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Must Reads : The Two-Way Some stories are just too weird, too funny or too sad to ignore. They may not be "serious news," but are so fascinating you must read them. NPR correspondents are on the watch for such tales. We pass along the best, from NPR and other news outlets.

The Two-Way

Must Reads

Monday October 31, 2016

Dutch Far-Right Politician Boycotts Opening Of His Hate-Speech Trial

The leader of the far-right Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, poses at The Hague in December. Martijn Beekman/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Martijn Beekman/AFP/Getty Images

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Dutch Far-Right Politician Boycotts Opening Of His Hate-Speech Trial

October 31, 2016 • The anti-Islam lawmaker is accused of racial discrimination and inciting hatred — charges tied to comments he made about Moroccans at a 2014 rally.

300 Million Children Are Breathing 'Extremely Toxic' Air, UNICEF Says

A child walks past a dessert stand on a hazy day in Beijing earlier this month. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

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Ng Han Guan/AP

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300 Million Children Are Breathing 'Extremely Toxic' Air, UNICEF Says

October 31, 2016 • Altogether, some 2 billion children worldwide are breathing air that has been deemed a "long term hazard," a report finds. Pollution contributes to around 600,000 deaths annually of kids under age 5.

Sunday October 30, 2016

NASA's New 'Intruder Alert' System Spots An Incoming Asteroid

Asteroids regularly pass by Earth, as depicted here. A new NASA system called Scout aims to identify the ones that will come closest to the planet. P. Carril/ESA hide caption

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P. Carril/ESA

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NASA's New 'Intruder Alert' System Spots An Incoming Asteroid

October 30, 2016 • A space rock zipped by Earth on Sunday night. Astronomers knew it didn't pose a threat, in part thanks to a new automated warning program called Scout.

NASA's New 'Intruder Alert' System Spots An Incoming Asteroid

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Friday October 28, 2016

U.N.: ISIS Is Using Tens Of Thousands Of Civilians As Human Shields In Mosul

Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces advance toward Islamic State positions Tuesday in the village of Tob Zawa, about 5 miles from Mosul, Iraq. Khalid Mohammed/AP hide caption

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Khalid Mohammed/AP

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U.N.: ISIS Is Using Tens Of Thousands Of Civilians As Human Shields In Mosul

October 28, 2016 • The fighters are allegedly killing civilians who refuse to comply with their instructions or who they suspect are loyal to the Iraqi security forces, the U.N. human rights chief says.

An Ode To Vine's Cutest Animals

Twitter announced Thursday that it would be discontinuing Vine, a six-second looped social video app. Raquel Zaldivar/NPR hide caption

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Raquel Zaldivar/NPR

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An Ode To Vine's Cutest Animals

October 28, 2016 • The Internet is sad about the end of Vine. Here are some adorable animal Vines to cheer you up.

Nations Agree To Establish World's Largest Marine Reserve In Antarctica

Boats sit on the beach at Bahia Almirantazgo in Antarctica. An agreement was reached on Friday to create the world's largest marine protected area in the ocean next to the frozen continent. Natacha Pisarenko/AP hide caption

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Natacha Pisarenko/AP

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Nations Agree To Establish World's Largest Marine Reserve In Antarctica

October 28, 2016 • At 600,000 square miles, the sanctuary covers an area twice the size of Texas and is known as polar "Garden of Eden." This unanimous agreement is the result of years of negotiations.

Thursday October 27, 2016

This Bird Can Remain Airborne For 10 Months Straight

Researchers say the common swift is known for long periods of flight. Stefan Berndtsson hide caption

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Stefan Berndtsson

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This Bird Can Remain Airborne For 10 Months Straight

October 27, 2016 • These birds fly from Europe to sub-Saharan Africa, but they don't touch down on the continent. Researchers say new findings raise questions about "when and to what extent swifts need to sleep."

