Americans are now eating more chicken than beef or pork. And meeting that demand is an industry that some have dubbed big chicken. Texas is a major player in the industry, and so now Texas must manage a problem that in other circumstances we might describe as fallout or blowback. Dave Fehling of member station KUHF in Houston explains what that problem is.
President Obama made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Tuesday, and delivered a prime-time address to the American public. While there, he signed a new, long-term partnership agreement with the Afghan government, and marked the anniversary of Osama bin Laden's death with U.S. troops.
On a Wednesday, it's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.
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And I'm David Greene. Nearly three years ago, Congress passed a federal hate crime law. It makes it illegal to target victims because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. The law drew protests from some Republican lawmakers and religious groups, who said it threatened their free speech rights. And the law has been used sparingly.
Pakistanis walk past the rubble of the demolished compound of slain al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in the northern town of Abbottabad this week. Bin Laden's legacy in Pakistan appears mixed. Support for al-Qaida seems to be down, but bin Laden is still revered by extremists.
Credit Julie McCarthy / NPR
Pakistani citizen Mushtaq Ahmed, 50, says Osama bin Laden "will be remembered as an anti-Muslim," whose ideology is "repugnant" to most Pakistanis. "There are people who heap praise on bin Laden, but as far as I'm concerned, he was an animal."
Credit Julie McCarthy / NPR
Beenish Ashraf, 23, says the younger generation of Pakistanis has been psychologically affected by the accumulated traumas in Pakistan, and feels that the U.S. interferes in Pakistani affairs.
The killing of Osama bin Laden in the Pakistani garrison town of Abbottabad one year ago Wednesday rocked the country's political and military establishment, and provoked widespread rage at what Pakistanis saw as a blatant violation of national sovereignty.
A year on, there are widely differing opinions among Pakistanis about the significance of the al-Qaida leader in a country where militant groups draw inspiration from him.
His legacy is in plain view at rallies across the country that evoke virulent anti-Americanism.
A home for the Academy Awards ceremony has been secured. The Kodak Theatre will now be called the Dolby Theatre. The audio technology company has signed a naming-rights deal with the real estate group that owns the property where the Oscar ceremony is held. Kodak, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, gave up its naming rights.
Republicans have repeatedly criticized President Obama for what they contend is a weak foreign policy. Their criticism now extends to how the president talks about his signature foreign policy success.
Here's NPR national political correspondent, Mara Liasson.
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: President Obama's visit to Afghanistan and his address to the nation were reminders of the responsibilities of the commander-in-chief and the attention he can muster at a moment's notice.
Islamist protesters, unhappy their candidate was among several people disqualified from the election, held a demonstration outside the Defense Ministry. Five people were killed and more than 100 people were wounded in fighting that involved sticks, stones, batons and bullets.
The Occupy protest movement was out in force Tuesday. May 1 is traditionally a day for labor demonstrations. For the most part, the demonstrations were noisy and theatrical but restrained.
The Lebanese classical musician and composer Marcel Khalife is often compared to Bob Dylan — not for his music, but for his politics. The Middle Eastern musical and political icon sings about freedom and nationalism.
Khalife is famous for translating poetry into music. For years, he collaborated with the nationalist Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish.
"It began when I graduated from the music conservatory in Beirut. The civil war started in Lebanon — I wanted to change the world with music," says Khalife.
It's perhaps the most reproduced piece of art ever created. It has adorned key chains and coffee mugs, and the cover of Time magazine. Andy Warhol used it, and now one of the four versions of The Scream, Edvard Munch's iconic work — the only one outside Norway — is coming up for auction at Sotheby's in New York. Sale estimates are as high as $80 million.
