National

When the Supreme Court overturned part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in June, it granted federal benefits to many couples married in states that have legalized same-sex marriage. This set off phase two of litigation: a flurry of lawsuits in Pennsylvania and other states which have not.

Tens of thousands of Filipinas work as nannies in U.S. households. Many leave their own children in the care of relatives back home, a wrenching but often unavoidable decision in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.

Pardit Pri left her job as a legal assistant when she had a baby. She thought she'd be able to find a new job with health insurance, but so far has found only contract work with no benefits. She's not sure if her state's new health exchange will make sense for her, given her uncertain income.

Herman Wallace was released from prison in Louisiana on Tuesday after more than 40 years in solitary confinement. A judge overturned his conviction on the grounds that Wallace had been denied a fair trial. Wallace died just three days later.

Even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers stay home, some members of Congress have kept most or all of their own staffs working. With no end to the government shutdown in sight, that's put Republicans on the defensive.

Earlier this week, All Things Considered asked you to submit your questions about the shutdown, then assembled a crack team of NPR reporters to answer them. Find out what the government shutdown means for food safety, military pay and more.

Pastor Jamie Coots says his Pentecostal church is really not that different from other churches. "We sing, we preach, we testify, take up offerings, pray for the sick, everything like everybody else does. Just, every once in a while, snakes are handled," he says.

The Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health in Maryland is often the last resort for patients who have mysterious, rare or terminal diseases. Patients sometimes call it the "House of Hope." But the government shutdown may mean that prospective patients will be turned away.

A 54-year-old California man has never had health insurance and wasn't much interested in the debate over the Affordable Care Act. But after some recent health setbacks, he is eager to sign up for coverage made possible by the law.

City officials say what's been a "generous" hotel program has to end, and they sent displaced families a letter saying they have to move out by Friday. But others say the city could have done more to help the storm's neediest victims stay out of homeless shelters.