Presidential Race
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Breaking Tax Code: Obama Jumps On Romney's Policy

A new study by some prominent tax analysts looks at how much Mitt Romney would have to reorder the tax code in order to make the tax cuts he proposes. As NPR's Ari Shapiro reports, that became a rallying cry for President Obama during a pair of campaign stops in Ohio Wednesday.

Politics
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Back To The Debt Debacle: A Look At What's Changed

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 11:53 am

It was just a year ago that the House rejected a deal with President Obama and threatened to allow the U.S. to default on debt obligations coming due. The Tea Party refusal to raise the debt ceiling led to a downgrade in U.S. credit and a selloff in the markets. NPR's David Welna reports on what's changed since then and what hasn't.

Middle East
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Syrian Rebels Gain Ground, And Criticsm

Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 10:22 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep, good morning.

Fighters for the Free Syrian Army are getting their hands on heavier weapons than normal. They used a captured tank to open fire on a government airbase. That happened outside the country's largest city, Aleppo, where despite a clear advantage in numbers and weapons, the government has not been able to take the city back after five days of intense fighting.

Read more
Business
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

After Revolution, Cinnabon Sweetens Libyan Capital

In Libya, now that the revolution is over, you can have a Cinnabon. That cinnamon smell that flavors the air in food courts and airports around this country is now wafting through downtown Tripoli, Libya's capital.

Destination Art
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Marfa, Texas: An Unlikely Art Oasis In A Desert Town

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 6:36 pm

This tiny town perched on the high plains of the Chihuahua desert is nothing less than an arts world station of the cross, like Art Basel in Miami, or Documenta in Germany. It's a blue-chip arts destination for the sort of glamorous scenesters who visit Amsterdam for the Rijksmuseum and the drugs.

"They speak about Marfa with the same kind of reverent tones generally reserved for the pilgrimage of the Virgin of Lourdes," notes Carolina Miranda, a writer who covers the art world.

Read more
Strange News
5:32 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Will You Marry Me? Wait, Where Are You?

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Read more
The Two-Way
6:31 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

From Our Readers: Kindness, A Tipping Point

Yesterday we posted about Seth Collins' last wish for his family to make a difference in the life of a waiter or waitress by leaving a $500 tip — an act of kindness that his family has thus far carried out, and documented, three times.

When it comes to generous tips, our readers have been on both the giving and receiving end.

Read more
It's All Politics
6:15 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

Romney Adviser Defends Candidate's Statements About Palestinian Culture

Credit Jason Reed / Reuters /Landov
Dan Senor, senior national security aide to Mitt Romney, speaks to the press en route to Israel from London on Saturday.

Originally published on Sun August 5, 2012 2:05 pm

A top foreign policy adviser to Mitt Romney on Wednesday defended statements the Republican presidential candidate made in Israel about the cultural differences between Israelis and Palestinians.

Read more
Music Reviews
6:13 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

The Very Best: A Summer Escape With A Message

Originally published on Fri August 3, 2012 10:45 am

The high-tech pop intro to The Very Best's song "Kondaine" suggests a carefree summer party. There's Afropop uplift to the sound and Top 40 melodiousness to the vocal.

Read more
Shots - Health Blog
6:01 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

Bites From Rabid Vampire Bats May Not Be A Death Sentence

Credit Sergio Recuenco
In the village of Truenococha, Peru, some people may be naturally protected against rabies infections

Rabies is arguably one of the deadliest infectious diseases in the world. When left untreated, it's almost always fatal, and it's not a pleasant way to go.

But now a study from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention challenges rabies' reputation as a killer — at least for some who get rabies from vampire bats.

Read more

Pages