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National and World News from NPR

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Europe
4:52 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Europe After The Vote Against Austerity

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By editor

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:25 am

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

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Media
4:52 am
Sat May 12, 2012

British Press Inquiry Sheds Light On P.M.'s Circle

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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:25 am

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

The British have been holding a public inquiry into press ethics for the last few months. The government is responding to the outcry over the phone-hacking scandal at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. The inquiry's investing the way newspapers, the police and politicians may feed off each other and that means shining a light into the secluded world, in particular, of the prime minister's social set. NPR's Philip Reeves has been watching the questioning.

(SOUNDBITE OF INQUIRY)

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From Our Listeners
4:52 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Your Letters: On Composition And Evidence

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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:25 am

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SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Time now for your letters.

(SOUNDBITE OF THEME MUSIC)

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The Salt
3:58 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Black Pepper May Give You A Kick, But Don't Count On It For Weight Loss

Credit iStockphoto.com
Can you fight fat with a spoonful of these?
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By Gretchen Cuda Kroen

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 4:02 am

Is black pepper the new secret weapon against fat? A recent paper in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry claims that the piperine, an ingredient in black pepper, has the power to stop the body from making new fat cells, and could be used to treat obesity.

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Health
3:19 am
Sat May 12, 2012

In L.A. Pregnancy 'Hot Spot,' An On-Campus Clinic

Credit Bob Owen / San Antonio Express-News
Sherry Medrano, chief nurse at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, hands condoms to a student in her office. The school has teamed up with Planned Parenthood to combat teen pregnancy.
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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:25 am

School nurse Sherry Medrano has more than Band-Aids stored in her cabinets. She has an armory of birth control options: condoms, the pill, the patch, the ring and emergency contraception.

The teen pregnancy rate in the United States is the lowest it's been in nearly 40 years. However, in some communities, the number of young girls getting pregnant remains stubbornly high.

Planned Parenthood On Campus

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Around the Nation
3:19 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Wearing Helmets In Tornadoes Gains Momentum

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Credit John Bazemore / AP
Tornado survivor Jonathan Ford saves what he can from his home April 29, 2011, after it was destroyed by a powerful tornado in Pleasant Grove, Ala.
Credit Courtesy of the Stewart family
Noah Stewart shelters in the closet just 15 minutes before an April 2011 tornado demolished his house. Wearing the helmet may have saved his life, one doctor says.
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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 10:17 am

Months after safety advocates embraced wearing helmets during tornadoes — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines on the practice. The CDC says there's not yet enough scientific evidence to fully endorse the idea. But the agency is warming up to people donning helmets when severe weather threatens.

Since a horrific outbreak of tornadoes killed more than 250 people last year in Alabama, safety advocates have been on a crusade.

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Author Interviews
3:19 am
Sat May 12, 2012

'In One Person': A Tangled Gender-Bender

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Credit Simon & Schuster
Credit Jane Sobel Klonsky / Simon & Schuster
John Irving is the author of such bestselling novels as The World According to Garp, The Cider House Rules and A Prayer for Owen Meany.
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By editor

Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:25 am

The star of John Irving's new novel, In One Person, is Billy Abbott. Billy is a character at the mercy of his own teenage crushes, which are visited upon by a whole repertory company of gender-bending characters.

It's a repertory company in the most literal sense, too. Billy spends many days backstage at the local theater — where gender can also fluctuate and where his family members are regulars.

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Presidential Race
3:18 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Iowa On Same-Sex Marriage: It's Complicated

Credit Charlie Neibergall / AP
Iowans attend a marriage rally sponsored by The Family Leader on Tuesday at the Statehouse in Des Moines. The head of the organization says President Obama's endorsement of gay marriage could cost him the election.
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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 6:17 pm

Immediately after President Obama announced his support this week for same-sex marriage, attention turned to politics. The outcome of this year's election will be determined by a handful of states — one of them is Iowa, where the politics of same-sex marriage are complicated.

Same-sex marriage is legal here, but three of the state Supreme Court justices upholding that 2009 decision were removed from office by voters a year later.

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Afghanistan
2:03 am
Sat May 12, 2012

U.S. Military Mission: Pushing Afghans To Take Lead

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Credit David Gilkey / NPR
In Afghanistan, American troops are pushing Afghans to take charge.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
An American soldier walks between puddles while on patrol. U.S. troops based at a combat outpost in the village of Zangabad have nicknamed it "Zangaboom," because roadside bombs are a constant danger.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
A billboard reads "Afghan National Police: The real guardian. We defend our own homes." It sits next to one of the main roads leading in and out of an area where the local population supports the Taliban.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Afghan soldiers prepare for a joint patrol with U.S. Army troops. The Americans are pushing the Afghans to take more responsibility for their own security before the U.S. combat role ends in 2014.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Habbibi commands the Afghan National Army in Panjwai district. He says the army needs training and equipment, but he demurred when asked whether his troops will be ready by 2014.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
American soldiers keep an eye on the horizon while guarding their armored vehicle, stuck in the mud.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
An Afghan soldier uses a metal detector while looking for bomb-making materials at house near Zangabad.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
An Afghan man is questioned as he is entered into a biometric identification system — a database of every person the soldiers encounter in the field.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
A little girl stands behind her father as he is scanned and entered into the database.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Sgt. Matthew McMurray walks through a flooded riverbed while on a joint operation.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
U.S. soldiers stand at the rear door to their armored vehicle after an all-day patrol with the Afghan National Army.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Dust fills the air in the wake of a U.S. Army vehicle as it rumbles down a gravel road in southern Afghanistan.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Capt. Chris Longto, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Stryker brigade, heads out on patrol with Afghan soldiers in a rural area of Kandahar province, where the Taliban is still a threat.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Afghan National Army platoon Sgt. Hyatulla Hakimi watches over his men while on a joint patrol.
Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Brig. Gen. Ahmed Habbibi of the Afghan National Army salutes his soldiers in Panjwai district near Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.
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Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 7:48 am

The American military has two main jobs now in Afghanistan: sweeping the remaining Taliban from safe havens and getting Afghan security forces to take charge in the fight.

On a recent day, the Afghan National Army, or ANA, is to be out front on a joint Afghan-U.S. patrol in the countryside outside Kandahar in southern Afghanistan. It may seem like a small thing, but it's actually a big deal.

Sgt. Matthew McMurray lets his platoon know.

"ANA is going to lead, too. If they don't want to lead, just stop and make them walk ahead of you," he says.

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Fresh Air Weekend
1:38 am
Sat May 12, 2012

Fresh Air Weekend: Lena Dunham, Gretchen Reynolds

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Originally published on Sat May 12, 2012 8:22 am

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Lena Dunham Addresses Criticism Aimed At 'Girls': The creator and star of HBO's new series Girls addresses the growing backlash against the show, which follows four 20-somethings as they navigate the ups and downs of life in New York City.

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