Deceptive Cadence
1:19 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

Beethoven — For A Buck

Credit courtesy of the artist
HJ Lim, the rising pianist whose nine-hour Beethoven cycle shot to No. 1 on the Billboard classical chart.

Originally published on Tue September 18, 2012 3:21 pm

To own all the piano sonatas Beethoven wrote, you used to have to buy at least 10 CDs and spend $50, $75, $100 — or more.

What if I told you that you could get them for less than $10? That's about $1 per hour of music.

That's right — the "Moonlight," "Appassionata," "Waldstein" and all your other favorites, for just $9.99!

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NPR Story
12:58 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

Op-Ed: 'Ban Penn State Football'

Originally published on Mon July 16, 2012 1:58 pm

In an op-ed piece for the Daily Beast, sports columnist Buzz Bissinger writes that an "insidious culture of sports in America" helped cover up the child sex abuse scandal at Penn State. He argues that the NCAA should ban the university's football program for five years.

NPR Story
12:58 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

Should Ex-Felons Have The Right To Vote?

Originally published on Mon July 16, 2012 2:15 pm

Transcript

JENNIFER LUDDEN, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Jennifer Ludden in Washington. In a year where a tight presidential race could be determined by a few swing states, the issue of who is allowed to vote could turn the election, which is why recent moves in Florida and Iowa are getting so much attention.

Bucking a larger trend, these two states are making it harder for former felons to vote. This comes as a number of other states in recent years have made the process easier.

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NPR Story
12:58 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

Piecing Together Stories Of Families 'Lost In Slavery'

Originally published on Tue July 17, 2012 10:26 am

For decades, slavery tore apart African-American families. Children were sold off from their mothers, and husbands were taken from their wives. Many desperately tried to keep track of each other, even running away to find loved ones. After the Civil War and emancipation, these efforts intensified. Freed slaves posted ads in newspapers and wrote letters — seeking any clue to a family member's whereabouts.

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The Two-Way
12:42 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

Stephen Covey, Author Of '7 Habits,' Dead At 79

Credit Ric Feld / AP
Stephen R. Covey, the motivational speaker best known for the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, died Monday in Idaho three months after a serious bicycle accident in Utah. He was 79.

Originally published on Mon July 16, 2012 2:02 pm

Stephen Covey, whose book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People became a seminal guide to leadership, died this morning.

In a statement, the family said Covey died due the "residual effects" of a biking accident he suffered in April. He was 79.

The Salt Lake Tribune gives us a bit of his biography:

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Shots - Health Blog
12:39 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

FDA Approves First Drug To Prevent HIV Infection

Credit Jeff Chiu / AP
Dr. Lisa Sterman holds up a Truvada pill at her office in San Francisco in May. Even before the Food and Drug Administration's approval, Sterman had prescribed Truvada for about a dozen patients at high risk for developing AIDS.

Originally published on Tue July 17, 2012 1:57 pm

The Food and Drug Administration has given the first OK for a drug to prevent HIV infection.

The daily pill Truvada, made by Gilead Sciences, combines two medicines that inhibit the reproduction of HIV. It's been a mainstay in the treatment of HIV/AIDS for years, and as of today is an approved option for reducing the risk of HIV infection for people at high risk.

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The Two-Way
12:08 pm
Mon July 16, 2012

U.S. Navy Vessel Fires At Speeding Boat Off Coast Of Dubai

Originally published on Mon July 16, 2012 4:16 pm

The U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said its Fifth Fleet based in Bahrain had opened fire on a speeding vessel off the coast of Dubai today.

In a press release, the Fifth Fleet said a small motor vessel disregarded warnings and approached the USNS Rappahannock. A security team about the Navy vessel "used a series of non-lethal, preplanned responses to warn the vessel before resorting to lethal force."

The team aboard the vessel fired using a .50-caliber machine gun.

The AP reports:

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The Two-Way
11:54 am
Mon July 16, 2012

Perk Of Being Rich: Facebook's Zuckerberg Pays 1 Percent Interest On Mortgage

Credit Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images
Mark Zuckerberg, right, and Andrew Houston, founder and chief executive of Dropbox, wait in a parked car for the traffic to clear out at the Sun Valley Lodge during the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference last week.

Last Thursday, the interest rate on 30-year mortgages dipped to its lowest level ever: 3.56 percent.

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All Songs Considered Blog
11:21 am
Mon July 16, 2012

The xx Teases New Album 'Coexist' With The Simplest Of Love Songs

Originally published on Tue July 17, 2012 12:20 pm

The Two-Way
11:13 am
Mon July 16, 2012

Fifth Fatal Shark Attack Has Australia Reconsidering Great Whites' Protection

Credit Dan Kitwood / Getty Images
A Great White off the coast of South Africa in 2009.

There are shark encounters you may laugh at — such as the one we posted about last week. The reactions of a young woman and man when a bull shark steals a fish from the end of her line are wonderful.

Then there are the stories that are no laughing matter — such as those coming in recent days from western Australia.

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