Asia
3:05 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

Home Of Noted Beijing Architect Reduced To Rubble

Originally published on Wed February 8, 2012 5:09 pm

Down a quiet Beijing alleyway on a recent day, as the winter wind whistles, two men stand guard over a pile of bricks hidden behind a corrugated iron fence.

The pile of rubble was once the home of the man known as the father of modern Chinese architecture, Liang Sicheng. The Orwellian reason for its demolition? "For maintenance," according to a Xinhua news agency report, citing the developer, Fuheng Real Estate company.

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Science
3:02 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

'Amasia': The Next Supercontinent?

Originally published on Mon February 13, 2012 8:33 am

The Earth's continents are in constant motion. On at least three occasions, they have all collided to form one giant continent. If history is a guide, the current continents will coalesce once again to form another supercontinent. And a study in Nature now shows how that could come about.

You can think of continents as giant puzzle pieces shuffling around the Earth. When they drift apart, mighty oceans form. When they come together, oceans disappear. And it's all because continents sit on moving plates of the Earth's crust.

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Mitt Romney
2:59 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

Conservatives Worry Romney's Vision Is Cloudy

Credit Marc Piscotty / Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks to supporters at a rally in Denver on Tuesday.

Originally published on Wed February 8, 2012 6:20 pm

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's losses on Tuesday, while not very meaningful in the race to accumulate delegates, have raised questions once again about his ability to inspire passion from his party's base and about his viability in the general election.

Rival Rick Santorum's victories in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota dealt a setback, if not exactly a body blow, to Romney — whom Santorum routinely dismisses as a candidate with a big machine but no core.

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Education
2:53 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

Detroit Schools' No. 1 Mission: Getting Kids To Class

Credit Larry Abramson / NPR
George Eason, an attendance agent with Detroit Public Schools, sets out to visit homes and check in with parents about school attendance.

Ask Detroit teachers about their biggest challenge and many will say, "You can't teach kids who don't come to class." Last year, the average Detroit public high school student missed at least 28 days of school.

Now, as part of its effort to get parents more involved, the district has launched a major initiative to improve attendance. The effort includes parent workshops and attendance agents charged with pushing parents to send their kids to school every day.

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Music Reviews
2:46 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

On 'Karimba,' Peruvian Band Melds World Sounds

The band Novalima is undeniably Peruvian, but the music on their new album Karimba is infused with sounds from around the world including dub, salsa and club music.

It's All Politics
2:34 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

Counting The GOP Delegates, But Not Before They're Official

Credit CRAIG LASSIG / EPA /Landov
GOP hopeful Rick Santorum, shown greeting supporters in Minnesota on Tuesday, drew votes in the Feb. 7 contests. But he didn't win any delegates.

In honor of Tuesday's delegate-free caucuses and primary, NPR is launching a 2012 Delegate Tracker.

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Around the Nation
2:22 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

Beached Dolphins Keep Cape Cod Rescuers Busy

Credit Julia Cumes / AP
Mother and calf common dolphins are transported to the beach by a team from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and the New England Aquarium before being released back into Cape Cod Bay on Jan. 14. So far, area rescuers have counted 147 dolphin strandings this winter alone.

Dolphins have been stranding themselves along the shores of Cape Cod, Mass., since the Pilgrims' times, and this winter is no different. What is different is how long the latest round of strandings has lasted — almost a month. So far, rescuers have counted 147 strandings and 38 successful rescues and releases.

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World
2:21 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

In Russia, Punk-Rock Riot Girls Rage Against Putin

Originally published on Thu February 9, 2012 6:18 am

Anti-government protests in Russia are taking many different forms, from mass rallies and marches to defiant street art and music.

Just recently, members of a feminist punk group were arrested in Moscow's Red Square after they performed a song ridiculing Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The group, which calls itself Pussy Riot, says it's planning more stunts before March's presidential elections.

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It's All Politics
2:10 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

After Glum Night, Romney May Find Signs Of Hope In Colorado Swing County

Credit Marc Piscotty / Getty Images
A Mitt Romney supporter holds up a sign showing her love for Romney and Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow at a rally for the GOP presidential candidate at Arapahoe High School this week in Centennial, Colo.

Originally published on Wed February 8, 2012 5:09 pm

While Rick Santorum won Colorado along with two other states last night, he did not win the key Colorado county of Arapahoe.

Political experts say Arapahoe has been on the winning side in nearly every presidential election of the past four decades.

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World Cafe
2:05 pm
Wed February 8, 2012

The Front Bottoms On World Cafe

Brian Sella and Mathew Uychich of the New Jersey band The Front Bottoms have been playing together for years.

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