For One Ala. Farmer, Workers Are Still Scarce

Earlier this year, Alabama passed a tough immigration law that prompted thousands of migrant workers to flee the state. Shortly after, NPR spoke with Jamie Boatwright, a fourth-generation tomato farmer in Steele, Ala. When the law was passed, about 20 of Boatwright’s farmhands — all of them from Mexico — left and his business was [...]

Bronx Family’s Christmas Display Is ‘So Bad, It’s Good’

A few strings of lights and an inflatable Santa are enough for some people when it comes to holiday decorations. But not for the Garabedian family of the Bronx, whose over-the-top Christmas displays have been a traffic-snarling must-see for nearly four decades. And “traditional” is definitely not the right word for this holiday attraction. The [...]

Young And Undocumented: Immigration In Ariz.

Increased deportations in the U.S. have led to more broken families among immigrants. Reporter John Faherty recently profiled three undocumented high school students living together without their families in a trailer in Phoenix, Ariz. Host Audie Cornish speaks with Faherty about his reporting on how Arizona’s immigration law has impacted immigrant children. [Copyright 2011 National [...]

Trees In Trouble: Grim Future For Frankincense

The original Christmas presents were gold, frankincense and myrrh. That’s what wise men brought to the baby Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew. Frankincense is still used today — for perfumes, incense and traditional medicines — but a new study suggests that its future looks grim. The trees that produce this fragrant resin are [...]

Loose Moose Make Anchorage A Winter Wanderland

Anchorage, Alaska, probably has more wildlife within its borders than any other city in the world. Bears, lynx and king salmon all coexist with city dwellers — peacefully, for the most part — so it’s no shock when the snow piles up in the mountains and hundreds of moose descend on the city each winter. [...]

With New Strategy, Record Number Of Deportations

2011 was a record year for deportations. During the last federal fiscal year, 396,000 people were removed from the U.S., mostly sent to Latin America. John Morton heads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency that identifies people inside the country illegally and prosecutes them. “We set out to have a year of smart [...]

Jewish And Mexican Cooking Meet In ‘Challa-peño’

Food memories are vivid. What you ate as a kid can whisk you right back to that lost time in your life — but for my mother’s parents, Martha and Jerry Schneider, one special food memory eludes them. My grandparents spent most of their lives in Mexico City but now live in Los Angeles. After [...]

Unwrap The Phrase To Reveal A Gift

On-Air Challenge: Identify a gift for a child spelled by consecutive letters in familiar two-word phrases. For example, if given “tomato paste,” the answer would be “top.” Last Week’s Challenge: Take the word “at.” Put a man’s first name on each side of it, and say the word out loud. Phonetically, you’ll get a word [...]

Rapture Or Not, Promise To Care For Pets Stands

Back in May, followers of Harold Camping were preparing for the coming rapture. For some, that preparation included someone to look after their pets. At the time, animal lover Bart Centre, the creator of Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, had 259 clients whose pets he promised to look after in the event that they were raptured in [...]

TSA Workers Sing Cheer Into Holiday Travel

Turns out those dour security officers who make you take your shoes off at the airport have plenty of Christmas spirit. Travel isn’t usually a highlight of the holidays, but at LAX the TSA workers enjoy the season so much they sing. True to its duties, the LAX TSA Chorus isn’t joking. Its singers are [...]