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Shots - Health News
8:18 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Less Sleep For Teens Means Higher Risk For Car Crashes

Credit iStockphoto.com
Sleep-deprived teenagers face the greatest risk of accidents while driving at night.

Parents who want to keep their teenagers safe while they're driving might want to tuck them in bed early the night before.

Drowsiness is a well-known risk for adult drivers, but teenage drivers are more impaired than adults when facing an equivalent lack of sleep, an Australian study finds.

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The Two-Way
7:04 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Oklahoma Tornados: Finding Aid, Giving Aid

Credit Brett Deering / Getty Images
Aid groups are mobilizing relief efforts to help victims of the storm. Here, Candice Lopez, left, and Stephanie Davis help clean debris from Thelma Cox's mobile home near Shawnee, Okla., after it was destroyed Monday.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 8:40 am

Residents of Moore, Okla., are searching for survivors and coming to terms with a massive tornado that left dozens of people dead and injured more than 200 others Monday afternoon. As aid and recovery groups search for victims and try to reunite loved ones, they're also seeking donations and coordinating housing:

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Around the Nation
5:49 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Rep. Cole Is From Moore, Where Deadly Twister Hit

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 7:33 am

Rescuers are still combing through the rubble Tuesday morning in Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. More is the hometown of Republican Rep. Tom Cole. He encourages everyone to remember that people in the area will need long-term help.

World
5:34 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Border Collies Protect Scientsts' Research From Geese

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 5:59 am

Scientists in Canada were working at an experimental research farm, testing crops like corn and barley. But packs of Canadian geese had been swooping in and destroying the crops. Two border collies were hired to chase away the geese.

World
5:28 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Now's Your Chance To Own A Little Bit Of Gandhi

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 5:59 am

The late Indian leader Mohandis Gandhi, who became known as Mahatma, or venerated one, had an appendectomy decades ago. Afterward, doctors took samples of his blood. Two microscope slides bearing that blood are being auctioned in London.

The Two-Way
5:16 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Book News: Stephen King's New Bogeyman? Digital Publishing

Credit Mario Tama / Getty Images
Stephen King holds a special pink Kindle given to him at a 2009 unveiling event for the Amazon Kindle 2.

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

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The Two-Way
5:11 am
Tue May 21, 2013

IRS Officials To Be On Hot Seat

Credit Dennis Brack / Landov

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 8:22 am

Both the former IRS commissioner who was in charge when the agency singled out some conservative groups for extra scrutiny and the man who replaced him will be appearing at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday morning.

Douglas Shulman, an appointee of President George W. Bush who left the IRS last November, and acting commissioner Steven Miller (who is losing his job because of the scandal) are due at the 10 a.m. ET hearing.

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The Two-Way
4:33 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Death Toll Climbing In Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy

Credit RIchard Rowe / Reuters /Landov
The destruction was wide and devastating in Moore, Okla., on Monday after a tornado roared through.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 8:14 am

(We're following the news from Oklahoma, where a tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday. Most recent update: 10:10 a.m. ET.)

While the number of deaths and amount of damage caused by a huge tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., on Monday remain high, state officials announced just after 9 a.m. ET Tuesday that fewer people than feared may have lost their lives.

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Politics
4:28 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Unclear Laws May Have Contributed to Tax-Exempt Controversy

IRS and Treasury officials can expect a hard time in their appearances on Capitol Hill Tuesday. A key question that so far has not gotten much attention: How did it come to be that social welfare organizations became vehicles for political activity?

Europe
3:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Young People Cast Out Of Italy's Welfare System

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:30 am

In Italy, the youth jobless rate is nudging 40 percent, a record high in post-war history. Demographer Stefano Rosina says the Italian welfare system has always been skewed toward the middle-aged and elderly, leaving Italian youths with no political or trade union representation.

Business
3:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Tumbler Users Urge New Owner Yahoo To Keep The Site Weird

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:31 am

When news of Yahoo's purchase of Tumblr first hit, Tumblr users took their reactions online. The posts were quirky and sharp with plenty of worry about the future.

Media
3:52 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Fox News Reporter James Rosen Caught Up In Federal Probe

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 4:36 am

There is word of another controversial leak investigation by the Department of Justice. The target is Fox News reporter James Rosen, who was monitored by the department after breaking a story about North Korea's nuclear weapons program in 2009.

