Why are some nations rich and others poor? In a new book called Why Nations Fail, a pair of economists argue that a lot comes down to politics.
To research the book, the authors scoured the world for populations and geographic areas that are identical in all respects save one: they're on different sides of a border.
Alain de Botton is the author of Religion for Atheists.
A survey published in the U.K. in January predicted that within 20 years, the majority of the British population will define themselves as having no religion. In the British isles, religion has become something of a sideshow, even a joke. Remember that this is the land that gave us The Life of Brian. Even the BBC has caught on with a satirical series called Rev., about a hapless comedic clergyman who has no faith but has a strong inclination to be good.
Basketball fans in Bowling Green, Kentucky are celebrating an amazing come-from-behind victory. It happened last night in the opening game of the NCAA tournament. President Obama and the British prime minister had front row seats, as the Hilltoppers came back from 16 points down to beat Mississippi Valley State.
From member station WKYU, Joe Corcoran has reaction from Bowling Green.
JOE CORCORAN, BYLINE: Even veteran announcer Jim Nantz couldn't contain of his excitement at the end of the game.
From NPR news, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
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One last day of freedom, one last time before cameras and microphones. Former Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich reports to a federal prison tomorrow to begin serving a 14-year sentence for corruption. But before leaving, he stepped outside his Chicago home today to make a public statement.
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And I'm Robert Siegel. Goldman Sachs is once again defending itself against allegations that the company makes money by putting its own interests ahead of clients. This time, the accusation comes from one of Goldman Sachs' own.
Greg Smith, a Goldman employee in London, resigned publicly today on the op ed page of the New York Times. He wrote that the bank's culture is toxic and its employees talk callously about ripping off clients.
The Federal Reserve has released the results of its much-anticipated stress test of the nation's biggest banks. The Fed says most of the nation's 19 biggest financial institutions passed the tests, although four did not. To find out what this means, we turn to NPR's Jim Zarroli. Jim, first, why is the Fed running stress tests? What are they supposed to show about the banks?
The documentary Bully follows several middle- and high-school students who are different, awkward or for some other reason the targets of bullying. One of the kids at the center of the film is Alex, from Sioux City, Iowa.
In the film, Alex, a small boy, says people think he's not normal, and most kids don't want to be around him. And some kids at his school, or on the school bus especially, make his life miserable.
Director Lee Hirsch says Alex immediately struck him as someone who was having a hard time — and no one seemed to notice or really care.
Reagan George is the founder of the Virginia Voters Alliance.
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Citizen campaigns such as Election Integrity Maryland are training poll watchers for the upcoming elections. Cathy Kelleher leads a workshop for volunteers in Myersville, Md., on March 3.
Credit Pam Fessler / NPR
Reagan George founded the Virginia Voters Alliance to monitor voting in his state.
As part of a new campaign, dozens of citizen groups around the country are searching voter registration lists, looking for problems.
They're also training poll watchers to monitor this fall's elections.
Leaders of the effort — spawned by the Tea Party movement — say they want to make sure that elections are free from voter fraud. But critics say it's part of a campaign to suppress the votes of minorities, students and others who tend to vote Democratic.
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Robert Siegel.
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And I'm Melissa Block. If you've been listening to the soundbites from the campaign trail lately, you'll have noticed all the talk of grits and deep fried food. Well, today is Southern Tuesday. Republicans in Alabama and Mississippi are voting in their primaries. Hawaii and American Samoa are also holding caucuses. The question is whether these elections might be the long-awaited turning point in the race for the GOP presidential nomination.
