Abilene Public Radio

Rep. Cole Is From Moore, Where Deadly Twister Hit

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Rescuers are still combing through the rubble Tuesday morning in Moore, a suburb of Oklahoma City. More is the hometown of Republican Rep. Tom Cole. He encourages everyone to remember that people in the area will need long-term help.

Now's Your Chance To Own A Little Bit Of Gandhi

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:59:00 +0000

The late Indian leader Mohandis Gandhi, who became known as Mahatma, or venerated one, had an appendectomy decades ago. Afterward, doctors took samples of his blood. Two microscope slides bearing that blood are being auctioned in London.

Border Collies Protect Scientsts' Research From Geese

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:59:00 +0000

Scientists in Canada were working at an experimental research farm, testing crops like corn and barley. But packs of Canadian geese had been swooping in and destroying the crops. Two border collies were hired to chase away the geese.

Book News: Stephen King's New Bogeyman? Digital Publishing

Annalisa Quinn — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:16:00 +0000

The daily lowdown on books, publishing, and the occasional author behaving badly.

Stephen King says his next book, Joyland, will be available only in print.

IRS Officials To Be On Hot Seat

Mark Memmott — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:11:00 +0000

Both the former IRS commissioner who was in charge when the agency singled out some conservative groups for extra scrutiny and the man who replaced him will be appearing at a Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday morning.

Douglas Shulman, an appointee of President George W. Bush who left the IRS last November, and acting commissioner Steven Miller (who is losing his job because of the scandal) are due at the 10 a.m. ET hearing.

Also set to testify: J.

Unclear Laws May Have Contributed to Tax-Exempt Controversy

Scott Horsley — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:28:00 +0000

IRS and Treasury officials can expect a hard time in their appearances on Capitol Hill Tuesday. A key question that so far has not gotten much attention: How did it come to be that social welfare organizations became vehicles for political activity?

Death Toll Climbing In Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy

Mark Memmott — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:11:00 +0000

(We're following the news from Oklahoma, where a tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday. Most recent update: 9:30 a.m. ET.)

While the number of deaths and amount of damage caused by a huge tornado that tore through Moore, Okla., on Monday remain high, state officials announced just after 9 a.m.

Young People Cast Out Of Italy's Welfare System

Sylvia Poggioli — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:52:00 +0000

In Italy, the youth jobless rate is nudging 40 percent, a record high in post-war history. Demographer Stefano Rosina says the Italian welfare system has always been skewed toward the middle-aged and elderly, leaving Italian youths with no political or trade union representation.

Tumbler Users Urge New Owner Yahoo To Keep The Site Weird

Ilya Marritz — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:52:00 +0000

When news of Yahoo's purchase of Tumblr first hit, Tumblr users took their reactions online. The posts were quirky and sharp with plenty of worry about the future.

Fox News Reporter James Rosen Caught Up In Federal Probe

David Folkenflik — Tue, 21 May 2013 09:52:00 +0000

There is word of another controversial leak investigation by the Department of Justice. The target is Fox News reporter James Rosen, who was monitored by the department after breaking a story about North Korea's nuclear weapons program in 2009.

CEO Cook To Defend Apple Before Senate Committee Hearing

John Ydstie — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:24:00 +0000

Giant technology firm Apple is paying billions of dollars less than it should in U.S. taxes each year, according to a report by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. In a hearing Tuesday in Washington, D.C., Apple CEO Tim Cook will defend the company.

The subcommittee's report says Apple avoids the tax payments mainly by shifting profits to three subsidiary companies in Ireland. The investigation found Apple is taking advantage of technicalities in U.S.

JPMorgan Shareholders Consider Splitting CEO, Chairman Jobs

Yuki Noguchi — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:22:00 +0000

In Tampa, Fla., Tuesday, JPMorgan Chase holds its annual shareholder meeting. They will vote on a key measure: Whether to strip CEO Jamie Dimon of his title of chairman of the board. A growing number of companies have split the CEO and chairman roles.

The Doors' Keyboard Counterpoint Goes Silent: Remembering Ray Manzarek

Mandalit del Barco — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:15:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVCCMG-JoQ

After Crashing In Canadian 'Abyss,' Four Men Fight To Survive

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:09:00 +0000

On the night of Oct. 19, 1984, Erik Vogel was uneasy about flying. It was snowing; his plane's de-icer and autopilot weren't working; and his co-pilot had been bumped to fit one more passenger on his 10-seater. But the young pilot was behind schedule and he felt like his job was on the line, so he took off, as he did most days, shuttling between the remote communities that dot the Canadian wilderness.

Author Carol Shaben tells NPR's Steve Inskeep what happened next: "He's hearing these chunks of ice coming off the props and banging like rocks against the fuselage.

Courtside Chemistry: How NBA's Phil Jackson Won 'Eleven Rings'

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:08:00 +0000

Phil Jackson is famous not only for coaching stars — Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen with the Chicago Bulls, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal with the L.A. Lakers — but also for his distinctive "zen" approach to basketball. He introduced his teams to yoga and meditation, and regularly assigned his players books to read.

Jackson once gave O'Neal a copy of Siddhartha, a novel about a man's search for enlightenment. He joked that O'Neal should give him a book report — and then the star actually did. His report?