All Things Considered on The News And Ideas Network

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Abortions After 20 Weeks

Julie Rovner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:36:00 +0000

The House has passed one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades. But it's unlikely to ever become law.

By a mostly party-line vote Tuesday of 228-196, lawmakers passed the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization.

"At 20 weeks maybe sooner, the baby feels pain," said physician and Rep. John Fleming, R-La., on the House floor. "And so I would just submit to you today Mr.

How The Civil Rights Movement Was Covered In Birmingham

Audie Cornish — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:04:00 +0000

As the Civil Rights Movement was unfolding across the US in 1963, the entire nation had its eyes on climactic events taking place in Southern cities like Birmingham, Ala., and Jackson, Miss. But there's a stark difference between how the national press covered the events in Birmingham and how Birmingham's papers covered their own city.

As part of NPR's series on that pivotal summer of 1963, Audie Cornish traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to revisit some of the stories that shaped the city and the nation at the time.

Home-Schooled Students Fight To Play On Public School Teams

Steve Walsh — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Legislative battles are being fought around the country over whether or not to let home-schooled students play on public high school teams.

Roughly half of U.S. states have passed laws making them eligible to play on the teams.

A Look Back At How Newspapers Covered The Civil Rights Movement

Audie Cornish — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:18:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish in Birmingham, Alabama. It's been half a century since Birmingham was at the center of the Civil Rights struggle. Back in May of 1963, images of fire hoses and German shepherds turned on young protesters pretty much shocked the world.

Change Is On The Horizon For London's Famous Skyline

Christopher Werth — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:18:00 +0000

Cities are defined by their skylines — while Paris is composed mostly of low-rise apartment buildings, New York is a city of tall office towers. But London is a city in transition.

Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Christine Porter is hooked on the MyFitnessPal app. In October, after deciding to lose 50 pounds, Porter started typing in everything she eats, drinks and any exercise she gets.

"This is my main page here," says Porter. "It's telling me I have about 1,200 calories remaining for the day. When I want to record something I just click the 'add to diary' button.

Letters: Mozart's Violin And The Price Of Potatoes

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:55:00 +0000

Robert Siegel and Melissa Block read emails from listeners about Mozart's violin and the price of potatoes.

Mexico's Tech Startups Look To Overcome Barriers To Growth

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:52:00 +0000

In the past decade, Mexico's tech industry has flourished, growing three times faster than the global average. Most of that growth has been fueled by demand from the United States. But as Mexico's startups strive to make it in foreign markets, they say they need more engineers and ways to finance their growth.

Softtek, Mexico's biggest technology services company, spans four continents and provides software support to a client base that includes Fortune 500 companies.

Kanye's 'Yeezus' Packs A Bite

Oliver Wang — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:25:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuhl6Ji5zHM

Dirty Spuds? Alleged Potato Cartel Accused Of Price Fixing

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:34:00 +0000

Editor's Note: Many of you noted that the price for a 10-pound bag of potatoes cited in the lawsuit seems ridiculously high. So we look into the matter further — you can read what we found in this follow-up post.

High-tech spying with satellites. Intimidation. Price fixing.

Sound like the makings of a Hollywood thriller?

The Human Voice May Not Spark Pleasure In Children With Autism

Jon Hamilton — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:03:00 +0000

The human voice appears to trigger pleasure circuits in the brains of typical kids, but not children with autism, a Stanford University team reports. The finding could explain why many children with autism seem indifferent to spoken words.

The Stanford team used functional MRI to compare the brains of 20 children who had autism spectrum disorders and 19 typical kids.

Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs

Trey Graham — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Once upon a time, it was MySpace. (Huh. Turns out you can still link to it.) Then Facebook happened. And Twitter. And beyond those two dominant social-media platforms, there are a host of other, newer options for staying in touch and letting the digital universe get a look at your life.

How Do You Teach The Civil Rights Movement?

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Note: As part of NPR's series on the summer of 1963, reporter Cory Turner headed to Jackson, Miss. to take a look at how folks are teaching the Civil Rights movement to kids who weren't a part of it — and making the lessons stick.

Much has changed in the past 50 years, since the height of the Civil Rights movement. But how do you teach the Civil Rights to kids who haven't ever experienced it? In Jackson, Miss., Fannie Lou Hamer Institute's Summer Youth Workshop tackles that question.

Take 13-year-old Jermany Gray, for instance.

New Iranian President Known As The 'Diplomat Sheikh'

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

Today, the new president of Iran vowed to follow the path of moderation and justice, not extremism. Hasan Rowhani talked of enhancing mutual trust between Iran and other countries. That marks a stark change in rhetoric from that of outgoing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rowhani campaigned as a reformist.

San Antonio Spurs One Game From Winning Fifth NBA Title

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Every time you think you got a handle on this year's NBA Finals, you realize, you have no idea what's going to happen next. Case in point: Before last night's game five against the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was slumping and supposedly washed up. Instead he put on a vintage performance and led the Spurs to a ten-point victory over the defending champs.

Northern Ireland A Poignant Location For G-8 Summit

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

In his speech in Belfast, President Obama talked at length about the transformation of that city from conflict zone to a city bustling with normal healthy daily life. He got the biggest burst of applause when he tossed in a bit of Irish vernacular.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Students lounge at cafes asking each other, what's the crack?

BLOCK: What's the crack? Translation, how you doin'? Are you having fun?

OBAMA: So to paraphrase Seamus Hayden(ph), it's the manifestation of sheer bloody genius.

Anti-Government Protests In Turkey Reach Syrian Border

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

In Turkey, anti-government protests are concentrated in Istanbul and Ankara, but they have spread to many cities around the country, reaching all the way to the Syrian border.

NPR's Peter Kenyon recently visited Hatay Province and found mounting discontent and growing fear of sectarian violence.

PETER KENYON, BYLINE: Residents of Hatay, many related to Syrian families just across the border, have been on edge for some time, watching Syrian refugees pour into Turkey and rebel fighters stream back into Syria to do battle.

Italian University Spreads The 'Gelato Gospel'

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Italy has secured its place in the global diet with the likes of espresso, cappuccino, pasta and pizza.

The latest addition to the culinary lexicon is ... gelato, the Italian version of ice cream.

And despite tough economic times, gelato-making is a booming business.

At Anzola dell'Emilia, a short drive from the Italian city of Bologna, people from all over the world are lining up for courses in gelato-making.

This is the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world's biggest gelato machine.

Privacy Past And Present: A Saga Of American Ambivalence

editor — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:40:00 +0000

America's privacy concerns go back to the origins of the country itself.

A Posthumous Tribute To Guns From A Sniper Shot To Death

editor — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:27:00 +0000

A killing on a Texas gun range in February captured the headlines. The victim was Chris Kyle, considered by many to be the most deadly sniper in American military history.

The man who admitted to killing him was a veteran as well — a young, disturbed man who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kyle, an outspoken advocate for both veterans and gun rights, wrote American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S.