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Morning EditionFor nearly three decades, NPR's Morning Edition has prepared listeners for the day ahead with two hours of up-to-the-minute news, background analysis, commentary, and coverage of arts and sports. With nearly 14 million listeners, Morning Edition draws public radio's largest audience.

One of the most respected news magazines in the world, Morning Edition airs Monday through Friday on more than 660 NPR stations across the United States, and around the globe on NPR's international services.

Its cast of regulars includes some of the most familiar voices on radio: correspondent Susan Stamberg; commentator Frank Deford; news analysts Cokie Roberts and Juan Williams; and newscasters Jean Cochran and Carl Kasell.

Produced by NPR in Washington, D.C., Morning Edition draws on reporting from correspondents based in 17 countries around the world, and producers and reporters in 17 locations in the U.S. Their reporting is supplemented by NPR member station reporters across the country and a strong corps of independent producers and reporters in the public radio system.

Since its debut in 1979, Morning Edition has garnered broadcasting's highest honors — including the George Foster Peabody Award and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award.

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World
7:25 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Octogenarian Rivals Race To Top Of Mount Everest

An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber has become the oldest person to reach the summit. But that record may not last. His 81-year-old Nepalese rival plans to make the ascent again next week.

Around the Nation
7:19 am
Thu May 23, 2013

New Jersey Officials Wrap Up 'Operation Swill'

The target: bars trying to pull a fast one. They charge for good booze, but actually pour the cheap stuff in the glass. Authorities caught 29 bars — 13 of those TGI Fridays.

Education
6:00 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Chicago School Closing Battle Targets Elected Officials

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 9:40 am

A day after school officials approved shutting down 50 schools, the Chicago Teachers Union and community activists say they'll hold a voter registration and education campaign. The union is agitated that Mayor Rahm Emanuel, school board members and some lawmakers failed to listen to parents, teachers and others who called for the schools to remain open.

Before they voted yes on the sweeping school closure plan, school board members faced a torrent of criticism Wednesday. Protesters tried to conduct a sit-in at the front of the boardroom, but security officers escorted them out.

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Europe
5:16 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Attackers Hack To Death Man On London Street

Authorities in London are investigating what British Prime Minister David Cameron says is likely a terrorist attack. On Wednesday, two suspects brutally attacked a man near a London military barracks.

Business
4:48 am
Thu May 23, 2013

When Will Fed Officials Ease Off The Accelerator?

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that the central bank is not ready to scale back on economic stimulus. But he suggested the Fed may start to pare back bond purchases if the economy picks up momentum. Stocks fell following Bernanke's remarks.

Politics
4:38 am
Thu May 23, 2013

IRS Official's Silence Riles House Committee Members

On Wednesday, Lois Lerner, the IRS official overseeing the tax-exempt organizations office, refused to testify during a hearing on Capitol Hill, and was attacked by some Republicans on the House committee. Her brief appearance was the beginning of a five-hour session marked by angry outbursts and allegations of political motives.

It's All Politics
3:06 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Credit Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama speaks at Ellicott Dredges in Baltimore on May 17. The trip followed a visit by the company's president to Capitol Hill to testify in support of the Keystone XL pipeline. The White House says Obama's speech had nothing to do with Keystone, but environmental groups have been frustrated with his stance on the issue.

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 4:38 am

The Race Card Project: Six-Word Essays
3:05 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 7:35 am

NPR continues its conversations about The Race Card Project, where NPR Host/Special Correspondent Michele Norris asks people to send in six-word stories about race and culture. The submissions are personal, provocative and often quite candid.

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Law
3:05 am
Thu May 23, 2013

Sick Inmates Dying Behind Bars Despite Release Program

Credit iStockphoto.com
Nearly 30 years ago, Congress gave terminally ill inmates and prisoners with extraordinary family circumstances an early way out, known as compassionate release.

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 4:38 am

Prison is a tough place, but Congress made an exception nearly 30 years ago, giving terminally ill inmates and prisoners with extraordinary family circumstances an early way out. It's called compassionate release.

But a recent investigation found that many federal inmates actually die while their requests drift through the system.

One of them was Clarence Allen Rice.

