The Salt
1:39 am
Thu September 27, 2012

New Anti-Obesity Ads Blaming Overweight Parents Spark Criticism

Credit courtesy Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
A controversial ad by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota shows an overweight shopper and her daughter buying junk food.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 2:50 am

Research News
1:38 am
Thu September 27, 2012

Big Quakes Signal Changes Coming To Earth's Crust

Credit Adek Berry / AFP/Getty Images
A prison official examines the damage a day after a powerful earthquake hit the west coast of Indonesia in Banda Aceh on April 12.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 7:31 am

On April 11 of this year, an extraordinary cluster of earthquakes struck off Sumatra. The largest shock, magnitude 8.7, produced stronger ground-shaking than any earthquake ever recorded. And it surprised seismologists by triggering more than a dozen moderate earthquakes around the world.

The quakes are also a sign of big changes to come in the Earth's crust.

Read more
National Security
1:37 am
Thu September 27, 2012

Army Seeks To Curb Rising Tide Of Suicides

Credit Romeo Gacad / AFP/Getty Images
U.S. troops from the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment patrol at dawn in Kandalay, Afghanistan on Aug. 4, 2011. A worldwide stand down for troops to take part in suicide prevention training Thursday is part of the Army's response to an alarming suicide rate of nearly one per day.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 7:04 pm

At Fort Myer, Va., a small Army base across the river from Washington, D.C., Chaplain Mark Worrell is talking to about 100 soldiers, reciting the grim numbers.

"This year, 2012, there have been more suicides in the Army than combat deaths," he says.

Worrell paces in front of the stage in a small auditorium and talks with the soldiers for more than an hour about the warning signs of suicide. He asks them what they would do if a friend starting selling his tools and lost interest in his favorite hobbies.

Read more
Politics
1:37 am
Thu September 27, 2012

Pa. Voters Battle Bureaucracy Ahead Of ID Law Ruling

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 7:08 am

The first sign that getting a new ID isn't going to be easy for Beverly Mitchell and Kathleen Herbert comes before the pair have even left their downtown Philadelphia senior center. As they wait for a ride to a nearby Department of Motor Vehicles office, they get the news: The van that was supposed to take them is broken.

Read more
The Record
10:03 pm
Wed September 26, 2012

YouTube Shares Ad Revenue With Musicians, But Does It Add Up?

Credit Keystone / Getty Images
Donna Summer in 1976. YouTube's Chris Maxcy says the company targets advertising to videos by artists like her and gives a share of the revenue from it to the track's label and publisher.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 8:04 am

It's All Politics
4:57 pm
Wed September 26, 2012

Cherokee Nation Chief Demands Apology From Scott Brown Campaign

Credit Elise Amendola / AP
Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., speaks during a news conference in Boston last Friday.

Originally published on Thu September 27, 2012 1:29 pm

Update at 3:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 27

Alleigh Marre, a spokeswoman for Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown's campaign, released a statement, saying:

Read more
Environmental Change
4:42 pm
Wed September 26, 2012

iSeeChange: Oldtimers Special

iSeeChange producer, Julia Kumari Drapkin, speaks with with local old timers Dallas and June Harding and others. Having lived and worked the land in the area for decades, they give us their observations on change in the area over time.

Read more
The Two-Way
3:59 pm
Wed September 26, 2012

What If Google Were Run By Replacement Engineers?

Credit Replacement Google
A spoof site launched by Erik Johnson pretends to offer Google's search engine — if it were run by replacements.

Frustration over the NFL's not-ready-for-primetime replacement referees has inspired web designer Erik Johnson to present Google as if its search engine had replacement engineers at the controls. The result is a web page that looks a lot like the standard Google Search page — with a note that it is sponsored by the NFL.

Read more

Joyce Russell is a correspondent based at the Iowa Statehouse.  She also hosts River to River on Mondays from the State Capitol during the legislative session. Joyce has been covering the Iowa Statehouse since shortly after joining the news staff at WOI Radio in 1988.    Her earlier broadcasting experience included news reporting at commercial stations in Oklahoma City and Fort Wayne, Indiana.   Joyce’s reports can be heard on National Public Radio and American Public Media programs including All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Marketplace.  She covered the last six Iowa caucus campaigns and interviewed numerous candidates for president, including some who went on to attain the highest office in the land.   

Joyce  has a bachelor’s degree in English from Saint Louis University and  a master’s degree in English from the University of Oklahoma.   

Joyce’s favorite public radio program is Fresh Air.

It's All Politics
3:48 pm
Wed September 26, 2012

Another Iowa Judge Faces Ballot Box Battle Due To Same-Sex Marriage Ruling

Originally published on Wed September 26, 2012 4:27 pm

A battle is under way in Iowa over whether a state Supreme Court justice can keep his job.

Critics have launched an all-out campaign to throw him off the bench because of his ruling three years ago clearing the way for same-sex marriage. The judge's supporters are fighting back, but they may need to get over their reluctance to mix politics and the judiciary.

Read more

Pages