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Mormon Church Celebration Of 40 Years Of Black Priesthood Brings Up Painful Past

The Mormon Church is celebrating 40 years since black men were allowed into the priesthood, but this anniversary comes at a time of heightened racial sensitivity for many church members.

Mormon Church Celebration Of 40 Years Of Black Priesthood Brings Up Painful Past

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Religion

Mormon Church Announces End To 100-Year Relationship With Boy Scouts

On Tuesday, the Mormon Church announced it would end a 100-year relationship with the Boy Scouts of America. Mormon boys were automatically signed up to be part of the Boy Scouts, and church members made up 20 percent of membership.

Mormon Church Announces End To 100-Year Relationship With Boy Scouts

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A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

Used car salesman Chris Edwards poses for a portrait at Automaxx in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Trevor Christensen/KUER hide caption

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Trevor Christensen/KUER

NPR Ed

A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

KUER 90.1

In Utah, the majority of civil lawsuits are debt related; nearly all of the debtors face those suits without any legal help. A group of law students at Brigham Young University wants to change that.

A Student Solution To Give Utah Debtors A Fighting Chance

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The Private Prophet: Mormon Church President Thomas Monson Dies At 90

Thomas Monson delivers the opening talk at the 180th Annual General Conference of the Mormon church before thousands of members in 2010 in Salt Lake City. George Frey/Getty Images hide caption

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George Frey/Getty Images

National

The Private Prophet: Mormon Church President Thomas Monson Dies At 90

KUER 90.1

Monson had been at the helm of the 16 million-member Mormon church for nearly a decade. He'll be remembered for his quiet leadership and aversion to grand pronouncements.

The Private Prophet: Mormon Church President Thomas Monson Dies At 90

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Religion

In Salt Lake City You'll Find Mormons Who Meditate

KUER 90.1

A community in Salt Lake City is showing that the Mormon culture might also be fertile soil for Buddhist mindfulness. It's working for both observant Mormons and those who've left the faith.

In Salt Lake City You'll Find Mormons Who Meditate

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Maybe Teaching Special Ed Doesn't Have To Be So Hard

Stephanie Johnson works with a student at the Renaissance Academy, a charter school in Lehi, Utah. Dan Krauss for NPR hide caption

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Dan Krauss for NPR

NPR Ed

Maybe Teaching Special Ed Doesn't Have To Be So Hard

KUER 90.1

Ask any special ed teacher and they will probably tell you that paperwork is the bane of their jobs. These three teachers at Renaissance Academy in Utah have figured out how to keep it under control.

Maybe Teaching Special Ed Doesn't Have To Be So Hard

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'Cultural Mormons' Adjust The Lifestyle But Keep The Label

The spires of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' historic Salt Lake Temple on April 2 in Salt Lake City, Utah. George Frey/Getty Images hide caption

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Religion

'Cultural Mormons' Adjust The Lifestyle But Keep The Label

Some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints choose to leave the faith but not the community. They're learning to tread new ground where belonging exists sometimes without belief.

'Cultural Mormons' Adjust The Lifestyle But Keep The Label

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How Does A Tiger Keep Cool In This Heat? One Word: Bloodsicles

Bandar, a male tiger, plays with a ball made of tough plastic in the pool to keep cool on a hot day at the National Zoo. Courtesy of Smithsonian's National Zoo hide caption

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Courtesy of Smithsonian's National Zoo

Animals

How Does A Tiger Keep Cool In This Heat? One Word: Bloodsicles

In the sweltering summer heat of Washington, D.C., the National Zoo gets creative to keep its guests and animals happy. That means things like frozen treats made of cow blood for the big cats.

How Does A Tiger Keep Cool In This Heat? One Word: Bloodsicles

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They're Small, But These Big-City Apartments Tout Their Communal Feel

In Arlington, Va., WeLive developers say that what residents give up in personal square footage is made up for with large communal areas. WeLive hide caption

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WeLive

Business

They're Small, But These Big-City Apartments Tout Their Communal Feel

For those eyeing city life, the trick to paying reasonable rent might mean downsizing — really downsizing. Developers of micro apartments says they offer affordability and a sense of community.

They're Small, But These Big-City Apartments Tout Their Communal Feel

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TSA PreCheck Applications Soar Amid Long Lines At Airports

Travelers go through the TSA PreCheck security point at Miami International Airport on June 2. The number of TSA PreCheck applicants has more than doubled owing to record security wait times. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption

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Joe Raedle/Getty Images

National

TSA PreCheck Applications Soar Amid Long Lines At Airports

They don't take off their shoes, they don't take out their laptops and their numbers are growing every day. Some 16,000 people per day are applying for the government's airport pre-screening program.

TSA PreCheck Applications Soar Amid Long Lines At Airports

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Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity

There are shortages of special education teachers all over Idaho. Some teachers though, like Amy Griffin, a Resource Room teacher at Liberty Elementary School in Boise, Idaho, plan to make a career of it. Lee Hale/NPR hide caption

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NPR Ed

Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity

A nonprofit in Idaho is training better-prepared teachers who'll be less likely to leave the classroom after a year or two.

Solving The Special Ed Teacher Shortage: Quality, Not Quantity

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It's Not Easy Teaching Special Ed

Stephanie Johnson teaches special education classes at Oak Canyon Junior High School in Lindon, Utah. She says the paperwork is a constant frustration. Alex Hale for NPR hide caption

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Alex Hale for NPR

NPR Ed

It's Not Easy Teaching Special Ed

Teachers in some of the toughest jobs in education are overworked and stretched thin. One dedicated special ed teacher in Utah says she thinks about leaving constantly.

It's Not Easy Teaching Special Ed

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