State and National News

In Afghanistan and other conflict zones, the military is often first on the ground, followed by diplomats, contractors and journalists. Next, in many cases, are aid workers: People who work for private organizations and strive to remain impartial in some of the world's most dangerous places.

The NFL found some two dozen players for the New Orleans Saints took part in a pay-for-hits program that paid bounties for knocking specific players out of games. Those involved likely face fines or suspensions. But lawyer Eldon Ham argues that doesn't go far enough, and proposes criminal charges.

A Department of Education study found from 2009 to 2010, black students were 3 1/2 times more likely to be suspended or expelled than white ones. Though the reasons are unclear, many argue harsher punishments push many black and Latino students out of schools and into the criminal justice system.

Chances are, you've fallen victim to earworms — pesky songs or melodies that get stuck in your head and just won't get out.

Research suggests that there are psychological reasons why some songs are more likely to stick, including memory triggers, emotional states, and even stress. Some researchers hope to better understand why this happens and figure out what, if anything, music memory can teach psychologists about how to treat patients dealing with memory loss.

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SXSW is all about volume, in more ways than one. Roughly 2,000 acts perform at the four-day music festival every year, so to spend just three minutes with each in advance of the big event is to deny your friends and loved ones a solid 100 hours of your waking, undivided attention.

The United Nations special rapporteur on torture has reached the conclusion that the United States violated some of the rights of the Army private accused of leaking classified information to WikiLeaks.

Pfc. Bradley Manning has been in U.S. custody since May 2010 and as we've reported, Juan Méndez, the U.N.'s top torture official, has already had some tough words for the U.S. leading up to this report.

It's been nearly a year since Rahm Emanuel cruised to victory in the election for Chicago's mayor. Host Michel Martin talks with Mayor Emanuel about how he's raising Chicago's international profile and working to boost the city's economy. Emanuel also weighs in on President Obama's re-election campaign.

All week-long NPR will look at parts of the U.S. economy that are beginning to thrive after the economic downturn. Host Michel Martin hears individual stories of economic upturn, along with stories of continued struggles, from listeners and NPR's Senior Business Editor Marilyn Geewax.

Frank Bures taught English in Tanzania in 1996. He recently returned and found a place much different than the underdeveloped farm community he remembered. His former students were also living very different lives than what he imagined. Host Michel Martin speaks with Bures about how his students found hope in their country's economic growth.

Transcript

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

I'm Michel Martin and this is TELL ME MORE from NPR News. Later, find out what reality show star Omarosa - excuse me, make that Reverend Omarosa is listening to these days.

But, first, we want to go behind closed doors. That's where we talk about sensitive issues that many people find hard to discuss. Health is one of those issues, but that's one reason we try to talk about some of the unique circumstances that affect the health, particularly of minority women, whether the issue is HIV/AIDS, diabetes or obesity.