Around the Nation
6:30 am
Tue July 3, 2012

Rapper Pitbull Helps Wal-Mart Add Facebook Fans

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Good morning. I'm Linda Wertheimer. Wal-Mart wanted more Facebook fans, so it asked rapper Pitbull for help. Pitbull agreed to a show at the Wal-Mart store with the most likes. The campaign went viral, then rural. As of this morning, more than 40,000 people have liked the Wal-Mart in Kodiak, Alaska. Kodiak is on an island, a town of less then 10,000, plus bears, of course. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.

Barrie Hardymon began her career studying viola at Juilliard. She has since worked as a cocktail waitress, a shop girl in a string of high-end lingerie boutiques and a cashier at New York's Strand bookstore. At the Strand, she distinguished herself by hollering "Next!" at a decibel level completely out of proportion to her size and by recommending John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman — a novel that changed her life — to patrons wandering the Self-Help section. Inexplicably, the book remains in stock. Currently, she is a associate editor at NPR's Talk of the Nation and one of the loudest voices (still) on Blog of the Nation, the show's companion blog.

The Two-Way
6:11 am
Tue July 3, 2012

Power's Still Out For Nearly 2 Million, And Intense Heat Continues

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
In Silver Spring, Md., on Monday, Matt MacCartney was one of many workers dismantling fallen trees that took down power lines.

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 2:42 pm

As the day gets started, about 1.8 million homes and businesses in states stretching from Indiana east through the mid-Atlantic are still without power because of the enormous damage caused by Friday's derecho. That's the huge wall of severe storms that swept across towns and cities from Indiana east to the Atlantic coast.

Read more
Critics' Lists: Summer 2012
6:03 am
Tue July 3, 2012

Lesser-Known Lit: Seeking Summer's Hidden Gems

Credit Harriet Russell

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 1:35 pm

I know, I know. You've already started tearing through Bring Up the Bodies, pre-ordered Canada and — since you pretend to have read the first few massive volumes of his LBJ bio — uploaded Robert Caro's latest history lesson to your Kindle. Spoiler: The pres dies in the end.

Read more
Book Reviews
6:03 am
Tue July 3, 2012

'Gold' Offers A Winning Take On Cycling

You're going to be hearing a lot about Chris Cleave's gold-medal performance in his first novel since his mega-best-seller, Little Bee. That's because Gold is a heart-pounding, winning tearjerker about three elite cyclists fiercely competing through three successive Olympics — including, most topically, the one about to take place in London this summer. If Olympic medals were awarded for dramatic stories about what drives athletes to compete and succeed, Cleave would easily ascend the podium.

Read more
NPR Story
5:56 am
Tue July 3, 2012

West Chicago Neighborhood Hit Hard By Weather

No power and high heat equal no fun in parts of Illinois. Some worry that July 4 celebrations will be affected.

Business
4:30 am
Tue July 3, 2012

Airbus: 'The Time Is Right' To Open Alabama Plant

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 4:31 am

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Jobs and the economy are big issues in this election. And from Alabama, we have a story of jobs coming from overseas to the U.S. European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is making a bold move into North America to compete in the largest market in the world for passenger jets.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

The firm will build its first U.S. assembly plant on the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports the region has been working for years to attract Airbus.

Read more
NPR Story
4:29 am
Tue July 3, 2012

Daycare Needs Stretch Around The Clock

As more people take shift work in the still struggling economy, the need for after hours child care has increased. Throughout the country, many daycare centers have begun offering evening hours or 24-hour care. Parents say their kids should be sleeping at home at night, but they have no choice but to work when jobs are available.

NPR Story
3:55 am
Tue July 3, 2012

The History Of Pie

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 1:11 pm

It's Pie Week on Morning Edition, and we wanted to know more about where pie comes from. Linda Wertheimer talks to food anthropologist Deborah Duchon about the history of pie.

NPR Story
3:55 am
Tue July 3, 2012

The Last Word In Business

Originally published on Tue July 3, 2012 7:02 am

In France, a law just took effect that requires all drivers, including tourists, to buy a breathalyzer test to keep in their cars. Drunk driving is huge problem in France — causing more accidents per year than speeding. It was recently discovered that the head of the group that lobbied for the law also works for a company that makes the kits.

Pages