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The Two-Way
1:15 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

So What Did The Mars Rover Find On Mars? You Tell Us

Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity cut a wheel scuff mark into a wind-formed ripple at the "Rocknest" site to give researchers a better opportunity to examine the particle-size distribution of the material forming the ripple. The rover's right Navigation camera took this image of the scuff mark on the mission's 57th Martian day.

Originally published on Wed November 21, 2012 6:21 am

Talk about a tease! Our friend Joe Palca reported some pretty big news today on Morning Edition.

The scientists working on the Mars Curiosity rover mission have found something "earthshaking," some data that is going "be one for the history books."

But John Grotzinger, the principal investigator for the rover mission, stopped there. He'll say nothing more until the rover conducts more tests to prove this wasn't a fluke.

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Political Junkie
1:08 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

Speaking Of Turkeys ... It's ScuttleButton Time!

Credit Ken Rudin collection

Many of you will be out of town this week and likely to miss this week's ScuttleButton puzzle. So for that reason I'm going a bit easy on you with today's offering.

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Book Reviews
1:00 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

Hungry Hearts And Family Matters In 'Middlesteins'

At first glance, a novel in which the main character eats herself to death may not seem like the most felicitous pick for Thanksgiving week; but The Middlesteins turns out to be a tough but affecting story about family members putting up with each other, even in their most unlovely, chewing-with-their-mouths-open life moments. If you have a Thanksgiving family reunion looming before you that doesn't exactly promise to be a Norman Rockwell painting, The Middlesteins may just be the perfect literary corrective to overindulgence in high-calorie holiday expectations.

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Music Reviews
1:00 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

The Insect Trust: An American Band Deconstructed

Credit Courtesy of the artist
The Insect Trust.

Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 9:40 am

World
12:58 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

Blasphemy Charges On The Rise In Pakistan

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 4:14 pm

Pakistan has had 27 blasphemy cases filed so far this year, a figure that alarms human rights groups, who say the law is frequently used to persecute religious minorities.

In a case that has drawn international attention, a judge on Tuesday dismissed blasphemy charges against a Christian girl, Rimsha Masih, ending a three-month order for her and her family.

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Author Interviews
12:30 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

A Model Career: 'Grace' Goes From Runway To Vogue

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 2:25 pm

Grace Coddington grew up on what she calls "an island off an island," far from the fashion industry. Her new memoir, Grace, chronicles her journey from a sleepy town on the coast of Wales to her current job as the creative director of Vogue magazine.

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Africa
12:08 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

Conflict In Congo Escalates, Goes Largely Unnoticed

Originally published on Wed November 21, 2012 12:36 pm

Transcript

NEAL CONAN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Neal Conan in Washington. Congolese rebels today captured the city of Goma, as government troops melted away and U.N. peacekeepers stood by. And if that sounds a bit like deja vu, you may be remembering a similar battle on the same ground four years ago, or parts of other wars that have ravaged the eastern part of Congo for nearly two decades now, wars blamed for the deaths of five million over those years, along with a long list of associated crimes including systematic rape, looting and child soldiers.

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The Two-Way
12:05 pm
Tue November 20, 2012

Church Of England Votes Against Introducing Female Bishops

Credit Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Rev. Sally Hitchiner stands outside Church House during a lunch break on Tuesday.

The Guardian, which followed the vote live, says whether to allow female bishops was the Church of England's biggest decision in 20 years.

A majority of the House of Bishops voted yes. A majority of the House of Clergy voted yes. But about 36 percent of The House of Laity, members elected by lay members of the church, voted no.

The measure needed a two-thirds majority in all three houses to pass.

The Guardian writes:

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The Two-Way
11:40 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Time Again To Talk Turkey, And Why Frying Can Be Fatal

Credit State Farm
Don't try this at home: A fryer that was put in a garage and into which a still-frozen bird was placed. Those are two common mistakes.

Originally published on Wed November 21, 2012 6:22 am

The Picture Show
11:20 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Rockets, Cigarettes And A Lion: Just A Few Of The Things Smuggled Into Gaza

Originally published on Sun November 25, 2012 7:54 am

Palestinian militants have fired hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel during the latest bloodletting, and are believed to have thousands more in stock. Where do all these rockets come from, when Gaza is a tiny sliver of land that has no major manufacturing and is constantly monitored by Israel's military?

