Kathy Lohr http://nipr.fm en Churches Reconsider Sponsoring Boy Scout Troops http://nipr.fm/post/churches-reconsider-sponsoring-boy-scout-troops Some churches have said they will end their affiliation with the Boy Scouts after its decision to allow openly gay members to join. Others, including Southern Baptists, are considering their next move. Another group plans to hold a meeting in Louisville later this month with parents who say they want a more Christian organization for their children. Tue, 11 Jun 2013 09:23:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 16032 at http://nipr.fm Boy Scots Vote To Allow Gay Members, But Not Leaders http://nipr.fm/post/boy-scots-vote-allow-gay-members-not-leaders Transcript <p>MELISSA BLOCK, HOST: <p>The Boy Scouts ban on openly gay scouts is coming to an end. That's the result of a vote held today by the leadership of the Boys Scouts of America.<p>WAYNE PERRY: Our vision is to serve every kid. We want every kid to have a place where they belong, to learn and grow and feel protected.<p>BLOCK: Today's historic vote is being celebrated by gay rights advocates as a hard-fought victory and criticized by opponents as a moral capitulation. NPR's Kathy Lohr is in Grapevine, Texas, where the vote took place, and she joins us now. Fri, 24 May 2013 00:23:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 15159 at http://nipr.fm Boy Scouts To Decide Whether To Admit Gay Youth http://nipr.fm/post/boy-scouts-decide-whether-admit-gay-youth Transcript <p>DAVID GREENE, HOST: <p>This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.<p>LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST: <p>And I'm Linda Wertheimer.<p>This week, Boy Scouts of America officials will meet in Texas to consider changing the group's longstanding ban on gay members. The first round of voting starts tomorrow. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:29:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 15061 at http://nipr.fm Mark Sanford Wins House Race http://nipr.fm/post/mark-sanford-wins-house-race Transcript <p>ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST: <p>In South Carolina tonight, a political comeback. Republican Mark Sanford, who was once mired in scandal as the state's governor, has won a congressional seat in a special election. He has defeated Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a race that attracted national attention. Sanford just delivered his victory speech.<p>MARK SANFORD: I have a question for you all. Wed, 08 May 2013 02:56:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 14369 at http://nipr.fm Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C. http://nipr.fm/post/democrats-have-high-hopes-defeating-sanford-sc <p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERK_pExyer8</p><p>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khs3U1y_XB0</p> Fri, 03 May 2013 18:37:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 14191 at http://nipr.fm Democrats Have High Hopes Of Defeating Sanford In S.C. Sanford, Colbert Busch Clash In Sole Debate Before Special Election http://nipr.fm/post/sanford-colbert-busch-clash-sole-debate-special-election Transcript <p>STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: <p>There's a high profile congressional race going on in South Carolina and last night the two candidates met in their first - and only - debate. For the Republican, former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford. Tue, 30 Apr 2013 09:13:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 13995 at http://nipr.fm 50 Years Later, King's Birmingham 'Letter' Still Resonates http://nipr.fm/post/50-years-later-kings-birmingham-letter-still-resonates It's been five decades since Martin Luther King Jr., began writing his famous "Letter From Birmingham Jail," a response to eight white Alabama clergymen who criticized King and worried the civil rights campaign would cause violence. They called King an "extremist" and told blacks they should be patient.<p>But the time for waiting was over. Birmingham was the perfect place to take a stand.<p>So King traveled to Alabama in 1963 to attack the culture of racism in the South and the Jim Crow laws that mandated separate facilities for blacks and whites. In January, Gov. Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:46:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 13399 at http://nipr.fm 50 Years Later, King's Birmingham 'Letter' Still Resonates Sanford Tries For Comeback In S.C. Election http://nipr.fm/post/sanford-tries-comeback-sc-election Two Democrats and 16 Republicans are running for South Carolina's 1st Congressional District seat in a special election Tuesday. The seat is open because former Rep. Tim Scott was tapped to replace Sen. Jim DeMint, who retired midterm.<p>The biggest name in the race is former Gov. Mark Sanford, whose infamous affair led to his political downfall. Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:01:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 12052 at http://nipr.fm Sanford Tries For Comeback In S.C. Election In Dallas, Boy Scouts Debate Opening Membership To Gays http://nipr.fm/post/dallas-boy-scouts-debate-opening-membership-gays Transcript <p>DAVID GREENE, HOST: <p>Leadership of the Boy Scouts of America may take an important vote today. The organization's executive board is wrapping up a meeting in Dallas, and they're talking about whether to drop their policy banning gay leaders and gay scouts. Wed, 06 Feb 2013 10:27:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 10235 at http://nipr.fm States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide http://nipr.fm/post/states-become-battlegrounds-nations-deep-abortion-divide Tuesday marks the 40th anniversary of <em>Roe v. Wade,</em> the U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. Thousands of activists on both sides of the issue are holding rallies marking the day at state capitals across the country.<p>In the decades since the decision, abortion has been one of the most debated and legislated issues in the nation. And state legislatures, which are increasingly passing laws restricting abortion, have become the debate's key battlegrounds.<p>South Dakota is one such state. Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:52:00 +0000 Kathy Lohr 9563 at http://nipr.fm States Become Battlegrounds For Nation's Deep Abortion Divide