Bill Chappell

Descending Into The Mariana Trench: James Cameron's Odyssey

Bill Chappell — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:41:00 +0000

At nearly seven miles below the water's surface, the Mariana Trench is the deepest spot in Earth's oceans. And the site north of Guam is where director and explorer James Cameron recently fulfilled a longtime goal of reaching the bottom in a manned craft.

For the dive, Cameron designed a 24-foot submersible vehicle, the Deepsea Challenger — "this kind of long, green torpedo that moves vertically through the water," as he tells All Things Considered's Melissa Block.

For Second Time, Moore Family Loses Home To A Tornado

Bill Chappell — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:53:00 +0000

The tornado that devastated Moore, Okla., Monday destroyed some 12,000 homes, according to Oklahoma City Police. And for one family, it was the second house they've lost to a tornado in the past 14 years.

3-D Printer Makes Life-Saving Splint For Baby Boy's Airway

Bill Chappell — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000

A 3-D printer is being credited with helping to save an Ohio baby's life, after doctors "printed" a tube to support a weak airway that caused him to stop breathing. The innovative procedure has allowed Kaiba Gionfriddo, of Youngstown, Ohio, to stay off a ventilator for more than a year.

The splint that changed Kaiba's life was implanted in February of 2012, when he was 3 months old.

Production Of New Vehicles Predicted To Hit 2002 Levels

Bill Chappell — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:15:00 +0000

Strong new-vehicle sales figures are causing industry analysts to revise their forecasts for North American production levels in 2013, with J.D. Power & Associates and LMC Automotive predicting 16 million units will be produced — a mark not hit since 2002.

More than 1,157,000 new vehicles are projected to be sold in May, the third month in a row to top the 1 million level. The growth is being helped by strong demand for full-sized pickups, which represent more than 11 percent of retail sales, according to a news release from J.D.

British Driver Says She's Sorry In 'Twit And Run' Case

Bill Chappell — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:04:00 +0000

A British driver who struck a cyclist with her car — and who then bragged about the incident on Twitter — has issued an apology. The incident caused an uproar after the collision Sunday.

"Definitely knocked a cyclist off his bike earlier - I have right of way he doesn't even pay road tax!

Oregon's Cash-Strapped Counties Reject Public Safety Levies

Bill Chappell — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:06:00 +0000

Two Oregon counties have reportedly rejected property tax increases that would have funded law enforcement and public safety services. The counties once received federal timber subsidies, but those days are over — and now they're scrambling to pay for essential services.

In Josephine County, where nearly 70 percent of the land belongs to the U.S. government, Tuesday's vote that was too close to call last night.

Microsoft Reveals New Xbox One Game System

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

Microsoft unveiled its new Xbox One Tuesday, displaying a device that takes new steps in game consoles' journey to becoming all-purpose entertainment and communication devices. The new console replaces the Xbox 360, which has been on the market for nearly eight years.

One of the new device's most striking features is the ability to run multiple apps at once — and to split a TV screen into different tasks.

Dolphins Find 19th Century Navy Torpedo In Pacific Ocean

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:43:00 +0000

A rare piece of America's military history was located this spring, when dolphins from the Navy's Marine Mammal Program located an unusual artifact: a torpedo from the 19th century. Discovered during a training exercise in the ocean near San Diego, the torpedo will eventually make its way to a museum.

The bottlenose dolphins were honing their ability to find underwater mines when the discovery was made. The torpedo did not have a warhead, Navy officials say.

"The Howell torpedo, one of the first self-propelled torpedoes developed and used by the U.S.

After Tornado, A Dog Rescue Raises Spirits, And Gains Fans

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:25:00 +0000

Before Monday's tornado hit, Barbara Garcia says, she had a gameplan. In the event of an emergency, the Moore, Okla., resident would gather up her little dog and retreat to a bathroom to wait out the storm.

Oklahoma Tornados: Finding Aid, Giving Aid

Bill Chappell — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:04:00 +0000

Residents of Moore, Okla., are searching for survivors and coming to terms with a massive tornado that left dozens of people dead and injured more than 200 others Monday afternoon. As aid and recovery groups search for victims and try to reunite loved ones, they're also seeking donations and coordinating housing:

The American Red Cross of Oklahoma City offers several ways to help, online or by phone.

