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Planet Money
11:49 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Free Breast Pumps And The Cost Of Health Care

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 3:12 pm

Health insurance plans now have to cover the full cost of breast pumps for nursing mothers. This is the result of a provision in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare), and the new rule took effect for many people at the start of this year.

It's led to a boom in the sale of the pumps, which can cost hundreds of dollars.

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Shots - Health News
11:40 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Walk While You Talk: The Meeting Goes Mobile

Credit iStockphoto.com
This meeting will now come to order.

Originally published on Mon January 28, 2013 11:17 am

Who likes meetings? Anybody?

Didn't think so.

Now what if the meeting were held on the go instead of in a stuffy conference room?

If that sounds a little better, then try a walking meeting. You and your colleagues can talk shop and get some exercise.

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It's All Politics
11:26 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Another Senator Announces Retirement Blaming 'Legislative Gridlock'

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., announced Friday that he won't seek a third term in 2014.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., won't seek re-election next year, he announced Friday.

The conservative Capitol Hill veteran faced recent criticism from the right for seeking a bipartisan compromise on deficit issues, and for being among the first high-level Republicans to question fidelity to Grover Norquist's no-new-taxes pledge after the November elections.

Those stances had raised speculation about a possible Tea Party-backed GOP primary challenge next year, when Chambliss would have been seeking a third six-year term.

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The Two-Way
11:24 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Exxon More Golden Than Apple Again

Credit Andy Wong / AP
In this Oct. 20, 2012 photo, people line up to enter a newly opened Apple Store in Beijing. Exxon has once again surpassed Apple as the world's most valuable company after the iPhone and iPad maker saw its stock price falter.

Apple stock has dropped sharply since it announced earnings that disappointed analysts. Now the tech tastemaker is paying another price, losing its crown as the world's most valuable company to Exxon Mobil.

Exxon's market capitalization, the total value of its outstanding stock, was about $417 billion Friday. Apple's was about $413 billion.

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All Songs Considered
11:10 am
Fri January 25, 2013

First Watch: Adam Green & Binki Shapiro

Credit Courtesy of the artist

Originally published on Sat January 26, 2013 3:02 am

Adam Green (The Moldy Peaches) and singer Binki Shapiro (Little Joy) were both going through breakups when they wrote "Just To Make Me Feel Good," a deceptively breezy cut from the duo's debut, self-titled collection of late '60s folk-pop. In their new video for the song, Green and Shapiro wander the city streets, lamenting a lost love and all the little things each of them took for granted.

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The Two-Way
11:09 am
Fri January 25, 2013

With GDP Shrinking, UK Fears Triple Dip Recession

Credit Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
A man walks across a snowy Horse Guards Parade in London, England.

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 2:38 pm

You thought the economic recovery in the United States was anemic? Try the United Kingdom.

The country learned today that their economy shrank 0.3 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. This puts Britain on the precipice of what The Guardian says is an "unprecedented" tripple-dip recession. That is, its third recession in four years.

The Guardian explains:

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Krulwich Wonders...
11:02 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Falling Off The Moon

Credit YouTube

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 3:42 pm

The Two-Way
10:27 am
Fri January 25, 2013

On Second Anniversary Of Revolution, Egypt Is 'A Nation Divided'

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 8:15 pm

Thousands of demonstrators are on the streets in Egypt to mark the second anniversary of the revolution that brought down the regime of Hosni Mubarak.

Reporting from Cairo, NPR's Leila Fadel says two years later what has emerged is "a nation divided."

Leila tells our Newscast unit that while there are many people on the streets, many others are at home, and it's "really unclear" which represents the majority. The country, said Leila, is split between those who want a secular government and those who want Islamist rule.

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Television
10:14 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Tracy Morgan: '30 Rock' Let Him Be Himself

Credit Dana Edelson / NBC
On on 30 Rock episode, Jon Hamm and Tracy Morgan appeared together in a sketch about racial stereotyping.

This interview was originally broadcast on Oct. 22, 2009.

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Shots - Health News
10:10 am
Fri January 25, 2013

New Norovirus Strain Rips Through The U.S.

Credit Charles D. Humphrey / CDC
This cluster contains enough norovirus particles to make you sick.

Originally published on Mon January 28, 2013 11:18 am

It's here. A variant of norovirus first spotted in Australia is now sweeping the U.S.

