National

National

Proposed Minimum Sentencing Law In Illinois Faces Scrutiny

12:45pm October 24, 2013

by Cheryl Corley

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is the force behind a proposed state law that would require mandatory prison time for a firearm offense. The arguments over mandatory minimum prison terms center on whether mandatory sentences actually deter people from committing crimes or take away judicial discretion and further overcrowd prisons.

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Protesters fill the Miami office of state Rep. Manny Diaz Jr. on Sept. 20 to protest his stance against expansion of health coverage in Florida.

States' Refusal To Expand Medicaid May Leave Millions Uninsured

12:12pm October 24, 2013

by Julie Rovner

The idea was that Medicaid would expand to include people not covered under the Affordable Care Act. But many states have chosen not to expand coverage, despite financial incentives from the federal government. That may leave millions of people without any health coverage at all.

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Widespread Plague In Wildlife Threatens Western Ecosystems

10:26am October 24, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

For most of us, plague is something that maybe we read about in history books. In the 14th Century, it wiped out half of Europe's population. But the bacteria is busy killing wildlife now in the American West. By studying small mammals scientists have learned that plague is far more pervasive a killer than anyone thought.

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Why Postponing Insurance Mandate Is No Easy Fix For Obamacare

7:57pm October 23, 2013

by Julie Rovner

One of the big questions now is what will happen if the federal health insurance website can't be fixed soon. Will the government penalize people for not having insurance if they couldn't realistically buy it?

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National

World War II Vet Awarded Medals 67 Years Later

6:43pm October 23, 2013

Phillip Coon, a 94-year-old World War II Army veteran, POW and Bataan Death March survivor, finally received medals for his service Monday. Coon was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, a Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Melissa Block speaks with Coon and his son, Michael, who is also an Army veteran.

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Mike Bracken is executive director of digital for the U.K. government.

National

U.K. Official Urges U.S. Government To Adopt A Digital Core

6:43pm October 23, 2013

by Elise Hu

Does this sound familiar? A national IT project plagued with high-profile problems, integration breakdowns involving contractors, and taxpayers left footing a multimillion-dollar price tag: The scenario's playing out with HealthCare.gov, but a similar one in the U.K. led to major reforms.

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Tea Party and conservative leaders including Sen. Ted Cruz, Rep. Michele Bachmann and Sen. Mike Lee gather for a press conference on Capitol Hill in May.

'Insurgent' Wing Grapples For Control Of The GOP

4:57pm October 23, 2013

New York Times national political correspondent Jonathan Martin explains the Republican rift that was widened by the recent budget battles. He talks about how the divisions may play out in upcoming elections and traces the history of the battle between establishment Republicans and the "insurgent" conservatives.

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National

How A County Clerk Ignited The Gay Marriage Debate In N.M.

12:51pm October 23, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

In August, Lynn Ellins, the clerk of Dona Ana County and a long-time supporter of same-sex marriage, decided to "put the ball in play" by issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. More than 900 marriage licenses have been issued to gay couples across the state.

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National

Most Attractive Accent? The Southern Drawl, Y'All

6:47am October 23, 2013

The dating site Cupid.com has released a survey rating regional accents. The most attractive accent in North America is the Southern drawl. The New York accent came in second. Rounding out the top 5: the New Jersey, Boston and Western accents.

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Times Square near 42nd Street in New York City, in the 1920s.

National

The Sounds Of New York City, Circa 1920

7:59pm October 22, 2013

by Theo Balcomb

A team led by Emily Thompson, a history professor at Princeton, has matched noise complaints from New York City in the Roaring '20s with the actual street sounds of the day.

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