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The Two-Way
12:29 pm
Sat May 25, 2013

Obama Forgets To Salute; Sparks Debate On Presidential Tradition

Credit Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images
President Obama greets a Marine after forgetting to salute him while boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 12:33 pm

As Obama boarded Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday, he didn't return the salute of the Marine standing at the base of the stairs.

Obama realized it once he got into the helicopter, so he turned around and shook the Marine's hand. Here's video of the moment:

As happens with anything to do with the presidency, Obama's forgetfulness unleashed scrutiny and criticism.

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The Salt
11:40 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Meet London's Master Architects In Jell-0

Banana-flavored vapors? A pineapple island?

These may sound like the makings of a Roald Dahl children's book (he of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory fame). But at London's Kew Gardens, visitors can now immerse themselves in such fantastic-sounding experiences like rowing down a blue-dyed boating lake to the aforementioned island, which features a 15-foot replica pineapple towering over a banana grotto.

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The Two-Way
10:04 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Missouri Train Collision Injures 7, Collapses Overpass

Two freight trains collided in Scott County, Mo., early Saturday morning, leaving seven injured and collapsing an overpass.

KMOV-TV reports:

"Scott County Sheriff Rick Walter says a Union Pacific train t-boned a Burlington Northern train that had just made it through an intersection.

"The collision caused one of the trains to derail and hit a pillar under the overpass causing it to collapse. At least a dozen train cars derailed.

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The Two-Way
9:03 am
Sat May 25, 2013

One Hit Wonder? Another Anibal Sanchez No-Hit Bid Spoiled

Credit Duane Burleson / Getty Images
Anibal Sanchez of the Detroit Tigers reacts after striking out Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins to end the game on Friday.

You've gotta feel for Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez.

He was cruising toward a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins Friday night. It was the ninth inning, two outs to go, the count was 1-1 on Joe Mauer.

For his 121st pitch, Sanchez hung a pitch over the heart of the plate. Mauer delivered a bullet to center field, spoiling Sanchez's no-hit bid.

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The Two-Way
8:13 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'We Need Help Bad': 911 Calls Reveal Chaos In Tornado's Wake

Credit Tom Pennington / Getty Images
An American flag flies over the rubble of a destroyed neighborhood on May 24 in Moore, Okla.

Authorities in Moore, Okla., just released some of the calls that were made to 911 during the EF-5 tornado that devastated the city.

They're harrowing and they offer a glimmer of the chaos and emotion that followed the storm.

During one of the calls, a man tells the dispatcher that the tornado has "cremated" a daycare.

"We need help bad," the man says. You can hear the sounds of children crying in the background. "We need help bad. We got tons of babies in here."

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Code Switch
7:03 am
Sat May 25, 2013

'Las Caras Lindas': To Be Black And Puerto Rican In 2013

Credit Coburn Dukehart / NPR
Puerto Rican hip-hop artist Tego Calderón is seen in his studio, El Sitio, in Santurce, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Behind him, a portrait of Ismael Rivera.
The Two-Way
6:48 am
Sat May 25, 2013

School Bus Fire Kills 15 Children In Pakistan

Credit Mohsin Raza / Reuters /Landov
A relative of one of the children who died after a fire on a school bus, cries over the coffin, on the outskirts of Gujrat.

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 7:42 am

A fire onboard a school bus left at least 15 children dead in Pakistan Saturday morning.

The New York Times reports the private school bus caught fire near the town of Gujrat, when the driver tried to switch from using gasoline to natural gas.

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From Our Listeners
6:08 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Three-Minute Fiction Readings: 'Geometry' And 'Snowflake'

Credit iStockphoto.com

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 9:36 am

NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Snowflake by Winona Wendth of Lancaster, Mass., and Geometry by Eugenie Montague of Los Angeles. You can read their full stories below and find other stories on our Three-Minute Fiction page or on Facebook.

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Sports
6:02 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Sports: Playoff Time In The NBA

Originally published on Sat May 25, 2013 12:21 pm

Host Scott Simon catches up on the week's sports with NPR's Tom Goldman.

Around the Nation
6:02 am
Sat May 25, 2013

Baptist Church In Oklahoma Churns Out Meals For Victims

Hundreds of volunteers have come to Moore, Okla., to help the community following Monday's tornado. Some are helping clear debris, others bringing out water and supplies to people whose homes were damaged or destroyed, and whose lives are in disarray. One group of volunteers is cooking more than 10,000 meals a day.

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