All Things Considered

A Brutal Chapter In North Carolina's Eugenics Past

editor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:47:00 +0000

North Carolina is trying to make amends for an ugly chapter in its history during which more than 7,000 people were sterilized — many against their will. At least half of the states had eugenics laws, but only a handful kept their forced sterilization programs active after World War II.

Within North Carolina, one county sterilized three times more people than any other — Mecklenburg, where Charlotte is the county seat.

Why Tea Party Freshmen Caved On Payroll Tax Deal

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:26:00 +0000

Conservative Tea Party-affiliated lawmakers spent weeks vowing to oppose the short-term compromise bill extending payroll tax cuts and unemployment insurance.

But in the end, the bill glided through the House, just before Christmas.

The final moments of this latest congressional showdown were fascinating not because of what happened but because of what didn't happen.

House Speaker John Boehner presided over a quick session, no roll call, no vote-counting. He brought the compromise bill to the floor under a special procedure.

In Philippine Slums, Capturing Light In A Bottle

editor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:59:00 +0000

Sheila Royeras, her husband, her mother and two young daughters live in a single-room cement apartment in a poor neighborhood in Manila, Philippines. Like many such homes, it's mostly dark during the day, except for a small ray of sunlight that enters through an open front door.

But this is about to change.

On this morning, volunteers and local government workers arrive to hang low-tech solar light bulbs from the corrugated metal roof.

From Boom To Bust: The Year In Unemployment

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:54:00 +0000

It may be hard to remember, but 2011 began with a bang on the jobs front. The White House seemed ready to break out the champagne when February's job growth report came out showing unemployment at the lowest in nearly two years.

But that celebratory mood didn't last long.

From start to finish in 2011, the biggest issue has been jobs. And as the year draws to a close, 25 million people report that they're either unemployed or underemployed.

Crime Keeps Falling Despite A Recession — But Why?

Eyder Peralta — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:53:00 +0000

We've reported that crime continues to fall in the United States. The FBI said it was down for the first six months of the year and the Justice Department said violent crime was down 12 percent in 2010.

It's a 20-year trend.

Despite Signs Of Hope, Iowa Voters Question Economy

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:46:00 +0000

First in a series

Visiting a metal fabrication plant in Sioux City this December, Mitt Romney touted his successful business background, saying those qualifications are what America needs right now.

"I want to use the experience I have in the world of the free enterprise system to make sure that America gets working again. ... These are tough times," said the Republican presidential candidate. "You guys have jobs. Hope your spouses do.

Coming Out, Coming Of Age As A Teen 'Pariah'

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:42:00 +0000

When the new film Pariah opens nationally, it's safe to say it will not be competing with any other movies about a black teenager coming of age as a lesbian in Brooklyn.

"It's not so much coming out, but coming into," clarifies director Dee Rees. "Alike, the main character, knows she loves women. That's not her struggle. Her struggle's more how to be in the world."

Right at the beginning of the film, Alike visits a bustling lesbian nightclub for the first time.

In Greece, A Muted Christmas Amid Tough Times

Joanna Kakissis — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:18:00 +0000

In Greece, caroling season runs through the Orthodox Christian holiday known as the Epiphany, celebrated on Jan. 6. Traditionally, children go door-to-door, playing the triangle and singing songs of the season. In return, people give them a few euros for presents.

But this Christmas, Greek retailers say sales fell 30 percent from last year. The unemployment rate is at record levels, crime is rising and austerity is dampening everyone's spirits.

On one recent day, three 11-year-old girls are caroling outside a worn-out apartment building in their neighborhood.

Flame On: Protest Songs From Greece

editor — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:44:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS-l3DTIGAI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecTeC2--8rk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEzNv81CK04

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp9pvLZg_AI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZSp1bIJS7s

Ahead In New Hampshire, Romney Attempts To Solidify Support

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:21:00 +0000

Mitt Romney's campaign stops Tuesday in New Hampshire, at small restaurants with largely invited crowds, featured lofty patriotic themes and seemed designed to help him lock down his current base of support in the Granite State.

"America the Beautiful," the Founding Fathers, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were referenced by the GOP presidential contender during his last bit of stumping in New Hampshire before heading off for a three-day bus tour of Iowa, which holds its caucuses in a week.

Citing a lyric from "America the Beautiful," Romney sought to contrast himself