NPR News

Scientists are beginning to understand how people focus on a single voice in a crowded, noisy room. This ability, known as the "cocktail party effect," appears to rely on areas of the brain that have completely filtered out unwanted sounds.

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The next pope will be the spiritual leader of the world's Catholics. He will also be leading a multibillion-dollar empire that faces some challenges.

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The Republican from Kentucky said he would speak until he could speak no more to sound the alarm on the Obama administration's targeted killing program.

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The Soviet soldier, missing since 1980, was nursed back to health by locals after being wounded in battle. He later converted to Islam and married an Afghan woman.

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Fidel Castro treated Hugo Chavez like a son, and the Venezuelan leader in turn provided large dollops of assistance to prop up the Cuban economy. Cubans are now worried that the oil shipments and subsidies could decrease or even end.

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As the year began there was at least some growth in most parts of the country, the central bank says.

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Mississippi is poised to make it legal for residents to brew their own beer, as its legislature approved a homebrewing bill today. The shift, to take effect on July 1, would leave Alabama as the lone U.S. state that still bans people from brewing beer for their own consumption.

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As the tech industry prepares to descend on Austin, the breakout themes and apps of this year's festival remain unclear.

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A flag-draped casket was moved from the military hospital where Chávez died to a military academy, where he will lie in state. Many supporters said Chávez may have passed, but his revolution will live on.

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His fiery performance at Woodstock is legendary. The band would go on to have a hit with "I'd Love to Change the World."

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His fiery performance at Woodstock is legendary. The band would go on to have a hit with "I'd Love to Change the World."

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Kenya's presidential election has yielded hundreds of thousands of spoiled ballots — and raised the possibility of a contentious and costly runoff election in April. Amid allegations of vote-rigging, there are others who say there may be a more innocent reason for so many rejected ballots.

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A Portland, Ore., resident was arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. The FBI says Reaz Qadir Khan, 48, gave money and advice to a man involved in a deadly 2009 suicide bomb attack on the headquarters of Pakistan's intelligence service in Lahore.

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Scientists have always thought that where there is water, there's a chance for life. If the ocean on Jupiter's moon Europa is salty like ours, it could also be a "wonderful place for life."

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As the volcano erupted Tuesday night and early Wednesday, cameras caught the dramatic scene. Watch as the night sky glows red.

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Microsoft blames the fine on sloppy coding in a service pack update that blocked a feature to offer users the choice of a competitor's Internet browser.

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William Moody, who as the pro wrestling character Paul Bearer embodied a sense of theater that was equal parts morbid and absurd, has died at age 58. A portly man known for his wild-eyed stare and habit of carrying a brass urn under his arm, Paul Bearer was most notably the manager of The Undertaker and Kane.

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A rash of public school closings in some U.S. cities has parents and teachers reeling. School officials say the closings are needed to save money, but some argue it's a form of discrimination. Host Michel Martin talks with a Chicago reporter and a Philadelphia activist about how the closings could affect students and local communities.

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Hugo Chavez was a controversial but charismatic leader of Venezuela. Host Michel Martin speaks with Dan Hellinger, a professor of political science at Webster University, about Chavez's legacy.

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Look around your kitchen table and you'll see the work of Ambassador Ron Kirk. He's the United States Trade Representative, which is a cabinet-level position, and he's negotiated trade deals all around the world. Host Michel Martin talks to him about why he's choosing to step down from his post, and the importance of U.S. trade.

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