NPR News

Pages

The Two-Way
7:36 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Syrian Opposition Says 190 Civilians Killed In Deadliest Day So Far

"Syrian opposition groups that track casualties reported on Friday that the previous day was the deadliest so far this year, and possibly in the entire Syrian uprising, with as many as 190 civilians killed in a 24-hour period," The New York Times is reporting.

Read more
The Two-Way
7:11 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Europe's New Deal Has Markets Cheering

Credit Bertrand Langlois / AFP/Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel talks with European Central Bank President Mario Draghi (left) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti (right) during the summit of European leaders in Brussels.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:25 pm

"European stocks rallied after policy makers eased repayment rules for Spanish banks, relaxed conditions for possible aid to Italy and unveiled a $149 billion growth plan for the region's economy," Bloomberg News reports this morning. "U.S. index futures and Asian shares also rose."

Read more
It's All Politics
7:04 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Recent Rulings Show How Hard It Is to Predict High-Profile Court Decisions

Credit Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images
Chief Justice John Roberts, shown in 2010, is still "finding his role as chief justice," says one law professor.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 10:59 am

Pessimism swept over advocates of the Affordable Care Act after oral arguments this spring seemed to go decidedly against the Obama administration. But the Supreme Court's ruling on Thursday — and its decision in another high-profile case this week — suggest oral arguments aren't as predictive of final outcome as some believe.

Read more
Business
6:30 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Ogilvy's Longtime Chairman To Step Down

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Our last word in business today comes from a giant in the advertising industry. Her name is Shelly Lazarus. The Brooklyn native began working at the ad agency Ogilvy and Mather at a time when the industry looked much like the one portrayed in the TV show "Mad Men."

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

An industry run mostly by men. It was 1971 when Shelly Lazarus arrived at the company, fresh from Columbia University, with an MBA - a time when few women were earning business degrees.

Read more
Around the Nation
6:19 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Twitter Was On Fire After Court's Health Decision

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Read more
World
6:11 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Train Offered For Auction Is Not A Toy

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. Much excitement about a big bid on a New Zealand public transit train offered on an online auction. The broken-down train has close to three million miles on it. It's over 60 years old. That's significantly older than the highest bidder, who is four years old. The tech-savvy toddler's $30,000 bid has been removed, and the posting now reads: Adults only. This is not a toy. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

The Two-Way
6:10 am
Fri June 29, 2012

First Death Confirmed From Colorado Springs Wildfire

Credit RJ Sangosti / Denver Post / AP
This aerial photo taken Thursday shows the destructive path of the Waldo Canyon fire in the Mountain Shadows subdivision area of Colorado Springs, Colo.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 1:32 pm

  • Jeff Brady reporting on 'Morning Edition'

Though there's been welcome news about progress in fighting the wildfire that has now destroyed about 350 homes in and around Colorado Springs, Colo., there's also the sad news that at least one person has died.

Here's this morning's lede from The Denver Post's coverage:

Read more
Around the Nation
5:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

One Dead In Colorado Wildfire

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 1:06 pm

Hundreds of people in Colorado are coming to grips with a wildfire that tore through Waldo Canyon. Authorities say more than 340 homes were destroyed. Human remains were found in the rubble of a burned-out suburban home, and police say a second person is missing.

Meat Week
4:48 am
Fri June 29, 2012

If You Liked Meat Week, You'll Love Pie Week

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 1:17 pm

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And we hope you've enjoyed Meat Week on MORNING EDITION. On next week's menu: pie.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "HONEY PIE")

THE BEATLES: (Singing) Honey pie, you are making me crazy. I'm in love, but I'm lazy. So won't you please come home?

Read more
Politics
4:26 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Health Care Ruling To Fuel Presidential Campaigns

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:16 pm

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

And I'm Linda Wertheimer.

The Supreme Court surprised almost everyone yesterday when it upheld the heart of President Obama's health care law: a requirement that everyone either have insurance or pay a fine or tax. It's a big victory for president. It also gives his challenger, Mitt Romney, some important opportunities.

Here's NPR's national political correspondent, Mara Liasson.

Read more
Law
4:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Chief Justice Robert's Vote Saves Health Care Law

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:44 am

By a vote of 5-4, the Supreme Court upheld almost all of the 2010 health care law. Chief Justice John Roberts joined the court's four more liberal members in saying it is constitutional under Congress' right to levy taxes.

Politics
4:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Undeterred By Court's Decision, GOP Vows To Repeal Health Care

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:38 am

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Just last week, Republican leaders were warning their rank and file not to gloat if the health care law were overturned. Well, after the decision came yesterday, GOP leaders regrouped and vowed to keep fighting. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

ANDREA SEABROOK, BYLINE: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor stepped up to the microphone.

