National

National

Iowans Are Trying To Recover From Widespread Devastation From Derecho

4:04pm August 19, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, about the state and federal response to a derecho that hit more than a week ago and brought widespread devastation.

What Store Stickers On Old Records Reveal About History Of Mexican American Music

4:04pm August 19, 2020

Agustin Gurza of UCLA's Frontera Collection has been studying stickers affixed to old 78 rpm records. It has allowed him to uncover a history of Mexican American music in the United States.

Will Flu Be A Risk This Fall? Doctors Insist People Should Get The Flu Shot Anyway

4:04pm August 19, 2020

by Allison Aubrey

Vaccine manufacturers have increased the production of flu shots for this season. Experts say a combination of the coronavirus and seasonal flu could be a lethal mix.

NIH Warns Data On Effectiveness Of Convalescent Plasma In Treating COVID-19 Is Weak

4:04pm August 19, 2020

by Joe Palca

The National Institutes of Health has asked the Food and Drug Administration to delay allowing the use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 because the proof of its effectiveness is weak.

Climate Change May Lead To More Record Heat And Fires In California, Experts Warn

4:04pm August 19, 2020

California is facing a searing heat wave and a growing number of wildfires — challenges only projected to get worse with climate change.

How Offshore Wind Farms May Affect Fishing Industry

4:04pm August 19, 2020

by Sam Evans-Brown

The offshore wind industry is poised for massive growth. But the Trump administration has echoed concerns that turbines could hurt the fishing industry.

A 130 degree temperature was recorded Sunday in Death Valley National Park, Calif. Now a committee of scientists is working to verify this temperature, which might turn out to be one of the hottest ever recorded.

How Weather Detectives Scrutinize Would-Be World Records

3:28pm August 19, 2020

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When a weather station in Death Valley recorded a high of 130 degrees Sunday, it triggered an inquiry to verify the reading. Here's a look into the exacting process of vetting extreme weather claims.

Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife, by Ariel Sabar

'Veritas' Asks How A Respected Scholar Could Be Duped By A Bumbling Fraudster

2:18pm August 19, 2020

by Tom Gjelten

Author Ariel Sabar explores the lives of Harvard's Karen King and of Walter Fritz, the porn producer who convinced her the papyrus fragment he gave her — "The Gospel of Jesus's Wife" — was genuine.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott unveiled a plan that would freeze any city from raising property taxes on residents if police departments are defunded.

National

Texas Governor Floats Plan To Freeze Tax Hikes In Cities That Defund Police

1:43pm August 19, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

After Austin cut millions from its police department, Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing to make cities pay a price for tightening law enforcement budgets.

Ali Al-Tamimi (center) walks with two unidentified men as they leave federal court in Alexandria, Va., in April 2005. A federal judge has ordered him released from prison pending the outcome of his appeals, which have been unresolved for more than a decad

National

Judge Orders Release Of Virginia Terrorism Convict Pending Appeal

10:13am August 19, 2020

by Mark Katkov

Ali Al-Tamimi was sentenced to life in prison 15 years ago for encouraging several young men to join the Taliban and fight U.S. forces. He is being held in the federal Supermax prison in Colorado.