89 point one. F.m. Stamford at 88.5 w.r.i. Southampton at 91.3 and w. When p.r. Dot org. Good morning to Republican senators harshly attacks President Trump they mentioned his politics and policies but they really focused on his character and what they think he's done to the country It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News. One Republican Jeff Flake of Arizona says he will not run for reelection and told us in an interview last night that it's the time to stand up and say this is not normal I'm Steve Inskeep And I'm David Greene later this hour China's president straight pins his grip on power and the psychology of natural disasters how living through a hurricane or a wildfire could shake our confidence and change how we plan for the future it is Wednesday October 25th 2 May be having a teenage dream even though she is turning 33 years old today happy birthday to Katy Perry am in the news coming up next. Live from n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Dave Mattingly Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says he won't seek a 2nd term the Republican side had differences with President Trump as a main reason flight described the president as having a flagrant disregard of truth and decency and that he won't be complicit before this becomes the the new normal I think we have to stand up and say this is not normal and if we don't stand up now I think we're going to lose that chance that's flake speaking to N.P.R.'s Morning Edition Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker a vocal critic of the president as well had already announced he won't run again at the White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Flake and Corker are probably making the right decision not to seek reelection noting voters in Arizona and Tennessee supported President Trump in the election last November the top u.s. Military officer says the ability of ISIS to recruit fighters continues to be weakened as the militant group is pushed out of more territory N.P.R.'s Greg Myre reports and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff says tens of thousands of foreign fighters traveled to the Middle East to join the Islamic state at its peak the group has now lost almost all its territory but General Joe Dunford says those fighters have not escaped back home as some feared you expect to see large flows of ISIS fighters coming out of Syria Iraq and we don't see that at all Dunford was hosting military officials from more than 70 countries as part of a coordinated effort to fight extremist groups worldwide He said ISIS is not attracting many new recruits to other regions with its claim of establishing a state I think today we can we can safely say that that narrative doesn't have much credibility Greg Myre e n.p.r. News China's new leadership lineup includes another 5 year term for Xi Jinping N.P.R.'s Anthony Kuhn in Beijing says the announcement follows the latest National Congress of the ruling Communist Party at the Great Hall. The people she Jinping introduced the 7 most powerful men in China including himself he said China would continue the policy of economic reform and opening to the outside world which it began nearly 40 years ago. From our means over Hugh Downs was doing as has my conviction that's the great reach of a nation of the Chinese nation will become a reality in the course of reform and opening up none of the new leaders is seen as a clear successor to she and that is fueled speculation that she might break with recent convention in trying to stay in power beyond 2022 Anthony Kuhn n.p.r. News Beijing game one of baseball's World Series goes to the Los Angeles Dodgers they beat the Houston Astros last night $3.00 to $1.00 behind the pitching of Clayton Kershaw the Dodgers Justin Turner hit a 2 run home run in the 6th inning to put l.a. Ahead for a good game 2 is tonight in Los Angeles this is n.p.r. News from Washington. The Senate has approved nearly $37000000000.00 in disaster relief it's designed to help where to Rico recover from hurricanes Maria and Irma those affected by wildfires in California and to boost the federal flood insurance program senators from Florida and Texas say they've received assurances from House Speaker Paul Ryan that money will eventually be forthcoming for those suffering hurricane losses in those 2 states the city council in Auclair Wisconsin is banning young children from its meetings rich Kramer with Wisconsin Public Radio says one council member claims the vote was aimed at preventing her from breastfeeding her child at her council seat the resolution establishes that only members are allowed at the day as were council sets it comes after councilwoman Katherine Emanuel complained about having to breastfeed her son while sitting in the public gallery during meetings the rule was framed as an attempt to block distractions like crying children but Emanuel says she doesn't buy it I have a really hard time believing that any of this resolution is is anything by and illegal and run and keeping me at my legally protected seat to breastfeed my child when I need to on the dance Wisconsin law allows a mother to breastfeed her child wherever the 2 are authorized to be a manual says she's consulting with her attorney for n.p.r. News I'm rich Kramer in all Claire Wisconsin authorities in Louisiana are searching for a gunman who shot and killed 2 people on the campus of Grambling State University local media are quoting a university spokesman is saying the victims were both students at the school and that the shooting occurred during an altercation at a courtyard I'm Dave Mattingly n.p.r. News and Washington support for n.p.r. Comes from n.p.r. Stations other contributors include homemade visor matching homeowners with background checks professionals for a variety of home projects from minor repairs to major remodels homeowners can read reviews compare prices and book appointments online at Home Advisor dot com. Support for w. N.p.r. Comes from Connecticut magazine each month Connecticut's original lifestyle magazine offers information about issues personalities events and entertainment it's the magazine Connecticut lives by. N.P.R.'s environmental Reporting Initiative is made possible by Connecticut geothermal Association and energize Connecticut listen for stories on Morning Edition and All Things Considered from or go to w npr dot org and click on and Vironment. The news of the week can be depressing and comical and heartbreaking and infuriating in the wheel house. We will work through those emotions with you I'm John Dankosky join me. And a rotating cast of smart reporters and political observers who'll help you work through the week's news hope you can join us every Wednesday and. Listen this morning at 9 . Coming up next on point China put Xi Jinping thought on the same level as my tightening the Chinese leaders grip on power it will dig into the global implications Plus Bill O'Reilly's $32000000.00. Harvey Weinstein and the reckoning for non-disclosure agreements is it time to stop buying silence that's coming up on the next point from n.p.r. . And join us this morning at 10. This is Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene and I'm Steve Inskeep the word debase debase has been trending on Merriam Webster's website so this word means to lower in status or character and 2 Republican senators used it yesterday talking about what they see as the debasing of the country under President Trump Here's some of what else they said Senator Bob Corker gave an interview to c.n.n. The president has great difficulty with the trade and then there was corkers colleague Jeff Flake giving this emotional speech on the floor of the Senate reckless outrageous and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as telling it like it is when it is actually just reckless outrageous and undignified and Senator Flake expanded on those thoughts in an interview with n.p.r. I think we know by you know 9 months into the administration that the pivot that we all hope for is not coming. And before this becomes the new normal I think we have to stand up and say this is not normal and if we don't stand up now I think we're going to lose that chance now it is not exactly news that flake is critical of President Trump he has been that way since well before the election but here's the other part of the story even if Flake said it was time to stand up he said he is retiring from the Senate he's not going to seek reelection in 2018 so where does this leave the Republican Party let's put that question to N.P.R.'s Ron Elving and N.P.R.'s Tamara Keith who covered Washington both have for years Hi guys good morning good morning to you Ron you've seen a lot of you ever seen a speech quite like flex can't say that I have or at least not in a long time I think we have to go back to the very last year of the Watergate crisis that would be 973 to find a time when Republicans were using terms of this kind to question the fundamental integrity of a member of their own party in the White House fundamental integrity are you telling me that this is about character rather than issues. It is about character Steve it's not about policy it's not about politics it's not a dispute about money and we've heard Republicans have plenty of quarrels between themselves among themselves over those kinds of issues before it's just the era of Trump has completely discombobulated what had always been the party of unity and a party that we expected to fall in line discombobulated always happy when we get that into into our coverage here Tam what does what does Jeff Flake get out of retirement why not stay if he feels so strongly about the direction of the country and the president to think staying may not have been an option for him his his reelection chances are he was definitely in peril in terms of re-election here's the other thing if you look at his colleague from Arizona John McCain Senator John McCain He was always a maverick until about a year before reelection and then he'd sort of calibrate Well now Jeff Flake doesn't have to calibrate for reelection he can say what he wants to say do what he wants to do and we'll find out as legislation comes forward in the coming months how he uses that opportunity but let me ask about something else because Jeff Flake said he did not want to be complicit did not want his colleagues to be complicit So when we had our interview with him we asked about 2 friends of Jeff Flake who are not going to retire let's listen to a little bit of that conversation is your long time friend and past collaborator vice president Mike Pence part of the problem oh I was a good friend of Mike Pence and and I I think the world of him and so he's in a tough situation where he has that I think the buck stops with the president but I think you're talking about members of Congress who are enabling the president in effect isn't the vice president doing the same thing if that's what it is. Well I have to hope that in their private moments he's trying to prevail on the president to change his behavior as it relates to members of Congress were gold star families or or other so to speak or Ryan part of the problem. Paul has a good man with a tough job and I think that you know it's serving her in the campaign on a number of occasions and a few times since he's you stood up and I think that we obviously need to do more Ron Elving what do you hear there. He has a tough answer to give on the Mike Pence question in particular as all Republicans do it is completely expected that the vice president will be utterly loyal no matter what his private thoughts may be and certainly Mike Pence has upheld that most recently yesterday by coming out and casting yet another tie breaking vote in the Senate to kill a rule that would have restrained Wall Street a little bit of a rule that came out of the 2008 more good crisis something that would have protected the rights in court people who had beefs with their with their financial institutions he will have to be on the Trump line on every occasion and Mike Pence even as President would probably look a lot like Donald Trump in terms of policy in terms of dollars in terms of manner that gets to the next thing because the president still does have an agenda he wants tax reform to pass what does all this mean Tamara Keith for the president's agenda I don't think that we necessarily know I think that there are a lot of people on the Republican side who want tax changes who are concerned about the feuding about the you know the the flurry of tweets that came from the president against Bob Corker yesterday after Corker said some stuff on cable that the president apparently saw but it's not clear whether you know Jeff Flake. Ultimately be a no vote on any of these policy matters that the president and frankly people in his party want what what does all this mean for the future shape of the Republican Party that Jeff Flake would step down and Bob Corker also by the way stepping down I'd even know I think it's hard to know exactly but I think that we are seeing the transformation of the Republican Party this is becoming the party of trump this is this is not your grandmother's Republican Party where they want free trade and they care about the deficit things are changing a reminder that we could be seeing the implosion of the Republican Party but we could actually also be seeing simply a change in what the Republican Party is and what it stands for and evolution and evolution there you go N.P.R.'s Tamara Keith and N.P.R.'s Ron Elving thanks to you both You're welcome thank you. Ok let's hear about a legal case in Texas that involves 2 hot button issues of once yes really the intersection Steve of immigration and abortion at the center of all of this is a 17 year old she is in this country illegally she's in a detention facility she is also pregnant and she wants an abortion a trump administration rule prevented her from getting one but now an appeals court has cleared the way for the teenager to go through with this procedure N.P.R.'s Sarah McCammon has been following this story Good morning Sara good morning remind us what is known about the young woman. Well in court papers she's known as Jane Doe we're told she's about 15 weeks pregnant at least as of late last week she's been in the u.s. Since early September according to her lawyers and they say she came into the country from Central America without her parents so because of that she's an unaccompanied minor under the control of the u.s. Department of Health and Human Services and she's being held in a private facility in Brownsville Texas that contracts with the federal government well having was late last month she requested and received permission from a state judge in Texas to get an abortion and that's required under the state's parental consent law but the federal government has been blocking her from leaving the facility where she's where she's being held and as a trial but ministration effectively saying we're standing in for your parents and we say no is that their their legal argument essentially right they say that they're acting in her best interests and they don't believe getting an abortion is in her best interest they also have been making this argument that they don't want to quote facilitate the procedure it should be noted Steve that the girl is not asking the federal government to pay for the abortion and that's prevented in most cases under federal law Her attorneys say it would be paid for privately that volunteers would take her to the clinic but the federal government has not wanted to approve her leaving to do this in a court hearing I attended late last week in Washington attorneys for the federal government said that their goal is to quote promote childbirth and protect a fetal life so there has been quite a legal tug of war a lot of back and forth here and at this point a federal appeals court in d.c. Has said the Trump administration cannot block this young woman from getting the abortion stay with me here they were that reversed a ruling from the late last week where 3 judge panel had said the government should find her a sponsor the idea of there being someone who would take responsibility for her so the government wouldn't have to be involved in any way in an abortion now the full appeals court reversed that I decide that's not so much I believe a little help here Sarah McCammon with some of the language was used to say the government said it was its interest. Was not protecting the life of the unborn which which I would completely understand that's been part of the political spectrum for a long time but to promote childbirth was the government saying that it had the right to do family planning for this young woman. The arguments I heard didn't weigh in on that but basically the government attorney was making the argument that it's it's the government's responsibility to protect her and they said fetal life and they see her giving birth as the as the best outcome as she strongly disagrees and as is she now clear because the court ruling to do what she would like to do it looks that way unless there's an appeal from the federal government so we'll have to wait and see Ok Sarah thanks very much for your work as always thank you that's N.P.R.'s Sarah McCammon on a court ruling at the end possibly the end of a court case involving a 17 year old who entered the United States illegally. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News. This week on Yale cancer answers it's a patient perspective in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month I mean I think it was in a way a wonderful feeling to get back to normal as so such a relief and things do get back to normal and normal feels amazing we invite you to join us Sunday evenings at 730 here on w n.p.r. For more information visit Yale Cancer Center dot org Support for Yale cancer answers as provided by Astra Zeneca. On the next on being citizen physician a tool to one day the ancient and evolving human question of death and what it has to do with life but I realize as we were not really talking about this we were really talking about how do you live a good life all the way the very end I'm Krista Tippett Please join us. Tonight and Sunday morning at 7 right here on w n.p.r. . From n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Dave Mattingly Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says he's joining fellow Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee in deciding not to seek reelection flake announced his decision yesterday citing President Trump as a primary reason Flake says he won't be complicit with the president whom he describes as having a flagrant disregard for truth and decency reaction from the White House the people both in Tennessee and Arizona supported this president and I don't think that the numbers are in the favor of either of those 2 senators in their states and so I think that this is probably the right decision that's White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders as expected the Senate has given formal approval to nearly $37000000000.00 in disaster relief npr's Susan Davis says much of the money is designed to help Puerto Rico recover from hurricanes Maria and Irma and those who suffered losses in wildfires in California the disaster package includes $5000000000.00 to ease Puerto Rico's cash shortfalls after Hurricane Maria choked off the island's revenues and also include $16000000000.00 to cover flood insurance claims related to hurricanes Harvey and Irma as well as funds related to the wildfires in the West the bill now heads to President Trump's desk for his signature lawmakers from Florida and Texas say more money still needs to be allocated to help people in those states to recover from hurricanes including Harvey I'm Dave Mattingly n.p.r. News in Washington support for w. N.p.r. Comes from the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection protect your family by safely disposing of unneeded prescription medications drug drop off locations and safe at home disposal tips at w.w.w. Dot c.t. Dot gov slash d.c.p. Slash drug disposal. Support also comes from Carlos pasta made from traditional ingredients Cucina De Carlo helps you make a tally and meals in minutes frozen pastas and pass those available in the freezer aisle Cucina De Carlo a dock. Going to be so hard for women to be powerful in public when you're a kid you're just like Oh of course my mom's and charge it. Almost exactly but then if they ask them once they leave the domestic fare to not being controlled to not be in control I'm Sam Sanders author and Helen Peterson on powerful women and the price they pay next time it's been a minute from n.p.r. . West on Saturday mornings at 10. Cambria was hired to counsel kids who come to the u.s. Seeking refuge. Children. To check on children I learned how to strip search children all the things that you would find in prison why this country detained immigrant kids for months even years or the next reveal from the Center for Investigative Reporting. Can Join us Saturday afternoon at 4. Next time on The New Yorker Radio Hour the magazine's Patrick rag and keep talks with a drug company insider who watches Oxycontin flooded the United States with devastating consequences so we went into a doctor's office and you know we're told the side advised a family member of that particular doctor had died over as a result of an overdose of Oxycontin that's next time on the New York radio. Listen Sunday morning at 10 w. N.P.R.'s business desk is made possible by Bloom Shapiro listen for the business report 820 weekdays on Morning Edition from or go to w npr dot org and click on business. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News good morning I'm David Greene and I'm Steve Inskeep the National Archives faces a deadline by tomorrow the archives must declassify the last of the secret government documents regarding the assassination of President John f. Kennedy in Dallas in 1963 very few people know what if anything might be in those papers we called a man who's read thousands of other documents relating to j.f.k. Historian Robert Dallek who says he's eager to see what's in the papers even though he's pretty sure himself who killed j.f.k. Dallas has no fan of conspiracy theories saying that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone what's so difficult for so many people to believe is that someone as in consequentialism as Walt could have killed someone as consequential as Kennedy and they have to believe that there was some logic design here what's logic purpose that it might have in fact been the CIA and the u.s. Military I'm trying to think about what the documents might be based on the agencies that you name to the f.b.i. That makes sense they would naturally have investigated the assassination are we talking about records of interviews with potential witnesses different Nalla season leads that sort of thing we don't know exactly what's there and it could be interviews that they were doing or maybe it what it reveals the sources they had to learn about the movements of Lee Harvey Oswald and especially his time in the Soviet Union it's really a something of a blank slate at this point and by saying the Soviet Union of course you're showing us why the CIA might have had some role here there were questions about Oswald's past overseas people were asking immediately after the assassination could the this have been a Soviet plot could have been a Cuban plot these questions were asked at the time that's right but it was also in the is since the assassination there's been speculation that Lyndon Johnson. And who was vice president then of course succeeded to the presidency could have had a hand in the killing of Kennedy I think that's nonsense and I suppose having been through many many thousands of documents in your time you're alert to the possibility that there might be something we learn about the f.b.i. Or the CIA and the government that doesn't directly have anything to do with the Kennedy assassination at all yet it might demonstrate that the f.b.i. And the CIA were somehow incompetent or had fallen short in their assessment of what someone like God's world was doing and that maybe they fear embarrassment from the revelation of these documents I think that would be closer to the truth of what we're going to see then any additional information about some conspiracy our current president is someone who's had an unusual relationship with the CIA and with the f.b.i. What kind of relationship to John f. Kennedy have with his CIA and f.b.i. Before his death Kennedy's relationship was complicated in that j. Edgar Hoover was still there and there's been speculation that he kept Hoover on because Hoover had files on Kennedy and particularly on his womanizing and therefore they were inclined not to get into some kind of conflict with the f.b.i. But Kennedy was distrustful of these agencies especially of the CIA after the Bay of Pigs operation in April of 1961 and that's also fans the flames of this idea that there could have been some kind of conspiracy on the part of the f.b.i. And the CIA to kill him Robert Dallek is the author of many books including a forthcoming biography of Franklin d. Roosevelt He's also author of An Unfinished Life John f. Kennedy 1917 to 963 Robert Dallek it's been a pleasure thanks very much thank you. It's just incredible the series of natural disasters we've been through isn't it we saw deadly fires here in California hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Texas and Florida across the u.s. People are rebuilding homes and businesses and schools but let's talk about a different kind of damage to people sense that they can plan for the future a study suggests after disasters a kind of psychic shock can be even more lasting Here's N.P.R.'s. Marsha Bower owns a feed and gear store serving cattle ranchers around the rural Texas town of Winnie before Hurricane Harvey hit this summer she was investing a lot of money to attract more customers getting involved in horse competitions agricultural festivals and then I just had an electronics and installed base my business it had been up a month before the hurricane here powers business ground to a halt but she thinks eventually things will pick up for her long term the biggest casualty could be her ambition for her business power says from now on her focus will probably just be on building up emergency reserves and I thought oh my hasn't just given up on certain goals because he take one step forward 3 steps backwards a new study suggests this kind of reaction by people scaling back their aspirations and the economic choices they make as a result could be a common effect of natural disasters the evidence comes from Pakistan which in 2010 when it was sort of Harvey of its own there was a massive flood that was larger than any flood the country had seen in about 80 years Katrina Kasik is an economist at the International Food Policy Research Institute and one of the authors of the study you literally had a 5th of the country under water and as with so many of the recent disasters in the u.s. The floods in Pakistan felt out of the blue communities got a shock that they couldn't have anticipated it a year and a half after the flood Kasik and her collaborator surveyed about a 1000. 