REPRESENTATIVE ERIC CANTOR: If for nothing else, today's health care decision underscores the importance of this election.

Read more
Law
4:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Revisiting Some Recent Supreme Court Decisions

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:29 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Supreme Court's decision on health care yesterday was just one of several handed down this week. The justices also struck down mandatory life sentences for juveniles, citing cruel and unusual punishment.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

There are more than 2,000 inmates serving mandatory life sentences for crimes they committed as minors. The high court said judges should be allowed to consider mitigating factors such as a young defendant's immaturity or the circumstances of his or her upbringing.

Read more
Business
4:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Business News

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 6:01 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a new owner for Modelo.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

MONTAGNE: The world's biggest brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced today it's becoming bigger. The Belgian company says it's buying the rest of the Mexican brewer known for the beer, Corona. InBev had already owned a non-controlling stake and is paying more than $20 billion for full control. Analysts say the buy will help InBev move into new markets. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

Business
4:00 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Financial Markets React To Health Care Ruling

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 5:46 am

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Yesterday's ruling on health care took the financial markets by surprise. Stocks were mixed with some shares finishing the day sharply higher. By the end of the day, stock traders seemed to shrug off the ruling.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

Read more
NPR Story
3:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Health Care Ruling Is A Mixed Bag For Insurers

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 4:56 am

The Supreme Court's decision removes much of the uncertainty for businesses involved in health care. Renee Montagne talks to Karen Ignani of America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry's trade group, about the impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on the health care law.

NPR Story
3:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Fla. Gov. Scott: Health Care Decision Will Be Devastating

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 4:53 am

For some elected officials in Florida, Thursday's Supreme Court decision came as an unexpected shock. Republican Governor Rick Scott and his administration have done as little as possible to comply with the law. Now they have some tough decisions to make.

Planet Money
2:34 am
Fri June 29, 2012

After Years Of Uncertainty, A Health-Care Business Gets An Answer

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 8:59 pm

It's 9:45 a.m. Thursday at the headquarters of Health Plan One, a health insurance agency that sells private policies. It's the morning of what is the biggest court decision ever regarding health insurance. Will the court uphold the health-care bill? Will it strike it down?

"Either way is fine with me," says Bill Stapleton, the company's CEO.

Read more
StoryCorps
2:32 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Stories, Old Friends, A Good Time 'Til The End

Credit StoryCorps
Bishop Ricardo Ramirez visited StoryCorps in in Mesilla, N.M., to remember his grandmother, Panchita Espitia.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:15 pm

Bishop Ricardo Ramirez's grandmother lived a long and full life. But it was the way Francisca Espitia approached her final years that may have impressed her grandson the most.

Ramirez, 75, recently visited StoryCorps to remember his grandmother, whom he called Panchita, in a family story that begins in 1981. That's when he was elevated to bishop in the church. The occasion called for a reception — so Ramirez called his grandmother.

Read more
Crime In The City
12:51 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Sleuth Keeps His Good Eye On Mexico City's Crime

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 3:16 pm

In the crowded heart of the Mexican capital, a fictional one-eyed private investigator shares a dingy flat with a flock of ducks and a rotating cast of lovers.

The central character in Paco Ignacio Taibo II's crime novels is Hector Belascoaran Shayne, a former engineer who got a "certificate in detection" through a correspondence course. Belascoaran is a cynical, bumbling private eye who marvels at the chaotic street life unfolding around him in Mexico City.

Read more
Judging The Health Care Law
12:48 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Business Owners Mixed On Health Care Ruling

Credit Kris Connor / Getty Images
Protesters stand outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday. The court's ruling upholding the federal health care law is expected to have wide-reaching implications for businesses.

Originally published on Sat June 30, 2012 3:13 pm

Depending on whom you ask, the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the federal health care law will either help businesses grow or it will make them more hesitant to hire.

Thursday's decision to uphold the law, including the provision requiring individuals to buy insurance, has some far-reaching implications in the business world.

Dan Danner, CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, a business lobby that helped bankroll the suit seeking to strike down the law, said the 5-4 decision was unambiguously bad for business.

Read more
Latin America
12:46 am
Fri June 29, 2012

Mexican Leftist Faces Uphill Task In Presidential Bid

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 4:00 am

With just two days left before Mexicans elect a new president, polls show that the candidate of the former ruling party is poised to win the race by a wide margin. But there are those who don't want to see a return of the PRI, which ruled Mexico for more than 70 years until 2000 with a mix of corruption and cronyism. They say their best hope is leftist PRD party candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Read more
Sports
12:22 am
Fri June 29, 2012

NBA Draft: Hornets Select Davis With No. 1 Pick

Best in the country and No. 1 and 2 in the NBA draft. The celebration goes on for Kentucky's kids.

