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Europe
3:22 pm
Tue November 29, 2011

Modern Greeks Return To Ancient System Of Barter

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Credit Sylvia Poggoli / NPR
In Volos, optician Klita Dimitriadis accepts partial payment in Local Alternative Units, or TEMs. She then spends the TEMs at a monthly farmers market, or exchanges them for other services.
Credit Sylvia Poggoli / NPR
In the Greek village of Volos, fisherman Christos Xegandakis (left) jokes bitterly that times have gotten so tough that he may have to start swapping his fish for other goods. Others in Volos have already turned to barter systems, both formal and informal, in order to make ends meet.
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It's Sunday in Volos, a fishing village nestled in a large bay in central Greece, and fishermen display their daily catch, which this day includes codfish, sardines and octopus.

Prices have been slashed, but customers are few.

Fisherman Christos Xegandakis laughs bitterly. He says business is so bad, it's time to start swapping goods.

"Give me two kilos of potatoes, and I give you a kilo of fish," he says. "Why not?

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Business
3:21 pm
Tue November 29, 2011

Is Bankruptcy 'Business As Usual' For Airlines?

Credit Richard W. Rodriguez / AP
Passengers check in at an American Airlines ticketing counter at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport on Tuesday. American's parent company, AMR, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it seeks to cut costs and unload massive debt.
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As American Airlines struggled to keep up with its rivals in recent years, it could at least boast something that competitors could not: The Fort Worth, Texas-based carrier had never gone bankrupt. Not anymore.

On Tuesday, American's parent, AMR Corp., filed for bankruptcy protection, citing $10 billion in loses over the past decade. In a statement, it said it took the step in hopes of bringing down costs and emerging more competitive.

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The Two-Way
3:05 pm
Tue November 29, 2011

Atlanta Man Wins Lottery For The Second Time In Three Years

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Credit screenshot / 11 Alive
Delma Kinney collecting his 2008 jackpot.
Credit Georgia Lottery
Georgia Lottery logo.
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They say lightning doesn't strike in the same place twice, right? It's also a popular belief that you're more likely to get hit by lightning than to win the lottery.

So, I think we're safe in saying that Delma Kinney, an Atlanta man who will turn 51 Dec. 5, has beat the odds, winning a million-dollar lottery twice in three years.

The AP reports:

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Middle East
2:45 pm
Tue November 29, 2011

Report Says Syrian Forces Have Killed 256 Children

Credit Yin Bogu / Xinhua /Landov
Syrian has come under increasing international pressure in recent days. On Monday, Syrians protested in the capital Damascus against the Arab League's decision to impose sanctions. Syria has also come under sharp criticism from an independent commission that accused the security forces of systematically carrying out abuses against anti-government demonstrators.
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An independent commission has released a blistering human rights report that says Syria's security forces have carried out widespread abuses against protesters, including murder and torture.

The commission, appointed by the U.N.'s Human Rights Council, based its report on interviews with more than 220 witnesses or victims of abuse by Syrian security forces. The panel says it collected a solid body of evidence and identified patterns of human rights violations.

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NPR's Back Seat Book Club
2:23 pm
Tue November 29, 2011

Kids' Book Club Takes 'Tollbooth' To Lands Beyond

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Credit Courtesy of Norton Juster
Norton Juster was born in Brooklyn in 1929. He is professor emeritus of design at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mas.
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Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 10:14 am

Welcome to the second installment of NPR's Backseat Book Club! Every month, we invite kids to read a book along with us, and then send in their questions for the author.

Our book club selection for November is a classic that's celebrating a big anniversary. The Phantom Tollbooth — written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer — was published 50 years ago. Juster tells NPR's Michele Norris that the story sprang from his own childhood.

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