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11:45 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Justice Department Looks For Ways To Recruit Forensic Pathologists

Credit Kim Raff / AP
Dr. Amy Tharp, a forensic pathologist, explains gun shot wounds on an anatomical model during her testimony in Bedford, Va. in March 2010.

Television crime dramas may draw big audiences, but they don't seem to work as a recruiting tool for forensic pathologists.

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The Torch
11:15 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Michigan's Claressa Shields Wins Historic Gold Medal In Women's Boxing

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images
U.S. boxer Claressa Shields (left) lands a punch on Nadezda Torlopova of Russia during the women's boxing middleweight final at the ExCel Arena in London. Shields, 17, won the first-ever gold medal in the event.

Originally published on Tue August 14, 2012 1:59 pm

She's still in high school, but boxer Claressa Shields, 17, is also an Olympic gold medalist, after she won her middleweight final Thursday. She defeated Russia's Nadezda Torlopova by a score of 19-12.

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The Two-Way
10:55 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Despite El Niño, NOAA Increases Hurricane Season Prediction

Credit NOAA
Hurricane Ernesto before making landfall in Mexico.

Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 11:47 am

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today that the chance for a more active than normal hurricane season has increased since it issued its first prediction in May.

NOAA is now predicting 12 to 17 named storms and five to eight hurricanes. Two or three of those could become major hurricanes. In May, NOAA had predicted 9 to 15 storms.

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Planet Money
10:41 am
Thu August 9, 2012

The Marijuana Trade In The Euro's Birthplace

Credit Ermindo Armino / AP
Marijuana in Maastricht

Originally published on Mon August 13, 2012 8:26 am

Zoe Chace and Robert Smith are reporting from European borders this week. This is the second story in a four-part series.

Maastricht, a town in the Netherlands, is known largely for two things.

  1. The treaty that created the euro was signed there.
  2. Marijuana is legal there, and it's sold at "coffee shops" around town.

This is the story of the troubled relationship between those two claims to fame.

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Participation Nation
10:33 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Healing The Bay In Santa Monica, Calif.

Credit Courtesy of Heal The Bay
A volunteer picks up trash at a Nothin' But Sand beach cleanup.

Originally published on Tue August 14, 2012 10:59 am

Clean is a relative term, says Eveline Bravo, programs manager for Heal the Bay, a nonprofit pro-environment organization hellbent on restoring Santa Monica Bay.

"There's so much Styrofoam and plastic and it's hard to feel like you're not just making small dents."

Yet every third Saturday, Bravo — along with hundreds of other volunteers — shows up at designated beaches with buckets in hand.

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Strange News
9:49 am
Thu August 9, 2012

It's Not Gold, But Fastest US Texter Wins Big

It may not be an Olympic sport, but Wisconsin teen Austin Wierschke was just named the fastest texter in America. The texting champion was awarded $50,000. Wierschke speaks with host Michel Martin about how he keeps his thumbs in shape.

Asia
9:49 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Sikh Temple Shooting Felt Across The World

The Sikh temple shooting in Wisconsin shook up the American Sikh community, but it also shocked people in India. The Indian Ambassador to the U.S., Nirupama Rao just returned from Wisconsin, and she's been discussing the tragedy with U.S. officials. Rao talks with host Michel Martin about what role she can play in the aftermath of the shooting.

Middle East
9:49 am
Thu August 9, 2012

How Safe Are Donations To Syrian Rebels?

The U.S. government is not officially aiding rebels in the increasingly bloody civil war in Syria. But the treasury recently allowed a Washington-based group to raise money on behalf of the Free Syrian Army, a coalition of armed rebel groups. Host Michel Martin talks with Brian Sayers of Syrian Support Group about where the donations will go.

Race
9:49 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Who Gets To Decide Who Is Native American?

Originally published on Fri August 10, 2012 11:26 am

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin, and this is TELL ME MORE, from NPR News. Coming up, you know those kids who always have their fingers on a keyboard texting? You might think they are wasting time and money, but in a few minutes, we'll talk with a texting champion who has turned his habit into a $50,000 prize. We'll have that conversation in just a few minutes.

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Movies
9:47 am
Thu August 9, 2012

60 Years Later, Still 'Singin' In The Rain'

Credit Warner Home Video
Gene Kelly stars as Don Lockwood in Singin' in the Rain. In celebration of the 1952 musical's 60th birthday, a newly restored print was released in theaters for a one-night public screening, and a new edition has been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 12:37 pm

Hollywood is often at its best when it's making fun of itself, and few movies are funnier or more fun than Singin' in the Rain, the broadly satirical musical comedy about the transition from silent movies to sound.

Gene Kelly, who co-directed the film with Stanley Donen, stars as the stuntman turned matinee idol who falls in love with adorable Debbie Reynolds. He even gets to parody his own swashbuckling in MGM's Technicolor Three Musketeers.

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The Torch
9:44 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Analyzing The Body Olympic: How Athletes Evolve Within Their Sports

Credit Alexander Hassenstein / Topical Press Agency/Getty Images
The bodies and strategies of Olympic athletes have changed over time, as these photos of high jumpers from the 1908 and 2012 Games show.

Originally published on Thu August 9, 2012 9:46 am

Why do the best weightlifters have short arms? What's the biggest physical challenge that marathon runners face? What kind of advantages do athletes from West Africa — and from Asia — enjoy? Those questions are answered in a great post over at our sister blog, Shots.

Our colleague Adam Cole analyzed information from a range of sources to come up with conclusions about the bodies of Olympic sprinters and rowers, as well as weightlifters and marathon runners.

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The Two-Way
9:01 am
Thu August 9, 2012

U.S. Navy Says It Rescued 10 Iranians From Burning Ship In Gulf Of Oman

Credit U.S. Navy
The burning dhow from which the U.S. Navy says it rescued 10 Iranians on Wednesday in the Gulf of Oman.

Ten men who said they are Iranians were rescued Wednesday from a burning vessel in the Gulf of Oman by the crew of the USS James E. Williams, a guided-missile destroyer, the U.S. Navy says.

According to the Navy, "the vessel was flying an Iranian flag. The mariners ... are being well cared for, receiving medical treatment and awaiting transport to aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, which is coordinating the repatriation efforts."

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The Torch
8:43 am
Thu August 9, 2012

Let's Catch Up: Canada Wins Bronze; Lopez Plays Waiting Game

Credit Jamie Squire / Getty Images
Canada's Diana Matheson controls the ball, an instant before she struck the game-winning goal against France in the women's soccer bronze medal match Thursday.

Good morning. It's Day 13 of the London Games, and the overall medal tally stands at 82 for the United States, 77 for China, and 48 for Great Britain. Here's a roundup of the news that caught our eye this morning:

Canada has won the bronze medal match over France in women's soccer, as midfielder Diana Matheson scored a golden... er, bronze goal in the 92nd minute to break a 0-0 tie. Obviously, the match featured lots of good defense.

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