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In Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a hearing gets underway for five suspects in the 9/11 attacks. This is the first time families of some of the victims will be there watching. The hearing also marks something of a last stand for the Bush administration and its efforts to try terror suspects before military commissions. Renee Montagne talks with Carol Rosenberg of The Miami Herald, who's covered Guantanamo since the first detainees arrived in 2002.
The nation's capital is looking forward to an economic boost in January. The DC Council on Tuesday approved emergency legislation giving bars more time to serve alcohol during the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. Drinks may be served until 5 am Jan. 17-21. Last call is usually 2 am This could lead to extra tips for bartenders. It could also mean more overtime for police.
The Detroit auto companies made another pitch to the Senate Banking Committee for massive loans to keep operating. They were more contrite than last month and offered a lot more details. But it is still unclear whether they will get the $34 billion they say they need to keep going. The auto executives will appear before the House Financial Services Committee Friday.
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Detroit's Big Three automakers wanting a bailout was on the minds of many listeners. Some said US carmakers had made unreliable vehicles for too long, while others thought Detroit should have addressed energy efficiency before now. Listeners also e-mailed about the Bush administration turning over a lot of government work to private contractors, the attacks in Mumbai and an appreciation for singer Odetta, who died Tuesday at the age of 77.
The Treasury is considering a plan to lower mortgage rates for homebuyers to as low as 4.5 percent — more than a full point below currently offered rates, sources say. But analysts say the plan would be even more effective at boosting the economy if it also lowered rates for refinancings.
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When President-elect Barack Obama introduced his national security team this week, he left two key positions unfilled: CIA director and director of National Intelligence. That may be because it's hard to find people to fill the jobs who are not associated with the controversial intelligence policies of the Bush administration.
The tradition of putting up a giant Christmas tree at New York's Rockefeller Center began during the Great Depression. Thousands looked on Wednesday as this year's 72-foot Norway spruce was illuminated with 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights. One Mississippi family looked on with special interest: They lost their home to Hurricane Katrina. But now they have a new home — built by Habitat for Humanity with lumber from last year's tree.
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Odetta's folk songs made her a symbol of the civil rights movement. She performed at the civil rights march on Washington in 1963 and sang "O Freedom." Her ballads and songs became, for many, the soundtrack to the American civil rights movement. Manager Doug Yeager says Odetta died Tuesday of heart disease at the age of 77.
Red Flag Linux is the name of a Chinese-made operating system. Officials in Nanchang are forcing local Internet cafe owners to install it in place of Microsoft Windows. An official from the the city's Cultural Discipline Team confirmed this to Radio Free Asia, which is funded by the US government. The rule is apparently aimed at cracking down on pirated software. But some cafe owners say they're using Microsoft legally and don't want to change. They're also not happy about the fees for Red Flag Linux, which are more than $700.
A Maryland woman was safe in her bed, when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter that she sprang from her bed to see what was the matter. Somebody had stolen her 4-foot-tall Santa Claus and snowman. Police arrested a suspect who allegedly stole decorations from three homes. Meanwhile, a Florida man faces charges for allegedly throwing a Christmas tree at his father. In the spirit of the holidays, the Christmas tree missed.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is in New Delhi, where she's trying to calm tensions between India and Pakistan over the Mumbai attacks. The Indian government says the militants who carried out the attacks were linked with Pakistan. Ordinary Indians are upset over the failure of the country's intelligence services.
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India says that "elements from Pakistan" were responsible for the attacks in Mumbai last week. Pakistani journalist Ahmed Rashid says Pakistanis do not accept that the attackers came from Pakistan. He tells Steve Inskeep that Pakistanis are rallying around the nation's government.
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Despite the economic downturn, there are still some big spenders out there. A Chinese casino mogul just paid $200,000 for an Italian white truffle. The super gourmet mushroom weighed more than 2 pounds. But the price, paid at a recent international trufflle auction, was not a record. Last year, the same man, Stanley Ho, bought a slightly heavier truffle for $330,000 — an all-time high.
New York City honored the iconic cocktail with a Times Square celebration Monday that included the granddaughter of the bartender who invented it. The Bloody Mary turned 75.
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President-elect Obama named more of the people he wants to run the federal bureaucracy. As expected, he announced Monday that he will nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton to become secretary of state. If confirmed, she would work with foreign policy adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.
