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The Salt
8:52 am
Wed May 22, 2013

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

An international group of plant pathologists has solved a historical mystery behind Ireland's Great Famine.

Sure, scientists have known for a while that a funguslike organism called Phytophthora infestans was responsible for the potato blight that plagued Ireland starting in the 1840s. But there are many different strains of the pathogen that cause the disease, and scientists have finally discovered the one that triggered the Great Famine.

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The Two-Way
8:50 am
Wed May 22, 2013

'I Have Not Done Anything Wrong,' Says Key IRS Official

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Internal Revenue Service Director of Exempt Organizations Lois Lerner as she was sworn in at a hearing held Wednesday by the House Committee On Oversight & Government Reform.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:33 am

"I have not done anything wrong. I have not broken any laws. I have not violated any IRS rules or regulations."

That was the word Wednesday morning from Lois Lerner, the Internal Revenue Service official at the center of the political storm over the agency's targeting of some conservative groups who were given extra scrutiny from 2010 into 2012.

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U.S.
7:29 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Oklahoma's Gov. Fallin On Life-Saving, Recovery Efforts

David Greene talks to Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin about the cleanup and recovery efforts in her state after Monday's tornado that devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.

The Two-Way
7:29 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Man Killed By FBI In Florida Was Linked To Boston Suspect

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:24 am

In Orlando, Fla., early Wednesday "an FBI agent was involved in a deadly shooting connected to the Boston Marathon bombing case," NBC News is reporting. A man who was being questioned by the agent is dead. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston and Carrie Johnson have also confirmed the news.

Just how firm the man's alleged connection to the marathon case is, though, remains unclear.

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The Two-Way
6:33 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Eric Garcetti Wins L.A. Mayor's Race

Credit Lucy Nicholson / Reuters /Landov
Incoming Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti celebrated with supporters late Tuesday in Hollywood.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:13 am

The next mayor of Los Angeles will be City Councilman Eric Garcetti.

In a race in which the two top contenders were both Democrats, the 42-year-old Garcetti has opened a 7- to 8-percentage-point lead over City Controller Wendy Greuel as Tuesday's votes are being counted.

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The Two-Way
6:03 am
Wed May 22, 2013

In Oklahoma, Rescue Efforts Give Way To Recovery

Credit Rick Wilking / Reuters /Landov
A teddy bear sits atop some of the rubble in Moore, Okla.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 8:59 am

  • On 'Morning Edition': Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin speaks with NPR's David Greene
  • On 'Morning Edition': David Schaper reports from Moore, Okla.

The news Wednesday from Moore, Okla., much of which was destroyed by a massive tornado Monday, begins with word that officials doubt they will find any more survivors or bodies under the hundreds of homes, businesses and other buildings that were leveled.

Moore Fire Chief Gary Bird put it this way Tuesday: After searches of all damaged buildings, "I'm 98 percent sure we're good."

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The Two-Way
5:57 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Anthony Weiner Jumps Into Race To Be NYC Mayor

Credit Andrew Gombert / EPA /Landov
Former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., in June 2011 — at the height of the sexting scandal that led to his resignation from Congress.

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 9:02 am

The Two-Way
5:35 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Book News: Newly Found Pearl Buck Novel To Be Published This Fall

Credit AP
At her desk in the study of her Philadelphia townhouse in 1967, Pearl Buck looks at a bound volume of the magazine Asia from 1925 that contained her first published work.

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

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Around the Nation
4:32 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 7:29 am

The Boy Scouts of America votes in Texas this week on whether to change its century old membership policy. The proposal is to open up the scouts to allow gay youth to join and continue to ban on adults who are gay. About 1,400 voting members will decide.

Planet Money
1:07 am
Wed May 22, 2013

Why Apple (And Lots Of Other Companies) Wound Up In Ireland

Credit Andy Wong / AP

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 7:35 am

Apple was criticized in a Senate committee hearing Tuesday for using complex accounting to minimize the corporate taxes it pays. One key piece of the company's tax strategy: It funnels lots of its profits through subsidiaries in Ireland.

Offering low corporate tax rates has been a fundamental part of Ireland's economic strategy for decades — a way to get foreign companies to set up operations in the country.

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Parallels
1:04 am
Wed May 22, 2013

West Bank Businesses Seek Growth Amid Uncertainty

Originally published on Wed May 22, 2013 6:27 am

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry heads back to Israel and the West Bank on Thursday for more talks on restarting peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. When he was there last month, he walked away with at least one agreement — to improve the West Bank economy. Here's how he put it as he left Israel:

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