All Things Considered

From Classic Toys To New Twists, Kids Go Back To Blocks

Neda Ulaby — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:15:00 +0000

I visited Toy Fair in New York City hunting for ideas for our summer series about kids' culture. One of the big takeaways was the increasing popularity of construction games such as Legos. Sales shot up nearly 20 percent last year. Now, it seems, every major toy manufacturer is scrambling to add new games geared toward kids building things.

Concurrently, I happened to visit the National Building Museum, where an impressive exhibition, PLAY WORK BUILD, showcases the museum's vast collection of block sets and building toys.

House Passes Bill That Would Ban Late Abortions

Julie Rovner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:11:00 +0000

The House has passed one of the most far-reaching abortion bills in decades. But it's unlikely to ever become law.

By a mostly party-line vote Tuesday of 228-196, lawmakers passed the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act," which would ban nearly all abortions starting 20 weeks after fertilization.

"At 20 weeks maybe sooner, the baby feels pain," said physician and Rep. John Fleming, R-La., on the House floor. "And so I would just submit to you today Mr.

How The Civil Rights Movement Was Covered In Birmingham

Audie Cornish — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:08:00 +0000

As the Civil Rights Movement was unfolding across the US in 1963, the entire nation had its eyes on climactic events taking place in Southern cities like Birmingham, Ala., and Jackson, Miss. But there's a stark difference between how the national press covered the events in Birmingham and how Birmingham's papers covered their own city.

As part of NPR's series on that pivotal summer of 1963, Audie Cornish traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to revisit some of the stories that shaped the city and the nation at the time.

Home-Schooled Students Fight To Play On Public School Teams

Steve Walsh — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:42:00 +0000

Legislative battles are being fought around the country over whether or not to let home-schooled students play on public high school teams.

Roughly half of U.S. states have passed laws making them eligible to play on the teams.

Change Is On The Horizon For London's Famous Skyline

Christopher Werth — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:32:00 +0000

Cities are defined by their skylines — while Paris is composed mostly of low-rise apartment buildings, New York is a city of tall office towers. But London is a city in transition.

A Look Back At How Newspapers Covered The Civil Rights Movement

Audie Cornish — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

I'm Melissa Block.

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

And I'm Audie Cornish in Birmingham, Alabama. It's been half a century since Birmingham was at the center of the Civil Rights struggle. Back in May of 1963, images of fire hoses and German shepherds turned on young protesters pretty much shocked the world.

Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:06:00 +0000

Christine Porter is hooked on the MyFitnessPal app. In October, after deciding to lose 50 pounds, Porter started typing in everything she eats, drinks and any exercise she gets.

"This is my main page here," says Porter. "It's telling me I have about 1,200 calories remaining for the day. When I want to record something I just click the 'add to diary' button.

Pentagon Debuts Plans For Opening Combat Positions To Women

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Robert Siegel.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block.

Today, the Pentagon outlined its plans for opening up nearly all military jobs to women, including combat positions. The military has until 2016 to rescind what's known as the combat exclusion, which has kept women out of combat jobs.

Joining us now to discuss these plans is NPR's Larry Abramson. And, Larry, what kinds of jobs will women be able to try to serve in?

A Round-Up Of Spring Poetry Collections

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

Now, some new poetry. Tess Taylor has this review of three debut collections, beginning with Averill Curdy's "Song and Error."

TESS TAYLOR: Whether observing a bird trapped in an airport or Thomas Jefferson hunting a fox, Curdy spins a poetic yarn that winds towards the unseen.

Mexico's Tech Startups Look To Overcome Barriers To Growth

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:52:00 +0000

In the past decade, Mexico's tech industry has flourished, growing three times faster than the global average. Most of that growth has been fueled by demand from the United States. But as Mexico's startups strive to make it in foreign markets, they say they need more engineers and ways to finance their growth.

Softtek, Mexico's biggest technology services company, spans four continents and provides software support to a client base that includes Fortune 500 companies.