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After 146 Years, Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus To Shut Down

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Ringmaster Kristen Michelle Wilson performs Saturday, in Orlando, Fla. Chris O'Meara/AP hide caption

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Chris O'Meara/AP

After 146 Years, Ringling Bros. And Barnum & Bailey Circus To Shut Down

January 15, 2017 • After struggling to remain relevant amid public concern for animal welfare, coupled with high production costs, "The Greatest Show On Earth" will come to an end in May, the company announced Saturday.

Jennifer Holliday Won't Be Performing At Trump Inauguration Event After All

Jennifer Holliday at NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 2013. Amy Ta/NPR hide caption

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Amy Ta/NPR

Jennifer Holliday Won't Be Performing At Trump Inauguration Event After All

January 14, 2017 • The Broadway singer had accepted an invitation to sing at a welcome event for Donald Trump as a "bi-partisan songbird." By Saturday, she backed out of that decision, "calling it a lapse of judgement."

Trump Attacks Civil Rights Hero Lewis As 'All Talk' After He Questions His Legitimacy

Civil rights leader and Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., delivers remarks in front of a freedom bell during the "Let Freedom Ring" commemoration event in 2013. Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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Pool/Getty Images

Trump Attacks Civil Rights Hero Lewis As 'All Talk' After He Questions His Legitimacy

January 14, 2017 • The Georgia Democratic congressman said in an interview Friday he didn't view Trump as a "legitimate president" amid reports that Russian cyberattacks had intended to influence the elections.

The Two-Way: The Two-Way is the place to come for breaking news, analysis and for stories that are just too interesting – or too entertaining – to pass up.

Groups Protest Trump's Immigration Positions Across The Country

January 14, 2017 • Immigrants and activists throughout the country are rallying in anticipation of Donald Trump's inauguration. They're protesting against mass deportation, which Trump discussed on the campaign trail.

Groups Protest Trump's Immigration Positions Across The Country

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DOJ Releases Chicago Police Department Report, Updates On Philadelphia

January 14, 2017 • Department Of Justice officials released a report this week about the Chicago police department. There have also been further developments in Philadelphia and Baltimore.

DOJ Releases Chicago Police Department Report, Updates On Philadelphia

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Leader Of Chicago Fraternal Order Of Police Responds To Justice Report

January 14, 2017 • Dean Angelo, head of the Fraternal Order of Police in Chicago, responds to a critical report by the Justice Department that highlights a pattern of civil rights violations by Chicago police officers.

Leader Of Chicago Fraternal Order Of Police Responds To Justice Report

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Barbershop: Trump's Tweets, Press Conference And Obama's Farewell

January 14, 2017 • Virginia Republican Puneet Ahluwalia, conservative columnist Mona Charen and consultant Jolene Ivey discuss the biggest political stories of the week.

Barbershop: Trump's Tweets, Press Conference And Obama's Farewell

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Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World

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Courtesy Sam Barsky

Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World

January 14, 2017 • Sam Barsky thinks outside the postcard: He takes photos of himself posing in front of places he visits — wearing sweaters inspired by that same place. His eccentric works of art have gone viral.

Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World

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Former Government Post Nominee Says Nominees Are 'Pawns' In Partisan Fight

January 14, 2017 • Doug Wilson spent years going through a frustrating confirmation process for a job that required Senate approval. He says Republicans held up his confirmation and the confirmation of others.

Former Government Post Nominee Says Nominees Are 'Pawns' In Partisan Fight

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What An Obamacare Repeal Would Mean For Rural Hospitals

January 14, 2017 • Scott Simon speaks with Maggie Elehwany of the National Rural Health Association about a possible Obamacare repeal. She supports the law, but says the way it was implemented has hurt rural hospitals.

What An Obamacare Repeal Would Mean For Rural Hospitals

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Don's Johns To Go Anonymous At Inauguration

January 14, 2017 • Many port-a-potties near the Capitol are having the company name "Don's Johns" taped over for the inauguration. A company executive told the AP that they didn't ask for the cover-up.

Don's Johns To Go Anonymous At Inauguration

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Ahead Of Inauguration Protests, Looking At The Transition 'From Protest To Power'

January 14, 2017 • Many groups will be demonstrating around the inauguration. Columbia University professor Todd Gitlin tells Scott Simon that demonstrations are a good start, but true change takes long-term effort.

