigh in on the politics of superstorm Sandy. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says climate change is a major reason for endorsing President Obama. And New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie praised the president for his recovery efforts.

China: Change Or Crisis
11:09 am
Fri November 2, 2012

China's Assertive Behavior Makes Neighbors Wary

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 10:20 pm

As China's global stature grows, Beijing appears to be flexing its muscles more frequently on the international stage. As part of NPR's series on China this week, correspondents Louisa Lim and Frank Langfitt are looking at this evolving foreign policy. From Beijing, Louisa examines the forces driving China's policy, while Frank reports on why China's neighbors are feeling increasingly edgy.

By Louisa Lim

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The Two-Way
11:09 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Coast Guard Probing Tall Ship's Sinking; Captain Had Spoken About Hurricanes

Credit Petty Officer 2nd Class Tim Kuklewski/U.S. Coast Guard / Getty Images
The HMS Bounty as the tall ship sank Monday off the coast of North Carolina.
It's All Politics
11:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Final Pre-Election Jobs Report Has News For Both Obama And Romney To Spin

Credit Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama gives a girl a high five at a campaign rally in Hilliard, Ohio, on Nov. 2.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 1:20 pm

(Revised @ 12 p.m. ET)

The final monthly jobs report before Tuesday's general election contained something for both President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney to work into their closing arguments to voters.

For Obama, it was the news that the economy in October created significantly more jobs — 171,000 — than many economists had forecast. And the Labor Department revised upward the job numbers for September and August, suggesting even more underlying strength in the economy than earlier appeared to be the case.

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Shots - Health News
10:21 am
Fri November 2, 2012

OB-GYNs And ER Docs Miss Out On Medicaid Pay Hike

Credit John Moore / Getty Images
A medical assistant checks a patient's blood pressure at a community health center in Aurora, Colo. Metro Community Provider Network has received some 6,000 more Medicaid eligible patients since the health overhaul law was passed in 2010.

Obstetricians, gynecologists and emergency room doctors will be shut out of the higher Medicaid pay that primary care doctors will start collecting in January.

The Obama administration made the ruling late Thursday.

Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid rates for primary care doctors will soon be on par with what Medicare pays. The overhaul law included the hike to encourage doctors to see the larger number of patients who will be covered by a Medicaid expansion.

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It's All Politics
10:01 am
Fri November 2, 2012

In Oklahoma, Republicans Take Two Views Toward Taxes

Credit Joe Wertz/StateImpact Oklahoma
Rowers return to the Chesapeake Energy Boathouse after training on the river near downtown Oklahoma City. The riverfront recreation area is one of the most visible examples of the city's sales tax initiatives in action.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 10:45 am

On Tuesday, voters in Tulsa County, Okla., will weigh in on a pair of ballot measures that would extend a sales tax hike to fund economic development and public works projects.

Tulsa's Republican mayor, Dewey Bartlett, and other local GOP leaders support the idea of continuing the tax hike. So does the local business establishment, represented by the Tulsa Metro Chamber.

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Economy
9:02 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Jobless Rate At 7.9 Percent; 171,000 Jobs Added

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renée Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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The Two-Way
8:16 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Video May Show Rebels Executing Syrian Soldiers

Credit Javier Manzano / AFP/Getty Images
In Aleppo, Syria, this week: A rebel crossed a ruined street. This image shows him in a mirror's reflection.

A video that appears to show rebels in Syria executing a small group of soldiers from the regime of President Bashar Assad has prompted human rights groups and officials to appeal to all sides to respect the human rights of their prisoners.

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The Two-Way
7:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Jobless Rate Likely Edged Up In October, Job Growth Was Likely Modest

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
How many signs like this were there in October? We got a clue today.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:37 am

The nation's unemployment rate edged up to 7.9 percent in October from 7.8 percent in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says.

But private and public employers added 171,000 jobs to their payrolls — nearly 50,000 more than economists had expected.

So the news is somewhat mixed: While the jobless rate remained stuck near 8 percent, job growth was better than forecast.

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Around the Nation
6:02 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Photo Helps Track Down Calif. Lottery Winner

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

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Around the Nation
6:01 am
Fri November 2, 2012

New Jersey Extends Deadline For Mail-In Ballots

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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Energy
5:34 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Fixing NYC's Underground Power Grid Is No Easy Task

Credit Bloomberg via Getty Images
Consolidated Edison workers try to repair damage near the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

The fury of the great storm Sandy shocked a lot of people, like John Miksad, vice president of the New York electric utility Consolidated Edison. "We hit 14-foot tides — that was the biggest surprise," he told a press conference this week. "The water just kept rising and rising and rising."

