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The Two-Way
3:31 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Snickers And 5-Star Hotels: Report Details Top General's Wasteful Spending

Credit Caleb Jones / AP
Army Lt. Gen. William E. Kip Ward is adminstered the oath of four-star General, the Army's highest rank of general.

A report made public today by the Department of Defense finally gives us details on what caused the downfall of Four-Star Gen. William "Kip" Ward.

More than a year ago, Ward gave up his post as leader of U.S. Africa Command and Stars and Stripes reported in May that he would be stripped of two of his stars, pending an investigation. But the reasons why were kept quiet, as Stars And Stripes reported.

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Books
3:19 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

This Week's 5 Must-Read Stories From NPR Books

Credit iStockphoto.com

1. The Healing Power Of Stories

Cambodian author Vaddey Ratner was just a child when the Khmer Rouge came banging on the doors of her aristocratic family's compound in Phnom Penh. She's fictionalized that experience — and the years of hardship that followed — in her new novel, In the Shadow of the Banyan.

She survived — and so does her heroine, Raami — in part because she remembered the poems and stories her father loved.

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Music Reviews
3:17 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Fire Up Your Kid's Imagination At The 'Science Fair'

Credit El Lohse
Science Fair includes science-loving songs from Laura Veirs, Mates of State, Elizabeth Mitchell and more.

Originally published on Fri August 17, 2012 6:03 pm

The Two-Way
2:47 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Study Supports Regulators' Effort To Limit Miners' Exposure To Coal Dust

A study released today by the Government Accountability Office says that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) used appropriate data and scientific methods in drafting new regulations aimed at limiting the amount of coal dust miners are exposed to at U.S. operations.

As NPR's Howard Berkes reported for us last month, some House Republicans had blocked implementation of the regulations until GAO issued its report.

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Deceptive Cadence
2:19 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Agitation In Atlanta, Luck In London And John Cage On The A Train

Credit Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is facing budget battles, and the shame of being silenced while backing a pop group.

Originally published on Wed October 24, 2012 1:27 pm

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The Record
2:13 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

'We Are Not Guilty; The Whole World Says So'

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 7:31 pm

It's All Politics
2:05 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Obama Camp's DOA Tax Offer To Romney Keeps Issue Alive

Originally published on Fri August 17, 2012 2:26 pm

The Friday offer from President Obama's campaign to Mitt Romney — that if the GOP presidential candidate releases his tax returns for the past five years, it won't attack him for not releasing more — was immediately rejected by the Romney campaign.

But the give-and-take keeps Romney on the defensive, and promises to keep the issue of Romney's taxes going for weeks to come.

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Author Interviews
1:12 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Donald Ray Pollock On Finding Fiction Late In Life

This interview was originally broadcast on July 26, 2011. Donald Ray Pollock's The Devil All the Time is now out in paperback.

Knockemstiff, Ohio, is a tiny hamlet in southern Ohio. In the 1950s, Knockemstiff had three stores, a bar and a population of about 450 people. Most of those people, says fiction writer Donald Ray Pollock, were "connected by blood through one godforsaken calamity or another."

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The Two-Way
1:05 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

New Syrian Envoy Brahimi Takes On 'Crucial Task'

Longtime troubleshooter Lakhdar Brahimi has, as expected, taken on the extremely difficult challenge of being the "joint special representative for Syria" who will try to broker a peace plan for that nation on behalf of the United Nations and the League of Arab States.

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The Two-Way
12:53 pm
Fri August 17, 2012

Steve Jobs' Stolen iPad Ends Up In The Hands Of A Clown

Credit @kennytheclown / via Twitter
Kenny the Clown.

You may have heard that the house of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was burglarized, back in July. Among the stolen items, was a 64 GB silver iPad.

Today, there's news from the San Jose Mercury News that the iPad was recovered from an unlikely source: It was in the hands of Kenny the Clown, who used it to entertain kids and tourists in the Bay Area.

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