Oscar's Top Documentaries
12:55 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Underdog Football Team Shines In 'Undefeated'

Credit The Weinstein Company
Filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin spent nine months in North Memphis, Tenn. with the Manassas Tigers.

All throughout the school's 110-year history, the Manassas High School football team in Memphis, Tenn., was known as a losing team. In 2009, volunteer coach Bill Courtney led the struggling Manassas Tigers to the playoffs.

Filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin chronicle the challenges of the team — on and off the field — in the documentary Undefeated.

Lindsay and Martin talk with NPR's Neal Conan about the film, nominated for an Academy Award in the documentary feature category.

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News
12:48 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

What's Driving The Backlash Against Traffic Cameras

Credit Damian Dovarganes / AP
Across the country, fed up drivers are fighting back against traffic cameras that target motorists who speed or run red lights. In Los Angeles, technician Charles Riggings services a traffic camera in 2010.

Have you ever opened your mail and found a traffic ticket sticking you with a not-so-small fine? If so, your reaction might well have been, "What the [expletive]?"

Then maybe you looked carefully at the enclosed photo and realized the vehicle shown (allegedly) running a red light or speeding was, in fact, yours.

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National Security
12:26 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Dealing With Dictators, The U.S. Playbook Varies

What is America's policy when it comes to dictators? Well, it depends.

The U.S. has adopted many different approaches toward different dictators and authoritarian regimes in recent years. In some cases – notably Iraq and Afghanistan – the U.S. military invaded to change the leaders of those countries.

But American presidents have also hosted friendly visits with leaders from undemocratic countries with questionable human rights records.

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Digital Life
12:00 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Truth And The World Of Wikipedia Gatekeepers

Wikipedia is the go-to source for succinct information on almost every topic imaginable. It strives to reflect neutral truths that can be verified by reliable sources. The site, known as "The Free Encyclopedia" is written and edited by volunteers.

Remembrances
12:00 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Remembering War Correspondent Marie Colvin

Journalist Marie Colvin, of Britain's Sunday Times, was killed in Syria Wednesday — along with French photographer Remi Ochlik. NPR's Neal Conan remembers the foreign journalist who joined Talk of the Nation several times, reporting from Gaza and Libya.

Around the Nation
12:00 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Fed Up Drivers Fight Back Against Traffic Cameras

Traffic cameras that snap pictures of cars running red lights or speeding are used in 661 cities around the U.S. NPR's Corey Dade explains that while local governments argue they make driving safer, some motorists believe the cameras are nothing more than revenue generators.

Politics
12:00 pm
Wed February 22, 2012

Previewing The High-Stakes Michigan Primary

Some analysts are calling the GOP primary in Michigan a do-or-die state for Mitt Romney, who grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and whose father was a popular governor in the state. NPR's Ken Rudin and NPR's Don Gonyea discuss the Michigan primary.

The Two-Way
11:50 am
Wed February 22, 2012

Mubarak Verdict Due On June 2

Credit Marco Longari / AFP/Getty Images
Outside the court in Cairo where former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been on trial, a man earlier today held a sign saying there was a noose waiting for Mubarak.

As the case against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak came to a close today, the trial judge announced he expects to deliver a verdict on June 2.

According to al-Jazeera:

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The Salt
11:47 am
Wed February 22, 2012

Can Gardening Help Troubled Minds Heal?

Credit Jennifer Sinco Kelleher / AP
Women's Correctional Community Center inmate Lilian Hussein checks on ti leaves she planted as part of the prison's farming and gardening program in Kailua, Hawaii. The green ti leaves are often used to wrap food or weave into leis.

If you haven't noticed, gardens are popping up in some unconventional places – from prison yards to retirement and veteran homes to programs for troubled youth.

Most are handy sources of fresh and local food, but increasingly they're also an extension of therapy for people with mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD; depression; and anxiety.

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World Cafe
11:12 am
Wed February 22, 2012

Los Campesinos! On World Cafe

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Los Campesinos! has earned a reputation for dark humor and danceable beats.

After first coming together as a trio at Cardiff University in 2006, Los Campesinos! has blossomed into a septet with a reputation for lively indie-rock, in the spirit of everyone from Modest Mouse to Broken Social Scene to Belle and Sebastian. The generous joy in the Los Campesinos!

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