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Why Doctors Oppose Force-Feeding Guantanamo Hunger Strikers

Doctors say a viral video demonstrating force-feeding helps expose the unethical treatment of Guantanamo detainees subjected to the procedure. Force-feeding is wrong, doctors say, because prisoners of sound mind have a right to refuse medical intervention, including nourishment.

Taste Of Grandma's Kitchen: We Hack An Old Ketchup Recipe

Jim Ledvinka grew up outside of Chicago watching his grandmother make ketchup from scratch once a year. As a kid, he hated the stuff. As a man — and now a grandfather — he became desperate to re-create it. That's where All Things Considered's Found Recipes project comes in.

Hipsters Off The Hook: The Truth Behind Abandoned Backyard Chickens

Unwanted chicks are filling up some city shelters around the country, and some activists are blaming fair-weather hipster farmers. But a closer look reveals another root cause: When urban farmers order hens, they often end up instead with roosters — illegal in many cities.

It's Not Just The Middle East With Quirky Booze Laws

Our commenters point out that the Middle East isn't the only place with confusing laws regulating the purchase and consumption of alcohol. Dry counties, wet counties, blue laws and mini-bottles: Jurisdictions across the U.S. also grapple with how to regulate alcohol sales.


When Twinkies hit the stores again on July 15, their shelf life will be nearly twice as long as it used to be: 45 days. (We were surprised it wasn't longer.) There's a whole lot of food science employed to help the creme-filled cake defy the laws of baked-good longevity.

Smithfield Says Pork Won't Change, But Some Aren't Buying It

Worried about the impact on U.S. consumers, farmers and even taxpayers, some senators expressed qualms about the intentions of Shuanghui International Holdings, a Chinese firm that is buying Smithfield Foods.

Do Diet Drinks Mess Up Metabolisms?

A body of evidence suggests artificial sweeteners — most often consumed in diet drinks — could raise the risk of weight gain and type 2 diabetes. Some researchers think that artificial sugar may confuse the body.
WAMU 88.5

The Ins And Outs Of Restaurant Reservations

Booking a table at your favorite eatery can take advance planning, strategic thinking and flexibility. We'll look behind the scenes at the inner workings of restaurant reservations.


Why Micro-Gardening Could Go Big


As Biotech Seed Falters, Insecticide Use Surges In Corn Belt

Across the corn belt, farmers are pulling out all the stops in their war the corn rootworm. They're returning to chemical pesticides, because the weapons of biotechnology — inserted genes that are supposed to kill the rootworm — aren't working so well anymore.