Bill Chappell

James Gandolfini Dies At 51, According To Reports

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:45:00 +0000

Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has died, HBO and other sources confirm. The former star of the HBO series The Sopranos was reportedly on holiday in Italy when he died. The cause of death is not yet known with certainty, but HBO says the actor may have suffered a heart attack.

Update at 8:15 p.m. ET: Confirmation From HBO:

Initial reports of Gandolfini's death were confirmed to NPR by HBO, which has released a statement:

"We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family.

Federal Agents Accuse Two Of Plotting Deadly X-Ray Weapon

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:14:00 +0000

Two men in upstate New York have been arrested for planning to build a "radiation particle weapon" that could be mounted on a vehicle and used to target people, according to a report by the Albany Times-Union Wednesday.

Snowden Reportedly In 'Informal' Asylum Talks With Iceland

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:51:00 +0000

Edward Snowden, the man commonly called "the NSA leaker" for his role in publishing documents that exposed a secret U.S. surveillance program, would reportedly not receive special treatment from the United Nations if he applies for asylum. The AP says Snowden is in "informal talks" with Iceland about applying for asylum there.

Snowden's last known location was Hong Kong, where he was when revelations about the secret PRISM program first came out.

Tropical Storm Barry Heads Toward Mexico, Forecasters Say

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:18:00 +0000

The National Hurricane Center has issued coastal warnings in the Gulf of Mexico regarding Tropical Storm Barry. The second named storm of the 2013 hurricane season, Barry is currently in the southwest corner of the gulf; it is expected to make landfall in Mexico Thursday morning.

The center says an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft determined Wednesday that the storm, formerly called Tropical Depression Two, had strengthened.

Fed Leaves Interest Rates And Bond Purchase Plan Untouched

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 18:29:00 +0000

The Federal Reserve will continue its program of purchasing $85 billion in securities and will leave the target interest rate for federal funds untouched to support the U.S. economy, the U.S. central bank said in a policy update issued Wednesday afternoon.

Here's a summary of the state of the U.S. economy from the Fed, which concluded two days of meetings today:

"Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in May suggests that economic activity has been expanding at a moderate pace.