NPR News

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

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David Greene talks to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin about the cleanup and recovery efforts in her state after Monday's tornado that devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.

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A friend of the man killed Wednesday in Orlando says the FBI was questioning the man about his connection to Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the men suspected of planting the bombs in Boston.

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In a nonpartisan race in which two Democrats were the top contenders, the city councilman has edged out City Controller Wendy Greuel.

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The former congressman's career appeared to be over when he resigned in 2011 because of an extramarital sexting scandal and his lies about it. Now, he tells voters, "I've made some big mistakes. ... I hope I get a second chance to work for you." The Democratic primary is set for Sept. 10.

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Also: shameless book blurbs; new plays from Ayad Ahktar; and a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone draws a record price at auction.

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Officials think they've found all the survivors, and victims, of the massive tornado that devastated the community of Moore. The official death toll stands at 24. More than 230 people are said to have been injured.

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Councilman Eric Garcetti held a slender edge Tuesday in early returns over city Controller Wendy Greuel to become the next Los Angeles mayor, while slow-coming returns suggested it could take a day or more until a winner emerges.

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The ex-congressman whose career imploded in a rash of raunchy tweets two years ago said in a YouTube video announcement late Tuesday that he's in the New York City mayoral race. He'd said last month he was considering it.

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It goes back to a single page in a report written decades ago by U.S. consultants, and funded by the U.S. State Department.

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It goes back to a single page in a report written decades ago by U.S. consultants, and funded by the U.S. State Department.

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Political unpredictability in the region hampers all kinds of businesses: from stone-cutters and shoemakers to IT. Business owners in the West Bank say Secretary of State John Kerry's commitment to remove barriers to commerce might go further than actual cash.

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Political unpredictability in the region hampers all kinds of businesses: from stone-cutters and shoemakers to IT. Business owners in the West Bank say Secretary of State John Kerry's commitment to remove barriers to commerce might go further than actual cash.

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NASA and Google have come together to buy a new kind of computer that the manufacturer says runs on the strange laws of quantum mechanics. But some physicists counter that the machine, known as the D-Wave Two, has never demonstrated a phenomenon known as "quantum entanglement."

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It's a hard time to be a saver. The return on a savings account doesn't even keep up with inflation, and that has led many savers to ask: What should I do with my money? NPR's Uri Berliner takes $5,000 out of his own personal savings and explores various investment opportunities.

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Some single baby boomers are moving into group houses, a college-era solution to their modern needs. Housemates share costs, socialize, and cheer each other on through life's thick and thin.

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Far-reaching legislation that grants a chance at citizenship to millions of immigrants living illegally in the United States cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a solid bipartisan vote Tuesday night. It passed after supporters somberly sidestepped a controversy over the rights of gay spouses.

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After the announcement that David Beckham is retiring, there's been much discussion about how good of an athlete he's really been. Sports commentator Frank Deford says Beckham's talents have been overlooked.

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Lois Lerner, who heads the IRS division dealing with nonprofits seeking tax-exempt status, will not testify on Wednesday despite a congressional subpoena, her attorney says. She is accused of closely scrutinizing conservative groups that sought tax-exempt status.

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The waiver means the details of Fazliddin Kurbanov's alleged crimes remain mostly a mystery.

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