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All Tech Considered
4:50 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

A Job At What Cost? When Employers Log In To Dig In

Credit Leon Neal / AFP/Getty Images
Employers have been asking for prospective employees' Facebook username and passwords to do some extra research on whom they may be hiring.

How would it feel if you were in a job interview and the prospective employer asked for your username and password to see your Facebook profile? Robert Collins says he felt "violated."

"I felt disrespected. I felt that my privacy was invaded," he tells All Things Considered host Robert Siegel, "but not only my privacy, the privacy of my friends and that of my family that didn't ask for that."

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The Two-Way
4:37 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Pew: More Americans See 'Too Much' Religious Talk In Politics

Originally published on Thu March 22, 2012 11:59 am

According to a new survey, 38 percent of Americans say there is too much "expression of religious faith and prayer from political leaders."

Thirty percent say there is too little and 25 percent say there's just the right amount.

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Million Dollar Donors
4:01 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Lots Of GOP Money Flowing From The Texas Two

Originally published on Thu March 22, 2012 8:50 am

The latest reports from the Federal Election Commission shed new light on the political largesse of two Texas businessmen who have become common names in the world of Republican fundraising.

With a $1 million check in February to the superPAC backing Rick Santorum, Dallas nuclear waste dump owner Harold Simmons and his wife, Annette, have now contributed to groups supporting all three of the top GOP candidates.

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It's All Politics
3:53 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Republicans Charge High Gas Prices Part Of A Plan To Decrease Consumption

Credit Paul Sakuma / AP
A driver pumps gas into his Toyota Prius hybrid at a gas station in Sunnyvale, Calif., in 2007.

Originally published on Thu March 22, 2012 6:23 am

As gasoline prices rise, some Republicans are making a provocative claim about President Obama. They say higher energy prices are actually part of the administration's agenda and they point to some comments made by the president before he took office.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was the latest Republican to make the charge about President Obama, and he did so on Fox News Sunday this past weekend, saying, "There's no question that when he ran for office he said he wanted to see gasoline prices go up."

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The Two-Way
3:34 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

'Million Hoodie March' Planned In New York To Protest Killing Of Trayvon Martin

Credit RM Lopez / via Facebook
One of the many pictures posted to the Million Hoodie March Facebook page.

Originally published on Thu March 22, 2012 5:43 am

At 6 p.m. ET., a "Million Hoodie March" is set to begin winding through the streets of New York City, from Union Square to the United Nations.

One of the organizers, Daniel Maree, told News One that the march was intended to protest "the absurdity of Trayvon [Martin's] murder."

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Space
3:09 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Messenger Probe Sends Back New Data From Mercury

Credit NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The Messenger spacecraft is depicted over the Calvino Crater on Mercury in this enhanced-color image of the planet's surface.

Originally published on Wed December 12, 2012 4:40 pm

There's a small spacecraft called Messenger that's been orbiting the planet Mercury for a year. Today, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Houston, astronomers revealed what they've learned about the innermost planet in our solar system, and some of the new knowledge is puzzling.

Maria Zuber, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studied a large crater 900 miles across called Caloris.

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Law
3:02 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

High Court Expands Defendants' Plea Bargain Rights

Credit Evan Vucci / AP
Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, shown on Capitol Hill in April 2011, wrote the court's ruling Wednesday that for the most part, plea bargaining determines "who goes to jail and for how long. It is not some adjunct to the criminal justice system. It is the criminal justice system."

For the first time, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that defendants have a constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel in plea bargains. In a 5-4 decision Wednesday, the court went further, declaring that when a lawyer acts unethically or gives clearly wrong advice, the defendant may be entitled to a second chance at accepting a plea offer.

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Middle East
3:00 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

As Illegal Immigrants Increase, Israel Plans To Act

Originally published on Sun March 25, 2012 7:08 am

The place is Tel Aviv, but it doesn't look at all like Israel: Dozens of African men are sitting on broken stools and plastic at a makeshift restaurant.

Sudanese fare is on the menu. The men scoop up the stews and salads that remind them of home.

Abdullah Mohammad Mustafa started this restaurant with a couple of other African men who arrived in Israel five years ago from Sudan's troubled Darfur region. They are among some 40,000 Africans who have come to Israel illegally, and many have congregated in neighborhoods in Tel Aviv.

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The Salt
2:30 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Into The Wild Science Of Sourdough Bread-Making

Credit Chris Eichler for NPR
Margaret Palca in her bakery in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Originally published on Wed March 21, 2012 2:50 pm

My sister is no science writer, and I'm no baker, but recently our worlds melded in a surprising way.

