National

Will Seniors Leave Republicans Out To Dry In 2014?

8:18am December 09, 2013

by Ina Jaffe

One group of voters that the GOP has traditionally been able to count on are those over 65. But a new survey of battleground congressional districts show some cracks in that foundation, possibly enough to swing some closely contested seats.

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National

Temperatures Dip From Sea To Icy Sea

6:12pm December 08, 2013

by Nate Rott

Frigid weather and freezing rain have beset large swaths of the country. Those below-average temperatures are expected to stay well into the week.

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Holiday decorations are displayed in the State Dining Room of the White House during an event to preview the 2013 holiday decorations on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

National

White House Invites All To 'Gather Around' A Holiday Tradition

11:35pm December 07, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, almost 100 volunteer decorators show up at the White House. They spend the next five days stringing garlands and hanging ornaments, making the White House sparkle for the holidays. NPR has a related tradition, and it's about to end.

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Chefs Andrew Taylor, left, and Mike Wiley, co-owners of two Portland, Maine, restaurants, say the moratorium is worth it if it helps sustain the shrimp population.

Fishery Closure Puts New England's Shrimp Season On Ice

9:56pm December 07, 2013

by Tom Porter

After several years of declining shrimp stocks, regulators have imposed a moratorium on shrimping in New England waters. The closure could hurt commercial fisherman and future demand for the Gulf of Maine shrimp, but scientists say the move may be the only way to prevent the population from collapsing.

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LA's Filipinos Grieve For Loved Ones Abroad By Taking Action

12:31pm December 07, 2013

by Sam Sanders

In Southern California, the largest Filipino community in the U.S. has mobilized relief efforts to aid the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. They are praying in solidarity, donating money and supplies, and volunteering their services while they wait for news of family and friends.

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Students at Lowell High School in Michigan sit down for lunch. Shorter lunch breaks mean that many kids don't get enough time to eat and socialize.

These Days, School Lunch Hours Are More Like 15 Minutes

9:09am December 07, 2013

by Eric Westervelt

In a new poll, parents complain that their children are not getting nearly enough time for a basic school ritual: eating lunch. And that's worrying parents and administrators, given that about one-third of American kids are overweight or obese.

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National

Bob Dylan's Electric Guitar Sells For $965,000

7:35pm December 06, 2013

The auction house Christie's sold a Sunburst Fender Stratocaster guitar Friday for a whopping $965,000. It's the guitar behind what some consider a watershed moment in music history — the moment that Bob Dylan picked up an electric guitar on July 25, 1965 at the Newport Folk Festival.

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National

Nosy Driver In The Next SUV? It May Be A Cop Watching You Text

7:35pm December 06, 2013

by Alisa Roth

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia have banned texting while driving, and six others forbid it for new drivers — but that doesn't stop people from doing it. So New York State Police are using unmarked SUVs to try to spot drivers in the act.

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Chinese naval soldiers stand guard on China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning as it travels toward a military base in Sanya, Hainan province, in this undated picture made available on Nov. 30.

China's Military Buildup Reignites Worries In Asia, Beyond

12:18pm December 06, 2013

by Tom Bowman

China's leaders hope to be able to fight and win two regional conflicts by 2020, according to the Pentagon in a report that highlights the East China Sea, site of recent tensions with the U.S. and Japan. The showdown over air space is the latest example of what the Pentagon sees as a resurgent Chinese military.

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National

Wash. Judge Rules Towns Failed Poor Defendents

11:57am December 06, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

A big ruling on whether poor criminal defendants have the right to a lawyer came this week. A judge in Washington state finds two cities have systematically violated the rights of indigent defendants by providing them with lawyers who spent less than one hour on their cases.

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