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Fresh Air Weekend
7:04 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Fresh Air Weekend: Oliver Sacks And 'Oddly Normal'

Credit Elena Seibert / Knopf
Oliver Sacks is a physician, author and professor of neurology at NYU School of Medicine. He also frequently contributes to The New Yorker. His new book is called Hallucinations.

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 10:17 am

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

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Krulwich Wonders...
6:34 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Finnish Underwater Ice Fishing Mystery Finally Solved

NPR Story
5:28 am
Sat November 10, 2012

What A Life: The Day I Met Elliott Carter

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 9:29 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Elliott Carter died this week, a month shy of his 104th birthday. He had a huge influence on modern classical music. So in 2008, when Elliott Carter was celebrating his centennial, NPR's Tom Cole went to New York City to interview him. And he has this remembrance of what it was like to meet the storied composer.

TOM COLE, BYLINE: I was terrified. I mean, this was a man who had lived history. A composer who'd won two Pulitzer Prizes for his 2nd and 3rd String Quartets.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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NPR Story
5:28 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Political Sparring Ahead Of Fiscal Cliff

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 9:29 am

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

And we're joined now by New York Times columnist Joe Nocera, who often joins us to talk about business and the economy. Joe, thanks for being with us.

JOE NOCERA: Thanks for having me, Scott.

SIMON: Did you hear anything from President Obama or Speaker Boehner that screams deal to you?

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NPR Story
5:28 am
Sat November 10, 2012

A Stunning Fall For CIA's Celebrated Petraeus

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 9:29 am

Transcript

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

This is WEEKEND EDITION from NPR News. I'm Scott Simon.

David Petraeus has resigned as director of the Central Intelligence Agency, citing an extramarital affair and saying that he showed, quote, "extremely poor judgment." It was a stunning fall for one of the most celebrated generals in recent U.S. history. NPR's Tom Bowman is here to talk about it. Tom, thanks so much for being with us.

TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: You're welcome, Scott.

SIMON: What do we know now about what happened?

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Election 2012
3:45 am
Sat November 10, 2012

What An All-Female Delegation Says About N.H.

Credit Jim Cole / AP
Maggie Hassan was elected governor of New Hampshire on Tuesday, as the state also voted in the first all-female congressional delegation.

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 11:43 am

The 2012 elections will be remembered for the pivotal role female voters played in re-electing President Obama. But in New Hampshire, it will be remembered as the year women swept all major races.

Democratic Congresswomen-elect Ann McLane Kuster and Carol Shea-Porter will join Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte in the nation's first all-female congressional delegation.

But another Granite State woman who won big Tuesday, Gov.-elect Maggie Hassan, is quick to stress that putting women in top offices is nothing new here.

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It's All Politics
3:43 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Why Election Day Was Sort Of Like Mother's Day

I'd like to thank Carol Shea-Porter, Ann McLane Kuster, Jeanne Shaheen, Kelly Ayotte, Maggie Hassan and ... Jocelyn Chertoff.

On Tuesday, Democrats Shea-Porter and McLane Kuster won congressional seats from New Hampshire. They'll join Democratic Sen. Shaheen and Republican Sen. Ayotte in the nation's capital in January when the 113th Congress convenes — giving New Hampshire the first-in-the-nation all-female congressional delegation.

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Asia
3:26 am
Sat November 10, 2012

A Grim Chronicle Of China's Great Famine

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 9:29 am

First of two parts

It's not often that a book comes out that rewrites a country's history. But that's the case with Tombstone, which was written by a retired Chinese reporter who spent 10 years secretly collecting official evidence about the country's devastating great famine. The famine, which began in the late 1950s, resulted in the deaths of millions of Chinese.

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Politics
3:26 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Taxing Work Ahead: Have Negotiating Tables Turned?

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 11:38 am

Republicans and Democrats agree: Election season may have ended just four days ago, but it's already time to get back to work. In this case, "back to work" might mean "back to fighting."

Leaders in both parties made their opening bids Friday on how to deal with the tax, spending and debt problems that face the country at the end of this year.

While the scenario echoes last year's spending battle, there are some differences that could push the parties toward the resolution they never reached last time around.

Where The President Stands

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StoryCorps
3:25 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Amidst War, U.S. Soldier Forges Unexpected Bond

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 1:11 pm

The Military Voices Initiative, a StoryCorps' project, collects stories from members of the U.S. armed forces, with a special focus on those who served in post-Sept. 11, 2001, conflicts. Every month, highlights from that initiative air on Weekend Edition Saturday.

Spc. Justin Cliburn, 30, was deployed to Iraq in 2005 with the Oklahoma Army National Guard. His job was to train the Iraqi police in Baghdad. During his time there, he got to know a boy in his early teens named Ali, who walked through their compound one day.

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Europe
3:24 am
Sat November 10, 2012

Retro London Cabs On The Road Toward Extinction

Credit Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
The company that makes London's iconic taxis has had financial difficulties, leaving cabbies in a lurch.

Originally published on Sat November 10, 2012 11:54 am

Cabbie John Crowood's traditional London taxi was one among hordes as he began trundling through the city's streets with so many other benevolent black beetles more than 30 years ago.

Today, he's one of a dwindling band. Crowood says that the only company that makes the classic retro London cab had to recall 400 of its newest vehicles after a mechanical defect was found, leaving hundreds of his fellow cabbies unable to ply their trade.

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