Friday, January 17, 2014

NPR Stories: January 5 - 11, 2014



With a new year comes new opportunity for aggregation. Last week was the Consumer Electronics Show, so we heard stories about how Google is partnering with car companies to release Android in more vehicles and Intel’s drive to put their computer chips into wearable technologies. In addition we have stories of Brazilian cuisine, continued fighting in Syria, and machines that create snow for the skiing season. I don’t remember seeing any cloud seeders when I was on the mountain a few days ago, but a trip to a ski resort made me aware of the reasons for setting up the tech. However, that’s a topic for a separate article.




Sunday, January 5

World Story of the Day

Texas Man Becomes Unlikely CFO Of Ragged Kabul Orphanage

After decades of war in Afghanistan, the country has thousands of orphans. One home for these children ended up with an improbable benefactor — an Iranian-American who came to Kabul to do rule of law development work, and stumbled into a side project working with disabled orphans.

Story of the Day

Saving Babies' Lives Starts With Aquarium Pumps And Ingenuity

Students at Rice University in Houston are finding low-cost solutions to big global health problems. The women running the program are hoping to get these young engineers hooked on helping. One particularly successful device that helps infants breathe has already been tested in Malawi and will be distributed to hospitals around the country.

Monday, January 6

World Story of the Day

The Internet's Cicada: A Mystery Without An Answer

Two years ago, strange sets of bewildering puzzles appeared on the Internet, with a message encouraging "highly intelligent individuals" to try to break the code. The code led to more clues spanning a global Internet mystery, that has yet to be solved.

Story of the Day

Dad's Message Recorded At War, A Gift Given Decades Later

Sgt. Cody Wolf died in World War II on Jan. 11, 1944, when his plane was shot down. Weeks before his death, he contributed to a Christmas broadcast recorded on the front lines. His daughter, Margaret Ann Wolf Harris, heard that recording for the first time in December.

Business Story of the Day

Automakers Join With Google To Offer Android Software

Google and big automakers including Audi, GM, Hyundia and Honda are creating an open automobile alliance. That is, a framework that will allow Google Android software to work with theses cars creating connected mobile experiences.

Tuesday, January 7

World Story of the Day

Amazon Locavore: Meet The Man Putting Brazilian Food On The Map






Alex Atala's Sao Paulo restaurant, D.O.M., is ranked among the top 10 restaurants in the world. His cuisines, which showcases irridescent insects, delicate jungle herbs and other ingredients from the Amazon, is pushing the frontiers of gastronomy.

Story of the Day

Army Takes On Its Own Toxic Leaders


Why have so many soldiers committed suicide in recent years? The Army is looking beyond post-traumatic stress and asking whether bad commanders and destructive leadership are taking a toll.

Business Story of the Day

In Gaming, A Shift From Enemies To Emotions

Many of these "empathy games" focus on smaller, more personal stories about everyday people. Today's developers grew up with the medium, says one designer. For them, it's "natural to consider that you can have a game about anything."

Wednesday, January 7

World Story of the Day

Fallujah Veterans Ask Hard Questions About Their Sacrifices

A radical group with links to al-Qaida has taken intermittent control of key parts of Fallujah in western Iraq. It's the same area where U.S. troops saw some of their bloodiest fights during the Iraq war a decade ago, costing the U.S. more lives than in any other region in Iraq.

Story of the Day

50 Years After Landmark Warning, 8 Million Fewer Smoking Deaths

Back in 1964, people smoked cigarettes at work, in restaurants and in grocery stores. Few would have predicted that a report from the U.S. surgeon general would spark a public health revolution that has increased life expectancy in this country by 30 percent.

Business Story of the Day

Intel Striving Not To Miss Next Wave Of Computing: Wearables

Intel was a powerhouse in the age of personal computing, making its revenues from powerful chips built into PCs. But it has largely missed the mobile computing revolution. With PC sales slumping, Intel is intent on becoming relevant in the next wave of computing – wearables.

Thursday, January 9

World Story of the Day

As Rebels Fight Rebels, Grim Reports From A Syrian City





Syria's civil war keeps getting more complicated. In the latest twist, fractious rebel groups have united to fight extremists linked to al-Qaida. Both sides oppose the Syrian government, but for now they are pointing their guns at each other and a nasty battle is taking place in the northern city of Raqqa.

Story of the Day

Whales, Dolphins Are Collateral Damage In Our Taste For Seafood

More than 80 percent of the seafood consumed in the U.S. now comes from abroad. And fishermen in other parts of the world continue to kill not just dolphins but seals and even whales. So conservation groups are calling for tougher import rules to protect sea animals at risk from fishing.

Business Story of the Day

Blending Red Wine With Porter Ale: A Crossover Beer Worth The Buzz?

Two of mankind's oldest beverages are being mashed together in a new generation of brews. These beer-wine blends, boasting layered, complex flavors, are part of a broader trend of experimentation, as craft brewers seek to distinguish themselves in a crowded field.

Friday, January 10

World Story of the Day

Rare Horses Released In Spain As Part Of 'Rewilding' Effort





Two-dozen endangered horses were brought to an unfenced area of western Spain that's believed to have once been native territory for them.

Story of the Day

It's Not Magic On The Mountain, It's A Rain-Making Machine







The snowpack in the Mountain West is at just a small fraction of its normal level, and it was the driest year ever recorded in many parts of California. Cloud seeders are trying to squeeze raindrops out of Mother Nature by spraying tiny silver iodide particles into incoming clouds.

Business Story of the Day

Safety Group Sues Buckyballs Founder In Product Recall Case

The government is going after Craig Zucker, the creator of a "desk toy" consisting of small round magnets that wound up being swallowed by a lot of children. The Consumer Product Safety Commisision initiated a recall but rather than go along, Zucker shut down his company.

Saturday, January 11

World Story of the Day

An Execution In North Korea Has A Chilling Effect In China

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's execution of his uncle was about more than an internal power struggle. Jang Song Thaek oversaw economic ties with China and was accused of selling North Korean resources to its main ally on the cheap.

Story of the Day

Dying Stars Write Their Own Swan Songs

Astronomy professor Alicia Soderberg is turning the final moments of stars into music. In doing so, she's learning just how different the supernova explosions can be.




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