Search results for

An appreciation of the life and work of inventor Arthur Holt, who died Friday at age 74. He invented the method used in all VCR's to store information on tape, discovered ways for computers to recognize people's writing, and the "corn popper" - a toy he sold to Fischer-Price for $50. His collegues call him "brilliant" and his wife says he tried to never do anything the same way twice. (3:00) (IN S

In a speech at a Miami middle school today, President Clinton asked Congress for fifteen billion dollars more to fight drugs. The President and his new drug czar, General Barry McCaffrey, also warned of a new drug threat from methamphetamine imported from Mexico. NPR's Phillip Davis reports.

Linguist GEOFF NUNBERG on the language of downsizing.

Croatian army general who is expected to give himself up to the International War Crimes Tribunal today.

Linda Wertheimer speaks wtih Janet Fleischman, Washington director of Human Rights Watch/Africa. She describes some of the recent political history of Liberia and attempts to current descent into factional chaos the country is experiencing. The current fighting represents the failure of the 12th agreement in the last several years which attempted to bring all the conflicting parties together within a single authority which would lead to a government.

Charles Scanlon previews South Korea's parliamentary elections that will beheld tomorrow. The public has been disaffected from the ruling party because of a corruption scandal. But tensions with North Korea may give the government a last-minute boost.

Commentator John Rosenthal offers these thoughts on some of the things he's noticed as a wedding photographer. Observing the festivities as a stranger gives him unique views of people at expressive moments.

item veto bill today. It will allow a president to eliminate specific items in spending legislation, as well as very narrow tax loopholes and new entitlements. The new law, which presidents have called for for decades, goes into effect next January and will expire in eight years unless Congress extends it. Proponents say it will help cut the deficit. But NPR's Mara Liasson reports that many analysts are skeptical about the line-item veto's effectiveness.

Rep. Greg Laughlin of southeast Texas, a four-term Democrat who became a Republican last year, lost his party's primary last night. House leaders had awarded Laughlin a seat on the Ways and Means committee, and nationally prominent Republicans had campaigned aggressivley for him, but he was beaten by Ron Paul, a former Libertarian candidate for president. Today Democrats were quick to call Laughlin's defeat a sign of things to come for the other four party-switchers in the House. But Republicans say the dynamics of a very individual race were to blame. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports.

NPR's Eric Weiner reports that Israel today carried out a series of air raids in Lebanon, including an attack on a Beirut suburb. At least five Lebanese were reported killed in the raids. It's the first Israeli raid against the Lebanese capital in 14 years.