KCUR

A Literary Tale of Chechnya, The Horror and Whimsy

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

In his debut novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra transports readers to Chechnya, a war-torn Russian republic that has long sought independence.

The lyrical and heart-breaking novel begins in 2004 when a doctor watches as Russian soldiers abduct his neighbor, who has been accused of aiding Chechen rebels.

A Lost And Found 'Wonder': Pearl S. Buck's Final Novel

NPR Staff — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

Pearl S. Buck emerged into literary stardom in 1931 when she published a book called The Good Earth. That story of family life in a Chinese village won the novelist international acclaim, the Pulitzer and, eventually, a Nobel Prize.

For Black Americans, Finding Work An Uphill Battle

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:39:00 +0000

In the classic American story, opportunity is always in front of you. You finish school, find a job, buy a home and start a family; it's a rosy dreamscape.

But that world is one-dimensional. Income inequality is just about as American as baseball and apple pie. And though the economy has improved in the past few years, the unemployment rate for black Americans, now 13.2 percent, is about double that for white Americans.

Persistent unemployment and difficulty getting a job cumulatively impact the so-called wealth gap.

Flooding Brings San Antonio To Standstill, Kills One

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:55:00 +0000

A massive storm system has dumped more than 10 inches of rain over San Antonio, leaving the Texas city flooded and at a standstill.

Texas Public Radio's Ryan Loyd reports the area is still under a flash flood emergency. Ryan filed this report for our Newscast unit:

"Some people didn't have time to make it to safety in rain-drenched San Antonio. A woman died when raging flood waters swept her away in her car. So much rain fell that it floated a city bus.

Is the Espionage Act Outdated?

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:47:00 +0000

Weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden speaks with Benjamin Wittes of the Brookings Institution about the Espionage Act. This Word War I-era legislation has been used more frequently in recent times to prosecute government employees who leak information to the press, but the limits set by the act are poorly defined for our modern age.

Week In News: Obama's Foreign Policy Pitch

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:47:00 +0000

This past week, President Obama laid out the foreign policy objectives for the remainder of his time in office, a speech that included his wish to end not just the war in Afghanistan but the "war on terror." Weekends on All Things Considered host Jacki Lyden speaks with James Fallows, national correspondent with The Atlantic.

'We'll Keep Running': Thousands Complete Final Mile Of Boston Marathon

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:11:00 +0000

It was cold and rainy today in Boston. Still, thousands of runners laced up their shoes and headed to Kenmore Square.

That's the site of the final mile marker for the Boston Marathon. On April 15, when two bombs exploded near the finish line, thousands of runners could not finish the most illustrious road race in the world.

Today, thousands tried to remedy that with a one-mile run that covered the final stretch of the Boston Marathon. J.

Stunned By Military Sex Scandals, Advocates Demand Changes

Liz Halloran — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:50:00 +0000

West Point alum Donna McAleer was at her Utah home last week when she got a call asking if she'd "seen the latest."

A male Army sergeant, a friend told her, had just been charged with secretly photographing and videotaping at least a dozen female cadets at McAleer's alma mater.

Many of the women were naked; some images were taken in a bathroom at the U.S. Military Academy in New York.

Obama Forgets To Salute; Sparks Debate On Presidential Tradition

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:33:00 +0000

As President Obama boarded Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, he didn't return the salute of the Marine standing at the base of the stairs.

Obama realized it once he got into the helicopter, so he turned around and shook the Marine's hand.

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:40:00 +0000

Banana-flavored vapors? A pineapple island?

These may sound like the makings of a Roald Dahl children's book (he of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame).

Sole Survivor: Iraq Rescue Mission Ended In Tragedy

NPR Staff — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:31:00 +0000

Lance Cpl. Travis Williams, 29, is an Iraq War veteran — and the only post-9/11 Marine to lose every other member of his 12-man squad. It happened in August 2005, when Williams and his teammates were sent on a rescue mission in Barwanah, Iraq.

"That morning, we loaded into the vehicle," Williams recalls. "And I get tapped on the shoulder, and I got told that I need to bounce up to the next vehicle. I said, 'Catch you guys on the flipside.' And that was the last thing I ever said to them."

"Next thing I know, I just hear the loudest explosion.

Missouri Train Collision Injures 7, Collapses Overpass

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:04:00 +0000

Two freight trains collided in Scott County, Mo., early Saturday morning, leaving seven injured and collapsing an overpass.

KMOV-TV reports:

"Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter says a Union Pacific train t-boned a Burlington Northern train that had just made it through an intersection.
"The collision caused one of the trains to derail and hit a pillar under the overpass causing it to collapse.

One Hit Wonder? Another Anibal Sanchez No-Hit Bid Spoiled

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 25 May 2013 14:03:00 +0000

You've gotta feel for Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez.

He was cruising toward a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins Friday night. It was the ninth inning, two outs to go, the count was 1-1 on Joe Mauer.

For his 121st pitch, Sanchez hung a pitch over the heart of the plate. Mauer delivered a bullet to center field, spoiling Sanchez's no-hit bid.

As the baseball gods are wont to do, it set up a trifecta of statistical curiosities.

'We Need Help Bad': 911 Calls Reveal Chaos In Tornado's Wake

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:13:00 +0000

Authorities in Moore, Okla., just released some of the calls that were made to 911 during the EF-5 tornado that devastated the city.

They're harrowing and they offer a glimmer of the chaos and emotion that followed the storm.

During one of the calls, a man tells the dispatcher that the tornado has "cremated" a daycare.

"We need help bad," the man says. You can hear the sounds of children crying in the background. "We need help bad. We got tons of babies in here."

Another woman calls just as the tornado is approaching her. She asks where the tornado is.

Fresh Air Weekend: Soderbergh, Sarah Vaughan, Julianne Moore

editor — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:03:00 +0000

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week: