Author Interviews
4:07 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Man Turned Fly Seeks Revenge For Bad Reincarnation

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 6:01 pm

A Parisian Jew who dies in 1773 reappears in the 21st century as an angel, fluttering gently down to Earth — or, so he thinks. He imagines himself as "a fully formed Christian seraph, a Viking with blond hair, a beautiful chiseled torso, hairless feet, and eyes the color of whiskey." So imagine his shock when he realizes he's no angel — he's actually been reincarnated as a common housefly.

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The Two-Way
3:58 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Judge Throws Out Half Of Jury Award In Apple, Samsung Patent Case

Credit Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images
People walk past the Apple logo at the Apple Store at Grand Central Terminal in New York.

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 4:51 pm

The judge overseeing the Apple/Samsung patent case decided to throw out about half of the $1 billion in damages awarded by the jury in a trial last August.

All Things D explains:

"Judge Lucy Koh ordered a new trial to determine damages for certain of the products in the case, a move that affects $450 million of the jury's $1.05 billion award.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:27 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat March 2, 2013 10:07 am

Transcript

BILL KURTIS: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz . I'm Bill Kurtis filling in for Carl Kasell. We're playing his week with Mo Rocca, Klein, and Alonzo Bodden. And, here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:27 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Lightning Fill In The Blank

Originally published on Sat March 2, 2013 10:07 am

Transcript

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Now on to our final game, Lightning Fill in the Blank. Each of our players now has 60 seconds in which to answer as many fill in the blank questions as he or she can; each correct answer now worth two points. Bill, can you give us the scores?

BILL KURTIS: Mo and Alonzo each have three and Jessi has two.

SAGAL: Well, Jessi, you are in third place. That means that you go first. The clock will start when I begin your first question. Please fill in the blank.

JESSI KLEIN: Okay.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:27 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Prediction

Originally published on Sat March 2, 2013 10:07 am

Transcript

BILL KURTIS: Now, panel, where will horses turn up next? Alonzo Bodden?

ALONZO BODDEN: We're going to be shocked when we see horses running the Indy 500 to save on fuel.

(LAUGHTER)

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Jessi Klein?

JESSI KLEIN: I think we will see a horse on the roof of Mitt Romney's car.

(LAUGHTER)

SAGAL: An oldie but a goodie.

KLEIN: So stupid. It's so old.

SAGAL: And Mo Rocca?

MO ROCCA: Well, I'd like to see horses show up in shampoo commercials.

(LAUGHTER)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
3:27 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Sportscaster Jon Miller Plays Not My Job

Credit Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

Originally published on Sat March 2, 2013 10:07 am

Jon Miller is a Hall of Fame broadcaster who did the play-by-play on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball for 20 years. He is a former radio and television announcer for the Baltimore Orioles and has been the voice of the San Francisco Giants since 1997.

We've invited Miller to play a game called "You gonna eat that?" Three questions based on science writer Mary Roach's new book, Gulp: Adventures in the Alimentary Canal.

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Energy
3:22 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Natural Gas Dethrones King Coal As Power Companies Look To Future

Credit Michael Williamson / The Washington Post/Getty Images
American Electric Power's natural gas-burning plant in Dresden, Ohio, is one of the energy company's new investments in alternatives to coal-burning plants.

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 6:01 pm

The way Americans get their electricity is changing. Coal is in decline. Natural gas is bursting out of the ground in record amounts. And the use of wind and solar energy is growing fast. All this is happening as power companies are trying to choose which kind of energy to bet on for the next several decades.

Until recently, half of these plants burned coal to make electricity. Now, that's down to about one-third. Since 2010, about 150 coal plants either have been retired or it's been announced they will be retired soon.

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It's All Politics
3:03 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

One Strategy For A GOP Overhaul? Follow The Democrats' Example

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, shown here in August at the Republican National Convention, has named a five-member task force to conduct a review of what went wrong for his party in the November elections.

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 6:01 pm

These are difficult times for the Republican Party. In the latest NBC-Wall Street Journal poll, Democrats led Republicans — in some cases by double digits — on issues like Medicare, taxes and the economy.

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Sports
3:01 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Gay Athletes Face Discrimination In Professional Sports

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 6:01 pm

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It's no secret that the atmosphere in pro sports for gay athletes, especially men, isn't always a comfortable one. This week came another story on that topic: a report that an NFL team asked college players about their sexual orientation when they were auditioning for the league. The NFL says it's investigating. And for more on this, sportswriter Stefan Fatsis joins us, as he does most Fridays. Hi there, Stefan.

STEFAN FATSIS: Hey, Audie.

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National Security
3:01 pm
Fri March 1, 2013

Pentagon Won't Feel Most Of Sequester's Effects Until Summer

Originally published on Fri March 1, 2013 6:01 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish.

$46 billion: That's the amount the Pentagon must cut from its budget by the end of September under the new regime of austerity that kicks in today. This afternoon, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel warned about the impact of that.

SECRETARY CHUCK HAGEL: Let me make it clear that this uncertainty puts at risk our ability to effectively fulfill all of our missions.

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