NPR's Morning Edition

Parisians Encouraged To Be Kinder To Tourists

editor — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:35:00 +0000

A new campaign will distribute 30,000 pamphlets called "do you speak touriste?" It includes among other things, greetings in eight languages and cultural clues.

Baby Saved By Daughter Of Baseball Great Joe Torre

editor — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 10:25:00 +0000

A one-year-old boy fell out of a window in New York. He was dangling from an awning then he dropped. Waiting below with open arms was Cristina Torre. Her dad, a former catcher, told the New York Post his daughter always had quick hands.

Fed Warns Stimulus Package Will Be Ratcheted Down

John Ydstie — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Investors have been nervous about the Federal Reserve's intentions after hints that it might reduce its massive bond buying program. Amid volatile markets, traders and investors complained they wanted more clarity. Chairman Ben Bernanke obliged on Wednesday after a regular two-day meeting of Fed policymakers.

Founder Of Men's Wearhouse Fired By Company's Board

David Schaper — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:34:00 +0000

George Zimmer was the founder and executive chairman of the clothing retailer. For three decades, Zimmer starred in the company's commercials. His catch saying: "You're going to like the way you look. I guarantee it."

Actor James Gandolfini Dies Suddenly While On Vacation

Karen Grigsby Bates — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:34:00 +0000

The 51-year-old actor died on Wednesday in Rome. Reports attribute his death to a heart attack. Gandolfini had been a character actor for years before he was given a chance to read for Tony Soprano in a new series about a New Jersey mob boss HBO was producing in the late 90s.

Director Mueller Told Senate Panel FBI Uses Drones

Carrie Johnson — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 08:34:00 +0000

Robert Mueller told a Senate panel on Wednesday that the FBI used drones rarely and for surveillance proposes. The DEA and the ATF had both revealed they possessed drones.

A Surprising Barrier To Clean Water: Human Nature

David Kestenbaum — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:03:00 +0000

In many parts of the developing world, drinking a glass of water can be deadly — especially for young children, who can die of diarrheal diseases contracted from dirty water.

So getting clean water to people in the developing world has been a top priority for aid groups for a long time. But it's been a surprisingly hard problem to solve.

For a while, aid workers largely treated clean water as an engineering problem: If there's no clean water in a village, dig a well.

If Supplies Of Oil Are Up, Why Is Gas Still Pricey?

Marilyn Geewax — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:02:00 +0000

Supplies of oil have been surging this year, and U.S.

How Ted Cruz's Father Shaped His Views On Immigration

David Welna — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:01:00 +0000

As the Senate debates a massive overhaul of the nation's immigration laws, one of its newest members has emerged as a leading opponent of the bill's most controversial feature: a path to citizenship for millions living in the country unlawfully.

The views of that freshman senator — Texas Republican Ted Cruz — have been significantly colored by the saga of his own father, an immigrant from Cuba.

"In my opinion, if we allow those who are here illegally to be put on a path to citizenship, that is incredibly unfair to those who follow the rules," Cruz has said.

And the example he frequently

What Makes Rituals Special? Join Us For A Google+ Conversation

Shankar Vedantam — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Visit this page at 12 noon EDT Thursday to join my live Google+ conversation with Harvard behavioral scientist Francesca Gino and Slate's Human Nature correspondent William Saletan about the role of ritual in human life.

All over the world, people employ rituals. For millions, it's as simple as making a cup of coffee the same way, every day. Books and movies are filled with characters who employ lucky charms and superstitions.

Translated Into Navajo, Star Wars Will Be

Christine Trudeau — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 07:00:00 +0000

When Dave Nezzie met his future wife, Amanda, they quickly fell in love over a galaxy far, far away.

"I think that was one of the first things that bonded Dave and I together, was our love for Star Wars," says Amanda Nezzie. "Our children have also caught the Star Wars bug."

The family lives in Albuquerque, N.M., and one of the biggest struggles they've had living off the reservation is teaching Dave's native Navajo language to their kids.

"Rosetta Stone has something, there's an app on the iPad, and having alternatives is what we need," says Dave.

Just Washed Your Car? Try Speeding To Dry It

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:09:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. A Canadian man was a bit wilder than his country's reputation. Police say he was driving 112 miles per hour on a highway south of Black Diamond, Alberta. When they got a look at the man, they found he was 67 - possibly old enough to know better. But by the time the suspect got to court, he had his story straight.

The man explained that he had just washed his car; he was simply speeding in order to dry it off. Of course. He was fined anyway. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Banner Misspells College World Series

editor — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:04:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Good morning, I'm David Greene with news from the College World Series. No, I didn't get stuck there. It's just this huge banner over the third-base dugout spelled the name of the tournament incorrectly. College had three Ls. Organizers of the tournament were embarrassed, especially because they had to hold off on fixing the problem until there was a break in play. Some had an idea about what that extra L stood for, because both teams who used that third-base dugout lost.

You're listening to MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

U.S. To Test The Waters With Iran's New President Rohani

Michele Kelemen — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:12:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

When Barack Obama became president and offered his hand to Iran, that country's elites reacted skeptically. Many said he was a new face, but still represented Iran's great enemy. Now, Iran will have a new face, winner of last week's presidential election, Hassan Rohani. He says he wants better relations with the outside world, so it's America's turn to wonder just how much Rohani could really change in Iran's confrontation with the U.S.

Secret Surveillance Credited With Preventing Terror Acts

Ailsa Chang — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:12:00 +0000

The National Security Agency director made the rounds again on Capitol Hill to defend two surveillance programs leaked to the press. Gen. Keith Alexander appeared before the House Intelligence Committee Tuesday, along with other members of the intelligence community and FBI. The government says its Internet monitoring program and the collection of phone logs have stopped more than 50 terrorist attacks.