Business
2:24 am
Tue May 21, 2013

CEO Cook To Defend Apple Before Senate Committee Hearing

Credit Eric Risberg / AP
Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks during an introduction of the iPhone 5 in San Francisco on Sept. 12. The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations says Apple is paying billions of dollars less than it should in taxes each year, taking advantage of technicalities in U.S. and Irish tax laws.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 6:31 am

Giant technology firm Apple is paying billions of dollars less than it should in U.S. taxes each year, according to a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In a hearing Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Apple CEO Tim Cook will defend the company.

The subcommittee's report says Apple avoids the tax payments mainly by shifting profits to three subsidiary companies in Ireland. The investigation found Apple is taking advantage of technicalities in U.S. and Irish tax laws to avoid paying any tax on a huge portion of its profits.

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Business
2:22 am
Tue May 21, 2013

JPMorgan Shareholders Consider Splitting CEO, Chairman Jobs

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 3:52 am

In Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase holds its annual shareholder meeting. They will vote on a key measure: Whether to strip CEO Jamie Dimon of his title of chairman of the board. A growing number of companies have split the CEO and chairman roles.

The Record
1:15 am
Tue May 21, 2013

The Doors' Keyboard Counterpoint Goes Silent: Remembering Ray Manzarek

Credit Express / Getty Images
Ray Manzarek (far right) stands with fellow members of The Doors Jim Morrison (from right), Robby Krieger and John Densmore in 1968. Manzarek died Monday in Germany. He was 74.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 8:14 am

Author Interviews
1:09 am
Tue May 21, 2013

After Crashing In Canadian 'Abyss,' Four Men Fight To Survive

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 7:09 am

On the night of Oct. 19, 1984, Erik Vogel was uneasy about flying. It was snowing; his plane's de-icer and autopilot weren't working; and his co-pilot had been bumped to fit one more passenger on his 10-seater. But the young pilot was behind schedule and he felt like his job was on the line, so he took off, as he did most days, shuttling between the remote communities that dot the Canadian wilderness.

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Author Interviews
1:08 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Courtside Chemistry: How NBA's Phil Jackson Won 'Eleven Rings'

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 7:49 am

Phil Jackson is famous not only for coaching stars — Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal with the L.A. Lakers — but also for his distinctive "zen" approach to basketball. He introduced his teams to yoga and meditation, and regularly assigned his players books to read.

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Shots - Health News
1:01 am
Tue May 21, 2013

Texas Medicaid Debate Complicated By Politics And Poverty

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 6:54 am

When the sun rises over the Rio Grande Valley, the cries of the urracas — blackbirds — perched on the tops of palm trees swell to a noisy, unavoidable cacophony. That is also the strategy, it could be said, that local officials, health care providers and frustrated valley residents are trying to use to persuade Gov. Rick Perry and state Republican lawmakers to set aside their opposition and expand Medicaid, a key provision of the federal health law.

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Parallels
12:59 am
Tue May 21, 2013

The Global Afterlife Of Your Donated Clothes

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 8:45 am

On a bright and warm Saturday morning, there's a steady flow of people dropping off donations at Martha's Table, a charity in downtown Washington, D.C. A mountain of plastic and paper bags stuffed with used dresses, scarves, skirts and footwear expands in one corner of the room. Volunteers sort and put clothes on hangers. They'll go on sale next door, and the proceeds will help the needy in the area.

It's a scene played out across the U.S.: people donating their old clothes, whether through collection bins or through large charities, to help others.

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Around the Nation
6:13 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Business Owner Describes Major Destruction After Tornado

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:26 pm

Melissa Block talks to Casey Mongold, owner of Casey's Tire and Auto in Moore, Okla., where a tornado caused widespread destruction on Monday.

Environment
6:12 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Forecasters Had Chance To Warn Moore, Okla., Before Tornado

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:27 pm

Melissa Block talks to Jon Hamilton about the science of tornadoes.

The Two-Way
5:15 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

VIDEO: A Time-Lapse Of The Tornado In Oklahoma

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:57 am

NBC News has put together a time-lapse video of the EF-4 tornado that tore through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City, Okla.

