News http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1001&ft=1&f=1001 NPR news, audio, and podcasts. Coverage of breaking stories, national and world news, politics, business, science, technology, and extended coverage of major national and world events. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sun, 19 May 2013 18:35:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif News http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1001&ft=1&f=1001 Syrian Troops Target Key Rebel-Held Town Qusair is a strategically important town that lies between Homs, where the Syrian uprising began two years ago, and the Lebanese border. If President Bashar Assad's troops – reportedly backed by Hezbollah fighters — regain the town, they would control an important route from the coast to the capital, Damascus. Sun, 19 May 2013 18:35:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185363866/syrian-troops-target-key-rebel-held-town?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185363866/syrian-troops-target-key-rebel-held-town?ft=1&f=1001 Qusair is a strategically important town that lies between Homs, where the Syrian uprising began two years ago, and the Lebanese border. If President Bashar Assad's troops – reportedly backed by Hezbollah fighters — regain the town, they would control an important route from the coast to the capital, Damascus.

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]]> Young Kenyans Build Mobile Apps For Local Use College students and recent graduates crammed the top floor of a tech hub in Nairobi for a competition built around the theme "Solutions for the Next Billion Mobile Users." Africa has more than 600 million mobile phone users (approximately 11 percent of the global total) – and the number is growing. Sun, 19 May 2013 17:25:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/185350354/young-kenyans-build-mobile-apps-for-local-use?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/185350354/young-kenyans-build-mobile-apps-for-local-use?ft=1&f=1001 College students and recent graduates crammed the top floor of a tech hub in Nairobi for a competition built around the theme "Solutions for the Next Billion Mobile Users." Africa has more than 600 million mobile phone users (approximately 11 percent of the global total) – and the number is growing.

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]]> Two Excerpts You Should Read From Obama's Morehouse Speech President Obama delivered a rare, very personal speech during the commencement ceremony at the historically black college. Sun, 19 May 2013 17:02:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185348873/two-excerpts-you-should-read-from-obamas-morehouse-speech?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185348873/two-excerpts-you-should-read-from-obamas-morehouse-speech?ft=1&f=1001 President Obama delivered a rare, very personal speech during the commencement ceremony at the historically black college.

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]]> North Korea Fires Another 'Short-Range Projectile' Like the missiles on Saturday, the projectile missed neighboring countries. The U.S. called the launch "provocations." Sun, 19 May 2013 15:34:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185333435/north-korea-fires-another-short-range-projectile?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185333435/north-korea-fires-another-short-range-projectile?ft=1&f=1001 Like the missiles on Saturday, the projectile missed neighboring countries. The U.S. called the launch "provocations."

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]]> Boom Or Bust? Saving Rhode Island's 'Superman' Building The iconic Industrial Trust Tower in downtown Providence is empty for the first time in 85 years. Developers want to turn it into luxury apartments — and want the state and city to pay for it. But Providence — like the rest of Rhode Island — faces its own economic problems, as well as a recent failed investment. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:56:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185340376/boom-or-bust-saving-rhode-islands-superman-building?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185340376/boom-or-bust-saving-rhode-islands-superman-building?ft=1&f=1001 The iconic Industrial Trust Tower in downtown Providence is empty for the first time in 85 years. Developers want to turn it into luxury apartments — and want the state and city to pay for it. But Providence — like the rest of Rhode Island — faces its own economic problems, as well as a recent failed investment.

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]]> Reports: Yahoo Board Approves $1.1 Billion Purchase Of Tumblr The deal for the blogging site is designed to attract younger users to the ailing Web portal. The Wall Street Journal is basing its report on unnamed sources close to the situation. Sun, 19 May 2013 13:30:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185304739/wsj-yahoo-board-approves-1-1-billion-purchase-of-tumblr?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185304739/wsj-yahoo-board-approves-1-1-billion-purchase-of-tumblr?ft=1&f=1001 The deal for the blogging site is designed to attract younger users to the ailing Web portal. The Wall Street Journal is basing its report on unnamed sources close to the situation.

