Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'agency'

U.N. Agency Suspends Work In Gaza

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 16:00:00 EST

A U.N. aid agency working to provide aid to Gaza has suspended operations after one of its truck drivers was killed by Israeli fire. Earlier, Israel declared another brief lull to allow in humanitarian supplies. Meanwhile, three rockets launched from Lebanon landed in Israel.

Making Changes At The CIA

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 14:45:00 EST

The CIA under the Bush administration has been plagued by allegations of secret prisons, rendition and intelligence failures. Obama has selected someone without intelligence experience — Leon Panetta — as the agency's new head. Will an outsider be able change the CIA?

Auto Models Rev Up To Sell At Detroit Auto Show

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 11:26:00 EST

Auto models have been showing off cars for decades, but now they play a much bigger role in selling vehicles, according to Margery Krevsky who runs an auto modeling talent agency. They may be needed this year more than ever with the industry in the tank.

House Panel Questioning SEC Auditors On Madoff

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:05:00 EST

The panel wants to find out why the agency didn't detect $50 billion in alleged fraud by Bernard Madoff's investment firm, despite numerous warnings dating back to at least 1999.

Recalling Castro's Ascension — And CIA Reaction

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:03:00 EST

Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba 50 years ago today, as dictator Fulgencio Batista fled the island and people poured into the streets to celebrate. U.S. reaction to Castro was mixed, but Castro had supporters inside the U.S. government. Many were in the CIA — the agency that would soon try to overthrow him.

Columbia Report Aims To Make Space Missions Safer

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST

NASA released a study Tuesday about the Columbia space shuttle accident that will help the space agency design better systems to protect astronauts. None of the lessons learned could have saved the crew in February 2003, however.

FDA Reverses Cephalosporin Ban

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

The Food and Drug Administration had planned to ban the use of a popular antibiotic from use in animal feed. At the last minute, the agency pulled back. Cephalosporin is one of the most important drugs for treating infectious diseases in humans.

NASA Awards Contracts To Supply Space Station

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

For the first time, NASA is planning to privatize supply operations for the International Space Station. The agency has awarded roughly $3 billion worth of contracts to two companies to develop rockets to haul cargo to the orbiting outpost.

Survey Reports Scientists 'Suspicious' Of FBI

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:51:00 EST

The agency may need an image makeover if it wants the expertise and cooperation of the nation's top researchers. According to the report, members of the scientific community would rather discuss their work with total strangers than an FBI agent.

Obama To Name Mary Schapiro As SEC Chief

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:44:00 EST

President-elect Obama on Thursday is expected to name Mary Schapiro to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, an agency that has been the focus of criticism in recent weeks for apparently failing to act on questionable practices that may have cost investors billions of dollars.

Cox Cites SEC Failures In Madoff Case

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:41:00 EST

The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission is blaming the agency's staff for a decade-long failure to investigate Wall Street money manager Bernard Madoff, now accused of running the largest-ever pyramid investment scheme.

FDA Panel Considers Risks Of Asthma Drugs

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

The Food and Drug Administration has taken on another difficult challenge. This time it's the safety of medication for severe asthma. Many doctors and professional groups say the drugs are life-savers. But the agency is considering whether the drugs may make asthma worse, or even deadly.

Advertising Firms Retooling In Economic Crisis

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

How do you sell when people don't want to buy? That's the challenge facing the advertising business in an economic downturn. One ad agency in Philadelphia is retooling its approach, while a car dealer is radically down-shifting.

O.J. To Be Sentenced In October Conviction

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

OJ Simpson faces at least six years in prison when he is sentenced Friday in Las Vegas. The state parole agency is calling for at least 18 years. In October, a jury found Simpson guilty of 12 felonies related to a robbery that he and six other men committed last year.

Homeland Security: Rethinking What Works

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 00:01:00 EST

Obama will be the first new president to take office with a Department of Homeland Security, the agency created after the Sept. 11 attacks. Current DHS observers say he should look at the agency's successes and flaws before reorganizing it.

Adviser Withdraws From Consideration As CIA Head

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

A top candidate to serve as CIA director in the Obama Administration has asked that his name be withdrawn from consideration. John Brennan, a 25 year veteran of the agency, has been serving for months as Barack Obama's top adviser on intelligence issues.

Under Obama's Watch, NASA's Shuttle Fleet Retires

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:42:00 EST

NASA's aging shuttle fleet is expected to be retired before the agency has a new space transportation system in place. The GAO has identified this spaceship gap as one of 13 urgent issues facing the new administration.

How Do You Convince People To Buy In Rough Times...

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:00:00 EST

Advertising campaigns must adjust to the fact that people are more cautious about spending money right now. Romi Mahajan, chief marketing officer for the digital ad agency Ascentium, discusses how companies are revamping their strategies.

CIA Director: Al-Qaida Remains No. 1 Threat To U.S.

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:54:00 EST

Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the CIA has updated its official assessment of the al-Qaida terrorist network. Agency director Michael Hayden says al-Qaida remains the most present danger to the U.S. Hayden spoke Thursday in the midst of the presidential transition, the first during wartime in 40 years.

Justice Leader's Job: Renew A Battered Agency

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:11:00 EST

The Justice Department is emerging from what many have called its most tumultuous period in decades. A new attorney general will have to restore the department's credibility and work to counter perceptions that law enforcement decisions have become politicized.

Photo Project Links Images, Imagination

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:05:00 EDT

Aurora Photo chief Jose Azel brainstormed a call-and-response photo essay to mark the agency's 15th anniversary. The resulting "Action:Reaction" project is much like a "photo chain letter."

Syria Accuses U.S. Of Attack Near Iraqi Border

Sun, 26 Oct 2008 17:37:00 EDT

Syria's government-run news agency says U.S. helicopters struck a Syrian village on Sunday, leading to casualties. So far, the U.S. military in Iraq has not commented on the report.

FDIC Chairwoman Suddenly A Star

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:05:00 EDT

It's only in times of crisis that the spotlight shines on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. And right now, the agency's chief Sheila Bair is practically famous.

Shining A Light On The NSA's 'Shadow Factory'

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:47:00 EDT

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the National Security Agency stepped up its efforts to collect intelligence domestically by filtering millions of conversations and e-mail messages. In his new book, The Shadow Factor, journalist James Bamford reveals that the ultra-secret agency has half a million people on its watch lists.

Analyzing China's Exposure To U.S. Debt

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:58:00 EDT

Stephen Green, head of research at Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghai, speaks with host Liane Hansen about how the global financial crisis has hit China. China has close to $1.3 trillion invested in U.S. debt with up to $500 billion in agency securities.