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Around the Nation
7:29 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Columbia University Janitor Graduates With Honors

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 9:48 am

When Gac Filipaj fled war-torn Yugoslavia in 1992, he became a refugee in New York. He took a janitor's job at Columbia University because it included free tuition. But he first had to learn English. After a dozen years, he received a bachelor's degree in classics over the weekend.

The Two-Way
6:49 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Reports: JPMorgan's Losses Could Top $4 Billion; Three Execs To Resign

Credit Mark Lennihan / AP

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 9:17 am

Three high-ranking executives, including one of the most powerful women on Wall Street, are expected to resign from JPMorgan Chase this week because of their roles in the $2.3 billion loss the bank recently suffered when some risky trades blew up in its face.

The Wall Street Journal, which broke that news, also reports that JPMorgan's losses from the "giant trading blunder" keep growing. It cites "people familiar with the situation," as its sources.

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Religion
6:08 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Presbyterians Have Varied Views On Gay Marriage

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Twenty years ago, few Americans approved of homosexuality or thought gay marriage should be legal. Now, nearly half of all Americans support same-sex marriage, though most Christians are still opposed to it.

Middle East
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

An Update On Syrian Violence

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Over the weekend, Syrian troops continued their brutal campaign against those who oppose the regime of President Bashar Assad. And a questionable video has been released by a group claiming responsibility for massive explosions that shook Syria's capital last week.

Afghanistan
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Ambassador Crocker Focuses On Afghanistan's Future

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 7:56 am

Morning Edition's Renee Montagne continues her reporting from the Afghan capital Kabul on the future of Afghanistan. She sits down with the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ryan Crocker.

Education
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Budget Woes Could Close Philly's Problem Schools

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Philadelphia's school district plans to close a quarter of its school buildings in coming years to eliminate a huge budget hole. But parents and activists don't trust the decision-makers. Many of them suspect the plan is a ruse to force charter schools and privatization on the district.

Economy
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Unmanned Aircraft Tests Could Revive Ohio City's Economy

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The economy of Wilmington, Ohio was devastated three years ago when the shipping company DHL left town, taking thousands of jobs with it. City leaders now want to embrace a rapidly growing industry - unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs. In popular culture, they're somewhat inaccurately called drones. The Federal Aviation Administration recently gave the Air Force permission to test UAVs at the now largely vacant Wilmington Air Park. Here's Ann Thompson of member station WVXU.

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Business
4:51 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Business News

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 7:34 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

NPR's business news starts with a Mother's Day shakeup.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

INSKEEP: Yahoo says its CEO, Scott Thompson, is out, after a shareholder revealed an in accuracy on his resume. Mr. Thompson had claimed that he held two college degrees. In fact, he only had one. Thompson's resignation is a victory for an activist hedge fund that has been pressing for a shakeup in how Yahoo is run.

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Business
4:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Facebook's IPO Could Make Its CEO Worth $18B

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 7:37 am

Facebook is expected to start selling stock to the public this week. The social networking giant is expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Friday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg will remain the company's biggest shareholder. Steven Levy, of Wired magazine, talks to Morning Edition's David Greene about what that means for the company and potential shareholders.

Business
4:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 7:46 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

You know, one of the benefits of starting your own company is that you can pretty much wear whatever you want - up to a point. Our last word in business today is: dress for success.

Just as Steve Jobs was known for his mock-turtleneck, Mark Zuckerberg has become known for his hoodie. Business blogs breathlessly chronicle Zuckerberg's dress decisions and note the fact that he sports the collegiate just-rolled-out-of-bed look, even at important business meetings.

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Analysis
4:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Polticis In The News

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 7:10 am

The head of JPMorgan Chase says the trading strategy that cost it $2 billion in a matter of weeks won't really affect the bank's bottom line. But the trade happened during a presidential campaign where the economy and Wall Street are major themes.

