National & World News from NPR

Pages

The Two-Way
11:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

VIDEO: Tears Flow As Mom Finds Son After Tornado

Credit The Oklahoman
When Trenda Purcell found her son Kamden, her joy — and tears — erupted.

We don't need to say much. Just watch this video from The Oklahoman of Trenda Purcell's reunion Monday with her 8-year-old son Kamden, who she found safe and sound after the tornado that swept through Moore, Okla.

Read more
Movie Interviews
11:51 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Soderbergh's Liberace, 'Behind The Candelabra'

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 1:48 pm

Director Steven Soderbergh had been looking for a way to frame a film about the extravagant entertainer Liberace for years when a friend recommended the book Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace.

The book — a memoir — is by Scott Thorson, who for five years was Liberace's lover, though that wasn't publicly disclosed at the time.

Read more
Code Switch
11:48 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Who Becomes The Face Of A Horrific Attack?

The spate of headlines that drew them to our attention has died down. Yet I still find myself thinking about the faces of a certain 19-year-old man and his elder brother, accused by police of bringing about a tragic end to what should have been a day of joy and celebration.

Read more
The Two-Way
11:47 am
Tue May 21, 2013

JPMorgan Shareholders Vote To Keep Dimon As Chairman, CEO

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon during testimony on Capitol Hill.

JPMorgan Chase shareholders voted on Tuesday to allow Jamie Dimon to continue being their chairman and CEO.

The AP reports:

"At the bank's annual meeting, 32 percent of shareholders voted for a measure that would have required the bank to split the roles. Had the measure succeeded, Dimon would have had to relinquish the role of chairman.

Read more
The Two-Way
11:08 am
Tue May 21, 2013

'Tornado Emergency:' A Rare, Dire Warning Born In Oklahoma

Credit Brett Deering / Getty Images
Piles of debris and cars lie around a home destroyed by a tornado in Moore, Oklahoma.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:28 am

If you were watching news coverage on Monday, before a monster EF-4 tornado barreled through Moore, Okla., you probably heard the term "tornado emergency."

The warning is used rarely by forecasters to flag the deadliest of situations.

Read more
The Two-Way
11:05 am
Tue May 21, 2013

'I Was Dismayed' To Learn What Agency Did, Ex-IRS Chief Says

Facing questions for the first time about why Internal Revenue Service personnel singled out some conservative groups for inappropriate scrutiny while he was head of the agency, former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress on Tuesday that "I was dismayed and I was saddened" to learn about what had happened under his watch.

Read more
Law
11:05 am
Tue May 21, 2013

The Difficulties Of Proving Racial Profiling

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 12:02 pm

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. We'd like to start today by mentioning that, as you would imagine, NPR is continuing to follow developments concerning that deadly tornado that struck Oklahoma yesterday. We hope you will stay tuned to your public radio station or check our website, npr.org, for the latest updates.

Read more
Parallels
10:58 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Socks Are Optional As Pakistan Grapples With Power Cuts

Credit Ilyas Sheikh / EPA/Landov
Protesters march against prolonged power outages in Faisalabad, Pakistan, last month. The country faces power outages of more than 18 hours a day in some parts of the country.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 12:11 pm

Pakistanis have coped with — even rioted — over the country's frequent power cuts. Now, the government is feeling the impact, too. The country's caretaker prime minister has banned air conditioners in government offices and instituted a dress code for civil servants. Among his recommendations: no socks.

Read more
Monkey See
10:47 am
Tue May 21, 2013

The Starfleet Divide: The 'Star Trek' Universe Revisits One Of Its Great Debates

Credit Zade Rosenthal / Paramount Pictures
Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:18 pm

[Caution: contains pretty abundant spoilers about the Star Trek universe, but only fairly nonspecific ones about the new film.]

Read more
The Two-Way
10:40 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Big Changes At U.S. Speedskating Body, But Scandals Linger

Credit Rick Bowmer / AP
Speedskaters practiced for the U.S. Single Distance Short Track Speedskating Championships in Kearns, Utah, last year.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:56 am

Rebellious athletes, drained budgets, dysfunctional management and a string of embarrassing scandals forced a major reorganization of U.S. Speedskating over the weekend.

The group governs a sport that has produced 85 Winter Olympic medals for the United States — more than any other sport. But persistent turmoil threatened continued success in the next Games, just nine months away in Sochi, Russia.

The changes leave USS with a smaller board and without numerous committees that have permitted parochial interests to meddle in the governance of the sport.

Read more
U.S.
10:13 am
Tue May 21, 2013

After Okla. Tornado, Obama Offers Prayers Backed With Deeds

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Obama offered words of comfort and federal resources to Moore, Okla., where a tornado hit Monday. At last count, 24 people were confirmed killed; the number was expected to rise.

The Two-Way
9:25 am
Tue May 21, 2013

After Tornado, A Dog Rescue Raises Spirits, And Gains Fans

Credit Brett Deering / Getty Images
Barbara Garcia, right, sits with friends after a tornado destroyed much of their neighborhood in Moore, Okla. During an interview with CBS, Garcia found her dog buried in the wreckage of her house.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 11:57 am

Before Monday's tornado hit, Barbara Garcia says, she had a gameplan. In the event of an emergency, the Moore, Okla., resident would gather up her little dog and retreat to a bathroom to wait out the storm. But after Monday's powerful twister blew through her neighborhood, Garcia tells CBS News, she couldn't find her dog.

Read more
Shots - Health News
9:18 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Less Sleep For Teens Means Higher Risk For Car Crashes

Credit iStockphoto.com
Sleep-deprived teenagers face the greatest risk of accidents while driving at night.

Parents who want to keep their teenagers safe while they're driving might want to tuck them in bed early the night before.

Drowsiness is a well-known risk for adult drivers, but teenage drivers are more impaired than adults when facing an equivalent lack of sleep, an Australian study finds.

Read more
The Two-Way
8:04 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Oklahoma Tornados: Finding Aid, Giving Aid

Credit Brett Deering / Getty Images
Aid groups are mobilizing relief efforts to help victims of the storm. Here, Candice Lopez, left, and Stephanie Davis help clean debris from Thelma Cox's mobile home near Shawnee, Okla., after it was destroyed Monday.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 9:40 am

Residents of Moore, Okla., are searching for survivors and coming to terms with a massive tornado that left dozens of people dead and injured more than 200 others Monday afternoon. As aid and recovery groups search for victims and try to reunite loved ones, they're also seeking donations and coordinating housing:

Read more
Around the Nation
6:49 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Rep. Cole Is From Moore, Where Deadly Twister Hit

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 10:13 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. More Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City suburb most devastated by yesterday's tornado is the hometown of the man we'll talk with next. Oklahoma Republican congressman Tom Cole is on the line. Congressman, I'm sorry for the occasion but welcome back to the program.

REPRESENTATIVE TOM COLE: Yeah, Steve, thank you very much.

INSKEEP: Is your family OK?

Read more

Pages