: News

How A Bald-Faced Bluff May Have Saved Reagan National Airport After 9/11

Play associated audio
Reagan National Airport is bustling now, but it was almost permanently closed in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks.
WikiCommons
Reagan National Airport is bustling now, but it was almost permanently closed in the weeks following the 9/11 attacks.

At almost any time on almost any day, an airport is filled with sounds: PA announcements over the loudspeakers, the omnipresent click-clack of rolling luggage and, of course, the airplanes themselves.

But for several weeks after the September 11th attacks, the airport, was empty.

With the 9th anniversary of the attacks coming up, David Schultz has this story of just how close Reagan National came to being closed forever.

NPR

Book News: Lydia Davis Wins Man Booker International Prize

Also: Amazon to begin publishing fan fiction; Paul Ryan and Elizabeth Warren are writing books; Keith Richards' exorbitant library fines.
NPR

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

Activists say the case against Wisconsin dairy farmer Vernon Hershberger is about raw milk — and much more. His supporters have turned the case into a rallying cry for personal food freedom and the rights of farmers and consumers to enter into private contracts without government intervention.
NPR

Losers In Chicago School Closings Target Elected Officials

The Chicago school board on Wednesday voted to close dozens of schools, despite community protests that the closings disproportionately affect minority students. The Chicago Teachers Union and community activists plan to show their disapproval by campaigning against elected officials who disagreed with them.
NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.