The Wildcats became the first school to have the top two picks and tied a record with six players taken overall Thursday night.

After the New Orleans Hornets made the long-expected selection of forward Anthony Davis with the first pick, Charlotte followed by taking fellow freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

"It's crazy," Davis said. "Michael is a great player. We have two down and four more to go. Hopefully, all of them will go in the first round."

Read more
Shots - Health Blog
10:13 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

High Court Health Care Ruling Shifts Action To States

Credit Kevin Dietsch / UPI /Landov
Protesters and supporters of President Obama's health care law await the Supreme Court's ruling Thursday. The court ruled to uphold the law. The focus now shifts to the states, which are responsible for the lion's share of getting people without insurance covered.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 8:27 pm

The Supreme Court's decision to uphold nearly all of the Affordable Care Act may move the debate to the presidential campaign trail. But it shifts much of the burden of implementing the law to the states.

States are actually responsible for the lion's share of getting people without insurance covered under the health law.

Read more
The Two-Way
5:42 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

PHOTO: President Obama After Hearing Health Care News

Credit Pete Souza / The White House
President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Solicitor General Donald Verrilli in the Oval Office, after learning of the Supreme Court's ruling on the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act," on Thursday.

The White House has released a picture of President Obama on the phone with Solicitor General Donald Verrilli in the Oval Office after hearing the health care news. Verrilli was the one who argued the case in front of the Supreme Court.

Here's the picture:

Obama looks rather relaxed. But both The New York Times and NBC News report that Obama, who received the news like most Americans, first thought his signature legislation had been declared unconstitutional.

Read more
The Two-Way
5:28 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

This Year, Weather Service Will Begin Pushing Notifications To Cell Phones

Credit NWS
What the alerts may look like on your phone.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 9:32 am

The National Weather Service says that this year, it will begin pushing text notifications to cellphones that alert users to hazardous weather conditions.

The text notifications will be sent to those people within the location of the severe weather. The Weather Emergency Alerts could also be used for local emergencies that require evacuation, AMBER alerts and presidential alerts "during a national emergency," the Weather Service said.

Read more
Judging The Health Care Law
5:09 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

The Reaction In Florida: From Protesting To Partying

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 6:32 pm

Just after 10 a.m. on Thursday, a cheer went up at Hispanic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit in Casselberry, Fla., just north of Orlando.

The enthusiasm for the Supreme Court's decision to uphold nearly all of the federal health care law was unmistakable at the nonprofit, which advocates for health care for the local Latino population.

The news took Josephine Mercado, the nonprofit's founder and executive director, by surprise — and changed her plans for Friday.

Read more
Law
5:09 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

Supreme Court Upholds Health Care Law

Credit Dana Verkouteren / AP
This artist's rendering shows Chief Justice John Roberts (center) speaking at the Supreme Court on Thursday. From left are Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, Clarence Thomas, Antonin Scalia, Roberts, Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Samuel Alito and Elena Kagan. The court voted 5-4 to uphold President Obama's health care law.

Originally published on Fri June 29, 2012 9:45 am

  • NPR Special Coverage: The Health Care Decision

Shock, dismay, relief, confusion — all those emotions played out Thursday when the U.S. Supreme Court announced its 5-to-4 decision to uphold almost all of President Obama's health care overhaul.

The ruling, with shifting majorities on different provisions and multiple dissents, covered close to 200 pages and provoked initial confusion. Both Fox News and CNN got it wrong, reporting at first that the individual mandate had been struck down. But when the dust cleared, the law labeled derisively by Republicans as "Obamacare" was largely intact.

Read more
The Two-Way
4:30 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

David Beckham Doesn't Make Britain's Olympic Squad

Credit Andrew Yates / AFP/Getty Images
This file photo taken in 2011 shows former Manchester United player David Beckham after a testimonial football match between Manchester United and Juventus for Manchester United's Gary Neville.

The Daily Mail calls it "the darkest day of his illustrious career."

International soccer star David Beckham was told he did not make Britain's Olympic squad. Beckham broke the news when he issued a statement today.

Read more
The Salt
3:34 pm
Thu June 28, 2012

How the Taste Of Tomatoes Went Bad (And Kept On Going)

Credit pocius / Flickr.com
Notice how some of these tomatoes have unripe-looking tops? Those "green shoulders" are actually the keys to flavor.

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 6:32 pm

The tomato is the vegetable (or fruit, if you must) that we love to hate. We know how good it can be and how bad it usually is. And everybody just wants to know: How did it get that way?

Read more

Pages