All Things Considered

Weekdays at 4 pm
Melissa Block, Michele Norris, Robert Siegel and
Brady Carlson

Every weekday, local host, Brady Carlson, and national hosts Melissa Block, Michele Norris, and Robert Siegel present two hours of breaking news mixed with compelling analysis, insightful commentaries, interviews, and special -- sometimes quirky -- features from NHPR and NPR.

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The Record
2:27 pm
Thu April 26, 2012

Marooned In L.A. For A Week, Coachella Bands Make Do

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:51 am

The massive Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival came to a close in California on Sunday after two weekends worth of sold-out shows by over 150 artists.

One of those acts was the Austin, Texas, band Explosions in the Sky, which first played Coachella back in 2007 and has seen its profile grow since then.

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The Two-Way
8:48 am
Thu April 26, 2012

'Bring Andy Home:' Search For Missing Corgi Goes High Tech

Credit The Bring Andy Home Facebook page
Where's Andy?

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 6:27 pm

Law
8:28 pm
Wed April 25, 2012

Immigration Brings High Drama To The High Court

Credit Dana Verkouteren / AP
This artist rendering shows Solicitor General Donald Verrilli speaking before the Supreme Court. Verrilli argued Wednesday that Arizona's immigration law steps into federal territory.

A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices signaled Wednesday that they will uphold at least part of Arizona's controversial immigration law. Four provisions of the law were blocked by a federal appeals court last year, and while even some of the court's conservatives expressed skepticism about some of those provisions, a majority seemed willing to unblock the so-called "show me your papers" provisions.

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Middle East
5:29 pm
Wed April 25, 2012

U.N. Monitors Fail To Halt Violence In Syria

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 2:03 am

The U.N.-brokered cease-fire in Syria keeps unraveling. Syrian government troops were supposed to pull their tanks and soldiers out of cities and towns, while rebels were supposed to lay down their arms.

Yet hundreds of people have died in recent days, according to activists. And in some areas, visits by U.N. observers have been followed by intense violence.

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U.S.
4:26 pm
Wed April 25, 2012

Senate Passes Plan To Keep Post Offices Running

Credit Robert F. Bukaty / AP
Hikers arrive at the post office in Caratunk, Maine, in 2011. Some of the rural post offices the U.S. Postal Service may close are relied on by Appalachian Trail hikers for supply drops on their trip from Georgia to Maine.

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 8:28 pm

The U.S. Postal Service is so much a part of this country, it's in the Constitution. And yet with so much written communication now delivered via email, text messages and the Internet, the Postal Service is steadily losing business and operating in the red.

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Music Reviews
4:24 pm
Wed April 25, 2012

The Sound Man Behind The Soul Of The Nation's Capital

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Eccentric Soul: A Red Black Green Production (the cover detail of the album is above) revisits the influence of producer Robert Williams on the 1970s soul scene in Washington, D.C.

Originally published on Wed April 25, 2012 10:07 pm

Most people wouldn't think of Washington, D.C., as one of R&B's great cities. Despite the fact that soul music greats Marvin Gaye and Roberta Flack grew up in D.C. neighborhoods, the city never had the equivalent of Detroit's Berry Gordy and Motown, or Memphis' Willie Mitchell and Hi Records. But in the early 1970s, D.C. did have producer Robert Williams and his Red, Black and Green Productions. A new compilation album called Eccentric Soul: A Red Black Green Production revisits Williams' influence on the sound of R&B in D.C.

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Africa
3:32 pm
Wed April 25, 2012

Charles Taylor Faces Verdict From Brutal African War

Originally published on Thu April 26, 2012 1:12 pm

A court in the Netherlands is set to deliver a verdict Thursday in a case involving a former head of state charged with international war crimes.

Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, is on trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague, Netherlands. He is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity — including murder, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers — in neighboring Sierra Leone.

Tens of thousands died during Sierra Leone's vicious civil war, one that was infamous for the brutal hacking off of limbs.

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Space
5:14 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

Tech Entrepreneurs Bet Big On Asteroid Mining

Originally published on Tue April 24, 2012 5:37 pm

The idea of exploiting the natural resources on asteroids has been around for more than a century. But a new company called Planetary Resources has the financial backing of some big names in high tech, and hopes to launch specially-designed prospecting spacecraft within two years.

