National

L.A. Blue Jeans Makers Fear Their Business Will Fade Away

Sonari Glinton — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:35:00 +0000

Los Angeles is the world leader in the most American of clothing items: bluejeans. High-end, hand-stitched, designer bluejeans that will you run well over $100 a pair.

But as the U.S.

Obama: Sexual Assault Has No Place In The Military

Scott Horsley — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

President Obama delivered the commencement address at Annapolis on Friday, challenging the U.S. Naval Academy graduates to help redefine national defense in the 21st century.

Thousands Of Insurance Adjusters Descend On Moore, Okla.

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

In Oklahoma on Friday, state emergency officials said Monday's tornado destroyed 1,150 homes. An unknown number of structures were damaged. The state has registered more than 1,800 insurance adjusters.

Moore, Okla., Homes Lacked Improvements After 1999 Tornadoes

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Melissa Block talks with Timothy Marshall, a civil engineer and meteorologist who has been tracking tornado damage in Moore, Okla., over the past 15 years.

New York City Hopes Bikesharing Will Make Streets Safer

Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Citi Bike, the country's largest urban bike-sharing system, will soon be rolling in New York City after almost a year of delays. The idea has worked elsewhere, including Paris, Washington, D.C., and Montreal. But critics wonder if it's safe to add tens of thousands of new cyclists to the crowded streets of New York.

Oversized Semi Blamed For Bridge Collapse In Washington State

Robert Siegel — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:26:00 +0000

Martin Kaste talks to Robert Siegel about traffic and other disruptions caused by the I-5 bridge collapse over the Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington. The bridge is expected to be closed for weeks.

'Four Little Girls' Awarded Congressional Gold Medal

Bill Chappell — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:13:00 +0000

They were just little girls when they were killed in 1963, in what came to be known as the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing.

A Token Gift May Encourage Gift Of Life

Scott Hensley — Fri, 24 May 2013 21:11:00 +0000

There are two things you can always count on: public radio pledge drives and the local blood bank asking for a donation of a very different sort.

Both kinds of giving can fill you with a sense of goodwill. But, let's be honest, the tote bags help, too.

When it comes to blood donations, though, ethical concerns and risk have led to limits on incentives for donors in many places.

Heart Failure Treatment Improves, But Death Rate Remains High

Nancy Shute — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:12:00 +0000

This is one of those "good news, but" medical stories.

New treatments for heart failure have made it much less likely that people with this chronic condition will die suddenly.

But an analysis by researchers at UCLA finds that the death rate for people with advanced heart failure remains stubbornly high, with 30 percent of people dying within three years.

"They're not dying suddenly, but their disease is still progressing," says Dr.

Battered Jersey Shore Pins Recovery Hopes On Summer Season

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:02:00 +0000

Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer travel season, and it's particularly important for the resort communities along the Jersey Shore still suffering the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

In the popular tourist spot Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., it has taken seven months and more than $1 million to make repairs along Jenkinson's Boardwalk.

After repairing the flooded aquarium, rebuilding the miniature golf courses and replacing the damaged planks, contractors were still busy doing final repairs in anticipation of the holiday weekend.

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Vs. Lumps?

Eliza Barclay — Fri, 24 May 2013 18:41:00 +0000

A lot of things about grilling can ignite a fight, including the meaning of "barbecue." And with the proliferation of fancy equipment — from gas grills to pellet smokers to ceramic charcoal cookers — amateur cooks are growing more knowledgeable, and opinionated, about how to best cook food outdoors.

To a newbie, the world of charcoal can be overwhelming, especially since the charcoal aisle of big box and hardware stores seems to be getting more crowded, with alluring chips and lumps of apple, cherry and even coconut

Having a Dog May Mean Having Extra Microbes

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:53:00 +0000

North Carolina State University biologist Rob Dunn and colleagues surveyed people's pillow cases, refrigerators, toilet seats, TV screens and other household spots, to learn about the microbes that dwell in our homes. Among the findings, reported in the journal PLoS One, homes with dogs had more diverse bacterial communities, and higher numbers of "dog-associated" bacteria.

Studies Question Potential Alzheimer's Treatment

Fri, 24 May 2013 15:53:00 +0000

Transcript

FLORA LICHTMAN, HOST:

This is SCIENCE FRIDAY. I'm Flora Lichtman, filling in for Ira Flatow today. Last year, researchers reported a breakthrough in treating Alzheimer's disease. They'd found a drug that appeared to reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer's in mice.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Star Trek, SNL, And Boldly Going To New Places

Linda Holmes — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:10:00 +0000

On this week's show, we take advantage of the new Star Trek movie to chat about — well, to chat about Star Trek, yes, but also more generally to cover the whole problem of coming in fresh to a franchise other people know well. We approach this particular film from every level of knowledge from almost none to basically all, and we manage to link it not only to Star Wars (obviously), but also to Arrested Development and Before Sunrise.

Minister To Lose Job After Performing Same-Sex Marriage?

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:58:00 +0000

When Methodist minister Reverend Thomas Ogletree officiated his son's same-sex marriage, he didn't think it would cause a stir. But now some New York United Methodist Church ministers are threatening to defrock him. He speaks with Host Michel Martin about the controversy and why he feels he's being singled out.