Martin Kaste

Just In Time: The New Agency Responsible For Keeping The NSA In Check

Martin Kaste — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 15:30:00 +0000

On Friday, President Obama defended the two NSA surveillance programs that were leaked to the news media this week.

One program collects the general public's phone records, the other allegedly gives the government backdoor access to Internet services such as Google and Facebook.

Obama said the programs "strike the right balance," but that's done little to reassure those who think government surveillance has become too broad.

The 9/11 Commission saw this coming.

Soldier Accused Of Killing Afghan Civilians To Plead Guilty

Martin Kaste — Wed, 29 May 2013 22:24:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

The American soldier accused of killing 16 villagers in Afghanistan last year plans to plead guilty in order to avoid the death penalty. Lawyers say Staff Sergeant Robert Bales will plead guilty to 16 counts of premeditated murder next week and that his sentencing trial will be held in September.

The deal, which takes execution off the table, will need to be approved by a military judge at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. NPR's Martin Kaste is covering this story, and he joins us now from Seattle.

Take Your Seat, The 'No Photography' Sign Is Lit

Martin Kaste — Thu, 16 May 2013 00:26:00 +0000

You probably saw this bit of Internet virality earlier this week — showing a woman getting kicked off an American Airlines flight for channeling Whitney Houston.

What caught our attention was the sound of flight attendants repeatedly ordering passengers not to take pictures or (presumably) videos.

Apparently, it's an official rule at American Airlines:

"The use of still and video cameras, fil

Will Bureaucracy Keep The U.S. Drone Industry Grounded?

Martin Kaste — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:19:00 +0000

Americans are suspicious of drones. Reports of the unmanned aerial vehicles' use in war zones have raised concerns about what they might do here at home. For instance, in Seattle earlier this year, a public outcry forced the police department to abandon plans for eye-in-the-sky UAV helicopters.

The backlash worries Paul Applewhite, an aerospace engineer with 10 years of experience at companies like McDonnell Douglas and Sikorsky.

Yes, Your New Car Has A 'Black Box.' Where's The Off Switch?

Martin Kaste — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000

If you're a vehicle owner and happen to have a car accident in the near future (we hope you don't), it's likely the crash details will be recorded. Automotive "black boxes" are now built into more than 90 percent of new cars, and the government is considering making them mandatory.

Dave Wells, a detective at the King County Sheriff's Office in Washington state, specializes in accident reconstruction. That means he's often crouched under steering wheels, looking for the connector that mechanics use to get diagnostic codes.

Even Where It's Legal, Pot Producers Weigh The Business Risks

Martin Kaste — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:30:00 +0000

Attorney General Eric Holder appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to answer questions on everything from gun control to the Department of Justice's failure to prosecute Wall Street. But he was also asked about an issue proponents of marijuana legalization have been following closely: what the DOJ plans to do about Colorado and Washington state, which have defied federal law by legalizing recreational use of the drug.

Holder said the department is still mulling its options.

As Police Drones Take Off, Washington State Pushes Back

Martin Kaste — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 22:46:00 +0000

Last year, Seattle became one of the nation's first cities to buy unmanned drones for use by the police department. Public reaction was less "Gee-whiz" than "What the heck?"

The phrase "unmanned drones" typically conjures images of places like Afghanistan. But the Federal Aviation Administration says it wants to start testing the civilian use of aerial drones here in the U.S. and has already issued special permits to a few police departments interested in trying them out.

But after a raucous Seattle City Council hearing earlier this month, the mayor killed the drone program.

Older Tech Workers Oppose Increasing H-1B Visas

Martin Kaste — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:41:00 +0000

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RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Now, a look at one part of the immigration debate in Congress: a proposed increase in H1-B visas. Those are the visas that allow companies to hire skilled foreign workers.

From Oil Fields To REI, Interior Nominee Has Outdoorsy Cred

Martin Kaste — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:27:00 +0000

President Obama's choice to take over at the Department of the Interior comes from the business world. Sally Jewell is the CEO of outdoor equipment supplier REI.

"For Sally, the toughest part of this job will probably be sitting behind a desk," the president said when introducing his nominee Wednesday. "I suspect she'll want to get out of the office quite a bit."

Before Jewell took the reins at REI, she worked in the financial industry at Washington Mutual.

Google Posts How It Handles Requests For Users' Data

Martin Kaste — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:34:00 +0000

Google wants you to know you're being watched. Or rather, the company wants you to know how and when the police get to watch what you do online.

