All Things Considered for January 12, 2011 Hear the All Things Considered program for January 12, 2011

All Things Considered

Scientists are investigating whether bad weather, fireworks or poison might have forced more than 3,000 red-winged blackbirds out of the sky, or if a disoriented bird simply led the flock into the ground. Assistant State Veterinarian Brandon Doss examines a carcass at the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Diagnostic Laboratory in Little Rock. Danny Johnston/AP hide caption

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Danny Johnston/AP

Puzzling Demise Of Arkansas' Red-Winged Blackbird

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Though precipitation levels do vary region to region, when looked at globally, 2010 was also the wettest year on record. In Pakistan, makeshift camps popped up in areas ravaged by catastrophic flooding. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty Images

Environment

Last Year: The Warmest On Record (Again)

3 min

Last Year: The Warmest On Record (Again)

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Researchers say metal flipper bands like the one on this penguin lowered survival rates and harmed the number of chicks the banded birds produced. Benoit Gineste/Nature hide caption

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Benoit Gineste/Nature

Animals

Banding Penguins Could Drag Down Their Population

4 min

Banding Penguins Could Drag Down Their Population

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The home in Tucson, Ariz., where Jared Loughner, charged in a shooting that killed six and wounded more than a dozen, lived with his parents. AFP/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Arizona Rampage: Congresswoman, Others Shot

Suspect A Puzzle, Even Before Arizona Shooting

5 min

Suspect A Puzzle, Even Before Arizona Shooting

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Places in California, including Stockton, are pocked with abandoned homes, like this one in 2008. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Crisis In The Housing Market

Will The Housing Bust Create New Rust Belts?

4 min

Will The Housing Bust Create New Rust Belts?

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A stuffed animal floats in a flooded suburban street in Rockhampton. Jonathan Wood/Getty Images hide caption

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Jonathan Wood/Getty Images

World

Australian City Empties As Floodwaters Crest

3 min

Australian City Empties As Floodwaters Crest

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The Bentley Continental GT on display during the auto show. The company's 2011 models are quite popular. Stand Honda/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Stand Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Business

Luxury Makes A Comeback At Detroit Auto Show

5 min

Luxury Makes A Comeback At Detroit Auto Show

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