1000 households in those communities and a virtually identical group of households that had not gone through the flood so you're comparing individuals with the same amount of income the same amount of assets that might fuel their future hopes and dreams and they ask them about those hopes and dreams how much annual income do they eventually hope to make how many years of schooling to they want for their kids the results recently published in The Journal world development the flood survivors had much lower aspirations what's more says classic fatalism really took hold the flood survivors were less likely to do things that might expand their businesses like taking loans but the study also found that there's something that can counter the fatalism and here's how this applies to the u.s. All of the negative a fact of the floods in Pakistan and people's aspirations are coming from those skum unities and which the government did not come into support people people who had the cushion of even just a little government aid they held on to their aspirations are 8 Eisenman n.p.r. News and this is n.p.r. News for decades California cities have grown outward and that's put a lot of houses in wildfire prone areas as the state recovers from this month's fires some see an opportunity to break that pattern now we need to do it you know stop talking and planning but actually start building in the right place that is in the right way growth without sprawl this afternoon on All Things Considered from n.p.r. News. Good morning I'm David Greene I'm not sure how you eat ramen but never friends say slurping the loud it's how you do it well the instant Roman company Nissen is taking no chances they have created a noise canceling for it direct your smartphone to play I'm asking sound there's a before and after video here's normal slower. Years with noise cancellation. So that's better It's Morning Edition. This is bird note. Fall is a great time to put out a sewage feeder so it cakes are mostly fat giving birds a high energy boost to help them survive the cold weather who likes to it it's a long and varied list. Typical visitors include chickadees and to nice not hatches jays and woodpeckers and keep an eye out for other birds at your sewage feeder especially those whose beaks can't open seeds tiny King let's among the smallest of all song birds sometimes hover at the theater Rennes love a bite of sewage to as well as almost any kind of Sparrow or wintering warbler. Alas non-native European starlings also find so it hard to resist but there are sewage feeders designed to exclude starlings while letting the regular native birds get to the good stuff one of those native birds is the brown creeper it's an especially cruel bird to discover at your feet or because it's most often glimpsed disappearing briskly up the trunk of a tree. In the West mobs of tiny bush tits sometimes blanket a chunk of sewage taking a break from their normal diet of insects and spiders it's high time to hang up the sewage feeder for bird note I'm marrying the can. Support for bird comes from Bloomsbury a publisher of Natural History books and birding got its critical critters by Ralph Steadman and Carey Levy is available now. Support for w. Comes from the Ethel Walker school an all girls college preparatory school for Grade $6.00 to $12.00 in Simsbury Connecticut for more than 100 years Walker's has prepared young women to make a difference in the World Open House Monday October 9th register at Ethel Walker dot org On the next fresh air the story of 2 children abducted by a rebel group in Uganda forced to commit atrocities and forced to marry each other they developed a bond had a child escaped and began a new life we talk with journalist Alexis. About her new book about ordinary men and women fighting extremism in Africa join us. Today at noon right here on w. N.p.r. . China today introduced its leadership lineup for the next 5 years she got a 2nd 5 year term which was entirely expected what is still not known is who will be his likely successor now all this happened at a National Congress of the ruling Communist Party that confirmed President Xi Jinping as China's most powerful leader in years and N.P.R.'s Anthony Kuhn was at the unveiling of the new leadership and joins us now Hi Anthony Hi David so we should say this was an unveiling this is not the Electoral College this is not looking at at maps of the United States with blue and red states this is very different in China that's right it's just for the ruling party which is actually in above the government it's this highly ritual fi actual event that happens every 5 years and it's like this you got a room full of journalists at the great hall the people in Beijing and then the most powerful men in China 5 of them at the moment all in dark suits walk out onto a red carpeted stage they speak for a few minutes and then he leave now we know very little about how these people are actually chosen many of the rules governing the suspect succession process are not written and the red ones aren't followed so every time there's this frenzy of media speculation and interpretation what's going to happen what does it mean but because the succession process is so a paper we really need to take all this with a big grain of salt and the results expected at all and so this Congress now is being described as cementing she place as one of China's most powerful communist rulers that that's significant I mean what does this mean for for this country's future. I think it is significant I was standing about I'd say about 100 feet from Xi Jinping and I could see he was beaming he clearly has a lot to be pleased with their narrow narrative at this Congress that he was giving was that thanks to his 5 years at the helm China is ahead of schedule in his goals of achieving wealth and power and modernization by the middle of this century and I was really struck by how confident he sounded in his speeches he spoke of a strong and reinvigorated communist party in charge of just about everything in China and he spoke of an assertive China positioning itself as a major global power and flexing its muscles to