Opinion
11:58 am
Thu February 16, 2012

The Nation: On The Brink Of War With Iran?

Credit Atta Kenare / AFP/Getty Images
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad flashes the V-sign for victory as he waits for the arrival of Ismail Haniya, Palestinian Hamas premier in the Gaza Strip, for a meeting in Tehran on Feb. 12, 2012. Some are concerned about the possibility of conflict with Iran.

Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 7:12 am

Trita Parsi is president of the National Iranian American Council and author of A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy With Iran.

Only twelve minutes into his presidency, Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world and Iran, offering America's hand of friendship if Iran would in turn unclench its fist. Yet three years later, we are closer to war than we were in the last years of the Bush administration, with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta telling the Washington Post there is a "strong likelihood" of an Israeli strike this spring. How did we get here?

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Opinion
11:58 am
Thu February 16, 2012

New Republic: Young People Won't Vote In 2012

Credit Jonathan Gibby / Getty Images
A young boy prepares to leave school before the arrival of voters at the Waukee Precinct 4 GOP Caucus held at Walnut Hills Elementary School Jan. 3, 2012 in Urbandale, Iowa. Some analysts expect a weak youth vote in 2012.

Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 6:57 am

Cheryl Russell is the editorial director at New Strategist Publications and the former editor of American Demographics magazine.

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The Salt
11:58 am
Thu February 16, 2012

Can A Diet Clean Out Toxins In The Body?

Credit iStockphoto.com
Experts say specialized diets won't help rid the body of toxins any more than what the liver and kidneys already do every day.

Between lingering New Year's resolutions and impending Lenten restraint, it's the season when many people are inspired to get healthy by refusing foods they normally delight in.

Increasingly, we're seeing elimination diets that promise weight loss and a tantalizing bonus: detoxification.

"Cleansing diets" trade on this most alluring idea: By limiting our intake of food to a few super-pure items, we can free up the body to get rid of all the gunk accumulated in our cells.

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NPR FM Berlin Blog
11:57 am
Thu February 16, 2012

The Ultimate Berlin Sport: Roller Derby

Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 9:53 am

Attention Berlin! Superheroes, cowgirls, and cosmonauts are taking over your city this weekend!

On Saturday, the Berlin Bombshells will be opening the Roller Derby season at Arena Berlin.

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Blog Of The Nation
11:57 am
Thu February 16, 2012

February 16th: What's On Today's Show?

Credit Chris Trotman / Getty Images
Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks drives past Isaiah Thomas #22 of the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden on February 15, 2012 in New York City.

Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 10:00 am

Who Is The Syrian Opposition?

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The Two-Way
11:56 am
Thu February 16, 2012

Man Has Heart Attack While Eating At The Heart Attack Grill

Credit Julie Jacobson / AP
Signs for "Bypass Burgers" and "Flatliner Fries" are seen in the window of the Heart Attack Grill in Las Vegas. A man who suffered a heart attack in the restaurant was wheeled out on a stretcher Saturday.

Originally published on Thu February 16, 2012 11:45 am

The Two-Way
11:25 am
Thu February 16, 2012

Study Finds Goats Adjust Their 'Accents' Based On Social Surroundings

Credit Queen Mary University of London
A goat kid.

Surely you've noticed that when people move from place to place and stay for a while, they tend to pick up the local accent. We could use Madonna as an example, but we're pretty sure her British accent started before she jumped the pond.

Anyway, in a new study published in the journal Animal Behaviour, two scientists found young pygmy goats, which are known as kids, do something similar.

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The Two-Way
10:37 am
Thu February 16, 2012

Methane, Soot Are Targets Of New U.S. Climate Initiative

Credit Todd Paris / AP
A new program led by the U.S. seeks to limit amounts of soot, hydrofluorocarbons and methane released into the atmosphere. In this file photo from 2009, a researcher ignites trapped methane from under a pond's ice cap in Alaska.

The United States and five other nations are embarking on a new program to limit pollutants connected to global warming. But they're not targeting carbon dioxide with this effort — instead, they're looking at methane gas, and soot.

NPR's Richard Harris filed this report for our Newscast desk:

"Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the U.S. is teaming up with Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Ghana and Bangladesh to get countries thinking about some potent contributors to climate change."

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Presidential Race
10:08 am
Thu February 16, 2012

GOP Debates As Must-See TV? Why You Should Watch

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
The Republican presidential candidates took the stage for a Jan. 23 debate at the University of South Florida in Tampa.
The Two-Way
10:05 am
Thu February 16, 2012

#Feb17: The Long Road To Libya

With Twitter and other social media, NPR's Andy Carvin monitored immediate, on-the-ground developments during the upheavals of the Arab Spring from Washington, D.C., through thousands of tweets and an army of followers that numbers in the tens of thousands. Now, he is in Libya, meeting face-to-face with some of those activists. He'll be sending us periodic updates on his journey.

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