NPR News
German Left Courts the Working Class
A new political party in Germany has made saving the working class and the country's welfare system rallying points for attracting votes. Die Linke, or the Left Party, is drawing support from mainstream parties with a radical message.
Crowd Sourcing Turns Business On Its Head
What happens when a company lets customers design and vote on their own products? Some Web-based outfits are finding success by doing just that. And the new business model is really catching on.
In Struggling Cuba, Signs Of New Opportunities
In Cuba, one of President Raul Castro's most dramatic recent announcements was that he would allow private farmers access to up to 100 acres of idle government land. The plan is a shift toward private enterprise on the socialist island.
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In Medals Contest, U.S. And China Are Tops
Like two sprinters leaving the rest of the field behind, the United States and China are neck-and-neck in total medals at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. But China leads the U.S. in gold medals by a wide margin.
Soldiers' Deaths Shake Cape Cod Town
The deaths last week of two local service members from Cape Cod has stunned the small town of Mashpee. Within a day of each other, Army Pfc. Paul Conlon was killed in Afghanistan and Marine Corps Pfc. Daniel McGuire was killed in Iraq.
Sarkozy Visits Kabul After Attack On NATO Troops
The Taliban have stepped up attacks in Afghanistan. Earlier this week, French soldiers were attacked during a reconnaissance mission. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is in Kabul on Wednesday.
Candidates Diverge On Vets' Health Care, GI Bill
Barack Obama and John McCain used addresses to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars to spell out their differences on foreign policy. They also addressed the topics of health care and other benefits for veterans.
U.S., Poland Sign Missile Defense Deal
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is signing a deal Wednesday in Poland to build a U.S. missile defense base there. The agreement has already angered Russia.
Colleges Want Efforts To Curb Drinking Revisited
The presidents of more than 100 colleges and universities have signed a document urging lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age. The educators say the 21-year-old drinking age is widely flouted and has led to a culture of binge drinking on college campuses. Anti-drunken driving groups say colleges are looking for an easy out.
Georgians Show Defiance As Russians Remain
Russia shows little sign of ending its occupation of Georgia, but some Georgian citizens have found new ways to show their opposition. Former Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze says the more Moscow squeezes the current president, the more his authority will grow.
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Around Resorts, Boomlet Towns Thrive, Too
Around the country, more Americans are living where they want to, not where they have to. They're making new lives for themselves by the beach and in the mountains. Locals who have been forced out often buy houses nearby — and have their own effect on smaller towns.
Good, Better, Best: Finding Phelps' Place In History
Ever since Michael Phelps clinched his eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, analysts have debated the swimmer's place in the sports pantheon. But Frank Deford says it's impossible to compare Phelps to other sports greats, past or present.
Olympic Race Walkers Get A Last-Minute Upgrade
Race walking normally doesn't get much attention at the games, but a last-minute course upgrade — costing more than $800,000 — has put a new spring in the step of international competitors who feared injury on the original granite surface.
Bacteria Fingered As Killer In 1918 Flu Pandemic
Bacterial pneumonia attacked virus-weakened lungs and killed most of the 50 million victims of the 1918 flu pandemic. This finding may be good news should another flu pandemic strike, because doctors are now armed with effective treatments for bacterial infections.
Maine Lobstermen Suffer: Market Drops, Fuel Rises
Lobstermen have seen their catch drop by half while fuel prices have tripled in recent years. With prices and sales flat, the fishermen are struggling to adapt to the times.
Fort Hunt GIs Sent WWII POWs Care Packages
The secret packages were part of a highly classified effort to help American POWs escape from their German captors. Inside there were baseballs, pipes and cribbage boards that contained compasses, saws, escape maps and radio transmitters.
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Obama Fires Back At McCain
A day after John McCain spoke to the group, Barack Obama addressed the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando, Fla. He told McCain to stop questioning his patriotism and character, and he hit the Arizona senator on his support for Iraq and Pakistan.
Psychologists and Guantanamo
Over the weekend, the American Psychological Association debated a resolution that would restrict the role of psychologists in military interrogations at Guantanamo. Two psychologists weigh in.
U.S. Cost Of Living On The Rise
The cost of living is growing at a rate unseen since the early nineties, according to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor. And wages aren't keeping up. William Spriggs, professor of Economics at Howard University, explains why the gap between earning and spending power is increasing by so much, and so fast.
U.S. To Build Missiles On Polish Soil
The U.S. and Polish governments have decided to fast-track a missile defense program. The tensions between Georgia and Russia sped the talks that brought about the move. We examine reactions by Russian and European leaders.
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