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The Two-Way
11:07 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Talks With Colombian Government Are On A Good Path, Says FARC Negotiator

Credit Adalberto Roque / AFP/Getty Images
Colombian members of FARC, commanders Ivan Marquez, center, and Rodrigo Granda, left, arrive at Convention Palace in Havana for the peace talks with the Colombian government on Monday.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 12:53 pm

We know all eyes are in Egypt today, where negotiations for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing.

But there is another set of talks happening in Havana, Cuba that is worth paying attention to. Those negotiations are happening between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the country's Marxist guerilla.

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The Salt
10:45 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Why Americans Go Crazy For Pumpkin And Pumpkin Flavored Stuff

Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 2:03 pm

At Thanksgiving, many of us will dig into the pointy tip of our first piece of pumpkin pie for the season. However, this Thursday, that nostalgic moment might feel a little less special.

This year, the word "pumpkin" seems to be creeping its way into hundreds of foods, drinks, and other products. As The Huffington Post noted recently, you can now find pumpkin-inspired beers, teas, marshmallows, soy milk, Pop-Tarts, and Pringles.

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Education
10:41 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Future Of Cash-Strapped Historic Black Colleges

Transcript

CELESTE HEADLEE, HOST:

This is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. I'm Celeste Headlee. Michel Martin is away. Coming up, short-term jitters are leading many small investors to pull their money off of Wall Street. We're going to ask what that could mean for them and the market in the long run. That's just ahead.

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The Two-Way
10:39 am
Tue November 20, 2012

In Syria, An Act Of Reconciliation Stirs Fierce Debate

Credit Joseph Eid / AFP/Getty Images
Supporters of President Bashar Assad speak with U.N. monitors who were arriving in the town in May. The monitors have since left.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 11:41 am

After 20 months of violence in Syria, acts of reconciliation are scarce.

When one took place earlier this month in the town of Tel Kalakh, near the border with Lebanon, it touched off a fierce debate.

The man at the center is Ahmad Munir Muhammed, the governor of Homs, who has long been known as a loyalist of embattled President Bashar Assad.

However, Muhammed made an official visit to Tel Kalakh, where the majority of neighborhoods are controlled by the rebels.

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Business
10:38 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Are Stocks Threatened By 'Generation Sell'?

Fewer than 20 percent of Americans now say they're interested in buying stocks. That's according to a survey conducted by the site Bankrate.com. Guest host Celeste Headlee talks to Roben Farzad, contributor for Bloomberg BusinessWeek about what this could mean for the market's future.

The Two-Way
10:16 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Allen West, Controversial Tea Party Firebrand, Concedes In Florida House Race

Credit Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images
Rep. Allen West , R-FL, speaks during an address to the 39th Conservative Political Action Committee in Washington, D.C., in February.

Originally published on Tue December 4, 2012 5:26 pm

After two weeks, legal challenges and plenty of barbs with his opponent, Rep. Allen West, the Republican Tea Party firebrand, conceded defeat this morning.

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The Two-Way
10:15 am
Tue November 20, 2012

VIDEO: Clown, Cop Trade Punches

Credit Mario Tama / Getty Images
It could be hard to run from police in these.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 1:03 pm

We need a break from the day's incredibly serious news. Maybe you do too. If so, check the story from Milwaukee about a guy in a clown suit who was running in and out of traffic — and the fistfight/wrestling match he got into with a police officer.

It was all recorded by a guy with a camera phone. Reportedly, no one was hurt. The clown is said to be a local activist of some sort.

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All Songs Considered
10:00 am
Tue November 20, 2012

First Watch: Ahleuchatistas, 'Lighted Stairs'

Credit Courtney Chappell / Courtesy of the artist
Ahleuchatistas

Originally published on Tue December 18, 2012 10:51 am

I first saw this guitar and drums duo last month, in their home town of Asheville, N.C. during Moogfest. The festival is often thought of as just an electronic music festival and it does skew in that direction, but it primarily celebrates the creative souls in music and in doing so honors the spirit of electronic music pioneer Robert Moog. The sonic palette of guitarist Shane Perlowin and drummer Ryan Oslance certainly fits that description.

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The Two-Way
9:39 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Elmo Puppeteer Resigns; Calls Sex Allegations A 'Distraction'

Credit Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images
Puppeteer Kevin Clash and Elmo.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 10:22 am

Kevin Clash, the voice and puppeteer who for 28 years has made Sesame Street's Elmo come alive for kids, has resigned because "the controversy surrounding [his] personal life has become a distraction," Sesame Workshop said this morning.