President-elect Obama made public Monday what has long been expected: He will nominate Sen. Hillary Clinton to be his secretary of state. Clinton will be part of a new national security team that includes other familiar faces. Robert Gates, the current secretary of defense, would stay at the Pentagon. For national security adviser, Obama has chosen retired Marine Gen. James Jones, a former NATO commander and commandant of the Marine Corps.
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Residents of San Francisco can give their city a Christmas present — a tree. The city, Friends of the Urban Forest and SF Environment are selling potted trees. After Christmas, the trees can be left on the street for pickup and planting. The spindly young trees aren't terribly traditional — one is a southern magnolia. Presumably the holiday spirit can be found in celebrating a greener Christmas.
Executives from the top three US automakers return to Washington, DC, this week. They're going to try, again, to convince Congress to give them federal loans. They say they need the money to avoid an industry collapse. Two weeks ago, Congress sent them away empty-handed.
Toy sellers and manufacturers are worried about smaller profits this year. Nicholas Casey, who covers the toy industry for The Wall Street Journal, says the perfect toy will be something that is inexpensive. Some stores have already come out with long lists of toys under $10.
Black Friday was not as bad as many retailers had expected. One estimate shows American shoppers spent 3 percent more on the first day of the holiday shopping season than last year. To find out how some retailers did, we check in with a high-end mall in a St. Louis suburb, an outlet mall in San Marcos, Texas, and an online retailer in Boston.
President-elect Barack Obama is set to unveil his national security team Monday. It's expected that former rival Hillary Clinton will be named secretary of state and Robert Gates will stay on as defense secretary.
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At an October soccer match between France and Tunisia in Paris, the crowd booed when the French national anthem was sung. Many of those booing were French citizens, the descendents of North African immigrants. The incident coincided with the anniversary of the 2005 riots, and again raised questions about the state of ethnic relations in France.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez may have less oil money these days, but that isn't stopping him from buying billions in Russian weaponry. Chavez also has invited Russian soldiers to participate in military maneuvers. Analysts say Chavez wants to align with Washington's adversaries — a signal he'll be a serious challenge next year to President Barack Obama.
Gunmen in Mumbai are thought to still be holding a number of foreign hostages. Indian commandos have been trading fire with the attackers. On Wednesday, gunmen armed with assault rifles and grenades fanned out across Mumbai and attacked popular tourist sites, including the city's top two luxury hotels. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.
In Thailand, anti-government protesters occupying Bangkok's two main airports are bracing for confrontation. The prime minister has declared a state of emergency and ordered the police to resolve the situation. Police say they're attempting to negotiate the protesters' withdrawal, but protest leaders say they won't go until the government does. NPR's Michael Sullivan reports from Bangkok.
The attacks in Mumbai are part of a rapid escalation in terror attacks in India in recent years by a variety of groups. Indian commandos have been exchanging gunfire with militants for a third day. Two years ago, Mumbai was hit by a series of deadly train bombings. Kalpana Sharma, an independent journalist in Mumbai, tells Steve Inskeep what these attacks mean for Mumbai, and for the rest of India.
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Steve Inskeep speaks with Somini Sengupta of The New York Times in Mumbai. Sengupta describes the latest developments in the attacks on luxury hotels and other targets in India's commercial capital.
The Iraqi parliament passes a security pact that allows American troops to stay in the region for an additional three years. The accord was endorsed after the ruling coalition reached an understanding on a separate measure with opposition lawmakers. NPR's Ivan Watson gives Steve Inskeep an update from Baghdad.
One Indian-born writer calls Mumbai the "New York of India" and says that's a reason why it was targeted in Wednesday's attacks. Suketu Mehta is a journalism professor at New York University and author of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. He speaks with Steve Inskeep.
Immigrants to this country share their holiday memories. Author Jumpha Lahiri was born in England; her parents are from India. Together they moved to Rhode Island when she was two. At first, she tells Steve Inskeep, her family didn't celebrate Thanksgiving.
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The bird we eat on Thanksgiving is an exclusively North American animal. It is found in the wilds of no other continent but ours. So why is this American bird named for an Asian country? NPR explores.
Author Joseph O'Neill says the meaning of nationality and nationhood have changed dramatically in the past two decades. He should know: Raised in Holland, the half-Irish, half-Turkish author of Netherland now lives with his family in New York City.
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President-elect Barack Obama's transition team and Democratic leaders are putting together an economic stimulus program. It's designed to create more than 2 million jobs over the next two years. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says among other things, the plan should include ways for people to receive unemployment benefits and maintain health insurance.