NPR: Story of the Day
Funny, moving, exceptional, or just offbeat -- the NPR story people will be talking about tomorrow. The best of Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other award-winning NPR programs.
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U.S. Navy Sailors Say They Were Hazed, Abused
Six sailors from a canine unit in the U.S. Navy interviewed by Youth Radio told stories of hazing and abuse a few years ago. The Navy investigated the abuse and found evidence to support accusations of physical assault on sailors and prostitutes on base, but no courts-martial resulted.
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French Police Clear Calais Refugee Camp
French police cleared Tuesday a squalid refugee camp known as "the jungle," which for 10 years has been a festering immigration sore between Britain and France. Iraqi, Afghan and Sudanese migrants, who are desperate to reach Britain and try to hide in trucks and cross the English Channel, are now hi …
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U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing Grows More Dangerous
Over the past decade, easier places to cross into the U.S. have been closed, so people are being pushed into isolated areas. Now, even though the number of illegal crossings has dropped substantially, the number of deaths remains a constant 200 a year.
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Jay-Z: A Master Of Occult Wisdom?
Well, not exactly. But Mitch Horowitz, author of American Occult, says that the rap star is also a shrewd observer of certain secret societies. He analyzes occult imagery in the video for Jay-Z's new single, "Run This Town."
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Even T. Rex Started Small
An ancestor of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex shares its big head, deep jaws, tiny arms, long legs and lanky feet — but it's 1/90th the size. Even pint-sized, it was a predatory powerhouse.
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Mayor's Dilemma: Can Houston Grow And Be Green?
As a city in motion, Houston constantly evolves. And it uses enormous amounts of energy. Mayor Bill White has made it his goal to help Houston evolve again — into a more energy-efficient city. But his obstacles include a cultural shift.
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'Eyetooth' Helps Restore Woman's Sight
By putting a lens in a portion of a blind woman's tooth — then placing the tooth in her eye — a Florida eye surgeon has given a 60-year-old patient with a scarred cornea a new chance to see.
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Secret Of The Masons: It's Not So Secret
Best-selling author Dan Brown's latest novel, The Lost Symbol, draws on the lore and mystique of the Freemasons. Once the object of fear and suspicion, the group is now a social organization with spiritual leanings.
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Marine's Family Awaits Word From The War Zone
Lance Cpl. Josh Apsey is serving in southern Afghanistan with the Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 8th Regiment — known as "America's Battalion." Back home, his parents wait for any word from him. They must rely on old-fashioned letters and the occasional phone call to stay in touch.
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Consensus On Fixing Financial System Erodes
When the financial crisis erupted last September, politicians, regulators and scholars from the left and right said it was so severe that something drastic needed to be done to prevent another meltdown. But now as a depression has been averted, consensus is slipping away into the muck of politics.
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Marine 'Trust Game' Has Deadly Consequences
Last week at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Marine Cpl. Mathew Nelson was sentenced to eight years for killing a fellow Marine in what's known as a "trust game." But it's not the first military fatality from this dangerous diversion.
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Beware The Attack Bird: Vineyards Turn To Falcons
It's harvest time for California's winemakers, and no one knows that better than starlings. The grape-loving birds can eat their way through a vineyard pretty quickly. Over the years, winegrowers have tried a number of methods to scare the birds away — and some are now turning to an ancient ar …
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Post-Sept. 11, Colleges Take On Law Enforcement Role
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, U.S. colleges have assumed new responsibilities for reporting information about foreign students. Some school officials feel a tension between a university's mission of openness and Homeland Security's mission of keeping out problematic people.
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Furloughs May Not Save As Much As States Hope
Nineteen states have imposed or are considering unpaid time off for government workers as a cost-saving measure. But with the drop in income, workers are spending less, which harms the local economy and costs the state in lost taxes.
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Geithner Still Pushing For Major Financial Reforms
The economy might finally be turning around, but the Treasury secretary says it would be a "terrible mistake" to let the financial system go back to where it was at the peak of the boom.
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Rethinking 'Retarded': Should It Leave The Lexicon?
People are starting to think twice about using the word "retarded" as a casual put-down. The word is no longer used in medical and social service circles, and activists are campaigning against television shows and movies that use the so-called r-word offensively.
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KitchenAid Mixers Still Proudly American
While the economy continues to shed jobs, one iconic American appliance is still being manufactured in Greenville, Ohio: the KitchenAid stand mixer. The factory employs about 700 people who run three shifts to create the tool of the trade of cooking. At $200 and up, it's an investment in both money …
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Recession Diary: From Mom's Home To Their Own
Back in May, recession-related money troubles led Caitlin Shetterly and her husband, Dan Davis, to leave Los Angeles with their 3-month-old baby, drive across the country and move in with Shetterly's mother in Maine. As they adjust to their new situation, the couple finds that opportunities are begi …
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A Magnet No More: Florida's Population Shrinks
After beckoning retirees, sun worshippers and developers alike for the past century, Florida saw its population shrink last year for the first time in decades. That has come as a shock in a state that has long relied on growth to power its economy.
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California Edges Ahead In High-Speed-Train 'Race'
California's ambitious 800-mile high-speed-rail network is 13 years in the works, making it a leading contender in the race to win federal funding. But some critics question the need for the project, which could cost close to $45 billion.
NPR: Story of the Day
