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12:58 pm
Fri October 12, 2012

Classroom Yoga Helps Improve Behavior Of Kids With Autism

Credit iStockphoto.com
Yoga is increasingly being used in classrooms across the U.S. to help kids behave and perform better in school.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 1:48 pm

Researchers have found that kids with autism spectrum disorder who did yoga at their elementary school behaved better than kids with autism who weren't doing yoga.

The researchers surveyed teachers at a school in the Bronx who said a daily yoga program reduced the kids' aggressive behavior, social withdrawal and hyperactivity.

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It's All Politics
12:57 pm
Fri October 12, 2012

7 Signals Stolen From The Running Mates' One-Game Playoff

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 1:59 pm

You may have noticed that the vice presidential debate took place on the same day as four crucial games in this year's baseball playoffs. In case you were distracted at all by the latter, here's some of what you may have missed:

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Science
12:44 pm
Fri October 12, 2012

Prehistoric 'Kennewick Man' Was All Beefcake

Credit Brittney Tatchell / Courtesy of Doug Owsley
Forensic artists think this is what Kennewick Man looked like.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 6:41 pm

For nearly a decade, scientists and Northwest tribes in Washington state fought bitterly over whether to bury or study the 9,500-year-old bones known as Kennewick Man. Scientists won the battle, and now, after years of careful examination, they're releasing some of their findings.

For starters, Kennewick Man was buff. I mean, really beefcake. So says Doug Owsley, head of physical anthropology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, and the man who led the study of the ancient remains.

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The Two-Way
12:32 pm
Fri October 12, 2012

Remembering Andrew Brimmer, First Black On Federal Reserve's Board

Credit Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Andrew Brimmer in 1970, when he was a Federal Reserve Board governor.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 12:40 pm

A life well-worth noting has caught the attention of obituary writers:

-- "Andrew F. Brimmer, a Louisiana sharecropper's son who was the first black member of the Federal Reserve Board and who led efforts to to reverse the country's balance-of-payments deficit, died on Sunday in Washington. He was 86." (The New York Times)

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The Two-Way
12:07 pm
Fri October 12, 2012

Castro 'Is Fine,' His Son Tells State-Friendly Blogger

Credit Alfredo Estrella / AFP/Getty Images
A visitor watches pictures taken by Cuban photographer and cinematographist Alex Castro, son of former Cuban president Fidel Castro.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 12:13 pm

Fidel Castro's son, Alex Castro, is batting away rumors that his father, the former leader of Cuba, had died.

"The commander is fine, doing his daily things, reading, exercising," Alex Castro said.

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The Two-Way
11:50 am
Fri October 12, 2012

What's All This Malarkey About Malarkey?

Credit Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images
Vice President Biden thought much of what his opponent said Thursday night was malarkey, and his face often showed what he was thinking.

"With all due respect, that's a bunch of malarkey," Vice President Biden said during Thursday's debate as he challenged Rep. Paul Ryan's assertion that U.S. foreign policy has unraveled under President Obama.

A little later in the debate, Biden said Ryan's criticisms were "a bunch of stuff" — and when moderator Martha Raddatz asked "what does that mean?" he said, "we Irish call it malarkey."

Biden's use of the word has many asking: Where does it come from?

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World
10:58 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, And Now The EU?

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 11:46 am

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This morning, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the winner of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize and they chose the European Union.

THORBJORN JAGLAND: The European Union is currently undergoing grave economic difficulties and (unintelligible) social unrest. The Norwegian Nobel Committee wishes to focus on what it sees as the EU's most important result, the successful struggle for peace and reconciliation and for democracy and human rights.

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Election 2012
10:58 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Biden Debate Coach On VP's Performance

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 11:46 am

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee. Michel Martin is away. Coming up, President Obama honored late labor and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez earlier this week but a new book questions whether the full story of his life and legacy isn't perhaps more complicated. That's in a moment.

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U.S.
10:56 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Casinos Not An Easy Bet For Local Governments

More states and cities are turning to casinos to generate revenue and plug budget holes.

The latest to try its luck is Maryland, where groups are waging an expensive campaign over a ballot question that will be put to voters next month. Proponents promise jackpots of jobs and funding for public schools, but analysts say the gamble doesn't always pay off at the levels promised for public coffers.

