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Corbett Says Latino Comment Taken Out of Context

The Associated Press — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:24:17 +0000

Gov. Tom Corbett's office says his comments about a lack of Latinos on his staff were taken out of context to discredit him.

The first-term Republican said in response to a question at an Al Dia newsmedia-sponsored event in Philadelphia last week that he did not have any Latinos on his staff. Then he asked people at the forum to help him find one.

His office issued a statement Wednesday that said he was only referring to his immediate staff, a small group.

Hitting the Road this Memorial Day Weekend? You're Not Alone

Deanna Garcia — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:55:18 +0000

The traditional kick-off to the summer driving season officially gets underway this weekend as millions of people travel for the Memorial Day weekend. According to AAA East Central, approximately 31.2 million motorists will hit the road starting Thursday.

“In the mid-Atlantic region, which includes Pennsylvania, there will be about 3.78 million drivers out on the roadways, so very busy if you’re heading out on a road trip,” said AAA spokeswoman Bevi Powell.

Triple Murder May Link Tsarnaev And Man Killed In Florida

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:06:00 +0000

Ibragim Todashev, the 27-year-old man shot and killed after he allegedly attacked an FBI agent Wednesday in Orlando, may have been involved with Boston bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev in a 2011 triple murder.

As NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reported on All Things Considered, "it's still under investigation, but law enforcement authorities told us tha

'On Top Of The World' At 80: Japanese Climber Summits Everest

Bill Chappell — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:06:00 +0000

A Japanese mountaineer has become the oldest person to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, as Yuichiro Miura, 80, reached the 29,035-foot peak Thursday morning. The feat marks Miura's third time atop Mount Everest; he previously climbed the mountain at ages 70 and 75.

As in 2008, Miura's accomplishment is in danger of being surpassed by his main rival, Nepalese climber Min Bahadur Sherchan, 81.

Cleveland Hero Charles Ramsey Rewarded With Burgers For Life

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:00 +0000

Charles Ramsey, the neighbor who helped rescue three young women from a Cleveland home where authorities say they had been held captive and brutalized for about a decade, "will enjoy free burgers for life" in honor of his actions, The Plain Dealer reports.

Ramsey myocardial ischemia, a condition in which the heart gets less blood.

Jobless Claims Drop, But Stay In Recent Range

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:02:00 +0000

There were 340,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, down 23,000 from the week before, the Employment and Training Administration reports.

The decline follows something of a spike. But in reality, the drop just means that claims continue to run at the pace they've been setting since late 2011.

Book News: Lydia Davis Wins Man Booker International Prize

Annalisa Quinn — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:39:00 +0000

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

American author Lydia Davis was awarded the Man Booker International Prize, worth about $90,000, at a ceremony Wednesday in London. Davis is renowned for her works of (very) short fiction.

Octogenarian Rivals Race To Top Of Mount Everest

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:25:00 +0000

An 80-year-old Japanese mountain climber has become the oldest person to reach the summit. But that record may not last. His 81-year-old Nepalese rival plans to make the ascent again next week.

New Jersey Officials Wrap Up 'Operation Swill'

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:19:00 +0000

The target: bars trying to pull a fast one. They charge for good booze, but actually pour the cheap stuff in the glass. Authorities caught 29 bars — 13 of those TGI Fridays.

Funerals Begin In Tornado-Ravaged Moore, Okla.

Mark Memmott — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:41:00 +0000

Funerals began Thursday for the 24 people known to have been killed by the tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., on Monday.

Nine-year-old Antonia Candelaria, one of the 7 children killed at Plaza Towers Elementary School, was being remembered at a local church.

Casey Reintroduces Tax Credit Bill for Veterans

Mary Wilson — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:32:51 +0000

Pennsylvania's Democratic U.S. senator is taking another whack at knocking down the unemployment rate among military veterans with a proposed tax credit.

Sen. Bob Casey said Wednesday the tax credit would help veterans or their spouses purchase franchises. They would be able to write off 25 percent of the franchise fee, or up to $100,000.

