NPR Topics: News http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1001&ft=1&f=1001 NPR news, audio, and news podcasts. Coverage of breaking stories, national and world news, politics, business, science, technology, and extended coverage of major national and world events. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:26:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif News http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1001&ft=1&f=1001 'Public Option' Remains Possible Snag As Vote Looms Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes — that's every Democrat and both Independents — to clear the way for a vote on historic heath care legislation Saturday. The final two Democrats fell in line Saturday afternoon — Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. But the holdouts still expressed strong reluctance about the "public option" in Reid's bill. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:26:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120653061&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120653061&ft=1&f=1001 Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid needs 60 votes — that's every Democrat and both Independents — to clear the way for a vote on historic heath care legislation Saturday. The final two Democrats fell in line Saturday afternoon — Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. But the holdouts still expressed strong reluctance about the "public option" in Reid's bill.

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]]> The 'Wild And Wooly' World Of Bulletin Boards These days, if you want to find a fling, a friend or a cheap used sofa, you might check Craigslist. But decades before Craig Newmark posted his first list, computer users all over the country were connecting through electronic bulletin boards. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:36:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120649723&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120649723&ft=1&f=1001 These days, if you want to find a fling, a friend or a cheap used sofa, you might check Craigslist. But decades before Craig Newmark posted his first list, computer users all over the country were connecting through electronic bulletin boards.

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]]> Health Care Bill Clears Key Hurdle In Senate Senate Democrats pushed through a procedural wall Saturday night and formally opened the floor debate on their effort to overhaul the nation's $2.5 trillion health care system. The Senate mustered 60 votes, the exact number required to end a Republican filibuster against consideration of the bill, in a straight party-line vote. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:53:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120649888&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120649888&ft=1&f=1001 Senate Democrats pushed through a procedural wall Saturday night and formally opened the floor debate on their effort to overhaul the nation's $2.5 trillion health care system. The Senate mustered 60 votes, the exact number required to end a Republican filibuster against consideration of the bill, in a straight party-line vote.

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]]> Week In Review With Daniel Schorr This week, the Senate faced a crucial vote on health care. The Obama administration fended off criticism over Sept. 11 trials in New York, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for another term as president of Afghanistan. Host Scott Simon reviews the week in the news with NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646678&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646678&ft=1&f=1001 This week, the Senate faced a crucial vote on health care. The Obama administration fended off criticism over Sept. 11 trials in New York, and Hamid Karzai was sworn in for another term as president of Afghanistan. Host Scott Simon reviews the week in the news with NPR Senior News Analyst Dan Schorr.

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]]> Outrage Over Death Sentences For Iran's Dissenters Iranian media reported this week that five people arrested in the protests following Iran's presidential election have been sentenced to death. Tehran says the prisoners had connections to "counter-revolutionary groups," but activists say Iran is going too far in persecuting dissenters. Host Scott Simon talks to Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646682&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646682&ft=1&f=1001 Iranian media reported this week that five people arrested in the protests following Iran's presidential election have been sentenced to death. Tehran says the prisoners had connections to "counter-revolutionary groups," but activists say Iran is going too far in persecuting dissenters. Host Scott Simon talks to Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.

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]]> A Week Of Changes For Women's Health For the second time in a week, a panel of medical experts has recommended that younger women be tested less frequently for cancer. The latest advice is that women can wait until 21 to have their first Pap test for cervical cancer. Many women can skip annual Pap smears after that. The guidance comes after another recommendation earlier this week that routine mammograms needn't start until age 50. NPR digital health correspondent Scott Hensley has been following the changes and joins host Scott Simon to talk about it. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646686&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646686&ft=1&f=1001 For the second time in a week, a panel of medical experts has recommended that younger women be tested less frequently for cancer. The latest advice is that women can wait until 21 to have their first Pap test for cervical cancer. Many women can skip annual Pap smears after that. The guidance comes after another recommendation earlier this week that routine mammograms needn't start until age 50. NPR digital health correspondent Scott Hensley has been following the changes and joins host Scott Simon to talk about it.

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]]> Expect Senate Health Bill To Change, Durbin Says The historic health care overhaul plan proposed by Congressional Democrats makes its way to the Senate for a test vote tonight. The sweeping legislation sets the stage for a showdown between Republicans and a fragmented Democratic majority. Sixty votes are required to advance the bill toward full debate. Host Scott Simon speaks with Sen. Dick Durbin, the majority whip of the Senate. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646658&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646658&ft=1&f=1001 The historic health care overhaul plan proposed by Congressional Democrats makes its way to the Senate for a test vote tonight. The sweeping legislation sets the stage for a showdown between Republicans and a fragmented Democratic majority. Sixty votes are required to advance the bill toward full debate. Host Scott Simon speaks with Sen. Dick Durbin, the majority whip of the Senate.

