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Leah Esguerra (right), who is credited with being the first social worker installed directly at a public library, strolls through the fifth floor of the San Francisco Public Library's main branch, joined by the library's health and safety associates (from left to right) Sidney Grindstaff, Jennifer Keys and Cary Latham.

Your Local Library May Have A New Offering In Stock: A Resident Social Worker

Colin Dwyer – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 16:07

Libraries have never been just about books; they're also crucial hubs of community support. Some are even expanding that role, and supporting their librarians, by bringing in trained social workers.

The 65-year-old man — unnamed by police — tried to smuggle a more than a pound of cocaine under his toupee. He was caught by Spain's National Police shortly after disembarking from a flight arriving in Barcelona from Bogota, Colombia, in June.

Drug In A Rug: Is That A Bag Of Cocaine Under Your Toupee?

Vanessa Romo – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 15:21

A Colombian man trying to sneak more than a pound of the drug into Spain was caught with the package (poorly) hidden under his fake hair, a police official told NPR.

Activists from Girl Up. Top row from left: Valeria Colunga, Eugenie Park, Angelica Almonte, Emily Lin. Bottom row from left: Lauren Woodhouse, Winter Ashley, Zulia Martinez, Paola Moreno-Roman.

They Fight — Politely — For What's Right For The World's Girls

Wed, 07/17/2019 - 15:05

We spoke to teen activists at the Girl Up event in Washington, D.C., this week. They had a lot to say about everything from buzzwords that make them mad to the best ways to de-stress.

The White House says the U.S. won't allow Turkey to buy the new Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, after Turkey defied its NATO allies by acquiring a sophisticated Russian missile defense system.

No F-35 Fighter Jets For Turkey, White House Says In Rebuke Over Russian Missiles

Bill Chappell – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 14:56

"The F-35 cannot coexist with a Russian intelligence collection platform that will be used to learn about its advanced capabilities," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said.

A menstrual cup — this one is made of silicone rubber — is designed to collect menstrual blood. The bell-shaped device is folded and inserted into the vagina. The tip helps with removal.

Menstrual Cups: Study Finds They're Safe To Use — And People Like Them

Malaka Gharib – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 14:16

A comprehensive analysis looks at the cup, its ability to prevent leaks — and whether it could be a viable alternative to pads and tampons in low-income countries.

The Trump administration has suggested buying a prescription drug is like buying a car — with plenty of room to negotiate down from the sticker price. But drug pricing analysts say the analogy doesn't work.

Car Shopping, Handbags And Wealthy Uncles: The Quest To Explain High Drug Prices

Selena Simmons-Duffin – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 14:10

Trump administration officials say drugs' list prices are like cars' sticker prices — easily negotiated. But in the life and death world of medicine, say price watchers, that analogy falls apart.

Remembering Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens

Terry Gross – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 13:18

Stevens, who died Tuesday, was appointed by President Ford and served on the court for 35 years before retiring in 2010. He spoke to Fresh Air in 2011 about his memoir, Five Chiefs.

The World Health Organization says more than 1,650 people have died from the current outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

WHO Declares Ebola Outbreak In Congo An International Health Emergency

Wed, 07/17/2019 - 13:15

The current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed more than 1,650 people, according to the World Health Organization. About 12 new cases are reported daily.

Los Angeles Sparks guard Riquna Williams (right) dribbles in a playoff game against the Washington Mystics last year.

WNBA Suspends Riquna Williams For 10 Games Over Alleged Domestic Violence

Bobby Allyn – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 12:59

The Los Angeles Sparks guard was charged months ago with assaulting an ex-girlfriend. She will miss nearly a third of the regular season, and the WNBA players union plans to file a grievance.

Residente performs during Austin City Limits Festival in October 2018. The Puerto Rican rapper's latest song is a response to the island's protests against Gov. Ricardo Rosselló.

Residente, Bad Bunny And iLe Share Puerto Rico Protest Song 'Afilando Los Cuchillos'

Felix Contreras – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 12:19

Amid the most crucial political crisis to hit Puerto Rico in its modern history, Puerto Rican artists Residente, Bad Bunny and iLe respond with music in real time.

In this 2011 photo, Hu Jintao, then China's president, visits the Confucius Institute at the Walter Payton College Preparatory High School in Chicago. China established more than 100 Confucius Institutes, which provide language and culture programs, at U.S. schools. But at least 13 universities have dropped the program due to a law that raises concerns about Chinese spying.

As Scrutiny Of China Grows, Some U.S. Schools Drop A Language Program

Greg Myre – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 11:31

At least 13 U.S. universities have shut down their Confucius Institutes, which are funded by China's government. Critics say the program could be used to recruit spies or steal university research.

People wait in Tijuana, Mexico, on Tuesday to apply for asylum in the United States. A memo notified officers that immigrants at the southern border are ineligible for asylum, with a few exceptions.

U.S. Asylum Agents: 'Very Little Time' To Prepare Before New Immigration Rule

Sasha Ingber – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 11:24

The memo, written by the head of asylum at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, notified officers that immigrants at the southern border are ineligible for asylum, with a few exceptions.

Giovani, with his son Jonathan (center), and twin daughters Catherine and Carla at a shelter in Ciudad Juárez. Giovani says that care has been hard for the family to get in Juárez.

'Vulnerable' Migrants Should Be Exempt From 'Remain In Mexico,' But Many Are Not

Joel Rose – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 11:19

As migrants are returned to Mexican border cities, the government says it makes exceptions for those who are "vulnerable" to stay in the U.S. But advocates say that's not happening consistently.

In the PBS program <em>Molly of Denali</em>, Alaska Native Molly Mabray helps her mom run a trading post in an Alaskan village.

Now Starring In Children's Cartoons: Authentic Indigenous Characters

Mandalit del Barco – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 11:01

An Alaska Native girl (Molly of Denali), an Andean boy (Pachamama), two half-brothers in Mesoamerica (Victor and Valentino): Three new animations feature Native people without bygone-era baggage.

Students podcasts from the Steel City Academy in Gary, Indiana, Erin Addison (left), Evan Addison, and Andrew Arevalo (right), look over a planning map of the City of Gary.

These Teens Started Podcasting As A Hobby, Then It Turned Into Serious Journalism

Matt Ozug – Wed, 07/17/2019 - 10:17

An energy company announced a proposal to build a waste management facility next to a school. So these three students turned to podcasting to get to the bottom of what has happening.

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