Iowa Public Radio

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Late Abortions

Julie Rovner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:11:00 +0000

The House has passed one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades. But it's unlikely to ever become law.

By a mostly party-line vote Tuesday of 228-196, lawmakers passed the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization.

"At 20 weeks maybe sooner, the baby feels pain," said physician and Rep. John Fleming, R-La., on the House floor. "And so I would just submit to you today Mr.

How The Civil Rights Movement Was Covered In Birmingham

Audie Cornish — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:08:00 +0000

As the Civil Rights Movement was unfolding across the US in 1963, the entire nation had its eyes on climactic events taking place in Southern cities like Birmingham, Ala., and Jackson, Miss. But there's a stark difference between how the national press covered the events in Birmingham and how Birmingham's papers covered their own city.

As part of NPR's series on that pivotal summer of 1963, Audie Cornish traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to revisit some of the stories that shaped the city and the nation at the time.

Amazon Cuts Ties In Minnesota Ahead Of New Sales Tax

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Weeks before Minnesota's new sales tax law takes effect, online retailer Amazon is cutting its ties to members of its Associates program who live in the state.

Google Files First-Amendment Request With FISA Court

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:50:00 +0000

Google has filed a legal motion asserting its "First Amendment right to publish aggregate information about FISA orders," asking the U.S. Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to remove the gag order that keeps the company from issuing that information. Google and other big U.S.

Boehner Seeks To Reassure House GOP On Immigration

Frank James — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:50:00 +0000

Faced with the threat of mutiny for what seems like the umpteenth time during his speakership, John Boehner moved to mollify fellow Republicans on Tuesday, saying immigration legislation would need the support of a majority of the House GOP before it could be brought to a floor vote.

After emerging from a meeting with House Republicans, following days of warnings by conservatives that the Ohio Republican had better not try to pass an immigration bill with mostly Democratic votes, Boehner sought to calm the roiling Republican waters.

"I also suggested to our members today that any immigrati

Home-Schooled Students Fight To Play On Public School Teams

Steve Walsh — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:42:00 +0000

Legislative battles are being fought around the country over whether or not to let home-schooled students play on public high school teams.

Roughly half of U.S. states have passed laws making them eligible to play on the teams.

Change Is On The Horizon For London's Famous Skyline

Christopher Werth — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:32:00 +0000

Cities are defined by their skylines — while Paris is composed mostly of low-rise apartment buildings, New York is a city of tall office towers. But London is a city in transition.

A Field Guide To Jimmy Hoffa Searches

Hannah Meisel — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:32:00 +0000

The mystery of Jimmy Hoffa's final resting place was opened yet again Monday, when the FBI began digging up a field near Detroit in the hopes of finding the former Teamsters president, who was last seen on July 30, 1975.

His disappearance is the stuff of urban legend and evergreen fascination.

A Look Back At How Newspapers Covered The Civil Rights Movement

Audie Cornish — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:18:00 +0000

This week Audie Cornish travels to Birmingham, Ala., to revisit some of the stories that shaped that city and the nation in the summer of 1963. Today she talks with Hank Klibanoff, co-author of The Race Beat about how the newspapers covered the civil rights struggle fifty years ago.

'We Were Told To Lie,' Say Bank Of America Employees

Steve Mullis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:13:00 +0000

Six former employees and one contractor say Bank of America's mortgage servicing unit consistently lied to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications and offered bonuses to staff for intentionally pushing people into foreclosure, according to a Salon.com report.

The allegations were made in

Over the weekend, police removed their tent city and re-opened Istanbul's Taksim Square to traffic, while maintaining a strong presence in the area.

Congressman On NSA: Checks And Balances Prevent Abuse

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Melissa Block talks to Republican Congressman Mac Thornberry, who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He talks about the testimony by leaders of the National Security Agency, the Department of Justice and the FBI on Tuesday morning. He's been supportive of the NSA surveillance program, saying it's not only legal, but vital to security.

Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Christine Porter is hooked on the MyFitnessPal app. In October, after deciding to lose 50 pounds, Porter started typing in everything she eats, drinks and any exercise she gets.

"This is my main page here," says Porter. "It's telling me I have about 1,200 calories remaining for the day. When I want to record something I just click the 'add to diary' button.

Obama's Unplanned NSA Discussion

Frank James — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

You have to wonder if President Obama ever thought, when he first ran for the White House, that he would need to defend himself from accusations his presidency would be a mere extension of his Republican predecessor.

But there he was with journalist Charlie Rose having to explain why his approach to national security wasn't really like that of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The main reason Obama is no repeat of that previous administration?

Safety on the Water

Ben Kieffer and Ben Stanton — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:46:14 +0000

Last week a man was killed in a boating incident on the Cedar River, and over the weekend a man had a close call while trying to rescue a child on Clear Lake. What are the rules and what are the good and bad ideas on the water? Also, hear about preventing recreational water illnesses.

