National

National

Beleaguered Florida Citrus Industry Hits New Snags

6:19pm November 05, 2013

by Ashley Lopez

Florida's citrus industry is having more problems. Growers are already plagued by crop diseases like canker and greening. Now, an effort to control greening has led to the deaths of millions of bees.

Queue Listen Now

Students walk by Founders Library on Howard University campus in Washington, D.C.

Amid A Rough Patch, Howard University Faces Flagging Morale

5:12pm November 05, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

Howard University has seen its share of troubles lately. Faculty recently expressed their frustration with the school's Board of Trustees with a "no-confidence" vote, weeks after the university's president announced a surprise early retirement and Moody's downgraded the school's credit rating. But school administrators remain confident in the school's future.

Queue Listen Now

Say hello to your microbiome, Rob Stein. Our intrepid correspondent decided to get his gut bacteria analyzed. Now he's wondering if he needs to eat more garlic and onions.

Getting Your Microbes Analyzed Raises Big Privacy Issues

3:28pm November 05, 2013

by Rob Stein

Scientists are asking people to contribute samples of their gut microbes to help figure out how those microbes affect human health. But ethicists say sharing that information, as well as the personal health data that make it useful to researchers, poses risks. That's especially true for children.

Queue Listen Now

Craig Rowles raises pigs near Carroll, Iowa. The piglets will enter and leave this room as a group.

Why Are Pig Farmers Still Using Growth-Promoting Drugs?

7:42pm November 04, 2013

by Dan Charles

There's a curious twist in the contentious debate over feeding antibiotics to animals in order to make them grow faster. Evidence suggests using antibiotics for growth promotion, at least among pigs, doesn't even make economic sense. But some pork producers don't believe it.

Queue Listen Now

NYC Race Focuses On Income Gap, But How Much Can A Mayor Do?

7:42pm November 04, 2013

by Joel Rose

Democrat Bill de Blasio is poised to become the next mayor of New York, in part because he made income inequality the central issue of his campaign. His "tale of two cities" narrative has resonated with voters. But there's debate about what he could do as mayor to narrow the income gap.

Queue Listen Now

Veteran Pennsylvania Congressman Can't Escape GOP Civil War

5:28pm November 04, 2013

by Don Gonyea

Bill Shuster, a seven-term Republican congressman from rural, central Pennsylvania, has long been considered a social and fiscal conservative. But his vote to end the government shutdown and close alliance with Speaker John Boehner has put him on the list of GOP incumbents facing Tea Party-backed primary challenges next year.

Queue Listen Now

National

SAC Capital Agrees To Plead Guilty To Insider Trading

5:28pm November 04, 2013

The hedge fund giant also agreed to pay a $1.8 billion fine to settle charges. Prosecutors say that insider trading at the company was substantial, pervasive and on a scale without known precedent in the hedge fund industry.

Queue Listen Now

With Rise Of Painkiller Abuse, A Closer Look At Heroin

11:26am November 04, 2013

by NPR Staff

The rate of heroin use is up, and federal data show that nearly 80 percent of people using it had previously abused prescription painkillers. The drugs have similar effects, and curbing painkiller abuse may help stymie the draw to heroin.

Queue Listen Now

Newark Considers What Life Will Be Like After Cory Booker

11:22am November 04, 2013

by Sarah Gonzalez

As mayor, Booker brought lots of attention and investment to the New Jersey city. But now that he's a U.S. senator, will the trend continue? Booker helped change Newark's perception, but the city still faces persistent crime. Mayoral candidates are taking that issue — and their ideas for solving it — to voters.

Queue Listen Now

Little oil lamps mark Diwali celebrations in Allahabad, India, far away from American homes.

Far From Diwali's Lights, The Warm Glow Of Home

9:42am November 04, 2013

by Lakshmi Singh

South Asian communities around the world are celebrating good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, light over darkness. Sunday is Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. The holiday isn't well-known in the U.S., though, so families rely on themselves to keep the tradition alive.

Queue Listen Now