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The Two-Way
10:50 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Consumer Confidence Jumps To Pre-Recession Level, Survey Shows

Credit Michael Nagle / Getty Images
"Black Friday" 2011 in Manhattan: Retailers hope to see shoppers out again in force this holiday season. If confidence stays high, they may get their wish.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 11:11 am

"U.S. consumer sentiment unexpectedly rose to its highest in five years in October as consumers became more optimistic about the economy in a possible boost to President Obama's reelection hopes," Reuters reports.

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Krulwich Wonders...
10:18 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Sun Goes Down. Up Comes A Mystery

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 10:53 am

Here's a question you probably didn't know was a question: Why is the sky dark at night?

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The Two-Way
9:30 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Panetta: 'Foreign Cyber-Actors Are Probing America's Critical Infrastructure'

Credit AFP / AFP/Getty Images
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 12:14 pm

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta delivered a policy speech that he said was a "clarion call" for Americans to take cyber security seriously. Attacks that can cripple a country, he said, are no longer theoretical.

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The Picture Show
9:11 am
Fri October 12, 2012

'Vintage Black Glamour' Exposes Little-Known Cultural History

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:03 pm

I was scrolling through my Tumblr feed a year or so ago, when I saw a photo of Joyce Bryant. The caption said she was once dubbed the "black Marilyn Monroe" and was mentioned many times in Walter Winchell's gossip column.

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The Two-Way
8:36 am
Fri October 12, 2012

You Thought The VP Debate Was Feisty? Things Got Physical In California

Credit YouTube
Democratic Reps. Howard L. Berman and Brad Sherman face off in a debate.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 9:25 am

The Salt
7:48 am
Fri October 12, 2012

The Secret To Genius? It Might Be More Chocolate

Credit John Loo / Flickr.com
A Swiss cardiologist plots a cheeky graph that shows a country's chocolate consumption may predict its chances of winning a Nobel.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:13 pm

Nerds, rejoice! It's Nobel season — the Oscars for lab rats, peacemakers and cognoscenti alike. Every fall, big thinkers around the world wait for a middle-of-the-night phone call from Sweden, dreaming of what they might do with the $1.2 million prize.

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The Two-Way
7:33 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Japanese Utility Admits For First Time That Nuclear Disaster Was Avoidable

Credit Anonymous / AP
Smoke rises from Unit No. 3 of the stricken Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant after the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 12:14 pm

In a dramatic reversal, Tokyo Electric Power Co. admitted for the first time that if it had fixed known safety issues, Japan's nuclear disaster following the March 2011 tsunami could have been avoided.

The Associated Press says the utility company made the admission in a statement released Friday. The AP reports the company said it delayed implementing the safety measures because of political, economic and legal pressures.

The AP adds:

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The Two-Way
7:18 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Pakistan Arrests Three Men In Taliban Shooting Of 15-Year-Old Girl

Credit T. Mughal / EPA /LANDOV
Malala Yousafzai in March 2012.

Authorities have arrested three men suspected of having a role in the shooting of Malala Yousafzai, the 15-year-old activist who demanded an education for girls.

NBC News reports:

"Police said the suspects, aged between 17 and 22, had claimed the person who organized the attack Tuesday — in which two other young girls were shot and injured — was a man called Attaullah."

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Around the Nation
6:06 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Endeavor Makes Its Way To Its New Home

Originally published on Sat October 13, 2012 3:28 pm

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

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Europe
6:02 am
Fri October 12, 2012

French Woman Owed Huge Telephone Bill

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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The Two-Way
4:09 am
Fri October 12, 2012

The European Union Wins The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize

Credit Andreas Solaro / AFP/Getty Images
European Union flag and Greek flag wave in front of the Acropolis, in central Athens.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 5:01 am

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has bestowed its prestigious Peace Prize upon the European Union for what it says is a six decade contribution "to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe"

In its press conference, the committee said the union cemented peace between France and Germany and shows that "through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners."

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Business
3:32 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Pentagon Revising Cyber Rules Of Engagement

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:36 am

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told business leaders the Pentagon is developing capabilities to ward off attacks on the nation's infrastructure. He says foreign actors have already probed key systems that could cause damage and even death — and the Pentagon has a key role to play in stopping such efforts.

