May 20th, 2008 · Hello Kitty, Japan's chubby-cheeked, white cartoon cat is one of the most powerful and lucrative brands in the world. And this week, the fictional character has been selected as an envoy; officials in Tokyo have named her their official tourism ambassador to Hong Kong and China.
Apr 21st, 2008 · The French fashion house of Dior presents a "New Look" this spring: A wide-eyed model with tiny legs and whiskers. When Hello Kitty makes her debut in the May issue of Japanese Vogue, she'll be modeling Galliano's fall look in Paris.
Sep 19th, 2007 · The Department of Homeland Security wants to buy new radiation detection equipment for ports, where alarms can currently be set off by bananas, kitty litter and other things that emit radiation. But congressional auditors say tests done on the new machines were biased.
Apr 18th, 2007 · Actress Kitty Carlisle Hart, whose long career spanned Broadway, opera, television and film, including the classic Marx Brothers movie A Night at the Opera has died at age 96.
Apr 17th, 2007 · The Bush administration wants to install new radiation detectors at the nation's ports and land crossings. The issue, officials say, is that old monitors can't distinguish between a weapon of mass destruction and radiation that occurs naturally -- in things such as kitty litter. But some are questioning the $1.2 billion price tag.
Oct 31st, 2004 · She's worth billions, she has her own theme park and her face graces thousands of products. At 30, Hello Kitty is one of the great marketing phenomenons of all time... and she's just so darn cute. NPR's Susan Stone reports.
Jun 19th, 2004 · NPR's Scott Simon muses on the "Meow Mix Gold Medal Games," an Olympics -- of sorts -- for cats. Events include: litterbox cleanup; the hairball toss; and feeding time.