National

U.S. Carmakers Are Riding High, But Detroit May Not Feel It

7:19pm July 25, 2013

by Sonari Glinton

The domestic auto industry has been making a strong comeback, but that recovery hasn't necessarily benefited beleaguered Detroit. There's only one auto plant still doing high-volume production inside the city limits, and much of the Big Three's manufacturing has shifted away from Michigan.

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National

Key Witness Against Emmett Till's Killers Led A Quiet Life

5:43pm July 25, 2013

by Karen Grigsby Bates

In 1955, it was virtually unheard of for a black man to testify against a white person. Willie Reed, who changed his last name to Louis after fleeing to Chicago, died last week at 76.

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La. Flood Board Sues Oil Industry Over Wetlands

11:49am July 25, 2013

by Elizabeth Shogren

Since the 1930s, Louisiana has steadily been losing land that protects it from hurricanes and other disasters. The government board charged with protecting New Orleans from flooding sued the oil and gas industry Wednesday, arguing they are responsible for a big part of the problem.

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The new Cleveland Convention Center is hosting its first major event, the National Senior Games.

National

Making Sense Of Cleveland's Good And Bad News

11:29am July 25, 2013

by Nick Castele

As Cleveland embraces national attention for its booming arts and culinary scene, its new convention center and its world-class medical facilities, it struggles with recent grisly crimes and the message they send.

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The Los Angeles Police Department helped launch the Watts Bears, a team of the Pee Wee division of Pop Warner football, in 2012. The players come from the neighborhood and practice at a park that's considered a neutral site between local gangs.

National

After Years Of Violence, L.A.'s Watts Sees Crime Subside

10:48am July 25, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

For decades, the Watts neighborhood has been notorious for gang violence and strained relations between residents and police. But violent crime and homicide have fallen dramatically in recent years, and a community policing effort is helping to ease tensions between cops and the community.

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Senate Passes Student Loan Legislation To Lower Interest Rates

9:31am July 25, 2013

by Ailsa Chang

After much drama, the Senate finally voted on a student loan bill that would tie the borrower's rate to the 10-year Treasury note on Wednesday. The proposal is a bipartisan compromise and similar both to a House plan and one offered by President Obama.

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National

Collecting Taxes Among Detroit's Financial Troubles

7:58am July 25, 2013

by Quinn Klinefelter

As Detroit grapples with the largest municipal bankruptcy in the nation's history, city officials are dealing with a long-standing financial problem — collecting taxes. In recent years, only about half of the property taxes in Detroit have been paid in full. But some officials say the city's government has grown so dysfunctional, people who want to pay taxes sometimes have no place to do it.

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House Rejects Measure That Would Have Curbed NSA Program

7:58pm July 24, 2013

The House rejected a measure that would have ended funding for a National Security Agency program that collects the phone records of Americans. The amendment to the defense spending bill had the support of liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans, but was opposed by the Obama administration.

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Homer Bell's family: sister Laura Bell (from left), sister Regina Bell, mother Rosalind Scott and stepfather Jack Wilcox.

How A Family Copes With Schizophrenia And Suicide

7:21pm July 24, 2013

by Jeff Cohen

Serious mental illness can take a toll — not only on the person experiencing the symptoms but on family members, too. The Bell family still struggles with the loss of Homer, their son and brother, who recently killed himself after living with schizophrenia for 30 years.

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National

'Bat Cave' Road In Chicago Accessible To Only A Few

7:21pm July 24, 2013

by Cheryl Corley

In Chicago, there's a 2.5 mile roadway that the city's mayor calls the "Bat Cave." It's been around for more than a decade but it's more secret than public. The mini-highway was designed to ferry conventioneers to Chicago's massive McCormick Place convention hall. It's also a favorite of politicians with just the right amount of clout. Now, some want taxis to have access too.

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