Senior Field Correspondent Devin Browne (Phoenix) was born and raised in a small suburb of Los Angeles known nationally for its natural disasters (fires, mudslides, and earthquakes, mainly). In 2008, she moved into the heart of the city, to one of L.A.'s most bustling immigrant portals. There she launched MacArthurParkMedia.com, a site about how the American experience now starts. A more personal account of her time in MacArthur Park, living with a Mexican family, can be found on the-entryway.com.  

She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2005, and later studied radio at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. Her stories have aired on Marketplace, The Environment Report, and PRI's The World. She has also written for LA Weekly.

The Two-Way
4:43 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Chrome Surpasses Firefox To Become Second Most Popular Web Browser

By one measure, the browser landscape was reshaped last month: According to data released today by StatCounter, which measures browser usage, Google's Chrome has taken over the No. 2 spot, sending Mozilla's Firefox to third place.

Microsoft's Internet Explorer is still king.

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The Two-Way
4:04 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Pew: 63 Percent Of Undocumented Immigrants In U.S. For More Than 10 Years

A Pew Hispanic Center study released today finds that two-thirds of undocumented immigrants in the United States have lived in the country for more than 10 years. The study also found that 46 percent of undocumented immigrants had minor children.

In its press release, Pew says this research is important because it comes on the heels of a hot debate on immigration during the Republican presidential debates.

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World Cafe
3:12 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Sense Of Place: Of Bards and Balladeers

Credit WXPN / John Bartol
Glen Hansard sits in with a group of traditional Irish musicians at the Dublin pub O'Donoghues.

Originally published on Mon September 10, 2012 10:35 am

Throughout the week, World Cafe travels to Dublin, Ireland — the first stop in a quarterly series called Sense of Place. We hope to give you an idea of the past and present of the city's local music scene and provide tips from musicians and music lovers for those hoping to visit this culturally rich town.

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Shots - Health Blog
3:00 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Foster Kids, Even Infants, More Likely To Be Given Psychotropic Drugs

Children in foster care are significantly more likely than other kids to be given mind-altering drugs, according to a study of five states released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office.

The report, which focused on children in the Medicaid program, also found that foster kids were more likely to be prescribed five or more psychotropic drugs at an age and at doses that exceed the maximum FDA-approved levels — both of which carry serious health risks.

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Fronteras
2:34 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Beyond Sprawl: Can Foreign Cash Save The Housing Market?

Credit Jude Joffe-Block.
Kevin Chu and his colleague Christian Santika work for the Hong Kong office of The Creations Group, an international investment firm that is buying up distressed properties in several U.S. cities, including Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS — The unending rash of foreclosures and falling home prices in Las Vegas continues to cause despair. But the same housing crisis is causing some investors to see opportunity. Home prices have dropped to 1990s levels, and many homes in the area are selling for below the amount it would cost to build them.

In fact, these Las Vegas homes are getting noticed from buyers all over the world.

Kevin Chu recently toured Las Vegas for the first time to check on his investment firm’s properties.

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Music Interviews
2:25 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

Shakira And Collective Soul's Hits, With A Burmese Twist

Credit Courtesy of the artist
Burmese pop singer Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein.

Originally published on Thu December 1, 2011 5:02 pm

The Salt
2:25 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

The Case For Peeking Inside The Slaughterhouse

Credit Nati Harnik / ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, right, follows the work of USDA inspectors at a Cargill meat packing plant in Schuyler, Neb., in 2008.

This is just a guess, but the single part of America's food system that inspires the most horrified fascination is probably the slaughterhouse. One reason may be that these factories that turn cattle, hogs and chickens into packaged meat are generally off-limits to the public and photographers.

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Election 2012
2:17 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

GOP Candidates Step Up Attacks On Each Other

Credit Mark Wilson / Getty Images
From left, GOP presidential candidates Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Rick Perry and Mitt Romney participate in the Fox News/Google GOP debate at the Orange County Convention Center in September. Since then, the candidates have gotten tougher on each other.
The Two-Way
2:10 pm
Thu December 1, 2011

A 'Comedy Of Errors': Italians Appoint Wrong Minister

Credit YouTube
University of Guelph professor Francesco Braga.

The Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera called it a "comedy of errors."

Indeed.

Imagine you're a professor in Canada, 28-years removed from Italy and one day you get a call: While forming its new government, Italy wants you to be its junior agriculture minister.

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