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Around the Nation
5:09 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Drought Assists Police With Marijuana Finds

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

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Participation Nation
5:03 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Backpacks For Kids In Punta Gorda, Fla.

Credit Courtesy of Yah Yah Girls
Back Pack Kids in Punta Gorda.
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Several years ago, Jolene Mowry, president of the Yah Yah Girls of Punta Gorda, heard about a program in another state that provided food on weekends to needy schoolchildren.

So every Friday since 2010, the Yah Yahs deliver backpacks full of healthy, non-perishable, child-friendly food to schools throughout Charlotte County. The packs are given to Back Pack Kidz who have been identified — by the principals and school nurses — as likely to be hungry on weekends.

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The Picture Show
3:38 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Our Changing Forests: An 88-Year Time Lapse

Next imagePrevious image
Credit Photo 87357 / U.S. Forest Service
1909. Facing nearly due west from ridge northeast of Como Lake. Light selection cut in open ponderosa pine. Ground cover is comprised of perennial grasses and forbs, including basalmroot. A few low-growing bitterbrush plants can be seen in the vicinity of horses and in distance on left. A group of willows can be seen behind horsemen at left center.
Credit Photo 86469 / U.S. Forest Service
1909. Looking northeast through a more heavily stocked ponderosa pine stand. The ground cover around C.H. Gregory (in distance) and W.W. White is predominantly herbaceous species with a high incidence of basalmroot. The dark low-growing shrub around White appear to be snowberry. Large willows are evident on the left edge of the photo and in front of White. (Original captions)
Credit Photo 221280 / U.S. Forest Service
1927. 18 years later. Two willows in the 1909 scene have grown considerably and now contain many dead branches. Other willows have become established in midground, while young ponderosa pine can be seen in localized areas. The herbaceous ground cover persists. Taken later in the season, this view pictures basalmroot at a cured stage of growth. Note fire-scarred stump on the right.
Credit Photo 354400 / U.S. Forest Service
1938. 29 years later. Young pine growth is beginning to occupy localized sites in the understory. A tree on right has blown down, and the willow in the foreground that was present in 1909 has become senescent. In the foreground, the low shrub component is less evident, but this may be a seasonal difference.
Credit Photo 452641 / U.S. Forest Service
1948. 39 years later. Two mature pines have fallen to the ground. Growth of young pines are closing in portions of the understory. Young pine at right foreground is screening senescent willow. Herbaceous plants and snowberry in foreground have put on good growth.
Credit Photo 487747 / U.S. Forest Service
1958. 49 years later. A shelterwood cut in 1952 removed several of the merchantable trees and left slash on the ground. Plants occupying sites near left edge of photo appear to be betterbrush.
Credit Photo 518770 / U.S. Forest Service
1968. 59 years later. A 1962 selection cut and 1966 precommercial thinning have resulted in a more open landscape with increasing slash on the ground. Bitterbrush plants are more evident, while willows in the midground have been favorable influenced by removal of young conifers.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1979. 70 years later. Rapid establishment and growth of new conifers has screened the open view of 1968. Growing conditions for bitterbrush and willow have deteriorated because of competition for sunlight and moisture. Partial cutting and thinning in 1952, 1955, 1962, and 1966 have allowed more conifer regeneration than the early, light 1906-9 cut.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1989. 80 years later. The small trees established shortly before the 1979 photo have grown into a thicket of saplings.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1997. 88 years later. Thinning in 1992 has created large openings throughout the stand. Only mid- and back-ground received burn treatment in 1993, resulting in loss of small trees. Bitterbrush in unburned foreground looks more vigorous than others in burn area. Ground cover is dominated by spotted knapweed, elk sedge and bluebunch wheatgrass.