defend its territory and its global interests I thought some of his remarks sounded optimistic but at the same time hinted at something a little bit more chilling let's let's hear a clip of she speaking at today's event almost. Must. Make a great. Healthy political environment. Generates waves of positive energy throughout. I think can rid ourselves of a virus generate positive energy what I mean those are just words what exactly they're talking about yeah that's Party lingo by virus usually he's understood to mean corruption. But it could also be interpreted as dissent and from his 1st 5 years in power we know that she's been paying saw both to send and corruption as threatening the party and he took harsh measures to both of them when he talks about positive energy he means upbeat noncritical talk about China and its politics and some people take this is a sign that the tense political atmosphere in China is going to continue and that there may be a real lack of debate for the next 5 years or even more and briefly is that a big deal that we don't know who will succeed him. Yes it's very concerning that we don't know where the next leader is going to come from we don't see anyone in the leadership lineup now and that raises the question will continue after 2022 when he's expected to retire and that could raise uncertainties about you know. Transition. Now we have the story of genetic editing changing the genes of living things a genetic editing tool can create mushrooms that do not turn brown it can make pigs resistant to a disease Christopher Houston of member station k.b. I.a.e.a. Reports on why some people in the food industry do not want to use it the contentious fight over genetically modified food has put us in a place where we actually have junk food whose labels both g.m.o. Free food producers got to this point because they didn't earn public trust before sending out the 1st wave of g m O's 20 years ago in an attempt to not repeat that mistake producers are on the offensive for round 2 of the great g.m.o. Debate it involves genetic technology called Bear with me here clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats or crisper for short crisp or can turn off a gene within an organism like the one that makes mushrooms turn brown scientists call it Gene editing these gene editing technologies like Chris for our genetic engineering and if this is genetic engineering then call it that skeptics like Dana Perls with the environmental group Friends of the earth say food companies are trying to distance themselves from words like g.m.o. And genetic engineering that have caused them trouble with consumers that's why a group including the Pork Board Monsanto and Syngenta are joining forces to get ahead of the issue Charlie are not leads the coalition and has 3 key strategies for getting consumers onboard with crisper number one it's not a secret those involved in technology have to be willing to be much more transparent and much more engaged in a public conversation and dialogue in order to answer those questions addressed the skepticism and ultimately result in earnings whom are trusting what they're doing and the coalition has members talking about the technology and it's been. If it's related to animal welfare and the environment they hope to build trust which is number 2 if people trust you science doesn't matter in the people don't trust you science doesn't matter it only matters after you cross that trust threshold and that's the 3rd strategy these companies want consumers to know crisper is different from genetic engineering crisper changes the way genes are expressed it doesn't add Ginette of material from another species stopped by the organic section of your local supermarket and you'll find the coalition has an uphill fight I want your name Madelene me in so you buy organic The most that I know why. I guess partially because I haven't don't know what see in the book so what if I told you there are Russian heirlooms that Joe Turner or. Is that something that you'd be interested. I would be the year you think is the best to do you can write those crisp or develop my shrooms already exist but are likely a few years away from grocery store shelves which food producers hope is enough time to convince shoppers like Lemieux that crisper technology is both safe and beneficial for n.p.r. News I'm Christopher Hugh stead in Columbia Missouri and that story which will never turn brown comes to us from Harvest Public Media which focuses on Ag and food production its n.p.r. News support for w. N.p.r. Comes from Elm City Market New Haven super urban market everything you need but mostly stuff you want fresh organic produce artist and all cheeses breads and pastries baked fresh daily corner of state and chapel indoor parking open every day . Support also comes from best cleaners featuring environmentally safe green earth dry cleaning same day service Monday through Saturday home delivery and onsite tailoring information at best cleaners dot com on the next column McEnroe show there are around 4000 dams in Connecticut some of them are beautiful and atmospheric some of them have historic stories attached to them and some of them are not in very good shape and could get washed out in the next big storm we'll talk about all of those things on our salute to dims. Listen this afternoon at one support comes from Chase Collegiate School Middlesex Hospital and copper beach Institute for mindfulness. From n.p.r. News in Washington I'm Dave Mattingly Arizona Senator Jeff Flake says he won't seek a 2nd term the Republican side had differences with President Trump as a main reason describing Trump as having a flagrant disregard for truth and decency and that he won't be complicit before this becomes the the new normal I think we have to stand up and say this is not normal and if we don't stand up now I think we're going to lose that chance that's flake speaking to N.P.R.'s Morning Edition Tennessee Republican Senator Bob Corker a vocal critic of the president as well had already announced he won't run again the Los Angeles Dodgers took the opening game of baseball's World Series last night N.P.R.'s Tom Goldman says the Dodgers beat the Houston Astros 3 to one behind strong pitching and a home run from Justin Turner was asked to turn up for my 1st job ran hunted in the thirty's for years 70 per cent gave up and won 3 national accounts 11 matter Turner the guy with a grandparent geared to New York home on a playoff it was $103.00 degrees at game time the warmest World Series game on record Game 2 is tonight in Los Angeles the National Weather Service says Record highs for October were broken yesterday in a number of cities in Southern California I'm Dave Mattingly n.p.r. 