National News

Book News: Willa Cather's Letters To Be Published Against Her Wishes

NPR News - Mon, 2013-03-25 03:15

Also: the best books coming out this week; Philip Roth on the joys of napping; Caroline Kennedy on books about Catholicism.

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Cyprus avoids bankruptcy with $13 billion bailout deal

Marketplace - American Public Media - Mon, 2013-03-25 02:35

After more than a week of turmoil, eurozone finance ministers reached a last minute deal to grant Cyprus a $13 billion bailout.

Under the current agreement, bank depositors with less than $130,000 will not lose any money. However, bigger depositors -- most of them foreigners -- may be taxed up to 40 percent. Last week, the Cypriot parliament rejected a bailout plan that would have taxed smaller bank depositors 7 percent.

Cyprus' finance minister Michalis Sarris greeted the deal with relief.

"We have averted the possibility of bankruptcy, we really avoided a disastrous exit from the eurozone," Sarris said.

Though Cyprus achieved a rescue deal, analysts say serious damage to the country's banking sector has been done. As banks reopen, many foreign depositors are likely to move capital out of the country. The rating agency Moody's has said in a report this morning that the bailout dealings in Cyprus "will have profound long-term negative consequences" for the country and the region.

Spring Is Just A State Of Mind As Wintry Weather Wallops Much Of Nation

NPR News - Mon, 2013-03-25 02:30

The calendar says it's spring. But it sure doesn't look like it across much of the nation. A storm that gave parts of the Rockies and Midwest another taste of winter is now coating parts of the Northeast with snow and slush.

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The economics of creating national monuments

Marketplace - American Public Media - Mon, 2013-03-25 01:14

Today President Barack Obama will designate five new national monuments. They’re spread all over the country: There's part of the San Juan Islands in Washington state, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument in Maryland, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument in New Mexico, the First State National Monument in Delaware and the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument in Ohio.

All of that new green space, could bring some serious greenbacks into those local economies says economist Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

"Those people are going to spend some money in the parks, maybe they’ll buy some food, some souvenirs. That type of spending helps boost local economies," says Bersnstein.

The Rio Grande Del Norte monument in New Mexico is expected to bring $15 million a year to the area.

That’s partially because Americans are starting to travel again says Douglas Quinby, principal analyst at PhoCusWright, a travel industry research firm.

"The economy is definitely improving, so we are optimistic [we are] going to see some gains in 2013," he says. 

Still, it could be a rough year for parks. Many are expected to take a hit under the sequestration budget cuts and will have to cut staff and reduce hours.

Hacker reveals vulnerable global Internet

Marketplace - American Public Media - Mon, 2013-03-25 01:05

An anonymous -- and controversial -- researcher surreptitiously tested trillions of Internet addresses over the past nine months. The hacker found that all sorts of devices are protected only by the easy-to-guess default passwords that the equipment came with when new, according to the BBC.

Chester Wisniewski, with the computer security firm Sophos, joins Marketplace Tech host David Brancaccio to explain what this means for global Internet security.

 

 

3D guns: A license to print

Marketplace - American Public Media - Mon, 2013-03-25 01:05

Even with a federal license, Cody Wilson, the law school student who wants to use 3D printing to manufacture firearms, remains wary the government will shut him down. Wilson, who goes to the University of Texas, is head of an enterprise called Defense Distributed.

Wilson doesn't say whether he thinks the world is a better place with more guns or fewer guns. He takes a libertarian view that technology makes regulation impossible -- including firearms regulation from Congress.

"These old people on the Hill probably really think that they can pass a law and restrict access to guns," Wilson says. "I'm seeing a technology entering the world now that explodes that idea entirely."

Wilson says he's not interested in making his project into what he termed "some mega corporation."  Toward the end of an extended conversation, when pressed about what he really wants to do here, Wilson told us this:

"I'd like to print a goddamn gun, man -- print it without threat of my body being thrown in a cage or being sued for millions of dollars," Wilson says. "My reading is that without an extreme set of licenses and records, that I would be subject to at least half a million dollars in fines and 10 years of federal prison."

3D printing, or "additive manufacturing" uses melted plastic or other materials instead of ink to squirt out shaped objects, such as jewelry, harmonicas, gun barrels or ammunition magazines. Blueprints for 3D printing can be freely shared online.

Click on the audio player above to hear more about 3D printed firearms and the future of gun regulation.

Helping drug addicts kick the habit six months at a time

Marketplace - American Public Media - Mon, 2013-03-25 00:59

A new drug to treat people with addictions to heroin or painkillers could be on the market before the end of the year.

If Probuphine gets final approval from the FDA in April, it will be part of a growing and lucrative market for an equally fast growing problem.

What excites Pittsburg-based Dr. April Clark is that this new medication is implanted under the skin and delivers medicine for six months straight.

“I have to say it’s kind of the stuff of science fiction,” says Clark.

