7:05am

Sun May 19, 2013
The Salt

Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 10:46 am

It takes a lot of chutzpah to reduce one of the most powerful men on Earth to a pile of fruits and vegetables.

Luckily for art lovers, Giuseppe Arcimboldo had nerve to spare.

Arcimboldo created this unorthodox produce portrait of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolph II back in 1590. By that time, the Italian artist had been painting for the emperor and his powerful Habsburg family for more than 25 years, so presumably, they'd grown used to his visual jokes. (The emperor has "peachy" cheeks and "ears" of corn, get it?)

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6:21am

Sun May 19, 2013
The Two-Way

A Lucky Winner In Florida Could Be $590.5 Million Richer

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 7:27 am

Credit Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

If you bought a Powerball ticket in Zephyrhills, Fla., sit down and look at these numbers:

10, 13, 14, 22, 52 and 11.

As the AP reports, lottery officials believe only one ticket matched all six numbers in yesterday's Powerball drawing with a record $590.5 million jackpot.

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5:54am

Sun May 19, 2013
From Our Listeners

Three-Minute Fiction: 'Ten Ring Fingers' And 'Ghost Words'

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 5:18 pm

Credit iStockphoto.com

NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Ten Ring Fingers by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and Ghost Words by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass. You can read their full stories below and find other stories on our Three-Minute Fiction page or on Facebook.

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5:07am

Sun May 19, 2013
Parallels

Russian Lawmakers: Don't Criticize Soviet Actions In WWII

Credit Yuri Kadobnov / AFP/Getty Images

World War II remains a monumental event in the collective Russian mind. It's known as the "Great Patriotic War," and Russians believe no one made greater sacrifices than the Soviet Union when it came to defeating Nazi Germany.

The end of the war is celebrated with a huge military parade in Moscow's Red Square on May 9, commemorating the millions of men and women, military and civilian, who died during the struggle.

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4:50am

Sun May 19, 2013
Parallels

Escape From An Eritrean Prison

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 7:56 am

Credit Stan Honda / AFP/Getty

4:41am

Sun May 19, 2013
Politics

Nonconservative Groups Say IRS Scrutinized Them, Too

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 5:46 pm

Credit Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images

The IRS was in the hot seat Friday, with its outgoing acting commissioner testifying before a House committee. A Senate panel is scheduled for Tuesday. Congress is prodding to find out why the agency singled out conservative groups for special scrutiny.

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4:41am

Sun May 19, 2013
Afghanistan

Afghans With Disabilities Fight For The Right To Rights

Originally published on Sun May 19, 2013 5:44 pm

Credit Sean Carberry / NPR

Climbing the rickety metal staircase is precarious enough if you aren't on crutches, but it's simply dangerous if you are. At the top is the office of Janbazan-e-Mayhan, one of many social councils for disabled Afghans. Men missing arms, legs or hands sit around the small room.

Afghanistan isn't an easy place for anyone to make a living. But for those with disabilities, it's a downright hostile environment. Tens of thousands have been maimed and disabled during decades of conflict. Jobs are scarce, and there's almost nothing that's handicapped-accessible.

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11:51pm

Sat May 18, 2013
Business

Tesla Rides High, But Faces Formidable Foe: Car Dealers

Credit Stan Honda / AFP/Getty Images

Tesla Motors, the American maker of luxury electric cars, has been riding a wave of good publicity.

Its Model S sedan (base priced at $62,400, after federal tax credits) was just named Motor Trend Car of the Year. Reviewers at Consumer Reports gave the lithium-ion battery powered vehicle a rave.

And the company, headed by billionaire innovator Elon Musk, 41, posted a profit for the first time in its 10-year history — powered in part by zero-emission environmental credits.

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5:09pm

Sat May 18, 2013
Movie Reviews

New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper

Originally published on Sat May 18, 2013 6:47 pm

Credit Zade Rosenthal / Courtesy Paramount Pictures

The opening sequence of J.J. Abram's new entry in the Star Trek universe has all the ingredients of the classic franchise.

There's Kirk and his crew bellowing on the bridge, everyone worrying about the prime directive and our favorite Vulcan trapped in a volcano.

OK, I'm in. I may not be a fanboy anymore, but I sure was in my youth, and having these guys in their youths again is just as cool at the outset as it was last time.

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4:27pm

Sat May 18, 2013
Mental Health

Alzheimer's Cases Rise, But Hope Remains

Originally published on Sat May 18, 2013 6:47 pm

Credit Sarah Brodzinski

More than 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer's disease, and the National Institute on Aging estimates that that number is going to triple by 2050 — in part due to aging baby boomers.

The cost of coping with the disease — currently estimated at $215 billion — is projected to rise to half a trillion dollars by 2050. That amount will likely tax our overburdened health care system, the economy and the families of those affected.

Amy Goyer realized her 84-year-old father Robert's health was deteriorating one night while watching a movie with him.

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