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Updated: 3 hours 55 min ago
Syracuse Powers Past Gonzaga In NCAA Tourney
The 'Cuse needed no excuses, winning a second-round game in men's basketball play a day after a fellow No. 1 seed, Kansas, was upset. Seven more games are yet to be decided Sunday as the ranks of the tournament's Sweet Sixteen are filled out.
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House Takes Up Nail-Biter Of A Health Vote
House Democratic leaders say the votes will be there for their historic health care legislation when the roll is called. That phrasing masks an underlying truth — they don't have the votes yet.
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Down Goes Kansas! Upsets Aplenty In Wild NCAA
Kansas is shocked in NCAA mens' basketball tournament, losing to Northern Iowa.
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Immigration: The Next Mountain To Climb?
Supporters of immigration overhaul are rallying on the National Mall in hopes their cause will be the next Congressional battle. They want a comprehensive rewrite of the immigration laws that would provide a path to citizenship for the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the country. But the politics of the immigration issue are complicated for both parties.
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Iowa Upsets Kansas In NCAA Shocker
No. 1-seeded Kansas was knocked out of the NCAA men's basketball tournament by 9th-seed Northern Iowa Saturday, and 11th-seed Washington ousted No. 3 New Mexico State. Host Liane Hansen talks to NPR's Tom Goldman about what has become a tournament filled with upsets.
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Nerves Raw, U.S., Israel Open Conference
When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to warn him that an Israeli housing project in East Jerusalem is harming U.S. interests, a pro-Israel lobby in Washington was quick to accuse Clinton of blowing things out of proportion. AIPAC, or the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, called on the Obama administration to tone down the rhetoric. The Obama administration did get support, though, from a new pro-Israel lobby, J Street, which says Israel has to take steps to improve relations. It is against this backdrop that AIPAC opens its annual policy conference, a meeting where both Clinton and Netanyahu are expected to speak.
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Rubik's Cube Still Confounds At 30
It has been 30 years since one of the world's great puzzles came to this country. The multicolored device was called the Magic Cube when it first went on sale in a Budapest toyshop. But by 1980, the puzzle carried the name of its inventor, Hungarian architecture professor Erno Rubik. Host Liane Hansen takes a moment to note the toy's anniversary.
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Fire Can Be Good For Global Warming
Scientists have calculated that it actually makes sense to start intentional fires to keep down debris and undergrowth. Even though these prescribed fires do put carbon into the atmosphere, the scientists calculate it's less than what would go up in big wildfires.
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IRS Taking On Crisis As Well As Taxes
The Internal Revenue Service has always been a source of consternation for many Americans, but in tough economic times like these, the anger seems more strident. Anti-tax forces have called for the abolition of the agency; one man took out his rage by flying his small plane into an IRS building, killing himself and one employee. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Douglas Shulman, the IRS Commissioner, about what the agency is doing to help people struggling financially, as well as the IRS' efforts to keep employees safe.
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EU Sets Out To Lead Climate Changers
Connie Hedegaard, the European Union's Commissioner for Climate Action, has laid out an ambitious goal — in five years, she says, she wants to see "a Europe that is the most climate-friendly region in the world." Host Liane Hansen speaks to Hedegaard about the EU's attempts to move forward on climate talks. Commissioner Hedegaard tells Liane how Europe has benefited from climate legislation, and what it might mean for the U.S.
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Spring Equinox Brings Balance, At Least To Eggs
Saturday was the vernal equinox, the first moment of spring, and a time when the periods of light and dark are equal. Last year, Donna Henes greeted the spring equinox in a snowstorm at around 4 in the morning. But this year was different.
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How A Pilot's Death Created Heroes
When the pilot of his plane died after takeoff last year, passenger Doug White took control and landed it with the help of air traffic controllers.
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Health Care Drama Reaches Fever Pitch
Despite the protests raging in and around the Capitol, at least 216 members of the House of Representatives are predicted to cast votes of "yea" on the health care bill today, finally passing a history-making overhaul package. That is, if all goes according to the Democrats' plan.
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Democrats Say They've Got The Magic 216
That's the number of votes House Democrats need to pass a sweeping overhaul of the nation's health care system. Lawmakers are expected to vote Sunday, and with all 178 House Republicans and at least two dozen Democrats vowing to vote no, the vote will be extremely close. NPR White House Correspondent Scott Horsley joins host Liane Hansen live to talk about Obama's efforts to push the health care overhaul legislation through the House of Representatives.
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Demise Of Coral, Salamanders Show Impact Of Web
The Internet has emerged as one of the greatest threats fueling the illegal wildlife trade, making it easier to buy everything from live baby lions to wine made from tiger bones, conservationists said Sunday.
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Fargo's Fight Against Flooding Nears Its Climax
A weeklong fight against flooding neared its climax in Fargo on Sunday, with miles of sandbags and clay dikes expected to hold back the bloated Red River at its crest with room to spare.
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Chilean Children Suffer From Quake's Mental Shocks
The Chilean capital, Santiago, withstood last month's 8.8 magnitude earthquake remarkably well. But mental health experts say the earthquake and the powerful aftershocks that followed it are having strong psychological effects, particularly on children.
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Gambling To Fix Pensions Can Lead To A Bigger Bind
Public pension fund investing has changed a lot over the past few decades. Cities and states used to invest conservatively. Now, many are trying to rebuild pension funds by resorting to chancy investments in foreign currency, junk bonds and margin trades.
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Paralyzed Graffiti Artist Draws Using Only His Eyes
A group of artists and hackers have crafted a gadget that lets a paralyzed graffiti artist continue making art using only his eyes. And it costs about as much as an iPod shuffle.
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Pension Woes May Deepen Financial Crisis For States
From Connecticut to California, pension funds for public employees lack the funding they need. A recent report from the Pew Center on the States put the tab for unfunded pension liabilities at $452 billion. The debacle could threaten the financial solvency of some states — and taxpayers are on the hook.
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