Around the Nation

Heard It Through The Grapevine: Raisin Grower Goes Rogue

6:26am August 16, 2013

by Zoe Chace

In this "Planet Money" report, we learn about a man many call an outlaw. His crime? Growing raisins and then selling them all. For the last 10 years, he's violated the law and gone against the Raisin Administrative Committee.

Queue Listen Now

Ford Lowers Mileage Rating On C-Max Hybrid

5:45am August 16, 2013

by Tracy Samilton

On Thursday, Ford issued a statement lowering the vehicle's stated performance for combined city and highway to 43 miles per gallon. The car had been advertised at 47 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, but tests reportedly showed the figure to be inflated.

Queue Listen Now

Bison have been roaming the Santa Catalina Island since the 1920s. At one time they numbered more than 600.

National

Of Bison, Birth Control And An Island Off Southern Calif.

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

A wild herd of bison has been roaming the rugged Santa Catalina Island since the 1920s, when the animals were brought there by a film crew shooting a movie that was never made. With no natural predators, the bison population quickly exploded.

Queue Listen Now

Dave Dierig, research leader at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, stands among the ceiling-high shelves that hold the 600,000 seed packets in this cold storage vault.

Colorado Vault Is Fort Knox For The World's Seeds

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Luke Runyon

At Colorado State University, billions of seeds and other genetic material sit inside a giant storage vault. They're kept there in case of a loss of plant or animal life on a regional or global scale. But the investigation into GMO wheat in Oregon has raised questions about security at the facility.

Queue Listen Now

A Closer Look At Elon Musk's Much-Hyped Hyperloop

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Elise Hu

Existing concepts in science like linear induction motors and magnetic levitation are back in the spotlight thanks to Elon Musk's proposal for a rail system that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

Queue Listen Now

Speech-language pathologists Jill Tullman (left) and Mendi Carroll (right) work with Bryce Vernon at Talking with Technology Camp in Empire, Colo., on July 25.

Obamacare: People With Disabilities Face Complex Choices

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Eric Whitney

The Affordable Care Act sets up categories of essential health benefits that insurance plans must cover. Some categories, such as maternity care and drug abuse treatment, are straightforward. But "habilitative services" — including treatments like physical and speech therapy — are much more subjective.

Queue Listen Now

Holder Unveils New Approach To Criminal Justice

7:59am August 15, 2013

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder outlined changes Monday to ease overcrowding prisons in a speech to the American Bar Association in San Francisco. David Greene talks to Ohio State University law professor Douglas Berman about the plan to ease mandatory sentences for drug offenders.

Queue Listen Now

Economy

Why Modern Latinas Are A Challenge To Marketers

7:59am August 15, 2013

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

The market research firm Nielsen has published a report on the Latina consumer. According to Nielsen, Hispanic women are a key growth engine in the American marketplace. The Latina population is growing while the white, non-Hispanic female population is dropping.

Queue Listen Now

Atlanta Braves Find Another Use For Duct Tape

7:59am August 15, 2013

For the second time in two seasons, Atlanta Braves third baseman Chris Johnson was ejected from a game after arguing with an umpire and throwing his helmet. Next game, Johnson hit the field with a new piece of equipment: duct tape over his mouth.

Queue Listen Now

Ohio Casino Acknowledges Mistake, Awards 2 Winners

7:59am August 15, 2013

Kevin Lewis of Cincinnati was announced the winner of a $1 million giveaway. The problem, the wrong Kevin Lewis came forward first. After the casino realized the mistake, officials gave both men the prize.

Queue Listen Now