National

Obama Tries Going It Alone — And Moves Onto Murky Legal Ground

9:04pm February 07, 2014

by Carrie Johnson

President Obama's strategy of governing by executive order is designed to deal with a recalcitrant Congress. But Republican lawmakers are signaling that they'll challenge the White House there too by demanding the legal analysis to support the president's actions.

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Chris Wasil, a forest area supervisor for Palm Beach County, demonstrates how satellite maps depict the location and movement of fire equipment.

National

Technology Tracks Crews Through The Fog Of Wildfire

9:04pm February 07, 2014

by Greg Allen

Communication breakdowns can be fatal for firefighters, but are all too easy when crews are shrouded in smoke and a blaze is moving fast. Florida, with its millions of acres of forest and grassland, has rolled out a new system that can pinpoint crews without relying on voice communication.

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Susan Crawford says that in cities like Seoul and Stockholm, high-speed, high-capacity networks are taken for granted. "It really is astonishing what's going on in America," she says. "We're falling way behind in the pack of developed nations when it come

National

Author: When It Comes To High-Speed Internet, U.S. 'Falling Way Behind'

12:41pm February 07, 2014

The U.S. needs to start treating the Internet like electricity or railroads, law professor and author Susan Crawford says. "We can't create a level playing field for all Americans or indeed compete on the world stage without having some form of government involvement," she says.

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National

The Avalanche And The Alaskan City Finding Its Way Out

7:55pm February 06, 2014

The only road into Valdez, Alaska, was reopened on Wednesday after an avalanche closed the city off from all highway traffic for nearly two weeks. Melissa Block speaks with Valdez City Manager John Hozey, who helped coordinate clean-up efforts for the city's more than 4,000 residents.

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President Obama tours a Costco location in Lanham, Md., on Jan. 29, before speaking about raising the federal minimum wage.

As Deficit Anxiety Fades, Debt Rears Its Ugly Head

7:55pm February 06, 2014

by Mara Liasson

Cutting the national debt and deficit used to be the most divisive political debate in Washington. These days, not so much. Both parties have agreed to move on and focus on issues they largely agree on: income inequality and social mobility. But there's not much they can do without a sustainable budget.

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Michael Dunn (right), who faces first-degree murder charges in the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis, stands with his attorney Cory Strolla (left) at Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday.

National

Another Florida Case Puts 'Stand Your Ground' Back In Court

7:55pm February 06, 2014

by Greg Allen

In a courtroom in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday, prosecutors and the defense laid out different versions of how 47-year-old Michael Dunn, who is white, came to shoot and kill Jordan Davis, a black 17-year-old.

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National

Hagel Concerned By Ethical Lapses In Armed Forces

7:59am February 06, 2014

by Tom Bowman

Scandals seem to be popping up almost weekly in the military: Air Force missile officers cheating on exams. Army officers getting kickbacks. Navy instructors sharing test results. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered some reviews of the nuclear force, and asked for an update on ethics teaching at military schools.

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Volunteers with the Dan River Basin Association, graduate students from Duke University and staff with the environmental group Appalachian Voices collect water samples on the Dan River after a massive coal ash spill.

More Than 80,000 Tons Of Coal Ash Flow Into N.C. River

10:23pm February 05, 2014

by Jeff Tiberii

A broken stormwater pipe in North Carolina has sent the waste into the Dan River, which flows through Virginia and out into the Atlantic. Officials say the drinking water is safe, but environmental questions linger.

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Frank Gehrke, chief of snow surveys in California, looks at wind speed, snow depth and moisture data collected at a survey site in Yosemite National Park.

National

Scientists Help Western States Prepare For Drought As New Norm

10:23pm February 05, 2014

by Kirk Siegler

In a warming world, extreme droughts are predicted to become more common. Amid the historic drought gripping California and much of the West Coast, scientists are studying how states can manage with a lot less water in the future.

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Francisco Vasquez says his niece, Ellie, and his sister's battle with cancer have transformed his life "forever."

National

A Baby Who Saved Her Family From 'The Dark Moments'

2:34pm February 05, 2014

by NPR Staff

Maria Vasquez-Rojas was thrilled when she learned she was pregnant. But soon afterward she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer — at the same time her brother Francisco was struggling with drug addiction. Maria's daughter's birth has transformed not just Maria's life, but Francisco's, too.

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