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Alabama Hostage Standoff Continues A 5-year-old boy has been held captive in an underground bunker since Tuesday. Authorities continue to negotiate with his captor. The child's bus driver was killed before the kidnapping. His sister says Charles Poland, "would have done anything to protect those kids." |
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Death Toll Rising In Mexico; At Least 25 Dead After Explosion, Dozens Hurt Rescuers continue to search the rubble at the headquarters of Mexico's state-owned oil company, where several floors were damaged. The blast's cause has not yet been determined. |
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Developing: 'Terrorist Blast' Outside U.S. Embassy In Turkey News outlets say one or two people were reportedly killed by the Friday blast. The cause is not yet confirmed, but there are reports that it may have been the work of a suicide bomber. The State Department calls it a "terrorist blast." |
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Ed Koch, Flamboyant Former New York City Mayor, Dies The three-term former mayor, who led the city out of its financial crisis in the late '70s, was 88. Known for asking "hey, how'm I doing?" he was sometimes too candid for his own political good. But when the city needed a lift, he was everywhere. He thought it needed a big personality — his. |
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Ed Koch Dies; Outspoken Mayor Brought N.Y. Back From The Brink New York was practically falling apart in 1977 when Koch first ran for mayor, but he created a feeling the city could come back. His larger-than-life personality was well-suited to the nation's biggest city but could also get him in trouble. A spokesman says Koch died early Friday. He was 88. |
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Hillary Clinton Leaving The Stage — At Least For Now — And On A High Note Hillary Clinton ends her tenure as secretary of state Friday a respected national figure with sky high approval ratings. "I don't see myself getting back into politics," she says. But that hasn't slowed speculation about a 2016 presidential bid. |
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Grand Central, A Cathedral For Commuters, Celebrates 100 The largest railroad terminal in the world opened its doors for the first time in 1913. And while Grand Central Terminal, in the heart of New York City, no longer serves long-distance trains, it is still a vibrant part of the city's ecosystem. |
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An International Battle Over One Of The Most Boring Things In Finance The years-long, multi-billion-dollar battle just ended. |
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When Crime Pays: Prison Can Teach Some To Be Better Criminals Research from an Ohio sociologist has found that inmates "earn" illegal money in greater amounts after they serve time. Prison may serve as a classroom where inexperienced delinquents learn from hardened criminals — and become more dangerous criminals themselves. |
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Boeing Engineers' Union Votes To Put Strike Authorization On Ballot The union also recommended that its members reject the company's latest contract offer. Members have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 19 to cast their vote. |
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LA Archbishop Relieves Retired Cardinal Mahony Of Duties, Releases Abuse Files Archbishop Jose Gomez said Mahony will no longer have any administrative or public duties, and that Thomas Curry, a former aide to Mahony, had stepped down from his post as regional bishop of Santa Barbara. The files amount to thousands of pages related to the abuse of children by priests. |
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Hagel's Hearing: 7 Things We Learned Defense secretary nominee Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee made clear that the former Republican senator has said things that don't sit well with current Republican senators. And for all that we learned, the hearing ended with one lingering question. |
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Salmonella Undermines Hedgehogs' Cuteness Overload There have been 20 reports of human salmonella infections linked to pet hedgehogs recently. Public health officials say people should keep the animals away from areas where food is prepared and served. |
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Explosion Hits State Oil Company Building In Mexico City The government said 14 people are dead and 80 are injured. Television images showed smoke billowing from the glass high rise in the Mexican capital. The cause of the explosion is unknown. |
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Texas District Attorney Shot, Killed In Front Of Courthouse Mark Hasse, an assistant district attorney, was shot and killed as he arrived at the courthouse where he worked. |
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The Mexico-Canada Guest-Worker Program: A Model For The U.S.? Mexico has sent guest workers to Canada for nearly four decades, filling agriculture jobs that Canadians don't want, with Mexicans who do. Some say the U.S. should consider this model as it looks at overhauling the immigration system. |
