NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94 Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:41:31 +0000 https://www.wunc.org/post/unc-denies-claims-bias-middle-east-studies-program 150542 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:27:05 +0000 UNC Denies Claims Of Bias In Middle East Studies Program President Trump takes the world stage, addressing the U.N. General Assembly in New York. In many ways, it was a speech less for the global leaders and more for viewers back home. https://www.wunc.org/post/trump-addresses-world-leaders-un-general-assembly 150546 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:11:00 +0000 Trump Addresses World Leaders At U.N. General Assembly editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/uk-parliament-member-reacts-supreme-courts-ruling-unlawful-suspension 150544 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:20:00 +0000 U.K. Parliament Member Reacts To Supreme Court's Ruling On 'Unlawful' Suspension Yuki Noguchi The Labor Department is expanding the pool of workers eligible for overtime pay by about 1.3 million workers , an update to rules that is more than four decades in the making. But many critics say the rules finalized Tuesday should have been rewritten to benefit more workers who routinely work more than 40 hours a week without additional pay. Current federal law says most workers making about $23,660 a year are entitled to overtime pay. In other words, to be considered "salaried," most workers need to make at least that. Starting Jan. 1 next year, that minimum salary threshold will be raised to $35,568. But a previous proposal, under former President Barack Obama, would have raised it to about $47,000 , which would have benefited an estimated 3 million more workers by entitling them to either a shorter workweek, or more pay. This is something Chip Ahlgren wanted to see. Ahlgren took over the general manager's role at a Seattle Jiffy Lube last year, a move that meant he went from making https://www.wunc.org/post/13-million-more-workers-eligible-overtime-pay-some-say-rules-fall-short 150543 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 14:12:00 +0000 1.3 Million More Workers Eligible For Overtime Pay, But Some Say Rules Fall Short Ayesha Rascoe Updated at 11:20 a.m. ET At the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, President Trump told world leaders to reject "globalism" and to look out for the interests of their own countries first. "The future does not belong to globalists; it belongs to patriots," Trump said. Tuesday marked Trump's third address to the General Assembly as president. As he has done in the past, Trump used his remarks to the international organization to make the case for his "America first" style of diplomacy that puts nationalism ahead of multilateral efforts. Trump's remarks also included sharp warnings for China and Iran. He lamented China's membership in the World Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of gaming the system. "As far as America is concerned, those days are over," Trump said. The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on Chinese imports, as a part of a escalating trade dispute with China. "Hopefully, we can reach a deal that would be beneficial for both countries, but as I have made very clear, https://www.wunc.org/post/president-trump-address-un-general-assembly 150541 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 13:00:00 +0000 Trump To U.N. General Assembly: 'The Future Does Not Belong To Globalists' Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/british-prime-minister-johnson-suffers-big-brexit-defeat-court 150539 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:33:00 +0000 British Prime Minister Johnson Suffers A Big Brexit Defeat In Court editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/if-trump-revelations-are-true-they-are-impeachable-offenses-rep-slotkin-says 150540 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 12:13:00 +0000 If Trump Revelations Are True, They Are Impeachable Offenses, Rep. Slotkin Says Nell Greenfieldboyce Patrick Boyle recalls that by the time he got his Ph.D. in biology in 2012, he had worked with just a few other people and managed to manufacture six genes, the basic units of heredity . "Today, we are synthesizing more than 10,000 genes every month," he says, showing off a lab at a Boston biotech company called Ginkgo Bioworks . Making genes from scratch used to be laborious and time consuming, but not anymore. That's why federal officials are now considering new measures to prevent this rapidly advancing technology from being misused to create dangerous viruses or bioweapons. Genes are made up of DNA , a "code" determined by four chemical bases — known as A, C, T and G — that can be strung together to make the biological instructions that govern cells. The human genetic code has about 3 billion pairs of these letters. The first effort to sequence, or "read" all of these letters took more than a decade and cost billions of dollars. These days, however, anybody's genetic code can be https://www.wunc.org/post/made-order-dna-gets-cheaper-keeping-it-out-wrong-hands-gets-harder 150537 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 11:24:00 +0000 As Made-To-Order DNA Gets Cheaper, Keeping It Out Of The Wrong Hands Gets Harder editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/cows-invade-parking-lot-spotted-cow-beer-wisconsin 150538 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 11:22:00 +0000 Cows Invade Parking Lot Of Spotted Cow Beer In Wisconsin editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/lenny-kravitzs-sunglasses-were-taken-la-he-wants-them-back 150535 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:54:00 +0000 Lenny Kravitz's Sunglasses Were Taken In LA, He Wants Them Back Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/news-brief-trump-ukraine-report-un-general-assembly-tortutre-syria 150536 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:09:00 +0000 News Brief: Trump-Ukraine Report, U.N. General Assembly, Tortutre In Syria editor Updated at 11:30 a.m. ET The U.K. Supreme Court has ruled unanimously that the suspension of Parliament that was recently orchestrated by Prime Minister Boris Johnson was illegal. In light of the decision, the House of Commons will convene on Wednesday, Speaker John Bercow says. Speaking to journalists outside of Parliament after the ruling, Bercow said the court's ruling was "explicit" and clear. He was careful to say there will not be a "recall" of lawmakers, but instead a resumption of the session — because the court had entirely nullified the suspension. Reading the decision of the court, Senior Judge Brenda Hale said the suspension "was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating or preventing the ability of Parliament to carry out its constitutional functions without reasonable justification." Lady Hale's summary of the ruling said the order to prorogue Parliament is "unlawful, void and of no effect and should be quashed." Jeremy Corbyn, who leads the opposition Labour