Melissa Block

Chemical Weapons Use In Syria Crosses U.S. 'Red Line'

Melissa Block — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 23:37:00 +0000

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The Obama administration has now joined France and Britain in concluding that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons against its own people. That crosses a red line that President Obama has repeatedly warned would change the U.S. calculation in Syria. Tonight, the administration announced that it will step up its military support for the Syrian rebels.

Feds Drop Opposition To Restriction On Sales Of Morning-After Pill

Melissa Block — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 02:35:00 +0000

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From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Audie Cornish.

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

And I'm Melissa Block. The morning-after pill will soon be available - without a prescription - on pharmacy shelves, with no restrictions on age. That's because the Obama administration has dropped a long-running battle to keep age restrictions on emergency contraception. NPR's Julie Rovner joins me to explain this policy change. And Julie, this was an unexpected development. It came tonight.

The Low-Tech Way Guns Get Traced

Melissa Block — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:11:00 +0000

Opponents of expanding background checks for gun sales often raise the fear that it would allow the government to create a national gun registry — a database of gun transactions. In fact, federal law already bans the creation of such a registry. And the reality of how gun sales records are accessed turns out to be surprisingly low-tech.

The trace begins after police seize a gun at a crime scene and then reach out to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, W.Va.

Boeing's 787 Dreamliners To Fly Again After FAA Approval

Melissa Block — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 21:59:00 +0000

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And as we continue to cover the events in the Boston area, we want to also talk about one other story, Boeing 787. The jet known as the Dreamliner will be back in the air soon. This afternoon, the FAA approved Boeing's redesign of the plane's battery system. Fifty 787s have been grounded for the last three months following two serious battery failures, one which led to a fire.

NPR's Wendy Kaufman has been following the story, and she joins us now.

Report: North Korea May Be Able To Deliver Nuclear Weapons

Melissa Block — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 22:07:00 +0000

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And I'm Melissa Block. A stunning revelation today from a member of Congress. It came from Republican Doug Lamborn, of Colorado, during an exchange on Capitol Hill with Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lamborn cited a Defense Intelligence Agency report on North Korea's military capability, one that had not yet been released. Here's what Rep.