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As U.S. Consumes Less Cocaine, Brazil Uses More The cocaine market in the Americas is changing among both producers and consumers. The old model was Colombian cocaine going to the U.S. Now, it's increasingly common for Bolivian cocaine to be headed to Brazil. |
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South L.A. Teens Doubt New Laws Will Change Gun Culture In South Los Angeles, murders, robberies and rapes are common — and so are guns and shootings. "We're so used to this," says one teen. "This is everyday life for us." Proposed gun laws don't seem relevant when so many old guns are stolen or passed around, and when serial numbers are filed off. |
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'Check Yes Or No': The Hurdles Of Job Hunting With A Criminal Past One in five Americans has a criminal record, according to some estimates. And while punishment is usually temporary, those records can last forever. With an already stiff job climate, finding employment can be even tougher for those millions with unlawful pasts. |
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Beyoncé On Lip-Syncing: 'I Did Not Feel Comfortable Taking A Risk' Beyoncé finally put an end to all the talk surrounding her inaugural performance. And she did it in diva fashion. |
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How Owls Spin Their Heads Without Tearing Arteries Owls can turn their heads 270 degrees without injuring themselves. That's more than twice as far around as humans can safely handle. Nifty adaptations in owls' vertebrae and blood vessels make it possible. |
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Shots Fired At Atlanta Middle School Emergency officials tell the AP that a 14-year-old was shot in the head and was taken to the a hospital. |
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What's Next, A Patent For The Lines Around Apple Stores? Apple has trademarked its minimalist store design. Though it seems over the top, the company has good reason to protect its look: Fake Apple stores cropped up in China last year. |
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Are Shooting Ranges The New Bowling Alleys? Target practice is only part of the allure as gun ranges add restaurants, lounges and ladies' nights to create a social atmosphere to go along with the firearms training. |
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Caleb Moore, Freestyle Snowmobile Rider, Dies After X Games Crash Moore, an accomplished trick artist, suffered a spectacular crash last week during the Winter X Games. The 25-year-old walked away from it, but then faced complications once he made it to the hospital. |
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Has Obama Done Some Skeet Shooting? Fox News Says Yes When the president told The New Republic that "we do skeet shooting all the time" at Camp David, some critics had their doubts. The Washington Post's Fact Checker says it's withholding opinion on the veracity of the claim. Now, Fox News says it has learned of at least two times Obama went shooting. |
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After Anti-Gay Comments, 49ers Chris Culliver Says 'I Have Gay Relatives' The 49ers cornerback ignited a maelstrom when he said gay players had no place on his team. Culliver and team later apologized for the comments. |
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U.S. Moves To Halt AB InBev's Purchase Of Grupo Modelo A $20.1 billion merger of beer conglomerates is now delayed, after the U.S. Justice Department filed suit Thursday. The deal would put Corona, Bud Light, Stella Artois, and other popular beers under one corporate umbrella, which Justice officials say will mean higher prices. |
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For Asian-Americans, Immigration Backlogs Are A Major Hurdle The national conversation around immigration policy tends to focus on Latinos, but Asian-American immigrants face some of the knottiest challenges. |
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Should Medicare Pay For Alzheimer's Scans? A drug used in brain scans to help doctors detect clumps of protein associated with Alzheimer's disease was approved by the Food and Drug Administration last year. Now Medicare officials are weighing whether to cover it. |
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Portugal's Monster: The Mechanics Of A Massive Wave   How does a tiny spot on the Portuguese coast generate some of the world's most gnarly waves? Surf experts say there are a few factors that combined Monday to create what might have been the biggest wave ever ridden. |
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Oh, Baby: Squeezable Snacks Might Be Tough On The Teeth Those cute little foil pouches of organic food for toddlers may pose hidden dangers for new teeth and developing mouths. But they may not be any more of a risk than the frequent use of sippy cups and bottles, dentists say. |
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Citing Progress, White House Disbands Jobs Council Some Republicans have already seized the moment, saying this decision was part of the "failed Obama record." The Obama administration said it was already moving forward with some of the council's recommendations. |
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Dear Lawyers: Order In The &*%# Court!   Some attorneys have gotten nasty and others want it to stop. In New York, a group has decided to tackle the decrease in civility through song. |