The wily virus causes stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea. The sickness is sometimes referred to as the stomach flu, though influenza has nothing to do with it.

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NPR Story
10:06 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Shoring Up The Nation's Crumbling Coastlines

Originally published on Mon January 28, 2013 9:20 am

Transcript

IRA FLATOW, HOST:

Hurricane Sandy battered the coastline here in New York and New Jersey. Take the city of Long Beach on Long Island. In 2006, the city council unanimously rejected a plan to construct 15-foot-high dunes on the beach there, saying that the 15-foot-high dunes would block ocean views, lower property values, affect surfers' waves.

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Television
10:05 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Tina Fey: '30 Rock' Star And Creator Moves On

This interview was originally broadcast on April 13, 2011.

Tina Fey grew up in a household with parents she has described as "Goldwater Republicans with pre-Norman Lear racial attitudes."

But, she says, her parents were always supportive of her career, even when she told them she was moving to Chicago to start a career in improv.

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Television
10:05 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Alec Baldwin Bids Goodbye To Jack Donaghy

Credit Dana Edelson / NBC
Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin appeared in one of several parodies in one of 30 Rock's live episodes.

This interview was originally broadcast on June 25, 2012.

For seven seasons, Alec Baldwin has starred as the TV executive Jack Donaghy on the NBC hit sitcom 30 Rock, which will have its final episode on January 31. Jack Donaghy is a far cry from Baldwin's more dramatic roles in the '80s, '90s and 2000s, when he starred in movies like The Hunt for Red October, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Departed and The Cooler.

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Europe
9:58 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Honoring 'Our Will To Live': The Lost Music Of The Holocaust

Originally published on Fri February 1, 2013 7:56 am

For the past two decades, in a small town in southern Italy, a pianist and music teacher has been hunting for and resurrecting the music of the dead.

Francesco Lotoro has found thousands of songs, symphonies and operas written in concentration, labor and POW camps in Germany and elsewhere before and during World War II.

By rescuing compositions written in imprisonment, Lotoro wants to fill the hole left in Europe's musical history and show how even the horrors of the Holocaust could not suppress artistic inspiration.

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Barbershop
9:48 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Did President Obama Misuse MLK's Bible?

The fact that President Obama's second inauguration took place on the same day as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday felt right to many people, but some critics say the comparison is all wrong. Host Michel Martin and the Barbershop guys weigh in on that and other news.

Remembrances
9:48 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Former 'Ebony' Editor Was Proud German

Tell Me More remembers Ebony Magazine's former managing editor, Hans Massaquoi. He arrived in America as an outsider, after growing up black in Nazi Germany. Host Michel Martin speaks with his former colleague, Lynn Norment about his career and legacy.

Education
9:48 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Amid Gun Debate, What Will Actually Protect Kids?

Putting guns in schools may make people think more of Terminator than teaching. But Emily Richmond of the National Education Writers Association says that it's time to step back from the hysteria. She talks to host Michel Martin about practical ways to make schools safer.

Faith Matters
9:48 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Thefts Make Korean Pastor Tackle Prejudice At Home

As the leader of an African-American church, Korean-American pastor Peter Chin has also chosen to live in a predominately black neighborhood. It hasn't always been easy, but Chin tells host Michel Martin how he has worked through issues with his family, his congregation and himself.

Television
9:46 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Tina Fey: Sarah Palin And 'Saturday Night' Satire

Credit
Tina Fey won an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 10:05 am

This interview was originally broadcast on Nov. 3, 2008.

Tina Fey's impersonation of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin helped draw record audiences to Saturday Night Live in the fall of 2008. The former head writer for SNL opens up about politics, satire and her Emmy Award-winning sitcom, 30 Rock, which will have its series finale on January 31.

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Politics
9:40 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Forget 2016. The Pivotal Year In Politics May Be 2020

Credit David McNew / Getty Images
Latino voters, shown here on Election Day in Los Angeles, will grow in electoral power by the year 2020.

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 11:26 am

Now that President Obama is ensconced in his second term, speculation about the future of American politics is wildfire-ish.

In a post-inaugural story, the Associated Press reports that the name of Democratic Vice President Biden "has surfaced as a potential presidential candidate in 2016." Politico says Biden is intoxicated by the prospect.

