The Deadly Tornado In Moore, Okla.
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

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

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 8:02 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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National Security
4:55 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 8:11 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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Parallels
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

In India, More Women Are Playing Matchmaker For Themselves

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 6:02 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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The Two-Way
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Gnomes Crash Distinguished Garden Show In England

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 8:17 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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Theater
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Equity At 100: More Than Just A Broadway Baby

Credit Timothy A. Clary / AFP/Getty Images
His statue may be a Theater District landmark now, but George M. Cohan caused no small amount of trouble for Actors' Equity early in its history. The union marks its 100th anniversary this year.

"Don't put your daughter on the stage," Noel Coward famously cautioned his imaginary Mrs. Worthington, and no wonder: Stage acting is one of the toughest professions imaginable. For all the potential triumph, there's hardly any job security — and more than a little potential for heartbreak and disappointment.

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Author Interviews
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Gateway Arch 'Biography' Reveals Complex History Of An American Icon

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 6:02 am

The iconic Gateway Arch — overlooking the Mississippi River from the St. Louis side — took almost a generation to build, but the 630-foot monument hasn't transformed the city as hoped in the four decades that have followed.

Conceived in the 1940s and completed in the 1960s, the history of the signature American symbol is described in Tracy Campbell's new book, The Gateway Arch: A Biography. The story has some surprising twists — including, Campbell says, a very early vision of an arch by the Mississippi:

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StoryCorps
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Prepare For Takeoff With 'Cockpit Confidential'

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:32 am

With summer travel season just over the horizon, millions of Americans are poised to take off for family vacations. But before they reach their destinations, they'll likely endure security lines, luggage fees, tiny bags of pretzels and unexplained delays.

Patrick Smith, an airline pilot and columnist, has written a new book for curious fliers. It's called Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel: Questions, Answers and Reflections.

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Author Interviews
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'Steal The Menu': A Chronicle Of A Career In Food Coverage

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:03 am

When Raymond Sokolov began writing about food, it was considered a specialty portfolio. Today, celebrity chefs abound in the U.S. and Britain, with cookbooks, TV shows and groupies. Host Scott Simon speaks with Sokolov about his new book, Steal the Menu: A Memoir of Forty Years in Food.

Music Interviews
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Clairy Browne's Rock 'N' Soul Bus Rolls To The U.S.

Credit Stephanie Bailly / Courtesy of the artist
Clairy Browne & The Bangin' Rackettes' new album is called Baby Caught the Bus.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 8:00 am

Clairy Browne & the Bangin' Rackettes is an Australian band whose sound is a little bit of soul fused with blues, doo-wop, jazz and R&B. That musical diet, rich in harmony, is the same one lead singer Clairy Browne grew up on.

"My dad had a band in South Africa in the '60s called Browne, and so he really brought that into our home," she says. "We were always around the kitchen table with a guitar and four-part harmonies, playing on late into the night.

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Deceptive Cadence
4:55 am
Sat May 25, 2013

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

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 8:07 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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