UPDATE: Tornado Watch Issued For Western Half Of State

Credit National Weather Service / Norman Forecast Office
The counties in red are under a Tornado Watch until 11:00 p.m.

The National Weather Service has issued a Tornado Watch for nearly two-thirds of Oklahoma.

The Norman Forecast Office says the tornado potential is not equal in every one of the counties shaded in red. If storms develop, tornadoes are most likely to occur along and north of a line from Arnett to Fairview, to Enid to Ponca City in far northern Oklahoma.

"Areas south of that line, including most of the rest of watch, will likely see severe storms with large hail and damaging winds, but the tornado potential is lower, but not zero!" the NWS says on its Facebook page.

Forecasters say instability and wind shear are forecast to increase Sunday, leading to a "significant severe weather outbreak." But they also say the situation continues to develop, and the exact area where the most severe weather will hit is likely to change.

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A Blog Supreme
1:59 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Time Is On Their Side: Ageless Jazz Drumming

I've been listening to two very good new albums led by drummers. After learning that both men are in their early 70s, I can't help but wonder how I process that fact in what I hear.

"Killer" Ray Appleton (b. 1941) and Barry Altschul (b. 1943) practice different styles. But they both came of musical age in the hard-bop era, spent many years living in Europe and eventually returned to New York. In other words, they've each got a lot of experience.

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The Two-Way
1:56 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Economy Growing At 'Modest To Moderate Pace,' Fed Says

There was "modest to moderate" economic growth across the nation as the year began, the Federal Reserve says in its latest "beige book" review of conditions around the nation.

According to the central bank, five of its 12 districts "reported that economic growth was moderate in January and early February." Those five: Dallas, New York, Minneapolis, Richmond and St. Louis.

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Latin America
1:56 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Cubans Wonder If Aid Will Still Flow Following Death Of Chavez

Credit Granma / AP
Cuba's Fidel Castro was a mentor to Hugo Chavez, and the Venezuelan leader provided oil and other assistance to Cuba. The two men met in Havana in June 2011 when Chavez went for cancer treatment.

Originally published on Thu March 7, 2013 10:49 am

The death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is an especially tough blow for Cuba, whose feeble state-run economy has been propped up for more than a decade with Venezuelan oil shipments and other subsidies.

The Castro government has declared three days of mourning, calling Chavez "a son" of Cuba, but privately Cubans are quietly fretting about the potential loss of billions in trade and the threat of a new economic crisis.

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Around the Nation
1:53 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Answering The Call: The Lives Of 911 Dispatchers

An elderly woman at a California retirement home died in February after a staff person refused to perform CPR, despite the pleas of a 911 dispatcher. The nurse says she was following company policy. This incident raised many questions about the role of dispatchers in medical emergencies.

Around the Nation
1:33 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: The Supreme Court's 'Heavyweight'

In his profile of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in this week's issue of The New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin writes: "Ginsburg has suggested that she would like to serve as long as Louis Brandeis, her judicial hero, who retired at eighty-two." Ginsburg turns 80 this month and is marking her 20th year on the court. She has had cancer — colon and pancreatic — and her tiny, frail-looking stature leads many people to wonder if she'll be retiring soon.

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All Tech Considered
1:26 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Spring Break For Geeks: SXSW Interactive Starts Friday

Credit Jack Plunkett / AP
At SXSW 2012, the app "Highlight" was touted but failed to break out like Foursquare or Twitter in years prior.

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 2:01 pm

Every year, the South By Southwest music, film and interactive festival gets larger, and navigating the blur of panels, parties and shows gets more daunting. The girth of it all is enough to keep many SXSW old-timers away from Austin this year.

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Books
1:26 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

A Fiendish Fly Recalls Kafka In 'Jacob's Folly'

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 1:30 pm

Man awakens to find out he has turned into an insect. And the Double Jeopardy question is, "What is Kafka's The Metamorphosis?" Well, what other response could there possibly be? Kafka all but cornered the market on that verminous plot in 1915; although, after nearly 100 years, the exclusivity clause may be about to expire. It takes a gutsy writer to pad in Gregor Samsa's sticky steps, but, by now, Rebecca Miller is clearly used to coping with the anxiety of influence and staying true to her own vision.

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NPR Story
12:58 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

Hugo Chavez: The Legacy Of A Polarizing Leader

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 1:12 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

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NPR Story
12:58 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

The Political Fallout Of Sequestration

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 1:05 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary in Washington. Jeb Bush switches his views, Romney remarks on his regrets, and the president says he can't call on the force. It's Wednesday and time for...

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: A Jedi mind meld...

NEARY: Edition of the political junkie.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDINGS)

PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN: There you go again.

VICE PRESIDENT WALTER MONDALE: When I hear your new ideas, I'm reminded of that ad: Where's the beef?

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NPR Story
12:58 pm
Wed March 6, 2013

After Chavez, What's Next For Venezuela

Originally published on Wed March 6, 2013 2:53 pm

Transcript

LYNN NEARY, HOST:

This is TALK OF THE NATION. I'm Lynn Neary.

And as I've just mentioned, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died Tuesday. He led his country for 14 years. A passionate defender of the poor, Chavez had closed ties with Cuba's Fidel Castro, but alienated the United States with his socialist agenda. His politics reverberated throughout the region.

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