As we told you in the live blog, the National Weather Service says it was at least an EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 166 mph. The tornado stayed on the ground for 40 minutes and traveled 20 miles.

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The Two-Way
5:14 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

A Brief History Of Oklahoma Tornadoes

Credit Jerry Laizure / AP
Destruction at Midwest City, Okla., one of the towns hit by the May 5, 1999, tornadoes.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:58 am

Although Oklahoma is a state where tornadoes are a fact of life, few days stand out like May 3, 1999.

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The Two-Way
5:11 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Key Charge Against Ex-BP Official In Spill Case Dismissed

Credit Matthew Hinton / AP
David Rainey, a former BP vice president during the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion, leaves federal court after being arraigned on obstruction of a federal investigation in New Orleans on Nov. 28, 2012. A federal judge Monday dismissed the charge that Rainey obstructed a congressional investigation into the 2010 spill.

It's another bad day for the Justice Department.

A federal judge in Louisiana has thrown out the central criminal charge against a former BP executive because prosecutors failed to prove he knew about a pending congressional investigation into oil flowing into the Gulf of Mexico three years ago. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt also ruled that a Democratic House member who inquired about the oil flow rate was acting as head of a subcommittee, not a full congressional committee, as required under the federal Obstruction of Justice statute.

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The Two-Way
4:03 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Ray Manzarek, Founding Member Of The Doors, Dies

Credit Express / Getty Images
Ray Manzarek (far right) stands with fellow members of The Doors Jim Morrison (from right), Robby Krieger and John Densmore in 1968. Manzarek died Monday in Germany. He was 74.

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 4:30 pm

Ray Manzarek, the keyboardist and a founding member of The Doors, died Monday in Germany. He was 74.

A statement from publicist Heidi Ellen Robinson-Fitzgerald said Manzarek died in Rosenheim, Germany, after a long battle with bile duct cancer.

Manzarek and Jim Morrison founded the iconic band after meeting in California. The Doors went on to become one of the most successful rock 'n' roll acts of the 1960s — and continues to have an impact decades after Morrison's death in 1971.

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Around the Nation
4:01 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

The Low-Tech Way Guns Get Traced

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:06 pm

Opponents of expanding background checks for gun sales often raise the fear that it would allow the government to create a national gun registry — a database of gun transactions. In fact, federal law already bans the creation of such a registry. And the reality of how gun sales records are accessed turns out to be surprisingly low-tech.

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NPR Story
3:28 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Tornado Ravages Oklahoma City Suburb

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:29 pm

Melissa Block talks to Joe Wertz of the public radio initiative State Impact about the tornado that hit the Oklahoma City area on Monday.

Performing Arts
3:28 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

At L.A.'s UnCabaret, 25 Years Of Letting It All Hang Out

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:07 pm

A lot of the stand-up comedy that gets done in Los Angeles is really just comics auditioning for parts in TV or movies.

Not at UnCabaret: For 25 years, it's been a place to hear unvarnished, rough-edged ideas being tried out — mostly for the first and possibly only time.

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Parallels
3:28 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

An Ancient Religious Pilgrimage That Now Draws The Secular

Originally published on Mon May 20, 2013 7:00 pm

A 1,200-year old European pilgrimage route is experiencing a revival. Last year alone, some 200,000 followed in the footsteps of their medieval forebears on the Way of St. James, making their way some 750 miles from Paris across France to the Spanish coastal city of Santiago de Compostela, and the relics of the eponymous apostle.

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The Two-Way
3:02 pm
Mon May 20, 2013

Massive Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma City Suburbs

Credit Sue Ogrocki / AP
A woman carries her child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., on Monday A tornado as much as a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school.

Originally published on Tue May 21, 2013 2:54 am

(This post was last updated at 11:45 p.m. ET.)

A massive tornado ripped through the southern suburbs of Oklahoma City, Monday afternoon, killing at least 51 people, according to the state medical examiner's office.

The death toll was expected to rise.

Helicopter images showed large tracts of Moore, Okla., completely leveled by what the National Weather Service says was at least an EF-4 tornado with winds in excess of 166 mph. The tornado stayed on the ground for 40 minutes and traveled 20 miles.

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