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The fun of hollowing is getting to be somebody else for a night and sometimes musicians like to dress their sound up in costumes to what should I be we'll share our favorite examples of musical costumes new artists who temporarily play in a different style under a fake name that's this week on Sound Opinions. Listen Saturday nights at 10. The kids may be impressive when they perform on from the top but the very 1st recital this young cellist gave did not go smoothly. About 10 seconds and you know my finger hurt a little bit so I just stood up and announced my finger hurts and I left the stage enjoying his pain free performance on this week's from the top. Listen Sunday night at 11 right here on w n.p.r. . It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm David Greene and I'm Steve Inskeep good morning Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is in New Delhi India Today weeks before President Trump visits China Tillerson is in that other Asian nation with more than a 1000000000 people N.P.R.'s Michele Kelemen has been traveling with the secretary of state she's on the line from New Delhi Hi Michelle I Steve so what he has been doing. Well he started the day 1st in some meetings but then he also went to visit the site of where Gandhi was assassinated he took a look at some of the his belongings that were there he walked along the walk where Gandhi's last where he went to go pray at the end and they put little rose petals along the path on every footstep was quite impressive and this was really the 1st time that we've seen Tillerson kind of doing that kind of diplomacy of going out and seeing something like that I overheard him saying how important it is you know how Gandhi's words are still inspiring us today taking in the sights and also reminding Indians that he appreciates their national story but he's doing this at a moment when President Trump is turning his focus to East Asia thinking about North Korea thinking about China how if at all is India relevant to China from the United States point of view the term administrations really looking to India to play a much bigger role on the world stage and particularly in India the buzzwords that we're hearing now is the Indo-Pacific that's what they're talking about India and China as you say are both rising powers But Tillerson talked about this in a recent speech that India is rising more responsibly and he's trying to you know encourage that and build up this alliance that would be us India Japan and possibly Australia to keep open trade routes to keep open shipping routes and really as a counter balance to China this is a big strategic push that Secretary Tillerson is making here in New Delhi and I guess we should remind people India unlike China is democracy relatively open political system shared values we heard a lot about that as well I would imagine so what if anything can India do when it comes to the biggest problem of the most immediate problem I guess we should say the administration is facing. The Pacific North Korea Well it's interesting because India actually has a trade relationship with with North Korea and it has they both have embassies they did it they haven't cut diplomatic ties and the Indian foreign minister was asked at a news conference with Tillerson today about this she says that the Indian trade is minimal that's what she said and she didn't give any indication that the that India is interested in cutting that off anytime soon she also said that the Indian embassy in Pyongyang is small but really important she said it's important for the u.s. To have friends who have representatives in North Korea She says this is channels of communications that could be very important Ok so shared values maybe but not a shared approach to North Korea in just a few seconds Michelle How has Tillerson as trumps representative been received as he's traveled through several countries. He's been received quite well I mean you know there's all kinds of rumors about how long he's going to be in power back in Washington but he's you know it's normal protocol here and people are interested especially in India where they want to build up this relationship with the u.s. Ok Michelle thanks very much as always enjoy your travels Thank you That's N.P.R.'s Michele Kelemen in New Delhi India. This is n.p.r. News support for w. N.p.r. Comes from Colombia data all offering teeth on a day the latest innovation and dentistry the combination of a board certified oral surgeon and prosthodontist offers the best chance of success learn more at 860-645-0111. Support also comes from Czeslaw the state of Connecticut slender for refinancing student loans managed to didn't loan debt with Reef i.c.t. Offering low fixed rates and repayment term options visit Czeslaw dot org Today that c h e s l a dot org. So. My husband starts telecommuting for his job we move our 3 year old 5 year old course here are settled all we need to do is build a spacecraft test it Monch it and fly it to we 1000000000 miles to Pluto join us for stories of impossible things that's next time I'm on Radio Hour from p.r.s. . Hope you can join us tonight at 9 next time in Studio 360. Sometimes when the French artist j.r. And the legendary New Wave filmmaker teamed up they had similar tastes we love to go to jail a mall then he actually showed. Records should this we do movie faeces places pics time in Studio 360 from Public Radio International in association with slick. Was on Sunday afternoon at 2 support for w. N.p.r. Comes from the Macaulay West Hartford is only life plan community featuring a taste of the Macauley where guests can savor both the rich history of West Hartford and a chef prepared lunch more information at the Macaulay dot org. It's Morning Edition from n.p.r. News I'm Steve Inskeep And I'm David Greene we are trying out something new with our Wednesday sports segment we're taking questions from you our listeners this month we asked what's been on your mind as you've watched athletes bring social activism on to the field like of course football players who have been kneeling during the national anthem and we got hundreds of questions many of you asked some version of this question from Neil Nighy of Evanston Illinois Why do we think of the national anthem at sporting events all what is the connection Ok Well to answer that we spoke to Mark Ferris who wrote the book Star-Spangled Banner the unlikely story of America's national anthem hearing the Star-Spangled Banner at sporting events is actually about as old as the anthem itself according to Ferris we know it happened as early as the 18 sixty's though Ferris says it wasn't