The Two-Way
6:44 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

From Our Readers On Dylan's Electric Guitar: 'That Is Chutzpah'

We told readers not to "get excited" in our headline about PBS' History Detectives potentially misidentifying a guitar from Bob Dylan's first electric performance. Our commenters took our advice, but they certainly showed some ire that the guitar, famous or not, would not have been returned to the artist in the first place.

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Election 2012
6:28 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Arizona Tea Party Activists Say They're Back

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 6:37 pm

Maricopa County, Ariz., where 3 out of 5 Republicans in the state live, has become a hotbed of Tea Party activism.

That's where the head of the Original North Phoenix Tea Party lives. His name is Wesley Harris, and he used to manufacture precision rifle barrels. These days, his son runs the business, while Harris spends most of his time as a full-time Tea Party activist.

Running Against Disenchantment

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It's All Politics
6:11 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Between Touchdowns And Triple Jumps, Politicians Are Popping Up On Sports TV

Credit Matt Ludtke / Getty Images
Will these Green Bay fans be cheering as much as they did during the 2011 Super Bowl when their beloved Packer games are interrupted by local political ads this fall?

Originally published on Fri July 13, 2012 11:10 am

Along with the highlights, the trade rumors and news of misbehaving athletes, viewers of ESPN's SportsCenter are about to get a bigger dose of politics.

The sports giant says it will sell commercial time to candidates in local markets now instead of just nationally. Executives are selling it as a good fit for politicians.

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The Two-Way
6:07 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Opposition Forces Say At Least 100 Killed By Assad Regime In Syria

Al Arabiya is calling it another "massacre." Quoting the opposition, they report that "scores of dead bodies were scattered in houses and in farms in al-Tremsa, while more than 150 dead bodies have been piled up in the al-Tremsa mosque."

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Middle East
5:44 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Report: Violence Against West Bank Palestinians Is Up

Credit Jaafar Ashtiyeh / AFP/Getty Images
Jewish settlers in the West Bank throw stones during clashes with Palestinians near the city of Nablus on May 19. A new report says violence by settlers directed at West Bank Palestinians is up sharply over the past three years.

Originally published on Sat July 14, 2012 8:47 am

Farming is the mainstay of the Palestinian communities around the West Bank village of Yanoun. Animals graze the land, and Palestinians make their living by harvesting citrus fruits and olives.

Last Saturday, Palestinians say, a group of Jewish settlers killed some of the sheep belonging to the Bani Jabr family. Palestinians say its part of a regular pattern of harassment in the area by settlers.

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Credit Gary Knight/VII / Gary Knight/VII

Shankar Vedantam is a science correspondent for NPR. The focus of his reporting is on human behavior and the social sciences, and how research in those fields can get listeners to think about the news in unusual and interesting ways.

Before joining NPR in 2011, Vedantam spent 10 years as a reporter at The Washington Post. From 2007 to 2009, he was also a columnist, and wrote the Department of Human Behavior column for the Post. Vedantam writes an occasional column for Slate called "Hidden Brain."

Throughout his career, Vedantam has been recognized with many journalism honors including awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors, the South Asian Journalists Association, the Asian American Journalists Association, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, and the American Public Health Association.

In 2009-2010, Vedantam served as a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. He participated in the 2005 Templeton-Cambridge Fellowship on Science and Religion, the 2003-2004 World Health Organization Journalism Fellowship, and the 2002-2003 Rosalynn Carter Mental Health Journalism Fellowship.

Vedantam is the author of the non-fiction book, The Hidden Brain: How our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars and Save Our Lives. The book, published in 2010, described how unconscious biases influence people.

Outside of journalism, Vedantam has written fiction and plays. His short story-collection, The Ghosts of Kashmir, was published in 2005. The previous year, the Brick Playhouse in Philadelphia produced his full-length, comedy play, Tom, Dick and Harriet.

Vedantam has served as a lecturer at many academic institutions including Harvard University and Columbia University. In 2010, he completed a two year-term as a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. Since 2006, he has served on the advisory board of the Templeton-Cambridge Fellowships in Science & Religion.

Shots - Health Blog
5:01 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

WHO Says Virus Caused Illnesses In Cambodia

Credit Khem Sovannara / AFP/Getty Images
Cambodian children and their parents sitting at Kantha Bopha Children's Hospital in Phnom Penh on July 5.

Where do things stand with the outbreak of illnesses in Cambodia that landed scores of children in the hospital and was implicated in the deaths of more than 50? Here's a roundup of the latest info.

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Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Business
4:58 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Lobster Glut, Low Prices Leave Boats High And Dry

Credit Robert F Bukaty / AP
A lobster on a boat off Mount Desert, Maine, is measured to see if it is a legal size. There has been a glut of lobster this season, driving down prices.

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 6:10 pm

This summer is shaping up to be a record season for lobster landings in Maine. That sounds like good news for a state where lobstering makes up a large part of the economy.

It may be welcome news for consumers and food retailers, but for the state's 5,000 lobstermen, it's a different story.

Hard To Make A Living

On Portland's waterfront, about five lobster boats are tied up at one of the piers. Half a dozen lobstermen stand around discussing the current problem of oversupply.

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Humans
4:58 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

'Stereotype Threat': Why Women Quit Science Jobs

Credit Ayodhya Ouditt / NPR

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 8:29 pm

Walk into any tech company or university math department, and you'll likely see a gender disparity: Fewer women than men seem to go into fields involving science, engineering, technology and mathematics.

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The Two-Way
4:45 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Sen. Reid On 'Made In China' U.S. Olympic Uniforms: 'Burn Them'

Credit AP
This product image released by Ralph Lauren shows U.S. Olympic athletes, from left, swimmer Ryan Lochte, decathlete Bryan Clay, rower Giuseppe Lanzone and soccer player Heather Mitts modeling the the official Team USA Opening Ceremony Parade Uniform.

Originally published on Thu July 12, 2012 6:21 pm

Yesterday, ABC News made a curious discovery about the U.S. Olympic uniforms designed by Ralph Lauren: The pride of America, as they put it, will be wearing red, white and blue attire made in China.

"Every item in the uniforms that the U.S. athletes will be wearing at the opening ceremony in London will carry an overseas label," ABC reported.

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