Health
12:47 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Tracking The Spread Of A Nasty Virus

When members of a travel soccer team in Oregon fell ill last year, the details of how the disease spread through the team were mysterious. Kimberly Repp, an epidemiologist in Washington County, Oregon, describes the medical detective work that led epidemiologists through the chain of transmission of the norovirus.

Fitness & Nutrition
12:43 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Sizing Up Americans In 'The Weight Of The Nation'

A new four-part documentary airing on HBO next week looks at America's growing weight problem. John Hoffman, vice president of HBO Documentary Films and executive producer of The Weight Of The Nation, describes his three year-project to document the causes and effects of being overweight and obese in America.

'It's All Politics': NPR's Weekly News Roundup
12:35 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

It's All Politics, May 10, 2012

Credit KRISTOPHER SKINNER / MCT /Landov
  • Listen to the Roundup

Gay marriage gets an advocate in the White House, but only after Vice President Joe Biden has his say. President Obama's announcement comes a day after North Carolina voters overwhelmingly rejected the concept. And Dick Lugar's 36-year Senate career comes to an end in Indiana. Meanwhile, in the West Virginia primary, Obama defeats a jailed felon from Texas, 59 percent to 41 percent.

Listen to the latest political roundup with NPR's Ken Rudin and Ron Elving.

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Politics
12:29 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

The Case For A Presidential Science Debate

A group of science advocates say the American president should have the basic scientific know-how to understand policy challenges, evaluate options and devise solutions. Ira Flatow and guests discuss how a presidential science debate can help voters decide if a candidate is up for the job.

Presidential Race
12:23 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Why Race Could Color The Vote Against Obama

A new study shows eligible voters who favored whites over blacks- either consciously or unconsciously- also favored Republican candidates relative to Barack Obama. Psychologist Anthony Greenwald discusses the results and why racial attitudes continue to predict voter preference in 2012.

The Two-Way
12:22 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Catholic Bishops Are Investigating The Girl Scouts

Credit Francis Miller / Time
The first girl scout, Daisy Gordon Lawrence (left), demonstrates techniques like rope-tying and fire-making to young scouts in the late 1940s.

Originally published on Fri May 11, 2012 12:48 pm

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent an "official inquiry" to the Girl Scouts of the USA. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports the bishops will investigate whether the iconic group has ties or views that conflict with Catholic teaching.

Barbara filed this report for our Newscast unit:

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The Two-Way
12:18 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

'Mama Bird' Evelyn Johnson Dies At 102; Logged 7 Years Of Flight Time

Originally published on Tue May 15, 2012 1:12 pm

Evelyn Bryan Johnson, a record-setting pilot who was born just six years after the Wright brothers made their historic flight, has died at the age of 102. Johnson, who began flying in 1944, holds the Guinness world record for the most hours logged by a female pilot — more than 57,000.

In addition to her accomplished flying record, Johnson also helped many other pilots earn their wings. After one student called her Mama Bird, the nickname stuck with Johnson, as she gave lessons and FAA flight exams to thousands of pilots.

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NPR Story
12:15 pm
Fri May 11, 2012

Disguising Secret Messages, In A Game Of Spy Vs Spy

Originally published on Fri May 11, 2012 12:36 pm

Last May, German investigators found secret files embedded in a pornographic video on memory cards being carried by a suspected al Qaeda operative. Peter Wayner describes the history and technology of the technique for hiding information, known as steganography.

Election 2012
11:55 am
Fri May 11, 2012

Gay Marriage Stand Could Help Obama In Suburbia

Credit Elaine Thompson / AP
Marriage equality supporters Teri McClain (left) and Mary Beth Brotski demonstrate Thursday in Seattle.

Originally published on Fri May 11, 2012 1:00 pm

Republicans rule rural areas, while any Democrat can count on running up big margins in most of the large cities in the country. That has left the suburbs as the main partisan battleground.

For several election cycles now, the presidency has been won or lost based on the vote among suburbanites in a few key states. That's likely to be true again this November.

And some political observers believe that President Obama took the calculated risk that his newfound support for gay marriage rights will boost his campaign in these all-important counties.

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The Two-Way
11:22 am
Fri May 11, 2012

Mother On 'Time' Cover: Breastfeeding Photo Doesn't Show 'Nurturing Side'

Credit AP
The cover of the May 21, 2012 issue of Time.

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 3:18 am

The latest cover of Time was obviously meant to spark conversation — and that it has.

The photo on the cover shows a 26-year-old mother breastfeeding her almost 4-year-old son. The reaction has been explosive and visceral and a lot of the more thoughtful commentary revolves around a philosophy by Dr. William Sears called attachment parenting, which encourages co-sleeping and carrying your baby everywhere and breast-feeding sometimes into toddlerhood.

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