Ants: ‘A Global Safari With A Cast Of Trillions’

This interview was originally broadcast on June 17, 2010. Ants are a sisterhood. “The guys don’t really do too much,” entomologist Mark Moffett tells Fresh Air contributor Dave Davies. “They’re kind of kicked out of the society soon after they’re born. They have a single function: to have sex. OK. They have two functions. To [...]

How An Injured Tortoise Rolls Now

Veterinarians at Washington State University came up with a cheap and apparently effective way to get an injured tortoise up and at ‘em again. In April, Gamera, a 12-year-old African spur-thighed tortoise, was turned over to the animal hospital at WSU’s vet school with a badly burned front left leg. The vets determined the injury [...]

President Obama Talks Deficit, Jobs On NPR

Host Michel Martin interviews President Barack Obama about the Gang of Six’s bipartisan debt reduction plan, job stimulation, and which public programs he believes should be protected from spending cuts. Obama also comments on whether he thinks he has a special responsibility to look out for African-Americans’ interests. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

Obama: I Want A Debt Ceiling Deal For My Birthday

Host Michel Martin continues her conversation with President Barack Obama. He comments on the criticism his wife received for ordering a high-calorie meal, and shares his feelings about turning 50. [Copyright 2011 National Public Radio]

Calif. Milk Board Dumps Controversial PMS Campaign

Even if the science was right, the message proved terribly wrong. The California Milk Processor Board pulled the plug on a controversial campaign that positioned milk as a remedy for premenstrual syndrome by appealing to cowering husbands and boyfriends. There’s merit to the idea that regular consumption of milk — and other foods rich in [...]

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Poseurs, Plate-Spinners, And Six Bucks In Pennies

On this week’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, we kick things off by talking about poseurs — people who pretend to know more than they do, pretend to have read things they haven’t read, and pretend to be interested in things they don’t care about. In other words: all of us, at one point or another. [...]

Tell Us Your Favorite Number

It’s a simple question, really, but a cunning one, because the answers are so embarrassingly, voluptuously personal. Alex Bellos thought it up. He’s a writer, math enthusiast, and nut. Here’s what he wants: He wants to know your favorite number. Just that. Tell me your favorite, and tell me why, he says. He’s set up [...]

Somalis Stream Into Kenya, Fleeing Famine

The crippling drought in the Horn of Africa has affected about 11 million people in a region straddling Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. But it’s Somalia that has been hit hardest. This week, the United Nations declared a famine in two parts of the lawless nation – Lower Shabelle and Bakool in the south. Thousands of [...]

Developing: Explosion In Oslo Rocks Government Offices

News is just starting to come in about an explosion in Oslo, Norway. The Associated Press says it “shattered windows and led to evacuations of office buildings near the government headquarters.” Reuters calls it a “huge explosion” and says that Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg’s office was among those damaged. The wire service says at least [...]

Crisis In The Horn Of Africa: ‘We Need Water, We Need Life’

While in the U.S. we worry about the dangerous heat wave covering much of the country, in the Horn of Africa the famine, drought and conflict plaguing Somalia and some nearby regions have combined to create a far deadlier disaster. As we reported earlier this week, thousands of people have already died in what’s been [...]