The Two-Way
1:12 pm
Thu June 13, 2013

Explosion, Fire Reported At Chemical Plant Near Baton Rouge

Credit Ryan Meador / AP
The plant on fire after it reportedly exploded Thursday in the town of Geismar, La.

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 7:40 pm

(This post last updated at 8:30 p.m. ET)

An explosion touched off a fire at a Louisiana petrochemical plant, killing at least one person and injuring more than 70 others, officials say.

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Severe Storms
9:30 am
Thu June 13, 2013

Oklahoma’s Building Codes Don’t Factor For Tornadoes

Credit Joe Wertz / StateImpact Oklahoma
Tim Marshall, a meteorologist and civil engineer, stands near a water tank in a tornado-ravaged Moore neighborhood. The tank fell from the sky after being carried a half-mile, Marshall says.

The “Oklahoma Standard” is a phrase that describes how this state responds in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, like the tornado that ripped through Moore on May 20.

But that resiliency isn’t reflected in Oklahoma’s construction standards, which don’t factor for tornadoes.

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The Two-Way
8:08 am
Thu June 13, 2013

At Least 93,000 Syrians Have Died During Conflict, U.N. Says

Credit Philippe Desmazes / AFP/Getty Images
Mourners carry the body of a man killed last fall in the northern Syrian town of Azaz.

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 9:53 am

"The constant flow of killings continues at shockingly high levels," the U.N. high commissioner for human rights said Thursday as her office reported there have been at least 92,901 conflict-related deaths in Syria since March 2011.

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Theater
7:52 am
Thu June 13, 2013

Nothing Fishy About City Rep's "Tuna"

This is the last weekend to see Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre’s production of Greater Tuna. But staging a comedy, even one as iconic in the southwest U.S. as “Tuna,” following a tragic community event like the tornadoes that ripped through central Oklahoma can be tough.

Actors Donald Jordan and Jonathon Beck Reed say taking time to laugh can provide relief for people dealing with the trauma of the destruction.

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OneSix8
7:26 am
Thu June 13, 2013

Entertaining The Hours Of Your Week: Father’s Day (Weekend) Adventures

Credit City of Oklahoma City Parks & Recreation
Metro Tech / Springlake

Father’s Day is Sunday. You knew that, right? What you may not have determined is what to do for dear ol' Dad… Pops.... Papa or better yet, what to do with that first, special man in a child’s life.

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The Two-Way
7:07 am
Thu June 13, 2013

Colorado Fires: New Evacuations, More Homes Burned

Credit Chris Schneider / Getty Images
The Black Forest wildfire is burning near Colorado Springs, Colo. As Thursday dawned it was "zero percent contained," authorities said.

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 6:31 pm

Update at 7:15 p.m. ET. Two Deaths Reported:

The El Paso County Sheriff says that two bodies were recovered Thursday in the burn area of the Black Forest fire near Colorado Springs. A "coroner investigation is ongoing," the department says.

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World Views
3:28 pm
Wed June 12, 2013

How Crowdsourcing Changes The Nature Of News Coverage

Credit Ammar Abd Rabbo / Flickr
Libyan rebels play on the body of a plane destroyed during heavy fighting at Tripoli International Airport on August 29, 2011.

  • Listen to Suzette Grillot's conversation with NPR's Andy Carvin.

Real-time updates on social media are revolutionizing traditional journalism. By following Twitter feeds and other forms of social media, journalists like NPR Senior Strategist Andy Carvin now identify breaking news faster and do a better job following international stories.

“Crowdsourcing is basically just a fancy term for asking for help from the public,” Carvin says. “It's something journalists have always done at various points, but now social media has made it easy to engage people all over the world.”

Carvin calls himself an “informational DJ.” He has used crowdsourcing to cover stories ranging from the Newtown, Connecticut shooting to the Arab Spring.

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StateImpact Oklahoma
2:48 pm
Wed June 12, 2013

Leak in Aging Water Pipeline Forces Broken Arrow To Close Restaurants

Credit Logan Layden / StateImpact Oklahoma
Earthmovers carve out a new reservoir for Broken Arrow at the site of the city's out-of-date water treatment plant in November 2012.

Restaurants in Broken Arrow were ordered to close Wednesday because of a leak in a pipeline that brings water to the city from Pryor, about 30 miles away.

The news can’t come as a complete surprise to Broken Arrow officials, like Engineering Director Kenny Schwab.

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Religious Rights
8:31 am
Wed June 12, 2013

Religious Statement Or Native American Pride? Court Allows License Tag Challenge

Credit Oklahoma Tax Commission
The current Oklahoma license tag.

A federal appeals court says Oklahoma's Indian "rain god" license plate can be challenged on grounds that amounts to a state endorsement of a religion.

The license plate depicts Allan Houser's "Sacred Rain Arrow" sculpture, in which an Indian shoots an arrow into the sky to bring down rain.

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The Salt
7:48 am
Wed June 12, 2013

Why You'll Be Paying More For Beef All This Year

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
With U.S. cattle herds at their lowest levels since the 1950s and corn feed prices on the rise, beef prices are on the rise.

Originally published on Thu June 13, 2013 4:53 am

If you've experienced sticker shock shopping for ground beef or steak recently, be prepared for an entire summer of high beef prices.

Multi-year droughts in states that produce most of the country's beef cattle have driven up costs to historic highs. Last year, ranchers culled deep into their herds — some even liquidated all their cattle — which pushed the U.S. cattle herd to its lowest point since the 1950s.

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