For the first time, the company has posted its policies for when it gives up users' information to the government.

Legalized Pot Creates Quandary For Adults In Wash.

Martin Kaste — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 22:18:00 +0000

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ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

In Washington State, parents and drug counselors are in a quandary.

Daniel Inouye Was Senate's Most Senior Member

Martin Kaste — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Hawaii Democrat Daniel Inouye, the Senate's senior member, died at a Bethesda, Md., hospital Monday. He was 88 years old and was suffering from a respiratory ailment. The Japanese-American was known for his heroism in World War II and for breaking racial barriers.

Born to Japanese immigrants in Hawaii in 1924, the young Inouye dreamed of becoming a surgeon, but world events intervened as he was listening to the radio on Sunday morning, Dec.

FTC: Apps For Children Raise Privacy Concerns

Martin Kaste — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 11:36:00 +0000

The Federal Trade Commission has released a report taking to task the makers of mobile apps for children. It says apps are not transparent enough about the personal information they collect. It's the latest sign the Obama administration is concerned about children's privacy online.

Pot's Legal In Washington State, But Don't Drive High

Martin Kaste — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:23:00 +0000

Marijuana is legal in Washington state as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday, but the ballot initiative that made it legal last month contained a new DUI standard — a deal-sweetener for hesitant voters — that may actually make life riskier for regular pot users.

The new law makes it legal for adults to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana, but illegal for that same adult to drive if the THC content of his blood reaches 5 nanograms per milliliter.

Steve Sarich, who uses medical marijuana for back pain, says he wakes up at four to five times the legal limit.

Senate Committee OKs Electronic Privacy Measure

Martin Kaste — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted yesterday to make it a little harder for police to read your old emails. It's something privacy groups and tech companies have wanted for years. As NPR's Martin Kaste reports, law enforcement groups are less pleased.

MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: Get a warrant - that's what you can tell the police when they want to search your house, your car or your inbox - but not if those emails are more than six months old.

Post-Petreaus, Net Privacy Backers Hope For A Boost

Martin Kaste — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 22:42:00 +0000

The tech industry has been lobbying hard for an update to the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the 1986 law governing online privacy.

Under an umbrella group calling itself Digital Due Process, companies and civil liberties groups have argued that the law is too loose with the privacy of data stored online, especially Web-based email and other documents on the cloud.

For instance, the law considers data that's more than six months old to be "abandoned" — not deserving

Left Homeless, Storm Victims Turn To Internet To Find Shelter

Martin Kaste — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Housing is always in short supply in New York City, and Superstorm Sandy just made things much worse. The government is paying hotel costs for many of those displaced, while others are staying with friends and family.

That still leaves many people still looking for a spare bedroom, and some are now turning to the social networking website Airbnb – a site that matches people seeking vacation rentals — to find a place to stay.

Michael Bhagwandin lives in a top-floor apartment on a leafy street in New York City's Chelsea neighborhood.

Can Dumping Iron Into The Sea Fight Climate Change?

Martin Kaste — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 21:54:00 +0000

Environmental officials in Canada are investigating what some have called a "rogue climate change experiment." Over the summer, a native village on the coast of British Columbia dumped more than 100 tons of iron sulfate into the ocean. The idea was to cause a bloom of plankton, which would then capture greenhouse gases.

That's the theory, anyway. The reality is a bit more complicated.

The iron dumping was initiated by an organization called the Haida Salmon Restoration Corp., a company set up by the tiny village of Old Massett.

Sandy Victims Struggle To Find Temporary Housing

Martin Kaste — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 10:41:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

New York's Mayor Bloomberg has hired a former FEMA official with experience in Hurricane Katrina to direct the city's housing recovery. NPR's Martin Kaste reports it's another sign of the seriousness of the housing shortage caused by the storm.

MARTIN KASTE, BYLINE: There are no hard numbers on how many people have been displaced in New York and New Jersey. But you do get a sense of the scale by looking at what the department of housing and urban development has undertaken so far.

Three Ballot Measures Would OK Pot Beyond Medicine

Martin Kaste — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Marijuana legalization is back on the ballot this year. California voters defeated a legalization proposal in 2010, but now similar measures have cropped up in three more Western states. This time around, some of the most intense opposition is coming from the earlier pioneers of legalization — the medical marijuana industry.

In Colorado, Amendment 64 "would regulate marijuana much like alcohol," says Howard Wooldridge, a retired police detective from Texas and a longtime campaigner for marijuana legalization. He has come to Greeley, Colo., to wave a sign for the measure.

