News

Congress Considering Concealed Carry Reciprocity Law

4:55pm November 16, 2017

Congress is considering a bill that would allow a person with a concealed carry permit in one state to legally carry the gun in another state, even if that state has stricter requirements for getting a permit. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with Daniel Webster, the director of Johns Hopkins' Center for Gun Policy and Research, about the potential effects of a federal concealed carry reciprocity law.

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National

How Journalists Are Reporting In An Environment Of Mistrust

4:55pm November 16, 2017

An Alabama pastor said he received a voicemail from a man purporting to be a Washington Post reporter and offering money in exchange for damaging remarks about Senate candidate Roy Moore. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with former Washington Post executive editor Len Downie Jr. about the hostile climate journalists are facing.

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National

Why Google Home Has Hard Time Recognizing The Smash Hit 'Despacito'

4:55pm November 16, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

The Latin Grammy nominated song "Despacito" is a smash hit on YouTube. But if you ask Google's personal assistant to play "Despacito" it can't understand the command. Even though YouTube is part of Google. It's a learning moment about artificial intelligence, how natural language processing works and why machines still struggle with translation and foreign accents.

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Takashi Yanaoka, president of the Musashigaoka Golf Course outside Tokyo, says tee times are booked at about 90 percent here. But it bucks an industry-wide downward trend.

Japan Has Half Of Asia's Golf Courses, But The Game's Popularity There Is Flagging

4:55pm November 16, 2017

by Elise Hu

In the 1980s, Japan built thousands of golf courses and the game became baked into its business culture. Those days are over. Golf participation in Japan has dropped by 40 percent since 1996.

Martha (right), the last known passenger pigeon, died in 1914. Her preserved body is now on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.

Science

Why Did The Passenger Pigeon Go Extinct? The Answer Might Lie In Their Toes

4:55pm November 16, 2017

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Billions of these birds once flew over North America, but the last known passenger pigeon died in 1914. To try to figure out what happened, scientists analyzed DNA from the toes of birds in museums.

A woman shows symptoms of monkeypox in 2008 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Monkeypox On The Rise: How Worried Should We Be?

4:53pm November 16, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

The virus, a cousin of smallpox, is popping up in some African countries — and making headlines in the U.S. But is it really a rising threat?

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., apologized for an alleged sexual assault incident on a 2006 USO tour.

Sen. Al Franken Accused Of Sexual Assault By LA Model And Radio Host

4:05pm November 16, 2017

by Brian Naylor

The Minnesota Democrat put out a statement apologizing for the 2006 incident, in which he is accused of forcibly kissing a woman while on a USO tour and later groping her while she was sleeping.

A Yemeni man receives treatment at a hospital after a Saudi-led coalition airstrike in Taez, Yemen, on Tuesday.

World News

With 20 Million Yemenis In Need, Aid Groups Say 'Clock Is Ticking' To End Blockade

3:41pm November 16, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

Between a massive cholera outbreak, a desperate food shortage and deadly airstrikes, 11 million children need aid — aid that can't get through due to the Saudi-led blockade, three major agencies say.

EPA Moves To Shield Older Semi Truck Engines In 'Gliders' From Emissions Rules

3:37pm November 16, 2017

by Bill Chappell

A new rule would cover "glider vehicles" — made by combining a new truck body with a salvaged diesel engine. The EPA says it sees them differently now than it did under the Obama administration.

Potato Research Institute geneticist Jaroslava Domkářová says that while potatoes are a staple crop in the Czech Republic, the recent blue "specialty varieties" are harder to market.

Czech Republic Creates Tuber For Health-Conscious Purple-Potato Eaters

3:26pm November 16, 2017

by Morgan Childs

"Val Blue" is the first new variety bred at the Potato Research Institute since 2005. And though vibrant, unique types are popular elsewhere, they're still a hard sell in this potato-loving nation.