National

Stephen Jenner, from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, sprays an insecticide under an avocado tree where some Oriental fruit flies were found in Homestead, Fla.

This Pest Has Shut Down South Florida's $700 Million Fruit Industry

6:54pm September 22, 2015

by Greg Allen

Officials have quarantined 85 square miles of farmland in a fight to halt the spread of the destructive Oriental fruit fly. The freeze comes just as growers were starting to harvest tropical fruits.

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National

Greater Sage Grouse Won't Get Federal Protection

6:54pm September 22, 2015

by Nathan Rott

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the charismatic Western bird doesn't need Endangered Species Act protection. A listing would have meant limits on mining and ranching in much of the West.

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U.S. Faces Challenges In Plan To Resettle 100,000 Refugees By 2017

6:50pm September 22, 2015

by Michele Kelemen

The U.S. plans to take in as many as 100,000 refugees by 2017, but it will take more money from Congress to make that a reality.

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National

Veterans Participate In First-Ever All-Female Honor Flight

6:36pm September 22, 2015

A group of female veterans made history Tuesday as they participated in the first-ever all-female Honor Flight. The Honor Flight Network is a nonprofit that flies veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the memorials that were built in their honor.

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ABC's 'The Muppets' Brings The Classic Characters Into Modern Culture

6:36pm September 22, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The fall TV season begins this week and one of the most anticipated new shows is The Muppets. It's a mockumentary, behind-the-scenes type of show that premieres Tuesday night on ABC.

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To Understand The Exodus Of Syrians, Just Look At Aleppo

6:36pm September 22, 2015

by Alice Fordham

After more than four years of civil war in Syria, what's driving people to Europe in such numbers now? NPR takes a look at the Syrian city of Aleppo to illustrate what Syria has become.

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U.S. CEOs Invite Chinese Counterparts To Business Roundtable

6:36pm September 22, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro interviews Dean Garfield, president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council, who will be the keynote speaker at the U.S.-China business roundtable Wednesday.

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Hillary Clinton asks protesters opposed to the Keystone XL oil pipeline to stop disrupting her campaign event Friday in Portland, Maine.

As Pope Lands, Hillary Clinton Says She Opposes Keystone XL Pipeline

5:39pm September 22, 2015

by Tamara Keith

After months of hedging, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton came out against the Keystone XL pipeline. She did so as much of the media attention was focused on Pope Francis' landing.

Doris Keene (right) talks with her acupuncturist before a treatment at Portland's Quest Center for Integrative Health. Keene says the treatments have eased her chronic back pain at least as effectively as the Vicodin and muscle relaxants she once relied o

To Curb Pain Without Opioids, Oregon Looks To Alternative Treatments

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Kristian Foden-Vencil

Acupuncture and massage haven't been proven to ease pain better than drugs — and may cost more. But Oregon hopes these sorts of alternatives to pills will reduce the societal costs of opioid abuse.

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Texting gentle reminders on heart-healthy habits helped people make real changes.

Text Reminders Help People Lower Cholesterol, Blood Pressure

4:45pm September 22, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

Plain old text messages — you know, the ones you don't need a smartphone to receive — helped people with heart disease make changes like smoking less and exercising more.