All Things Considered
Architect Of Argentina's 'Dirty War' Dies In Prison
Jorge Rafael Videla was a former senior commander in the Argentine Army who was the de facto president of Argentina from 1976 to 1981. He came to power in a coup d'etat that deposed Isabel Martinez de Peron. After the return of a representative democratic government, he was prosecuted for large-scale human rights abuses and crimes against humanity that took place under his rule, including kidnappings or "forced disappearance," widespread torture and extrajudicial murder of activists and political opponents (either real, suspected or alleged) as well as their families, at secret concentration camps.
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U.N. Tries To Get Syria Peace Talks Back On Track
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, saying it is important not to "lose momentum" in the effort to convene a peace conference on Syria. Ban was only the latest in a string of foreign dignitaries who have come to Russia, seeking Putin's blessing for such a conference, expected to be held in early June. There's a lot at stake. Russia has been a long-time supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and continues to supply weapons to his regime. U.S. officials have said lately that those weapons include advanced missile systems for attacking ships and airplanes. If Assad already has such weapons, they could pose a real threat to international efforts to impose a no-fly zone, to deliver supplies to the rebels, or to maintain a maritime embargo.
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Outgoing Acting IRS Director Grilled By House Lawmakers
The House Ways and Means Committee became the first oversight panel in Congress to weigh in on the IRS tax-exempt group controversy on Friday morning.
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Doctor: 'We Truly Are Failing The Syrian People'
Stephen Cornish of Doctors Without Borders was recently in Syria. He talks to Audie Cornish about how medical personnel are managing to reach patients in the war-torn nation where he says there is a lack of respect for doctors on both sides of the conflict.
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New Pro Women's Soccer League Learns From Past Mistakes
The Portland Thorns women's soccer team drew 17,000 screaming fans to its recent home opener. That's a huge number and one that dwarfed turnout for the other seven teams in the new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). The NWSL is the latest attempt to bring sustainable women's pro soccer to the U.S. Soccer federations in the U.S., Mexico and Canada help fund it. NPR's Tom Goldman examines how the Thorns and the NWSL have done so far.
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Some Lawmakers Want Big-Budget Groups Included In IRS Debate
The Justice Department is investigating the IRS's flagging of grass-roots conservative groups that sought nonprofit status. But some lawmakers want the debate extended to look at the well-financed activities of existing 501(c)(4) groups that spent millions in the 2012 elections.
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Why Is Psychiatry's New Manual So Much Like The Old One?
Unlike cardiology and most other fields of medicine, psychiatry still hasn't developed discrete, biological tests for diagnosing illnesses of the mind. That's because the brain "hasn't yielded its secrets yet," one psychiatrist says.
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Daft Punk On 'The Soul That A Musician Can Bring'
In spite of the robotic persona they've cultivated for years, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo elected to make their new album, Random Access Memories, in a real studio, with real musicians. Hear the elusive electronic duo in conversation with All Things Considered's Audie Cornish.
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A 'Wake-Up Call' To Protect Vulnerable Workers From Abuse
For decades, a turkey-processing company housed intellectually disabled men in squalid conditions, subjecting them to physical and emotional abuse while paying them $2 per day. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently won a huge judgment against the company.
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From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life
Egypt's capital has been associated with protest and political upheaval. But an arts festival attempts to clear away the dust and revitalize a once-glorious cultural hub.
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Letters: Inspiration Behind 'I Drive Your Truck'
Melissa Block and Audie Cornish read emails from listeners about the true story that inspired the hit country song, "I Drive Your Truck."
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House Republicans Take Another Stab At Repealing Obamacare
The House held a vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act — again. This time it was to make freshman Republicans happy by giving them a vote to take home.
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Senators Lead Push To Change Military's Sexual Assault Policy
New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is sponsoring legislation cracking down on sexual assault in the military.
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Obama Responds To Questions On IRS, Benghazi, AP Phone Logs
President Obama met reporters briefly on Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, but the American side of the news conference was all about domestic controversies involving the IRS and the Justice Department.
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Left Without New Star Trek Episodes, Fans Create Their Own
The next Star Trek movie comes out this week. It's been four years since the last one came out, and more than 40 years since the final episode of the original Star Trek series aired on television. Some fans moved on. Some spent the intervening decades pining away for Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the crew of the Starship Enterprise. And some took up the gauntlet Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry threw down in 1966 and started making episodes of their own.
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Strict Firewall Exists Between IRS And White House
Audie Cornish talks to Marcus Owens, former director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. The division is the same one under scrutiny for targeting conservative groups. He talks about the IRS's vetting process in determining tax exempt status and where they may have gone wrong.
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DOJ Report Details Lapses In Witness Protection Program
A new report from the Justice Department's watchdog points to several lapses in the government's witness protection program. The most significant are that U.S. Marshals at one point lost track of two known or suspected terrorists; and that some witnesses inadvertently were not placed on a no-fly list and flew using new identities. The FBI says there are no known current threats from any witnesses.
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Emails Track How Erroneous Benghazi Talking Points Emerged
The White House's release of e-mails this week was intended to settle questions regarding the administration's response to the attack on the Benghazi consulate in September. But while some questions may have been laid to rest, others remain and will feed a critical story line.
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At Least Six Dead After Tornadoes Tear Through North Texas
A series of tornadoes ripped across north Texas on Wednesday night, killing six people and injuring dozens of others. The strongest tornado hit the city of Granbury with winds approaching 200 mph. Rescue crews were going door-to-door on Thursday searching for survivors.
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David Beckham Retires As One Of Soccer's Most Famous Players
One of the best known athletes in the world has announced his retirement. Soccer player David Beckham will play his final game later this month. Melissa Block talks with Grant Wahl, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and the author of The Beckham Experiment.
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