National

National

Obama: World Lost A Profoundly Good Man In Nelson Mandela's Death

11:57am December 06, 2013

by Ari Shapiro

President Obama addressed the nation Thursday after news that former South African president and anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela died, saying the world lost an influential, courageous and "profoundly good" man.

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PLANET MONEY MAKES A T-SHIRT: How to send a shirt around the world for pennies

The Giant Book That Creates And Destroys Entire Industries

10:49am December 06, 2013

by Jacob Goldstein

The book lists the tax that importers have to pay on approximately every single thing in the universe — and raises a key question about the Planet Money T-shirt.

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On a visit to StoryCorps in Ohio, Dennis Hale recounted his experience surviving a shipwreck on Lake Huron to his wife, Barbara.

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Adrift In Frigid Water, Not Caring 'If You Live Or Die'

10:49am December 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

A ship called the Daniel J. Morrell was making its last haul of the season when it broke apart in a heavy storm on Lake Huron in November 1966. A few crew members struggled to stay afloat in the driving wind and waves, but ultimately, Dennis Hale was the shipwreck's sole survivor.

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If a plan taking shape is finalized, the MV Cape Ray, managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will be turned into a floating chemical weapons disposal plant.

Plan Calls For Syria's Chemical Arsenal To Be Destroyed At Sea

10:49am December 06, 2013

by Geoff Brumfiel

The world wants Syria's chemical arsenal destroyed. But so far, no country has offered to do the dirty work on its soil. Over the past week, an alternative has gained ground: Carry out the destruction at sea. The plan taking shape is complicated and untested, but it just might work.

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HealthCare.gov Now Allows Window Shopping, And A Do-Over

6:31am December 06, 2013

by Julie Rovner

Probably the best feature of the retooled HealthCare.gov website is that you can actually use it. People are now able to get a customized list of plans and prices, and click through to see an insurer's provider directory. Still, better though it is, it's clearly not 100 percent.

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A lot of what we think we know about interrogation tactics comes from television and movies. Above (from left), Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum and Robert Young appear in a scene from the 1947 film Crossfire.

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Beyond Good Cop/Bad Cop: A Look At Real-Life Interrogations

2:55pm December 05, 2013

How close are TV interrogations to the real thing? Not very, says Douglas Starr. In a New Yorker article, he explores the "gold standard" of interrogation methods, developed in the 1940s. But there's concern that this technique is based on outdated science, and may produce false confessions.

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National

Pipeline On Wheels: Trains Are Winning Big Off U.S. Oil

9:28pm December 04, 2013

by Kirk Siegler

Railroads are increasingly becoming the preferred means of shipping the masses of oil being produced in North Dakota and surrounding states. The railroad industry is eager to fill in for the lack of pipeline capacity. But some say the train growth needs to slow down.

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Nothing Says Christmas Like 700 Screaming Faces

7:20pm December 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

Every year, as a gift to the American people, the Norwegian Embassy decorates the Christmas tree at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station. This year's tree is decorated with 700 reflective ornaments featuring the man from the painting The Scream by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. This month marks the 150th anniversary of Munch's birth.

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For years, sports broadcasts were a staple of AM radio. But now, AM seems to be mostly a mix of talk shows and infomercials, and the Federal Communications Commission wants the band to be relevant again.

FCC Proposes AM Radio Changes To Give The Band A Boost

8:24pm December 03, 2013

by Brian Naylor

AM radio was what folks used to gather around to listen to soap operas, big bands and live drama. Later, it's where baby boomers heard the Beatles. Now, it's largely the province of news and talk — and often hard to hear because of interference. The FCC is proposing some changes it hopes will make the AM band relevant again.

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Washington State Growers Roll The Dice On New Pot Licenses

6:55pm December 03, 2013

by Martin Kaste

The deadline to apply to legally grow and sell pot is coming up in Washington, but growers are finding there are pros and cons to going legit. Applicants must invest big money to qualify for a license, and it's unclear what the new system will mean for existing medical growers.

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