https://www.wunc.org/post/uk-supreme-court-rules-johnsons-suspension-parliament-was-unlawful 150528 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:59:00 +0000 U.K. Parliament To Resume After Supreme Court Rules Suspension Was 'Unlawful' Greg Myre President Trump's July 25 conversation this summer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, flagged by a whistleblower, has sparked competing accusations between Republicans and Democrats. The Democrats want to know whether Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden. But Trump claims the real issue is Biden and his son Hunter Biden and what they did in Ukraine a few years ago. "The one who's got the problem is Biden," Trump told reporters on Monday at the United Nations. "Biden did what they would like to have me do, except one problem: I didn't do it. What Biden did is a disgrace. What his son did is a disgrace." The Biden camp has argued that claims of wrongdoing are unfounded and have been debunked. "Trump's doing this because he knows I'll beat him like a drum," Biden told reporters on Saturday. "And he's using the abuse of power and every element of the presidency to try to do something to smear me." Here are https://www.wunc.org/post/what-were-bidens-doing-ukraine-5-questions-answered 150529 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:01:00 +0000 What Were The Bidens Doing In Ukraine? 5 Questions Answered editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/we-are-front-line-climate-change-marshall-islands-president-says 150534 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000 We Are On The Front Line Of Climate Change, Marshall Islands President Says Michele Kelemen Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/persian-gulf-tensions-debate-will-play-out-sidelines-un-meeting 150533 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000 Persian Gulf Tensions Will Play Out On Sidelines Of U.N. Meeting editor Copyright 2019 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. https://www.wunc.org/post/britons-brace-supreme-courts-brexit-ruling 150532 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000 Johnson's Suspension Of Parliament Was 'Unlawful,' U.K. Court Rules Ron Elving The topic of impeachment is back and hotter than ever in Washington. But is it back by popular demand? Will the issue simmer into the fall, or will the heat dissipate in the days ahead? More Democrats than ever — a majority — now favor opening formal proceedings to remove President Trump from office. More joined the chorus over the weekend after reports suggested Trump pressured an ally to support a certain line of attack on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. But the fever for impeachment has yet to be felt by much of the public at large. Polling over the first 30 months of Trump's tenure has occasionally shown his approval ratings fall measurably, as they did after the Charlottesville white supremacy march in 2017 and during the government shutdown earlier this year. In the wake of Robert Mueller's spring report on Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, some polls even showed support for impeachment rising through the 40s or touching 50%. But other polls, including those https://www.wunc.org/post/impeachment-has-never-been-very-popular-hasnt-stopped-congress 150531 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000 Impeachment Has Never Been Very Popular, But That Hasn't Stopped Congress Before Cheryl Corley President Trump's depiction of urban life in America is often grim, and the tension between the president and big city mayors is often filled with name-calling and lawsuits. For many mayors who end up in the president's crosshairs, it's a balancing act as they try to determine how to ward off criticism, as well as Trump administration policies they think may be harmful, while not jeopardizing federal funds earmarked for city projects. For example, Trump raised plenty of hackles with his recent comments about the homeless in California hurting the prestige of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Darrell Steinberg, chairperson of California's State Commission on Homelessness and Supportive Housing, calls the president's statements hypocritical. "This is a president who is calling for the elimination of the Community Development Block Grant Program, which is a primary source of funding for affordable housing," says Steinberg, who is also the mayor of Sacramento. Last week, Steinberg signed a https://www.wunc.org/post/ongoing-clash-between-trump-and-big-cities 150530 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 09:00:00 +0000 The Ongoing Clash Between Trump And Big Cities David Schaper Westbound traffic on many Chicago streets came to a stop between 6:40 and 6:50 p.m. Central Time on Monday as drivers snapped pictures over dashboards, passengers with smartphones in hand leaned out of windows, and pedestrians set up tripods in the middle of some busy roadways — all so they could capture the incredible image of a burnt orange sun setting exquisitely framed by a canyon of skyscrapers. It's known as "Chicagohenge," one of two days a year when the sun rises and sets in perfect alignment with the city's east-west streets. Chicago's street grid corresponds almost exactly with the directional points of the compass. It happens in other cities with gridded streets, too — Manhattanhenge , for example — but Chicago is unique in that the phenomenon takes place every year on the spring and fall equinoxes . With perfect early fall weather of partly cloudy skies and temperatures in the 60s, I timed my departure from NPR's Chicago bureau on Michigan Avenue at about 6:20 p.m. CT and https://www.wunc.org/post/solar-spectacle-chicagohenge 150527 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 07:07:00 +0000 The Solar Spectacle That Is 'Chicagohenge' Richard Gonzales The Trump administration will no longer allow migrant families apprehended at the border to enter the U.S. under the immigration policy commonly known as "catch and release." The policy change was announced Monday by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan in remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. "With some humanitarian and medical exceptions, DHS will no longer be releasing family units from Border Patrol Stations into the interior," McAleenan said in his prepared remarks. "This means that for family units, the largest demographic by volume arriving at the border this year, the court-mandated practice of catch and release due to the inability of DHS to complete immigration proceedings with families detained together in custody — will have been mitigated." In a statement issued by DHS, the agency outlined how it intends to carry out its new policy starting next week. "If migrant family units do not claim fear of return, they will be quickly https://www.wunc.org/post/trump-administration-end-catch-and-release-immigration-policy-says-dhs-chief 150526 as https://www.wunc.org Tue, 24 Sep 2019 06:04:00 +0000 Trump Administration To End 'Catch And Release' Immigration Policy, Says DHS Chief