Credit Photo 87357 / U.S. Forest Service
1909. Facing nearly due west from ridge northeast of Como Lake. Light selection cut in open ponderosa pine. Ground cover is comprised of perennial grasses and forbs, including basalmroot. A few low-growing bitterbrush plants can be seen in the vicinity of horses and in distance on left. A group of willows can be seen behind horsemen at left center. (Original captions)
Credit Photo 204815 / U.S. Forest Service
1925. 16 years later. Bitterbrush plants on left and willow in distance, more evident in the winter scene, have increased in size. Young conifers are beginning to fill the understory in the background.
Credit Photo 361704 / U.S. Forest Service
1938. 29 years later. Several pines in foreground have been cut, some have died, and others have fallen. Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir regeneration is profuse, while the willow in the distance is larger. Bitterbrush has increased, but regeneration appears minimal. Slash and windfall have resulted in an increase in heavy fuels. Mullein can be seen in foreground for the first time.
Credit Photo 452369 / U.S. Forest Service
1948. 39 years later. Open view is screened by growth of young conifers. Bitterbrush plants have continued to grow, but are beginning to receive competition from conifers for space. Willow in distance has been overtopped by conifers. Dead trees have toppled, adding to fuel load. Slash in foreground has decomposed somewhat, while basalmroot is not evident and mullein has increased.
Credit Photo 487738 / U.S. Forest Service
1958. 49 years later. Growth of young ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir dominate skyline, thereby obscuring view of the few remaining mature ponderosa pine in the distance. Competition by young pines in foreground has apparently caused several of the bitterbrush plants to deteriorate. Heavy ground fuels show considerable decomposition.
Credit Photo 518767 / U.S. Forest Service
1968. 59 years later. Precommercial thinning and pruning in 1968 removed mature pines and opened up young pine stand. This benefitted some bitterbrush plants, but those in left foreground under and near leave trees show further deterioration. Slash has added to heavy fuels, while down material is more decomposed.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1979. 70 years later. Understory is dominated by increased pine growth that is shading out bitterbrush. Past disturbance has allowed knapweed to predominate in foreground.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1989. 80 years later. Growth of trees in the foreground has reduced the view. A few bitterbrush plants can be seen in the center of the stand, along with some grasses.
Credit Photo 86469 / U.S. Forest Service
1909. Looking northeast through a more heavily stocked ponderosa pine stand. The ground cover around C. H. Gregory (in distance) and W. W. White is predominantly herbaceous species with a high incidence of basalmroot. The dark low-growing shrub around White appear to be snowberry. Large willows are evident on the left edge of the photo and in front of White.
Credit Photo 221280 / U.S. Forest Service
1927. 18 years later. Two willows in the 1909 scene have grown considerably and now contain many dead branches. Other willows have become established in midground, while young ponderosa pine can be seen in localized areas. The herbaceous ground cover persists. Taken later in the season, this view pictures basalmroot at a cured stage of growth. Note fire-scarred stump on the right.
Credit Photo 354400 / U.S. Forest Service
1938. 29 years later. Young pine growth is beginning to occupy localized sites in the understory. A tree on right has blown down, and the willow in the foreground that was present in 1909 has become senescent. In the foreground, the low shrub component is less evident, but this may be a seasonal difference.
Credit Photo 452641 / U.S. Forest Service
1948. 39 years later. Two mature pines have fallen to the ground. Growth of young pines are closing in portions of the understory. Young pine at right foreground is screening senescent willow. Herbaceous plants and snowberry in foreground have put on good growth.
Credit Photo 487747 / U.S. Forest Service
1958. 49 years later. A shelterwood cut in 1952 removed several of the merchantable trees and left slash on the ground. Plants occupying sites near left edge of photo appear to be betterbrush.
Credit Photo 518770 / U.S. Forest Service