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]]> Overlooked In The Rush To Digitize Medical Records The administration has made $45 billion available for doctors and hospital across the country to digitize medical records. This money, part of the government's stimulus plan, promises what amounts to a gold rush for major technology firms, who have begun competing to win those accounts. But Fred Schulte, senior reporter for the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, says some health care professionals wonder if the promise of electronic medical records has been exaggerated. Host Scott Simon talks to Schulte about the potential pitfalls. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646690&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646690&ft=1&f=1001 The administration has made $45 billion available for doctors and hospital across the country to digitize medical records. This money, part of the government's stimulus plan, promises what amounts to a gold rush for major technology firms, who have begun competing to win those accounts. But Fred Schulte, senior reporter for the Huffington Post Investigative Fund, says some health care professionals wonder if the promise of electronic medical records has been exaggerated. Host Scott Simon talks to Schulte about the potential pitfalls.

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]]> Republicans Hope For Just One Defection No Republicans will vote Saturday night to advance the Senate's health care bill to full debate, Republican Whip Sen. John Kyl says. That leaves the fate of the vote in the hands of a few moderate Democrats, all of whom are needed to reach the 60 votes required to push the bill forward. Host Scott Simon speaks with Kyl on his party's chances of defeating the bill. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646662&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646662&ft=1&f=1001 No Republicans will vote Saturday night to advance the Senate's health care bill to full debate, Republican Whip Sen. John Kyl says. That leaves the fate of the vote in the hands of a few moderate Democrats, all of whom are needed to reach the 60 votes required to push the bill forward. Host Scott Simon speaks with Kyl on his party's chances of defeating the bill.

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]]> Hate Crimes And Hispanics: Who's The Victim? NPR's Ari Shapiro spent time in Eastern Long Island reporting on a story about hate crimes against Hispanics. While he was there, he discovered that the line distinguishing a perpetrator from a victim can be hazy. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646694&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646694&ft=1&f=1001 NPR's Ari Shapiro spent time in Eastern Long Island reporting on a story about hate crimes against Hispanics. While he was there, he discovered that the line distinguishing a perpetrator from a victim can be hazy.

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]]> Afghanistan-Bound, Americans Pretend To Be There While President Obama weighs his options on Afghanistan, one thing is clear: The U.S. is beefing up its civilian presence there. The aid effort has been hobbled from the start, and many experts consider it a weak link in the struggle to build a stable society in the conflicted country. Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew insists that the U.S. is now recruiting the right kind of people, but before those people head to Afghanistan, they get trained to work with the military at a base in Indiana. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646666&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646666&ft=1&f=1001 While President Obama weighs his options on Afghanistan, one thing is clear: The U.S. is beefing up its civilian presence there. The aid effort has been hobbled from the start, and many experts consider it a weak link in the struggle to build a stable society in the conflicted country. Deputy Secretary of State Jack Lew insists that the U.S. is now recruiting the right kind of people, but before those people head to Afghanistan, they get trained to work with the military at a base in Indiana.

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]]> 'Army Strong' Now Means Mental Toughness, Too The Army has always trained its soldiers to be physically strong. With its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, it's aiming to make soldiers and their families psychologically strong as well. Host Scott Simon speaks to the program's director, Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646670&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646670&ft=1&f=1001 The Army has always trained its soldiers to be physically strong. With its Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program, it's aiming to make soldiers and their families psychologically strong as well. Host Scott Simon speaks to the program's director, Brig. Gen. Rhonda Cornum.

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]]> One Job The Stimulus Has Definitely Saved The Web site Recovery.gov lists the jobs the Obama administration claims to have saved or created. In one company the government certainly did helped save a jobs, but it wasn't in manufacturing or technology. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646674&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120646674&ft=1&f=1001 The Web site Recovery.gov lists the jobs the Obama administration claims to have saved or created. In one company the government certainly did helped save a jobs, but it wasn't in manufacturing or technology.

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]]> Tracking A 'Missing' Man By Virtual Bread Crumbs Evan Ratliff eschewed his identity and picked up a new one, challenging <em>Wired</em> readers to find him in 30 days in a contest sponsored by the magazine. Lured by a cash prize, readers mobilized online in a mad dash to locate Ratliff &mdash; who got a little too cocksure for his own good. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:18:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120580855&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120580855&ft=1&f=1001 Evan Ratliff eschewed his identity and picked up a new one, challenging Wired readers to find him in 30 days in a contest sponsored by the magazine. Lured by a cash prize, readers mobilized online in a mad dash to locate Ratliff — who got a little too cocksure for his own good.

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]]> Army Family's Choice: Kids' Care Or Deployment? Repeated deployments of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan are taking an increasing toll on military families, especially those with young children. But for Ken and Kristie Halander, it came down to a difficult choice: another long deployment to Iraq for Ken or access to medical care for their children. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120581128&ft=1&f=1001 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120581128&ft=1&f=1001 Repeated deployments of troops to Iraq and Afghanistan are taking an increasing toll on military families, especially those with young children. But for Ken and Kristie Halander, it came down to a difficult choice: another long deployment to Iraq for Ken or access to medical care for their children.

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