Karzai: Afghans Will Back Pakistan If U.S. Attacks

Afghan President Hamid Karzai says that in a war between Pakistan and the U.S., Afghanistan would support Pakistan. “If fighting starts between Pakistan and the U.S., we are beside Pakistan,” he said in an interview with private Pakistani television station GEO that aired Saturday. “If Pakistan is attacked and the people of Pakistan need Afghanistan’s [...]

Products R Us: Are We ‘Brandwashed’?

Martin Lindstrom got into the advertising business early on. “I started up my own ad agency when I was 12 years old,” he tells Guy Raz, host of weekend on All Things Considered. “I was a huge fan of Lego, so I built up my own Legoland in the backyard of my mom and dad’s [...]

Congressional Strongmen, Stripped Of Superpowers

Since the supercommittee was formed in August to find federal deficit cuts, the House and Senate appropriations committees have seen their responsibilities wane. But not too long ago, they were the most exclusive clubs in Congress and it took years to get assigned to one. Appropriations ‘Lost Its Luster’ Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., finally landed [...]

Was It A Cat I Saw? (Nope: It Was A Palindrome)

Barry Duncan has an obsession that follows him everywhere he goes. “I see street signs, restaurant menus, objects while I’m walking along, and I’m just reversing them all the time,” he tells Guy Raz, host of weekends on All Things Considered. Duncan is a master palindromist. He creates phrases, sentences, even passages that read the [...]

7.2-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Eastern Turkey

A powerful, 7.2-magnitude earthquake sparked panic in eastern Turkey Sunday. State media are reporting that some buildings have collapsed and that rescue workers are trying to reach people who are believed to be trapped. The worst damage was caused to the town of Ercis, in the mountainous eastern province of Van, close to the Iranian [...]

The Wait Wait Snack Pack

1.) This week, as President Obama was shaking hands with a crowd of people in Virginia, one man seemed to be much more interested in doing what? A) Texting on his SmartphoneB) Showing off his awesome karate movesC) Reading the latest Twilight novelD) Shaking hands with a Colonel Sanders impersonator, also in attendance 2.) A [...]

Self-Starters Eat Up This Slow-Cooking Technique

Sous vide cooking was once the province of chefs at fancy restaurants and home cooks willing to shell out close to $1,000 for the necessary water ovens. Now, do-it-yourselfers are making their own inexpensive sous vide cooking rigs. With this type of cooking, meat, fish or vegetables are placed in sealed plastic bags and cooked [...]

Uptick In Arts Funding Lacks Diversity, Study Says

While the overall U.S. economy seems to be stuck in neutral, there are a few bright spots. One of them is charitable giving to the arts, which was up more than 5 percent last year. But a new study cautions that much of that support serves audiences that are wealthier and whiter than the country [...]

On Broadway, John Turturro Offers Three For One

At the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on 47th Street in New York, the movie star winning attention is actually playing the role of director. Host Audie Cornish speaks to John Turturro, who’s making his Broadway directing debut in <em>Relatively Speaking</em>, three one-act plays written by Woody Allen, Ethan Coen and Elaine May. [Copyright 2011 National Public [...]

Tunisians Wake To Their Very First Election Day

Tunisians are voting Sunday in the country’s first free and democratic election. The small North African nation was the first to overthrow its dictator last January in a popular movement that soon spread to other authoritarian Arab nations. Now, analysts say what happens in Tunisia will be key to whether democracy is to take root [...]