National

The University of Tennessee became one of 10 state university systems teaming up with Coursera, a for-profit tech company.

Online College Courses Get A Big Boost, But Doubts Persist

6:01pm May 30, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

Degree-granting institutions are responding to austere budgets by catapulting themselves into the world of online education. But some professors point to low online completion rates as evidence that these "massive open online courses" do a disservice to students.

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Herman Boudreau served in the U.S. Army in World War II, then rose to the rank of command sergeant major in the Maine Army National Guard.

Public Servant Herman Boudreau, Heroic Under Enemy Fire

5:51pm May 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

While serving in the Army in World War II, Herman Boudreau fought the Japanese resistance during more than two years in the South Pacific. He went on to serve in the Maine National Guard and the Maine State Police, as chief of police in Freeport and as an auxiliary police officer in Brunswick.

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How OxyContin's Pain Relief Built 'A World Of Hurt'

12:40pm May 30, 2013

New York Times reporter Barry Meier's new e-book explores opiate painkillers and the consequences that come with long-term use. He focuses in particular on OxyContin, how it came to be prescribed for chronic pain, what the consequences have been, and how it became a street drug.

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Former Deputy Attorney General James B. Comey waits to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on May 15, 2007. NPR has learned that Comey is in line to become President Obama's choice as the next FBI director.

Former Justice Official In Line To Be Named FBI Chief

6:25am May 30, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

Two sources familiar with the search for a new director of the agency tell NPR that James B. Comey is in line to succeed outgoing chief Robert Mueller. Comey was the No. 2 official at the Justice Department in the George W. Bush administration.

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By leasing land for drilling, city leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, hope to generate funds to demolish vacant buildings.

What's Under Youngstown May Help What's On Top

7:18pm May 29, 2013

City leaders in Youngstown, Ohio, are hoping that by leasing land to drilling companies, they might generate funds to demolish vacant homes and buildings. Some refer to this as "frackmolishing," and opponents worry the drilling will cause environmental damage.

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Cooking With Cicadas: No Weirder Than Eating Cheese?

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Maria Godoy

We know, eating bugs sounds strange, but 2 billion people already do it — and the U.N. has made the case for insects as a key protein source. For U.S. East Coasters, the coming of the 17-year cicadas provides an opportunity to cook with bugs. If you want to try your hand at it, there's a cookbook to guide your way.

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George Porter, one of the original Tuskegee Airmen, at his home in Sacramento, Calif., in 2007. Porter joined the armed forces in 1942 and served as a crew chief, squadron inspector and flight engineer with the Army Air Forces and the Air Force.

National

For Tuskegee Airman George Porter, Failure Was Not An Option

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

George Porter was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first black fighter pilots, and those who supported them, in American history. A mechanic during the war, Porter found ways with his colleagues to keep their planes airborne even as they were denied the tools needed to do their jobs.

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President Obama speaks at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C., on May 23.

Why Obama Wants To Change The Key Law In The Terrorism Fight

7:18pm May 29, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Almost all of the federal government's actions against terrorism — from drone strikes to the prison at Guantanamo Bay — are authorized by a single law: the Authorization for the Use of Military Force. But President Obama says that with the Afghan war ending and al-Qaida weakened, it's time to limit the law's scope and ultimately have it repealed.

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National

Soldier Accused Of Killing Afghan Civilians To Plead Guilty

7:18pm May 29, 2013

The U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians last year has agreed to a deal that will spare him the death penalty.

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National

Sing-Spelling At The National Bee

7:18pm May 29, 2013

Melissa Block has more about Katie Danis, a 7th grader from Gastonia, N.C., who wanted to sing her word at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

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