Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged '1948'

Report: Factory Orders Drop To 61-Year Low

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 14:35:00 EST

Orders from factories fell for the 13th month in a row in December, as demand for goods dropped to the lowest level since January 1948, according to a report issued Friday.

Holiday Card Exhanged Between 2 Men Since 1948

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:32:00 EST

Back in 1948, a junior high school kid named Art Hebel sent a Christmas card to a classmate. At Christmastime in 1949, the classmate, Bill Nichols, sent the same card back to him. The two men have been sending the exact same card back and forth for 60 years. One lives in Michigan, the other in Indiana. And the Times-Herald newspaper says Hebel doesn't even have Nichols' phone number anymore. They never communicate. Except for the card.

Remembering Truman's 'Veep'

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:17:00 EDT

Alben Barkley served in Congress for close to 40 years and was Harry Truman's vice president from 1948-1952. He too might have been forgotten like other vice presidents except for two things: his nickname and the remarkable circumstance of his death.

In 1948, Democrats Weathered Civil Rights Divide

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:00:00 EDT

The 1948 Democratic convention was divisive and chaotic. And unlike today's highly scripted affairs, the delegates did far more than just wave signs and cheer. Sixty years ago, they played a major role in shaping the civil rights movement in America.

Remembering The Berlin Airlift, 60 Years Later

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:01:00 EDT

Members of the Berlin Airlift, the military operation that brought food, supplies, and goods to West Berlin during the blockade by Moscow in 1948, were honored at the 60th anniversary ceremony in Germany.

Letter From 1948 Finally Arrives In Kansas

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Through rain, sleet or snow, the U.S. Postal Service promises to deliver the mail. But it doesn't say when. After 60 years, a letter finally made its way to a mailbox in Kansas. The letter — postmarked Nov. 11, 1948 — was marked return to sender.

Palestinians Demand 'Right of Return'

Wed, 14 May 2008 16:43:00 EDT

As President Bush joins in celebrations marking Israel's 60th anniversary of independence, Palestinians are marking what they call the Nakba, or Catastrophe. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were forced to leave their homes in what became Israel in 1948. They say any peace agreement must include the "right of return" — meaning they would be able to return to their former homes. Israeli officials say that is impossible.

Israel at 60: Palestinians' 'Absence of Tranquility'

Wed, 14 May 2008 07:57:00 EDT

In 1948, after decades of efforts to form a sovereign nation as a homeland for Jews, the U.N. founded the State of Israel in what was then the country of Palestine. It was a defining moment for the Jewish people, though Palestinians remember it as a catastrophe.

Israel at 60: Prospects for Peace

Tue, 13 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Israel is commemorating the 60th anniversary of its independence. Co-host Renee Montagne talks to Michael Oren, a senior fellow at the Jerusalem-based research group Shalem Center, about what this anniversary means to Israelis and Palestinians. They also discuss how much hope there is for peace talks between the two sides. On Wednesday, we'll hear from a Palestinian columnist about his perspective on 1948 — a time many Palestinians refer to as the "catastrophe."

Israel Celebrates 60 Years of Statehood

Thu, 08 May 2008 06:00:00 EDT

Israel is commemorating the 60th anniversary of its creation according to the Hebrew calendar. In 1948, there were 650,000 people when the Jewish state was declared, and now there are more than 7 million Israelis.

Oscar-Nominated Writer Malvin Wald Dies

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Malvin Wald, a screenwriter who was nominated for an Academy Award for the 1948 movie The Naked City, died Thursday at the age of 90. He wrote dozens of scripts for motion pictures and TV shows, including Peter Gunn, Daktari and Perry Mason.

