Protests Force Israel to Confront Wealth Gap By ETHAN BRONNER Protesters in Israel complain that a country once seen as a model of equality now has one of the largest gaps between rich and poor in the industrialized world.    

Chinese Still Prefer Print Despite Rise in Digital Media Chinese Still Prefer Print Despite Rise in Digital Media posted: 8/12/2011 by: Jiang Xiaoling | Jiefang Daily According to a new report, Shanghai citizens are increasingly choosing digital forms of reading, such as online reading or reading books via mobile phones. The survey, released by the [...]

The Dollar Is Still Central To The Global Economy. That May Not Last. The dollar’s role in the global economy is a boon to the U.S. But in the coming years, its place in the world may slip. The U.S. economy is spooking investors. But every day, all around the world, foreign businesses are still [...]

Europe Remembering The Berlin Wall, 50 Years On As Germans mark the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall, NPR has curated a series of photos from its construction in 1961 to the graffiti-covered slabs that now sit on the grounds of a Berlin construction company.  

Energy Panel Wants Answers On Gas ‘Fracking’ A Department of Energy panel concludes the public needs more information about hydraulic fracturing to restore faith in “fracking.” The controversial practice has launched gas booms across the country, but critics say it is polluting ground water.

More Book Notes Philip Levine Named As America’s New Poet Laureate Categories: human interest, National News August 10, 2011 by Bill Chappell America’s new poet laureate, Philip Levine, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1995. Here, he’s seen in a file photo at the San Joaquin River Center in Fresno, Calif. America has a new poet [...]

Author Interviews In ’1493,’ Columbus Shaped A World To Be When Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492, his journey prompted the exchange of not only information but also food, animals, insects, plants and disease between the continents. In a new book, Charles C. Mann describes the aftermath of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.

Summer Books 2011 Your Picks: Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books More than 5,000 of you nominated. More than 60,000 of you voted. And now the results are in. Explore the winners of NPR’s Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey — an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles.  

Apple challenges Exxon The Ten Reasons Apple Is The Most Valuable Company In the World Posted: August 9, 2011 at 7:28 pm Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) briefly became the most valuable company in the world today. When it hit $364 billion in worth, it passed long-time leader Exxon Mobil. Over a span of two years, Apple’s market [...]

Ten housing markets set to collapse. The Ten Housing Markets That Will Collapse This Year Posted: August 9, 2011 at 6:26 pm The real estate market is already in the deepest depression in modern U.S. history. If you think it can’t get any worse, think again. In several cities, the real estate market is about to [...]