Can A Computer Change The Essence Of Who You Are? Plus 14 More Stories

Your NPR stories for February 13, 2015

Daily Briefing A look at the day's top stories News Can A Computer Change The Essence Of Who You Are? The latest episode of NPR's Invisibilia takes us online. Some people think interacting with these machines is changing us all — for better and worse. Read this story Outmanned And Outgunned, Fighters Defend Yazidi Shrine Against ISIS Led by a celebrated Yazidi fighter, a small band of Kurdish peshmerga survived a months-long ISIS onslaught. Unlike others in Syria and Iraq, this sacred place still stands, nearly unscathed. Read this story A Texas Community Takes On Racial Tensions Once Hidden Under The Surface People move to Austin's Mueller neighborhood to become part of a progressive community. But some black residents say they haven't always felt welcome — so Mueller decided to do something about it. Read this story Fraud Case Casts Spotlight On Medicare Advantage Plans An indictment in Florida is likely to draw heightened scrutiny to potential billing fraud in privately run Medicare plans. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of government oversight. Read this story Chapel Hill Shooting Victims Were 'Radiant,' Teacher Says One of the young students killed in Tuesday's shooting in Chapel Hill, N.C., Yusor Abu-Salha, spoke to StoryCorps last year with her former third grade teacher. Read this story more news stories Most Popular Couples Who Choose Not To Have Children Are 'Selfish,' Pope Says Francis spoke of a "greedy generation" that is opting not to procreate. His remarks come less than two weeks after he said Catholics do not need to breed "like rabbits." Read this story In San Diego, Wild Discrepancies Between Video Footage And A Police Report Video footage shows glaring inconsistencies in police officers' account of a suspected break-in, which was actually just two brothers walking into their home. Read this story With Porches And Parks, A Texas Community Aims For Urban Utopia Austin's Mueller neighborhood is a new-urbanist dream, designed to be convivial, walkable and energy-efficient. Every house has a porch or stoop, and all the cars are hidden away. Read this story Are Pediatricians Prepared To Help Patients Who Want IUDs? Some pediatricians and other doctors worry they aren't properly prepared to make this highly effective form of birth control available, because their training didn't cover insertion of the devices. Read this story Gardener's Twofer: First Ketchup 'N' Fries Plant Hits U.S. Market British horticulturalists figured out how to graft a tomato plant onto a potato plant. The plant, called Ketchup 'N' Fries, has crossed the pond and will be available to U.S. gardeners this spring. Read this story more most popular stories Arts & Life Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Jupiter Ascending' And On-Screen Chemistry On this week's show: the Wachowskis' new kooky space adventure, the power of chemistry, and what's making us happy this week. Read this story 'Fifty Shades' Director Explores Passion, Performance And Control Fifty Shades of Grey is expected to be a blockbuster — and the director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, is a relative unknown outside of the art world, where she's a star. NPR's Neda Ulaby has a profile. Read this story 'Ida' Director Made Film To 'Recover The Poland' Of His Childhood The film is set in 1962 in Poland where director Pawel Pawlikowski lived until he was 14. Up for an Oscar for best foreign language film, Ida is about identity, faith, guilt and socialism. Read this story Movies That Really Stink The fur flies in this final round as contestants go ape trying to guess movies that have the names of animals in their titles. Who will Chicken Run their way to victory? Read this story Pickup Lines Throughout History Is it 451 degrees Fahrenheit in here, or is it just you? Imagine pick-up lines that famous historical figures might have used at their local bar. Have your glass of water ready. Read this story more arts & life stories