Europe
2:06 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Will French Election Mark A Reversal Of Austerity?

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 7:43 am

The possibility that French President Nicolas Sarkozy may lose the presidential election Sunday is making waves across Europe. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are the architects of Europe's new fiscal austerity pact.

But the man likely to replace Sarkozy has other ideas.

Socialist candidate Francois Hollande — who is favored in opinion polls by several percentage points — says Europe cannot emerge from the crisis based on austerity alone.

Read more
Shots - Health Blog
2:02 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Why Do Bike-Share Riders Skip Helmets?

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 7:50 am

If you've ever shaken your head over urban bicyclists' apparent unanimous decision to forgo helmets, you're not far off the mark.

Among users of bike-sharing programs, like Capital Bikeshare in Washington, D.C., the problem is obvious.

Read more
Music News
1:45 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

'What's Going On': A New Generation Answers

Originally published on Mon May 21, 2012 5:00 pm

The Two-Way
1:11 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Student Forgotten In Holding Cell: 'Changes Have To Be Made'

Credit K. C. Alfred / UT San Diego
Daniel Chong appears at a news conference on Tuesday in San Diego.

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 7:43 am

Daniel Chong, a California college senior, was forgotten in a federal holding cell without food or water for five days.

Today, he told All Things Considered's Audie Cornish that the five days tested his sanity and his resolve to live.

"I didn't stay sane," Chong said. "Eventually, by the second or third night ... I went completely insane and was just trying to get a grip on reality, on what's happening to me."

Chong said at one point he thought about using his glasses to cut into his arm and kill himself.

Read more
The Salt
12:36 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

How To Tip-Toe Into The Hot Sauce Craze

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 7:43 am

If you listen to my story above, you'll know that hot sauce production is one of the fastest growing industries in the United States.

And you'll learn that research finds chili-heads — people who love the burn of spicy food — tend to have a penchant for sensation-seeking. Think rollercoasters and action flicks.

So you wanna jump in, but you're new to the hot sauce world?

Read more
Movie Reviews
12:18 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

'The Avengers': Superheroic Popcorn Fun At Its Best

Originally published on Wed May 9, 2012 7:43 am

That crashing sound you'll hear emanating from cineplexes this weekend will be the sound of comic-book superheroes smashing box-office records.

Actually, the smashing started last weekend, when Marvel's The Avengers opened in 39 territories around the world, scooping up a cool $178 million in three days. And with legions of fans having already bought advance tickets in the U.S., it's a pretty sure bet the box-office bonanza will continue as the film opens in more than 4,000 North American theaters.

Read more
The Two-Way
12:14 pm
Thu May 3, 2012

Reports: Facebook Will Set IPO Pricing After Markets Close

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 1:45 pm

Update at 4:39 p.m. ET. $28 To $35:

The AP reports that Facebook has set a price range for its initial public offering between $28 and $35.

The AP adds:

"At the high end, this could raise as much as $11.8 billion. That's much higher than any other Internet IPO in the past, even Google Inc. in 2004."

Read more
The Two-Way
11:47 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Finish This Sentence: 'Before I Die, I Want To ...'

Credit Candy Chang
From the Before I Die wall in New Orleans.

Artist Candy Chang turned the wall of an abandoned house in New Orleans into "a giant chalkboard where residents can write on the wall and remember what is important to them."

And since putting up that public art project in February 2011, "Before I Die" walls have spread to at least 19 cities around the world. Friday, a wall goes up in Denver.

Read more
It's All Politics
11:43 am
Thu May 3, 2012

Democrats Keep Getting Dinged For Hitting GOP On Women's Health, Loans

Credit MoveOn.org

Originally published on Thu May 3, 2012 12:00 pm

Democrats keep getting dinged by media fact checkers for attacking Republicans for allegedly wanting to strip money from preventive health programs to pay for to keep the interest rates on some student loans from doubling this summer.

But that hasn't stopped progressives from continuing to make the claim. The latest comes in a new full-page MoveOn.org ad in Politico. The ad reads in part:

Read more
NPR Story
11:16 am
Thu May 3, 2012

'Be Richer' By Learning From Parents' Mistakes

Credit iStockphoto.com
Money — how to make it, and what to do with it when you have it — can be problematic for recent graduates.

Originally published on Fri May 4, 2012 8:29 am

College seniors graduating in 2012 face a sluggish economy, bleak job prospects and a mountain of student loan debt. To make matters worse, many don't have the first clue about how to manage their personal finances.

Author Zac Bissonnette, a recent college graduate himself, learned how to handle money by watching his parents' mistakes and ignoring most of their advice. He put himself through college without loans, scholarships or help from his parents.

Read more

Pages