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5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Business News

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 7:11 am

Economists had predicted the growth of Asia's third-largest economy would continue to slow this year. But the latest data suggests the Indian economy is in worse shape than many analysts thought. The country's growth in the first quarter of this year was only 5.3 percent, compared to 9.2 percent last year.

Sports
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

French Open Tennis Update

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 6:57 am

David Greene checks in with John Wertheim of "Sport Illustrated for an update on the French Open. The big headline from week one is Serena Williams' first-round loss. That's the first time she has lost in the first round in a major tournament.

Business
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 7:17 am

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

Our last word in business today is: Big Gulp. Actually, make that moderately-sized gulp.

New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg has proposed a ban on sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, which means a large Slurpee or a Grande Frappuccino, would still be legal. Restaurants, movie theaters, and food trucks would all have to abide by the rule, which is aimed at rising obesity rates. Fruit juices and alcoholic drinks would be exempt.

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Pop Culture
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Happy Birthday Incredible Hulk

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 6:52 am

Fifty years ago this month, comic book artists Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the Incredible Hulk to the world. The Hulk is the volatile alter ego of Dr. Bruce Banner, a physicist who's inadvertently exposed to radiation. As a result, whenever Dr. Banner gets angry or upset, he transforms into a giant, raging monster, capable of stunning feats of strength.

Around the Nation
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Legislation Could Thwart Return Of Holocaust Art

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 4:20 pm

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And I'm David Greene. Many families who lost artwork during the Holocaust have spent decades trying to reclaim their treasures. Now they could face a new obstacle: proposed legislation that would protect American museums from these families' claims. David Maxon of member station WNYC has more.

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Around the Nation
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Black Voters Feel Targeted By Election Restrictions

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 6:33 am

New voter ID laws and other voting restrictions have been enacted in a number of states since the last major election. And that's raised special concerns among African Americans, who feel they're being targeted. Black church leaders and the Congressional Black Caucus met in Washington Wednesday to find ways African-American voters aren't discouraged from turning out in November.

Asia
5:21 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Chinese Security Forces Round Up Tibetan Protesters

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 6:42 am

In recent days, three Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest Chinese rule. In the past year, it's been reported that more than 30 people have set themselves on fire and most have died. Renee Montagne talks to Robert Barnett, an expert on Tibet, for more on why Tibetans have been protesting Chinese repression by setting themselves on fire.

It's All Politics
3:40 am
Thu May 31, 2012

World War II Vet Caught Up In Florida's Voter Purge Controversy

Credit Taimy Alvarez / MCT/Landov
Bill Internicola, a 91-year-old veteran of World War II, was one of the voters targeted by Florida as a potential noncitizen. Internicola was ordered to prove his citizenship or lose the right to vote. He is flanked by U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who called on Florida Gov. Rick Scott to stop the purge of voter rolls immediately.

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 1:56 pm

Bill Internicola, a 91-yar-old World War II veteran, was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and now lives in Florida's Broward County. He recently received a letter from county elections officials asking him to show proof he was a U.S. citizen or be removed from the voting rolls.

Internicola says he was "flabbergasted."

"To me, it's like an insult," he says. "They sent me a form to fill out. And I filled out the form and I sent it back to them with a copy of my discharge paper and a copy of my tour of duty in the ETO, which is the European Theater of Operations."

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The Picture Show
3:38 am
Thu May 31, 2012

On The Way Back To Base: 'We're Gonna Get Shot At'

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 1:01 pm

U.S. and Afghan forces are fighting to gain control of a major crossroads in a part of Afghanistan that has seen so few NATO troops that one village elder mistook the Americans for Russians — from the long-ago Soviet war.

"It's an absolutely crucial area," says NPR photographer David Gilkey, who has been embedded with U.S. troops involved in the offensive in eastern Afghanistan's Ghazni province.

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Music News
3:28 am
Thu May 31, 2012

Requiem For A Cabaret: The Oak Room Closes

Credit Peter Kramer / Getty Images
The entrance to the Algonquin Hotel on West 44th Street in New York City.

Originally published on Thu May 31, 2012 5:21 am

New York's historic Algonquin Hotel has been famous for a lot of things: the roundtable where some of the greatest American wits, from George S. Kaufman to Dorothy Parker, held forth in the 1920s and '30s; generations of cats — named either Hamlet or Matilda — who haunt the lobby; and, since 1980, the Oak Room, one of New York's most loved cabaret spaces.

When Marriott purchased the hotel and closed it for renovations early this year, they announced that the Oak Room would not be reopening — instead, it will be a lounge for preferred customers.

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