NPR's Morning Edition

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

Foreign ministers of the Arab League are meeting in Baghdad today. It's something of a return to the world stage for the Iraqi capital, marking the first time in two decades Baghdad has hosted this summit of Arab leaders. NPR's Kelly McEvers is there to cover the event and joins us now.

Good morning, Kelly.

KELLY MCEVERS, BYLINE: Good morning.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, whose construction has been delayed over environmental concerns, could now face some competition.

As NPR's John Ydstie reports, two companies have announced plans to build pipelines that would carry out the same service as the XL, channeling oil from Canada's tar sands to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico.

Folklorist Alan Lomax spent his career documenting folk music traditions from around the world. Now thousands of the songs and interviews he recorded are available for free online, many for the first time. It's part of what Lomax envisioned for the collection — long before the age of the Internet.

This year's Final Four seems more like Best in Show at the Westminster. Such pedigree: Kentucky, Kansas, Ohio State and Louisville –– four of the very top dogs in the history of the sport. Well, it's a Meryl Streep kind of year, isn't it?

But if the Final Four might delight fans by giving them aristocracy in its teams, unfortunately the whole of college basketball is plagued by anonymity in its players, and external issues that have diminished the popularity of the game.

Good grief. This year, there has been more buzz about Mad Men than about March Madness.

The leadership of both  houses of the United States Congress have said that discussion of and action on the U.S. budget this year 'seems unlikely'. Considering the state of the United States economy and a budget deficit so high it seems inconceivable,

Asheville-Buncombe Christian Ministries has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to participate in a scientific study of a program to help impoverished young people rise out of poverty and increase their opportunities for a successful future. The program is called, "Our Circle" and has been offered at ABCCM for about a year. With this study, the program could become a framework for similar programs across the country. Find out more at www.abccm.org.

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The Pennsylvania capital Harrisburg is more than $300 million in debt. The budget is controlled by a state-appointed custodian. City and law enforcement services are under strain and residents worry violent crime may be growing.

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

And our last word in business today is: billion euro real estate. That's how much artist Frank Buckley's Dublin apartment cost. In theory, he actually got the materials for free from Ireland's central bank.

The walls, furniture and detailing in his apartment are all made from bricks of shredded euro notes. Buckley estimates each brick contains 40 or 50,000 euro's worth.

FRANK BUCKLEY: I collected two trailer-fulls of shredded notes - 1.4 billion euro.