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Code Switch
8:03 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'Las Caras Lindas': To Be Black And Puerto Rican In 2013

Credit Coburn Dukehart / NPR
Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Tego Calderón is seen in his studio, El Sitio, in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Behind him, a portrait of Ismael Rivera.
The Two-Way
7:48 am
Sat May 25, 2013

School Bus Fire Kills 15 Children In Pakistan

Credit Mohsin Raza / Reuters /Landov
A relative of one of the children who died after a fire on a school bus, cries over the coffin, on the outskirts of Gujrat.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 8:42 am

A fire onboard a school bus left at least 15 children dead in Pakistan Saturday morning.

The New York Times reports the private school bus caught fire near the town of Gujrat, when the driver tried to switch from using gasoline to natural gas.

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The Salt
6:30 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Gals Who Grill: What Will It Take For Women To Man The Q?

Credit iStockphoto.com
Ladies, why are we letting the menfolk dominate the grilling?

There's a lot of innovation in grilling — everything from fancy briquettes to gadgets that help grill veggies to perfection.

But according to survey data from the NPD Group, one thing that's not changing is who's firing up the grill.

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Deceptive Cadence
6:03 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Leonard Bernstein's 'Rite of Spring' Thrill Ride

Credit Ian Showell / Getty Images
Leonard Bernstein leads the London Symphony Orchestra. He called Stravinsky's famously savage Rite of Spring "extremely tuneful and dancy, rhythmically seductive, beguiling."

If you think all the twitchy rhythms and random shards of melody flashing through Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring sound complicated, consider the poor musicians who have to learn it. And then there's the conductor, who needs to perfectly place every piccolo tweet and bass drum boom.

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National Security
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Obama Keeps Distance From Torture Debate, At Least For Now

Credit Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP
President Obama delivers a speech on national security Thursday at the National Defense University at Fort McNair in Washington.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:02 am

In his national security speech Thursday, President Obama discussed drone warfare and the Guantanamo detention camp. But a third controversial issue went largely unmentioned: the use of interrogation methods that are tantamount to torture.

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The Two-Way
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Gnomes Crash Distinguished Garden Show In England

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:02 am

Gnomes marched their way into one of England's most prestigious gardening events this year. The 100th annual Chelsea Flower Show, which ends Saturday, opened its gates to the flower-friendly creatures for the first time.

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Europe
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

War Of Words: France Debates Teaching Courses In English

Credit Jacques Demarthon / AFP/Getty Images
On Thursday in Paris, demonstrators protest against a measure to teach more university courses in English.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:02 am

Will teaching English in France's universities undermine the French language? That's up for debate in the country now, and the arguments are heated.

The lower house of the French Parliament approved a measure Thursday that would allow courses to be taught in English, something that is currently against the law.

Those in favor of the proposal say it will attract more international students and improve English language skills of French students. But opponents say the move will only impoverish and marginalize the country's tongue.

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The Deadly Tornado In Moore, Okla.
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'Please, No More Clothes': Okla. Asks For Monetary Donations

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 9:02 am

The tornado that devastated much of Moore, Okla., has drawn loads of donations from across the country: food, clothing, medical supplies, toys. Much of it is needed by the victims, but not everything.

After every disaster, relief groups usually ask for one thing: money. But writing a check or texting a donation isn't always that satisfying for those who want so desperately to help.

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Parallels
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

In India, More Women Are Playing Matchmaker For Themselves

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:02 am

In India, some of the most entertaining reading on a Sunday afternoon is found in the classified ads. Page after page, the matrimonial section trumpets the finer qualities of India's sons and daughters.

Parents looking to marry off their children often place ads such as this one: "Wanted: Well-settled, educated groom for fair, beautiful Bengali girl, 22, 5'3"."

The matrimonial ads are a hallowed tradition in the quest to find a life partner — part of the institution of matchmaking that is as old as the country itself.

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Deceptive Cadence
5:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Then The Curtain Opened: The Bracing Impact Of Stravinsky's 'Rite'

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 9:03 am

One hundred years ago this week, a ballet premiered that changed the art world. Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du PrintempsThe Rite of Spring — was first seen by the public on May 29, 1913, in Paris. As the orchestra played The Rite's swirling introduction, the audience at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées began to murmur. Then the curtain opened.

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