Around the Nation

Herman Boudreau served in the U.S. Army in World War II, then rose to the rank of command sergeant major in the Maine Army National Guard.

Public Servant Herman Boudreau, Heroic Under Enemy Fire

5:51pm May 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

While serving in the Army in World War II, Herman Boudreau fought the Japanese resistance during more than two years in the South Pacific. He went on to serve in the Maine National Guard and the Maine State Police, as chief of police in Freeport and as an auxiliary police officer in Brunswick.

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Many drive-ins and mom and pop theaters will soon have to make the switch from film to digital after putting it off because of the high cost of new projectors.

Arts

Drive-Ins Soon Face Hollywood's Digital Switch

5:48pm May 30, 2013

by Brenna Angel

This is the year that drive-in movie theater owners have dreaded: They must convert their projectors from film to digital. It costs tens of thousands of dollars to make the switch, and that may be too much for many of the remaining 400 or so drive-ins left in the United States.

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Health & Safety

With Advances In Prenatal Testing, Difficult Choices Arise

3:08pm May 30, 2013

Technological developments in prenatal testing and screening methods have given women more information about the genetic status of their fetuses. Increased access to information can leave mothers and their partners with difficult choices about whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy.

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How OxyContin's Pain Relief Built 'A World Of Hurt'

12:40pm May 30, 2013

New York Times reporter Barry Meier's new e-book explores opiate painkillers and the consequences that come with long-term use. He focuses in particular on OxyContin, how it came to be prescribed for chronic pain, what the consequences have been, and how it became a street drug.

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Alex Pope, owner of The Local Pig in Kansas City, Mo., says he hopes the deal serves as a wake-up call to consumers.

Will Chinese Firm Bring Home The Bacon With Smithfield Deal?

9:38am May 30, 2013

by Peggy Lowe

It isn't clear yet whether U.S. regulators will approve the takeover of the iconic American company by China's Shuanghui International. There are concerns that Shuanghui could ratchet up production to feed the growing demand for meat in China.

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Missing Senior Citizen Comes Home In Time For TV Deadline

8:19am May 30, 2013

Robert McDonough, 72, of Maine suffers from dementia and had not been seen for more than 14 hours. As a TV reporter prepared to go live, standing outside McDonough's home, an elderly man wandered into the camera shot.

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Sports

Blackhawks Beat Wings, Will Meet Kings In NHL Conference Final

8:18am May 30, 2013

by Mike Pesca

The Chicago Blackhawks were on the verge of elimination from the National Hockey League playoffs. But in overtime Wednesday night, they came back to beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series.

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By leasing land for drilling, city leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, hope to generate funds to demolish vacant buildings.

What's Under Youngstown May Help What's On Top

7:18pm May 29, 2013

City leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, are hoping that by leasing land to drilling companies, they might generate funds to demolish vacant homes and buildings. Some refer to this as "frackmolishing," and opponents worry the drilling will cause environmental damage.

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Cooking With Cicadas: No Weirder Than Eating Cheese?

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Maria Godoy

We know, eating bugs sounds strange, but 2 billion people already do it — and the U.N. has made the case for insects as a key protein source. For U.S. East Coasters, the coming of the 17-year cicadas provides an opportunity to cook with bugs. If you want to try your hand at it, there's a cookbook to guide your way.

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George Porter, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, at his home in Sacramento, Calif., in 2007. Porter joined the armed forces in 1942 and served as a crew chief, squadron inspector and flight engineer with the Army Air Forces and the Air Force.

National

For Tuskegee Airman George Porter, Failure Was Not An Option

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

George Porter was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots, and those who supported them, in American history. A mechanic during the war, Porter found ways with his colleagues to keep their planes airborne even as they were denied the tools needed to do their jobs.

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