State and National News

Agile quarterbacks like Michael Vick, Tim Tebow and Robert Griffin III are gaining ground on traditional players who sit in the pocket, timing the perfect pass. NPR correspondent Mike Pesca and Super Bowl-winning QB Joe Theismann talk about how quarterbacks and the game of football have changed.

A pair of new studies find that taking aspirin daily may significantly reduce the risk of many cancers and prevent tumors from spreading. Many experts view the findings as promising, but public health officials warn that the risks may still outweigh the benefits.

The co-founder of Invisible Children, who was detained by police in San Diego last week after residents complained he was naked on a residential street, was not on drugs, his wife said.

Jason Russell, who was catapulted into the national spotlight after his video on Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony went viral, has been shown in videos naked and apparently talking to himself on the streets of San Diego.

Quoting "a White House official," CNN and USA Today are reporting that in a speech tomorrow President Obama will push for fast-tracking the construction of the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

USA Today reports:

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, Covergirl pokes fun at actress Sophia Vergara's accent in a new ad. We'll ask the ladies in the beauty shop if they're laughing and we'll get their take on results in the Illinois primary. That's just ahead. But first, as you may know, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about the healthcare overhaul next week. Later this week, we are going to talk more about what critics and supporters of the measure are going to be saying.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Coming up, the shooting death of that unarmed 17 year old in Florida last month has been much on our minds. It's sparked some personal thoughts by me, which I'll tell you about in my weekly, Can I Just Tell You essay that's later in the program.

We've known for a while that a food's aroma has a big influence on our perception of how it tastes. Now it looks like smell also can affect how much we eat.

People who ate vanilla custard in a laboratory ate smaller bites when they smelled a stronger cream aroma, according to a new study. The stronger the smell, the smaller the bite.

If you're the type who likes to hike, ski or climb mountains, you might want to pack a bottle of ibuprofen — not just for achy muscle aches, but to help prevent altitude sickness.

Tens of millions of people travel to high-altitude spots each year, and a quarter of them wind up with acute altitude sickness from ascending too fast. The headaches, dizziness, sleeplessness, nausea, vomiting and other symptoms can ruin a vacation. In severe cases, it can cause fatal swelling in the brain.