South Sudanese seeking refuge line up to register at the U.N.'s base in Bentiu in February. At that time, the camp was receiving up to 200 new people a day. It now serves as home to some 100,000 people.

South Sudanese seeking refuge line up to register at the U.N.'s base in Bentiu in February. At that time, the camp was receiving up to 200 new people a day. It now serves as home to some 100,000 people. Charles Lomodong/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Parallels - World News

U.N. Bases Turn Into Cities For Desperate And Displaced In South Sudan

Two years ago, the United Nations made a spur-of-the-moment decision to open its bases to hundreds of thousands who sought refuge from war. Today, those bases resemble permanent communities.
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William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, is seen in this Nov. 30 photo, walking to a courthouse for jury selection in his trial.

William Porter, one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, is seen in this Nov. 30 photo, walking to a courthouse for jury selection in his trial. Patrick Semansky/AP hide caption

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The Two-Way - News Blog

Jurors In Baltimore Police Trial Say They're Deadlocked

The judge instructed the jurors to keep working toward a verdict after receiving a note from the panel Tuesday afternoon.
Shoppers in Freeport, Maine, pass by store windows advertising Black Friday deals after the stores opened their doors at midnight.

Shoppers in Freeport, Maine, pass by store windows advertising Black Friday deals after the stores opened their doors at midnight. Portland Press Herald/Press Herald via Getty Images hide caption

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Business

Shoppers This Year May Need The Nudge Of Cold Air And Gift Cards WSHU

It's been warmer than usual around the country and hardly feels like gift-giving season. Some economists say December sales will be fine after Christmas when consumers shop for sales with gift cards.
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From member station

Be My Eyes pairs blind people with sighted volunteers who help them identify objects using a smartphone app and camera.

Be My Eyes pairs blind people with sighted volunteers who help them identify objects using a smartphone app and camera. Be My Eyes hide caption

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All Tech Considered

Help A Blind Person Identify Everyday Things, Via Smartphone App

Be My Eyes pairs blind people with sighted volunteers who help them with daily tasks that require vision, at home and outside. It's part of a new "micro-volunteering" trend online.
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Queen Amidala addresses the Galactic Senate, calling for a vote of no confidence in the chancellor.

Queen Amidala addresses the Galactic Senate, calling for a vote of no confidence in the chancellor. Star Wars: The Phantom Menace hide caption

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Politics

Why The Politics Of The Star Wars Universe Makes No Sense

Seriously, do you understand how the Galactic Senate functioned?
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Los Angeles Unified school district buses sit idle following an "electronic threat" in Los Angeles on Tuesday. More than 600,000 students were being sent home or told not to come to school.

Los Angeles Unified school district buses sit idle following an "electronic threat" in Los Angeles on Tuesday. More than 600,000 students were being sent home or told not to come to school. Paul Buck/EPA/Landov hide caption

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The Two-Way - News Blog

Los Angeles Closes Public Schools Over 'Electronic Threat'

The investigation continues, but the mayor says he expects schools to reopen on Wednesday. The emailed threat claimed the writer had attended Los Angeles schools and been bullied.
Kenya Barris, the creator and writer of Black-ish, in his office on the ABC lot in Burbank, Calif., in December. Black-ish is now in its second season, airing on ABC.

Kenya Barris, the creator and writer of Black-ish, in his office on the ABC lot in Burbank, Calif., in December. Black-ish is now in its second season, airing on ABC. Megan Miller for NPR hide caption

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Code Switch

Kenya Barris Creates An 'Absolutely Black' Family for Prime Time

"We're kind of taught to give your kids more than you had. But in giving them more, what do they lose?" asks the creator of Black-ish.
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Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies, seen here celebrating with Jeff Green, made only 2.47 grammar mistakes for every 100 words according to a new study.

Fans of the Memphis Grizzlies, seen here celebrating with Jeff Green, made only 2.47 grammar mistakes for every 100 words according to a new study. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images hide caption

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The Two-Way - News Blog

The Sports (And Teams) Whose Fans Made The Fewest Grammatical Mistakes In 2015

The most language errors came from fans of the Washington Redskins, whose 16.5 mistakes per 100 words widely surpassed every other franchise. Fans of NBA teams did well.
Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris is considered the first modern community of the dead.

Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris is considered the first modern community of the dead. Michel Euler/AP hide caption

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Shots - Health News

Historian Traces Our Evolving Relationship With The Dead FA

Thomas Laqueur, author of The Work of the Dead, discusses the ways people have dealt with human remains over the course of history. Modern cemeteries, he says, are byproducts of the French Revolution.
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"I decided that it would be a really interesting to create a character who was Dream," author Neil Gaiman says of his character Sandman.

"I decided that it would be a really interesting to create a character who was Dream," author Neil Gaiman says of his character Sandman. J.H. Williams III/Vertigo hide caption

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Author Interviews

Neil Gaiman On Returning To 'Sandman,' Talking In His Sleep And The Power Of Comics FA

Twenty-five years after he initially created Sandman, Gaiman returns to one of his most enduring characters. Gaiman says writing The Sandman: Overture was "the most intense period of my life."
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