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If Only Briefly, Palestinians Flood Into Israel

Credit Daniel Estrin for NPR

A mother and son wait to enter Israel through the Qalandia checkpoint, which separates the West Bank and Jerusalem. Most of the year, Israel permits relatively few Palestinians to visit, but over the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, 1.2 million Palestinians were allowed in.

Credit Uriel Sinai / Getty Images

Palestinians enjoy a day at a beach last week. Many West Bank Palestinians allowed into Israel in recent weeks headed to the Mediterranean shore.

By editor

Originally published on Sun September 2, 2012 9:27 am

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As Palestinian Muslims in the West Bank celebrated the end of Ramadan this past week, many traveled to a place that's usually off limits: Israel.

At the main Israeli checkpoint between the West Bank and Jerusalem, you could hear the taxi drivers offering to take Palestinians to the beach in Tel Aviv.

The drive is no more than an hour from the West Bank boundary to Israel's Mediterranean coast. Yet many Palestinians have not taken a dip in years, if ever.

3:20 am

Sun August 26, 2012

'Torture Lab' Kills Trees To Learn How To Save Them

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Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Powers walks along plastic gutters designed to keep rain away from tree roots to simulate drought. Scientists here are studying the effects of sustained drought conditions on the tree species of the Southwest.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Instruments attached to the trees monitor how they respond to simulated drier, hotter conditions. Scientists say the cycle of heat and drought in the Southwest has intensified because of climate change.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Powers looks in on a climate-controlled tree chamber. Silvery hoses carry heated air into the chambers.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

The temperature inside this tree chamber is about 7 degrees hotter than outside — roughly the increase predicted by computer models of climate change over the next 80 years or so.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Researchers study every aspect of the tree as it fails under intense heat and lack of water. This device monitors the tree's respiration.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Powers walks past a tree chamber. Researchers say drought-stressed trees appear to start consuming their own carbon stores.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Instruments wrapped around the stem of a tree measure its diameter every few minutes.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

A sign outside a tree chamber

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Steve Garrity (from left), Heath Powers and Mike Jenkins look into a tree chamber. Scientists at the lab hope their work will help predict where tree losses will occur in a warming climate, and where trees might survive.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Heath Powers climbs through a maze of wiring at the "tree torture" lab at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. Powers is a project manager at the lab.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

Heath Powers, a project manager at the Los Alamos National Laboratory's "tree torture" lab, climbs through a maze of wiring outside a tree chamber.

Credit David Gilkey / NPR

A tree stands surrounded by a chamber that keeps the temperature about 7 degrees warmer than the outside air. Scientists say the cycle of heat and drought in the region has intensified because of a warming climate.

By Christopher Joyce

Originally published on Sun August 26, 2012 4:03 pm

Last of a five-part series

The droughts that have parched big regions of the country are killing forests.

In the arid Southwest, the body count is especially high. Besides trying to keep wildfires from burning up these desiccated forests, there's not much anyone can do. In fact, scientists are only now figuring out how drought affects trees.

11:12 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Making Peace With Our Cyborg Nature

Credit Arnulfo Franco / AP

Lance Armstrong competes in the Ironman Panama 70.3. triathlon in Panama City, Panama.

By editor

Originally published on Mon August 27, 2012 6:51 am

I loved the TV show The Six-Million Dollar man growing up. For me, Steve Austin (played by Lee Majors) wasn't less cool because he had bionic implants that enabled him to perform superhuman feats. He was more cool.

6:16 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

RNC Shuts Down Monday's Events Due To Storm

By editor

The Republican National Convention in Tampa has canceled almost all events for Monday night, citing Tropical Storm Isaac. Convention organizers made that announcement saying safety is their primary concern. NPR's Jeff Brady joins guest host Laura Sullivan.

The Two-Way

5:27 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Storm Forces Republicans To Cancel Monday Convention Events

Credit National Hurricane Center

Tropical Storm Isaac's projected path on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012

By Korva Coleman

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 6:55 pm

Tropical Storm Isaac has been difficult to track, but its potential to affect Florida has caused the Republican National Convention to change its plans. Events for Monday have been canceled, though the committee will convene briefly. As Alan Greenblatt reported for It's All Politics, this is now the second-consecutive Republican National Convention to be delayed by a storm.

Update at 8:55 p.m. ET. Nomination Delayed:

3:12 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Astronaut Neil Armstrong Dies

By editor

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 6:16 pm

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Transcript

LAURA SULLIVAN, HOST:

It's WEEKENDS on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Laura Sullivan, in for Guy Raz.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

NEIL ARMSTRONG: That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

SULLIVAN: Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon. He died today at the age of 82 after complications from a heart procedure. He was the first of just 12 Americans to step on the moon from 1969 to 1972.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

3:12 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Neil Armstrong: An 'Exemplary Life'

By editor

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 6:16 pm

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Transcript

LAURA SULLIVAN, HOST:

James Fallows of The Atlantic joins us as he does most Saturdays. Jim, let me get your thoughts on the passing of Neil Armstrong.

3:12 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Tampa Gears Up For RNC And A Possible Storm

By editor

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 6:16 pm

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Transcript

LAURA SULLIVAN, HOST:

While some 70,000 visitors are expected for the Republican National Convention, it's not the only big event heading towards Tampa. On Tuesday, another important visitor could be on the way, though perhaps not directly through Tampa - Tropical Storm Isaac. As of now, Isaac is still in the Caribbean. But as NPR's Greg Allen reports from Tampa, it's likely to be a hurricane when it passes near the city later in the week.

3:12 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Voting As A 'Responsibility': How Hard Should It Be?

Credit Marc Levy / AP

Demonstrators hold signs at an NAACP-organized rally on the steps of the Pennsylvania Capitol to protest the state's new voter identification law on July 24 in Harrisburg, Pa.

By editor

Originally published on Sat August 25, 2012 6:29 pm

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Ana Gonzalez, 63, has gone her whole life without a driver's license or a state-issued ID. That wasn't really a problem, until now.

She was born in Puerto Rico but moved soon after with her adoptive parents for the continental U.S., where she grew up. Her husband drives, and her odd jobs over the years have required only a Social Security card, which she has. She's just never needed a birth certificate before.

3:03 pm

Sat August 25, 2012

Replanting Trees In New Orleans

Credit iStockphoto.com

City Park in New Orleans.

By Linton Weeks

Originally published on Thu September 20, 2012 9:18 am

More than 100,000 trees — including many beautiful live oaks and magnolias — were lost when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

In response, Hike For KaTREEna — a nonprofit group dedicated to reforesting the Crescent City — was created.

Since 2006, more than 10,000 volunteers have helped to plant 13,400 trees — including oaks, cypress, red maples, crepe myrtles, magnolias, redbuds, Savannah hollies and citrus trees such as navel orange, satsuma, lemon, lime and grapefruit.

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3:21 am

Sun August 26, 2012