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The Two-Way
1:33 pm
Sat May 25, 2013

Obama Forgets To Salute; Sparks Debate On Presidential Tradition

Credit Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama greets a Marine after forgetting to salute him while boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.

As Obama boarded Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, he didn't return the salute of the Marine standing at the base of the stairs.

Obama realized it once he got into the helicopter, so he turned around and shook the Marine's hand. Here's video of the moment:

As happens with anything to do with the presidency, Obama's forgetfulness unleashed scrutiny and criticism.

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The Salt
12:40 pm
Sat May 25, 2013

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

Banana-flavored vapors? A pineapple island?

These may sound like the makings of a Roald Dahl children's book (he of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame). But at London's Kew Gardens, visitors can now immerse themselves in such fantastic-sounding experiences like rowing down a blue-dyed boating lake to the aforementioned island, which features a 15-foot replica pineapple towering over a banana grotto.

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The Two-Way
11:04 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Missouri Train Collision Injures 7, Collapses Overpass

Two freight trains collided in Scott County, Mo., early Saturday morning, leaving seven injured and collapsing an overpass.

KMOV-TV reports:

"Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter says a Union Pacific train t-boned a Burlington Northern train that had just made it through an intersection.

"The collision caused one of the trains to derail and hit a pillar under the overpass causing it to collapse. At least a dozen train cars derailed.

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The Two-Way
10:03 am
Sat May 25, 2013

One Hit Wonder? Another Anibal Sanchez No-Hit Bid Spoiled

Credit Duane Burleson / Getty Images
Anibal Sanchez of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins to end the game on Friday.

You've gotta feel for Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez.

He was cruising toward a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins Friday night. It was the ninth inning, two outs to go, the count was 1-1 on Joe Mauer.

For his 121st pitch, Sanchez hung a pitch over the heart of the plate. Mauer delivered a bullet to center field, spoiling Sanchez's no-hit bid.

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The Two-Way
9:13 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'We Need Help Bad': 911 Calls Reveal Chaos In Tornado's Wake

Credit Tom Pennington / Getty Images
An American flag flies over the rubble of a destroyed neighborhood on May 24 in Moore, Okla.

Authorities in Moore, Okla., just released some of the calls that were made to 911 during the EF-5 tornado that devastated the city.

They're harrowing and they offer a glimmer of the chaos and emotion that followed the storm.

During one of the calls, a man tells the dispatcher that the tornado has "cremated" a daycare.

"We need help bad," the man says. You can hear the sounds of children crying in the background. "We need help bad. We got tons of babies in here."

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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 10:54 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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