Search results for

NPR's Emily Harris reports on a new Federal Trade Commission study into the responsibility of oil companies for the exceptionally high Midwestern gasoline prices last summer. The FTC concludes that the oil industry did not take illegal collective action to drive gasoline prices upward, but that individual companies did limit refinery production to maximize prices. In Chicago, Milwaukee, and other parts of the Midwest, prices at the pump exceeded $2 a gallon.

As U.S. leaders struggle to communicate with people in the Middle East, they might look to musician Lionel Richie for inspiration. In the current issue of GQ magazine, writer Andrew Corsello reports that Richie has become a musical phenomenon in the Arab world. Host Mike Pesca speaks with him about Richie's appeal in that region.

In a series of reports for Morning Edition, NPR Beijing correspondent Rob Gifford profiles five people from across China who symbolize the massive changes the country is undergoing as it makes its transition away from communism. The latest segment features Wu Dongmei, a young woman who, in search of a better life, migrated 1,000 miles from her village to work at a clothing factory.

West Nile virus has hit Louisiana hard this summer. Nearly 90 people there have contracted the mosquito-borne fever, and seven are dead. It's the largest outbreak in the United States yet, and with three more months of warm weather ahead, local health officials fear it will only get worse. NPR's John Nielsen reports for All Things Considered.

NPR's Richard Knox spent a year with Phil Simmons and his family to chronicle his long struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease -- and to report on how an extraordinarily dedicated group of friends banded together to help take care of Simmons. He died last weekend at his home in the New Hampshire woods. For All Things Considered, NPR's Richard Knox reflects on Simmons' life.

Music commentator Marika Partridge reports on singer Pat Humphries and an extraordinary song. Humphries isn't well-known outside folk music circles, but "Swimming to the Other Side" is becoming something of an underground anthem. Listen to three versions of the song online, and hear what Humphries fan Pete Seeger has to say about it. (10:00) The song is on a CD called Hands, and Pat's website is www.pathumphries.com.

Officials in Afghanistan are desperately trying to save an archaeological treasure: an ancient city estimated more than 1,000 years old that was recently uncovered when thieves were arrested with artifacts from the site. On Morning Edition, guest host Renee Montagne reports on the country's efforts to protect its cultural heritage. It's the latest part of NPR's series "Re-Creating Afghanistan."

Last week, more than 4,000 fire bosses mobilized 15,000 firefighters in the Western United States. So far, there have been enough managers to cover all major fires. But there is increasing concern about the dwindling supply of trained and experienced supervisors to direct and assist teams of firefighters. NPR's Howard Berkes reports for Morning Edition.

Twenty-five years ago Friday, the world lost the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley. NPR's Joshua Levs reports on the enduring appeal of Elvis, both for those who remember the rock icon when he was alive and among a new, young generation of fans. NPR Online marks the anniversary with vintage NPR coverage, music cuts including "Annoying Elvis" music, and an Elvis trivia quiz.

Sitting under glass in Yale University's Beinecke Library is a map faded to the point of near invisibility. It is the oldest known map depicting North America -- unless it is a fake. Scientists and historians have argued over the authenticity of the famous Vinland Map for a third of a century. Now two scientific papers are re-opening old wounds. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports for Morning Edition.