Books
2:34 am
Sat January 12, 2013

The Seedy Underbelly Of The Belle Epoque, 'Painted'

Originally published on Mon January 14, 2013 9:54 am

Just who is The Little Dancer, Aged 14? Who is the actual girl, cast 2/3 of her life size by Edgar Degas?

That little dancer was Marie van Goethem, one of three sisters left to fend for themselves after their father dies and their mother begins spending her washerwoman's income on absinthe.

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History
2:34 am
Sat January 12, 2013

World War II Exhibit Asks Visitors, 'What Would You Do?'

Originally published on Sat January 12, 2013 9:08 am

For many, the stakes and the scale of World War II are hard to fathom. It was a war fought around the world, against powerful, determined regimes in Europe and the Pacific; some 65 million people died. And as the number of people who have actual memories of the war dwindle — as of next year, there will be fewer than 1 million living veterans — the mission of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans becomes all the more urgent.

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Shots - Health News
2:34 am
Sat January 12, 2013

After Bringing Cholera To Haiti, U.N. Plans To Get Rid Of It

Originally published on Sat January 12, 2013 8:11 pm

Not quite 10 months after Haiti's devastating 2010 earthquake, a more insidious disaster struck: cholera.

Haiti hadn't seen cholera for at least a century. Then suddenly, the first cases appeared in the central highlands near a camp for United Nations peacekeeping forces.

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U.S.
2:33 am
Sat January 12, 2013

The 'Second Disaster': Making Good Intentions Useful

Credit Craig Ruttle / AP
Thousands of food and clothing items are organized by Occupy Sandy volunteers in a school gymnasium in Rockaway Park, Queens, after Superstorm Sandy in November.

Originally published on Sat January 12, 2013 10:36 am

Among the donations that poured into the American Red Cross building after the earthquake in Haiti three years ago was a box of Frisbees. In a flood of well-intentioned but unneeded donations, this box stuck out to Meghan O'Hara, who oversees in-kind donations for the organization.

O'Hara says someone clearly wanted to help — the person mailed the box from Germany — but all she could think was, "Wow. That $60 or $70 could have been sent to so many different organizations to help out in so many different ways, and now we have a box of Frisbees."

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Music Interviews
11:03 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

A Night Out With Sam Cooke: 'Harlem Square' Turns 50

Credit Courtesy of Legacy Recordings
Sam Cooke in the studio in the early 1960s.

Originally published on Sat January 12, 2013 9:08 am

All Tech Considered
7:46 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

Why Are Investors In Like With Facebook Again?

Credit Paul Sakuma / AP
Why Is Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Smiling? Maybe because someone might be willing to pay $100 to send him a message.

Originally published on Fri January 11, 2013 4:23 pm

If you're a casual observer of the stock market, the last time you tuned in to what was happening with Facebook's stock was probably last May.

In those days after the company's long-anticipated initial public offering, its price was diving daily — exactly the opposite of what many had expected given the hype leading up to Facebook's IPO.

The IPO itself was full of technical problems — many buyers weren't sure if their orders went through. And then there were questions about whether Facebook could figure out how to make money in its fastest-growing segment — mobile.

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Agriculture
6:21 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

Possible Hard Freeze Threatens Citrus Industry, Mandarins At Risk

Credit Joe Moore / Valley Public Radio
Citrus groves near Orange Cove will endure as many as 12 hours of below freezing temperatures tonight, according to weather forecasters. (file photo)

Update: Saturday, 8:45 AM: Unexpected cloud cover late Friday and early Saturday kept temperatures slightly higher than forecast, enough to prevent damage to most commercially grown fruit. Lows in most places were in the upper 20's. Forecasts call for more extreme cold over the weekend.  ORIGINAL REPORT:

Valley citrus growers are in for a long night tonight, as what is expected to be the coldest evening of the year threatens to damage the region's citrus crop, with the most popular new variety, the mandarin orange,  most at risk.

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Energy
3:11 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

Coal Loses Crown As King Of Power Generation

Originally published on Fri January 11, 2013 3:31 pm

Just a few years ago, Georgia Power generated nearly three-fourths of its electricity with coal. Last year, for the first time, natural gas edged out coal, and just this week the company announced plans to close 10 coal-fired power generators within the next few years.

"We do recognize this is a historic event for our company. We've never announced this many closings at one time," says Mark Williams, a company spokesperson.

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Superstorm Sandy: Before, During And Beyond
2:34 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

Superstorm Sandy Victims Resettle, Thanks To Small Town's Efforts

Originally published on Fri January 11, 2013 3:11 pm

Thousands of Superstorm Sandy victims are still displaced more than two months after the storm. So, some locals in Connecticut hatched a plan to relocate some of them to a brand-new neighborhood with homes of their own.

Deborah Rassi and her family from Staten Island, N.Y., have been in the small, rural town of New Milford, Conn., for three days.

She was happy to be unpacking at her brand-new mobile house, which came with bags of donated clothing.

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U.S.
2:34 pm
Fri January 11, 2013

Cigarette Makers Frustrated As Product Approvals Stall

Originally published on Fri January 11, 2013 4:28 pm

It's been only a few years since Congress granted the federal government the power to approve how tobacco products are made and sold in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration's new Center for Tobacco Products, established under a 2009 law that gives the agency jurisdiction over tobacco, must review all new cigarettes or smokeless tobacco, as well as any changes to existing brands.

But the agency has yet to clear any products under the new system, and some cigarette makers are frustrated by the backlog of applications.

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