WBFO

Drunk driver sentenced to 15 years in crash that killed infant

WBFO Newsroom — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:34:45 +0000

A Brant woman who was impaired by drugs and alcohol when she crashed her SUV into an oncoming car, killing an infant, has been sentenced to 15 years in jail.

State chipping in $5 million for Statler repairs

Mike Desmond — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:30:54 +0000

Albany is kicking in more than $5 million for the rehab effort of the historic Statler building in downtown Buffalo.

Council approves Brown's budget after minor tweaks

Mike Desmond — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:04:31 +0000

Buffalo has a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 with council members making only small changes to Mayor Byron Brown's proposed spending plan.

Cuomo nominates Masiello for seat on Peace Bridge Authority

Mike Desmond — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:51:51 +0000

Governor Cuomo has nominated former Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello to a seat on the Peace Bridge Authority.

Parking Industry Tries To Make Your Life Easier

Kenny Malone — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

The future of parking has been showcased in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, this week at the International Parking Institute's annual conference. The conversation has been about helping drivers get in and out of spaces as conveniently as possible.

Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth

Kathy Lohr — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

The Boy Scouts of America votes in Texas this week on whether to change its century old membership policy. The proposal is to open up the scouts to allow gay youth to join and continue to ban on adults who are gay. About 1,400 voting members will decide.

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

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000

David Greene talks to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin about the cleanup and recovery efforts in her state after Monday's tornado that devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.

Court Rules Vacation Rental Site Illegal In New York

Ilya Marritz — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:00 +0000

In New York, a judge has dealt a setback to Airbnb, the popular website for short term apartment rentals. The judge ruled an Airbnb user violated a New York City law when he rented a room to a visitor from out of town. The judge's decision casts doubt on New Yorkers' ability to make use of the site legally.

'Morning Edition' Listeners Get Their Feathers In A Bunch

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:00 +0000

On the show Tuesday, we told you about some scientists in Canada whose research crops were destroyed by "Canadian geese." Listeners said we got the name wrong and they explained why.

Drummer Waits For Gas, Uses Time Along Highway To Practice

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:26:00 +0000

Out of gas, a drummer in Baltimore, Md., pulled off onto the side of the interstate to wait for help. While waiting, he pulled out his drum kit and practiced. The highway department came with some gas.

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

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:07:00 +0000

Apple was criticized in a Senate committee hearing Tuesday for using complex accounting to minimize the corporate taxes it pays.

West Bank Businesses Seek Growth Amid Uncertainty

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:04:00 +0000

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.

Quantum Or Not, New Supercomputer Is Certainly Something Else

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:03:00 +0000

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.

But questions surround the new type of computer at the lab's core. D-Wave systems, the company that makes the machine, says it is a quantum computer — a machine that runs on the strange laws of quantum mechanics.

Clarence voters reject budget, so do voters in handful of districts

Jay Moran — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:32:31 +0000

Voters in six area school districts rejected spending plans on Tuesday. The margin of defeat was decisive in Clarence where 58-percent voted against a plan to increase taxes by nearly ten percent.

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

Frank Deford — Wed, 22 May 2013 02:04:00 +0000

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.

To wit: As David Beckham retires, so much attention is being devoted not to how good he was but to how good he was not. I never saw that emphasized with a fine athlete before.

Storm Chasers Seek Thrills, But Also Chance To Warn Others

Steve Mullis — Tue, 21 May 2013 22:33:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GhYAknfTkk

Apple CEO Defends Tax Practices At Senate Hearing

John Ydstie — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

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

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

The top executives of Apple faced tough questions today on Capitol Hill. They came at a hearing about Apple's alleged avoidance of billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes.

Tornado Leaves Moore, Okla., Neighborhoods Unrecognizable

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

It has been an emotional 24 hours for the people of Moore, Oklahoma. Their city is now a federal disaster area, shattered by yesterday's deadly tornado. Meteorologists have confirmed that the tornado was a rare EF5, with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour. Entire neighborhoods are unrecognizable, trees splintered, houses gone.

SIEGEL: Oklahoma's state medical examiner says 24 people are confirmed dead, nine of them children.

