Wyoming Public Media

'Tornado Emergency:' A Rare, Dire Warning Born In Oklahoma

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:02:00 +0000

If you were watching news coverage on Monday, before a monster EF-4 tornado barreled through Moore, Okla., you probably heard the term "tornado emergency."

The warning is used rarely by forecasters to flag the deadliest of situations.

Rick Smith, the warning coordination meteorlogist at the Norman, Okla., office of the National Weather Service, tells us the term was born on the fly in t

Socks Are Optional As Pakistan Grapples With Power Cuts

Krishnadev Calamur — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:58:00 +0000

Pakistanis have coped with – even rioted – over the country's frequent power cuts. Now, the government is feeling their impact, too. The country's caretaker prime minister has banned air conditioners in government offices and instituted a dress code for civil servants.

Big Changes At U.S. Speedskating Body, But Scandals Linger

Howard Berkes — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:40:00 +0000

Rebellious athletes, drained budgets, dysfunctional management and a string of embarrassing scandals forced a major reorganization of U.S. Speedskating over the weekend.

The group governs a sport that has produced 85 Winter Olympic medals for the United States — more than any other sport.

Arapahoe School District names new superintendent

Rebecca Martinez — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:36:23 +0000

Fremont County School District 38 in Arapahoe has a new acting superintendent.

Former assistant superintendent Chantell Denson stepped in last week when former Superintendent Jonathan Braack left to take over the Niobrara County School District.

During the 16 months Braack was superintendent, the once struggling Arapahoe Schoo met No Child Left Behind’s requirements for Annual Yearly Progress for the first time under the Safe Harbor program.

Power station fire burns three

Associated Press — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:33:00 +0000

Three workers were burned in the second fire in a week to break out at the same power plant near Wheatland.

Basin Electric Power Cooperative says the fire broke out early Sunday at the Laramie River Station.

The Bismarck, N.D.-based utility said in a release Monday the fire started in the plant's coal unloading area.

Three workers were taken to Platte County Memorial Hospital. One worker was flown to a burn center in Greeley, Colo., and remains there for treatment.

After Okla. Tornado, Obama Offers Prayers Backed With Deeds

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Speaking at the White House on Tuesday, President Obama offered words of comfort and federal resources to Moore, Okla., where a tornado hit Monday. At last count, 24 people were confirmed killed; the number was expected to rise.

'I Was Dismayed' To Learn What Agency Did, Ex-IRS Chief Says

Mark Memmott — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:13:00 +0000

Facing questions for the first time about why Internal Revenue Service personnel singled out some conservative groups for inappropriate scrutiny while he was head of the agency, former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman told Congress on Tuesday that "I was dismayed and I was saddened" to learn about what had happened under his watch.

Shulman, an appointee of President George W.

After Tornado, A Dog Rescue Raises Spirits, And Gains Fans

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:25:00 +0000

Before Monday's tornado hit, Barbara Garcia says, she had a gameplan. In the event of an emergency, she would gather up her little dog and retreat to a bathroom to wait out the storm.

Less Sleep For Teens Means Higher Risk For Car Crashes

Nancy Shute — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:18:00 +0000

Parents who want to keep their teenagers safe while they're driving might want to tuck them in bed early the night before.

Drowsiness is a well-known risk for adult drivers, but teenage drivers are more impaired than adults when facing an equivalent lack of sleep, an Australian study finds.

"Young people are particularly at risk for sleep deprivation," Alexandra Martiniuk, lead author of a study on sleep teens study's lead author, and a researchers at the George Institute in Sydney, said in an email to Shots

New media campaign aims at reducing drunk driving

Bob Beck — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:05:13 +0000

Governor Matt Mead and First Lady Carol Mead say they hope a hard hitting media campaign will reduce the number of alcohol related crashes and deaths in the state.

The Governor’s Council on Impaired Driving is rolling out advertisements that emphasize how much it costs to get cited for drunken driving, and that people convicted of the crime stand may lose their license. It will also focus on the eight members of the U-W track team that were killed by a drunk driver.

Oklahoma Tornados: Finding Aid, Giving Aid

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Residents of Moore, Okla., are searching for survivors and coming to terms with a massive tornado that left dozens of people dead and injured more than 200 others Monday afternoon. As aid and recovery groups search for victims and try to reunite loved ones, they're also seeking donations and coordinating housing:

The American Red Cross of Oklahoma City offers several ways to help, online or by phone.

Rep. Cole Is From Moore, Where Deadly Twister Hit

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:49:00 +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.

Border Collies Protect Scientsts' Research From Geese

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:34:00 +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.

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

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 11:28:00 +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.

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.

Death Toll Climbing In Oklahoma Tornado Tragedy

Mark Memmott — Tue, 21 May 2013 10:33:00 +0000

(We're following the news from Oklahoma, where a tornado devastated the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore on Monday. Most recent update: 11:21 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.

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?

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?

Texas Medicaid Debate Complicated By Politics And Poverty

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 07:01:00 +0000

When the sun rises over the Rio Grande Valley, the cries of the urracas — blackbirds — perched on the tops of palm trees swell to a noisy, unavoidable cacophony. That is also the strategy, it could be said, that local officials, health care providers and frustrated valley residents are trying to use to persuade Gov.

The Global Afterlife Of Your Donated Clothes

Jackie Northam — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:59:00 +0000

On a bright and warm Saturday morning, there's a steady flow of people dropping off donations at Martha's Table, a charity in downtown Washington, D.C. A mountain of plastic and paper bags stuffed with used dresses, scarves, skirts and footwear expands in one corner of the room. Volunteers sort and put clothes on hangers.

Business Owner Describes Major Destruction After Tornado

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:13:00 +0000

Melissa Block talks to Casey Mongold, owner of Casey's Tire and Auto in Moore, Okla., where a tornado caused widespread destruction on Monday.

Forecasters Had Chance To Warn Moore, Okla., Before Tornado

Jon Hamilton — Tue, 21 May 2013 00:12:00 +0000

Melissa Block talks to Jon Hamilton about the science of tornadoes.