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The Two-Way
2:05 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

Country Singer Slim Whitman, Known For His Yodel, Dies

Credit Evening Standard / Getty Images
Slim Whitman arriving at Heathrow Airport in 1976.

Originally published on Wed June 19, 2013 2:24 pm

The Two-Way
1:38 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

"Suffering On A Huge Scale": World Refugee Numbers Swell

Credit Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Afghan refugee children collect items of use from a pile of garbage on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan.

Originally published on Wed June 19, 2013 2:24 pm

The United Nations Refugee Commission says more than 45.2 million people were in "situations of displacement" around the world as of last year — the most since 1994.

A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says there were 15.4 million refugees in other countries, 937,000 people seeking political asylum and 28.8 million people forced out of their homes but still inside their own countries.

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The Two-Way
1:24 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

Oops. Wrong Birth Year Fixed On NYC Mayor Koch's Tombstone

Credit Andrew Savulich / NY Daily News via Getty Images
Look closely: Ed Koch's tombstone had the wrong birth date. It's fixed now, but the error had the late New York City mayor born in 1942, rather than 1924.

"You could call it a 'grave' mistake," says WNBC-TV of New York City.

The tombstone of Edward I. Koch, the city's colorful, three-term mayor who died in February, listed an incorrect birth date for him. Instead of showing Dec. 12, 1924, the year mistakenly read 1942 — until yesterday.

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Around the Nation
1:17 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

'The Watchers' Have Had Their Eyes On Us For Years

As shocked as you may have been to learn about the secret National Security Agency programs leaked by Ed Snowden earlier this month, this type of surveillance is not entirely new or unheard of. In his 2010 book, The Watchers: The Rise of America's Surveillance State, journalist Shane Harris traced the evolution of these surveillance programs in the U.S.

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The Two-Way
1:15 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

FBI Director Says Agency Is Using Drones Over The U.S.

Credit General Atomics / Getty Images
A Predator drone

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is using drones on United States soil for surveillance purposes, the agency's director, Robert Mueller, told a Senate committee today.

"Our footprint is very small, and we have very few and of limited use, and we're exploring not only the use but also the necessary guidelines for that use," said Mueller , answering a question from Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Mueller, who was testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said they were used in a "very, very minimal way and very seldom."

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The Salt
12:26 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

Women And Children Caught In Middle Of Potato War

Credit Paul J. Richards / AFP/Getty Images
Fresh white spuds aren't allowed in a government supplemental nutrition program for women and children because, unlike other fruits and vegetables, potatoes aren't lacking in the typical diet.

Originally published on Wed June 19, 2013 1:01 pm

We didn't plan it, but somehow, it has turned into Potato Week here at The Salt. The latest twist in the tater tales takes us to Capitol Hill.

Americans love to pile on the potatoes – we consumed a whopping 112 pounds per capita last year. But lately, the potato industry has been playing the part of jilted lover and taking its heartache to Congress.

According to the National Potato Council, the U.S. Department of Agriculture "discriminates" against fresh, white potatoes.

Huh?

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The Two-Way
12:09 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

It's Beach Time... In Alaska, Where Heat Wave Breaks Records

Credit Rachel D'Oro / AP
In this photo taken on Monday, people swim and sunbathe at Goose Lake in Anchorage, Alaska.

Originally published on Wed June 19, 2013 1:44 pm

Taking advantage of an intense heat wave that broke long-standing records yesterday, residents of Anchorage, Alaska, headed to the beach at Goose Lake.

As the Anchorage Daily News reports, the National Weather Service recorded a high temperature of 81 degrees in the city, beating the previous record of 80 degrees set in June of 1926.

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Middle East
12:02 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

To Arm, Or Not To Arm The Syrian Rebels?

The White House says the United States will arm Syrian rebels, but a new poll shows most Americans don't like the idea. Guest host Celeste Headlee speaks with Shadi Hamid of The Brookings Institution, about America's current and future involvement in Syria.

History
12:02 pm
Wed June 19, 2013

Exhibit Explores US History of 'Rights' Versus 'Privileges'

The National Archives' upcoming exhibit, 'The Record of Rights,' is about the human rights struggles faced by women, African-Americans, and immigrants in the U.S. Guest host Celeste Headlee talks with one of the exhibit's curators about some of the more unique items on display.

The Salt
11:50 am
Wed June 19, 2013

The Martini: This American Cocktail May Have An International Twist

There's no cocktail more distinctly American than the martini. It's strong, sophisticated and sexy. It's everything we hope to project while ordering one.

Baltimore-born satirist H.L. Mencken is said to have called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." But is the martini perfectly American? Maybe not entirely.

So in honor of National Martini Day on Wednesday, we decided to dig into the drink's muddled past.

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