National

An irrigation pivot waters a corn field in Nebraska. Many farmers in Nebraska and Kansas rely on irrigation to water their corn fields. But the underground aquifer they draw from will run dry.

Turning Off The Spigot In Western Kansas Farmland

2:49pm August 27, 2013

by Dan Charles

If Kansas farmers keep pumping water out of the High Plains aquifer as they have in the past, the amount of water they can extract will start to fall in just 10 years or so, scientists predict. That will cause big changes in the agricultural economy. But reducing water use now could help delay and ease that disruption.

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U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Ty Michael Carter near Dahla Dam, Afghanistan in July 2012.

Pain, Loss And Tears Come With Medal Of Honor

4:04pm August 26, 2013

by Doreen McCallister

Staff Sergeant Ty Michael Carter received the nation's highest military honor. He feels privileged, but says "I would never tell any soldier or service member, 'Hey, go out and get the Medal of Honor', because of the amount of pain and loss and tears that has to be shed in order to receive it."

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Cutting Public Defenders Can Cost Federal Government More

1:32pm August 26, 2013

by Ted Robbins

With the sequester, the Public Defender's Office in Tucson, Ariz., has lost a quarter of its staff. But everyone is entitled to legal representation, so judges are appointing expensive private attorneys in the public defenders' place.

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In Arkansas, The Senate Battle Is Already Brutal

5:03am August 26, 2013

by Tamara Keith

The election is still 15 months away, but the negative ads are already flying as Sen. Mark Pryor tries to hold on to his seat. His GOP challenger, Tom Cotton, is a freshman congressman who is hoping to help the Republicans take control of the Senate.

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Fantasy sports attract an estimated 36+ million players in the U.S. and Canada.

Quitting Your Job For Fantasy Football

6:04pm August 25, 2013

Drew Dinkmeyer was an investment analyst. Pretty steady job, right? He left that job - in this economic climate - to become a full-time fantasy sports player.

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Daisy Bates of Little Rock, Ark., visited Memphis, Tenn., in August 1959 with Lt. George W. Lee, a prominent Memphis civic leader and author. Bates acted as adviser to the nine black students who integrated Little Rock's Central High School in 1957. She d

National

While Unsung in '63, Women Weren't Just 'Background Singers'

11:17am August 25, 2013

by Karen Grigsby Bates

That sweltering August day in 1963, when almost a quarter-million people thronged the National Mall, women were relegated to the background, even as they played major roles in the movement.

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Troy Wallace with his wife, Lynda. Wallace is suing Suffolk County, N.Y., contending its new sex offender monitoring law violates his civil rights.

National

N.Y. County Outsources The Job Of Monitoring Sex Offenders

11:17am August 25, 2013

by Charles Lane

Suffolk County, on Long Island, is giving enforcement authority to a victims' advocacy group. Lawmakers call it a cost-effective way to keep citizens safe. But a local attorney who often represents sex offenders calls it a "vigilante exercise."

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Artwork from Roth's solo exhibition "Welcome to Detroit," on display at Eastern Michigan University in 2012.

Hacker-Artist's Mantra: 'Fun Makes The Politics Go Down'

11:17am August 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

Evan Roth knows how to get a rise out of the people and organizations he targets. Over his career, the Michigan-born "hacker-artist" has taken on Google, the Transportation Safety Administration, and — most bravely of all — Justin Bieber's fans.

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Civil rights leader Martin Luther King waves to supporters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington.

National

Why It's Difficult To Find Full Video Of King's Historic Speech

12:11pm August 24, 2013

by Eyder Peralta

Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech is copyrighted, limiting its presence online. One organization, however, has decided to provide ready access to the video.

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Obama Campaigns For College Affordability Plan

11:39am August 24, 2013

by Scott Horsley

The president returned from vacation to take to the road, touring college towns in New York and Pennsylvania to talk about higher education. He's proposing a system that would rank colleges' affordability, which could then be tied to federal aid — but in Washington, a budget battle is waiting.

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