National

National

Shortened Term Limited JFK's Accomplishments, But Not His Contributions

2:36pm November 22, 2013

Fresh Air's Dave Davies discusses John F. Kennedy's abbreviated term in office with presidential historian Robert Dallek, who finds that while you can make an argument that Kennedy accomplished little, he represents something special in the American experience. Dallek's latest book is Camelot's Court: Inside The Kennedy White House.

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Hoops, He Did It Again: Player Has Second 100-Point Game

11:49am November 22, 2013

by Mark Memmott

Junior guard Jack Taylor of Grinnell College has followed up last year's record-breaking 138-point performance with another "century." He scored 109 points Sunday night in a victory over Crossroads College. He's the only player in NCAA history to have reached or exceeded 100 points twice.

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Shayna Terrell is the outreach coordinator at Simon Gratz Mastery Charter School in Philadelphia.

Charter Schools In Philadelphia: Educating Without A Blueprint

11:39am November 22, 2013

by Eric Westervelt

A few short years ago, Simon Gratz in North Philadelphia was among the state's most troubled, violent and academically underachieving high schools. Today, now a charter school, Gratz is very much on the rebound. But critics say Philadelphia can't charter its way out of its school crisis.

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Third-grader Kassim West last July at Walter G. Smith Elementary School, one of more than 20 Philadelphia public schools that closed at the end of the school year.

Kids Pay The Price In Fight Over Fixing Philadelphia Schools

8:58am November 22, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

One of the nation's largest school systems has been pushed to the brink of insolvency. Not long ago, Philadelphia was touted as a "laboratory of innovation," a promising model for urban public education. But something went wrong. So who is responsible for the district's descent into academic and financial ruin?

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National

Moved By Kennedy's Death, The Boston Symphony Played On

9:08pm November 21, 2013

by Theo Balcomb

The orchestra was mid-performance when news of the president's assassination reached the symphony hall in 1963. The musicians had to decide: suspend the concert or continue? Their decision transformed a moment of shock into a moment of shared consolation.

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Dallas is preparing for Friday's 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and hoping to show how much the city has changed.

National

Marking Kennedy Assassination, Dallas Still On 'Eggshells'

8:22pm November 21, 2013

by Wade Goodwyn

Dallas became known as the "City of Hate" after President John F. Kennedy was killed there. But the city has changed, and it hopes that the 50th anniversary of the assassination on Friday will be a chance to show the extent of that transformation.

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Pfc. Katie Gorz (center) served as a squad leader during the training at Camp Geiger, N.C.

National

Women Pass Marine Training, Clear First Hurdle To Combat Role

6:54pm November 21, 2013

by Tom Bowman

For the first time, three women were among the Marines who graduated Thursday from the two-month combat training course. The U.S. lifted the ban on women in combat earlier this year. Now, the Marines are conducting tests to see if women have what it takes to actually serve in the infantry.

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ATF Chief Faces Tough Challenge At Troubled Agency

6:54pm November 21, 2013

by Carrie Johnson

B. Todd Jones is in charge of a bureau whose relevance and performance are being questioned and whose resource problems appear to be growing larger. He's trying to put the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives back on solid footing after years of controversy and criticism.

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National

Personhood In The Womb: A Constitutional Question

4:57pm November 21, 2013

A study released this year examined cases where law enforcement intervened in the lives of pregnant women who were believed to be endangering their fetuses. State laws are stepping in on behalf of the fetuses' constitutional rights — but what of the mothers' rights? Fresh Air looks at three perspectives in the debate.

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Beef cattle stand in a barn on the Larson Farms feedlot in Maple Park, Ill.

Inside The Beef Industry's Battle Over Growth-Promotion Drugs

4:39pm November 21, 2013

by Dan Charles

Beta agonists, a class of drugs widely fed to cattle and hogs to make them put on weight faster, are coming under increasing scrutiny. Reports suggest animals fed these drugs can seem reluctant to move — lethargic, unable to walk properly — and may die more often, too.

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