National

Examining Britain's Position On The Crisis In Syria

6:25am September 25, 2013

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is leading his country's delegation to the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York. In an interview with David Greene, Clegg discusses Britain's position on the Syria crisis.

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Alex Blaszczuk used Google Glass to shoot this self portait.

National

Accessible Designs Could Help Us All — But Only If Firms Bite

5:52pm September 24, 2013

by Steve Henn

Computer technology offers us abilities we could once only dream about. But many companies have yet to recognize the commercial opportunity in making products for the disabled. Some argue that ignoring accessibility issues completely is a multi-billion dollar mistake.

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One bad winter storm could leave Estes Park Medical Center isolated and unable to transfer seriously ill patients to facilities with intensive care units and other specialized services.

After The Floods, Colorado Hospital Braces For Winter

11:38am September 24, 2013

by Eric Whitney

A hospital in Estes Park, Colo., escaped the flood damage that affected much of the area this month. But the small hospital in the mountains now relies on a single road to evacuate critical patients. A bad snowstorm could stop traffic and ground helicopters, leaving the hospital isolated.

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At Diner en Blanc ("Dinner in White"), people arrive dressed all in white. They bring their own food and, fittingly, white wine.

This Elegant, Whimsical Pop-Up Dinner Party Had 4,000 Guests

11:15am September 24, 2013

by Margot Adler

In a secret location, revealed minutes before the event, thousands came all dressed in white. They brought white tables and chairs, elegant china, wine and food, and they set up in a park in New York City. These elegant pop-up "white garb" dinners, called Diner en Blanc, are happening all over the world.

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Militant Group Al-Shabab Evolves With Help From Al-Qaida

9:13am September 24, 2013

In a conversation with Bronwyn Bruton of the Atlantic Council, Steve Inskeep gets a history of al-Shabab, the Islamist militant group that's claimed responsibility for the terrorist attack on a Nairobi mall. She says the attack was aimed more at the West than Kenyans.

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Does a glass or two of wine during pregnancy really increase the child's health risks? Epigenetics may help scientists figure that out.

How A Pregnant Woman's Choices Could Shape A Child's Health

8:58am September 24, 2013

by Jon Hamilton

Pregnant women are told not to drink, smoke or stress out. But it hasn't been clear how those choices may affect a fetus. By studying how genes are turned on and off, scientists say they are getting closer to understanding what experiences in the womb really affect a child's health.

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Arefa with Jami Valentine (left) and Staci Freeman. Arefa, who first stayed with the sisters while receiving medical care last year, came back to the U.S. this summer for follow-up treatment.

A Young Afghan War Survivor Touches Two American Lives

8:38pm September 23, 2013

by Gloria Hillard

Last year, two sisters took in Arefa, a badly burned Afghan girl, while she received medical treatment in the U.S. The sisters were ecstatic to host a goofier and wigglier Arefa during a return visit this summer, but they say the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan may make future reunions difficult.

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The NSA says the site's location near Salt Lake City will simplify staffing and the largely treeless surroundings will make the center relatively easy to secure and monitor.

National

Booting Up: New NSA Data Farm Takes Root In Utah

8:38pm September 23, 2013

by Howard Berkes

Even as it continues to grapple with concerns about its data-gathering operations, the National Security Agency is poised to open a massive facility where cellphone, text message, email and landline data can be stored and analyzed.

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The Common Core Standards establish academic expectations across states in math and English language arts.

In Push For 'Common' Standards, Many Parents Left Uneducated

2:51pm September 23, 2013

by Claudio Sanchez

The Common Core initiative would standardize academic goals nationwide. Forty-five states have signed on, but lawmakers in some states are rethinking their support. While both sides are stepping up their messaging, a poll out this month shows 62 percent of Americans have never heard of Common Core.

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National

Medea Benjamin's Anti-War Activism: Wearing Pink, Seeing Red

11:49am September 23, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The possibility of U.S. strikes in Syria brought Code Pink protesters to Capitol Hill, holding signs and disrupting the proceedings. Leading them is Medea Benjamin, an anti-war activist who, as it turns out, didn't even like the color pink when she started the group.

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