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Mitt Romney
6:20 am
Sun March 11, 2012

To Woo South, Romney Needs More Than A Twang

Credit Rogelio Solis / AP
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Mississippi Farmers Market in Jackson, Miss., Friday. The former Massachusetts governor has his skeptics in the Deep South.

Mitt Romney picked up some support in Saturday's contests, but there may be trouble lurking for him in the near future, as the GOP race moves to the Deep South.

Despite his second-place finish in Kansas, Romney scored victories Saturday in caucuses in Guam, the Northern Marianas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He also won county conventions in Wyoming.

Tuesday's primaries are in Alabama and Mississippi, and the reddest of states are proving to be a tough sell for the former Massachusetts governor. He's trying his best to connect with the Republican base.

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The Two-Way
1:48 am
Sun March 11, 2012

U.S. Service Member Detained For Allegedly Shooting Afghans

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:57 am

An American soldier in Afghanistan allegedly walked off his base in the pre-dawn hours Sunday morning and began shooting at civilians in their homes in the southern province of Kandahar.

At least 16 civilians are reported dead, including nine children and three women. NATO hasn't confirmed the death toll, but has detained the accused service member.

The attack began around 3 a.m. in two villages in Panjwai, a suburb of Kandahar. They're not far from the U.S. base. As the AP reports:

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Middle East
6:01 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

A War With Iran: Rhetoric Or A Reality?

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
Bob Kunst (right) protests against a nuclear Iran in front of the White House on Monday.

In recent weeks and days, the divisions over how to deal with Iran and its nuclear program have sharpened. The only undisputed fact is that Iran is developing a nuclear energy program, but after that things get murky.

Israel and some European countries believe Iran is moving toward a nuclear weapons program, but U.S. intelligence agencies disagree. Israel argues that a nuclear-armed Iran poses an existential threat, and there's much speculation in the media about a possible Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

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The Two-Way
5:03 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

Putin Opposition Recounts Vote Fraud At Moscow Rally

Originally published on Sat March 10, 2012 6:42 pm

Opponents of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin staged another rally in Moscow on Saturday, but with Putin now elected to the presidency for a six-year term, their mass protest movement seemed to be losing steam.

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Music Interviews
4:36 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

Zieti: Amid Brutal Conflict, A Musical Friendship Survives

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Zieti's members and extended family in the band's early days. Left to right: Tiende Laurent, Gnakale Aristide, Michael Shereikis (in back) with wife Natasha and son Nicholas, Yeoue Narcisse and Alex Owre.

The musical group Zieti started when two American expats met two Ivorian musicians living in a seaside shantytown. They became fast friends, rehearsing on the beach and even recording a few tracks together. The tracks then went missing when Ivory Coast fell into a brutal civil war, scattering Zieti's core to the four winds. Then, after a decade apart, the players reconnected and set about re-recording their lost songs.

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The Two-Way
3:55 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

Losing Sleep, Saving Time - Set Your Clock Forward This Weekend

Credit iStockphoto.com

Daylight saving time goes into effect at 2 a.m. tomorrow. Remember the adage, "Spring forward, fall back," and set your clock ahead by one hour before you go to bed tonight.

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Asia
3:00 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

A Year Later, Japan Slowly Recovers

Transcript

GUY RAZ, HOST:

It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Guy Raz.

It's already Sunday in Japan. And people across that country will begin to commemorate the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck one year ago. In a moment, we're going to hear about a group of volunteers who have been working with survivors, helping them get back on their feet.

But first to our correspondent Anthony Kuhn who's in Japan. And, Anthony, tell us, first of all, where you are and how it compares to what you saw a year ago.

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Asia
3:00 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

Volunteers Aid Lives Shattered By Japan Disaster

As Japan continues to rebuild after last year's devastating earthquake and tsunami, many Japanese are devoting themselves to dealing with the human costs of the tragedy. Almost 20,000 people died in the disaster, but many thousands more were left injured, homeless and destitute. Doualy Xaykaothao met a group of Japanese people trying to make a difference.

Around the Nation
3:00 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

The Curious Case Of Teen Tics In Le Roy, N.Y.

