10:17am

Fri February 17, 2012
Sports

As Ivies Boost Financial Aid, Teams Up Their Game

Credit Mel Evans / Getty Images

New York Knicks guard and Harvard University alumnus Jeremy Lin may be a sudden NBA sensation, but the men's basketball team at his alma mater is making its own mark on the national scene.

Harvard is currently on top of the Ivy League basketball standings. And with a 21-3 overall record and some impressive nonconference wins, the Crimson spent part of the season in the Top 25 in national polls for Division I.

There's a palpable buzz about the team, as well — even a late January road game against the struggling squad from Brown University was a sellout.

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9:47am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Salt

Is That A Plastic Baby Jesus In My Cake?

Credit John Rose/NPR

If you've been in New Orleans for carnival season, or if you're lucky enough to taste a cake that has arrived in the mail from there, there's a pretty good chance that yes, there is a plastic baby that comes with your cake.

The baby, meant to represent Jesus, has become a fixture of the king cake (galette des rois in France or rosca de reyes as it's called in Mexico). It's a frosted yeast dough cake that New Orleans bakeries churn out between King's Day, January 6th, and Fat Tuesday, the last day of indulgence before Lent.

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9:29am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

#Feb17: A First Visit To Revolution Central: The Benghazi Courthouse

While pretty much any corner of Benghazi is a fine place to celebrate this week, the heart of the celebrations are taking place at the courthouse and its public square, where some of the revolution's first protests took place.

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9:19am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

Proview Threatens Apple With $2 Billion Suit Over iPad Trademark

Proview Technology is threatening to take Apple to court to seek $2 billion in compensation, because the company says it owns the iPad name in China.

CNET reports:

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9:12am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

Syrian Troops Step Up Homs Shelling After U.N. Resolution

More horrific reports out of Homs only a day after the United Nations General Assembly called on President Bashar al-Assad's regime to end its shelling of the city.

Voice of America reports activists say:

... tank fire and artillery shelling hit four neighborhoods in the central protest city Friday which has spearheaded the 11-month uprising.

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9:08am

Fri February 17, 2012
Remembrances

Fresh Air Remembers War Reporter Anthony Shadid

It is with great sadness that we report the sudden death of a frequent Fresh Air guest. New York Times foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid suffered a fatal asthma attack yesterday in Syria, where he was reporting on the political uprising.

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8:55am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

House Passes Payroll Tax Extension

The Republican-controlled House voted 293-132 today to renew a payroll tax cut that benefits 160 million workers, as well as extending benefits to millions of unemployed Americans.

The Senate is expected to quickly approve the legislation, which then goes to President Obama for his signature.

Workers would continue to receive the two percentage-point cut in the 6.2 percent Social Security payroll tax — as much as $2,200 for high-income earners.

The Associated Press reports:

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8:26am

Fri February 17, 2012
bullseye

Bullseye: Daniel Handler, Nico Muhly and the Sklar Brothers

 Daniel Handler delves into his memories of young love and high school frustrations to pen the novel Why We Broke Up -- the twist?

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8:06am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

The Libyan Art of Honking

The streets of Benghazi have turned into the world's most joyous parking lot.

Every single vehicle, moving slower than a toddler walking, is honking its horn in a variety of patterns to celebrate the first anniversary of the revolution.

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7:28am

Fri February 17, 2012
The Two-Way

Google Tracked Millions Of Unwitting Apple Users

If you thought privacy settings on your iPhone, iPad or Apple desktop were keeping others from tracking your travels across the Web, think again.

Google Inc. and some advertizing companies have been bypassing the privacy settings of millions of people using Safari, the default Apple-supplied browser, The Wall Street Journal reports.

In a story today by Julia Angwin and Jennifer Valentino-Devries, the WSJ said:

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