13.7: Cosmos And Culture
2:59 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Let The Real Space Age Begin

Credit John Raoux / AP
The Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket stands ready for launch at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Originally published on Fri May 18, 2012 4:14 pm

It was almost one year ago that the space shuttle Atlantis rose into the sky on a pillar of flame for the last time. The shuttle program ended forever with that mission. American astronauts were left to hitch rides on Russian space capsules, and American kids were left with no tangible direction forward for their dreams of a high-tech, space-happy future.

Tomorrow morning, the unmanned Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral so that supplies can reach the space station.

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The Salt
2:26 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

U.S. Craft Beer Brewers Thrive, Despite Small Share Of The Market

Credit Bill Chappell / NPR
A row of taps highlights specialty and imported beers at Brouwerij Lane, in Brooklyn, New York. Craft brewers have found a way to thrive, even as the U.S. economy struggles.

Originally published on Tue May 22, 2012 8:35 am

It's a good time to brew beer in America. According to beer expert Julia Herz, U.S. brewing isn't just on the upswing, it's on top. "We're now the No. 1 destination for beer, based on diversity and amount of beers," she says.

But if you want to see the strength of America's beer industry, you may want to look past beverage giants like Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. According to the Brewers Association, nearly 2,000 American brewers operated during 2011 — the most since the 1880s.

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Panel Round Two

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Transcript

CARL KASELL: From NPR and WBEZ-Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!, the NPR News quiz. I'm Carl Kasell. We're playing this week with Brian Babylon, Roxanne Roberts, and Charlie Pierce. And, here again is your host, at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.

PETER SAGAL, HOST:

Thank you, Carl.

(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)

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Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Lightning Fill In The Blank

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

All the news we couldn't fit anywhere else.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Limericks

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Carl reads three news-related limericks: A Thousand Words, iJowls, and a Reptilian Diet.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Prediction

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Our panelists predict where we'll find that $3 billion lost by JP Morgan Chase.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Bluff The Listener

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Our panelists tell us three stories of government probes, only one of which is true.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

Opening Panel Round

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Our panelists answer questions about the week's news: A Giant Pain.

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
2:25 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

The Wait Wait Upfronts

Originally published on Sat May 19, 2012 12:22 pm

Carl reads descriptions of three new TV shows based on the week's news, and a caller has to guess what they're about: Bye-Bye Billions, Hello Billions, and Virtue and Vice.

Middle East
1:51 pm
Fri May 18, 2012

In Change, Palestinians Now Seek High-Profile Visits

Credit AFP/Getty Images
Egypt's grand mufti, Ali Gomaa (center, with scarf), visits the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem in April. The Dome of the Rock, which is part of the same compound, is shown behind him. Many Muslims have boycotted the site because Israel claims sovereignty. But Palestinian religious figures now say they welcome such visits, a move that has sparked controversy.

Originally published on Sun May 20, 2012 5:46 am

For decades, Muslims around the world have been unofficially boycotting Islam's third holiest site, the Al-Aqsa mosque Jerusalem.

Many Muslims believe that visiting legitimizes Israel's claim to the site, which also sits atop the holiest place in Judaism. The Palestinians, meanwhile, are seeking a state with a capital in east Jerusalem, where the mosque is located.

But Palestinian religious authorities at Al-Aqsa and Palestinian officials are now calling on Muslims to visit the shrine, a change that is creating controversy within the Palestinian community.

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