Here's what happened: Last October, I attended a workshop on artisanal bread and cheese-making at Salt Water Farms in Lincolnville, Maine. Farm manager Ladleah Dunn introduced us to the concept of making sourdough bread with levain, or starter, instead of packaged yeast.

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The Two-Way
2:07 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Dutch Catholic Church Is Accused Of Castrating Boys

Dutch lawmakers are calling for a parliamentary hearing, today, after new allegations of abuse by the Catholic Church surfaced over the weekend. This time, an investigation by the newspaper NRC Handelsblad found that Catholic-run institutions had surgically castrated young boys.

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The Record
2:00 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Reggae In The U.K.: A Steady Force

Credit Echoes/Redfern / Getty Images
Music For 'Disenfranchised Working-Class Youth': The British reggae band Steel Pulse formed in Birmingham in 1975. Mykaell Riley is third from the left.

Originally published on Wed March 21, 2012 6:44 pm

Shots - Health Blog
1:35 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Aspirin Might Reduce Cancer Risk, But It Has Risks, Too

Credit iStockphoto.com
Aspirin helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but the jury's still out on cancer.

Originally published on Wed March 21, 2012 3:57 pm

Regular aspirin use might reduce the risk of cancer by as much as 38 percent, according to a big new review of research on the issue. But "might" is the key word here, other scientists say. And even if it works, that benefit comes with costs, including an increased risk of ulcers and internal bleeding.

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The Two-Way
1:05 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Wisconsin City Wonders: What Keeps Going Boom?

It's "the big story" in east central Wisconsin, as Green Bay's NBC26-TV reports:

Something keeps going boom in the city of Clintonville, and no one there has figured out for sure why it's happening.

For three days now, folks in Clintonville (population 4,600) have been rattled and rolled by noises that residents say sound like explosions and feel like little earthquakes.

City officials have mobilized work crews to get out to see if the noises are coming from gas lines or other pipes. No evidence was found.

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NPR Story
1:00 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Review: 'Hope: A Tragedy'

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish. Now, a review of the latest book by Shalom Auslander. It's a novel that incorporates a bizarre representation of one of history's most tragic heroines. Our reviewer, Alan Cheuse, says the book is surprising and infuriating.

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Middle East
1:00 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Israel Tries To Deter African Asylum Seekers

Israel is starting construction of the largest detention center in the world for asylum seekers. The facility, which would house up to 8,000 people initially, has been designed by Israel's defense ministry to "deal with" African refugee, asylum seekers, and migrant workers who cross into Israel from Egypt. At the same time, Israel is nearing completion of a new border fence designed to make it harder for migrants to get into the country.

Energy
1:00 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Obama Touts Energy Policy In Western Swing States

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

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Shots - Health Blog
12:54 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

How Obama Lost The Messaging War Over Health Care Law

Credit Jewel Samad / AFP/Getty Images
Protesters show their opposition to President Obama's health care overhaul on March 16, 2010, days before it became law.

Originally published on Wed March 21, 2012 6:44 pm

The sweeping health overhaul law turns 2 years old this Friday. And as it heads toward a constitutional showdown at the Supreme Court next week, the debate over the measure remains almost as heated as the day President Obama signed it into law.

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The Two-Way
12:38 pm
Wed March 21, 2012

Sifting Through What We Know About The French Shootings Suspect

Credit Bob Edme / AP
Police officers stand near the apartment building where a suspect in the shooting at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school is barricaded in Toulouse, southern France on Wednesday.

The standoff between a murder suspect and French police in Toulouse, France, has stirred up a swirl of speculation about the man's background and motives, but so far there are relatively few confirmed facts.

French officials say the suspect is a 23- or 24-year-old Frenchman of Algerian decent by the name of Mohammed Merah, who had a long record as a juvenile delinquent.

He's suspected in the killings this month of three French paratroopers of North African descent, as well as a rabbi and three Jewish schoolchildren.

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The Two-Way
11:45 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Gingrich: Some 'Brand New Players' Might Emerge At GOP Convention

Credit Win McNamee / Getty Images
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Originally published on Fri March 23, 2012 5:03 am

Saying that Mitt Romney may not be able to "grind his way toward the nomination" despite a huge fundraising advantage, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told NPR today that he sees no reason to exit the Republican presidential race and that there's a chance of a new contender emerging at the party's convention in August.

"I'm not so sure you wouldn't get a series of brand new players" stepping forward during a brokered convention, he told Morning Edition co-host Steve Inskeep.

