National

Syrian Conflict Raises Thorny Issues Beyond The Mideast

8:28am May 12, 2013

The conflict in Syria has had repercussions far beyond its borders, with refugees streaming into neighboring states and countries around the world choosing sides. NPR commentator Ted Koppel weighs in on what the ongoing upheaval in Syria could mean for the rest of the world.

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National

In Guantanamo, Have We Created Something We Can't Close?

7:26pm May 11, 2013

by NPR Staff

The crisis at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp keeps growing in size and intensity. According to the military's own count, 100 of the 166 men held in the prison there are now on hunger strike. The strike has brought renewed attention to the issue of closing the prison, but some wonder if that's even possible.

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Are you the next Radio Diaries teen diarist?

Hey Teenagers! We Want To Hear Your Stories

8:49pm May 10, 2013

NPR and Radio Diaries are looking for personal, surprising stories from teens. Write it, photograph it (and record it if you want) and submit it to the storytelling site Cowbird. Two entries will be picked to produce audio stories with Radio Diaries and a selection will be featured on NPR.org.

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Benghazi Investigator Reacts To Criticism Of His Report

7:25pm May 10, 2013

Robert Siegel speaks with former top diplomat Thomas Pickering, who led the State Department's investigation into the September 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Pickering's report was criticized by witnesses at this week's congressional oversight hearing about the administration's handling of the attacks.

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Students associated with the group Brown Divest Coal protested in front of the Brown University president's office during a rally May 3. The group is demanding that the university stop investing in certain oil and coal companies.

College Divestment Campaigns Creating Passionate Environmentalists

11:04am May 10, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

Taking a page from the playbook of decades past, college students are once again pressuring schools to pull investment funding from specific sectors. This time it's big oil and coal companies. But these campaigns have effects beyond the university — they're launching a new generation of activists.

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National

Consumers Facing Subscription Service Overload Will Only Get More Choices

4:02pm May 09, 2013

by Laura Sydell

Consumers already have an abundance of choice when it comes to entertainment and news subscriptions. But analysts say it's still early days for all the digital subscription offerings we'll have to pay for.

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National

What We Can Learn From The Viral Spotlight On Charles Ramsey

2:40pm May 09, 2013

A compelling television interview with Charles Ramsey, who helped save three women held in captivity in Cleveland, quickly became an online meme in the vein of Antoine Dodson and Sweet Brown. Slate's Aisha Harris and Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post discuss what Harris has called the viral trend of the "hilarious black neighbor."

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Deward Cawthon, a plant operator at the Federal Helium Reserve, walks through the Federal Crude Helium Enrichment Unit near Amarillo, Texas, in 2011.

Congress Considers Patch To Keep Helium Supply Afloat

2:39pm May 09, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

The Senate is considering legislation to prevent a global helium shortage from worsening in October. That's when the Federal Helium Program is set to terminate.

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National

Specially Trained FBI Agents Will Help Kidnapped Women Heal

11:43am May 09, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Three women rescued in Cleveland after going missing a decade ago have beaten the odds. In most cases, Justice Department statistics say victims don't survive that kind of ordeal. FBI forensic experts and victim specialists will be meeting with the women and their families, to try to start the process of helping them return to the world.

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Federal employees demonstrate against the U.S. budget sequester, outside New York's Federal Plaza on Tuesday.

Furloughs Only The Latest Blow To Federal Worker Morale

5:51am May 09, 2013

by Yuki Noguchi

Government work was once synonymous with job security and stability. But these days furloughs, pay freezes and threats of further cuts are fomenting discontent. Some federal employees also say that public criticism of the federal government is also taking a toll.

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