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5:38 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Change Is On The Horizon For London's Famous Skyline

Credit Matthew Lloyd / Getty Images
London's 122 Leadenhall Street (nicknamed the "Cheese-Grater") is shown under construction on March 5. Once complete it will be London's second-tallest building. The recent construction of numerous skyscrapers has sparked concern that views of historic landmark buildings, such as St Paul's Cathedral, are being obscured.

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 6:32 pm

Cities are defined by their skylines — while Paris is composed mostly of low-rise apartment buildings, New York is a city of tall office towers. But London is a city in transition. On Tuesday, Boris Johnson, the mayor of the British capital, attends a "topping out" ceremony for one of London's latest skyscrapers in a city where tall buildings cause a lot of controversy.

Until recently, London has been a low-rise city.
 Even now, a 12-story building is considered rather tall.
 But a spate of new skyscrapers is raising questions about the kind of city London should be.

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Shots - Health News
5:38 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Patients Lead The Way As Medicine Grapples With Apps

Credit Heather Rousseau / NPR
How many calories in that bite? My Fitness Pal and other fitness and nutrition apps can help find the answer.

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 10:39 pm

Christine Porter is hooked on the MyFitnessPal app. In October, after deciding to lose 50 pounds, Porter started typing in everything she eats, drinks and any exercise she gets.

"This is my main page here," says Porter. "It's telling me I have about 1,200 calories remaining for the day. When I want to record something I just click the 'add to diary' button. I'm on it all day either through my phone or through the computer."

She says she's lost 42 pounds in nine months.

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The Two-Way
5:34 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Perk Backlash: Do Surprise Upgrades Make Us Uneasy?

Credit iStockphoto.com
A new study finds that while "receiving unearned preferential treatment does generate positive reactions, it is not always an entirely pleasurable experience." Examples include getting a free upgrade on a hotel room.

Whether it's a free upgrade on a hotel room or skipping ahead in the check-in line, many businesses give preferential treatment to some customers, hoping to make them more loyal. The practice often works — but a new study suggests that when we get perks we didn't earn, negative feelings can result. And they can make a surprise deal a little less sweet.

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The Two-Way
5:24 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

'We Were Told To Lie,' Say Bank Of America Employees

Credit Chuck Burton / AP
Employees say Bank of America encouraged them to lie and falsify records to push more accounts into foreclosure.

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 6:13 pm

Six former employees and one contractor say Bank of America's mortgage servicing unit consistently lied to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications and offered bonuses to staff for intentionally pushing people into foreclosure, according to a Salon.com report.

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The Two-Way
5:05 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

The 'Standing Man' Of Turkey: Act Of Quiet Protest Goes Viral

Credit Petr David Josek / AP
Erdem Gunduz (center) stands in Instanbul's Taksim Square early Tuesday. After weeks of clashes with police, many Turkish protesters were inspired to emulate Gunduz, and stand silently.

As protests against the Turkish government enter their third week, activists are taking increasingly creative measures to maintain their momentum.

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NPR Story
4:38 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Brazilian Leaders Take Conciliatory Tone Toward Protesters

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 6:18 pm

Protests have erupted in Brazil over the past week. On Monday, there were tens of thousands of demonstrators on the streets of cities across the country. And again on Tuesday, demonstrations have continued. Unlike in Turkey, Brazil's leaders are adopting a conciliatory tone.

NPR Story
4:38 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Obama Visits Germany 50 Years After Kennedy's Famous Speech

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 6:18 pm

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

President Obama has arrived in Berlin after wrapping up the G-8 summit. The visit comes a half century after President Kennedy delivered his famous Ich bin ein Berliner speech after the Berlin Wall went up. For Obama, this is his first visit to Berlin since he was a presidential candidate in 2008, but this time, there's a lot less fanfare. As NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports, the president can expect tough questions from his hosts, especially about cyberspying.

(SOUNDBITE OF CHEERING)

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It's All Politics
4:26 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

Obama's Unplanned NSA Discussion

Credit Evan Vucci / AP
President Obama listens to French President Francois Hollande during the G-8 summit at the Lough Erne golf resort in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, on Tuesday.

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 4:58 pm

You have to wonder if President Obama ever thought, when he first ran for the White House, that he would need to defend himself from accusations his presidency would be a mere extension of his Republican predecessor.

But there he was with journalist Charlie Rose having to explain why his approach to national security wasn't really like that of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

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The Two-Way
4:22 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

'Days Of Rambo Are Over': Pentagon Details Women's Move To Combat

Credit Scott Olson / Getty Images
Women in the U.S. military will be integrated into front-line combat units by 2016, the Pentagon says. Here, female Marine recruits stand in formation during pugil stick training in boot camp earlier this year at Parris Island, S.C.

Women in America's armed services will have new options for what units they can join in coming years, the Pentagon says. The military said in January that it will end its combat exclusion that set a minimum size for units in which women could be deployed; the limit kept many women away from front-line combat units. The shift means women could join elite forces such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs.

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The Salt
4:06 pm
Tue June 18, 2013

The Mystery Of the Ridiculously Pricey Bag Of Potatoes

Credit iStockphoto.com
How much for that bag of potatoes?

Originally published on Tue June 18, 2013 5:39 pm

On Monday we told you about allegations that America's potato growers had banded together in a price-fixing Potato Cartel.

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