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4:28 am
Sat January 5, 2013

Germany's Housing Market Is Hot. Is It Overheating?

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Credit Adam Berry / Getty Images
Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, like many others across the city, is experiencing a real estate boom. Housing prices have risen by as much as 20 percent in the past year in some German cities.
Credit Adam Berry / Getty Images
A worker walks through a new housing complex in Berlin. German and foreign investors are rapidly buying up property, leaving some analysts concerned about a potential housing bubble.
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Originally published on Sat January 5, 2013 8:59 am

Few Western countries are as conservative about home ownership as Germany, where less than half the country's citizens own property.

German banks have tough lending rules. Would-be buyers are usually asked to provide hefty down payments to secure mortgages, meaning few Germans even think about buying a home until they are settled and financially secure.

But the European debt crisis appears to be changing the traditions around home ownership. The resulting surge in homebuying, some officials warn, is driving prices too high and threatens the nation's economy.

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It's All Politics
4:28 am
Sat January 5, 2013

Often Written Off, Biden Has Long List Of Deals To His Name

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Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images
Vice President Joe Biden leads the first meeting of the working group to explore solutions following the Newtown shooting with Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey and other law enforcement leaders on Dec. 20.
Credit Drew Angerer / Getty Images
Vice President Joe Biden arrives for a closed-door meeting with Senate Democrats to urge them to support a fiscal cliff deal on Monday.
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Originally published on Sat January 5, 2013 8:59 am

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Music Interviews
1:03 am
Sat January 5, 2013

Preserving The Home, And History, Of New Orleans' Piano Professor

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Credit David Redfern / Redferns
Professor Longhair performs at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, circa 1970.
Credit Jason Saul / WWNO
Professor Longhair's daughter Pat Walton Byrd poses outside Tipitina's, a New Orleans venue named after one of her father's compositions.
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Originally published on Sat January 5, 2013 1:10 pm

On the tough side of Terpsichore Street in New Orleans stands a duplex — a two-story, wood-framed building with wood floors, high ceilings and a nice fireplace. But this old house is empty: no furniture, no walls, no electricity, no toilet. Iron bars hide the windows; there's a lockbox on the door. The facade is three different shades of blecch, blurgh and blah.

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Music Interviews
1:03 am
Sat January 5, 2013

Emel Mathlouthi: Voice Of The Tunisian Revolution

Credit Ghaith Ghoufa / Courtesy of the artist
Emel Mathlouthi
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Originally published on Sat January 5, 2013 8:59 am

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On Aging
4:58 pm
Fri January 4, 2013

Baby Boomers' Last Wishes: Motorcycle Hearses And Facebook Obits

Credit Peter Gray for NPR
Lew Bird says that before passing away, his friend requested that his funeral include one last ride on a motorcycle.
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By Peter Gray

Originally published on Fri January 4, 2013 6:02 pm

Old Aristocracy Hill isn't a part of Springfield, Ill., that draws a lot of attention. The quiet neighborhood dates back to before the Civil War, its historic homes now carefully preserved by proud business owners.

But outside a stately funeral home, a large black-and-chrome Harley Davidson motorcycle trike pulls out of the parking lot, towing a matching casket in its glass-sided trailer.

It's not something you would expect to see, but it's exactly what 67-year-old Lew Bird says his friend Dave Rondelli wanted: one last ride.

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