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American Dreams: Then And Now
12:50 am
Thu June 21, 2012

Native American Comic Living The 'Indigenous Dream'

Credit Courtesy of Charlie Hill
Comedian Charlie Hill says he's achieved the American dream, but that it's been out of reach for many fellow Native Americans.

Originally published on Thu June 21, 2012 6:53 am

Asia
12:36 am
Thu June 21, 2012

In Pakistan's Anti-Corruption War, A Lonely Warrior

Originally published on Thu June 21, 2012 7:35 pm

Pakistan's National Assembly has been summoned to elect a new prime minister for the fragile coalition of President Asif Ali Zardari. A consensus candidate, current Textile Industry Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, emerged soon after the Supreme Court's dramatic firing of outgoing Premier Yusuf Reza Gilani.

The court disqualified Gilani from office this week for defying court orders to pursue dormant corruption charges against President Zardari.

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Latin America
10:31 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

Mexico's Youth Make Voices Heard Ahead Of Vote

Credit Eduardo Verdugo / AP
A man wearing a mask holds up a machete during a protest in May against a possible return of the old ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party in Mexico City.

Originally published on Thu June 21, 2012 4:55 am

Mexicans go to the polls July 1 to choose their next president, and polls show that voters seem inclined to embrace the past. The center-left Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, which ruled the country for more than seven decades before being ousted 12 years ago, holds a solid lead.

But Mexico's young are making their voices heard: Some fear a return of authoritarian rule; others simply want jobs.

Making Noise

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World
6:16 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

'Many Strands' Of Suu Kyi's Life Unite In Oxford

Credit Lefteris Pitarakis / AP
Aung San Suu Kyi finally received her honorary degree from Oxford University after it was initially awarded in 1993. In her speech, Suu Kyi praised Oxford for helping her see humankind at its best during her long years under house arrest in Myanmar.

Aung San Suu Kyi would probably not be the symbol of Burma's quest for democracy without her experiences at Oxford University. She studied there in the 1960s and raised a family there in the '70s.

Suu Kyi returned to her alma mater Wednesday to receive the honorary degree she was unable to collect for more than a decade while under house arrest.

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The Two-Way
3:51 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

On The First Day Of Summer, It's Blazing Hot In The Northeast

Credit Steven Senne / AP
Four-year-old Solaris Arias, of Providence, R.I., right, jumps through water spraying from an open fire hydrant on Wednesday.

Today is the summer solstice in the western hemisphere: It marks the longest day of the year and also marks the first day of summer.

That's pretty obvious in the northeast today. Here in Washington, D.C., it's still 97 degrees and it's almost 7 p.m. The AP reports that New York City, Boston and Philadelphia all hit the 90s.

The AP adds:

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Religion
3:31 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

Bishops Launch 2-Week Campaign Against Health Law

Originally published on Thu June 28, 2012 6:40 am

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops launches what it's calling the "Fortnight for Freedom" on Thursday — two weeks of praying and fasting because the bishops believe the church's religious freedom is being threatened by the Obama administration's health care policies.

"This is the first time that I've felt personally attacked by my government," parishioner Kathleen Burke says after a service at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Bethesda, Md.

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Election 2012
3:24 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

Hill Republicans Tight-Lipped On Immigration Change

Credit J. Scott Applewhite / AP
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio (left) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Capitol Hill in February. Republicans have been quick to criticize the president for bypassing Congress with his immigration action, but they've been unusually silent on the policy itself.

Originally published on Wed June 20, 2012 5:00 pm

Nearly a week has gone by since President Obama announced a new immigration policy that could halt the deportation of some 800,000 young people brought to the country illegally.

While Republicans on Capitol Hill were quick to criticize the president for bypassing Congress, they've been unusually silent on the question of whether these illegal immigrants should be getting such a break.

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Politics
3:23 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

House Cites Attorney General Holder For Contempt

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee voted today to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress. He's accused of refusing to turn over certain documents related to the controversial gun-trafficking operation known as Fast and Furious.

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History
3:23 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

Pakistan's 'Burushaski' Language Finds New Relatives

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

It's like discovering a distant cousin, a really distant cousin. It's like learning that someone you had barely heard of is actually part of the family. In this case, the family is the Indo-European family of languages. And the umpteenth cousin is a language called Burushaski. It's spoken by about 90,000 people, the Burusho people, and nearly all of them live in Pakistan. A few hundred live in India.

Just to give a sense of what it sounds like, here's a joke in Burushaski that we came across online.

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Politics
3:23 pm
Wed June 20, 2012

Program On Ariz. Immigration Part News, Advocacy

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

The U.S. Supreme Court is getting ready to rule on Arizona's controversial immigration law and a lot of people in that state are watching closely. Tonight, nearly two dozen Spanish language radio and TV stations in Arizona are scheduled to run the same program about the immigration law. As NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports, they're walking a fine line between journalism and advocacy.

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