Right now, the medication Clark can prescribe today must be taken every day. The dosage effectively blocks someone from getting high off an illegal drug. But Clark says if you can’t skip a day -- because the medicine is course through your system for months -- it’s easier to stay sober. And you can’t sell it on the street.

“People who are not prescribed the medication would not get the medication. It can’t kind of get into the wrong hands,” she says.

Some two million Americans are addicted to heroin or painkillers and annual sales of drugs to treat drug addicts is more than $1 billion a year. With all that money on the table, several more drugs are expected to come to market in short order.

Analyst Jason Napodano at Zacks Investment Research says the name of this game is safety.

“If you are a pharmaceutical company and you want to play in this market, you need to come up with something better and safer to treat opioid addicts,” he says.

As this epidemic only grows, Napodano says the FDA doesn’t have much patience for just another pill.

Yahoo acquires Summly, which was created by a 15-year-old

Marketplace - American Public Media - Sun, 2013-03-24 23:29

This final note on the way out, one at which I daresay everyone listening to this radio program will shake their heads.

Yahoo spent $30 million today to buy a news-aggregating app -- Summly, it's called. Pulls the need-to-know stuff from news articles and makes it look nice on your iPhone.

Which is great and all. Here's the kicker: Summly was created by a 15-year-old kid to help him get through his homework.

Nick D'Aloisio's 17 now. Rich. And in case you're wondering? Yeah, he totally gets to work at home.

Free Tax Help Protects Low-Income Filers From Pricey Loans

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 23:15

As this year's tax deadline approaches, hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans are relying on free services to help with returns. The services are an alternative to schemes that often prey on people who need quick cash.

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Supreme Court Hears 'Pay To Delay' Pharmaceutical Case

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 23:15

The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Monday in a case worth billions of dollars to pharmaceutical companies and American consumers. The issue is whether brand-name drug manufacturers may pay generic drug manufacturers to keep their cheaper products off the market.

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Shift In Gay Marriage Support Mirrors A Changing America

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 23:14

The latest polls indicate 58 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage. In 1977, that number was 13 percent. One researcher says that jump in support isn't the result of a generational gap — it's that many who once opposed gay marriage have changed their minds or softened their opposition.

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How An Unlikely Drug Helps Some Children Consumed By Fear

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 23:13

When abiding fear takes over some kids' lives, they respond with anger and aggression that's not premeditated. One psychiatrist says he's finding profound relief for a particular subgroup of these children in experimental research with the anesthesia drug ketamine.

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No. 15 Seed Florida Gulf Beats SDSU; Sunday's Scores

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 21:54

Little-known FGCU beat San Diego State 81-71 on Sunday night, its second NCAA tournament upset of the weekend. Just like in their opening win over second-seeded Georgetown — the Eagles' calling card to the nation — there were plenty of laughs, dunks and dances.

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Cyprus Secures Outline Of Bailout With European Officials

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 17:55

The cash-strapped island nation of Cyprus has secured a rescue package following negotiations that stretched into the early morning hours of Monday, in order to save the country's banking system from collapse.

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Millennials And Same-Sex Marriage: A Waning Divide

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 13:27

Recent polls show 70 percent of those aged 18 to 32 favor same-sex marriage. But the topic isn't settled, and for many young people, especially young Republicans, the issue of gay marriage is still a stumbling block.

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Marking Forgotten Slave Burial Sites, Online

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 12:27

Sandra Arnold, a student at Fordham University, is building the first national online registry of slave burial sites. The idea was sparked after she visited a former plantation in Tennessee where her great-grandfather, who was born a slave, is buried next to his wife, Ethel.

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Where's George?: The Trail Of $1 Bills Across The U.S.

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 12:26

For the last 15 years, a group of hobbyists has been tracking the movement of currency across the country. Self-named "Georgers" — after the president on the $1 bill — log the date, location and condition of bills they've encountered, and even spread the money by traveling across the country.

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Ex-President Musharraf Returns To A Different Pakistan

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 12:08

After four years of self-imposed exile, Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf has come home. His plan is to run for office and reclaim political influence, but death threats and legal battles complicate his return.

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100 Hours On The Supreme Court's Sidewalk: Camping Out For A Seat To History

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 10:58

Sub-freezing temperatures and a snow forecast aren't stopping die-hards from camping outside the Supreme Court for a seat to history. The court will begin hearing oral arguments Tuesday in its review of same-sex marriage laws.

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Goldman Sachs Hopes To Profit By Helping Troubled Teens

NPR News - Sun, 2013-03-24 10:57

Goldman Sachs has invested $9.6 million in a new initiative for juvenile offenders in the New York City prison system. While the Department of Corrections needs the money, some wonder if private investment has a place in government agencies.

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Concert on the Lawn July 27 & 28, 2013

CALL FOR VENDORS
KBBI’s Concert on the Lawn at Karen Hornaday Park brings together an eclectic group of talented musicians from Homer and beyond for a fun and spirited community weekend. Click here for details and to submit an application form. DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS JUNE 29th, 2013. We are not accepting food vendors as we are full in that category.

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