Ahead Of Inauguration Protests, Looking At The Transition 'From Protest To Power'

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A Mix Of Factors, Not Just Mexico, Cause Decline In U.S. Manufacturing

WKSU

January 14, 2017 • President-elect Trump has said American auto workers are losing their jobs because auto companies like General Motors are making cars in Mexico instead. GM says that it's about supply and demand.

A Mix Of Factors, Not Just Mexico, Cause Decline In U.S. Manufacturing

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Passions Flare Over Memory Of The Manhattan Project

An archival view of Oak Ridge, Tenn. shows one of the three sites that has been included in the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. United States Department of Energy/Flickr hide caption

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United States Department of Energy/Flickr

History

Passions Flare Over Memory Of The Manhattan Project

KUNM

January 14, 2017 • The new Manhattan Project National Historical Park tells the story of how scientists created the world's first atomic bomb. But how fully the story will be told is intensely controversial.

Passions Flare Over Memory Of The Manhattan Project

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Jamie Ruppert and her husband Jesse Ruppert live in White Haven, Pa. Jamie voted for Barack Obama twice but switched parties and voted for Republican Donald Trump this election. She hopes Trump will bring more good-paying blue-collar jobs to communities like hers. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption

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Jeff Brady/NPR

Politics

A Trump Swing Voter Looks Ahead

January 14, 2017 • Voters in Pennsylvania's Luzerne County have reliably picked Democrats for president — until now. Jamie Ruppert is among those blue-collar, working-class voters who switched parties to vote Trump.

A Trump Swing Voter Looks Ahead

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Latin America

What The End Of 'Wet-Foot, Dry-Foot' Means For Cubans

January 14, 2017 • The Obama administration has ended a program that let Cuban migrants enter the U.S. without visas. Scott Simon talks to Cuban author Carlos Eire, who was airlifted out of Cuba as a child in 1962.

What The End Of 'Wet-Foot, Dry-Foot' Means For Cubans

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Chicago Police Often Used Excessive Force, DOJ Report Finds

January 14, 2017 • The Justice Department has released a scathing report that accuses the Chicago Police Department of systematic use of excessive force.

Chicago Police Often Used Excessive Force, DOJ Report Finds

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Politics

Gen. Michael Flynn Spoke To Russian Ambassador Same Day Sanctions Were Announced

January 14, 2017 • President-elect Trump's pick for national security adviser, Gen. Michael Flynn, spoke with Russia's ambassador to the U.S. on the same day President Obama retaliated for alleged Russian hacking.

Gen. Michael Flynn Spoke To Russian Ambassador Same Day Sanctions Were Announced

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Esther Lui for NPR

Code Switch

Will Racism End When Old Bigots Die?

January 14, 2017 • Do people still believe the age-old notion that the next generation will deliver us from racism? Code Switch asked young and old(er). They rarely agreed on the answer.

For People With Developmental Disabilities, Food Work Means More Self Reliance

Customers at Puzzles Bakery & Café in Schenectady, N.Y. More than half the staff at the café has a developmental disability. Rhitu Chatterjee/NPR hide caption

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Rhitu Chatterjee/NPR

The Salt

For People With Developmental Disabilities, Food Work Means More Self Reliance

January 14, 2017 • Finding a job and building a life of their own can be a monumental challenge for people with developmental disabilities. But food work can be a good fit for many of them.

For People With Developmental Disabilities, Food Work Means More Self Reliance

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Accessibility links

Groups Protest Trump's Immigration Positions Across The Country

DOJ Releases Chicago Police Department Report, Updates On Philadelphia

Leader Of Chicago Fraternal Order Of Police Responds To Justice Report

Barbershop: Trump's Tweets, Press Conference And Obama's Farewell

Sweater Selfies: Man Knits His Way Around The World

Former Government Post Nominee Says Nominees Are 'Pawns' In Partisan Fight

What An Obamacare Repeal Would Mean For Rural Hospitals

Don's Johns To Go Anonymous At Inauguration

Ahead Of Inauguration Protests, Looking At The Transition 'From Protest To Power'

A Mix Of Factors, Not Just Mexico, Cause Decline In U.S. Manufacturing

Passions Flare Over Memory Of The Manhattan Project

A Trump Swing Voter Looks Ahead

What The End Of 'Wet-Foot, Dry-Foot' Means For Cubans

Chicago Police Often Used Excessive Force, DOJ Report Finds

Gen. Michael Flynn Spoke To Russian Ambassador Same Day Sanctions Were Announced

For People With Developmental Disabilities, Food Work Means More Self Reliance