Okla. Tornado Survivors Try To Collect Lives After Storm

Wade Goodwyn — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

In Moore, for the many people whose homes were destroyed, the top priorities are finding a place to stay, some clothes to wear, and food to eat. NPR's Wade Goodwyn has been talking with survivors in Moore and he sent this story.

WADE GOODWYN, BYLINE: Jamie Martinez(ph) is a retired police officer who still does security work, and that's where he was when the tornado slammed into his neighborhood yesterday.

JAMIE MARTINEZ: Our house is gone. It's leveled. Missing six pets, the least of our problems. I mean, we're alive. That's what counts.

Discovering A Family Member's Lost Time In Amsterdam

Margot Adler — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:43:00 +0000

When I found out that one of my cousins — now 88 — had hidden from the Nazis in Amsterdam, just like Anne Frank, it was a revelation. It made me want to know more about my cousin's life and story.

"I like to analyze what happens and to put it in writing; that gives you neatness in your head, and that is what I'm after," says my cousin, retired Judge Suzanne Hoogendijk. She was 87 at the time, and was talking about why she loved being a judge.

Pat Metheny And John Zorn: A Vivid Sound World

Tom Moon — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:31:00 +0000

Guitarist Pat Metheny is revered for his bright, accessible modern jazz. Saxophonist and composer John Zorn is associated with much knottier, often dissonant experiments. Metheny's new Tap: John Zorn's Book of Angels, Vol.

FBI seeks additional victims of alleged child abuser

Ashley Hassett — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:15:38 +0000

A Western New York trucker is accused of taking children on trips across the state with the intent to engage in sexual activity with them.

Republican county lawmakers want hearing on unsecured records, deputy county executive responds

Eileen Buckley — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Members of the Erie County Legislature's Minority Caucus are calling for a full investigation into the improper disposal of confidential Social Services documents.

Coast Guard performs two rescues on area waterways

Mark Wozniak — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:58:38 +0000

The U.S. Coast Guard was called on to perform two rescues on local waterways over a 12-hour period Monday night and Tuesday morning.

'Arrested Development' Leads The Charge For Old Brands In New Media

Neda Ulaby — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:37:00 +0000
Arrested Development returning via Netflix? Just another old-media brand reviving itself on new media.
The TV show, which originally ran on Fox from 2003 to 2006 and unveils new episodes on Netflix next weekend, finds itself in splendid company. Radiohead, Louis C.K., Veronica Mars — all found their audiences with promotion and distribution from big studios and networks. Radiohead was signed to a major music label. Louis C.K. enjoyed HBO specials and TV shows.

China Builds Museums ... But Will The Visitors Come?

Frank Langfitt — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:39:00 +0000
Shanghai did something last fall that few other cities on the planet could have even considered. It opened two massive art museums right across the river from one another on the same day.
The grand openings put an exclamation point on China's staggering museum building boom.

Apple, Tech Giants And An Industrial-Age Tax Code

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:07:00 +0000
Apple CEO Timothy Cook made a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, testifying after congressional investigators revealed that Apple avoided billions in taxes. Reporter Charles Duhigg of The New York Times and guest host Jennifer Ludden talk about how, as Duhigg writes, "technology giants have taken advantage of tax codes written for an industrial age."
Copyright 2013 NPR.

Would Lowering The Drunk Driving Threshold Make Us Safer?

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:03:00 +0000
The National Transportation Safety Board has recommended reducing the legal limit for blood alcohol content for drivers from .08 to .05. Critics say it won't significantly help prevent drunken driving. Guest LZ Granderson argues that without more checkpoints, a lower threshold would do nothing.

When Tornadoes Are A Way Of Life

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:56:00 +0000
Monday's tornado tore through parts of Oklahoma City at 200 miles per hour and killed at least 24 people. Many more are missing orinjured. Guest host Jennifer Ludden talks to KOSU reporter Michael Cross and to meteorologist Paul Douglas about why it's so hard to track tornadoes.

My Social Security Number Is Posted Where?

NPR Staff — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:30:00 +0000
Sensitive personal information belonging to thousands of applicants to a government phone program was exposed to the public on the Internet, according to a new investigative report from Scripps Howard News Service.
The federal program is called Lifeline, and it reimburses phone companies for providing service to low-income Americans.
Scripps reporter Isaac Wolf says he was able to access more than 100,000 records from one of those private