NPR Blogs

Two Excerpts You Should Read From Obama's Morehouse Speech

Eyder Peralta — Sun, 19 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

President Obama, on Sunday, delivered a rare, very personal commencement address at Morehouse College, the historically black, all-male insitution that is the alma mater of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It was a short speech, but Obama did not shy away the subject of race and responsibility. We've embedded video of the address above, but here are two excerpts you should read. They are taken from his prepared remarks:

On Personal Responsibility:

"We know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices.

North Korea Fires Another 'Short-Range Projectile'

Eyder Peralta — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:42:00 +0000

North Korea launched another short-range projectile on Sunday, just a day after they launched three similar objects.

The projectile landed away from neighboring countries in the sea off North Korea's east coast.

As The New York Times explains, South Korean officials moved away from calling the objects missiles, as they did yesterday.

WSJ: Yahoo Board Approves $1.1 Billion Purchase Of Tumblr

Eyder Peralta — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:59:00 +0000

The Wall Street Journal has this breaking news from the tech world:

"The Yahoo board has approved a deal to pay $1.1 billion in cash for the blogging site Tumblr."

The Journal, the only outlet reporting the approval, is sourcing its story to "people familiar with the matter." Lauren Armstrong, a Yahoo spokeswoman, told us in an email that they "don't comment on rumors or speculation."

The Journal's sister site, <

On Sunday News Shows, Obama Official Plays Defense

Sun, 19 May 2013 15:37:00 +0000

Talk during the Sunday news shows today focused expectedly on the trifecta of scandals — IRS targeting of conservative groups, the seizure of AP phone records and the attack of the Benghazi consulate — rocking the Obama a

Police Accidentally Killed Hofstra University Student

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:32:00 +0000

After analyzing forensic evidence, Nassau County Police in New York said on Saturday that it was a shot fired by an officer that killed 21-year-old Andrea Rebello.

Rebello, a junior at Hofstra University, was being held hostage by a masked gunman who broke into a house she shared with her sister. Police came looking for the man, when he turned a gun on them. The man allegedly had Rebello in a headlock.

CBC News reports that's when an police officer shot eight rounds.

WATCH: David Beckham Tears Up At Final Home Game

Eyder Peralta — Sun, 19 May 2013 12:38:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf4Ws_czMkc

Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York

Sun, 19 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

It takes a lot of chutzpah to reduce one of the most powerful men on Earth to a pile of fruits and vegetables.

Luckily for art lovers, Giuseppe Arcimboldo had nerve to spare.

Arcimboldo created this unorthodox produce portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II back in 1590. By that time, the Italian artist had been painting for the emperor and his powerful Habsburg family for more than 25 years, so presumably, they'd grown used to his visual jokes.

A Lucky Winner In Florida Could Be $590.5 Million Richer

Eyder Peralta — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:28:00 +0000

If you bought a Powerball ticket in Zephyrhills, Fla., sit down and look at these numbers:

10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and 11.

As the AP reports, lottery officials believe only one ticket matched all six numbers in yesterday's Powerball drawing with a record $590.5 million jackpot.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell told the AP.

Prominent Pakistani Politician Shot, Killed On Re-Election Eve

Sat, 18 May 2013 21:09:00 +0000

On the eve of a re-vote, a prominent Pakistani politician was shot and killed on Saturday.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reports that Zahra Shahid Hussain, who was the senior vice president of Pakistan's Movement for Justice (PTI), was shot in the head during "an attempted robbery incident."

"According to police," Dawn reports, "robbers tried to steal Hussain's hand bag and opened gun fire upon resistance by the PTI leader outside her residence in Defence Housing Authori

Bashar Assad: A Political Solution In Syria is 'Unreal'

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:14:00 +0000

Syrian President Bashar Assad essentially dismissed attempts by the United States and Russia to bring the civil war in the country to a political solution.

"Believing that a political conference will stop terrorism on the ground is unreal," Assad said in an exclusive interview with the Argentine newspaper El Clarin.

Afghan Parliament Halts Debate On Women's Rights Bill

Sat, 18 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

After protests from some MPs and after only about 15 minutes, the Afghan parliament halted debate Saturday on a bill aimed at curbing violence against women.

As the BBC reports, the bill would have solidified a law passed by presidential decree in 2009, which banned "violence against women, child marriages and forced marriages."

Supporters of the bill wanted to bring it before parliament to make it more permanent.

WATCH: NASA Spots Brightest Lunar Explosion Ever Recorded

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:43:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYloGuUZCFM

Russian Official Names CIA Station Chief In Moscow

Eyder Peralta — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:31:00 +0000

Breaching protocol, a Russian official let a name slip during an interview with Interfax, the state news agency.

The interview was with a representative of the FSB, the Russian security agency, and the name he made public was of the person Russia believes is the CIA station chief in Moscow.

The Guardian explains:

"The US embassy declined to comment .

The Unsafe Sex: Should The World Invest More In Men's Health?

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:38:00 +0000

On average, men aren't as healthy as women.

Men don't live as long, and they're more likely to engage in risky behaviors, like smoking and drinking.

But in the past decade, global health funding has focused heavily on women.

Programs and policies for men have been "notably absent," says Sarah Hawkes from the University of London's Institute of Global Health.

She and a colleague published a commentary in The Lancet o

North Korea Fires Three Short-Range Missiles, Says The South

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:33:00 +0000

After a relatively calm few weeks, North Korea fired three short-range missiles Saturday, a South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman said.

NPR's Louisa Lim reports that North Korea fired the missiles in defiance of international sanctions.