National

State Of The Union Guest Calls On U.S. To Free Americans Jailed In Iran

5:38pm January 12, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

The sister of one former U.S. Marine, who is languishing in an Iranian jail, will be in the audience at the State of the Union Tuesday. She tells NPR what she is hoping to hear from President Obama.

Self-described patriot Wayne Ehmer of Irrigon, Ore., shown with his horse named Cowboy, says he joined the occupation at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last week.

National

Who Will Blink First? Armed Occupation In Oregon Drags On

5:28pm January 12, 2016

by Kirk Siegler

The sole meeting between the local sheriff and the militants' de facto leader went nowhere. And law enforcement isn't saying what, if any, action it might be planning to take against the occupiers.

Obama Set To Deliver Final State Of The Union Address

4:25pm January 12, 2016

by Scott Horsley

President Obama delivers his final State of the Union speech to a Congress and country already in the throes of a presidential campaign. NPR has a preview of what he might say, and how it will frame the 2016 presidential race.

Chinese Company Dalian Wanda Buys Legendary Entertainment

4:25pm January 12, 2016

by Elizabeth Blair

Chinese company Dalian Wanda has bought Legendary Entertainment, the film company which made Jurassic Park among many other movies. The move marks one of the largest American cultural acquisitions ever by a Chinese company.

Did Obama Achieve Last Year's National Security Commitments?

4:25pm January 12, 2016

by David Welna

How has President Obama done on the national security commitments he made in last year's State of the Union address? With tape from that speech, NPR looks back on some of the president's pledges.

Environmental Agencies Reject VW's Plan For Recall Over Emissions

3:57pm January 12, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The EPA says Volkswagen is responsible for nearly 600,000 diesel-powered vehicles that are now producing harmful air pollution in the U.S.

National

For Some African-Americans, Gun Ownership Underscores Segregated Past

3:37pm January 12, 2016

by Karen Grigsby Bates

African-Americans are disproportionately affected by gun violence, and many black leaders are among the most vocal advocates of gun control. But there is a segment of the black community that believes gun ownership has helped keep them alive through several generations, and won't give them up.

Queue Listen Now

A new government report details the problems agencies face in fighting weapons trafficking. Here, thousands of guns lie on the ground before being destroyed in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, in 2012.

In Mexico, Tens Of Thousands Of Illegal Guns Come From The U.S.

1:31pm January 12, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The ATF has been able to trace the smuggled guns' original purchasers in less than half of the 73,684 cases cited in the report.

National

Supreme Court Strikes Down Florida's Process Of Imposing Death Penalty

1:18pm January 12, 2016

by Laura Wagner

Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that Florida's capital punishment sentencing process is unconstitutional because it allows judges, not juries, to decide whether to impose the death penalty.

In this 2009 photo, survivors William Del Monte and Rose Cliver are honored at a ceremony for the earthquake's anniversary.

National

Last Known Survivor Of 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Has Died

11:38am January 12, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

William Del Monte was 3 months old when the deadly earthquake struck. At 109, he was "a piece of living San Francisco history."