In a conference call with reporters, Casey likened the tax credit to the GI bill funding veterans' college education, saying it's another way to help veterans establish themselves as civilians.

Chicago School Closing Battle Targets Elected Officials

Cheryl Corley — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

A day after school officials approved shutting down 50 schools, the Chicago Teachers Union and community activists say they'll hold a voter registration and education campaign. The union is agitated that Mayor Rahm Emanuel, school board members and some lawmakers failed to listen to parents, teachers and others who called for the schools to remain open.

Before they voted yes on the sweeping school closure plan, school board members faced a torrent of criticism Wednesday.

Attackers Hack To Death Man On London Street

Renee Montagne — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:16:00 +0000

Authorities in London are investigating what British Prime Minister David Cameron says is likely a terrorist attack. On Wednesday, two suspects brutally attacked a man near a London military barracks.

When Will Fed Officials Ease Off The Accelerator?

John Ydstie — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:48:00 +0000

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress Wednesday that the central bank is not ready to scale back on economic stimulus. But he suggested the Fed may start to pare back bond purchases if the economy picks up momentum. Stocks fell following Bernanke's remarks.

IRS Official's Silence Riles House Committee Members

Peter Overby — Thu, 23 May 2013 08:38:00 +0000

On Wednesday, Lois Lerner, the IRS official overseeing the tax-exempt organizations office, refused to testify during a hearing on Capitol Hill, and was attacked by some Republicans on the House committee. Her brief appearance was the beginning of a five-hour session marked by angry outbursts and allegations of political motives.

Obama Group's Climate Push Puts President Under Scrutiny

Ari Shapiro — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:06:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biUc0D6_UPA

Sick Inmates Dying Behind Bars Despite Release Program

Carrie Johnson — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:05:00 +0000

Prison is a tough place, but Congress made an exception nearly 30 years ago, giving terminally ill inmates and prisoners with extraordinary family circumstances an early way out. It's called compassionate release.

But a recent investigation found that many federal inmates actually die while their requests drift through the system.

One of them was Clarence Allen Rice.

Rice operated a leasing company in Iowa for decades.

Living In Two Worlds, But With Just One Language

Michele Norris — Thu, 23 May 2013 07:05:00 +0000

NPR continues its conversations about The Race Card Project, where NPR Host/Special Correspondent Michele Norris asks people to send in six-word stories about race and culture.

Scientific Tooth Fairies Investigate Neanderthal Breast-Feeding

Adam Cole — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:47:00 +0000
When it comes to weaning, humans are weird.
Our closest relatives, chimpanzees and gorillas, breast-feed their offspring for several years. Some baby orangutans nurse until they are 7 years old.
But modern humans wean much earlier. In preindustrial societies, babies stop nursing after about two years. Which raises the question: How did we get that way?

Lois Lerner's Brief And Awful Day On Capitol Hill

Frank James — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:10:00 +0000
The public got its first look Thursday at Lois Lerner, who has gone from faceless IRS bureaucrat to the face that launched what feels like 1,000 congressional hearings and conspiracy theories.
But it was only a brief sighting since she didn't stay long at a House hearing to further probe her role in how some IRS workers came to target conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.
The night before the hearing Lerner, who heads the IRS tax-exempt operation at the scandal's heart, made it known through her lawyer that she would invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and

Bill Peduto Post Primary: Where Do We Go From Here?

Heather McClain — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:09:21 +0000

Airing Thursday at noon on 90.5 WESA
Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto has won Pittsburgh's Democratic Mayoral Primary.
Eight years after first running for mayor, he talks about what it means to be so close to realizing his dream and the "new Pittsburgh" he envisions.

Coleen Rowley: Is There a War on Whistleblowers & Journalists?

Heather McClain — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:59:34 +0000

Airing Thursday at noon on 90.5 WESA
Former FBI special agent and division counsel, Coleen Rowley made headlines with her May 2002 memo describing some of the FBI's pre-9/11 failures. She was named one of Time Magazine's "Persons of the Year" in 2002 and now says President Obama has dramatically increased governmental secrecy by declaring what she calls "a war on whistleblowers and a war on journalists."