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Shots - Health News
7:47 pm
Wed May 22, 2013

Scientific Tooth Fairies Investigate Neanderthal Breast-Feeding

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 7:38 am

When it comes to weaning, humans are weird.

Our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, breast-feed their offspring for several years. Some baby orangutans nurse until they are 7 years old.

But modern humans wean much earlier. In preindustrial societies, babies stop nursing after about two years. Which raises the question: How did we get that way? When did we make the evolutionary shift from ape-like parenting, to the short breast-feeding period of humans?

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U.S.
9:29 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Oklahoma's Gov. Fallin On Life-Saving, Recovery Efforts

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 1:05 pm

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Linda Wertheimer.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. We now know the tornado that struck the city of Moore, Okla., on Monday was an EF5, with winds over 200 miles an hour. That designation is the strongest possible rating for a tornado. Federal, state and local teams are on the ground this morning, cleaning up debris and tending to survivors. But there is little - if any - chance of finding any more survivors; that, according to the fire chief in Moore.

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Around the Nation
9:29 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

And I'm Linda Wertheimer.

This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow. A new membership policy would allow gay youth, but continue to ban adult leaders who are gay.

NPR's Kathy Lohr reports.

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Business
9:29 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Parking Industry Tries To Make Your Life Easier

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Finding a parking space, probably not at the top of the list of things you like to do. Well, experts in parking think they might be able to change that. One key, they say, is for developers to think about the parking experience when they're designing malls or apartment complexes, instead of just treating it as an afterthought.

This came up in Florida this week, at the International Parking Institute's annual conference. Reporter Kenny Malone, from member station WLRN, was there.

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Around the Nation
8:26 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Drummer Waits For Gas, Uses Time Along Highway To Practice

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:29 am

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. A drummer in Baltimore pulled off the interstate yesterday, out of gas. So he pulled his drum kit out of the trunk and sat up on the shoulder and played along with traffic. When a state trooper pulled up, drummer boy explained he was just biding his time until help arrived, practicing his chops. He got away without a ticket and with the gift of gas from the highway department. Rock on. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Animals
8:26 am
Wed May 22, 2013

'Morning Edition' Listeners Get Their Feathers In A Bunch

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:29 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Good morning, I'm David Greene.

Well, our wings have been clipped by some listeners. Yesterday, we told you about how some scientists in Canada saw their research crops destroyed by geese. We used the term Canadian geese. Listeners like Frank Cohen said we got that wrong.

FRANK COHEN: They're not Canadian geese. They're Canada geese because they don't hold passports, as far as I know, and it's not a nationality. It's a species name

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Business
8:26 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Court Rules Vacation Rental Site Illegal In New York

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:29 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Here's some news for travelers. If you can't afford or don't want to pay the price for a hotel room, maybe you've used the cheap lodging site Airbnb. If so, you have to take New York City off your list. The popular website has suffered a major setback in court. A judge in New York ruled that an Airbnb user in Manhattan violated local laws when he rented a room to an out-of-towner.

From member station WNYC, Ilya Marritz reports.

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Planet Money
3:07 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Why Apple (And Lots Of Other Companies) Wound Up In Ireland

Credit Andy Wong / AP

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:35 am

Apple was criticized in a Senate committee hearing Tuesday for using complex accounting to minimize the corporate taxes it pays. One key piece of the company's tax strategy: It funnels lots of its profits through subsidiaries in Ireland.

Offering low corporate tax rates has been a fundamental part of Ireland's economic strategy for decades — a way to get foreign companies to set up operations in the country.

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Parallels
3:04 am
Wed May 22, 2013

West Bank Businesses Seek Growth Amid Uncertainty

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:29 am

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads back to Israel and the West Bank on Thursday for more talks on restarting peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. When he was there last month, he walked away with at least one agreement — to improve the West Bank economy. Here's how he put it as he left Israel:

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Research News
3:03 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Quantum Or Not, New Supercomputer Is Certainly Something Else

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 11:33 am

It's exactly the sort of futuristic thinking you'd expect from Google and NASA: Late last week, the organizations announced a partnership to build a Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab at NASA's Ames Research Center.