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The Two-Way
9:05 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Former UBS Trader Who Lost Billions Is Convicted

Credit Sang Tan / AP
Former UBS trader Kweku Adoboli on Sept. 18, 2012.

Kweku Adoboli will spend seven years in prison for his unauthorized trades at UBS. A British court convicted him on two counts of fraud for losing $2.3 billion dollars in his risky bets over several years, ending in 2011.

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The Two-Way
8:16 am
Tue November 20, 2012

FBI Charges Four Men, Accuses Them Of Trying To Join Al-Qaida

Federal authorities are accusing four men from California of plotting to help al-Qaida and the Taliban. Last Friday, they arrested Ralph Deleon, 23, Arifeen David Gojali, 21 and Miguel Alejandro Santana Vidriales, 21 as they prepared to fly to Afghanistan. They were to meet Sohiel Omar Kabir, 34, who was already there. Kabir is being held by officials in Afghanistan.

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The Two-Way
8:15 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Former Sen. Warren Rudman Dies

Credit Alex Wong / Getty Images
Former Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H., in 2002.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 8:23 am

Former New Hampshire Sen. Warren Rudman has died. His name will always be linked to a 1980s-era effort to tame the federal budget deficit and to a pre-Sept. 11 warning about the nation's security. And he will be remembered as a "moderate" Republican who could work across party lines.

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The Two-Way
7:28 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Charges Filed Against Murdoch Editors Accused Of Paying Officials For Information

Credit Oli Scarff / Getty Images
Rebekah Brooks, who rose to the top spot at Rupert Murdoch's News International.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 9:45 am

British officials today filed more charges against former top editors at some of Rupert Murdoch's newspapers in the U.K., this time for allegedly paying nearly $160,000 to a ministry of defense official to get information.

That information allegedly included the "Green Book" that lists phone numbers and other contact details for members of Britain's royal family.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, those charged are:

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The Two-Way
6:39 am
Tue November 20, 2012

HP Takes $8.8 Billion Hit From 'Misrepresentations' By Company It Bought

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
At Hewlett-Packard headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 10:23 am

Saying it was a victim of "serious accounting improprieties, disclosure failures and outright misrepresentations" by a British software company it acquired last year, tech titan Hewlett-Packard just announced it erased $8.8 billion from its books last quarter to properly account for the acquisition.

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Book Reviews
6:31 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Graphic Novels That Flew Under The Radar In 2012

Credit Nishant Choksi

Originally published on Tue December 25, 2012 2:20 pm

In 2012, several high-profile comics creators added landmark works to their already impressive legacies. With Building Stories, Chris Ware offered 14 volumes of comics, each with its own meticulous, anagrammatic take on despair, and stuffed them into a box.

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The Two-Way
6:06 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Britain Recognizes Syrian Opposition

Credit John Cantlie / AFP/Getty Images
Rubble litters the street in the main souk or market area of Maraat al-Numan, Syria.

Calling it the "sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said today that the U.K. is officially recognizing the Syrian National Coalition, Reuters reports.

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Heavy Rotation
6:03 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Heavy Rotation: 5 Songs Public Radio Can't Stop Playing

Originally published on Mon November 26, 2012 9:34 am

Our November edition of "Heavy Rotation" includes new favorite songs from public-radio stations across the country. Starting out west, Colorado Public Radio's OpenAir channel highlights one of Denver's most promising young voices, Esme Patterson. Kansas Public Radio's "Trail Mix" show is obsessed with folksinger Rayna Gellert. WEMU in Ypsilanti, Mich., is feeling blues belter Mary Bridget Davies. WXPN in Philadelphia recently added the wonderfully named Foxygen. And Vermont Public Radio is getting ready for winter with bassist Marcus Miller.

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The Two-Way
5:51 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Christian Girl Accused Of Blasphemy Cleared By Pakistani Court

Credit Farooq Naeem / AFP/Getty Images
Rimsha Masih (left) was flown by military helicopter to a safe location after her release on bail in September. Now, she's been cleared of a blasphemy charge.

Originally published on Tue November 20, 2012 10:34 am

Rimsha Masih, the young Christian Pakistani girl whose arrest earlier this year drew international attention, has been cleared of the blasphemy charge against her.

According to NPR's Jackie Northam, who is in Islamabad, Pakistan's High Court today threw out the charge against Rimsha because there was no hard evidence that she ever burned pages of the Quran, as neighbors had charged.

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Around the Nation
5:41 am
Tue November 20, 2012

Customers Help Robbed Coffee Kiosk Recover

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

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