Forty-six states and Washington, D.C., have signed on to the Common Core State Standards, a set of K-12 standards meant to ensure that students are reaching the same learning benchmarks nationwide. But as states begin implementing the standards, many conservatives have come out against them.
Once known as the City That Lit the World, New Beford's whale oil powered candles and lamps around the country. Now, the Massachusetts city wants to become an energy capital again, but this time with offshore wind.
The city has torn down all of its high rises and says it's close to completing its plans to transform public housing. Chicago leaders want to use public housing funds to build not just homes for poor families, but stores as well. However, some say that breaks a promise to provide affordable housing.
Donation after cardiac death involves removing organs minutes after life-support has been stopped for patients who still have at least some brain activity. Is that enough time to make sure a person won't recover?
Renee Montange speaks with NPR's Dina Temple-Raston for an update on the whereabouts of National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden, and the involvement of WikiLeaks.
President Obama has gotten mixed reviews in his gift-giving to foreign leaders. But those gifts are chosen by a staffer. When it comes to personal gifts to members of his inner circle, the president sets a very high bar.
Medicaid in Mississippi provides insurance to 1 in 5 residents. But funding could stop July 1 if politicians don't act. The Legislature has brought the program to the brink over a debate about expanding it under the Affordable Care Act.
The bill would put family-planning clinics at the bottom of the list for funding. Even those clinics that do not perform abortions but offer referrals expect a major financial blow. Proponents of the measure are clear in their goal: end abortions. But how will it affect other women's health services?
Tawny crazy ants are invading ecosystems and homes in states including Texas and Florida, wiping out other ant species and overwhelming homeowners. Weekend Edition Saturday host Scott Simon talks to Texas A&M research scientist Robert Puckett, who says the ants are "ecological steamrollers" that reproduce so fast they are nearly impossible to get rid of.