After Daughter Is Taken, Mother Rams Abduction Suspect's Car

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are interviewing a man they say is a "person of interest" in the abduction of a five-year-old girl. After the girl was taken Wednesday evening, her mother chased down and rammed the car she had been in; a suspect fled on foot. Authorities say the girl is safe; she was pushed out of the car shortly after being taken.

Update at 3:30 p.m. ET.

David Beckham Retires From Soccer, Ending Storied Career

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:49:00 +0000
David Beckham, who starred for Manchester United, Real Madrid and England's national team before heading to the United States and Paris, is retiring. The news was confirmed Thursday by England's Football Association.
The midfielder played his first game for Manchester United in 1992 and eventually rose to become captain of England's international team for more than 50 games, including several World Cup tournaments.

Hiring Julie Hermann, Rutgers Seeks A New Era In Athletics

Bill Chappell — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:49:00 +0000
Rutgers University officials are welcoming the arrival of new athletic director Julie Hermann as the beginning of a new era, as the school seeks to rebound from the turmoil that recently engulfed its athletics department.
The hiring of Hermann, who most recently was the executive senior associate director of athletics at Louisville, comes one month after the school fired its basketball coach, Mike Rice, who was shown in video recordings to have shoved and

Richard Swanson Didn't Reach Brazil, But He Found An Audience

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:41:00 +0000
Hundreds of condolences are appearing online for Richard Swanson, the Seattle man whose plan to dribble a soccer ball all the way to Brazil to raise money for charity ended Tuesday after he was struck and killed by a pickup truck in Oregon.

Publisher Threatens Librarian With $1 Billion Lawsuit

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000
A scholarly publisher has issued a warning to Jeffrey Beall, a librarian who writes about what he calls "predatory" practices in the scholarly publishing industry, threatening him with a $1 billion lawsuit for his blog posts criticizing the company.
Beall is an academic librarian at the University of Colorado; he writes about the journal industry on his personal blog, Scholarly Open Access.
More specifically, Beall identifies and lists journals that he says prey on academics' need to publish their research.

Play Ball: Little Leaguers Get Assist From 'Pitch In' Charity

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:26:00 +0000
This year's Little League baseball and softball season is under way — and in the Northeast, some teams and players have taken the field again, despite losing vital equipment to Hurricane Sandy. Many donations were handled by Pitch In For Baseball, which gathered used and new gloves and helmets for the players.
In February, the organization announced it would provide equipment worth $150,000 to baseball and softball players in the New York region.

Dirty Diapers Pile Up In Portland Recycling Bins: 'It's Not Pretty'

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:38:00 +0000
Waste and recycling handlers in Portland, Ore., say they're seeing an unfortunate side effect of the city's reduction in garbage pickups: 120 pounds of dirty diapers a day, tucked into recycling bins.
"It started when the city went to every other week garbage pickup," Far West Fibers President Keith Ristau tells Oregon Public Broadcasting's Cassandra Profita. "Prior to that you'd get a dirty diaper maybe once a month. Now we get 60 pounds per shift.

Cup Of Joe With Apple CEO Goes For $610,000

Bill Chappell — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:26:23 +0000
It turns out that the desire to speak with Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with $610,000, will buy you a cup of coffee.

Experts Say Prize-Winning Photo Of Gaza Funeral Is Authentic

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:07:00 +0000
The striking image of grief-stricken men carrying two young boys to a mosque for their funeral in Gaza City was hailed for capturing a poignant human moment in an ongoing conflict.
The photograph was taken last November; it was named the World Press Photo of the Year on Feb. 15.

On Way To Prom, Teens Pile Out Of Limo To Aid Flipped Van

Bill Chappell — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:53:00 +0000
A limousine filled with students headed to prom night at Western High in Davie, Fla., stopped for a detour Saturday, after a Honda van veered into a concrete wall and flipped in front of the limo. The van's seven passengers had trouble getting out — until the limo's driver and the students came to their aid.
The Honda Odyssey van went out of control and began swerving, Danny Izzi, who was at the wheel of the stretch Cadillac Escalade, tells The Sun Sentinel.