Half-Hen/Half-Rooster Shows Cells Can Decide Sex
In mammals, a flood of hormones tells cells to develop male or female features. But a new study of gender-bending chickens reveals that birds may be different. They have an additional way of determining whether they appear male or female: Individual cells may be able to do it. |
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Giving May Be Contagious
Even a little pot of money can lead to a lot of giving, as the altruistic spirit ripples through a network, researchers say. |
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For Developing Nations, Exports Boost CO2 Emissions
China is criticized for being the world's largest producer of carbon dioxide, but a new report shows that a quarter of that is emitted while making things for Western consumers. Researchers say that climate policy must account for emissions resulting from trade. |
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When You Were Just A Twinkle In A Cro-Magnon's Eye
In the grand scheme of things, humans are mere infants on this planet. Some creatures alive today were swimming under the sea during the U.S. Civil War or photosynthesizing when the Egyptian pyramids were being built. Here are six of the oldest living things on the planet. |
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Expert: House, Senate Democrats Have Trust Deficit
The divide on Capitol Hill is commonly depicted as Democrats versus Republicans and for good reason — the greatest rift in Congress is indeed partisan. But there's also a cleft between members of the same party, Democrats specifically, with a split between House and Senate members. |
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In 2010, Demographic Trends Favor Democrats
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Sebelius Challenges Insurers To Support Health Overhaul
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said insurers should drop their opposition to health overhaul and instead help fix a broken system, marked by spiraling costs and a lack of consumer choice. |
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House, Senate Tension Stalls Legislation
The relationship between the House and the Senate is becoming heated, affecting Democratic efforts to get health care and other legislation passed. Norman Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, offers his insight. |
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House Holds Rare Debate On Ending Afghan War
Ohio Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich brought up a resolution Wednesday to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by the end of this year at the latest. Although the measure did not pass, lawmakers agreed on one thing: The debate itself was important for the Congress to have. |
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WWII Female Pilots Honored With Gold Medal
A long-overlooked group of women who flew military aircraft during World War II were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday. Known as Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP, they were the first women to fly U.S. military planes. |
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'Al-Qaeda 7' Controversy: Detainees And Politics
Justice Department attorneys who once helped represent terrorism detainees are at the center of a raging dispute. Conservatives say that the politically appointed lawyers are influencing U.S. policy to help their former clients. |
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More Than 'Madea': Tyler Perry Changes Course
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Los Amigos Invisibles: A 'Commercial' Breakthrough
The Venezuelan band has found huge success in its native country. But the group has also built a following in the U.S. with its unique blend of disco, jazz, funk and Latin rhythms. Here, host Michel Martin talks with the Latin Grammy-winning band, which recently stopped by NPR for a performance and conversation. |
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Desmond Tutu, Insisting We Are 'Made For Goodness'
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U.S. Returns Sarcophagus To Egypt
After a secret trip around the globe, a 3,000-year-old stolen sarcophagus is returning home to Egypt. On Wednesday, U.S. authorities sent the sarcophagus to Egypt. It was confiscated by customs officials at the Miami Airport in 2008. Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities, offers his insight. |
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A Grim 'Eclipse': Deb Amos On Iraq's Sunni Exiles
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The 119 Words You Can't Say On The Radio
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Google Launches Closed Captioning For YouTube
Google this week introduced closed captioning for the deaf on its YouTube video site. Ken Harrenstien, the lead engineer behind Google's automatic captioning technology, says that as a deaf person he lobbied his bosses for years to introduce the technology. |
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Italy Convicts Google Execs To Protect Privacy
Europeans are debating the overall reach of the Internet into their lives. An Italian court recently convicted three Google executives for privacy violations after a clip was posted on Google Video showing a disabled student being bullied by classmates in Turin. The ruling highlights a deep trans-Atlantic cultural gap: Americans see the ruling as undermining the concept of freedom of expression, while Europeans put privacy first — they consider it a fundamental human right. |
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High-Tech Street Show Aims To Make Us 'See' Homeless, Raise Money
The homeless often go unseen, even when they're right there on the street. In New York City, one charity is using technology to get us to notice those who have so little. |
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