National

National

Toddler Fatally Shoots His Mother At Idaho Wal-Mart

7:28am December 31, 2014

by Doreen McCallister

The Kootenai County sheriff's office says the 2-year-old boy, who was seated in a shopping cart, reached into his mother's handbag, found the loaded gun and shot her. She died at the scene.

Rep. Michael Grimm speaks to the media last week after pleading guilty to a federal tax evasion charge rather than go to trial. Grimm was accused of evading taxes by hiding more than $1 million in sales and wages while running a Manhattan restaurant.

Rep. Grimm To Resign After Guilty Plea On Tax Charge

7:38pm December 30, 2014

by Doreen McCallister

In a statement reported by CBS and The Associated Press, Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y., said he would resign effective Jan. 5. Grimm pleaded guilty last week to filing a false tax return.

Number of times each term was mentioned in a White House briefing, by week

The Fleeting Obsessions Of The White House Press Corps

6:16pm December 30, 2014

by Tamara Keith

From the VA and Secret Service scandals to Ebola, each week brought another hot issue into the White House briefing room. Here's a look at just how short the press corps' attention span was in 2014.

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Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama on Dec. 17 in the Oval Office, where they discussed recent moves on Cuba and immigration, and prospects for cooperation with a GOP-dominated Congress.

Despite Election Defeat, Obama Sees Room To Push His Agenda

6:06pm December 30, 2014

by Steve Inskeep

President Obama begins his administration's final phase the way he began several others: recovering from disaster, in this case the loss of the Senate. He's striving to show he won't be a lame duck.

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President Obama responds to a question from NPR's Steve Inskeep on Dec. 17 in the Oval Office.

Here's Why Obama Said The U.S. Is 'Less Racially Divided'

6:05pm December 30, 2014

by Steve Inskeep

The president says incidents in the past year have "surfaced" long-simmering issues between minority communities and authorities, allowing for a healthy airing of grievances.

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A passenger wearing a face mask arrives at Los Angeles International Airport Friday. Federal officials now require people traveling from West Africa to enter the U.S. at one of five airports equipped to screen them for signs of Ebola.

Poll: Broad Support In U.S. For Ebola Travel Ban

2:43pm December 30, 2014

by Scott Hensley

An NPR poll finds a majority of Americans are worried about Ebola. Fifty-six percent of people are either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned" about the spread of the Ebola virus to the U.S.

Stringy particles of Ebola virus (blue) bud from a chronically infected cell (yellow-green) in this colorized, scanning electron micrograph.

Virus Sleuths Chip Away At Ebola Mysteries

2:40pm December 30, 2014

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

Big questions have bedeviled virus hunters for 38 years: Why do people differ in their response to Ebola? Is it becoming more or less dangerous? There's now more evidence about who gets sick and why.

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House Majority Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Rep. Scalise: Speech At White Supremacist Gathering 'A Mistake I Regret'

2:27pm December 30, 2014

by Eyder Peralta

The House majority whip said the group was one of many he spoke to in 2002 in efforts to build support for legislation. But, he said, he opposed the group's "racial and religious" views.

Protesters rally outside the Supreme Court during the March for Life on Jan. 25, 2013, in Washington, D.C.

Big Question For 2015: Will The Supreme Court Rule On Abortion?

1:56pm December 30, 2014

by Jennifer Ludden

States have passed more than 200 abortion regulations since 2010, and the number is expected to rise. Abortion rights supporters say that could cause big geographical variations in access to care.

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About This Series: The 12 Days Of Quirky Christmas Foods Around The Globe

1:21pm December 30, 2014

by Maria Godoy

We're kicking off a 12-part series exploring the rich diversity of Christmastime edibles around the world. We've zeroed in on meals that reveal as much about a country's history as its gastronomy.