Animals
4:57 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

A Bug's Life: Store Caters To Collectors Of Crawly Pets

Originally published on Tue April 24, 2012 6:49 pm

If you're the kind of person who screams at the sight of an insect or spider — or worse, steps on it — then a new store in Tucson, Ariz., might not be the best place for you to pick up a new family pet.

Owner Ken "The Bug Guy" MacNeil says his store is the only retail pet shop in the country devoted to insects and other arthropods. Judging from the recent opening day crowd at the store, plenty of people think the critters make great pets.

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Newt Gingrich
4:30 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

Through Debt And Derision, Gingrich Keeps Running

Originally published on Tue April 24, 2012 6:38 pm

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is expected to win all five of the Republican presidential primaries being held Tuesday. The GOP front-runner hasn't had to worry about real competition since Rick Santorum dropped out of the race earlier this month.

But former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is still running for president, even though he's short on money and lagging far back in the polls.

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Law
4:15 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

Firm Leaves Miss. After Its Prison Is Called 'Cesspool'

Originally published on Mon April 30, 2012 8:06 pm

One month after a federal court ordered sweeping changes at a troubled juvenile prison in rural Mississippi, the private company managing the prison is out. A report by the Justice Department describes "systemic, egregious and dangerous practices" at the Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility.

As those words imply, the official report is scathing.

Federal Judge Carlton Reeves wrote that the youth prison "has allowed a cesspool of unconstitutional and inhuman acts and conditions to germinate, the sum of which places the offenders at substantial ongoing risk."

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Shots - Health Blog
3:39 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

Los Angeles Bets On Crusading Doc To Turn Around Public Health

Credit Michael Wilson / L.A.County Health Services Dept.
Dr. Mitch Katz rides his bike to work, defying the commuting norm in Los Angeles.

Originally published on Tue April 24, 2012 9:24 pm

It would be easy to confuse Dr. Mitch Katz with any other doctor at the Roybal Comprehensive Health Center in East Los Angeles. His desk in a closet-sized, windowless office is littered with patient records, X-rays and cans of Diet Coke.

His everyman demeanor belies his stature. As director of the county's Department of Health Services, Katz, 52, oversees Los Angeles' public hospitals and clinics, the health care of last resort for millions of low-income Angelenos. He oversees 22,000 employees and a $3.7 billion-dollar budget.

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The Two-Way
2:55 pm
Tue April 24, 2012

Cardboard Prom Dress Is Just The Right Fit For This Young Woman

Credit Steve Pozek (her dad)
Maura Pozek in her latest creation.

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:51 am

Why did Missouri teen Maura Pozek make her prom dress out of cardboard and paper bags?

Because after fashioning the previous two years' outfits out of Doritos bags and soda can tabs, "I had to top myself somehow."

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Governing
5:39 pm
Mon April 23, 2012

Just Say No To E-Filing: Senate Remains In Dark Ages

Credit Library of Congress
Back in 1868, this was how the Office of the Secretary of the Senate prepared the summons for President Andrew Johnson to appear before the court of impeachment. Today, the secretary of the Senate continues to rely on paper to record campaign contributions.

Originally published on Mon April 23, 2012 7:39 pm

"Follow the money." That's the mantra of modern political coverage, especially in the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, which opened the floodgates of campaign cash.

Checking a candidate's contributors has become critical for understanding the candidate's politics. It's also easier than ever before with regular deadlines and electronic records — unless the legislator you are tracking is a member of the U.S. Senate.

For more than a decade now, the Senate has kept itself exempt from rules other federal candidates must follow.

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Middle East
5:13 pm
Mon April 23, 2012

Egyptians Warily Await Final Slate Of Candidates

Originally published on Mon April 23, 2012 7:39 pm

Egypt's election commission is expected to announce the final list of candidates this week for next month's presidential elections. But which candidate will win is far from clear.

A recent Egyptian poll shows nearly 40 percent of voters have no idea who to support. Another 30 percent who had decided will be forced to select someone else because their preferred candidates were among the 10 barred by election officials recently.

As a result, Egyptian voters who were once excited about the prospect of their first free presidential election are growing frustrated.

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