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The Two-Way
11:19 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Tim Tebow Traded To New York Jets

Credit Garrett Ellwood / Getty Images
Tebow celebrates after the game against the New York Jets on Nov. 17, 2011 in Denver.

The Denver Broncos have traded quarterback Tim Tebow to the New York Jets in exchange for a fourth-round and a sixth-round draft pick, Newsday is reporting.

Tebow became redundant in Denver after the team signed Peyton Manning to a five-year, $96 million contract. Newsday adds:

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U.S.
11:12 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Florida Teen's Killing: A Parent's Greatest Fear

Originally published on Tue April 30, 2013 3:21 pm

The fatal shooting in Florida of an unarmed black teenager at the hand of a neighborhood watch captain has ignited national furor over racial profiling and vigilante justice.

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The Two-Way
11:05 am
Wed March 21, 2012

NFL Slams Saints Over Bountygate; Coach Suspended For 2012 Season

Credit Chris Graythen / Getty Images
New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, left, and then-defensive coordinator Gregg Williams in August 2010.

Originally published on Wed March 21, 2012 12:03 pm

New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton has been "suspended for one season without pay for his involvement in the team's bounty program," NFL.com reports.

The team's former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, "has been suspended indefinitely." He ran the program that paid players bounties for hits that knocked opponents out of games. Williams left the Saints after last season to join the St. Louis Rams.

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The Two-Way
10:57 am
Wed March 21, 2012

'Invisible Children' Co-Founder Suffered 'Brief Reactive Psychosis'

The co-founder of Invisible Children, who was detained by police in San Diego last week after residents complained he was naked on a residential street, was not on drugs, his wife said.

Jason Russell, who was catapulted into the national spotlight after his video on Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony went viral, has been shown in videos naked and apparently talking to himself on the streets of San Diego.

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The Two-Way
10:34 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Reports: Obama Will Call For Southern Portion Of XL Pipeline To Be Expedited

Quoting "a White House official," CNN and USA Today are reporting that in a speech tomorrow President Obama will push for fast-tracking the construction of the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

USA Today reports:

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Monkey See
10:09 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Tebow, Tailgating, And Team Loyalty: Why The NFL Needs Nice Guys More Than Ever

Credit Al Bello / Getty Images
Tim Tebow of the Denver Broncos kneels and prays with teammates and members of the New England Patriots after the Patriots won 45-10 during their AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Gillette Stadium on January 14, 2012.
The Salt
9:59 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Intense Aromas Lead To Smaller Bites

Credit iStockphoto.com
The stronger the aroma, the more likely you are to take a smaller bite, researchers found.

We've known for a while that a food's aroma has a big influence on our perception of how it tastes. Now it looks like smell also can affect how much we eat.

People who ate vanilla custard in a laboratory ate smaller bites when they smelled a stronger cream aroma, according to a new study. The stronger the smell, the smaller the bite.

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Shots - Health Blog
9:58 am
Wed March 21, 2012

High Altitude Got You Down? Try Ibuprofen

Credit Miguel Vieira / Flickr
If hiking in the High Sierra gives you a headache, ibuprofen could help.

Originally published on Fri March 23, 2012 7:17 am

If you're the type who likes to hike, ski or climb mountains, you might want to pack a bottle of ibuprofen — not just for achy muscle aches, but to help prevent altitude sickness.

Tens of millions of people travel to high-altitude spots each year, and a quarter of them wind up with acute altitude sickness from ascending too fast. The headaches, dizziness, sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms can ruin a vacation. In severe cases, it can cause fatal swelling in the brain.

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The Two-Way
8:50 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Jeb Bush Endorses Romney

Credit Steven Senne / AP
Then-governors Mitt Romney (left) of Massachusetts and Jeb Bush of Florida in 2005. Bush has endorsed his fellow Republican's presidential bid.

One day after Mitt Romney's win in Illinois and the talk that has again raised about the former Massachusetts governor being the "inevitable" Republican presidential nominee, he's picked up the coveted endorsement of former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

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National Security
8:48 am
Wed March 21, 2012

Accused Sergeant Heads Down A Long Legal Road

Credit Spc. Ryan Hallock / AP
Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, who is accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians, will have the case heard in the military justice system, which has significant differences from the civilian courts. Here, Bales is shown in a training exercise in Fort Irwin, Calif., last August.

The military justice system has been crafted to work efficiently, but Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales can expect a lengthy legal process as he faces accusations that he killed 16 men, women and children in Afghanistan

Bales is locked up in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as he and his lawyer prepare for a case that involves a horrendous mass murder. In addition, it's a stress point that could trigger retaliation against American troops and even affect the course of a U.S. war that's more than a decade old.

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