The Salt
3:07 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Revived Thanksgiving Tradition: Oyster Ice Cream

Originally published on Wed November 23, 2011 9:00 am

Chef José Andrés grew up in Spain, but he has embraced Thanksgiving as a window into American history. That's why the guests at his Thanksgiving dinner might be starting off with oyster ice cream.

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The Salt
3:05 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Eating Canned Soup Makes BPA Levels Soar

If you read the ingredient list on a can of soup, you're likely to see items like carrots, wild rice, perhaps some noodles. What you won't see listed: BPA.

But a little canned soup for lunch can dramatically increase exposure to the chemical, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study confirms that canned food is a source of BPA exposure. But it does nothing to clear up the question of whether this sort of exposure to BPA has health consequences.

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The Two-Way
3:04 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Second Set Of 'Climategate' Emails Hit The Web

In a repeat of 2009, a second set of stolen emails from climate scientists at major universities has been released to the public.

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Native America Calling
2:56 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Giving Thanks for the Food

Thu. 11/24 11a: It’s the season of gratitude and we are giving thanks for the food. Today, millions will be working on a tasty feast, but what is the relationship between food and culture? Some research shows that 60 percent of the world’s food originates from indigenous sources. 

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The Salt
2:54 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

When Thanksgiving Means Making Reservations, Not Turkey

Credit STEPHAN ZABEL / iStockphoto.com
Restaurants appeal to "activity-rich time-poor" Americans on Thanksgiving, the National Restaurant Association says.

The moment of last-minute head counts and late-night runs to the supermarket has nearly arrived. But a small but proud segment of the population simply smiles and puts their feet up. They're having Thanksgiving dinner served to them in a restaurant.

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Native America Calling
2:48 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Music Maker: Gabriel Ayala

Wed. 11/23 11a: Gabriel Ayala (Yaqui) has a unique musical style that has taken him all across Turtle Island. He recently won “Artist of the Year” at the Native American Music Awards in Seneca country. 

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Shots - Health Blog
2:25 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

Remember Vioxx? Merck Settles Marketing Charges From Way Back

Drugmaker Merck took the painkiller Vioxx off the market in 2004, citing an increased risk of heart attacks among people taking the medicine.

Today, seven years later, the Justice Department said Merck had agreed to pay $950 million to settle charges the company went too far in marketing the drug.

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Alex Blumberg is a contributing editor for NPR's Planet Money. He is also a producer for the public radio program This American Life, and an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University. He has done radio documentaries on the U.S. Navy, people who do impersonations of their mothers and teenage Steve Forbes supporters. He won first place at the 2002 Third Coast International Audio Festival for his story "Yes, There is a Baby." His story on clinical medical ethicists won the 1999 Public Radio News Directors Incorporated (PRNDI) award for best radio documentary.

In 2008, Blumberg collaborated with NPR economics correspondent Adam Davidson on a special This American Life episode about the housing crisis. Called "the greatest explainer ever heard" by noted journalism professor Jay Rosen, the Giant Pool of Money became the inspiration for NPR's Planet Money.

Blumberg has a B.A. from Oberlin College.

Planet Money
2:17 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

The National Debt: What The Left And Right Agree On

Credit J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Supercommittee members, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona and Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

Originally published on Mon November 28, 2011 9:15 am

The congressional supercommittee announced Monday that it failed to come to an agreement on reducing the deficit. After three months of negotiating, the Democrats and Republicans just couldn't agree on how much spending to cut or how high to raise taxes.

But this is not a story about how the left and right disagree with each other. In fact, they actually largely agree.

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The Two-Way
1:44 pm
Tue November 22, 2011

'Darkhorse' Marine Remembered By His Uncle John

Credit David Gilkey / NPR
Lance Cpl. Jake Romo does physical therapy at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, Calif. He lost both legs in an explosion in Sangin, Afghanistan, in February 2011, while serving with the 3/5 Marines.

When Talk of the Nation's Neal Conan asks for callers on a given topic, there's no telling what he'll get. Today, the show followed up with NPR's Tom Bowman on his series about the tremendous sacrifices of the "Darkhorse" Battalion — the Marines of the 3rd Battalion, 5th Regiment. Lance Cpl. Jake Romo lost both his legs in Afghanistan with the battalion, and he spoke with Conan and Bowman about his tour.

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