Business
4:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

South Dakota Tries To Avoid Oil Boom's Downside

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:47 am

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Some other news. The oil boom in western North Dakota has sparked one of the largest migrations to a single area in the United States since the Great Depression. Communities that once struggled to keep people at all, are now struggling to absorb all the newcomers as workers from across the country arrive to seek their fortunes in oil.

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Sports
4:47 am
Mon May 14, 2012

NHL Action Moves On To Conference Finals

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

The conference finals are underway in the National Hockey League playoffs. In the East, the New York Rangers will face the New Jersey Devils Monday. In the West, the Los Angeles Kings have won Game 1 — beating the Phoenix Coyotes 4-2.

Election 2012
3:53 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Republicans Zero In On Nebraska's U.S. Senate Seat

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 9:24 am

Republicans hope to wrest control of the U.S. Senate in November from the majority Democrats, who have twice as many seats to defend this year. One state where the GOP has high hopes is Nebraska, where two-term incumbent Ben Nelson, a Democrat, is retiring. Voters from both parties will select their nominees Tuesday, and the Republican winner is likely to face a familiar face: former Democratic Sen. Bob Kerrey.

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The Picture Show
3:29 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Dear Photograph: New-Age Nostalgia

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:47 am

You may have heard of Dear Photograph, a website that invites readers to submit photos of photos — images from the past, set in the present. Over the past year, the website received thousands of submissions. In fact, enough for a book, also called Dear Photograph, which was released earlier this month.

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Fine Art
3:28 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Even Under Threat, Syrian Artists Paint In Protest

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

In Syria, anyone who speaks out against the regime of President Bashar Assad risks harassment, detention and sometimes worse. One famous cartoonist who'd lampooned Assad was pulled out of his car last summer by pro-regime thugs and had his hands broken.

Public figures like singers and actors are under much pressure to keep silent. Even a small and critically acclaimed group of Syrian painters is not immune — but that might be attracting buyers outside Syria to their work.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:27 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Doctors' Due Diligence: Measuring Kids' Blood Pressure

Credit Sean Locke / iStockphoto.com
Doctors often overlook taking a child's blood pressure during routine visits.

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 8:37 am

There have been hints that the obesity epidemic's rise has slowed a bit among certain populations, but for the most part, it continues to dominate American health. One third of children and teenagers are now overweight or obese. And researchers forecast as many as half of our nation's population could be obese — not overweight but obese — by 2030.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:26 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Alzheimer's Patients Turn To Stories Instead Of Memories

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

Ask family members of someone with Alzheimer's or another dementia: Trying to talk with a loved one who doesn't even remember exactly who they are can be very frustrating.

But here at a senior center in Seattle, things are different.

On one recent day, 15 elderly people were forming a circle. The room is typical — linoleum floors, cellophane flowers on the windows, canes and wheelchairs, and walkers lined up against the wall.

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Election 2012
3:18 am
Mon May 14, 2012

In Florida, Registering Voters A Whole New Game

Credit Greg Allen / NPR
Melli Romero (right), a canvasser with the National Council of La Raza, works outside La Mia Supermarket in Miami on May 9.

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 8:05 am

Six months before the presidential election, the Florida ground game is already under way.

In political terms, the ground game is the process of mobilizing voters and getting them to the polls. And the first step is registering people to vote.

But in Florida this year, there are tough new restrictions on groups that conduct voter registration drives. The restrictions already appear to be having an impact on the number of people who are registering to vote.

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Around the Nation
3:17 am
Mon May 14, 2012

Santa Cruz Surfers Make Coastline A Reserve

Credit Stephen Dunn / Getty Images
A surfer rides a wave at Steamer Lane, with the Santa Cruz Wharf in the background. A long swath of Santa Cruz's coast has been designated a World Surfing Reserve.

Originally published on Mon May 14, 2012 6:44 am

You may think of surfers as slackers. But in Santa Cruz, Calif., they're city council members and business owners. And they're also conservationists — who just got their piece of the central California coast named a World Surfing Reserve.

Long before surf music topped the charts and long before surfers had crazy nicknames, surfers have been riding the waves in Santa Cruz.

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