archive
The Record
Rising Postal Rates Squeeze Small Record Labels
January 29, 2013 When postal rates went up this week, labels who ship CDs and LPs saw rates jump. They say the costs will make their way to music fans.
Research News
Bird, Plane, Bacteria? Microbes Thrive In Storm Clouds
January 29, 2013 Microbes can thrive in extreme environments, from inside fiery volcanoes to down on the bottom of the ocean. Now scientists have found a surprising number of them living in storm clouds tens of thousands of feet above the Earth. And those airborne microbes could play a role in global climate.
Poetry
Rare Robert Frost Collection Surfaces 50 Years After His Death
January 29, 2013 Jonathan Reichert, professor emeritus at the State University of New York at Buffalo, has donated a rare collection of Robert Frost's letters, photographs and audio files to the school. The materials chronicle the decades-long friendship between the poet and Reichert's father, rabbi and poet Victor Reichert.
Africa
Tunisia's Salafis: 'A Danger' Or Preachers Of God's Law?
January 29, 2013 Critics call the country's Salafis a threat to the ideals of economic prosperity, civil liberties and gender equality. The Salafis insist that only their rigid interpretation of Islamic law can govern Muslims. Their stand puts Tunisia's moderate Islamist leaders in a difficult position.
Asia
In China, Beware: A Camera May Be Watching You
January 29, 2013 There are an estimated 20 million to 30 million surveillance cameras in China — or about one for every 43 people. Officials say the cameras help fight crime and maintain "social stability." But critics say the government uses them to monitor and intimidate dissidents.
Arts & Life
From Aleppo, An Artifact Of A Calmer Age
January 29, 2013 The ongoing violence and tumult in Syria's largest city belie a richer, more prosperous past. One small object — a finely woven hat — offers evidence of life in a thriving cultural hub.
Media
Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes Redesigns 'The New Republic'
January 29, 2013 Hughes, 29, is the publisher of the 98-year-old magazine. He's facing the same challenges other print media owners do: how to marry in-depth news articles with screens that seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Hughes tells Steve Inskeep it's a task he's prepared to tackle.
It's All Politics
Key Player In '94 Assault Weapons Ban: 'It's Going To Be Much More Difficult' Now
January 29, 2013 Since the assault weapons ban passed in the mid-1990s, Congress has had little appetite for gun control measures. "I think it was a very different time in 1994. I don't think there's very many lessons to learn from that," says Ted Kaufman, who was then-Sen. Joe Biden's chief of staff.