Bill Chappell

Libya 'Talking Points' Emails Put Petraeus Back In Spotlight

Bill Chappell — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:25:00 +0000

Former CIA Director David Petraeus is under renewed scrutiny over the role he played in creating the discredited "talking points" about the attack that killed four Americans last year in Benghazi, Libya. The Washington Post has a front-page story Wednesday that suggests Petraeus sought to shape the resulting memo to favor his agency.

In the days immediately after the violence on Sept.

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey to becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for nearly eight years.

One of the new device's most striking features is the ability to run multiple apps at once — and to split a TV screen into different tasks.

Dolphins Find 19th Century Navy Torpedo In Pacific Ocean

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:43:00 +0000

A rare piece of America's military history was located this spring, when dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program located an unusual artifact: a torpedo from the 19th century. Discovered during a training exercise in the ocean near San Diego, the torpedo will eventually make its way to a museum.

The bottlenose dolphins were honing their ability to find underwater mines when the discovery was made. The torpedo did not have a warhead, Navy officials say.

"The Howell torpedo, one of the first self-propelled torpedoes developed and used by the U.S.

After Tornado, A Dog Rescue Raises Spirits, And Gains Fans

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:25:00 +0000

Before Monday's tornado hit, Barbara Garcia says, she had a gameplan. In the event of an emergency, the Moore, Okla., resident would gather up her little dog and retreat to a bathroom to wait out the storm.

Oklahoma Tornados: Finding Aid, Giving Aid

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Residents of Moore, Okla., are searching for survivors and coming to terms with a massive tornado that left dozens of people dead and injured more than 200 others Monday afternoon. As aid and recovery groups search for victims and try to reunite loved ones, they're also seeking donations and coordinating housing:

The American Red Cross of Oklahoma City offers several ways to help, online or by phone.

After Daughter Is Taken, Mother Rams Abduction Suspect's Car

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are interviewing a man they say is a "person of interest" in the abduction of a five-year-old girl. After the girl was taken Wednesday evening, her mother chased down and rammed the car she had been in; a suspect fled on foot. Authorities say the girl is safe; she was pushed out of the car shortly after being taken.

Update at 3:30 p.m. ET.

David Beckham Retires From Soccer, Ending Storied Career

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:54:00 +0000
David Beckham, who starred for Manchester United, Real Madrid and England's national team before heading to the United States and Paris, is retiring. The news was confirmed Thursday by England's Football Association.
The midfielder played his first game for Manchester United in 1992 and eventually rose to become captain of England's international team for more than 50 games, including several World Cup tournaments.

Hiring Julie Hermann, Rutgers Seeks A New Era In Athletics

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:49:00 +0000
Rutgers University officials are welcoming the arrival of new athletic director Julie Hermann as the beginning of a new era, as the school seeks to rebound from the turmoil that recently engulfed its athletics department.
The hiring of Hermann, who most recently was the executive senior associate director of athletics at Louisville, comes one month after the school fired its basketball coach, Mike Rice, who was shown in video recordings to have shoved and

Richard Swanson Didn't Reach Brazil, But He Found An Audience

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000
Hundreds of condolences are appearing online for Richard Swanson, the Seattle man whose plan to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil to raise money for charity ended Tuesday after he was struck and killed by a pickup truck in Oregon.

Publisher Threatens Librarian With $1 Billion Lawsuit

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000
A scholarly publisher has issued a warning to Jeffrey Beall, a librarian who writes about what he calls "predatory" practices in the scholarly publishing industry, threatening him with a $1 billion lawsuit for his blog posts criticizing the company.
Beall is an academic librarian at the University of Colorado; he writes about the journal industry on his personal blog, Scholarly Open Access.
More specifically, Beall identifies and lists journals that he says prey on academics' need to publish their research.

Play Ball: Little Leaguers Get Assist From 'Pitch In' Charity

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000
This year's Little League baseball and softball season is under way — and in the Northeast, some teams and players have taken the field again, despite losing vital equipment to Hurricane Sandy. Many donations were handled by Pitch In For Baseball, which gathered used and new gloves and helmets for the players.
In February, the organization announced it would provide equipment worth $150,000 to baseball and softball players in the New York region.

Dirty Diapers Pile Up In Portland Recycling Bins: 'It's Not Pretty'

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:38:00 +0000
Waste and recycling handlers in Portland, Ore., say they're seeing an unfortunate side effect of the city's reduction in garbage pickups: 120 pounds of dirty diapers a day, tucked into recycling bins.
"It started when the city went to every other week garbage pickup," Far West Fibers President Keith Ristau tells Oregon Public Broadcasting's Cassandra Profita. "Prior to that you'd get a dirty diaper maybe once a month. Now we get 60 pounds per shift.

