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Her Own Musical Blend: Emeli Sande Writes For Herself

Credit Lauren Dukoff / Courtesy of the artist

Emeli Sande's new album is Our Version of Events.

By editor

Originally published on Sun June 3, 2012 9:37 am

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Emeli Sande is already a star across the pond. Her debut album topped the charts in the UK this year. Her songwriting prowess has won wide acclaim and with her BRIT Critics' Choice Award, she joins the company of artists including Adele and Florence and the Machine.

Now it's time for another coming-out party of sorts. Sande is bringing her unique mix of pop ballads, soulful belting and dance arrangements to North America for a new tour. Her album, Our Version of Events, is out in the U.S. this week.

5:17 am

Sun June 3, 2012

Blacksmiths Forge A New Kind Of Artisanal Future

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Credit Alex Schmidt / for NPR

Mark Aspery (right) teaches a blacksmith class at Adam's Forge in Los Angeles.

By editor

Originally published on Sun June 3, 2012 6:37 pm

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Adam's Forge is a dark, high-ceilinged warehouse space in Los Angeles. It's set up with anvils, medieval-looking tools and black ovens that breathe fire.

Recently, about a dozen people gathered for an advanced class taught by master blacksmith Mark Aspery.

Blacksmithing is an ancient trade that, like other crafts, saw a downturn during the Industrial Revolution, when machines took over jobs that humans once did. Now, blacksmithing is having a small revival as smiths build new ways of connecting with customers.

'This Is My Craft'

5:16 am

Sun June 3, 2012

Congress May Not Be As Bad As All That

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Credit J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Flowers bloom at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., though the same can't be said of bipartisanship.

Credit Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images

See, they really can get along. President Obama met with bipartisan House and Senate leadership on fiscal policy including (from left) Nancy Pelosi, John Boehner, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell last year in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

By editor

Originally published on Sun June 3, 2012 4:24 pm

Washington isn't working. With control of the government divided between the parties and every political incentive working against bipartisan cooperation, Congress can barely pass the minimum amount of legislation needed to avoid a government shutdown, let alone address the most pressing issues of the day.

11:03 pm

Sat June 2, 2012

That's Jakarta, With A Capital 'J'

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By Will Shortz

Originally published on Sun June 3, 2012 9:37 am

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On-Air Challenge: Every answer is the name of a world capital. You'll be given clues to its phonetic parts, and you name the capital. For example, given the clues "person from Bangkok" and "salary," the answer would be Taipei ("Thai" plus "pay").

Last Week's Challenge From Listener Jack Lechner: Name two different kinds of wool. Take the first five letters of one, followed by the last three letters of the other, and the result will spell the first and last name of a famous actor. Who is it?

4:13 pm

Sat June 2, 2012

'Life Behind The Lobby' Of Indian-American Motels

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Credit Jennifer Manna /

Pawan Dhingra is the museum curator of the HomeSpun Project at the Smithsonian Institution.

By editor

Originally published on Sat June 2, 2012 5:20 pm

Here are three remarkable facts about motels in the U.S. that you probably don't already know:

- At least 1 out of 2 motels are owned by Indian-Americans.

- Out of those Indian-owned motels, 70 percent are owned by Gujaratis, people with roots in the western Indian state of Gujarat.

- Of those Gujaratis, three-fourths share the last name Patel. There's even a name for these overnight establishments: "Patel Motels."

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5:18 am

Sun June 3, 2012