Researchers Say They've Found A Bit Of Fossilized Dinosaur Brain

This rock was found on a British beach. Some scientists believe it could contain fossilized brain tissue. Jamie Hiscocks/University of Cambridge hide caption

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Jamie Hiscocks/University of Cambridge

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Researchers Say They've Found A Bit Of Fossilized Dinosaur Brain

October 27, 2016 • A small rock might contain tissue from a 130 million-year-old dinosaur brain. If confirmed, it would be the first bit of fossilized dino gray matter ever found.

Researchers Say They've Found A Bit Of Fossilized Dinosaur Brain

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Dozens Dead In What UNICEF Calls One Of Worst School Bombings In Syria's War

Smoke rises in the distance after an airstrike Wednesday on the village of Hass, Syria, where teachers and students were killed. AP hide caption

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AP

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Dozens Dead In What UNICEF Calls One Of Worst School Bombings In Syria's War

October 27, 2016 • "Some people cursed the Assad regime. Some invoked God. And others didn't say a word," a witness tells NPR. Schools have been hit repeatedly during Syria's war and this is one of the worst incidents.

End Of The Vine: Twitter Says It's Closing Video App Amid Wider Layoffs

The Twitter symbol appears above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Richard Drew/AP hide caption

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Richard Drew/AP

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End Of The Vine: Twitter Says It's Closing Video App Amid Wider Layoffs

October 27, 2016 • The social media company posted stronger-than-expected revenue of $616 million in the third quarter — even as revenue growth continued to slow. To be more efficient, it'll cut around 350 jobs.

Wednesday October 26, 2016

Ex-Nurse Accused Of Murdering 8 Nursing Home Patients In Canada

Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, a former nurse accused of murdering eight elderly patients, leaves the courthouse Tuesday in Woodstock, Ontario. Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Geoff Robins/AFP/Getty Images

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Ex-Nurse Accused Of Murdering 8 Nursing Home Patients In Canada

October 26, 2016 • If Elizabeth Tracey Mae Wettlaufer, 49, is found guilty, she would be one of the worst serial killers in Canada's history. Police say the victims were administered a drug.

Tuesday October 25, 2016

U.N. Says 2016 Will Be Deadliest Year Ever For Migrants Crossing The Mediterranean

A migrant holds onto a rope during a rescue operation some eight nautical miles off Libya's Mediterranean coastline earlier this month. Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images

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U.N. Says 2016 Will Be Deadliest Year Ever For Migrants Crossing The Mediterranean

October 25, 2016 • That's despite far fewer people making the treacherous passage. The U.N. says smugglers set people off on mass embarkations on "flimsy inflatable rafts that often do not make the journey."

Novelist Paul Beatty Is First American To Win Britain's Man Booker Prize

Paul Beatty is the first American to win the U.K.'s Man Booker Prize for fiction for his novel The Sellout. Alastair Grant/AP hide caption

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Alastair Grant/AP

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Novelist Paul Beatty Is First American To Win Britain's Man Booker Prize

October 25, 2016 • Beatty won for The Sellout, a satire hailed as hilarious about the fraught subject of race in the U.S. The competition was opened recently to any author writing in English and published in the U.K.

Novelist Paul Beatty Is First American To Win Britain's Man Booker Prize

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Giants Cut Kicker Josh Brown Over Domestic Abuse Allegations

Former New York Giants kicker Josh Brown watches his team play during the second half of a 2013 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Philadelphia. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

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Matt Rourke/AP

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Giants Cut Kicker Josh Brown Over Domestic Abuse Allegations

October 25, 2016 • The case has raised questions about the NFL's willingness to punish domestic abusers. "Our beliefs, our judgments and our decisions were misguided," the team's president said.

Indians Or Cubs, The World Series Will Put An End To One Team's Drought

Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, is set up for Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night. Charlie Riedel/AP hide caption

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Charlie Riedel/AP

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Indians Or Cubs, The World Series Will Put An End To One Team's Drought

October 25, 2016 • Even before tonight's opening pitch, the mere fact that these two teams have made it this far is historic in itself. The Indians last won a championship in 1948, and the Cubs haven't won since 1908.

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