Words Hurt The World, Poet Says

Before we argue, let’s agree: When you are trying to say something important, words matter. They matter a lot. Here, because it’s so deftly done, is a video reminder: OK, now that you’ve been softened up by an ad agency, Purplefeather, in Britain, we’re ready for the counter-punch. Here’s a question. It began an argument [...]

Murdoch Says He Was Misled About Tabloid Scandal

Rupert Murdoch, whose media empire is the subject of a corruption and phone hacking scandal, told a British parliamentary inquiry Tuesday that he was not aware of wrongdoing until after the fact and acknowledged that he had been misled. Murdoch, who appeared with his son James — News Corp’s heir apparent — told a special [...]

HIV Treatment In Africa Brings Near-Normal Lifespan

Lately the good news about HIV/AIDS just keeps rolling in. Last week two studies demonstrated that a daily antiviral pill protects sexually active men and women from getting infected. Now researchers are showing that the life expectancy of already-infected African patients getting HIV treatment almost matches that of their uninfected countrymen. “This is the first [...]

For Libyan Rebels, Gadhafi’s Mines A Potent Obstacle

Land mines are being increasingly used in Libya by Moammar Gadhafi’s forces in battlegrounds across the country. Rebels fighting for the eastern town of Brega are being stymied by minefields around the area. In Libya’s western mountains, anti-tank and anti-personnel mines are causing many casualties, but there are few mine experts to help. On the [...]

House To Vote On Doomed GOP-Backed Debt Plan

The last day the U.S. Treasury says it can fully pay its obligations is exactly two weeks away. That is unless Congress avoids default by raising the nation’s legal borrowing limit. Lawmakers in the House may help budge the debt ceiling impasse with a vote Tuesday on legislation dubbed “Cut, Cap and Balance.” It bars [...]

Report Details Texas School Disciplinary Policies

Researchers in Texas have released the most comprehensive analysis of school suspension and expulsion policies ever conducted. It’s considered groundbreaking because of its scope and detailed examination of disciplinary policies that when misused often put students at greater risk of dropping out or being incarcerated. Breaking Schools’ Rules, the title of the study, is extraordinary [...]

Imam Arrests Show Shift In Muslim Outreach Effort

In the second part of a series on counterterrorism training, NPR looks at a test case in Miami. To understand the events that unfolded two months ago in Miami, you need to know that one of the most volatile things that can happen in a Muslim-American community is the arrest of a religious leader, the [...]

Ready For Retirement, Shuttles Get A Deep Clean

Once space shuttle Atlantis touches down on Earth later this week, workers will start the process of transforming the spaceship into a museum piece. To see how that mothballing process will unfold, I recently went on a rare tour of Discovery, one of NASA’s other shuttles. Discovery was set up with its landing gear down [...]

At 61, Nyad Resurfaces For Cuba To Key West Swim

More than 30 years after her last big swim, Diana Nyad is back in the water. Nyad, a former commentator for NPR’s Morning Edition, became well-known in the 1970s for her swim around Manhattan Island and, a few years later, for swimming from the Bahamas to Florida. Now, at age 61, she’ll soon be attempting [...]

Birth Control Without Copays Could Become Mandatory

Is there nothing in last year’s Affordable Care Act that people won’t fight over? The latest battle is set to come to a head Wednesday, when the independent Institute of Medicine is expected to make recommendations about preventive health care services for women. And one service that’s drawing a lot of the attentions is contraception. [...]