Kathy Lohr http://wemu.org en Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth http://wemu.org/post/boy-scouts-decide-whether-admit-gay-youth Transcript <p>DAVID GREENE, HOST: <p>This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.<p>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: <p>And I'm Linda Wertheimer.<p>This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 29745 at http://wemu.org Mark Sanford Wins House Race http://wemu.org/post/mark-sanford-wins-house-race Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In South Carolina tonight, a political comeback. Republican Mark Sanford, who was once mired in scandal as the state's governor, has won a congressional seat in a special election. He has defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a race that attracted national attention. Sanford just delivered his victory speech.<p>MARK SANFORD: I have a question for you all. Wed, 08 May 2013 02:56:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 29071 at http://wemu.org Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C. http://wemu.org/post/democrats-have-high-hopes-defeating-sanford-sc <p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERK_pExyer8</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khs3U1y_XB0</p> Fri, 03 May 2013 18:37:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 28903 at http://wemu.org Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C. Sanford, Colbert Busch Clash In Sole Debate Before Special Election http://wemu.org/post/sanford-colbert-busch-clash-sole-debate-special-election Transcript <p>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: <p>There's a high profile congressional race going on in South Carolina and last night the two candidates met in their first - and only - debate. For the Republican, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:13:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 28717 at http://wemu.org 50 Years Later, King's Birmingham 'Letter' Still Resonates http://wemu.org/post/50-years-later-kings-birmingham-letter-still-resonates It's been five decades since Martin Luther King Jr., began writing his famous "Letter From Birmingham Jail," a response to eight white Alabama clergymen who criticized King and worried the civil rights campaign would cause violence. They called King an "extremist" and told blacks they should be patient.<p>But the time for waiting was over. Birmingham was the perfect place to take a stand.<p>So King traveled to Alabama in 1963 to attack the culture of racism in the South and the Jim Crow laws that mandated separate facilities for blacks and whites. In January, Gov. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:46:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 28151 at http://wemu.org 50 Years Later, King's Birmingham 'Letter' Still Resonates Sanford Tries For Comeback In S.C. Election http://wemu.org/post/sanford-tries-comeback-sc-election Two Democrats and 16 Republicans are running for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District seat in a special election Tuesday. The seat is open because former Rep. Tim Scott was tapped to replace Sen. Jim DeMint, who retired midterm.<p>The biggest name in the race is former Gov. Mark Sanford, whose infamous affair led to his political downfall. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:01:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 26889 at http://wemu.org Sanford Tries For Comeback In S.C. Election New Exhibit Highlights The History Of Early Civil Rights Group http://wemu.org/post/new-exhibit-highlights-history-early-civil-rights-group A new exhibit on the campus of Emory University in Atlanta is bringing civil rights leaders together.<p>Curators have worked for more than three years to catalog roughly 1,000 boxes of historic documents that tell the story of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an early civil rights group first presided over by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.<p>One person who shows up in several of the photographs in the exhibit is Dorothy Cotton, who was head of the SCLC's Citizens Education Program beginning in the 1960s. Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:45:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 25933 at http://wemu.org New Exhibit Highlights The History Of Early Civil Rights Group In Dallas, Boy Scouts Debate Opening Membership To Gays http://wemu.org/post/dallas-boy-scouts-debate-opening-membership-gays Transcript <p>DAVID GREENE, HOST: <p>Leadership of the Boy Scouts of America may take an important vote today. The organization's executive board is wrapping up a meeting in Dallas, and they're talking about whether to drop their policy banning gay leaders and gay scouts. Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:27:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 25175 at http://wemu.org States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide http://wemu.org/post/states-become-battlegrounds-nations-deep-abortion-divide Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of <em>Roe v. Wade,</em> the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Thousands of activists on both sides of the issue are holding rallies marking the day at state capitals across the country.<p>In the decades since the decision, abortion has been one of the most debated and legislated issues in the nation. And state legislatures, which are increasingly passing laws restricting abortion, have become the debate's key battlegrounds.<p>South Dakota is one such state. Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:52:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 24570 at http://wemu.org New Regulations Could Treat Virginia Abortion Clinics Like Hospitals http://wemu.org/post/new-regulations-could-treat-virginia-abortion-clinics-hospitals This month marks the 40th anniversary of <em>Roe v. Wade,</em> the famed and widely cited case that legalized abortion. Yet across the country, states are continuing to approve restrictions.<p>With little fanfare, Virginia and Michigan Republican governors recently signed new abortion bills into law. Virginia's Bob McDonnell, in particular, quietly approved clinic regulations adopted by the state's Board of Health three months ago that hold abortion clinics to the same building standards as hospitals.<p>"Obviously I'm a pro-life governor," McDonnell says. Mon, 07 Jan 2013 23:19:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 23981 at http://wemu.org New Regulations Could Treat Virginia Abortion Clinics Like Hospitals From Shoes To M&M's, Custom-Made Products Take Off Online http://wemu.org/post/shoes-mms-custom-made-products-take-online It wasn't long ago that all consumers went to retail stores to buy things. These days, of course, you can get just about anything online. Some companies are now taking that shopping experience to the next level, allowing customers to design almost anything individually — from a trench coat to a batch of M&amp;M's.