Melissa Block

Melissa Block appears in the following:

The Intra-Party Landscape, Seen From The Edge Of Primary Season

Monday, May 05, 2014

Three states go to the polls Tuesday, starting what will be an eight-week stretch of primaries in the U.S. For a look at the intra-party political landscape, NPR's Charlie Mahtesian has this overview.

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The Man Who Would Own All The World's 'Speed' — But Only On VHS

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Ryan Beitz has a goal: Collect every VHS copy of the movie Speed known to man. He has over 500 of them now, he says. But the man pushes on, scouring the earth for more.

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In Answer To Palestinian Unity, Israelis Step Away From Peace Talks

Thursday, April 24, 2014

The Israeli government suspended peace talks with Palestinians, citing a unity agreement announced Wednesday by Palestinian leadership. The Israeli security cabinet came to the decisi...

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New Browser Plug-in Would Literally Annihilate This Headline

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Mike Lazer-Walker created a free browser plug-in called Literally, which replaces the word "literally" with "figuratively" in all online text. As the website explains, that's literally all it does.

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The Wonders Of The Year 2014, As Told By Isaac Asimov

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

To mark the 50th anniversary of the 1964 New York World's Fair, we turn back to some predictions that The New York Times commissioned Isaac Asimov to make on the occasion. He got many things right.

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LBJ Carried Poor Texas Town With Him In Civil Rights Fight

Friday, April 11, 2014

Lyndon Johnson taught in the South Texas town of Cotulla in 1928. Even as president, he always remembered the grinding poverty of his students.

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Letters: Musical Repetition And Keeping 'The' Away From Ukraine

Friday, April 11, 2014

Audie Cornish and Melissa Block read letters from listeners about repetition in music and what to call Ukraine.

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Drilling Frenzy Fuels Sudden Growth In Small Texas Town

Thursday, April 10, 2014

The boom has brought unexpected prosperity — and many new problems — to Cotulla. It's in the heart of the Eagle Ford Shale area, which has quickly become the nation's No. 2 oil-producing region.

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Three Little Letters That, When Strung Together, Insult A Nation

Wednesday, April 09, 2014

A geopolitical language lesson: It's correct to say Ukraine — not the Ukraine. Those three letters make a big difference, and we explain why.

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In NCAA Finals, Two Recent Champions On Unlikely Rides

Monday, April 07, 2014

The Kentucky Wildcats and the Connecticut Huskies take the court in Monday's NCAA men's college basketball final. NPR's Tom Goldman talks to Melissa Block about what to watch for in the game.

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Letters: Athletic And Academic Demands In College

Monday, April 07, 2014

Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read letters from listeners about the demands made on students and student-athletes in college.

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Another Tragedy For A City All Too Familiar With Extreme Gun Violence

Thursday, April 03, 2014

In Killeen, Texas, another mass shooting had some asking, "Again?" The flags flew at half staff as the community began to pick up the pieces.

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On Base And In Town, Shooting Summons A Dread All Too Familiar

Thursday, April 03, 2014

From Killeen, Texas, where Fort Hood is based, Melissa Block talks to soldiers who were on base during the shooting, as well as with Killeen's mayor. The mayor explains how the town is trying to cope.

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As Texas Gets More Diverse, Educators Grab The Bull By The Horns

Tuesday, April 01, 2014

Hispanics now make up 38 percent of Texas residents. One demographer says the state's future is tied to the success of its growing minority population. Schools may be part of the solution.

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Orthotic Brace Takes Soldiers From Limping To Leaping

Monday, March 31, 2014

An injured leg can cause so much pain that some wounded veterans consider amputation. A brace invented at an Army medical center in Texas is getting them up and running again.

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Tell Your Bestie: The OED Has New Words

Friday, March 14, 2014

The Oxford English Dictionary is adding some 900 new words and phrases to its pages, with wackadoodle, bestie and DIYer among them. Melissa and Robert review some of the new entries.

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Letters: 'The Big Broadcast' And Laughing Down The Hall

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Melissa Block and Robert Siegel read emails from listeners about Game of Thrones and The Big Broadcast.

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To Sell Health Care To Young People, Obama Steps 'Between Two Ferns'

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

President Obama's pitch for his health care law has brought him to an awkward place: "Between Two Ferns." In a bid to up the enrollment of young people, Obama visited Zach Galifianakis' Internet show.

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Letters: Jim DeMint And Kenny G

Friday, March 07, 2014

Audie Cornish and Melissa Block read letters from listeners about Tea Party conservative Jim DeMint and a sneaky commentary on Kenny G.

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Putin Speaks, Decries U.S. For 'Experimenting On Rats' In Ukraine

Tuesday, March 04, 2014

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended his position on Ukraine. In a news conference, Putin denied that Russian troops are in Crimea but reserved the right to use force in Ukraine.

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