Search results for

While much of the desert Southwest has converted to water-wise landscaping, Phoenix has been slow to come around. NPR's Ketzel Levine, the Doyenne of Dirt, talks to some avant-gardeners who are taking heat for digging up their lawns.

Running 135 miles across Death Valley and halfway up a mountain -- all in the middle of summer -- sounds a bit crazy, if not life-threatening. NPR's Andy Bowers reports for All Things Considered on the motivations of some of the 79 runners who this July competed in what's often called the toughest foot race in the world: the Badwater Ultramarathon.

NPR's Jacki Lyden visits Castle Leslie, made famous when Paul McCartney was married there, and finds an 84-year-old disco-dancing host and his collection of ghostly artifacts.

Environmentalists have been wary of the Bush administration since its first day in office. They say reforms proposed by the president will be disastrous for the environment. The government maintains it is simply making it easier and more affordable for businesses to obey environmental laws. NPR's John Nielsen reports for Morning Edition.

Istalif, an hour's drive north of Kabul, sits in the heart of Shomali Plain, once the breadbasket of Afghanistan. The Taliban forced hundreds of thousands of people from the region and destroyed their farms, shops and homes. Now the villagers are starting to return. On Morning Edition, Renee Montagne reports on their efforts in the debut of a series on rebuilding Afghanistan.

It's been three-quarters of a century since the Carter Family made its first recordings in Bristol, Tenn. The music of A.P. Carter, his wife Sara and her cousin Maybelle influenced countless country, folk and bluegrass artists. On Morning Edition, host Bob Edwards interviews the co-author of a new book about the Carter Family's musical legacy.

They are jobs nobody would seem to want -- but somebody has to do them. As Morning Edition kicks off its "Dirty Work" series, NPR's David Molpus looks at the hot and sticky job of cleaning out oil storage tanks.

All Things Considered asked NPR listeners to send in questions about the conflict over Kashmir, and then posed those questions to South Asia scholars. Hear the experts' answers, and see their suggestions for online resources on the Kashmir region and conflict.

At 17, Jesse Jean was a failing student in danger of falling victim to Washington, D.C.'s, street crime.

Diane Arbus' mysterious photo of girl twins is one of modern photography's most recognizable images. On Morning Edition, as part of NPR's Present at the Creation series, Madeleine Brand has the story behind the famous 1967 photo of sisters who are identical but not the same.

Sitting on the back of an alligator, researcher Daphne Soares noticed a beard of tiny bumps lining its jaws. Turns out, gators on the hunt use those bumps to detect their prey in the water. For All Things Considered, NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.

Hidden in the dense forest of central Africa lies a clearing where each day and night, dozens of elephants gather. African forest elephants are elusive, and such a clearing is rare. NPR's Alex Chadwick takes you there on the latest Radio Expedition, for Morning Edition.

For Kentucky students wanting to participate in sports, their sex would be determined by the sex printed on their birth certificate and an affidavit from a doctor ascertaining that information.

NPR's Ina Jaffe reports on the impact of the immigrant community on the labor movement in California, the state with the largest immigrant population in the country.

In a series of reports for Morning Edition, NPR Beijing correspondent Rob Gifford profiles five people from across China who symbolize the massive changes the country is undergoing as it makes its transition away from communism. The series debuts with Henry Li, who owns one of Beijing's hippest night spots.

Pedro Rivera is a one-time undocumented immigrant who now owns his own record label in Los Angeles. As NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports for All Things Considered, his story exemplifies the new California -- where the diversity of the population is often a reason for entrepreneurial success, not a barrier to it.

Underneath every major city, lies a network of tunnels and pipes directing human waste and rainwater overflow to sanitation plants. And for every sewer, there's at least one sewer inspector. NPR's Jack Speer reports from beneath the streets of Cincinnati.

Anglers from across the country line up elbow to elbow along the Yellowstone River to celebrate the start of flyfishing season and the search for the elusive cutthroat trout. The river is usually populated with more fish than people. But Opening Day is a major social event. NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for Morning Edition.

NPR's Richard Knox spent a year with Phil Simmons and his family to chronicle his long struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease -- and to report on how an extraordinarily dedicated group of friends banded together to help take care of Simmons. He died last weekend at his home in the New Hampshire woods. For All Things Considered, NPR's Richard Knox reflects on Simmons' life.

Fishing is a pursuit that demands patience. Teaching others how and where to fish requires even more patience. In the third part of her series on fishing, NPR's Elizabeth Arnold reports for Morning Edition on angling from the guide's perspective.

West Nile virus is spreading through the United States faster than experts had predicted. Nearly 300 people have contracted the mosquito-borne virus and at least a dozen are dead. Humans aren't the only victims; many species of animals are also at risk. NPR's John Nielsen reports NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Refugees are returning to Afghanistan in record numbers and many of them hope to start businesses. On Morning Edition, guest host Renee Montagne reports on one factory owner who hopes to help rebuild his homeland -- and on the many obstacles he must overcome before his dream is realized. It's the latest part of NPR's series "Re-Creating Afghanistan."

Introduced in 1893 and immortalized in the classic baseball song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," Cracker Jack became one of the most popular snack foods ever. On Morning Edition NPR's Susan Feeney has the story of the "candy-coated popcorn, peanuts and a prize" as part of the Present at the Creation series.

With millions of land mines dotting its landscape and its political climate still shaky, Afghanistan may not seem like an obvious tourist destination. But shopkeepers and other entrepreneurs hope to attract vacationers to the mountainous beauty of their land. Renee Montagne reports for the Morning Edition series "Re-Creating Afghanistan."

In a series of reports for Morning Edition, NPR Beijing correspondent Rob Gifford profiles five people from across China who symbolize the massive changes the country is undergoing as it makes its transition away from communism. The latest segment features motorcycle magnate Yin Mingshan, who survived the Cultural Revolution and became one of China's wealthiest businessmen.