all that common. You had to hire a band and that was expensive and they only played it on special occasions it was during World War 2 that it became an every game phenomenon in large measure due to the gravity of the situation but also due to the fact that they now had sound systems and they could amplify a sing or play a recording or have an organist play and so when we declared World War 2 in December 100 $41.00 then the season started $142.00 and so that really is when all the teams adopted it Ok author Mark Ferris does point out that there were at least several national anthem protests during the Vietnam War years and that brings us to our next question from Andrew Gomes of Washington Pennsylvania to Clarence and he will power in court over coaches and owners if they're benched or fired for protesting Ok interesting Do athletes have legal recourse if they are punished Well we asked Kim Wally she is a law professor at the University of Baltimore the answer really number one depends on the terms of their contract so there are federal laws that protect speech in the private context if it's related to your employment but you can make an agreement signed a contract that essentially waives those rights so the 1st question would be in the collective bargaining agreements that binds these players terms of employment with these football teams does it essentially waive the other federal labor law protections but my understanding is it's pretty vague and that's not clear one way or the other and so I think a player could say listen we are together in gauging collective speech by doing this as multiple players right together in this context and therefore there are federal labor laws that protect us and our ability to do that that was constitutional law professor Kim Wally Now many of you had questions along the lines of this next one. Hi this is Russ Olson from Spokane Washington and I was wondering is there an example of athletes actually having a positive impact on a fossil or political change in America to answer that we reached Dr Louis Moore he is a history professor at Grand Valley State in Michigan Moore says athletes played a big role in the civil rights movement including a milestone that involved pro football players roughly $22.00 black players in 1965 boycotted the All-Star Game in New Orleans when they felt that there was too much racism in the city the game moved to Houston and nor in the saints is trying to get a franchise and the n.f.l. Made them integrate that city before they got a franchise so the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana had to promise n.f.l. That they would get rid of racism and the reason why I bring that up is this is just the end of the organization and teams if they wanted to could do something about racism in their cities all right learning that history there from Dr Louis Moore who is answering one of your questions about sports and activism and we're going to answer more listener questions next month on a different sports topic we'll keep you posted on the broadcast and also keep you posted on Facebook and Twitter you can follow us at Morning Edition. Right the actor Robert De Niro died yesterday at 89 he was best known as T.V.'s smart alec a butler turned Lieutenant Governor Benson Dubois he won 2 Emmys playing the role which could have been an awful stereotype but was transformed by Gilman into a t.v. Classic Eric Dagens has this remembrance Robert spent a long career playing sharp witted dignified black man on t.v. Movies and stage and he built his most enduring character by bringing those qualities to a butler as an Dubois a servant in 2 of the most eccentric households on television so every moment Benson was on camera made sure he wasn't a typical shuffling stereotype us to then say well I was very busy period the black the governor has an appointment with his tomorrow with the Reverend Jesse Jackson and everyone knows he looks like you really make me better and back talking African-American butler could have been an awful caricature when Benson 1st appeared in the 70s satire so he home reversed the cliche plain common intelligent while serving a family of delusional characters and serial adulterer as he rose to become lieutenant governor on the spinoff series Benson and his journey reflected the upward mobility of many black people in real life and other black characters on t.v. But even Dion worried at 1st that he might set an awful example by agreeing to play yet another black servant on television I was thinking all along oh my going to do this I'm going to be playing the very thing I don't want to play I never got in the business to play so I began to try to find things within the script that would allow me to do this character Dion was born Robert Peter Williams raised in a depression era St Louis slum and his 2003 men more he said his mother was an alcoholic prostitute who abandoned him and 3 siblings with their grandmother he was drawn to music studies in college eventually he took the last name v.o.m. The French translation of Williams because he liked it sophisticated sound and that . Named soon found greater fame on the Broadway stage where his biggest roles included starring in the 1972 production of curly and a stint playing Nathan Detroit in an all black revival of Guys and Dolls call a lawyer a. Man. Given. As Guys and Dolls was closing another run of unemployment seem likely so gone cautiously took the role of Benson the sarcastic yet same Butler which would turn him into a t.v. Star when Benson ended he developed another sit com built around an interracial couple the robber game show personified another dignified character as I said Jackie executive producer of a sports news program on Aaron Sorkin's 1st t.v. Series sports night when he suffered a stroke on the set in 1999 struggle to keep working was written into the scripts as a crisis for Jaffe you can't work full time. Because it came in to you got a stroke is that where there was yes I thought it was dead so I think I'm going around here a slow day for Dion It was one more example of his greatest talent is an off screen challenge is to shatter old stereotypes and this is n.p.r. News. Good morning you're listening to w. N.p.r. I'm David Roche in for Diane Orson mostly cloudy day with showers likely for this afternoon highs in the upper sixty's cloudy tonight with lows in the lower fifty's and more rain for Thursday mostly cloudy with highs in the lower sixty's this is w one p.r. Connecticut's public media source for a news and ideas w.n. P.r. And w when p.r. H.d. One merit in at 90.5 w p k t and w p k t h d one Norwich at $89.00. F.m. Stamford at $88.00 w r I's Southampton at $91.00 w e c s will amount.