Around the Nation

More Storms, Tornadoes Batter Parts Of Oklahoma

6:39am June 01, 2013

Still recovering from the devastating tornado two weeks ago, parts of Okalahoma were struck again with intense storms and tornadoes Friday night. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks with Kurt Gwartney of member station KGOU about the lastest there.

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Manning in 1945. She and dozens of other nurses were freed by U.S. forces earlier that year.

Army Nurse Mildred Manning: An 'Angel' POW With A Job To Do

9:23pm May 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

Along with six dozen fellow U.S. Army nurses, Manning was captured while treating soldiers in the Philippines in 1942. The nurses, held prisoner for 33 months, were known as the "Angels of Bataan and Corregidor."

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Today, there's little sign in Xenia's Arrowhead neighborhood of the 1974 devastation.

National

In Ohio Town, Okla. Twister Conjures Echoes Of 1974 Disaster

9:23pm May 31, 2013

by Noah Adams

A tornado destroyed much of the town of Xenia in April 1974. The storm killed 33 people and injured hundreds. There are few signs of the devastation in Xenia today, but many residents still have vivid memories of the twister and its aftermath.

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A year later, these friends are still gathering to talk over the paper, but it's not The Times-Picayune. From left: Sue Paraski, Sharon Morrow, Eric Hartman, Joe Mole.

National

Two Newspapers Battle It Out For The New Orleans Market

2:26pm May 31, 2013

by Eve Troeh

Residents were outraged when The Times-Picayune cut its paper-and-ink edition to three days a week to focus on its website. Now the paper is facing a new competitor for the local media market — one based 80 miles away.

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Rep. Cole speaks as U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and others listen during a news conference in Moore last week.

Okla. Recovery Spotlights Rep. Cole's Support For Sandy Aid

1:39pm May 31, 2013

by Tamara Keith

When Congress voted on federal relief for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, five of the seven Oklahoma representatives and senators voted no. Rep. Tom Cole, who voted yes, warned that someday Oklahoma would be asking for help. That day came last week after a massive tornado hit his district.

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Peter Obetz (left) and Jeff Jarrett met in 1998 and are still close friends. Peter was diagnosed with stage IV esophageal cancer in 2004. He was declared cancer-free in 2009. They visited StoryCorps in Kansas City, Mo.

National

Cherishing The Gift Of Friendship Through A Cancer Bout

8:34am May 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

In 2004, Peter Obetz was in the middle of a divorce when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He says the news was not only a wake-up call for him to change his life, but it also brought him closer to his friend Jeff Jarrett. He's been cancer-free since 2009.

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Moto X: First Smartphone To Be Assembled In U.S.

8:34am May 31, 2013

by Lauren Silverman

There are more than 130 million smartphones in the U.S., but none read: assembled in the USA. Motorola's flagship device, Moto X, will be the first smartphone assembled in the U.S. Motorola Mobility, which is owned by Google, has already begun hiring for the plant based in Fort Worth, Texas.

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Elysha O'Brien and her husband, Michael, with their sons. Elysha never learned Spanish but is determined that her children will.

National

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language

12:24am May 31, 2013

by Michele Norris

Elysha O'Brien calls herself a "Mexican white girl." Not just because of her ethnically ambiguous appearance, she says, but also because she can't speak Spanish. Fearing their children would experience discrimination if they spoke Spanish, her parents chose not to teach them their native tongue.

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Activists rally in support of gay marriage on March 25 in Chicago. The Illinois Senate has approved legislation that will legalize same-sex marriage, but it has stalled in the state House.

Will Ill. Legalize Gay Marriage Before Legislature Adjourns?

7:04pm May 30, 2013

by David Schaper

The clock is ticking for those who hope Illinois becomes the 13th state to legalize same-sex marriage. After passing the Illinois Senate in February, a bill to legalize gay marriage has stalled in the House. Backers are trying to get it through before the Legislature adjourns Friday night.

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The University of Tennessee became one of 10 state university systems teaming up with Coursera, a for-profit tech company.

Online College Courses Get A Big Boost, But Doubts Persist

6:01pm May 30, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

Degree-granting institutions are responding to austere budgets by catapulting themselves into the world of online education. But some professors point to low online completion rates as evidence that these "massive open online courses" do a disservice to students.

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