archive

Friday, May 24, 2013

Planet Money

Can This Man Bring Silicon Valley To Yangon?

Nay Aung, founder of Oway, a tech startup in Yangon, Myanmar, sits in Taste Cafe, which served as his unofficial office for his first few months in the country. He had to start his business here because it was one of the few places with a stabile Internet connection.

A Stanford MBA who used to work for Google returned to Myanmar to be an Internet entrepreneur. But it's tough to start an Internet company in a country where the power goes out every day.

Summary

StoryCorps

Military Moms: A Bond Borne From Shared Loss

Sally Edwards, 80, (left) and Lue Hutchinson, 71, visited StoryCorps in Cincinnati. Their sons, Jack Edwards and Tom Butts, are buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Two mothers whose sons were killed during the first Gulf War talk about how they became friends after their sons' death. The last 22 years would have been tough without the friendship, because, as one tells the other, "what's in our hearts we share."

Summary

Shots - Health News

Why You Have To Scratch That Itch

The origin of itch has confounded scientists for decades.

Itch can be a useful warning sign, or a maddening symptom with no cure. But the origins of itch have long been a mystery.Scientists think they've come closer to understanding the origins of itch in a molecule that makes mice scratch like mad.

Summary

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Two-Way

Bridge Collapses In Wash. State; People, Cars In Water

May 23, 2013 TAn unknown number of people and vehicles are in the Skagit River, and rescue crews are looking for them. The bridge collapsed at 7 p.m., but the reason is unclear.

Summary

The Two-Way

Jury Deadlocks On Jodi Arias Sentencing

May 23, 2013 The jury that convicted her of first-degree murder earlier this month in the brutal killing of her ex-boyfriend were unable to decide whether to give the death penalty.

Summary

The Two-Way

Evolution Saves Cockroaches From Taking The Bait

A still from video provided by researchers that shows glucose-averse German cockroaches avoiding a dab of jelly, which contains glucose, and favoring the peanut butter.

May 23, 2013 A new study unravels the mystery of a peculiar transformation: sometime in the 1990s, the insects developed a sudden aversion to sweet-tasting poisons.

Summary

It's All Politics

Srinivasan's Confirmation First For D.C. Circuit In 7 Years

Deputy Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill on April 10.

May 23, 2013 The partisan war over judicial nominees has accelerated in recent years. It took nearly a year to win Senate confirmation for Sri Srinivasan to the important federal appeals court for the District of Columbia, though he had no formal opposition.

Summary

The Two-Way

Boy Scouts Vote To Admit Openly Gay Members

Members of Scouts for Equality hold a rally to support inclusion for gays in the Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday.

May 23, 2013 The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America has voted to allow gay Scout members, but to continue a ban on openly gay adult Scout leaders. The policy change would take effect Jan. 1, 2014.

Summary

The Two-Way

Head Of IRS Tax-Exempt Division Reportedly Placed On Leave

Lois Lerner invoked the Fifth Amendment before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Wednesday.

May 23, 2013 Lois Lerner has been at the center of a scandal over the tax agency's targeting of conservative groups.

Summary

The Two-Way

Alabama Republican Jo Bonner Says He's Leaving Congress

Rep. Jo Bonner in July 2010.

May 23, 2013 The congressman says he will step down in August to take a senior position at the University of Alabama.

Summary

Shots - Health News

The Weight Of A Med Student's Subconscious Bias

More than a third of medical students in a North Carolina study had a bias against overweight people.

May 23, 2013 A test of third-year medical students in North Carolina revealed biases against the obese. The author of the study says these thoughts, often subconscious, could affect how doctors treat their patients and whether those patients trust them.

Summary

It's All Politics

Black Caucus Leader: We Disagree With Presidents, Even Obama

Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, says her group fears an immigration overhaul that greatly expands high-tech visas could have an adverse impact on blacks aspiring to such jobs.

May 23, 2013 Rep. Marcia Fudge, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, says any immigration overhaul significantly boosting the numbers of highly skilled immigrants could negatively affect African-Americans with similar skills.

Summary

Law

Justice Sotomayor Takes Swing At Famed Baseball Case

Sotomayor is escorted onto the field by New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the New York Yankees game against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 26, 2009.

May 23, 2013 The Supreme Court justice and noted Yankees fan showed her baseball acumen Wednesday while presiding over a re-enactment of the 1972 case that challenged the sport's antitrust exemption.

Summary

National Security

Breaking Down Obama's New Blueprint For Fighting Terrorism

At the National Defense University in Washington on Thursday, President Obama outlined plans to limit the use of U.S. drone strikes, and pledged to shut down the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

May 23, 2013 In a major speech, the president rejects the idea that the country can fight an opened-ended "global war on terror." In setting his own guidelines, he defines the standards for using drone strikes and again calls for closing the Guantanamo Bay prison.

Summary

The Two-Way

For Second Time, Moore Family Loses Home To A Tornado

An aerial photo shows destroyed houses in Moore, Okla., after Monday's tornado. Rena and Paul Phillips, who lost their home in the storm, also lost a house to a tornado in 1999.

May 23, 2013 The tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., Monday destroyed some 12,000 homes, according to Oklahoma City Police. And for one family, it was the second house they've lost to a tornado in the past 14 years. Rena and Paul Phillips say that the recent loss won't make them move.

Summary

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