Business
3:23 am
Fri October 12, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 5:37 am

The Pew Research Center surveyed about 1,000 Americans to find out how they watch the presidential debates. Eleven percent watched on two screens — on a computer or mobile device and on TV. The numbers are higher among younger viewers.

Election 2012
3:23 am
Fri October 12, 2012

No. 2s: Biden, Ryan Square Off in Combative Debate

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:36 am

Vice President Joe Biden and GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan engaged in a memorable and highly combative debate Thursday night in Danville, Kentucky. It's the only time the two men, who occupy the second spots on their party's presidential tickets, will square off before the election.

World
3:23 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Announced Friday

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:49 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Next, let's follow up on today's surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In effect, it went to most of a continent, the European Union. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was a decision that was long overdue considering the EU's role in advancing and maintaining peace since World War II. Here's the chairman of the Nobel Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland.

THORBJOERN JAGLAND: The stabilizing part played by the European Union has helped to transform most of Europe from a continental war to a continental peace.

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Africa
2:25 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Forest People Return To Their Land ... As Tour Guides

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 10:55 pm

Like other hunter-gatherers of Central Africa who've been cast out of their jungle homes, when the Batwa forest people of southwest Uganda lost their forest, they lost their identity.

The Batwa were evicted from their rain forest kingdom in 1991, when two neighboring national parks, Mgahinga and Bwindi, were created to protect shrinking habitat for the endangered mountain gorilla.

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The Salt
2:25 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Making 'The Science Of Good Cooking' Look Easy

Credit Carl Tremblay Photography / America's Test Kitchen
Want a better-tasting gazpacho? Don't toss out the tomato seeds.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:36 am

Ever wondered why you're not supposed to bake with cold eggs or whether marinating really tenderizes meat? Read on.

America's Test Kitchen host Chris Kimball "whisks away" some cooking myths as he talks with Morning Edition host Renee Montagne about the book he wrote, The Science of Good Cooking, with fellow Cook's Illustrated magazine editors. Being the science and cooking geeks that we are, we tuned in.

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Around the Nation
2:23 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Native American Tribe's Battle Over Beer Brews

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 9:26 am

Anheuser-Busch, Pabst and MillerCoors are among the big beer makers the Oglala Sioux tribe has accused of illegally selling millions of cans of beer each year in Whiteclay, Neb. The town borders Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, which is located across the state line in South Dakota and is dry.

The Oglala Sioux's federal case was thrown out, and the tribe is considering what to do next — legalize alcohol or go to state court.

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The Salt
2:23 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Kelp For Farmers: Seaweed Becomes A New Crop In America

Credit Ron Gautreau / Courtesy of Bren Smith
Oyster fisherman Bren Smith on his boat, The Mookie. Smith decided to try his hand at seaweed farming, collaborating with ecology professor Charles Yarish.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 10:02 am

A new kind of crop is being planted in the United States, and it doesn't require any land or fertilizer. Farming it improves the environment, and it can be used in a number of ways. So what is this miracle cash crop of the future?

It's seaweed.

Charlie Yarish, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, loves seaweed. In nature, he says, when seaweed turns a rich chocolate color, that means the plant is picking up nitrogen, a process called nutrient bioextraction.

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StoryCorps
2:22 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Veteran: Risks In 1950s Bomb Test 'A Disgrace'

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:36 am

In 1957, Joel Healy witnessed one of the largest nuclear tests ever conducted on U.S. soil.

Healy was in the U.S. Army, stationed in the Nevada desert north of Las Vegas at Camp Desert Rock. He was 17 years old and a private first class at the time.

Healy drove dump trucks, moved materials, and built structures, like houses, that would be destroyed by the explosions so the Army could study the effects of a nuclear blast. He also helped build the towers where many of the bombs were detonated.

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Music Interviews
1:03 am
Fri October 12, 2012

Kaki King: A Guitar Wizard Conjures New Colors

Credit Shervin Lainez / Courtesy of the artist
Kaki King's latest album is called Glow.

Originally published on Fri October 12, 2012 4:36 am

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