All Things Considered

Dirty Spuds? Alleged Potato Cartel Accused Of Price Fixing

Maria Godoy — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 22:40:00 +0000

High-tech spying with satellites. Intimidation. Price fixing.

Sound like the makings of a Hollywood thriller? These are actually among the allegations being thrown about in a federal court case against America's alleged "Potato Cartel." It's enough to make Mr. Potato Head blush.

A civil lawsuit that last week shifted into U.S. district court in Idaho — America's potato country — alleges that the United Potato Growers of America has become a veritable OPEC of spuds.

The Human Voice May Not Spark Pleasure In Children With Autism

Jon Hamilton — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:32:00 +0000

The human voice appears to trigger pleasure circuits in the brains of typical kids, but not children with autism, a Stanford University team reports. The finding could explain why many children with autism seem indifferent to spoken words.

The Stanford team used functional MRI to compare the brains of 20 children who had autism spectrum disorders and 19 typical kids.

Teens Find The Right Tools For Their Social-Media Jobs

Trey Graham — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Once upon a time, it was MySpace. (Huh. Turns out you can still link to it.) Then Facebook happened. And Twitter. And beyond those two dominant social-media platforms, there are a host of other, newer options for staying in touch and letting the digital universe get a look at your life.

How Do You Teach The Civil Rights Movement?

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 21:12:00 +0000

Note: As part of NPR's series on the summer of 1963, reporter Cory Turner headed to Jackson, Miss. to take a look at how folks are teaching the Civil Rights movement to kids who weren't a part of it — and making the lessons stick.

Much has changed in the past 50 years, since the height of the Civil Rights movement. But how do you teach the Civil Rights to kids who haven't ever experienced it? In Jackson, Miss., Fannie Lou Hamer Institute's Summer Youth Workshop tackles that question.

Take 13-year-old Jermany Gray, for instance.

Calif. Wonders About Energy Future After Nuclear Plant Closes

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:36:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

In Southern California, the power grid is always a hot topic. It's a part of the country that is all too familiar with the rolling blackouts. And now there is more reason for concern about the region's capacity to generate electricity. The San Onofre nuclear power plant is shutting down for good, thanks to worn-out parts. It's been off-line for more than a year after a pipe was found leaking radioactive steam.

NSA Leaker Snowden Defends Actions In Live Web Chat

editor — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

The man who leaked secret National Security Agency documents, Edward Snowden, defended his decision to reveal details of U.S. surveillance programs in a web chat on Monday. Snowden said he's still in Hong Kong and claims he wouldn't get a fair trial in the U.S. He also said he has not been in contact with the Chinese government and that there are more disclosures to come.

Italian University Spreads The 'Gelato Gospel'

Sylvia Poggioli — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Italy has secured its place in the global diet with the likes of espresso, cappuccino, pasta and pizza.

The latest addition to the culinary lexicon is ... gelato, the Italian version of ice cream.

And despite tough economic times, gelato-making is a booming business.

At Anzola dell'Emilia, a short drive from the Italian city of Bologna, people from all over the world are lining up for courses in gelato-making.

This is the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world's biggest gelato machine.

Privacy Past And Present: A Saga Of American Ambivalence

NPR Staff — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 21:56:00 +0000

America's privacy concerns go back to the origins of the country itself.

A Posthumous Tribute To Guns From A Sniper Shot To Death

editor — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:27:00 +0000

A killing on a Texas gun range in February captured the headlines. The victim was Chris Kyle, considered by many to be the most deadly sniper in American military history.

The man who admitted to killing him was a veteran as well — a young, disturbed man who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Kyle, an outspoken advocate for both veterans and gun rights, wrote American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S.

'Glee' Guy Matthew Morrison On His First Love: Broadway

editor — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 19:58:00 +0000
Long before became known as Will Schuester — the lovable Spanish teacher and show choir director on TV's Glee — Matthew Morrison was dancing and singing, garnering Tony nods for his work on the Broadway stage.
Through it all, there was one song he always kept at the ready: "On the Street Where You Live" from My Fair Lady.
"It is actually the song I sang for every single audition I've ever had in my life, including Glee; that is like my go-to audition song," Morrison says.