That rising water flooded streets, buildings and parts of the city's underground electricity grid. Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers lost power. But it might have been worse if the power lines had not been underground.

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Around the Nation
5:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

In Michigan, A Contentious Battle Over A Bridge

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

On Election Day next week, Michigan voters will face a question about international bridges and tunnels. It's really a question about one bridge in particularly - a long-planned and highly-contested connection between Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.

As Michigan Radio's Sarah Cwiek reports, it's an electoral twist in a bitter struggle with Michigan's governor and Canada on one side, and a billionaire bridge owner on the other.

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The Salt
5:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

After Sandy, It's Pizza And Homemade Meatballs For The Lucky In New Jersey

Credit Michael Loccisano / Getty Images
While this pizzeria in Belmar, N.J., remained closed after Hurricane Sandy, Geno D's in Toms River turned out 500 pies to grateful customers on Wednesday.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

The produce aisle may not yet be restocked at the Stop & Shop in Toms River, N.J., and other perishables may still be hard to come by. But rest assured, the local pizza joint is hopping.

"We've been busy, very busy," says Marissa Henderson, granddaughter of the proprietor of Geno D's pizzeria in Toms River. It was one of the few restaurants open in the area in the wake of the hurricane that rolled through earlier this week.

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U.S.
5:04 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Ala. Racist Language Measure Draws Unexpected Foes

Credit Dave Martin / AP
Alabama's Constitution still includes language referring to poll taxes and segregated schools. Voters are poised to decide on an amendment to excise the outdated lines, but some African-American leaders in the state are opposing the change.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 1:20 pm

State-mandated segregation is a thing of the past in Alabama, but the state's antiquated 1901 constitution paints a different picture. On Tuesday, Alabama voters will decide whether to strip language from the state's governing document that calls for poll taxes and separate schools for "white and colored."

In 2004, voters rejected an amendment to purge those remnants of Jim Crow from the constitution by fewer than 2,000 votes.

'We've Got To Move Forward'

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NPR Story
4:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

How Obama And Romney Differ On Climate Change

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Climate change was a big part of the announcement Mayor Bloomberg made yesterday endorsing President Obama for reelection.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Bloomberg owns a media company, is politically independent, and made his endorsement in a memorable way. He said Mitt Romney has taken sensible positions in the past but reversed course on all of them.

MONTAGNE: He also said President Obama's term has been disappointing. But he argued the president was better on a range of issues, especially climate change.

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NPR Story
4:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Some Economists Think Price Gouging Is Good

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

OK. So, it was really hard to get gas in the New York area yesterday. One very simple thing could be done that might change everything: drastically raise the price of gas. Now, if that happened, we would surely consider it price-gouging. But some economists think it would be a really good idea. Here's Zoe Chace of our Planet Money team.

MICHELLE MEDINA: So, everybody here's OK? You guys OK? All right. Yeah, we're still on line with him.

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NPR Story
4:58 am
Fri November 2, 2012

Romney Back On The Attack In Virginia

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

On a Friday - we've made it to Friday - it's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

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The Two-Way
3:31 am
Fri November 2, 2012

U.S. Offers New Details Of Deadly Libya Attack

Credit Mohammad Hannon / AP
A Libyan military guard stands in front of one of the U.S. Consulate's burned out buildings on Sept. 14. The U.S. is offering new details of the attack on the consulate that killed four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Once a mob began attacking the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, on the night of Sept. 11, officials in Washington, D.C., watched with alarm. Now, new details are emerging about their response to the deadly attack.

President Obama and his entire national security team monitored what was going on half a world away. Army Gen. Carter Ham, who was the regional commander for Africa, happened to be in Washington that day.

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Animals
8:00 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

Move Over, Parrot: Elephant Mimics Trainer At Zoo

Credit Stoeger, et. al. / Current Biology
Koshi, an elephant, makes sounds that imitate Korean words.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 11:43 am

Scientists say an Asian elephant at a South Korean zoo can imitate human speech, saying five Korean words that are readily understood by people who speak the language.