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The Salt
9:27 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Still Life With Cheeseburger: Art That Looks Good Enough To Eat

Originally published on Tue January 29, 2013 11:22 am

Back in the day – the 17th century – Vermeer, Rembrandt and the rest of the Dutch Golden Age crew blazed a trail for realism in art. Their work wasn't just technically dazzling; it was also distinctive. Instead of fat baby cherubs and saints, they painted the stuff of every day life. Often, that meant food.

In their hands, grapes popped with juiciness. Lobsters steamed, ready for cracking. Milk practically splashed the viewer as it poured from the jug.

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National Security
9:23 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Around The Globe, Women Already Serve In Combat Units

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 10:55 am

Israel, Germany and Canada are among the countries that have already marched down the path the U.S. will soon follow in allowing women a role in front-line combat units.

And most experts say the integration of women into such roles elsewhere has gone smoothly, despite concerns as to whether they would be up to the physical demands and about the question of fraternization between male and female troops.

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The Two-Way
9:06 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Obama To Name New Chief Of Staff, New Counterterrorism Adviser

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 11:05 am

Saying he is choosing "one of my closest friends and one of my closest advisers" for the job, President Obama on Friday said that longtime aide Denis McDonough will be his next chief of staff.

During a midday event at the White House that was remarkable for the expansive comments the president made about his friend's character, his dedication and the respect he gets from those who work in the administration, Obama said McDonough has "the kind of heart that I want in the White House."

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Monkey See
8:41 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Nerd Culture And The Return Of Regrettable TV

Credit NPR
  • Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour

We were all struck last week by Noel Murray's A.V. Club piece "The changing face of 'nerds' (and autism) in popular culture," so we spent this week's first segment talking about the separate but related matters it raises of how popular culture deals with nerds and how it deals with autism, not to mention how it deals with the messy and imprecise crossover between the two.

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The Two-Way
8:27 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Whoa Canada! New Currency Has 'Wrong' Maple Leaf?

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 11:05 am

A hubbub's been building up north for the past week or so about the maple leaf on Canada's new $20 bills.

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The Two-Way
8:19 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Sales Of New Homes Fell In December, But Were Up Sharply In 2012

Credit Daniel Acker / Landov
A "sold" sign outside a home under construction last fall in Peoria, Ill.

Though there was a 7.3 percent drop in sales of new homes in December from November, sales were up a healthy 8.8 percent from December 2011, the Census Bureau and Department of Housing and Urban Development report.

Homes sold at a annual rate of 369,000 last month.

Over the whole year, the agencies estimate, there were 367,000 new homes sold — up 19.9 percent from the 306,000 sold in 2011.

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'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup
7:28 am
Fri January 25, 2013

It's All Politics, Jan. 24, 2012

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 12:31 pm

  • Listen to the Roundup

This week, NPR's Ken Rudin and Ron Elving lip sync the entire podcast, focusing on the themes from the inauguration as well as musing over what has changed since 2009 — for America as well as President Obama. Plus: Hillary Clinton's give-and-take with congressional Republicans over Benghazi and a sleight-of-hand move by the GOP in Virginia.

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Deceptive Cadence
7:03 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Classical Crib Sheet: Top 5 Stories This Week

Credit courtesy of the artist
Anne Akiko Meyers, holding the "Vieuxtemps" Guarneri del Gesu violin, which reportedly sold for a record price. She says the anonymous buyer has offered her use of the instrument for life.

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 1:20 pm

  • Anne Akiko Meyers — the violinist who made news a year ago for an album recorded on her two Stradivarius instruments, including the then record price-breaking "Molitor" Strad, which she purchased for $3.6 million — announced yesterday that she's been given lifetime use of the 1741 "Vieuxtemps" Guarne
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The Two-Way
6:56 am
Fri January 25, 2013

Really Cool Video: 'Shroud Of Cold Air Descends On The U.S.'

Credit NOAAVisualizations
An image from the animated look at how cold air has spread over the nation.

Originally published on Fri January 25, 2013 8:28 am

The Picture Show
6:33 am
Fri January 25, 2013

A Brief History Of Women In Combat

Traditions break down fast during times of war, and history is full of examples where women assumed dramatic new roles that never would have been possible in times of peace.

As this photo gallery shows, the pressing demands of World War II led many countries to call on women to bolster their armed forces, in jobs ranging from nurse to front-line soldier.

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