News

The majority of voters in San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., voted in favor of a soda tax, but the measure didn't gain the required two-thirds majority required in San Francisco.

Berkeley Decides To Try Taxing Away Its Soda Habit

5:46pm November 06, 2014

by Lisa Aliferis

Many cities and states have tried, but Berkeley, Calif., is the first to pass a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The goal is to reduce sugar consumption to improve public health.

A man who breaks a wrist after age 50 is more likely to die prematurely than a woman with the same injury.

Have You Broken A Wrist? Men Are At Risk Of Osteoporosis, Too

5:45pm November 06, 2014

by Nancy Shute

A broken wrist may not seem like much, but it can be the first sign that you're headed for a broken hip or spinal fracture. Men often don't realize they are at risk of osteoporosis as they age.

In 49 U.S. states, spotting the squished disc in this spinal MRI is still much easier than learning the price of the MRI in advance.

How Much Is That MRI, Really? Massachusetts Shines A Light

5:45pm November 06, 2014

by Martha Bebinger

A state law now requires insurers to reveal prices of their medical tests, and the variation is amazing, bargain hunters say. An MRI of the back is $614 at one place, $1,800 at another.

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A mural created by students, with help from the artist Angel Garcia, in the hallway at Flushing International High School in New York City.

From NYC's International Schools, Lessons For Teaching Unaccompanied Minors

4:47pm November 06, 2014

by Alexandra Starr

Schools around the U.S. are struggling to accommodate the influx of children from Central America. These schools have been helping students from around the world adjust and learn for years.

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Saah Exco was found alone on a beach in Liberia's West Point slum, naked and abandoned and likely an Ebola victim.Research suggests the story of one needy individual motivates charitable donors more than statistics about millions of sufferers.

Why Your Brain Wants To Help One Child In Need — But Not Millions

4:14pm November 06, 2014

by Shankar Vedantam

Donations to fight Ebola are lower than expected. One psychologist thinks the reason may be the impact of hopelessness. A really big problem makes people less likely to give.

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In a news conference Thursday on Capitol Hill, House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio warned President Obama not to go it alone on immigration reform.

Boehner Says Rolling Back Obamacare Is GOP Priority

3:54pm November 06, 2014

by Scott Neuman

In his first news conference since an overwhelming victory for Republicans on Tuesday, the House speaker also said approval of the Keystone XL pipeline is a key item on the GOP agenda.

New Star Wars Movie Is Called 'The Force Awakens,' Disney Says

3:41pm November 06, 2014

by Bill Chappell

Before today, it was known only as Episode VII. Set decades after Return of the Jedi, the new installment will feature some of the same cast as the 1983 film.

Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, director of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., prepares a salad Wednesday in the kitchen of The Sanctuary Church in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Abbott was recently arrested, along with two pastors, for feeding the h

National

Florida Activists Arrested For Serving Food To Homeless

3:12pm November 06, 2014

by Eliza Barclay

Activists in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were arrested twice this week for giving out food to the homeless in a park. Arnold Abbott, 90, says he will continue to serve the food even if he's arrested again.

Report: Obama Wrote Letter To Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei About Islamic State

2:28pm November 06, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

The Wall Street Journal reports President Obama said cooperation against the Islamic State would only happen if the two reached a deal on Iran's nuclear program.

BJ Leiderman is the composer of the theme music heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

National

The Man Behind The 'Morning Edition' Theme Music. Also, Lyrics!

2:26pm November 06, 2014

by NPR Staff

Composer BJ Leiderman talks about writing the show's theme music and sings some of the lyrics that accompany that catchy tune.

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