The male elephant, named Koshik, invented an unusual method of sound production that involves putting his trunk in his mouth and manipulating his vocal tract.

"This is not the kind of sound that Asian elephants normally make, and it's a dead-on match of the speech of his trainers," says Tecumseh Fitch of the University of Vienna in Austria.

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It's All Politics
6:42 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

In Key Senate Races, Outside Groups Outpace Candidates' Ad Spending

Credit Tony Dejak / AP
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (right), D-Ohio, debates his Republican challenger, Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel, at the City Club in Cleveland on Oct. 15.

Originally published on Fri November 2, 2012 7:52 pm

Most of the attention heading into Election Day may be on the presidential race, but the stakes are also high in the battle for the U.S. Senate, where there are close contests in about a dozen states.

According to an NPR analysis of Kantar Media CMAG data, outside groups are spending more than $100 million blanketing the airwaves. This won't come as a surprise if you live in a state with a competitive Senate race.

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The Two-Way
6:37 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

Report: Non-Partisan Research Service Pulls Tax Report After GOP Complaints

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 8:36 pm

According to The New York Times, the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service pulled a report from its website after "after Senate Republicans raised concerns about the paper's findings and wording." The unit of the Library of Congress did so, despite objections from its economic team.

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Around the Nation
5:15 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

New Yorkers Struggle With Limited Transit Options

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 6:42 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

New Yorkers were ready to get back to work today. Unfortunately, the region's transportation system was not. Commuters to Manhattan overwhelmed the barely operating bus and train system. From Brooklyn, NPR's Robert Smith reports on the resulting long lines and frustration.

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Movie Reviews
5:03 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

'Ralph': An 8-Bit Hero With Plenty Of Heart

Originally published on Sat November 3, 2012 12:15 am

After a very long engagement that began with the original Toy Story, Disney finally made an honest woman out of Pixar in 2006, when it paid the requisite billions to move the computer animation giant into the Magic Kingdom. But Disney's spirited 2010 hit Tangled made it abundantly clear that Pixar had a say in the creative marriage: The story of Rapunzel may be standard Disney princess fare, but the whip-crack pacing and fractured-fairy tale wit felt unmistakably Pixar. From now on, it would seem, Mickey Mouse and Luxo Jr.

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The Two-Way
4:55 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

China Offers Proposal For Ceasefire In Syria

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 8:37 pm

China, which along with Russia has repeatedly rejected international intervention in the civil war in Syria, issued a cease-fire proposal on Thursday.

The proposal, reports The New York Times, calls for a "phased-in truce" and the "establishment of a transitional authority," but does stop short of calling for the ouster of President Bashar Assad.

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It's All Politics
4:42 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

Superstorm Sandy May Have Blown In Fresh Breeze Of Bipartisanship

Credit Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama is greeted by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie upon arriving in Atlantic City, N.J., on Wednesday to visit areas hardest hit by Superstorm Sandy.

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 7:02 pm

Amid the devastation caused by Sandy, there are signs the superstorm might have blown a fresh breeze into the nation's politics. Suddenly, everyone's talking about something that seemed impossible just days before — bipartisanship.

Nothing sums that attitude up better than the actions of New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. Republican Christie, who has worked closely with GOP hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign and has consistently proved one of President Obama's harshest critics, put that aside in the aftermath of Sandy.

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Around the Nation
4:39 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

In Flooded New Jersey, No Oversight For Levees

Credit Andrew Burton / Getty Images
An emergency responder helps residents of Little Ferry, N.J., after their neighborhood was flooded due to Superstorm Sandy.

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 6:42 pm

Residents of Moonachie and Little Ferry, N.J., are beginning to clear the damage after their communities were inundated by floodwaters. The flooding occurred when a system of levees and berms was unable to control the storm surge pushed ashore by Superstorm Sandy.

Geologist Jeffrey Mount of the University of California, Davis, isn't surprised. "There really are only two kinds of levees," he says, "those that have failed, and those that will fail."

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Africa
4:38 pm
Thu November 1, 2012

Vigilantes Spray Paint Sexual Harassers In Cairo

Originally published on Thu November 1, 2012 9:15 pm

Over the recent four-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, more than 1,000 sexual harassment complaints were filed in Egypt.

President Mohammed Morsi has ordered an investigation, but some are not prepared to wait for the government and the police to act.

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