Miss Iowa and Iowans with Disabilities

Ben Kieffer and Ben Stanton — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:45:44 +0000

The 2013 winner of the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program is Nicole Kelly. Besides attention from Iowans, national news outlets have been interested in her story in part because of a unique attribute: Kelly was born without her left forearm. Hear Kelly's story and a broader discussion about Iowans with disabilities with the chair of the Iowa Commission of Persons with Disabilities LaSheila Yates, who also happens to be the 2013 Mrs. Iowa International winner.

The Future of SNAP

Katherine Perkins — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

The farm bill is legislation is worth more than $90 billion. It deals with everything from farm subsidies to crop insurance; but over 80% of this massive outlay goes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP,) which was once called food stamps. More than 45 million people depend on SNAP, especially since the economic downturn. However, in the current versions of the bill both Democrats and Republicans are discussing cutting funds from the program.

'Days Of Rambo Are Over': Pentagon Details Women's Move To Combat

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:22:00 +0000

Women in America's armed services will have new options for what units they can join in coming years, the Pentagon says. The military said in January that it will end its combat exclusion that set a minimum size for units in which women could be deployed; the limit kept many women away from front-line combat units. The shift means women could join elite forces such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs.

Depending on the job, women could begin training to join combat units in the next one to three years, according to several military officers who spoke at a Pentagon briefing Tuesday afternoon.

Republicans Vie for U.S. Senate Seat

Joyce Russell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:12:08 +0000

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate David Young introduced himself to Polk County Republicans at a breakfast in Des Moines. Young is the former chief of staff for Senator Chuck Grassley. Political observers say that alone won’t catapult him to victory in the Republican primary.

The Mystery Of the Ridiculously Pricey Bag Of Potatoes

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:06:00 +0000

On Monday we told you about allegations that America's potato growers had banded together in a price-fixing Potato Cartel.

The allegations we described come from a civil lawsuit filed by the Associated Wholesale Grocers against the United Potato Growers of America, a group whose members produce the vast majority of the country's spuds.

Mexico's Tech Startups Look To Overcome Barriers To Growth

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:52:00 +0000

In the past decade, Mexico's tech industry has flourished, growing three times faster than the global average. Most of that growth has been fueled by demand from the United States. But as Mexico's startups strive to make it in foreign markets, they say they need more engineers and ways to finance their growth.

Softtek, Mexico's biggest technology services company, spans four continents and provides software support to a client base that includes Fortune 500 companies.

British Leader: Trendsetter, Or A Bit Too Casual?

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:22:00 +0000

British Prime Minister David Cameron is sometimes picked on for his privileged background, and at the Group of Eight summit in Northern Ireland, he sought to go casual.

Not only did he ditch the tie, as did other leaders, Cameron also shed his jacket and even rolled up his sleeves.

Not everyone was won over.

As columnist Michael Deacon of The Telegraph put it: "A crucial early victory for David Cameron at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, as he comfortably outdid h

FDA Backs Off On Regulation Of Fecal Transplants

Rob Stein — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:08:00 +0000

Federal regulators are dropping plans to tightly control a procedure that is becoming increasingly popular for treating people stricken by life-threatening infections of the digestive system.

The Food and Drug Administration says the agency will exercise enforcement discretion and no longer require doctors to get the agency's approval before using "fecal microbiota for transplantation."

The procedure is being used to treat people suffering from infection with the bacterium Clostridium difficile, or C. diff.

Where's Jimmy Hoffa? Everywhere And Nowhere

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:22:00 +0000

If it's him, it's going to be a letdown.

For the better part of 40 years, the disappearance of former Teamsters President James Hoffa has been a source of fascination on par with Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster and the aliens in Roswell, N.M.

If the FBI finds and identifies his body, as agents are currently trying to do just outside Detroit, it will end the mystery and ruin the suspense, says Bob Thompson, a pop culture professor at Syracuse University.

"If it turns out it is Jimmy Hoffa, the story loses all its punch," Thompson says.

U.S., Europe May Share Intelligence, But Not Privacy Rules

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:11:00 +0000

The United States and Europe stepped up cooperation on security issues after Sept. 11, 2001. But that doesn't mean they agree on everything. The latest point of friction: What are the rules when it comes to privacy rights?

The revelations about the National Security Agency's surveillance programs not only touched off a ferocious debate in the U.S.

A Look Ahead To The Future Of Afghanistan

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 18:07:00 +0000

Twelve years after the war began, Afghanistan's president announced Tuesday that Afghan forces officially assumed control of security for the country. U.S. and NATO troops will remain until the 2014 deadline, but the Afghan military is now expected to fight without NATO support.

When A Language Dies, What Happens To Culture?

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Nearly half of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world are expected to vanish in the next 100 years. One of them is Athabaskan, a language of the Siletz tribe in the Pacific Northwest. Bud Lane, vice chairman of Siletz tribal council, explains the importance of language diversity.

The House Hearing On NSA Surveillance In 3 Audio Clips

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Administration officials defended the government's surveillance programs before the the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence today.

Gen.