1968. 59 years later. A 1962 selection cut and 1966 precommercial thinning have resulted in a more open landscape with increasing slash on the ground. Bitterbrush plants are more evident, while willows in the midground have been favorable influenced by removal of young conifers.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1979. 70 years later. Rapid establishment and growth of new conifers has screened the open view of 1968. Growing conditions for bitterbrush and willow have deteriorated because of competition for sunlight and moisture. Partial cutting and thinning in 1952, 1955, 1962, and 1966 have allowed more conifer regeneration than the early, light 1906-9 cut.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1989. 80 years later. Growth of trees in the foreground has reduced the view. A few bitterbrush plants can be seen in the center of the stand, along with some grasses.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1997. 88 years later. Thinning in 1992 has created large openings throughout the stand. Only mid- and back-ground received burn treatment in 1993, resulting in loss of small trees. Bitterbrush in unburned foreground looks more vigorous than others in burn area. Ground cover is dominated by spotted knapweed, elk sedge and bluebunch wheatgrass.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1997. 88 years later. This stand was not subject to management activities in 1992 and 1993. Note the rapid growth of the Douglas-fir trees in the foreground since 1989, masking the view of the slower growing ponderosa pines in the background. Undergrowth is primarily pinegrass and dogbane.
Credit Photo 204815 / U.S. Forest Service
1925. 16 years later. Bitterbrush plants on left and willow in distance, more evident in the winter scene, have increased in size. Young conifers are beginning to fill the understory in the background.
Credit Photo 452369 / U.S. Forest Service
1938. 29 years later. Several pines have been cut, some have died, and others have fallen to the ground. Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir regeneration is profuse, while the willow in the distance is larger. Bitterbrush has increased, but regeneration appears minimal. Slash and windfall have resulted in an increase in heavy fuels. Mullein can be seen foreground for the first time.
Credit Photo 452369 / U.S. Forest Service
1948. 39 years later. Open view is screened by growth of young conifers. Bitterbrush plants have continued to grow, but are beginning to receive competition from conifers for space. Willow in distance has been overtopped by conifers. Dead trees have toppled, adding to fuel load. Slash in foreground has decomposed somewhat, while basalmroot is not evident and mullein has increased.
Credit Photo 487738 / U.S. Forest Service
1958. 49 years later. Growth of young ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir dominate skyline, thereby obscuring view of the few remaining mature ponderosa pine in the distance. Competition by young pines in foreground has apparently caused several of the bitterbrush plants to deteriorate. Heavy ground fuels show considerable decomposition.
Credit Photo 518767 / U.S. Forest Service
1968. 59 years later. Precommercial thinning and pruning in 1968 removed mature pines and opened up young pine stand. This benefitted some bitterbrush plants, but those in left foreground under and near leave trees show further deterioration. Slash has added to heavy fuels, while down material is more decomposed.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1979. 70 years later. Understory is dominated by increased pine growth that is shading out bitterbrush. Past disturbance has allowed knapweed to predominate in foreground.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1989. 80 years later. Growth of trees in the foreground has reduced the view. A few bitterbrush plants can be seen in the center of the stand, along with some grasses.
Credit U.S. Forest Service
1997. 88 years later. Thinning in 1992 has created large openings throughout the stand. Only mid- and back-ground received burn treatment in 1993, resulting in loss of small trees. Bitterbrush in unburned foreground looks more vigorous than others in burn area. Ground cover is dominated by spotted knapweed, elk sedge and bluebunch wheatgrass.
Credit General Technical Report 23 / U.S. Forest Service
A map showing the locations of 13 photo points in Bitterroot National Forest, where photographers have returned since 1909.
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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 10:35 am

