Morning Edition
Geniuses Collide In 2008's Best Jazz
Cross-pollination of excellent musicians made for some amazing jazz in 2008. The year's best CDs feature numerous musicians collaborating with each other on a wide variety of recordings. Hearing the best musicians work with other geniuses is a wonderful thing to witness. Here are 10 of the best jazz CDs of the year.
A Year Of Photographs, Taken At The 'Sametime'
Six photographers spent a year cataloging their lives with daily photos taken at 7:15 p.m. The online yearlong gallery project, sametime715.com, concludes Dec. 31. The photos document the mundanity of life: yoga, playing pool, traveling and sunsets.
Wounded Palestinians Relay Gaza's Bad Conditions
Arab foreign ministers are gathering in the Egyptian capital Cairo to discuss the Israeli bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip. A number of wounded Palestinians have made it to hospitals in neighboring Egypt for treatment. They tell grim tales of the conditions inside Gaza.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
N.Y. Thruway Offers Free Coffee New Year's Eve
Officials at the New York Thruway are keeping up their New Year's Eve tradition. The thruway's 27 toll plazas are offering free coffee and tea to travelers. And Silver Lake Research has a caffeine detector stick. It tests if your cup of coffee is decaf — or not.
Fed To Buy Mortgage-Backed Securities
In an effort to boost the housing market, the Federal Reserve announced Tuesday it would begin purchasing mortgage-backed securities early next month. The Fed is expected to purchase $500 billion worth of the securities that are guaranteed by home loan giants Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae. Officials announced the plan in November, but at the time, did not say when it would begin.
Israel Rejects Truce In Gaza
Israeli warplanes have made more airstrikes into Gaza as key world powers pressure Israel and Hamas to call a truce. Hamas, meanwhile, is keeping up its rocket barrages into Israel.
Israeli Ambassador Comments On Gaza Airstrike
Sallai Meridor is Israel's ambassador to Washington. He talks with Steve Inskeep about whether Israel is ready to agree to a ceasefire.
Palestinian View On Gaza
Mustafa Barghouthi is secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative. He talks with Steve Inskeep about the situation in Gaza.
As Bush Term Ends, The View From Africa
Morning Edition is speaking this week with thinkers and scholars overseas about the transition from the Bush presidency to the Obama administration. We turn now to Africa. Renee Montagne talks with Veronique Tadjo, an author, poet and painter from Ivory Coast. She teaches in Johannesburg, South Africa, and gives workshops across Africa.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Egypt Can Be A Peacemaker In Gaza
For a fifth day, Israeli jets and assault helicopters pounded Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. Egypt borders one side of Gaza and could play an important role in solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Scott Lasensky of the U.S. Institute of Peace, talks with Steve Inskeep about what Egypt can do to help establish peace in the Gaza Strip.
Obama Encourages Health Care House Parties
President-elect Barack Obama wants his supporters to host "health care house parties" to provide input into how his administration should fix what ails the nation's health care system — and to further his grassroots organizing movement.
Ill. Gov. Blagojevich Picks Obama's Sen. Successor
Illinois' embattled Governor Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday appointed a successor to fill the Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama. The move set off an avalanche of criticism from members of both political parties and set the stage for more political drama.
The Economy, Not Off Life-Support Yet
Over the past year, the government has sent $100 billion in stimulus checks to taxpayers and bailed out Wall Street, banks and automakers. However, the economy still hasn't turned around. David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, talks with Steve Inskeep about why the economy isn't getting stronger.
NASA Targets Problems To Make Space Travel Safer
The first NASA study of astronaut crew safety since the 2003 Columbia disaster was released Tuesday. While scientists found that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent that disaster — they did look into preventing other problems before they could come up.
GMAC Made Risky Subprime Mortgage Loans
GMAC is the most recent beneficiary of a government bailout. GMAC is the the financing arm of General Motors. It supplies funding for auto dealers to buy inventory and credit for consumers buying cars. It is also a major player in the home mortgage market.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
For The Higgins Clarks, Suspense Is A Family Affair
For Mary and Carol Higgins Clark, the family business is suspense — of the fictional order. The mother and daughter write suspense novels separately, and also team up to write a series of holiday mysteries, most recently Dashing Through the Snow.
The Year In Music For Kids (And Parents)
One of the best years for kids' music in recent memory includes releases from artists with feet firmly in both kid-friendly and adult-oriented worlds. Old favorites went in new directions, while emerging artists gave a glimpse of the future of a genre as diverse and unpredictable as kids themselves.
Israel Bombs Gaza For A Fourth Day
Israeli air strikes have been pounding Hamas militant targets in Gaza, reducing dozens of buildings to rubble. Five ministerial buildings have been destroyed by Israeli missiles. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to launch rocket attacks from Gaza on southern Israel.
» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Arabs Protest Israel's Air Strikes In Gaza
Protests are being held in the Arab world, as the violence around Gaza continues for a fourth day. Israel on Tuesday rejected any truce with Hamas. The Arab League will meet Wednesday in Egypt to discuss the crisis. More than 360 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israeli offensive on Saturday. Rockets from Gaza have killed five Israelis.
Coup Leaders Tighten Grip On Guinea
The African Union has suspended Guinea from the organization after a bloodless military takeover last week. Yet, many people in the West African nation support the coup leaders. They are on a charm offensive to win over their critics in and outside Africa.