Lott Looks Back on a Complex Legacy

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 13:29:49 EST

One year ago, Trent Lott asked the voters of Mississippi for six more years in the Senate and the voters said yes. Now he wants to leave after serving just one of those years. Some of his constituents are sure to feel abused by the turnabout. But is Lott really quitting early? That's got to depend on what you mean by early. Lott may be only 66, but his 40 years in Washington already span a great gulf in the history of the Congress, not to mention the history of his state, region and country. Lott's lifetime has seen the decline of many traditions, not a few of which he defended personally. These include the race-based customs of the Deep South and also the time-honored courtesies of a Senate where even mortal political enemies knew they eventually had to get down to dealing with one another. How you feel about Lott's departure depends on how you feel about those traditions, and for more than a few people in Washington that stirs a strong brew of emotions. The shadow of the Old South seemed to hover just behind this Mississippian at every juncture of his career. He first arrived on Capitol Hill in 1968 as an Ole Miss law school grad on staff for William Colmer, the last Dixiecrat to chair the House Rules Committee. When Colmer retired in 1972, he helped Lott shift the seat to the GOP (breaking a tradition that dated back nearly a century). Lott went to work encouraging his region's partisan shift, campaigning for underdog Republicans in Southern districts. One whom he championed in the 1970s was a Georgia college professor named Newt Gingrich. Lott rose during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, becoming the No. 2 Republican in the House. At the time it was the highest any member from the Deep South had risen in the ranks of the House GOP. In 1988 he made the move to the Senate, replacing the legendary John Stennis, the last Democrat from the state to serve in the chamber. Lott's roots also led to the transgression that cost him his job as Senate Majority Leader in 2002. It began with a remark at Strom Thurmond's 100th birthday party and farewell. Lott said his own state of Mississippi had voted for Thurmond in 1948 when Thurmond was the presidential candidate of the segregationist States Rights Party. Lott added that if more states had done the same, the country might have avoided a lot of problems that came after. Lott always maintained he was just being nice to his retiring colleague and meant nothing racial with his remark. But lots of ears heard it differently, including some at the White House. The president bailed out on Lott and within days Lott was out as Senate leader. Many expected him to retire when his term ended. Then Hurricane Katrina ravaged his beloved Gulf Coast (leveling his own home), and Lott got his groove back. He took on insurance companies and the Bush administration and easily won re-election in 2006. Then he went after the Number Two job in the Senate GOP and won it by a single vote. It was a double shot of redemption. It also happened at a moment when Democrats had clawed back on top by a narrow margin in the chamber, making cantankerous Harry Reid the new Senate Majority Leader. The new Republican boss was to be the equally battle-ready Mitch McConnell. Lott looked like the guy who could dilute that otherwise combustible mix and make it possible for both sides to do business. After all, that had been part of his history as party leader in the 1990s, when he still saw himself as preserving the courtly ways of the Senate of yore. The mid-1990s saw nearly constant combat between President Bill Clinton and the newly-elected Republican majorities in Congress, symbolized by Gingrich, the new House Speaker. Lott had celebrated his party's new majority status in the Senate by getting elected whip, and when Majority Leader Bob Dole stepped down to concentrate on his presidential bid in 1996, Lott became his party's Number One. What followed in the middle months of that year was a remarkable catalog of bipartisan achievement. Bridging the partisan divide within the Senate, and also the chasm between Gingrich and Clinton, Lott was the vital center for one deal after another. The Congress and White House enacted a minimum wage increase and a historic overhaul of the welfare system few had thought possible. They also struck a bargain permitting health insurance portability and a new law protecting drinking water. By so doing, Lott made it easier for Republicans to retain majority control of both chambers in the 1996 elections. He also made it easier for Clinton to win re-election over Dole that same November. It was a tradeoff that made sense to Lott, an institutional pragmatist who preferred moving the merchandise to closing the store. So why did Lott pull the plug so abruptly now, leaving the Senate he clearly loved? Perhaps he was hoping to become the next chancellor at Ole Miss, his alma mater. Or perhaps, as most assume, he will surface soon as a million-dollar lobbyist. But he may also have concluded it's no longer possible to practice the politics he knew best: talking tough but coming to the table. Before dismissing Lott as one more former leader on the make, or as one more reminder of the Southern past, we should also ask who will fill his role as a deal maker in this Congress, and the next. It may not be a skill that inspires admiration or presidential nominations, but it is sorely missed in the current leadership in both parties in both chambers of this wartime, war-torn Congress. Related NPR Stories Political Junkie: Lott's Move Leaves Miss. with Two Seats to Fill

Norman Mailer, Author and Social Critic, Dies at 84

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 17:34:00 EST

One of the greatest writers of his generation, Norman Mailer has died at the age of 84. Mailer burst onto the literary scene in 1948 with The Naked and the Dead, and won two Pultizer Prizes during his 60-year career.

A Mea Culpa on Les Paul and Multi-Tracks

Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:36:00 EDT

In last week's profile of Les Paul, we reported that his hits with Mary Ford employed a multi-track recording technique that Paul pioneered. Listener Joe Zannieri sets us straight on that. He writes, "The 'new sound' hit records Les made with Mary between 1948 and 1954 were made using multiple overdubs."

Palestinian Refugee Camps Most Desperate in Lebanon

Wed, 23 May 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Thousands of Palestinians leave a refugee camp in northern Lebanon that has been the scene of three days of fighting between the Lebanese army and Islamic militants. The camp is one of a dozen created in Lebanon after Israel was created in 1948.

Aldo Leopold's 'Marshland Elegy'

Sun, 01 Apr 2007 09:48:00 EDT

Published in 1948, A Sand County Almanac is a classic of the conservation movement. Wisconsin honors author Aldo Leopold every year with public readings. The essay "Marshland Elegy" offers a background for reflections on a conservation pioneer.

A Conversation with Maurice Sendak

Sat, 04 Jun 2005 00:00:00 EDT

The giant of children's literature talks with Jennifer Ludden about his craft and his early influences. His latest book is a re-illustration of a 1948 work by his mentor, Ruth Krauss, called Bears.

Singer Rick James Found Dead in His L.A. Home

Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EDT

R&B and funk pioneer Rick James, best known for his dance hit "Super Freak," is reportedly found dead in his Los Angeles home. According to news reports, James, born in Buffalo, N.Y. in 1948, died of natural causes. James served time in prison for assault, battled a crack cocaine addiction for many years and recently suffered a stroke while on tour. A movie based on his memoirs was planned.

LOST AND FOUND SOUND: Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins

Fri, 17 Dec 1999 00:00:00 EST

Lost and Found Sound presents the story of William Allen Taylor, a disk jockey and a bit of an actor, who went looking for the sound of the voice of his father. Taylor was born out of wedlock. It was only late in life that Taylor discovered his father was Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins -- a former Pullman reporter who in 1948 became Cleveland's first black disk jockey. Hawkins broadcast live from the window of his record store, and was widely influential. But there are no known recordings of Hawkins' voice. So, by talking to those who knew Hawkins and listened to his program, William Allen Taylor attempts to bring his father's voice to life again through imitation.