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Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, director of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., prepares a salad in the kitchen of The Sanctuary Church, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Abbott was recently arrested, along with two pastors, for feeding the homeless in a Fort Lauderdale park.

Homeless advocate Arnold Abbott, 90, director of the nonprofit group Love Thy Neighbor Inc., prepares a salad in the kitchen of The Sanctuary Church, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Abbott was recently arrested, along with two pastors, for feeding the homeless in a Fort Lauderdale park. Lynne Sladky/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Lynne Sladky/AP

The Salt

Florida Activists Arrested For Serving Food To Homeless

Activists in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., were arrested twice this week for giving out food to the homeless in a park. Arnold Abbott, 90, says he will continue to serve the food even if he's arrested again.

1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, shown in an undated photo provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society, is expected to get the nation's highest military decoration --€” the Medal of Honor --” this summer, nearly 150 years after he died at the Battle of Gettysburg.

1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing, shown in an undated photo provided by the Wisconsin Historical Society, is expected to get the nation's highest military decoration --€” the Medal of Honor --” this summer, nearly 150 years after he died at the Battle of Gettysburg. Wisconsin Historical Society/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Wisconsin Historical Society/AP

The Two-Way

Lt. Alonzo Cushing, Hero Of Gettysburg, Awarded Medal Of Honor

President Obama bestowed the nation's highest honor for battlefield bravery to the Union officer, who was killed defending a key ridge against Pickett's charge.

Oil, carried here by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, is fundamental to the state's economy. But Alaskans also face the effects of climate change in their daily lives.

Oil, carried here by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, is fundamental to the state's economy. But Alaskans also face the effects of climate change in their daily lives. Al Grillo/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Al Grillo/AP

Environment

Republican Sweep Highlights Climate Change Politics In Alaska

GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska is set to head the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. It can be easier for her oil-reliant state to adapt to the changing climate rather than address its causes.

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BJ Leiderman is the composer of the theme music heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

BJ Leiderman is the composer of the theme music heard on NPR's Morning Edition, Weekend Edition and Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Courtesy of Cole Rian: Jen Haynes & Mel Wils hide caption

itoggle caption Courtesy of Cole Rian: Jen Haynes & Mel Wils

Around the Nation

The Man Behind The 'Morning Edition' Theme Music. Also, Lyrics!

Composer BJ Leiderman talks about writing the show's theme music and sings some of the lyrics that accompany that catchy tune.

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John Harris makes a weld for a test during a welding class at Spartanburg Community College in Spartanburg, S.C., on Oct. 22.

John Harris makes a weld for a test during a welding class at Spartanburg Community College in Spartanburg, S.C., on Oct. 22. Mike Belleme for NPR hide caption

itoggle caption Mike Belleme for NPR

American Made: The New Manufacturing Landscape

In South Carolina, A Program That Makes Apprenticeships Work

Apprenticeship programs have been in decline, but South Carolina is bucking the trend. Nearly 11,000 apprentices have been trained there since 2007 in fields ranging from manufacturing to nursing.

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The Smithsonian's Jon Blundell scans the fossilized foot bone — the metatarsal — of the Wankel T. rex to help create a digital 3-D image of the long-dead dinosaur.

The Smithsonian's Jon Blundell scans the fossilized foot bone — the metatarsal — of the Wankel T. rex to help create a digital 3-D image of the long-dead dinosaur. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post hide caption

itoggle caption Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post

Science

America's T. Rex Gets A Makeover

Discovered in Montana in 1988, the Wankel T. Rex is a prize find — a nearly complete skeleton, now bound for display at the Smithsonian, in Washington, D.C. But first, those old bones need some work.

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Chevron Corp. supported several candidates in Richmond, Calif., where the company has been hoping to modernize a large oil refinery, seen here in 2010. None of the Chevron-backed candidates were elected.

Chevron Corp. supported several candidates in Richmond, Calif., where the company has been hoping to modernize a large oil refinery, seen here in 2010. None of the Chevron-backed candidates were elected. Paul Sakuma/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Paul Sakuma/AP

The Two-Way

Chevron Spends Big, And Loses Big, In A City Council Race

Tuesday's elections weren't just bad news for Democrats. Oil giant Chevron got clobbered in a city election in Richmond, Calif., that was widely seen as a referendum on the company itself.

Marcus Lattimore retired from the NFL Wednesday, ending his hopes of returning from a knee injury to play for the San Francisco 49ers.

Marcus Lattimore retired from the NFL Wednesday, ending his hopes of returning from a knee injury to play for the San Francisco 49ers. Jason O. Watson/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Jason O. Watson/Getty Images

The Two-Way

49ers Running Back Retires From NFL, Without Playing A Snap

Running back Marcus Lattimore, 23, retired from the NFL Wednesday. He says he chose a higher quality of life, citing a lingering knee injury. Lattimore reportedly has a $1.7 million insurance policy.

Berkeley's efforts to pass a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks faced opposition with deep pockets — but it also got sizable cash infusions from some big-name donors.

Berkeley's efforts to pass a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks faced opposition with deep pockets — but it also got sizable cash infusions from some big-name donors. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Salt

How Did Berkeley Pass A Soda Tax? Bloomberg's Cash Didn't Hurt

The American Beverage Association poured tons of cash into the effort to defeat the penny-per-ounce sugary-drink tax. But the effort to pass the tax also got cash infusions from some big-name donors.

Air Force personnel put up tents to house a 25-bed, U.S.-built hospital for Liberian health workers sick with Ebola in Monrovia, Liberia's capital. The hospital is scheduled to open this weekend.

Air Force personnel put up tents to house a 25-bed, U.S.-built hospital for Liberian health workers sick with Ebola in Monrovia, Liberia's capital. The hospital is scheduled to open this weekend. John Moore/Getty Images hide caption

itoggle caption John Moore/Getty Images

Goats and Soda

U.S. Military Response To Ebola Gains Momentum In Liberia

The number of U.S. troops fighting Ebola in West Africa is set to increase dramatically this month, and the first two field hospitals erected by U.S. troops in Liberia will open in the coming days.

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Participants in an ethical hacking contest at a Swiss security conference in Geneva in March. So-called bug bounty programs are becoming very popular in Silicon Valley's high-tech sector.

Participants in an ethical hacking contest at a Swiss security conference in Geneva in March. So-called bug bounty programs are becoming very popular in Silicon Valley's high-tech sector. Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA/Landov hide caption

itoggle caption Salvatore Di Nolfi/EPA/Landov

All Tech Considered

Banks Reluctant To Use 'White Hat' Hackers To Spot Security Flaws

High-tech firms have been offering bounties to security researchers to find holes and bugs in their software, but these reward programs haven't drawn much interest from major banks.

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