More Ash from Iceland; Politics and Qaeda in Iraq; Cursing in Public; Choosing Our Risks

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Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Imagining a world without planes; the killing of two top al-Qaida leaders in Iraq and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's political woes; are unpaid internships illegal?; cursing in public; prevalence of rape in Haiti camps; high-speed rail projects scramble for funds; deliberately choosing our risks.

Top of the Hour: A World Without Airplanes; This Morning's Headlines

What would the world be like without airplanes? We ask the question; and look at this morning's headlines.

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For Stranded Passengers, Imagining a World Without Planes

European officials struck a deal yesterday to reopen most of Europe's air space to plane travel as early as this afternoon, assuming Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano continues to subside. This would end the worst peacetime travel disruption in history, a travel crisis that has left thousands of passengers stranded for days and cost the airline industry hundreds of millions of dollars. But in the midst of the chaos and inconveniences, one philosopher took a moment to reflect on what our world would look like without airplanes.

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Your Responses: International Adoption and Funding for Christian Groups

Yesterday we reported on two stories that drew heavy response from you. Today, we listen to some of your responses on international adoption, and the Supreme Court case dealing with university funding for Christian Student Groups who refuse to admit gay students.

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    In Haiti's Tent Cities, Rape A Worsening Problem

    Since Haiti's earthquake earlier this year, thousands of Haitians continue to live in tent cities, which tend to be small, crowded and offer little privacy. As a result, many women have reported being victims of sexual assault or rape. Rape has always been a problem in Haiti, a country where the act was only truly criminalized in 2005, but the breakdown of social structures since the earthquake has worsened the problem.

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    Turkey Offers to Mediate Between US and Iran

    As Iran and the U.S. continue to square off over Iranian pursuit of nuclear power and more U.N. sanctions, Turkey has offered to try and be a mediator between the two countries. It's a complicated proposal; Turkey depends on its less-secular Middle Eastern counterpart for trade that could be threatened by sanctions. But it's also a potential win-win for all countries involved. Is Iran serious about wanting to work with the U.S.?

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    Is Your Unpaid Internship Legal?

    In recent articles that have been getting a lot of buzz, the New York Times and Wall Street Journal took on the topic of unpaid internships...and suggested that many unpaid internships may, in fact, be illegal.

    We wanted to find out more. And so we're talking with our work contributor Beth Kobliner about what kinds of internships are legal, which aren't, and whether they're even worth doing.

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    Top of the Hour: Capture of Insurgent Leaders in Iraq; This Morning's Headlines

    We look at the news coming out of Iraq, and try to balance headlines about captured insurgents against aligations of more abuse of prisoners in that country; and look at this morning's other headlines.

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    Biden Discloses Joint Mission That Killed Top al-Qaida Officials in Iraq

    On Monday, Vice President Joseph Biden disclosed that a joint mission between Iraqi and U.S. military forces resulted in the death of two top al-Qaida officials outside of Tikrit. 

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    Takeouts: Google Hackings Revealed, The New Crop of NFL Quarterbacks

    • GOOGLE TAKEOUT:  Google revealed that they were hacked into back in January, and John Markoff, technology reporter for The New York Times, has found out through an inside source what exactly was stolen from the Internet giant.
    • SPORTS TAKEOUTS: With the NFL draft looming, sports contributor Ibrahim Abdul-Matin, takes a look at the crop of quarterbacks who are looking to become first round picks and continue their success on the pro level.

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    Risk: From Wall Street to European Skies

    From airlines champing at the bit to get back in the air over western Europe despite Iceland's volcanic ash, to some dirty dealings at Goldman Sachs, questions of risk and risk-taking are dominating the news cycle this week. But what happens if we avoid risk all-together? Is it even possible?

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    Stuck in the UK...and Pregnant

    Tod Briliant is one of the many travellers who has been grounded thanks to ash from the volcano in Iceland. It's stressful for anyone, but Briliant's wife is eight months pregnant. Nonetheless, they've been making use of their time. Tod started a Facebook group called "When Volcanoes Erupt: A Survival Guide for Stranded Travelers," which already has over 1500 members.

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    Should We Use !@#$ Curse Words More?

    These days, we're hearing profanity from the mouth of an 11-year-old girl in a box office hit and from the Vice President of the United States. Is cursing becoming more acceptable?

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    Goldman Sachs Earnings Soar 91%

    Goldman Sachs released its first quarter earnings this morning: a 91 percent increase of $3.46 billion. This comes just days after the SEC announced a suit against the company for fraud.

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    Stimulus-Funded High-Speed Rail Project Late on Arrival

    It was to be one of the national Stimulus package's proudest shovel-ready projects; high-speed rail lines brought to Florida and California. But a year after its announcement, both states continue to struggle with local issues of planning and economy. We're joined by Public Radio transportation reporter Collin Campbell, who tells us more about how the projects are running into trouble.

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    Civil Rights Leader Dorothy Height Dies at 98

    Dorothy Height, a veteran civil rights leader who was the chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women who worked with Martin Luther King Jr., has died at the age of 98. Height, who had been at Howard University Hospital for some time and reportedly died of natural causes, started her activism as a teenager marching in New York City's Times Square, and became what peers said was one of the movement's most important female leaders. Charles Evers, a civil rights activist who worked with Height, joins us to tell us more about her life and legacy.

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    The New iPhone: Left in a Bar and Outed by Gizmodo

    To the Apple employee who left it, the missing phone likely started out as a familiar inconvenience for cell phone owners who enjoy libation. This was no ordinary phone to leave behind though — it was Apple's new, unreleased iPhone. Proof? Apple sent a letter to the finder, asking for it back. Takeaway digital editor Jim Colgan tells us more about how tech site Gizmodo outed the top-secret phone; an unusual occurance for a company like Apple, which is famous for keeping its unreleased new products under wraps.

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