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Inspector Mohammad Saleem Taqi takes a photo of sanitation workers as they clear out debris in sewers. The government feeds the photos into a map to track the city's effort to stop dengue fever.

How Smartphones Became Vital Tools Against Dengue In Pakistan

Two years ago Pakistan's Punjab province was hit with one of the world's worst dengue outbreaks. This year the number of recorded cases has plummeted. Many leaders credit a mobile phone app that tracks mosquito populations and city workers' efforts to contain them.

From Kolbasa To Borscht, 'Soviet Cooking' Tells A Personal History

Anya von Bremzen's new memoir is a delicious narrative of memory and cuisine in 20th century Soviet Union. She writes about her family's own history and contemplates the nation's "complicated, even tortured, relationship with food."

A boat skims through the melting ice in the Ilulissat fjord in August 2008, on the western coast of Greenland.

Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change

A new book explores the ways melting Arctic ice yield new shipping channels, new oil and gas resources — and potential profits. Journalist McKenzie Funk delves into the "booming business of global warming" in Windfall.

Democratic Rep. Fudge Weighs In On Obama's Key Points

Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio, chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, joins Steve Inskeep with reaction to President Obama's State of the Union address.

Plan Aims To Assure Afghanistan Aid Goes Where It's Supposed To

This coming week, the U.S. Agency for International Development plans to announce a new monitoring program that is designed to keep track of the aid dollars being spent in Afghanistan. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Larry Sampler, head of USAID programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The community of Greensburg, Kan., was hit hard by an F5 tornado in 2007. The event inspired one resident to run for mayor.

Kansas Mayor Says Sustainability Is About Community, Not Politics

Today's political polarization makes it seem harder than ever to tackle climate change. Republican Bob Dixson says the goals of going green aren't only for liberals. His town of Greensburg was hit by an unusually strong tornado, and now he's working on a White House task force to prepare communities like his.

Porn has a distinct problem that less racy media companies don't have: Users are afraid of leaving a digital record. Paid sites are trying to lure viewers out of the shadows and into credit card payments.

Hurting For Cash, Online Porn Tries New Tricks

Online pornography was the cutting edge of e-commerce during the Internet's early days, but its heyday is over. To recoup some of those costs, one porn empire in San Francisco is using data analytics, lifestyle events and new products to keep customers loyal.

The Rock of Gibraltar, as seen from the Spanish town of La Linea de la Concepcion, at Spain's southern tip. Gibraltar has been British territory for 301 years, but many Spaniards want it back. Fresh squabbles over fishing rights cropped up recently.

The Squabble That Never Ends: Britain and Spain Duel Over Gibraltar

The Rock of Gibraltar is on a peninsula attached to Spain. It's been sovereign British territory for 301 years, but many Spaniards still say it belongs to them.

Historian John Barry pushed a lawsuit alleging that oil and gas companies destroyed land that once served as a buffer protecting New Orleans from hurricanes.

As La. Coast Recedes, Battle Rages Over Who Should Pay

A flood protection authority is suing to try to hold the oil and gas industries responsible for Louisiana's land crisis. But policymakers are trying to stop the lawsuit, saying it's bad for business.

People dig for clams on Long Beach Peninsula when Washington state allows it, no matter what time of day. On this day, low tide forced clam diggers to be out before dawn.

In The Land Of Razor Clams, Dinner Hides Deep Within The Sand

Clam digging satisfies that primeval urge to go out into nature and find free food. And inveterate Washington state clam diggers admit they compete to get their daily limit of 15 clams.

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