<p>Lindsay Stewart, a senior at Holy Innocents' Episcopal School in Atlanta, is a Converse fan — and an avid Converse custom designer. Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:32:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 23379 at http://wemu.org From Shoes To M&M's, Custom-Made Products Take Off Online Georgia Town Makes Claim For Fruitcake Capital Of The World http://wemu.org/post/georgia-town-makes-claim-fruitcake-capital-world In the small town of Claxton, Ga., two bakeries make more than 4 million pounds of fruitcake each year. Both bakeries say Claxton is the fruitcake capital of the world, despite a similar claim made by <a href="http://www.collinstreet.com/">a company</a> in Corsicana, Texas.<p>"We actually begin with a blend of golden and natural raisins," says Dale Parker, vice president of <a href="http://www.claxtonfruitcake.com/index.php">Claxton Bakery</a>, the larger of the town's two fruitcake companies. Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:08:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 23056 at http://wemu.org Georgia Town Makes Claim For Fruitcake Capital Of The World To Trim Down, Spelman Trades Sports For Fitness http://wemu.org/post/trim-down-spelman-trades-sports-fitness For the past decade, Spelman College, a historically black women's school in Atlanta, has fielded NCAA teams in basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball and other sports. But when its small Division III conference started dwindling, college President Beverly Tatum says the school decided it was time to change focus.<p>"We have to ask ourselves: What is the cost of the program and who is benefiting? How many people are benefiting? Thu, 06 Dec 2012 20:32:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 22826 at http://wemu.org To Trim Down, Spelman Trades Sports For Fitness Fingerprint Scans Create Unease For Poor Parents http://wemu.org/post/fingerprint-scans-create-unease-poor-parents Some Mississippi parents are learning a new routine when they drop their kids off at day care centers that are taking part in a new pilot program aimed at combating fraud and saving the state money.<p>Under the program, the state scans parents' fingerprints to capture biometric information, and that information is turned into a number. Tue, 20 Nov 2012 21:59:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 22267 at http://wemu.org Fingerprint Scans Create Unease For Poor Parents Crews Work To Restore Power, And Explain The Delay http://wemu.org/post/crews-work-restore-power-and-explain-delay More than 8 million people lost power after Superstorm Sandy. Five days later, 2.5 million are still waiting as power companies across the region continue to say that restoring power is more complicated than it seems.<p>The storm packed a one-two punch. Sat, 03 Nov 2012 21:00:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 21547 at http://wemu.org Crews Work To Restore Power, And Explain The Delay Undocumented Students Take Education Underground http://wemu.org/post/undocumented-students-take-education-underground About 35 students meet every Sunday at an undisclosed location in Georgia to study. They are undocumented and banned from attending some of the most prestigious colleges in the state.<p>Georgia is one of three states to bar undocumented students from attending schools. But a group of professors at the University of Georgia has created a fledgling school to provide a place for students to learn.<p>They call it Freedom University, named after the schools set up during the civil rights era to teach African-Americans in the Deep South. Sun, 28 Oct 2012 21:03:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 21273 at http://wemu.org Undocumented Students Take Education Underground FAMU Adjusts To Games Without Marching Band http://wemu.org/post/famu-adjusts-games-without-marching-band Florida A&amp;M University played its first home game of the season Saturday — without its famous Marching 100 band for the first time in decades. The band was suspended for the year after drum major Robert Champion died as a result of a band hazing incident. The incident took place after the last football game of the 2011 season.<p>This year's suspension has left a void at Rattler football games. Just about everyone in Bragg Memorial Stadium for the first home game was talking about it.<p>"When you think of FAMU, you think of the Marching 100. Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:06:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 19692 at http://wemu.org FAMU Adjusts To Games Without Marching Band Some Florida Seniors Divided On '47 Percent' http://wemu.org/post/some-florida-seniors-divided-47-percent Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>The fundraiser where the Romney video was recorded was held in Florida. And today, in that politically important state, reaction was mixed about Romney's unscripted remarks. NPR's Kathy Lohr gathered some views from people at a retirement community.<p>KATHY LOHR, BYLINE: At Westminster Oaks in Tallahassee, seniors gathered for breakfast, worked out in exercise classes and listened to radio or watched TV where they first heard Romney's remarks. Many in this group are part of the 47 percent who Romney said pay no income taxes and rely on the government. Tue, 18 Sep 2012 21:14:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 19637 at http://wemu.org Atlanta Symphony Locked Out http://wemu.org/post/atlanta-symphony-locked-out The <a href="http://www.npr.org/artists/15806128/atlanta-symphony-orchestra" target="_blank">Atlanta Symphony Orchestra</a> and its musicians are at an impasse. The players' contract expired at the end of last month. The symphony is facing a $20 million budget deficit, and it's seeking millions in concessions from the musicians. Both sides say they want to reach an agreement, but they've left the bargaining table, putting the orchestra's 68th season in jeopardy.<p>The musicians are locked out of their home at the Woodruff Arts Center. Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:31:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 19291 at http://wemu.org Atlanta Symphony Locked Out In Akin's Wake, Ryan Defends Anti-Abortion Record http://wemu.org/post/akins-wake-ryan-defends-anti-abortion-record Since Republican Rep. Todd Akin first <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/08/20/159348221/todd-akin-fallout-spreads-from-missouri-to-white-house-race" target="_blank">said</a> the words "legitimate rape" Sunday, just about everyone in the Republican Party has condemned those comments.<p>The Missouri Senate candidate later apologized, but his remarks continue to drive the political debate. They've also raised questions about the anti-abortion record of the Republican vice presidential candidate, Rep. Fri, 24 Aug 2012 21:06:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 18552 at http://wemu.org In Akin's Wake, Ryan Defends Anti-Abortion Record