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Sweetness And Light
10:04 pm
Tue May 21, 2013

Backing Becks: Don't Knock The Soccer Star's Talents

Credit Fred Dufour / AFP/Getty Images
David Beckham spent six years in the U.S. with the LA Galaxy before returning to Europe earlier this year.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:29 am

The most unforgiving criticism in sport is directed at any athlete who fans believe is celebrated too excessively above his true talent level — especially those stars who are gloried because they're such pretty people.

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U.S.
11:13 am
Tue May 21, 2013

After Okla. Tornado, Obama Offers Prayers Backed With Deeds

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And let's return now to our top story, that devastating tornado that struck south of Oklahoma City yesterday. President Obama spoke just moments ago at the White House. He offered words of comfort to the people of Moore, Oklahoma.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: What they can be certain of is that Americans from every corner of this country will be right there with them, opening our homes, our hearts to those in need, because we're a nation that stands with our fellow citizens.

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Business
11:13 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Kids Pitch Business Ideas To Warren Buffett

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Tumblrese.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And today's last word in business is: almost millionaires.

INSKEEP: Warren Buffett took time yesterday to listen to kids pitching potential new enterprises. These are kids who competed through Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club, a Web and cable series featuring a cartoon.

(SOUNDBITE OF WEB CARTOON, "SECRET MILLIONAIRES CLUB")

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

WARREN BUFFETT: Hey, kids, Warren Buffett here. A successful business is always trying new things.

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Europe
11:13 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Young People Cast Out Of Italy's Welfare System

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

We are also following a subtler story of economic devastation, even with all the news about unemployment in Europe, this next number is hard to absorb. In Italy, among younger people, the jobless rate us close to 40 percent. The government is focused on the middle-aged and the elderly leaving little room it seems for their kids

Here's NPR's Sylvia Poggioli.

(SOUNDBITE OF SCREAMING AND SHOOTING)

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Around the Nation
8:03 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Rep. Cole Is From Moore, Where Deadly Twister Hit

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. More Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City suburb most devastated by yesterday's tornado is the hometown of the man we'll talk with next. Oklahoma Republican congressman Tom Cole is on the line. Congressman, I'm sorry for the occasion but welcome back to the program.

REPRESENTATIVE TOM COLE: Yeah, Steve, thank you very much.

INSKEEP: Is your family OK?

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World
7:34 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Border Collies Protect Scientsts' Research From Geese

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 1:54 pm

Scientists in Canada were working at an experimental research farm, testing crops like corn and barley. But packs of Canada geese had been swooping in and destroying the crops. Two border collies were hired to chase away the geese.

World
7:28 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Now's Your Chance To Own A Little Bit Of Gandhi

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning, I'm Steve Inskeep.

Today is your chance to own a little bit of Gandhi. The quirky, unpredictable and ultimately triumphant leader spent decades leading India to independence. Along the way, Mohandis Gandhi became known as Mahatma, or venerated one, and he had an appendectomy. Afterward, doctors took samples of his blood. Two microscope slides bearing that blood are being auctioned today in London with bids expected over $15,000.

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

Media
5:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Fox News Reporter James Rosen Caught Up In Federal Probe

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

There is word of another controversial leak investigation by the Department of Justice. The target is Fox News reporter James Rosen, who was monitored by the department after breaking a story about North Korea's nuclear weapons program in 2009.

Business
5:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Tumbler Users Urge New Owner Yahoo To Keep The Site Weird

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Yahoo's purchase of the blogging site Tumblr sent shockwaves through the Tumblrverse. Is that actually a word now?

WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports that the site's users want to keep Tumblr out of the mainstream.

Read more
Politics
5:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Unclear Laws May Have Contributed to Tax-Exempt Controversy

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Let's turn to another story for now: The acting head of the IRS has resigned, but is still facing questions about the agency. Lawmakers continue their probe into the federal tax agency targeting Tea Party groups seeking tax exemption.

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NPR Story
5:46 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Massive Tornado Takes Aim At Moore, Oklahoma

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:13 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Good morning.

If you grew up in the middle of the country, you grew up around tornadoes. You hear the lore of great storms past. You learned very young how to take shelter. When a siren wails, you know just what to do. Yet, even in Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City, people could not be entirely prepared for the devastation they faced yesterday.

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