In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, a former Red Cross official says as many as 40 percent of the organization's emergency vehicles were assigned for public relations purposes. This photo, which shows one of their trucks in Long Island, N.Y., in January 2013, is one example of the many publicity photos taken by the Red Cross.

On Superstorm Sandy Anniversary, Red Cross Under Scrutiny

An investigation by NPR and ProPublica reveals how the Red Cross increased its focus on public relations while it struggled to meet basic needs of storm victims.

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NBC cameraman Ashoka Mukpo, 33, contracted Ebola in Liberia, arrived in Nebraska for care on October 6 and was released from the hospital on the 22nd.

Why The Ebola Evacuees Survived And What We Learned From Them

Ten of the 14 Ebola patients evacuated from West Africa have survived. We asked specialists: What made the difference?

Maine To Enforce Quarantine For Nurse Kaci Hickox

Emory Hospital Shares Lessons Learned On Ebola Care

The Misadventures Of My Anti-Ebola Suitcase

Live Event

Ask Me Anything: NPR's David Greene Takes Questions On Crimea

Morning Edition Host David Greene recently returned from a reporting trip to Crimea and responds to questions on Reddit about how the Black Sea peninsula has changed since it was seized by Russia. Join him now here: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/2koyvk/hi_im_david_greene_host_of_nprs_morning_edition_i/

50 Great Teachers: Socrates, The Ancient World's Teaching Superstar

It's been 2,400 years since he taught his last class, but the teaching method Socrates created, and that bears his name, lives on today.

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Can Authorities Cut Utilities, Pose As Repairmen To Conduct Search?

That's what federal agents did earlier this year to see if gamblers in Las Vegas were running a sportsbook operation. Agents lacked evidence for a warrant. Courts are considering the case.

These scuba divers are among the two million tourists who visit the Great Barrier Reef each year. They contribute about $5.6 billion to Australia's economy, according to the Queensland government.

As Great Barrier Reef Ails, Australia Scrambles To Save It

One Australian report estimated the reef had lost more than half its coral since 1985. The government is considering a new 35-year plan to rescue the reef, but some say it falls short.

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YouTube

Unmanned Rocket Explodes Shortly After Takeoff

The rocket was made by Orbital Sciences, which was contracted by NASA to ship supplies to the International Space Station. It exploded six seconds after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va.

The U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Beefs Up Security At Some Federal Buildings

The Department of Homeland Security said public calls by terrorists to attack the U.S. spurred the new measures.

People working on the assembly line in April 2012 at Huajian shoe factory in Dukem, Ethiopia.

The Next Shirt You Buy May Say 'Made In Ethiopia.' Here's Why Ozy.com

The garment industry is still seen as a good partner for jump-starting the economies of undeveloped nations. Manufacturers entering these countries say they're trying to treat workers more ethically.

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An explosion following an airstrike is seen in the Syrian town of Kobani from near the Mursitpinar border crossing on the Turkish-Syrian border in the southeastern town of Suruc, in Sanliurfa province, on Wednesday.

Kurdish Fighters Begin Using Turkish Crossing To Reach Kobani

Syrian rebels and Iraqi peshmerga fighters have been allowed to use Turkish territory to enter the fight against militants of the self-declared Islamic State.

Carmen de Lavallade performs in As I Remember It.

At 83, Dancer Carmen De Lavallade Looks Back At A Life Spent Onstage

De Lavallade's husband of 59 years, dancer Geoffrey Holder, died on Oct. 5. "He was my biggest fan and I was the same way with him," she says. De Lavallade's one-woman show is called As I Remember It.

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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) speaks with Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud as the Saudi ambassador to the United States, Adel al-Jubeir, listens before a meeting at the Royal Palace in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sept. 11.

Parallels - World News

Why Does Saudi Arabia Seem So Comfortable With Falling Oil Prices?

Normally, the "central banker of oil" would slow production to push up prices. Not so now. Some say it's a geopolitical tactic aimed at Russia and Iran; others say the nation is just protecting market share.

Clockwise from top: Belle And Sebastian, Grouper, Bo Ningen, The Velvet Underground

All Songs Considered

New Mix: The Velvet Underground, Belle & Sebastian, Grouper, More

On this week's All Songs Considered, we share dance music from Belle & Sebastian and unreleased Velvet Underground, plus Bob Boilen discusses new discoveries from this year's CMJ Music Marathon.

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A woman cleans the floor prior to a session at the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012.

The Two-Way - News Blog

World Economic Forum: Global Gender Gap Won't Be Closed For Decades

The group's annual report found that the gender gap is shrinking overall, just very slowly.

Amy Poehler plays Leslie Knope on Parks and Recreation, which will air its final season next year. Poehler says, "It's a privilege in television to be able to have a proper goodbye."

Author Interviews

A Candid Memoir From Comedian Amy Poehler? 'Yes Please'

Poehler joins Fresh Air's Terry Gross to talk about fighting the body image "demon," being a "world-class snooper" and how she was once told that she had a "great face for wigs."

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Fans cheer during the 2014 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Kansas City Royals at AT&T Park.

Sweetness And Light

Start World Series Games Earlier, Let Us Sleep

Commentator Frank Deford says the Fall Classic could boost its sagging ratings by scheduling games early enough for people in the Eastern and Central Time Zones to see the end.

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Farms outside Baghdad as seen from a U.S. Army Blackhawk helicopter. Much of Iraq's soil has a high salt content because of flooding and poor drainage.

The Salt

Who Should Pay To Fix The World's Salt-Damaged Soils?

The area of land no longer suitable for farming because of salt degradation is rising quickly. Scientists argue the private sector should help fund efforts to reverse it since it relies on the crops.

Storyful is making a business out of verifying material on social media for journalists and news organizations.

All Tech Considered

Behind The Scenes, Storyful Exposes Viral Hoaxes For News Outlets

Journalists regularly turn to this social media organization to seek out and verify online material that could bolster traditional reporting.

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The Wiper Wave, attached to your car's rear wiper, promises to take a bit of the tension out of the rough commute.

All Tech Considered

Weekly Innovation: Friendly Roadways Just A 'Wave' Away

Ever wish you could thank someone for letting you cut in while stuck in traffic? This simple hand symbol attached to your car's rear wiper promises to take a bit of the tension out of a rough commute.

Sourdough loaves made by Fromartz with a bolted white flour from Anson Mills in South Carolina that he says reminded him of the wheat he'd tasted in southern France.

The Salt

To Make Bread, Watch The Dough, Not The Recipe

One man's quest for the perfect loaf took him to Paris, Berlin, California and Kansas. What he learned can't easily be captured in words. It's a feeling in your fingers that comes from experience.

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Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., poses with constituent Noelle Hunter. In a campaign ad, Hunter explains that McConnell helped get her daughter back from Mali after a custody battle.

Politics

Constituent Services Give Voters Something To Remember

If played just right, members of Congress can see a political payoff from simply doing their jobs and helping out voters who elected them. It's one reason incumbents fare well come Election Day.

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A statue of Jesus Christ called "Cristo Rey" is prominently located next to a sculpture called "Tree of Life" in the middle of Dimitrov.