National

U.N. Envoy: Solution To Syrian Conflict Must Be A 'Political One'

6:24pm July 30, 2015

NPR's Melissa Block speaks with United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura about creating a peace process in Syria. He says there is a new "sense of urgency" by many parties to end the conflict.

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Jimmy Hoffa in 1958 testifying at a hearing investigating labor rackets.

#TBT: 40 Years After Jimmy Hoffa's Disappearance, His Legend Lives On

6:04pm July 30, 2015

by Don Gonyea

Forty years ago today, Hoffa pulled into a restaurant parking lot and was never heard from again. His story is one of union devotion, fraud and fierce political battles.

The Baltimore City Detention Center, seen here in 2013, was found to be riddled with corruption, according to a federal probe.

National

Md. Governor Orders Closure Of 'Deplorable' Baltimore City Jail

4:14pm July 30, 2015

by Bill Chappell

A 2013 investigation resulted in the indictment of "25 people — including 13 women working as corrections officers" on racketeering and drug charges. Nearly 20 more faced other charges.

Texting While Walking: Are You Cautious Or Clueless?

3:53pm July 30, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

People who text while walking change their pace and seem to walk more cautiously, a study says. But that doesn't mean you're not a menace to yourself and others.

The Ensatina salamander, a lungless species common along the U.S. West Coast, is one of hundreds of species of salamanders endemic to North America threatened by an emerging infectious pathogen.

Scientists Urge Ban On Salamander Imports To U.S. To Keep Fungus At Bay

3:12pm July 30, 2015

by Jessie Rack

The chytrid fungus has wiped out populations of amphibians around the world. A type of the fungus infects only salamanders, and researchers have identified vulnerable areas in North America.

Thai and Burmese fishing boat workers sit inside a cell at the compound of a fishing company in Benjina, Indonesia on Nov. 22, 2014. The imprisoned men were considered slaves who might run away.

Beyond Brothels: Farms And Fisheries Are Frontier Of Human Trafficking

2:41pm July 30, 2015

by Tracie McMillan

The State Department's annual human trafficking report this year gives special attention to slavery in agriculture and fishing. Human rights advocates say there's much work to be done to fight it.

Teaching American history in the contemporary classroom — and in the coming years — holds some particular, and complicated, challenges. (Space mural by Robert McCall, National Air and Space Museum)

National

The Future Of American History

2:35pm July 30, 2015

by Linton Weeks

Three college professors respond to questions about the evolving challenges of teaching the history of a complex nation.

Brian Hopson, assistant superintendent at Alameda County Juvenile Hall, stands in one of its many empty units. The 360-bed facility was full when it opened eight years ago, but is now at half capacity.

National

Meant To Keep Youths Out Of Detention, Probation Often Leads Them There

2:29pm July 30, 2015

by Soraya Shockley

Nationwide, juvenile incarceration has dropped by half since 1999 — but the probations that have replaced it hold teens to sometimes subjective standards and often include electronic monitoring.

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Glowing bacteria is part of a project on the open-source laboratory Arcturus BioCloud.

Biohackers Aim To Make Homebrew Insulin, But Don't Try It Yet

2:23pm July 30, 2015

by Miriam E. Tucker

Insulin can be expensive even with insurance, and millions of people need it to stay alive. Proponents of the biohacking movement say it should be possible to make it safely and cheaply.

An illustration from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain, published in 1897. Between the 1860s and 1920, when Prohibition went into effect, American bartending came into its own.

The Golden Age Of Cocktails: When Americans Learned To Love Mixed Drinks

2:16pm July 30, 2015

by Nadia Whitehead

The Manhattan, the daiquiri, the martini. These classic cocktails were all born between the 1860s and Prohibition, an era when American bartending got inventive — and theatrical.

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