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Callin' Oates: The Hotline You Don't Need (But Might Call Anyway)

Credit Dave Hogan / Hulton Archive/Getty Images

John Oates (left) and Daryl Hall (right) of pop duo Hall & Oates, seen here in 1987. These days, they're available on your phone.

By Linda Holmes

Originally published on Thu December 29, 2011 4:08 pm

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Is it pure whimsy that makes something like "Callin' Oates" appealing?

If you pick up your phone and call 719-26-OATES — at least as of this writing — you'll get a computerized woman's voice telling you what numbers to press to hear one of four Hall & Oates songs.

The question, of course, is ... why?

11:40 am

Wed December 21, 2011

Iraqi Prime Minister Urges Kurds To Turn Over Vice President

By Eyder Peralta

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called on Kurdish athorities to turn over Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, who sought refuge in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq after a warrant was issued for his arrest.

11:27 am

Wed December 21, 2011

With Kim's Death, Defectors See Chance For Change

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Credit Yang Hoi-Sung / AFP/Getty Images

Park Sang-nak, a North Korean defector, displays anti-North Korea leaflets before sending them by balloon into North Korea, at Imjinggak peace park in South Korea near the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas on Wednesday. Defectors from the North are hoping the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il may provide an opportunity for political change.

Credit Sam Yeh / AFP/Getty Images

Anti-North Korea protesters release balloons containing leaflets denouncing Kim Jong-Il at Imjinggak peace park in South Korea near the DMZ on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Credit Lousia Lim / NPR

Son Jeong-hun, one of the rally's organizers, predicts that conflict among North Korea's elite factions will break out by early next year.

By Louisa Lim

Originally published on Wed December 21, 2011 7:09 pm

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While North Korean mourners trudged through snow in Pyongyang to pay last respects to their "Dear Leader," defectors from the North now in South Korea are celebrating the sudden death of Kim Jong Il, who died from a heart attack this past weekend.

And as the outside world tries to figure out how much control his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong Un, has over the nuclear-armed state, the defectors are focusing on trying to kickstart a revolution in North Korea.

11:05 am

Wed December 21, 2011

FAA Issues New Rules Aimed At Keeping Tired Pilots Out Of Cockpits

Credit David Duprey/pool / Getty Images

Feb. 16, 2009: Flowers are left in memorial near where Continental Connection Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence, N.Y. Fifty people died. Pilot fatigue was cited as a factor.

By Mark Memmott

Saying that they will help make sure that airline pilots are rested before they fly, the Federal Aviation Administration today unveiled new rules about the amount of time off they must get between flights and how long they can be on the job.

10:58 am

Wed December 21, 2011

White House: It's Time For Killing In Syria To Stop

By Eyder Peralta

In a statement from the president's press secretary, the United States called on Syrian President Bashar Assad to stop killing protesters.

"The United States is deeply disturbed by credible reports that the Assad regime continues to indiscriminately kill scores of civilians and army defectors, while destroying homes and shops and arresting protesters without due process," Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

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11:55 am

Wed December 21, 2011