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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Good morning. I'm David Greene with a remembrance of Dick Beals, the man whose voice gave lie to Gumby. A glandular condition gave Beals his small stature and youthful voice, a voice that was used in more than 3,000 commercials. Beals played a wide range of roles - babies, teenagers, chipmunks. Perhaps most notably the Speedy Alka-Seltzer character.

(SOUNDBITE OF ADVERTISEMENT)

DICK BEALS: (Singing) Alka-Seltzer, plop, plop, fizz, fizz - oh, what a relief it is.

A court in New York says it's no longer slander to falsely call someone gay because it's not something society sees as negative anymore.

The mid-level appeals court says that although falsely calling someone gay or lesbian has for decades been grounds for slander, that's no longer the case.

The decision Thursday by the mid-level appeals court involves the case of a Broome County man who sued a woman who called him gay in what he says was an effort to get his girlfriend to leave him. He says it hurt his relationship.

Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee has tapped three new leaders for the state's Economic Development Corp. to replace board members who resigned following questions about state support of Curt Schilling's troubled video game company.

Chafee on Thursday nominated Marcia Blount, Pablo Rodriguez and Alison Vareika to the EDC board. The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

The nominees would replace Helena Foulkes, Lynn Singleton and Stephen Lane, who recently resigned.

Connecticut public defenders hope to use the trial of a Bridgeport man as the venue to challenge the constitutionality of a new law that outlaws capital punishment in the state, but only for future crimes.

Richard Roszkowski is awaiting the penalty phase of his capital trial for the 2006 murders of his former girlfriend, her 9-year-old daughter and his former roommate.

Michael Courtney, head of the state Public Defender's Office capital defense unit, said Wednesday he plans to file a brief by August 7 in the case, challenging the state's right to seek the death penalty.

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It's been more than a year since Wisconsin Democrats began talking about recalling the state's governor, Scott Walker. Next week they'll get their chance to do it. Last night, Walker and his Democratic challenger, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, traded barbs in their final debate before Tuesday's vote. Turnout is expected to be very high, as the recall is sharply dividing voters in Wisconsin, so much so, some have just stopped talking to each other. NPR's David Schaper has the latest from Milwaukee.

Listen to Paul Caiano's WAMC Regional forecast.  Paul Caianois a meteorologist at WNYT Newschannel 13. He graduated from SUNY Albany in May of 1993 with a B.S. in the field of Atmospheric Science/Meteorology.

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

On a Friday, it is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

In a unanimous ruling, a federal appeals court has struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston ruled the 1996 law unconstitutional because it denies giving gay couples the same rights afforded to heterosexual couples. As NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports, the ruling sets the stage for a potential battle at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Well the Thunder has put an emphatic end to the Spurs 20-game winning streak…

TNT had the coverage of Game 3 last night in Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant’s flush – two of his 22 points, helped lead the Thunder to a 102-82 dismantling of the Spurs.  Russell Westbrook added ten points, nine assists and seven boards, and Thabo Sefolosha chipped in career playoff highs of 19 points and six steals for the Thunder, who still trails in the Western Conference finals two-games-to-one.  Game 4 is tomorrow in Oklahoma City.

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This election year we've seen a lot of cases where different people look at the same economic situation and come to different conclusions. And that seems to be happening in Michigan. It's America's comeback state - that according to its governor, Rick Snyder. Unemployment there is dropping, as the U.S. auto industry rebounds. And the state has a budget surplus for the first time in years.

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene.

The financial woes of Greece and other countries of the eurozone have meant painful austerity measures in exchange for financial bailouts. Now Irish voters have approved a European Union treaty to battle the debt crisis. It's an effort to enforce strict budget cuts or face financial penalties.