Cup Of Joe With Apple CEO Goes For $610,000

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 13:55:00 +0000
It turns out that the desire to speak with Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with $610,000, will buy you a cup of coffee.

Experts Say Prize-Winning Photo Of Gaza Funeral Is Authentic

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:07:00 +0000
The striking image of grief-stricken men carrying two young boys to a mosque for their funeral in Gaza City was hailed for capturing a poignant human moment in an ongoing conflict.
The photograph was taken last November; it was named the World Press Photo of the Year on Feb. 15.

On Way To Prom, Teens Pile Out Of Limo To Aid Flipped Van

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000
A limousine filled with students headed to prom night at Western High in Davie, Fla., stopped for a detour Saturday, after a Honda van veered into a concrete wall and flipped in front of the limo. The van's seven passengers had trouble getting out — until the limo's driver and the students came to their aid.
The Honda Odyssey van went out of control and began swerving, Danny Izzi, who was at the wheel of the stretch Cadillac Escalade, tells The Sun Sentinel.

Reports: Bug Allows Gay Marriage In Video Game; Fix Likely

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:10:00 +0000
Days after the gaming world began to buzz with reports that Nintendo's new life simulation game allows men to marry other men, it now seems that Nintendo is removing that possibility, which by all reports was unintended.
Questions arose after players of the popular new game Tomodachi Collection: New Life realized that men could marry men. They could also date, and raise children.

Card-Carrying Cajuns? Louisiana Lawmakers Weigh ID Change

Bill Chappell — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:15:00 +0000
A bill making its way through the Louisiana Legislature would let Cajun citizens celebrate their ancestry by customizing their driver's license, adding the phrase "I'm a Cajun" below their photograph.
It would cost $5 to add the message; the money would go toward "scholarships distributed by the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, a program promoting French language and culture in the state," reports NOLA.com.
The Senate has already

Arrests Made In Malcolm Shabazz Murder Investigation

Bill Chappell — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:25:00 +0000
Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder of Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of civil rights-era leader Malcolm X who died Thursday in Mexico City.

Prosecution Seeks Lifetime Political Ban On Berlusconi

Bill Chappell — Mon, 13 May 2013 15:53:00 +0000
The prosecutor in former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's trial on charges that he had sex with an underage prostitute is seeking a term of six years behind bars and a lifetime ban on the former premier from holding public office.
"Prosecutor Ilda Boccassini told the court that the young women invited to the former premier's parties 'were part of a system of prostitution organized for the pleasure of Silvio Berlusconi,' " citing lower crude oil prices.

Syrian Rebels Release U.N. Peacekeepers Near Golan Heights

Bill Chappell — Sun, 12 May 2013 12:08:00 +0000
Four Filipino peacekeepers are now free, days after being abducted by Syrian rebels. They had been patrolling near the area that divides Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The rebels said Wednesday that the four had been held for their own protection. But Filipino officials say they were used as human shields.
"The people that abducted our peacekeepers were actually under siege and they are using our people to get themselves out of the situation they find themselves in.

Celebrity Panda To Return To Thailand, For $1 Million A Year

Bill Chappell — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:37:00 +0000
The citizens of Thailand are breathing a sigh of relief, after a breakthrough moment in panda relations was reached with China Friday.

Grandson Of Malcolm X Was Reportedly Killed In Mexico

Bill Chappell — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:27:00 +0000
Malcolm Shabazz, the grandson of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, has reportedly died at age 28. A family friend says Shabazz was killed Thursday in Mexico.
The news first appeared in New York's The Amsterdam News, after family friend Terrie Williams tweeted, "I'm confirming, per the U.S.

Spire Intact, World Trade Center Stretches To 1,776 Feet

Bill Chappell — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:28:00 +0000
With its glittering spire firmly attached, the new World Trade Center became the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere on Friday morning.

Feds Reach Agreement With Montana School On Sexual Assaults

Bill Chappell — Thu, 09 May 2013 21:13:00 +0000
The Department of Justice has reached an agreement with the University of Montana to resolve an investigation into the school's response to accusations of sexual harassment since 2009. The federal inquiry will continue to examine how Missoula city officials have handled such cases.
"The Justice Department started its investigation a year ago, following a string of reports of sexual assaults," reports NPR's Martin Kaste, for our Newscast Desk.