Transcript

GUY RAZ, HOST:

Now to a story that's gripped a small town in Upstate, New York for the past five months. It's about 18 high school girls in the working-class town of Le Roy. It's just outside of Rochester. Reporter Susan Dominus wrote about it in this week's issue of the New York Times magazine, and she says it all started back in October when a high school cheerleader named Katie Krautwurst woke up from a nap.

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Media
12:45 pm
Sat March 10, 2012

Ag-Gag Law Blows Animal Activists' Cover

After a series of videos revealing apparent cruel treatment of farm animals went viral, Iowa has made it a crime for people to misrepresent themselves to gain access to a farm. The so-called "Ag-Gag" law targets undercover animal rights activists who secretly take videos. Farmers say they need the legal protection to block those trying to take down agriculture, but critics ask what the industry may be hiding.

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Arts & Life
9:55 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Here (And There, And Really Everywhere) Be Dragons

As the supernatural enjoys a pop culture resurgence — from vampires to fairy tales — there's also been a firestorm of fascination with dragons. Fire-breathing dragons are central to the much-anticipated second season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, which opens April 1. And this year alone the mystical creatures are being featured in two movies, a new book, video games and a museum exhibit.

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Simon Says
8:57 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Internet Privacy: What's Vital Information?

Credit IMDB
Actress Junie Hoang is going to court because her IMDB profile reveals her age.

I hope it's not ungentlemanly to note that Junie Hoang is 40 years old. Her birth date appears in the Internet Movie Data Base, or IMDb, as does the fact that she has played a headless woman in Domain of the Damned and Ms. Fix-It in Voodoo Dolly.

She doesn't sound like a woman to cross.

Junie Hoang is going to court against IMDb, which is owned by Amazon, because they reveal her age in her entry. She believes that could cost her work.

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NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Fukushima Starts Long Road To Recovery

NPR's Richard Harris talks with host Scott Simon about the Fukushima Dai-ichi reactors, one year after multiple meltdowns there spread radioactive materials across a swath of northern Japan. Huge technical challenges remain and prospects for resettling the area are uncertain.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Libyan Interim Leader On Recovery, Instability

This time last year, Col. Moammar Gadhafi was losing control of Libya. Scott Simon talks with Abdel-Rahim el Keib, the Libyan interim prime minister who took over in the wake of the country's uprising.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Romney Wraps Up Deep South Tour

NPR's Ari Shapiro traveled with presidential hopeful Mitt Romney this week as the campaign swung through Mississippi and Alabama ahead of Republican primaries this coming Tuesday.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Non-Romney Candidates Continue Delegate Search

Host Scott Simon reports on the other candidates for the Republican nomination for president: Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul. This week, they've been campaigning in the South and Midwest in the hunt for votes and nominating delegates.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

How Powerful Is A Political Yard Sign?

Think of them as political mushrooms, popping up on yards and street corners across the country every campaign season. They are yards signs, blaring the names of candidates. But do they work? Host Scott Simon speaks with Costas Panagopoulos, professor of political science at Fordham University.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

The Week In Sports

Tom Goldman joins host Scott Simon to talk about the latest sports stories.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Boats Ashore, Tsunami Scars Japanese Fishing Town

Japan's Miyage prefecture was one of the hardest hit by last year's earthquake and tsunami. There, the coastal community of Yuriage remains practically deserted. What was once a beautiful harbor filled with boats and a bustling community is now a desolate and deserted place, Doualy Xaykaothao reports.

NPR Story
8:00 am
Sat March 10, 2012

Will Job Numbers Add Up To Votes For Obama?

Originally published on Sat March 10, 2012 1:49 pm

Transcript

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

We've been hearing the latest employment numbers show things moving in a positive direction, but the economy and jobs market are still weak. That's, of course, a major factor in an election year. Our friend from the business world, Joe Nocera, joins us. He's an op-ed columnist for the New York Times. Joe, thanks for being with us.

JOE NOCERA: Thanks for having me, Scott.

SIMON: As we heard, of course, the economy added more jobs in February than economists had expected. Is this a trend or true stability?

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