Colorado, A Big Win For Obama In 2008, Now A Harder Sell

Martin Kaste — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 20:35:00 +0000

In Colorado, the presidential race is a statistical dead heat. The state went heavily for candidate Barack Obama in 2008 — but the president is now facing fierce headwinds.

Obama won last time by 9 points, an astounding margin in a state that hadn't gone Democratic since 1992. One Democratic strategist calls 2008 a one-time case of "irrational exuberance," especially among Colorado's large contingent of swing voters.

Not that all of those voters have abandoned Obama.

Hawaii Prep School Gave Obama Window To Success

Martin Kaste — Sat, 13 Oct 2012 10:17:00 +0000

From now until Nov. 6, President Obama and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney will emphasize their differences. But the two men's lives actually coincide in a striking number of ways. In this installment of NPR's "Parallel Lives" series, a look at Obama's time at a Hawaii institution called Punahou.

Punahou School was founded by missionaries in 1841 — the campus is just up the hill from Waikiki, and it's built around a historic spring.

Punahou occupies a privileged position, not just on the hillside, but in Hawaii society.

Outside Money Defining Montana Senate Showdown

Martin Kaste — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Republicans are still within reach of a big political goal this year: retaking control of the Senate. They lost the majority in 2006, in part because of the razor-close victory of Democratic challenger Jon Tester in Montana.

Now, Tester is the incumbent facing a tough challenge of his own. And if he's going to win re-election, he has to turn out a lot of younger voters, the way he did in 2006. And on that front, he does have some allies.

Pearl Jam gave a benefit concert for Tester on Sunday night at the University of Montana.

Buy One Island, Get One Native Population Free

Martin Kaste — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:22:00 +0000

We don't know how much software mogul Larry Ellison recently paid for the Hawaiian island of Lanai — for 98 percent of the island, to be exact — but estimates run upward of half a billion dollars. So what do you get for that kind of money?

Beautiful beaches, for starters. A view of Maui, just eight miles away. A couple of luxury resorts built by the previous owner.

Can A Republican Win A Senate Seat In Blue Hawaii?

Martin Kaste — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:02:00 +0000

Republican hopes of capturing the Senate in November rest on a handful of tossup races in states like Montana, Missouri and Virginia.

Surprisingly, some analysts also are putting Hawaii in the tossup column.

Hawaii is the bluest of blue states; it hasn't elected a Republican to the Senate since 1970.

Shield Anonymous Commenters? More Papers Say 'No'

Martin Kaste — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 21:40:00 +0000

The Internet is slowly becoming a less anonymous place. YouTube has a new policy encouraging commenters to use their real names, and many news sites have switched to a login system run by Facebook.

News sites that still allow anonymous comments are finding there are legal risks.

Korean Families Chase Their Dreams In The U.S.

Martin Kaste — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 20:18:00 +0000

Eleven-year-old Woosuk Kim sees his mother only three or four times a year. That's because he's part of what Koreans call a "goose family": a family that migrates in search of English-language schooling.

A goose family, Woosuk explains, means "parents — mom and dad — have to be separate for the kids' education."

Woosuk's father brought him and his little brother to America two years ago to attend Hancock Park Elementary, a public school in Los Angeles. The boys' mother stayed in South Korea to keep working.

Woosuk's family is unusual. In most cases, it's the father who stays behind.

Seattle Forager Inspires Others To Learn About Wild, Forgotten Foods

Martin Kaste — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:58:00 +0000

For Langdon Cook, a walk in the woods isn't that different from a walk through the produce section of the supermarket. He's a writer, blogger and all-around outdoorsy type, but in outdoorsy Seattle, he's made his name primarily as a forager.

He's kind enough to let me tag along on a mushroom hunt in the Cascades. In the back of his Subaru (the official car of the Seattle outdoors) he already has a basket full of morels, porcinis and coral mushrooms — the fruits of about ten miles of hiking, he says.

Hidden Dangers Of Tsunami Debris Cross The Pacific

Martin Kaste — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 21:45:00 +0000

Beaches on the West Coast are getting a regular dose of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan. The first few items were curiosities — a boat here, a soccer ball there — but as the litter accumulates, officials such as Washington Gov.

Computer Security Companies Debate Flame's Origins

Martin Kaste — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:17:00 +0000

A new cyber-spying program called Flame has been spreading across the Middle East. A Russian security company called Kaspersky Labs discovered the virus. Some experts believe Flame was developed by the makers of the virus Stuxnet.