National

"We're telling [election officials] that, from what we understand, there won't be any more federal funding coming to help them," said Christy McCormick.

Voting Machines Are Aging, But Don't Expect Congress To Pay To Replace Them

1:44pm October 15, 2015

by Pam Fessler

Machines purchased after the 2000 presidential election are nearing the end of their useful lives. It could cost $1 billion to replace them, but Congress has shown no signs of footing the bill.

Julián Castro Endorses Hillary Clinton

1:35pm October 15, 2015

Castro is the second Obama cabinet member to endorse Clinton — even as Vice President Joe Biden is still considering getting in the race.

"The hardest thing for me was growing up without my mom. She had two jobs and so I spent a lot of time at my aunt's house," says Yasmine San Pedro, 23, in her #15Girls submission.

Share Your Story: What Was The Hardest Thing About Being 15?

1:24pm October 15, 2015

by Malaka Gharib

We're on a mission to capture the collective experience of being 15 around the world. Will you join us?

Beekeeper Rob McFarland (photographed last year) inspects the beehive he keeps on the roof of his Los Angeles house. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to allow residents to keep beehives in their backyards.

Backyard Beekeeping Approved In Los Angeles

12:41pm October 15, 2015

by Laura Wagner

"To bee or not to bee, that is the question. But there is no question. We must have bees," City Councilman Paul Koretz said.

Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert departs the federal courthouse in Chicago on June 9 after his arraignment.

National

Former Speaker Dennis Hastert To Plead Guilty In Hush-Money Case

12:38pm October 15, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

He is accused of agreeing to pay $3.5 million to an individual to cover up allegations of misconduct stemming from days as a high school teacher and coach and then lying about it to authorities.

U.S. Will Keep More Troops In Afghanistan Than Planned

12:34pm October 15, 2015

by Barbara Campbell

Senior administration officials say the U.S. will keep 9,800 troops in 2016 for its missions of counterterrorism and to train Afghan forces. The president had planned on a smaller presence.

Despite promising a decision on whether he would run for president by the end of summer, Vice President Biden still hasn't announced one way or the other.

Joe Biden's Window May Have Just Closed

12:11pm October 15, 2015

by Jessica Taylor

After strong debate performances by Clinton and Sanders, it's harder to see where the vice president would fit into the field. And that may be a welcome relief for a still-grieving Biden.

Staff in the kitchen of The Modern, a restaurant operated by Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group and located in the Museum of Modern Art.

Danny Meyer To Banish Tipping And Raise Prices At His N.Y. Restaurants

12:09pm October 15, 2015

by NPR Staff

Meyer says "something fascinating and completely unfair" plagues the restaurant industry: Waiters' incomes have risen far faster than other staff. To balance salaries out, he'll charge more for food.

Queue Listen Now

Shoppers walks from the checkout at a Wal-Mart Supercenter store in Springdale, Ark., Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Why Wal-Mart And Other Retail Chains May Not Fix The Food Deserts

11:45am October 15, 2015

by Tracie McMillan

Americans' junk food calories increasingly come from big box and convenience stores rather than traditional grocers, a study finds. And researchers say this trend is a public health concern.

2 Brothers Beaten, 1 Killed, Allegedly By Their Parents And Fellow Churchgoers

11:25am October 15, 2015

by Brakkton Booker

New Hartford, N.Y., police say Bruce and Deborah Leonard are among those who fatally beat the Leonards' son, age 19, inside the Word of Life Church. Another son, 17, is in the hospital.