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]]> On Sunday News Shows, Obama Official Plays Defense White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Republicans are trying to make political hay with the scandals. Sun, 19 May 2013 11:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185293270/on-sunday-news-shows-obama-officials-play-defense?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185293270/on-sunday-news-shows-obama-officials-play-defense?ft=1&f=1001 White House senior adviser Dan Pfeiffer said Republicans are trying to make political hay with the scandals.

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]]> Police Accidentally Killed Hofstra University Student Police shot Andrea Rebello, 21, while they were trying to free her from a man holding her hostage. Sun, 19 May 2013 10:32:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185287279/police-accidentally-killed-hofstra-university-student?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185287279/police-accidentally-killed-hofstra-university-student?ft=1&f=1001 Police shot Andrea Rebello, 21, while they were trying to free her from a man holding her hostage.

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]]> WATCH: David Beckham Tears Up At Final Home Game The storied midfielder walked off the pitch as fans — and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy — chanted his name. Sun, 19 May 2013 08:31:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185267101/watch-david-beckham-tears-up-at-final-home-game?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185267101/watch-david-beckham-tears-up-at-final-home-game?ft=1&f=1001 The storied midfielder walked off the pitch as fans — and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy — chanted his name.

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]]> Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment. Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/19/184844448/giant-renaissance-food-people-descend-upon-new-york?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/19/184844448/giant-renaissance-food-people-descend-upon-new-york?ft=1&f=1001 Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.

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]]> Afghans With Disabilities Fight For The Right To Rights Their country isn't an easy place for anyone to make a living, but it's a downright hostile environment for those with disabilities. Support has mostly come from nonprofits, but activists are pressing the government to take action. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185194207/afghans-with-disabilities-fight-for-the-right-to-rights?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185194207/afghans-with-disabilities-fight-for-the-right-to-rights?ft=1&f=1001 Their country isn't an easy place for anyone to make a living, but it's a downright hostile environment for those with disabilities. Support has mostly come from nonprofits, but activists are pressing the government to take action.

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]]> Nonconservative Groups Say IRS Scrutinized Them, Too The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185206908/nonconservative-groups-say-irs-scrutinized-them-too?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185206908/nonconservative-groups-say-irs-scrutinized-them-too?ft=1&f=1001 The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.

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]]> A Lucky Winner In Florida Could Be $590.5 Million Richer If you bought a Poweball ticket in Zephyrhills, Fla., sit down and check these numbers: 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and 11. Lottery officials say only one ticket matched all six numbers to win Saturday's record jackpot. Sun, 19 May 2013 07:18:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185258398/a-lucky-winner-in-florida-could-be-590-5-million-richer?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/05/19/185258398/a-lucky-winner-in-florida-could-be-590-5-million-richer?ft=1&f=1001 If you bought a Poweball ticket in Zephyrhills, Fla., sit down and check these numbers: 10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and 11. Lottery officials say only one ticket matched all six numbers to win Saturday's record jackpot.

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]]> Russian Lawmakers: Don't Criticize Soviet Actions In WWII Don't mess with Soviet history, especially when it comes to World War II. That's the message coming from some hard-line Russian legislators who are angry with an opposition lawmaker who criticized Josef Stalin's World War II counterintelligence agency, SMERSH, and likened it to Adolf Hitler's Gestapo. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:06:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/181573908/russian-lawmakers-dont-criticize-soviet-actions-in-wwii?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/181573908/russian-lawmakers-dont-criticize-soviet-actions-in-wwii?ft=1&f=1001 Don't mess with Soviet history, especially when it comes to World War II. That's the message coming from some hard-line Russian legislators who are angry with an opposition lawmaker who criticized Josef Stalin's World War II counterintelligence agency, SMERSH, and likened it to Adolf Hitler's Gestapo.

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]]> Escape From An Eritrean Prison Thousands of prisoners are held in detention camps throughout Eritrea, according to Amnesty International. Here's the story of one man who made it out. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:49:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/184846121/escape-from-an-eritrean-prison?ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/05/19/184846121/escape-from-an-eritrean-prison?ft=1&f=1001 Thousands of prisoners are held in detention camps throughout Eritrea, according to Amnesty International. Here's the story of one man who made it out.

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