Intense forest fires have been raging across the western United States this summer. So far this year, nearly 43,000 wildfires have torched almost 7 million acres of land.

As NPR Science correspondent Christopher Joyce and photographer David Gilkey report from Arizona and New Mexico this week, the forests of the American Southwest have become so overgrown that they're essentially tinderboxes just waiting for a spark.

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Around the Nation
2:52 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Drought's Effects Keep Expanding

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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 3:23 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This summer's drought is not helping the wildfire situation, and the drought is also deeply harming the nation's agricultural economy. Parched lands extend from California to Indiana, and from Texas to South Dakota, impacting everyone from farmers and ranchers to barge operators and commodity traders.

As NPR's David Schaper reports, some farmers are getting close to calling it quits.

DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: Looking over his small, 100-acre farm near South Union, Kentucky, Rich Vernon doesn't like what he sees.

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Business
2:52 am
Thu August 23, 2012

The Last Word In Business

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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 4:14 am

A federal judge has tossed out the conviction of a man running a Texas Hold 'Em game in a Staten Island, New York, warehouse. The judge says federal gambling law should not apply to poker because it's more a game of skill.

Middle East
2:52 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Another Round Of Iranian Nuclear Talks To Begin

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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 4:48 am

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep.

Talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program are set to intensify in the coming days. Tomorrow in Vienna, authorities from the International Atomic Energy Agency meet again with Iranian representatives. They'll discuss some past suspicious nuclear activities. Next week, other talks involving the United States, Europe, Russia and China are set to resume.

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Middle East
2:52 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Egypt's New Leader Accused Of Censorship

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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 4:58 am

Egypt's first democratically elected president is under fire for trying to silence his critics. In the last two weeks, a satellite TV channel was pulled off the air, two journalists were referred to criminal court for defamation and a state newspaper was accused of censoring columns critical of President Mohammed Morsi.

Joe's Big Idea
1:23 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Telescope Innovator Shines His Genius On New Fields

Next imagePrevious image
Credit Jason Millstein for NPR
Roger Angel, an astronomer at the University of Arizona, stands in front of his new project: a solar tracker. Angel wants to use the device to harness Arizona's abundant sunlight and turn it into usable energy.
Credit Gary Williams/Stringer / Getty Images North America

Angel uses this rotating furnace at the Steward Observatory Mirror Lab on the University of Arizona campus to make his giant mirrors. The process, called "spin casting," helps form the molten glass into the parabolic shape needed for focusing light.

Credit Joe McNally / Getty Images
Roger Angel's mirror technology is now used in many large telescopes around the world, including this one, the Large Binocular Telescope at the Mount Graham International Observatory in Arizona. Its twin mirrors can produce images 10 times sharper than the Hubble Space Telescope.
Credit Jason Millstein for NPR
Angel does a final inspection on one of his mirrors. The weight of telescope mirrors made the traditional way limits their size. Angel realized he could produce a bigger mirror by creating a mold with a honeycomb pattern, making the mirror lighter.
Credit REhnu
Angel is working to put another mirror-based concept into action, this time to fight climate change. The solar tracker, seen here, makes electricity by focusing sunlight on photovoltaic cells.
Credit University of Arizona
An illustration of Angel's 2006 idea to reduce the effects of global warming by reflecting the sun's light with massive glass shields in space. It's a last-resort sort of idea, Angel admits.
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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 10:23 am

You may not be familiar with the name Roger Angel, but if there were ever a scientist with a creative streak a mile wide, it would be he.

Angel is an astronomer. He's famous for developing an entirely new way of making really large, incredibly precise telescope mirrors. But his creativity doesn't stop there. He's now turned his attention to solar power, hoping to use the tricks he learned from capturing distant light from stars to do a more cost-efficient job of capturing light from the Sun.

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First And Main
1:22 am
Thu August 23, 2012

Wis. Business Owner Relates To Romney's Resume

Next imagePrevious image
Credit John W. Poole / NPR
Linda Wendt is the owner of a restaurant on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin. Republican Mitt Romney "has done what I've done, so I can relate to him," she says. "He knows what business goes through and what it takes to run a business."
Credit John W. Poole / NPR
Wendt's grandchildren, Zach, 9, and Sawyer, 6, play with Nerf guns outside the family restaurant.
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Originally published on Thu August 23, 2012 6:47 pm

As the presidential election nears, Morning Edition is visiting swing counties in swing states for our series First and Main. We're listening to voters where they live — to understand what's shaping their thinking this election year.

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Opinion
1:22 am
Thu August 23, 2012

For Indian Women, Teasing Is No Laughing Matter

Credit Sajjad Hussain / AFP/Getty Images
Protesters take part in a street play during a protest against growing cases of sexual abuse in New Delhi on May 5. The protesters urged police to protect women from abusers and stop blaming victims for attacks.
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Originally published on Wed August 29, 2012 3:15 pm

Morning Edition commentator Sandip Roy is back home in India after spending years in the U.S. He finds some Indians are standing up to a very old problem they call "eve teasing."

I lost touch with that peculiar Indian euphemism "eve teasing" in the years I was away from India.

It sounds coy, like a Bollywood hero romancing the pretty girl as she walks down the street, and it can mean that. But it can also mean what happened to a teenager a few weeks ago in the northeastern city of Guwahati.

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