Perk Backlash: Do Surprise Upgrades Make Us Uneasy?

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:34:00 +0000

Whether it's a free upgrade on a hotel room or skipping ahead in the check-in line, many businesses give preferential treatment to some customers, hoping to make them more loyal. The practice often works — but a new study suggests that when we get perks we didn't earn, negative feelings can result.

A Look Back At How Newspapers Covered The Civil Rights Movement

Audie Cornish — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:33:00 +0000

This week Audie Cornish travels to Birmingham, Ala., to revisit some of the stories that shaped that city and the nation in the summer of 1963. Today she talks with Hank Klibanoff, co-author of The Race Beat about how the newspapers covered the civil rights struggle fifty years ago.

'We Were Told To Lie,' Say Bank Of America Employees

Steve Mullis — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:24:00 +0000

Six former employees and one contractor say Bank of America's mortgage servicing unit consistently lied to homeowners, fraudulently denied loan modifications and offered bonuses to staff for intentionally pushing people into foreclosure, according to a Salon.com report.

The allegations were made in

The 'Standing Man' Of Turkey: Act Of Quiet Protest Goes Viral

Andy Carvin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:05:00 +0000

As protests against the Turkish government enter their third week, activists are taking increasingly creative measures to maintain their momentum.

Over the weekend, police removed their tent city and re-opened Istanbul's Taksim Square to traffic, while maintaining a strong presence in the area.

Immigration Reform Bill Under Republican Pressure

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Senate Republicans are trying to make the immigration bill tougher on those who are already here illegally.

Congressman On NSA: Checks And Balances Prevent Abuse

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:38:00 +0000

Melissa Block talks to Republican Congressman Mac Thornberry, who serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He talks about the testimony by leaders of the National Security Agency, the Department of Justice and the FBI on Tuesday morning. He's been supportive of the NSA surveillance program, saying it's not only legal, but vital to security.

Obama's Unplanned NSA Discussion

Frank James — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:26:00 +0000

You have to wonder if President Obama ever thought, when he first ran for the White House, that he would need to defend himself from accusations his presidency would be a mere extension of his Republican predecessor.

But there he was with journalist Charlie Rose having to explain why his approach to national security wasn't really like that of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

The main reason Obama is no repeat of that previous administration?

'Days Of Rambo Are Over': Pentagon Details Women's Move To Combat

Bill Chappell — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:22:00 +0000

Women in America's armed services will have new options for what units they can join in coming years, the Pentagon says. The military said in January that it will end its combat exclusion that set a minimum size for units in which women could be deployed; the limit kept many women away from front-line combat units. The shift means women could join elite forces such as the Army Rangers and Navy SEALs.

Depending on the job, women could begin training to join combat units in the next one to three years, according to several military officers who spoke at a Pentagon briefing Tuesday afternoon.

The Mystery Of the Ridiculously Pricey Bag Of Potatoes

editor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 20:06:00 +0000

On Monday we told you about allegations that America's potato growers had banded together in a price-fixing Potato Cartel.

The allegations we described come from a civil lawsuit filed by the Associated Wholesale Grocers against the United Potato Growers of America, a group whose members produce the vast majority of the country's spuds.

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