Two young Afghan women, Shopirai Otmonkhel and Zahra Karimi Nooristani, hold the Afghan flag on an unnamed peak in Panjshir. They were among 13 Afghan girls and young women who took part in a 16-day climbing expedition in northeast Afghanistan.

Two young Afghan women, Shopirai Otmonkhel and Zahra Karimi Nooristani, hold the Afghan flag on an unnamed peak in Panjshir. They were among 13 Afghan girls and young women who took part in a 16-day climbing expedition in northeast Afghanistan. Courtesy of Emilie Drinkwater/Ascend hide caption

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Afghanistan

3 Miles Up, 'Lion Daughters' Battle War, Patriarchy And Thin Air

After months of training, a team of Afghan female mountain climbers conquered a 16,500-foot peak – taller than any in the continental U.S. The entire expedition had to be conducted in secret, with an armed police escort for the young women's safety.
Students prep vegetables at the California Culinary Academy in April 2009 in San Francisco, Calif. The Le Cordon Bleu affiliate is among 16 schools due to close after graduating their final classes due to start in January.

Students prep vegetables at the California Culinary Academy in April 2009 in San Francisco, Calif. The Le Cordon Bleu affiliate is among 16 schools due to close after graduating their final classes due to start in January. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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The Salt

As U.S. Bids Adieu To 'Bleu,' Not All Chefs Say It's Cream Of The Crop WBUR

Despite a thriving foodie scene, 16 Le Cordon Bleu cooking schools will soon close. Some restaurateurs say the brand's aura has unnecessarily lured grads into the field and saddled them with debt.
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From member station

Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison perform in the 1958 TV adaptation of Kiss Me, Kate. The music by Cole Porter employed accidental notes to help illustrate the lyrics.

Alfred Drake and Patricia Morison perform in the 1958 TV adaptation of Kiss Me, Kate. The music by Cole Porter employed accidental notes to help illustrate the lyrics. Ralph Morse/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

How 'Accidental' Notes Grab Our Attention

In music, "accidentals" are notes that color just outside the lines. They shocked listeners during the Renaissance, but these days you can find them all over the place.
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People mourn the death of Dinka Chala who was shot dead by the Ethiopian forces the day earlier, in the Yubdo Village, about 100 km from Addis Ababa in the Oromia region, on Dec. 17, 2015.

People mourn the death of Dinka Chala who was shot dead by the Ethiopian forces the day earlier, in the Yubdo Village, about 100 km from Addis Ababa in the Oromia region, on Dec. 17, 2015. ZACHARIAS ABUBEKER/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Africa

Crackdown Turns Deadly In Ethiopia As Government Turns Against Protesters

In Ethiopia, students have been killed while protesting the government's proposals to take over territory in the Oromia region.
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Customers line up outside the Detroit location of Jack White's Third Man Records store on opening day, Nov. 27. Third Man's plans for Detroit also include a record pressing plant.

Customers line up outside the Detroit location of Jack White's Third Man Records store on opening day, Nov. 27. Third Man's plans for Detroit also include a record pressing plant. Scott Legato/Getty Images hide caption

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The Record

A Rational Conversation: Jack White's Third Man Records Returns To Detroit

The former White Stripes singer founded his band and his label, Third Man, in Detroit, but in recent years has made a home base in Nashville. Now the label has opened an outpost in his hometown.
Saudi women vote at a polling center during municipal elections, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Saudi women are heading to polling stations across the kingdom, both as voters and candidates, for the first time in this landmark election.

Saudi women vote at a polling center during municipal elections, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Saudi women are heading to polling stations across the kingdom, both as voters and candidates, for the first time in this landmark election. Aya Batrawy/AP hide caption

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Middle East

After Historic Elections in Saudi Arabia, What's The Future For Women?

Women have won several positions on municipal councils in Saudi Arabia for the first time. What, if anything, do these first-ever elections including women mean for those in Saudi Arabia?
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Kenny Rogers' latest holiday album, his sixth, is called Once Again It's Christmas.

Kenny Rogers' latest holiday album, his sixth, is called Once Again It's Christmas. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Music Interviews

Kenny Rogers' Rules For Living Well

Kenny Rogers goes long with NPR's Rachel Martin, discussing his work ethic, his yearly holiday music tradition, and the uncanny persistence of "The Gambler."
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A flag reading "Refugees welcome here" greets visitors to London's Immigration Museum, located on Princelet Street in an East End building that housed immigrants from the early 18th century onward. Today the museum, in need of structural repairs, is open only on certain days and by appointment for groups.

A flag reading "Refugees welcome here" greets visitors to London's Immigration Museum, located on Princelet Street in an East End building that housed immigrants from the early 18th century onward. Today the museum, in need of structural repairs, is open only on certain days and by appointment for groups. Peter Kenyon/NPR hide caption

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Europe

As European Migrants Face British Backlash, A Reminder: They're Not The First

Before the Bulgarians, there were the Bengalis, the Irish, the Jews and even French Protestants. Each wave of newcomers was at first rejected — before they went on to transform London's long history.
This undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14, 2014, shows fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria.

This undated file image posted on a militant website on Jan. 14, 2014, shows fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) marching in Raqqa, Syria. Uncredited/AP hide caption

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Hidden Brain

The Psychology Of Radicalization: How Terrorist Groups Attract Young Followers

Why do young people join ISIS? Is it nihilism? Or, as social scientists suggest, a perverse idealism? Hidden Brain explores the psychology of terrorist groups, and why people join them.
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Recommended Dose's Favorite Tracks Of 2015.
NPR

Best Music Of 2015

NPR Music's Favorite Dance Tracks Of 2015

Our two-hour mix featuring more than two dozen of the year's best dance tracks reflects an ever-shifting landscape that — through everything — stays true to the beat.
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