Saturday, February 8, 2014

NPR Stories: Week of January 26, 2014



The State of the Union speech was last week, but that’s not what the NPR picks were about. Learn about the Muslim American teenager that just became Ms. Marvel in her own comic series. This week there was also some overlap between Israel and the big American football game. Find out why a Palestinian prisoner became an informant or why OxFam dropped Scarlet Johansson as a spokesperson. Send up a flare and check out some of these articles.





Sunday, January 26

World Story of the Day

Three Years Later, Tahrir Protesters Drained And Defeated

On Jan. 25, 2011, millions of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo to demand President Hosni Mubarak step down. Now those who led the revolution have all but disappeared, and iconic Tahrir Square is a bitter place for many — a reminder of a momentary high in a battle they say they have lost.

Story of the Day

Computers Are The Future, But Does Everyone Need To Code?

There's been a groundswell of support for coding education — "developer evangelists" host 24-hour code-a-thons and there's talk of teaching coding as early as kindergarten. But one critic says that's overkill. Afterall, he says, just because you drive a car doesn’t mean that you have to be an auto mechanic.

Monday, January 27

World Story of the Day

'Nothing Is Fixed': Recovery Is Slow In Typhoon-Hit Philippine City



Typhoon Haiyan was one of the strongest storms ever recorded at landfall when it struck the Philippines late last year. More than 6,000 people were killed and millions more were displaced, and authorities are still struggling with clearing away debris, rebuilding houses and counting the dead.

Story of the Day

Growing Up 'White,' Transracial Adoptee Learned To Be Black

Adopted by loving white parents as a baby 42 years ago, Chad Goller-Sojourner was an adult before he could love his own reflection. He tells the story of what life was like growing up in a family of a different race than his own.

Business Story of the Day

Bernanke's Fed Legacy: A Tenure Full Of Tough Decisions

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will preside over his last Fed policy-making meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. During his two terms as chairman, he faced a global financial crisis that threatened to become financial Armageddon, followed by a deep recession.

Tuesday, January 28

World Story of the Day

New Muslim Ms. Marvel Doesn't Drink, Date Or Eat Bacon

The Marvel Universe is filled with people who can crawl along walls and shoot beams from their eyes. But comic book writer G. Willow Wilson saw one thing that was missing: Muslims. So she created Kamala Kahn, the first Muslim superhero to star in her own mainstream series. Wilson talks to host Michel Martin about expanding the religious horizons of the Marvel Universe.

Story of the Day

The Middle Class Took Off 100 Years Ago ... Thanks To Henry Ford?

In January 1914, Henry Ford started paying his auto workers a remarkable $5 a day. Doubling the average wage helped ensure a stable workforce and likely boosted sales since the workers could now afford to buy the cars they were making. It laid the foundation for an economy driven by consumer demand.

Business Story of the Day

Researchers Examine Gap Between Rich And Poor

Steve Inskeep talks to Harvard economist Nathan Hendren, a co-author of the study, which shows social mobility in the United States is not decreasing. David Wessel, of the Brookings Institution and a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, says while mobility isn’t getting any worse, there is still a big gap between rich and poor.

Wednesday, January 29

Story of the Day

A Homemade Wooden Luge Track Launches Teen To Sochi

When Tucker West was 6, his father built an 800-foot-long luge track in their backyard. Now, at 18, West is the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic luge team.

Business Story of the Day

NCAA To Fight Football Team's Decision To Unionize

College football and basketball are big business. So are the players of those sports just students, or are they employees with the right to unionize? Football players at Northwestern University have voted to form a union.

Thursday, January 30

World Story of the Day

A Palestinian Explains Why He Worked As An Israeli Informant



The Israeli-Palestinian conflict includes a shadow war in which Israel turns to Palestinian informants to gather intelligence. Palestinian Abed Hamed el-Rajoub was imprisoned for fighting against Israel, but while in jail, he secretly gathered information from fellow Palestinian prisoners.

Story of the Day

Ancient Plague's DNA Revived From A 1,500-Year-Old Tooth

When you hear the words bubonic plague, Black Death usually comes to mind. But the first plague pandemic happened 800 years earlier, when the Justinian plague wiped out nearly a quarter of the world's population. Scientists have decoded the bacteria responsible, which have roots in China.

Business Story of the Day

New York Looks To Bring Bitcoin Out Of The Shadows

Legitimate businesses and state regulators see the potential of virtual currencies like Bitcoin too, not just criminals. New York's financial regulators discussed it at a hearing, and if the state gets it right, it would be the first in the country to regulate the largely lawless world.

Friday, January 31

World Story of the Day

Scarlett Johansson's Middle East Flap ... Over Soda



The American actress has stepped down as a goodwill representative for Oxfam International. She came in for criticism after agreeing to serve as a spokeswoman, and appear in a Super Bowl ad, for an Israeli company that produces at-home soda-makers in the occupied West Bank.

Story of the Day

Much Of North Dakota's Natural Gas Is Going Up In Flames





Drillers pumping oil on the Great Plains are also producing a lot of natural gas. But the state doesn't have the infrastructure to transport or store it, so much of that gas isn't being sold — it's being set on fire.

Business Story of the Day

Super Bowl Ads Go Healthy: Selling Yogurt With A Steamy Kiss

Advertising during the big game is traditionally the realm of beer, chips and soda. But better-for-you foods will also make a play for viewers' wallets this year. Expect clever ads pitching nuts, yogurt and whole grain cereals.

Saturday, February 1

World Story of the Day

Air Quality Worries Dampen Chinese New Year Fireworks





China is greeting the Year of the Horse with a little less fanfare, noise and smoke, after severe air pollution choked scores of cities last year. Firework sales are down, and more people say they're forgoing the ancient and beloved good-luck tradition for the sake of their lungs and health.

Story of the Day

Sidelined By Brain Injury, Ex-NFL Player Copes With 'Desperation'

During his 10-year career, Sean Morey absorbed countless hits, more than a few of which resulted in concussions. "Every time I hit somebody it was like getting tasered," he says. Now, he suffers from lingering conditions, like debilitating headaches, and is an advocate for players’ health.

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