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Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old who traveled with her high school drill team to the presidential inauguration in Washington, was shot and killed in Chicago this week. That's bringing up new questions about deadly violence in the city. |
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Soccer: A Surprising Player In Egypt's Unrest Violent protests are breaking out in Egypt, just two years after a massive uprising led to the fall of the former dictator. One of the unexpected driving forces is soccer. Host Michel Martin talks to Dave Zirin, sports editor at The Nation about how the sport affects Egypt's political landscape. |
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Paying Tribute To Funk's 'Sugarfoot' Bonner With his double neck guitar, big afro and flamboyant costumes, the late Leroy 'Sugarfoot' Bonner got people dancing with hits like, Love Rollercoaster. Host Michel Martin looks back at the life of the Ohio Players' front man and how his musical vision ushered in 70's funk. |
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Is Egypt Better Or Worse Off Now? It's been two years since Hosni Mubarak was ousted as Egypt's President. Today, there's new leadership, but the country is still in turmoil. And some Egyptians wonder if things are changing for the best. Host Michel Martin speaks with NPR Cairo Bureau Chief, Leila Fadel, to learn more about the new Egypt. |
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Cyclo-Cross Championship Takes U.S. By Storm, Mud And Sand The bicycle sport is grueling, with riders traversing off-road courses dotted with obstacles. It's still little-known in the U.S., but is growing fast. Louisville, Ky., hosts the world championship competition this weekend — the first such event held outside of Europe. |
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Hagel: 'No One Individual Vote, Quote Or Statement Defines Me' "My overall worldview has never changed," said the former senator, who has been nominated to be secretary of defense. |
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In Alabama, Hostage Standoff Continues; Child Thought To Be Unharmed Since Tuesday, police have been trying to convince a man to release the 5-year-old boy they say he snatched from a school bus after killing the driver. |
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Shooting Death Of Chicago Teen Ignites Outrage, Enters National Gun Debate Fifteen-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed less than a mile from President Obama's home in Chicago. A week before, she and others in her school's band had been in Washington during the inaugural festivities. Now, her death is part of the discussion about gun laws. |
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Growth In Incomes, Spending Slowed In 2012; Jobless Claims Jumped Last Week The year ended on a strong note, with personal incomes up 2.6 percent in December alone. But over all of 2012, growth in both incomes and spending was less than the increases in 2011. The week's big economic news comes Friday when we'll hear how many jobs were created in January. |
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Future Farms Of America Might Not Include Much Family Family farms often rely on the next generation to carry on the family business. However, some agricultural economists say family farmers should work to modernize their hiring practices and consider that the most qualified workers might come from outside the family. |
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Hack Attack On 'New York Times' Looks Like Part Of Chinese Campaign Western news outlets that have been reporting on alleged corruption among China's leadership appear to be targeted. The Times says it has been under attack for four months. |
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Iran, Israel, Defense Cuts To Be Key Topics At Hagel Hearing The former Nebraska senator faces the Senate Armed Services Committee. After some initial doubts, the conventional wisdom in Washington is that he's likely to be confirmed. But Hagel will face some sharp questions about his views on key issues. |
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Should Gun Owners Have To Buy Liability Insurance? Most states require car owners to have liability insurance to cover damages their vehicles cause to others; some economists think we should require the same of gun owners. |
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Boeing Contract Offer Could Prompt Engineers Strike Boeing is scrambling to figure out why two batteries malfunctioned on its 787, causing officials to ground the airplane this month. And at a time when Boeing most needs its skilled engineers, they're weighing a possible strike. Union leaders are considering the company's final contract offer Thursday. |
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Cabinet Picks Show A Shift In How U.S. Wages War The White House has emphasized that incoming Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel — both Vietnam veterans — understand the full cost of war. President Obama says that makes them the right choice for their jobs, as the U.S. moves away from big wars to a targeted approach. |
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How Do You Solve A Problem Like Colin Kaepernick? The gifted quarterback can run and pocket pass, skills that helped him lead the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl. But what will it take for the Baltimore Ravens to stop — or at least slow down — Kaepernick on Sunday? |
